God can really make me chuckle sometimes!

Daniel 10:3(NKJV)

I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Does that mean he ate crappy food for three weeks?   :)   I think it is the odd details that get thrown in here and there that really make me laugh. 

Letting God Lead!

As I have said before I think personal testimony is the best way to lead people to Jesus.  So I'd like to share a little testimony about letting God lead.

I have been letting God lead for a long time and God shared a bit of revelation knowledge with me recently that was pretty eye opening and at the same time demonstrated God's great sense of humor.  I'll try to keep this short.

To begin with I am a control freak.  Big time control freak.  So letting God lead to this extent was a big struggle early on.  I have come to really enjoy it now but it took a long time to be comfortable with it.

Now I'm not talking about just letting God lead in a big picture sense.  That part was easy.  It was learning to let God interrupt and redirect MY well-ordered day.  That was the hard part.  I'd make a list of what I needed to accomplish for a successful day and I wouldn't be more than 1 or 2 items into the list and God would come along and just totally reorder it for me. 

I have since learned to ask God's input when I first make up the list and I have also learned to just let God make the changes though out the day as He sees fit.  I no longer get frustrated by it.  In fact I marvel at it because when I sit back and just go with the flow as He directs it I have some really incredible days.  Things just seem to work out….like today.

My step mom passed away about a month ago and my Dad is a bit lonely.  He lives in another town and I go take him grocery shopping every two weeks.  Today I had my day planned to see a client on my way there at 10:00 and then see my Dad at noon.  Well my appointment ended sooner than I expected and I had extra time on my hands.  I asked God what we should do with it.  Guess what?  He had something in mind.

An idea popped in to my head.  Go to the senior center in Dad's town.  I know that a lot of times they serve lunch and there are a lot of seniors that go there and it would get Dad around people so he wouldn't be so lonely.  I went to where the senior center used to be but it wasn't there anymore.  God said go park at the beach and look it up on your phone. 

I did and found the address.  I punched the address in to the GPS but it couldn't find it.  I took the closest address I could find and headed out.  When I go there it wasn't the place so God said just keep driving down this road.  Pretty soon the building numbers had gotten so high that I was sure that I had gone too far so I decided to turn around in the next driveway.

When I got to the drive way that I was going to turn around in, guess what?  It was the Senior Center that I was looking for!  God is just so cool!  I got a tour and took some info to my Dad.  Looks like he is going to go there and check it out so that is good.

BTW, what was the revelation knowledge?  This week God let me in on a little secret.  Why does he screw with my schedule so much?  Because he knows that I am such a control freak.  LOL!!!  It is my "thorn in the side"  like Paul so that I am constantly reminded that it is God that makes things happen in my life, not me.  Pretty cool!

Honors in Heaven

Capitalism or socialism, which system more accurately reflects the teachings of Scripture, both the Old and the New Testament.  I know I have covered this in the past but this is one of my favorite passages that I use to answer the question.  Take a look and then I will explain.

Matthew 20:20-23(NKJV)

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”

So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

So here is my belief.  Scripture tells us very clearly that all who call on the name of Jesus are saved and get to go to Heaven.  But Scripture also tells us that our rewards in Heaven will depend on the amount of service we provided to God. 

So in other words each according to his/her effort, not each according to his/her need as socialism teaches. 

The reason I like this passage is that it is talking about bestowing honors in Heaven.  Honor meaning that some will get special treatment.  They will get special seating etc.  In other words they will be rewarded for the service that they provided to God. 

Notice that Jesus doesn't deny that some will get special treatment, in other words be honored.  What Jesus does do is acknowledge that some will indeed be honored in Heaven but that the honor is not Jesus' to give!

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men

 

Matthew 15:9(NKJV)

    And in vain they worship Me,      Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” 

I think there is a lot of this going on in the churches today.  That is why it is as important as ever to be in the Word seeking wisdom and knowledge so as to be able to tell the difference.  Let the Holy Spirit guide you!

Is Jesus Saying Some Should Be Shunned?

 

Matthew 18:15-17(NKJV)

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 

But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’  

And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

I wonder what exactly is meant by that?  It almost seems like Jesus is saying that if these people won't admit fault and ask forgiveness then they should be shunned doesn't it?  Interesting.

Curious concept. Not quite sure what to make of it.

Read this passage and then I'll explain what I find curious about it.

Matthew 17:24-27(NKJV)

When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”

Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 

Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

What I find interesting here is the flexibility and the reasoning of the flexibility of Jesus. 

I'm kind of stumbling around for a good way to put this.  I think of principals as being pretty rigid.  Not a lot of grey area.  And I think that it is admirable to stand on ones principals.  Yet here it seems to me that Jesus explains a principal but then says "but to keep the peace go ahead and pay the tax". 

The principal being that as heirs in Christ we are children of God and therefore are not liable for the temple tax, but go ahead and pay it anyway.

Interesting.  Something I am going to have to ponder.  I will offer a thought though.  One of the things you learn being married is to pick your battles.  I wonder if this is Jesus' way of making somewhat the same point? 

Hmm. 

Doesn't get much plainer than this!

I have written in the past of the fallacy of Kumbaya Jesus.  The belief by some that Jesus takes a live and let live attitude towards those who reject Him.  Here is the brutal truth in words from Jesus Himself!

Matthew 12:30(NKJV)

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

Does it get much plainer than that?  Notice Jesus doesn't says anything like "he who rejects me is still a good guy and we can work together.".  Nope.  Jesus doesn't say anything even close to that. 

Jesus says very plainly, "He who is not with is is against me". 

Are you for or against Jesus?