BIBICAL ELEMENTS FOR DAILY LIVING 03 (FROM 23 MAR 21 HGM)

 BIBLICAL ELEMENTS FOR DAILY LIVING- 03

TEXT:   "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; ²⁰ Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."  (Hebrews 6:19-20)

 I.  ALL COMPELLING LOVE

     A.  What is your love?  It is all consuming sacrificial love in which you are willing to lay down your very life expecting nothing in return?

     B.  Or is your love an exchange love?  A love that is based upon what Christ has done for you. 

     C.  Some love Christ with a shallow kind of affection serving Him within their own convenience for benefits they may receive. 

     D.  These types of love will not do.  It must be the love that sent Him to the cross.  In this love we find Christ our all in all, our Anchor in the troubles seas, our pleasure and joy, our very LIFE.

     E.  Some Christians see their joy in Christ and in pleasures of this world.

         "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."  (1 Peter 4:13)

It cannot and does not work. Christ is all and in all. With that sacrificial love to Christ we find that our joy is complete and running over.

    F.  In this love that pours into our very live either as a living sacrifice or a martyr -- is LIFE.

        "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.³ For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."  (Colossians 3:2-4)

    G.  Life on this earth is so short.  But it seems that men spend a lot of time caring for the body.  Life is captivated by ambition, obtaining  things and position.  Ambition holds men as slaves to its will.  What little of ourselves is free we must give our attention to the things of God.

II.  PARTING THOUGHTS

     A.   I am a love slave to Christ in whom is life.  Praise God for life eternal offered to every man.  Every man?  Yes, but,  (flip side)

               "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:¹⁵ And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."  (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

     B.   In spite of the above verse there are the unreached who are moving and breathing dead men.  Human life is cheap among them.  Humans are sacrificed.  Life is cheap! Life? They have not life.  Life has  been offered to them, but they have chosen not to receive it and are dead men and woman walking.

     C.  God's love, His love that is all compelling is a love that forsakes our self for the opportunity of presenting to them Christ -- the LIFE.  Can we say if necessary I will lay down my life to do so.  Really??

          "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15:13)

     D.  The Father sent Christ to lay down His life for us.  What an ALL compelling love.

A MEDITATION ON EASTER

 Around Christmas time last year I shared some thoughts on Christ not being a baby and now as we draw closer to what many call the Easter season I would like to share some thoughts on this topic. First, the word we use to express the great victory of Christ, “Easter” is found once in the KJV of the Bible and has nothing to do with the Gospel; the death, the burial, and (our blessed hope of glory) the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The word “Easter” is found in Acts and is talking about Peter not Jesus, “And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” (Acts 12:4) and is translated from the Greek as Passover, again it has nothing to do with the Gospel message. I am not going to go into all of the pagan rituals and religious traditional practices that surround the historical myth of Easter my intent is to lift up the name of Jesus. But, my friend we have “truly” (taking something from the physical realm and projecting it into the spiritual realm) drifted so far from the true meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the great price He paid for my sin and your sin. We have insulted God’s supreme act of giving His only begotten Son and the truth for an emotional swell during the holiday season, to increase church attendance, and to spread ones denominational message under the guise of sharing the Gospel. We do so much in church that displeases God and cover it up by saying we are sharing the Gospel. God please forgive us. God does not need special services that effect our emotions and feelings to share the Gospel message. God needs dedicated and consistent children to follow Him and His basic plan. A few years ago I heard a statement from a pastor (of a church we once attended) that just shook me to my knees. He said after Jesus was arrested and crucified the light of the world went out. How my spirit quivered within me. How my stomach churned and ached for this fellow’s words were not true, but was in keeping with the emotional Easter tradition. At no point in time has Jesus not been the light of the world. My friend even when Jesus obediently and willfully laid His life down, He was still in control; of all Heaven, earth, hell, and will always be the light of the world. His light will never go out. Death could not hold Him, the grave could not hold Him, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) Because this is true about Jesus we too can say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Let us not be led by our emotions and plans to practice an Easter season, but be led by the Holy Spirit to know and understand the true message of the Gospel. This my friend is the message that will change your life forever. At the Passover Supper (before He went out into the garden) Jesus knew the garden experience was there and He knew that the cross, death, the grave, and hell was waiting Him. Yet Jesus went out with a hymn in His heart, “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:29) How could He do that? He could sing because He had the victory already in His heart. The victory and trust He had in His Father to carry Him through the garden, onto the cross, and into and out of the grave. He knew His Father would never leave Him nor forsake Him. The victory was first won as the Father pressed out the life and will of Jesus at Gethsemane (which means where oil is pressed), “Then saith he unto them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:38-39) Knowing what was before Him Jesus could still break bread with His disciples, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” (Matthew 26:26) Knowing what was ahead for Him Jesus could still give thanks, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:27-28) He could only do this because it was the most sublime manifestation of faith ever expressed. We think He had faith when He restored sight to the blind, strengthened limbs, and raised the dead. Yes that was wonderful, but we must see the spiritual side of things. We must see the necessity of faith in the realm of the Spirit, not in the flesh (like the Easter myth), but the realm of the Spirit where we have the faith to dare to believe like Jesus. It is Jesus’ victorious life which leads up to His victorious death and that is what presents Him as the Lamb without spot and blemish. When seen on the Mount of Transfiguration, He is a Lamb without spot or blemish, but it is a Lamb that has been slain! We are not saved by His life we are saved by His death. His life is exemplary it is beautiful, but He did not come to display great character and to do miracles, He came to die for us. The way of life is through a region of death and unless we partake of His death we shall never reign with Him. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” (Romans 6:3-5) The truth of the season is a bitter sweet message of death so that we may live. It is not about new clothing, many church activities, special foods, and musical programs to get people to come to church, but it is about us loving God enough to be willing (like Jesus) to fall into the ground and die, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:24)And, to love God’s word enough in simplicity to share it without fanfare and emotional ceremony knowing the Holy Spirit will do His work in lives. Then too we will be able to say we have before the throne (our heart) of God today a victorious risen Lord. Let us keep the love feast of Jesus’ sacrifice. Let us honor Him and His work in us and for those who we are to lead to the cross for His glory. Let not this season be a myth or holiday, but an invitation to life, the life of God. Written by David Stahl

                

 

BIBLICAL ELEMENTS FOR DAILY LIVING 2 (FROM HGM ON 23 FEB21)

 BIBLICAL ELEMENTS FOR DAILY LIVING- 02

TEXT:  "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"  (Romans 5:20)

 I.  DRAWING NEARER

     A.  "Sin separates from God"  is a common statement held as truth.  The complete truth is; sin is the occasion for the grace of God.  And the greater the sin, the greater the grace.  There is no sin that we can commit that God's grace, blood, and love cannot forgive us of.  Not one! 

     B.  It is the persistence of the will of man to continue in sin that leads to separation and eternal death.  It is the rejecting of the continual drawing of the Holy Spirit, time and time again that separates man from God.  Not man's sin.  Fore we all sin, don't we?. 

           "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"  (Romans 3:23)  But, we all do not ask for His forgiveness, do we? 

      C.  He died unto sin, not His, but ours, fore He was sinless.  He died once for our sin.

           "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.¹⁰ For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God."  (Romans 6:9-10)

       D.  Therefore we must not continue in sin that grace should abound.

           "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"  (Romans 6:1)  We must not take the occasion of sin as a liberty to satisfy fleshly desires,  sin is sin.  Sin kills.  The end result of sin without confess and repentance is always destruction and death.  But, the end result of sin in our lives after confession and repentance is liberty and life.

       E.  When Adam and Eve sinned, God drew near to them.

             "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."  (Genesis 3:8)

       F.  Adam's and Eve's refusal to confess their disobedience (their sin) to God words left them in a state of death, leading to their eternal separation from God.  Nowhere did Adam and Eve repent.

       G.  Sin should be our occasion to draw nearer to God in our weakness and need.  He comes to us because of our sin. 

       H.  Drawing nearer to Him is the proper response.  Just as we draw near to Him in our physical sickness, thus we should also do in our spiritual sickness.

 II.  PARTING THOUGHTS

      A.  Unless we see God as a God who draws near to us to when we sin, and not a God who desires to condemn and punish us, we will never draw near to him. 

      B.  Unless we see Him as a God of compassion, forgiveness, and love we will never allow Him to draw near to us.  God's desire is to draw near to us.  He never stops drawing near to us in our sin.  He continually is sending His Holy Spirit to convict us and draw us to confession.

       C.  It is not a question of sin, but a question of our willingness to draw near to God in our sin.  It is not a question of God loving us or forgiving us in our sin.  It is a question of do we love God enough? Do we believe God's word enough to allow Him to forgive us and draw near to us in our sin.

OCCUPY TILL I COME

 In Luke there is a wonderful parable Jesus teaches at the home of Zacchaeus, the chief among the publicans.  Now the Scriptures does not say, but I believe the disciples were there. As a child in Sunday School I remember being told the story of how little, short  Zacchaeus climbed up in a sycamore tree because he wanted to see Jesus a noble desire.  Jesus saw him in the tree and said come down because today I must abide at your house. And of course Jesus took a lot of grief from the religious folks (probably the disciples too) because they said He (Jesus) was eating with a sinner (ain't we all), but Jesus said, "And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."  (Luke 19:9-10) This was in keeping with Jesus' maximum effort to minster to only the Jewish people. Jesus' time on earth was not to minister to the Gentiles, but to the lost house of Israel, sons of Abraham.  We see this truth in Matthew when Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans (half Jewish) enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.   And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand."  (Matthew 10:5-7) as a matter of fact Jesus only ministered to two Gentiles; the Centurion in Matthew 8:5-10 and in Mathew 15:21-24 where a Gentile lady's daughter was grievously vexed with a devil and of course Jesus cast the demon out, but first in verse 24 Jesus says, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  From Genesis 12:3 (when the Covenant with Abraham and the entire (past, present, and future) Jewish people was established) to Romans 1:1 (where Paul began to share the Gospel of grace through faith) that entire swath of Scripture is written about and written to the Jewish people. All of the parables and stories in the Gospel are about "the lost sheep of Israel,"  but that does not mean we today cannot glean some truth and learn from the parables and  stories.  So too this truth is the parable in Luke 19:11-27 we will take a look at.  In the parable the players are the nobleman Jesus, the servants the nobleman's workers (maybe us), and the citizens the Jewish people. Let us look at portion of the parable,  "He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. ¹³ And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds (each got one pound), and said unto them, Occupy till I come. ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.¹⁵ And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading."  (Luke 19:12-15)  So Jesus calls His servants (maybe us) before He goes away, gives us money, talent, abilities, resources, capabilities, and then says, "Occupy till I come." Now notice the word "Occupy" is capitalized in mid sentence.  Also notice the nobleman (Jesus) did not tell the servants what to do when they "Occupy" He left their occupying up them. But we know when the nobleman comes back (after He receives the kingdom) He takes stock of each servant and rewards them according their faithfulness to Him. Sadly this parable plays out in the lives of so many Christians today. They are busy occupying for themselves in their lives, living for themselves, planning for the future, scheming up ways to get ahead, but not occupying for the nobleman.  Jesus really lays it on the line in Luke 16 when He says to the disciples (maybe us), "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. ¹¹ If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹²  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?"  (Luke 16:10-12)  Did you get that?  If you have not been faithful in little things, insignificant things you will not be faithful in big things. If you have not been faithful with "unrighteous mammon" things like: money, houses, cars, God given talents and abilities then "who will commit to your trust the true riches?" ("riches" added). Now Karen and I are NOT followers of American Idol, but the #1 common denominator with most of all of the winners is they started singing in church. God gave them a talent, but they were unfaithful to God and used His talent in the secular world to make money.  What are the true riches?  Money, fame, power, authority, etc.  No my friend the true riches of God are:  peace, joy, longsuffering, health, etc. and "who" will give these to you if you have not been faithful with "unrighteous mammon?"  These my friends are riches that are only found in God.  I like the next verse, if you are not faithful with "another man's" things "who shall give to you that which is your own?  If you cannot take care of your boss' stuff, his duties and goods, the house you rent,  relationships "who will give you that which is your own?" Only God can give you things that nobody can take from you if you have been faithful with "another man's." Until then everything you have is up for grabs by the world.  I have friends who are praying for God to give them a better car, a bigger house, a new job, but are perplexed why their prayers are falling on deaf ears, well why should God give them something bigger and better when they have not used what God has already given them for His glory?  The word "Occupy" in Luke 19:13 is from the Greek #4231 and means busy one's self with trade, not work. We are to be busy doing things in our lives not for ourselves, but for the glory of God. We are to trade our time, resources, home, cars, abilities, etc. for the purposes of God to see people come to the LORD. What a winning trade off!  We are to trade our leisure time for the time we spend with God. Our occupying here on earth should be used to share the Gospel message with family, neighbours, co workers, strangers, enemies, whoever. Our home should be a place where people can come to hear the Scriptures revealed.  Our cars, trucks, SUVs, etc. should be used to carry people to our home, a good church, the doctor's office, the market, as Jesus said, "as you are going make disciples" in Matthew 28:19. We need to open up our homes (like Zacchaeus did) to make a place for the sharing of the Gospel have it be in a Home Group Meeting setting or one on one.  Now in Luke 19:16-27, we see where all of the servants were given 1 pounds (verse 13) by the nobleman and had to give account how they handled it in the absence of the nobleman. The first servant was given 1 pound and now has 11 pounds and was given rulership over 10 cities. The second servant increased the nobleman's worth by five pounds (now 6 pounds) and was rewarded rulership over five cities. Another servant came and presented one pound which means he no increase for the nobleman who was wrought because of the servant's unfaithfulness so he took the pound and gave it to the first servant who now has 11 pounds. As a matter of Scripture this servant did not even try to trade the nobleman's money verse 20 says he kept it laid up in a napkin fearing the nobleman because he was an austere man. Do you see a pattern here? But the nobleman gave pounds (G#3414 mina, a certain weight equal to three months salary) to 10 servants.  I wonder what happened to the other seven servants?  Maybe the servants were unfaithful like the last servant and lost ALL of the nobleman's money we just do not know, but it looks and smells like 4/5th of the servants were unfaithful. Sounds like today. The servants were to trade (occupy) the nobleman's money for rewards which were based on their faithfulness not the increase of money. Of course Jesus again is talking about the servants receiving their rewards when Jesus sets up the kingdom.  This was Jesus' plan when He came to earth. He would proclaim the kingdom of God is at hand and the Citizens (the Jewish people) would crown Him their Messiah, but as we saw in verses 14 they said they hated the nobleman and would not have him reign over them. We know the Citizens rejected Jesus and even crucified Him. So God had to insert 2,000+ years (the age of grace) into His timeline, but do not worry this parable will come to pass for His servants in the Millennium. Now the point is the servants were to trade the pound God gave them for future rewards. Their occupation was not working for man, but working for God and for future rewards. They were to be trading (occupying) one gift for a greater gift.  You know we stand on the threshold of the year 2021 and what we did for God in 2020 will soon be sealed for all eternity, but the question I have is how will we occupy in 2021?  Will we be about trading what God has given us in 2020 and the past for greater rewards in 2021 and beyond?  The choice is ours.  Will we occupy till He comes?  It looks like to me many Christians believe Jesus is not coming back in their life time and the world could care less, but I believe Jesus is coming back maybe soon and maybe in my life.  I do not know when and I do not want to know when all I want to do is be ready when He comes calling and occupy till He comes.  What will happen then?  I really do not know. I think the very best we can do when it comes to future things in God is to be very careful with things we have been told by people and just do all that we can do to be ready. Then when He comes just go along for the ride. You know my thoughts and heart is on the 4/5th of the servants who were unfaithful.  WOW I believe 8 out of 10 were unfaithful or the nobleman would have commented on them. The trend was down hill by way of service.  Maybe the eight servants stole the pound after all it was not about the money but about the service and future rewards, trading (occupying) a given gift for future gifts. I guess there is nothing new under the sun.  It was a shame then and is a shame today.  In the future then what shall we receive then?  Well I cannot answer that question either, but I know what we receive will depend on just how faithful we want to be to the nobleman. Written by David Stahl

BIBICAL ELEMENTS FOR DAILY LIVING 01 (FROM HGM ON 26 JAN 21)

 BIBLICAL ELEMENTS FOR DAILY LIVING - 01

TEXT:  "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  (Luke 9:23)

  I.  INTRODUCTION.  To ensure our self in understanding that which is truth and the will of God for our lives (not being deceived by error) there are three things that must be an integral part of our daily living:

           1.  Integrity

               "The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them."  (Proverbs 11:3)

               a.  Honest and sincere. 

               b.  Notice the stated results of integrity (sometimes translated "upright") in:

                   (1) Support -- "And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever."  (Psalm 41:12)  66                                   (2)  Protection --  He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly."  (Proverbs 2:7)

                   (3) Provision -- "The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity."        (Proverbs 10:29)

           2.  Hunger

               "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."  (Matthew 5:6)

                a.  For righteousness not for self-satisfaction.

                b.  It must precede feeding.

                     "The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet."  (Proverbs 27:7)

                               "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."  (Deuteronomy 8:3)     

         3.  Perseverance

      "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth."  (Hosea 6:3)

       a.  The determination to follow that which you know to walk in the light you have regardless of situation and people.

                   "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."  (Proverbs 4:18)

II.  PARTING THOUGHTS

      A.  Unless we have a heart for God and our daily living is correct or working in that direction we have no grounds on which to come to and ask of Him.  Yes God is God and He can do anything, but go against His word.  God has given us everything we need to walk in a place with Him spiritually and for a correct daily living that will lead us and other to victory.

     B.  So then why do we NOT have this victory in our lives?  It is God has not done His part? Or maybe the enemy (the devil) is greater than God?  No way!  Or maybe is it we lack these elements we discussed that will ensure our daily Christian living that leads to victory.    

      C.  In our introduction we briefly discussed error.  Error is not sin!  Sin is to miss the mark and to know right, but do wrong.  Error is a form of deception to the truth which often leads to sin.  Error will not send you to Hell, but sin will.  In this teaching my heart is for us to come to know three things:  error, sin, and when we get a good look at these then the third thing will come into full view, truth. 

WTFMT 87 (from HGM on 12 Jan 21)

 WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-87

TEXT: "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,"  (Luke 4:1)

  I.    IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT

       A.  Jesus did not go into the wilderness in the power of the Spirit, but notice how Jesus came out of the wilderness and what happened.

                                "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. ¹⁵ And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all."  (Luke 4:14-15)

The children of Israel never moved in the power of the Spirit.

      B.  He did not engage in His ministry before His wilderness experience.  His ministry came afterward.  First things first.  First He had to meet His testings, His trials.  Peter says,

          "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."  (I Peter 5:10)

We are brought into that which Jesus experienced.  We enter into that which Hagar entered, Paul entered, all of those who have qualified ahead of us. 

       C.  There we meet the testings and the trials, and other difficulties head on.  We walk the way the children of Israel walked, the way of the wilderness.  There, as it was with them we meet our trials and testing, in God.  We come into situations which are impossible, which threaten our very existence, our very life, and we don't have much strength. 

       D.  We do not have adequate provisions.  We discover that we lack.  Unless we come to this discovery we will never be able to see God's power, strength, and filled with His Spirit.  Discovering our lack is the greatest revelation God can bring to us.  More then opening all of the truths in the Bible. 

      E.   If God opens our understanding without being broken (which He never would do) we would try to move in the truths in our own strength, and this would end in great loss and death.  Don't worry God protects His word from ones.  He will give them a chance to be broken and line up with His word, but if not, they will be pulled up from the ground and cast away.  They may still be a Christian, but not one who moves in the power of the Spirit.

       G.  Why, do you suppose, does God bring us into difficulties?  He does this in order to squeeze things out of us.  Bad attitudes, unbelief, independent self-sufficiency, pride, and such things are to be squeezed out of us.  This will make room for Him to put into us the things which He wants us to have.

       H.  To have the stuffing squeezed out of us is quite an experience.  Just think what out tube of toothpaste goes through every day. Soon there isn't anything left in it, so we throw it away.  But God doesn't.  He takes the empties and fills them with something better than they had before.

       I.  He is going to beautify us.  He is going to glorify us, and put the radiance of Himself in us, put in us His own beauty, His own grace, His own power, His own glory.  Can we see that?  Will it become a part of our vision?  All of His quality goes in when all of our self has been squeezed out.

       J.  Peter experienced the squeezing and came to the realize, "I am not as good as I thought I was."  (Mark 14:29-31, 68-72; John 21:15-18) Peter had to admit his weakness.  That way, he would learn, and come to the purpose which God intended for him.  Peter discovered that he lacked. 

      K.  What a great discovery!!  For then we discover we can lean on our Shepherd.   And we can be brought up out of the Wilderness of Beersheba with so much more than we had when we went into it.  

     L.  Go into the Wilderness of Beersheba, cry your tears, get upset, get up-tight, get confused, get all turned around, have a real good cry.  Don't worry.  God will be around before you die.  YOU must make your adjustment, God does not adjust to us.  If you do, you will make your discoveries.  God will give you what He has for you.  And that will be quite a prize package.

  II.  PARTING THOUGHTS

       A.  The Wilderness of Beersheba is a place of wandering, despair, discoveries, adjustments, and beginnings.  It is your place of lack and weakness.  But you must always remember that it is the place where God hears you.  This is where God draws you into a richer life with Him.

       B.  In your adjustment, the wilderness becomes your satisfying dwelling place.  Do not attempt to leave this place on your own.  If you leave the wilderness before God's time, you will only have to return to rebuild the altar and renew your dedication to God.  That can be rather costly.  Rather pay the lesser cost of obedience, follow Jesus and remain in the will of God.

A MEDIATION ON CHRISTMAS

When I meditate on this time of the year and what we call the Christmas (word not found in the KJV of the Bible) season I must conclude this is the most divisive time of the year just ahead of Easter. I wonder why these two holidays divide so many people in the world. Now I will tell you from the start Karen and I do not celebrate Christmas how can we the word is not in the KJV Bible, but we do celebrate the birth of our precious LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. As Christianity began to spread many were alarmed by the continuing celebration of pagan customs among their converts. We even see this throughout the New Testament Church as Paul constantly battled against pagan and cultural traditions from taking root in the young Church. At first the Church forbade this kind of celebration. But it was to no avail. Bible historians claim that the Christmas celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December. The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also to the Persians (Babylonian Chaldeans) whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. Oddly enough it was during this period the three Wise Men (also Magi) (Matthew 2:1) learned of the Star of Bethlehem by reading the prophecies of Daniel the Great Magi (Daniel 1:1-7). Sadly this religious deception continues today, even though the faces and names has been changed the spirit and intent has not. We Christians seem to be good at making up things to satisfy our flesh for fulfillment. Now as I said Karen and I do celebrate the birth of Christ, there is a huge difference. As we watch the news we cannot believe all of the fighting to keep Christ in Christmas. Where in the Bible did Jesus ask us to remember His birth? Now I can find plenty of Scriptures in the Bible where Jesus has asked us to remember His death, “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) Who wants to remember Jesus’ death when we can remember His birth? Yet few Christians really remember His death (Romans 6:3) while they go crazy in remembering His birth. I wonder why? Yes there is a wonderful story about the birth of Jesus in the Bible, but where are we commanded to make His birth an annual holiday like we in American have made: Independence, Veterans, or Valentine Day even Halloween? And when you merge religious with traditions and customs you have an unbeatable national money maker. Is not Jesus’ birth much more? Yes my friend I am afraid we have gotten off track and the merchants of the day (and for 100s of years) have capitalized on our selfish greed (maybe only in America, but I think not) and great presumption. The same way Hollywood has recently discovered the untapped market for Christian movies. I find it really strange how many Christians today would rather go to a movie then to Church to hear about Jesus. I wonder why? It is not about fighting to keep Christ in Christmas or even about a baby in the manger. You know we really like seeing baby Jesus in the manger, but you know my friend Jesus is not a baby any more, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34) Today Jesus is not a defenseless baby in the manger He is our victorious King of kings, Lord of lords, and someday soon He is coming back to earth not as a baby, but as a judge (to kick butt) and rule (to set righteousness in order) in the earth. Something else we are puzzled about is why Christians want to beat up on the Atheist in Washington State who put a sign beside a manger display in the Capitol building. I thought we were to witness to them and tell them about Jesus? There is not much of a Christian witness when we shake our fist and gnash our teeth at someone over a wooden display. How can this sign destroy the eternal timeless message of our precious savior Jesus Christ? It cannot and will not. Has the love of God been displaced by Christians wanting their traditional religious symbols? I too can speak for God and sadly I must say yes. Jesus did not come so that we could decorate our trees and yard with gold and silver balls or blinking lights. Jesus did not come so Christians could deck the halls with a blow up Santa Claus and reindeer on their roofs and lawn. What do we do with these verses? “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not.” (Jeremiah 10:2-4) Maybe we should ignore them or maybe the Holy Spirit made a mistake? I think God is very clear in what He is saying, but we continue in the lie with Christmas trees (a German custom) out from our American tradition (now transported to the world) and because we do not want to offend family members. Just look at the Christmas trees in churches today? What do we do with these verses? The answer will be what we do with Jesus. Never forget the Gospel message of Christ is very offensive and at times even divisive to the non-believers, but truth is truth. Either we will stand for truth or compromise for the lie for the sake of peace on earth. The truth is Jesus did not come so we could have songs to sing at our annual Christmas musicals. It is amazing how old Christmas recordings from people long ago come back to life every Christmas. Jesus did not come so we could run ourselves to death, buying presents for people, while going further into debt. It is no wonder support in America for missionaries and humanitarian programs dwindle to almost to nothing this season of the year. I am afraid the true character and nature of man comes out during Christmas. We even plug in a written list to a jolly fat man in a red suit that drives a sleigh of reindeer around the world in one night to make sure we get want we what for Christmas. Why do we think we should get a present on someone else’s birthday? Our selfishness and self-centered nature really comes shining through. Oh Lord please forgive us for the indulgence of our wrong attitudes, greed, and lust. Jesus did not come to give us a Christmas season to feed our passions. The Bible is very clear why Jesus came. Jesus tells us in His own words, “The thief (not the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Jesus came so that we “might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” not to get a bunch of Christmas presents to satisfy our flesh. Jesus came so that we might (our choice not His) have the life of God dwelling within our heart and lives. The creative eternal life of God moving in us and out from us to the world. Also in John Jesus tells us, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) Jesus came so that we might have life eternal (one part of salvation) which is knowing His Father (and ours), so that we too could “know the only true God” as Jesus did. So we too could know the sublime unity of knowing God as Jesus did. I would think that would be worth far more than anything we can buy each other. Did you know, Jesus (even though the Prince of Peace) did not come into the world to bring peace as many of the major denominations and religions of the world tell us. Religious deception always leads us away from Christ into the traditional religious worship of the customs of man (like Christmas and Easter) and into a good works salvation thinking. Oh no Jesus Himself said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance (Strong’s #1639 to cut into two parts, cleave asunder, sever) against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39) Jesus has come to cut our hearts out of the world with His word, the sword. Jesus has “come to set man at variance against” or sever every relationship where we love someone or something more than Him. Jesus came so that we could take up our cross (not Jesus’) and follow Him. Jesus came so we could lose our life so that we could then find our life in Him. We know and are persuaded if we lose our life for His sake we shall find it. We also know many of our friends will disagree (we hope and pray this is not the case) with this article, but that is okay getting the truth of the Gospel message out is more important than our friends getting offended at us. If they get offended at us over this article we know they probably are not our friends anyway. We have learned this truth the hard way. Please do not allow yourself to be deceived (your choice) by any pastor or person that says, “it is not a Heaven or Hell issue or it does not really matter” oh really? This thinking my friend is just spiritually wrong and a very subtle form of deception that has been carried on for 100s maybe 1,000s of years by the religious denominations and merchants both working hand-n-hand to get customers. Sadly at the heart of why we focus on the Christmas story and baby Jesus in the manger is so we do not have to deal with a risen Savior. How much more religious can we (like the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17)) who could not totally sell out be than to bow down and worship the Christmas story and the sweet little baby Jesus in the manger? This satisfies our religious flesh and helps to ease our guilt and feeling of disobedience from rejecting God’s word to us. Who wants to allow God to deal and judge in their hearts exposing areas where we must allow Him to work? It is much easier singing another song about Christmas as we buy presents for our family or even as we buy a present for some poor people who live down the street who we neglect the rest of the year. It is far less painful to go to every church musical and spend all we have than for God to be able to show us who we really are. Who wants to allow God free rein in our heart and lives to conform us into the image (icon) and character of Jesus Christ? Very few people do and the rest continue in this traditional religious lie year after year. I think I will end with a very sobering word; if you need a traditional religious holiday to know God sadly my friend your heart is very far from Him and you will never come to know Him. Let us turn our hearts away from the religious traditions of Christmas and allow God to bring the truth of His character and nature to us. It is our choice whether we desire presents on Christmas morning or the knowledge of God, we cannot have both. Written by David Stahl