"It's All A Test" - Inspirational Weekend

Someone once said, "This world is not a playground; it is a schoolhouse."  I am paraphrasing that from memory, so it may not be exactly every word, but the main thought is very evident.  We are not put on this earth to "party" constantly, but instead we are put here to learn and to grow and to be taught many lessons and to help others.   This is especially true of spiritual matters.   This life is truly all a test.  

"God has a purpose for trials and testings."  -  Warren Wiersbe

It is to our benefit to undergo the trials that God allows.   I say "allows" because God is not always the originator of our tribulations and testings.   We live in a fallen world, ever since Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed our heavenly Father; therefore, the earth is still under the Adamic curse:  it is full of evil and is influenced by satan and his demons.  There is crime of every sort all around us.  And just reading the news tells us that this chaotic world and its leaders are in distress and filled with perplexity (Luke 21:25).   So when something bad happens to someone, it is not because God is mean to us; but rather because this is a fallen world and bad things can happen to anyone, not because God is always behind it.  The good Lord allows trials and testings so that we may grow strong and be refined and turn to Him for our deliverance......it grows our faith as we turn to Him in prayer and we put our full confidence in Him.  

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."    -   1 Peter 1:7

Someone has said that a faith that that has never been tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.   That is because when our faith is tested that it doesn't tell the good Lord anything new; He already knows how strong our faith is.  Rather, when our faith is tested, it reveals to us how strong or weak we are in the area of our faith.  "A tested faith is a trusted faith."

In the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament, the word translated "test" means "to prove by trial."   When God tests His children, His purpose is to prove that our faith is real and that we are really His children and that no test or trial will make us lose our faith and fall away.

In Mark 4, Jesus gives us the parable of the sower.  Don't be like those in Mark 4:16-17 of which Jesus says:

"And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time; afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."  

They fall away, in other words.   That is why we need to be continuously in prayer and in pouring over Scriptures daily, in order to build a strong, close, intimate and loving relationship with the Lord.  If we are ever close to Him, we will not fall away.  As I have said previously,  you cannot have any strong relationship without communication.

Remember Job and his trials, which were brought on by satan but which God allowed for a time.  Job lost his wealth and all of his children and his health as well.   Read Job 1:8-22 and Job 2:3-6; but if you have the time, read both chapters in full.   Job was righteous and kept his integrity, and in the end the good Lord blessed him with more than he had had previously (Job 42:12-17).

Also, do not forget David who said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts."  (Psalm 139:23)  David was inviting God to examine his heart and his mind in order to see that he was true to the Lord.   

This brings us to the importance of us examining ourselves, to see if we are truly in the faith.

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"   -  2 Corinthians 13:5   

Following is an excellent sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the topic of examining yourself.   

Remember that our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9)  which means that self-examination is critical in order to make sure you conform to God's wishes and His will.  Examine all of your motives and see whether you are in the faith or not.

"God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses.   .......... He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people.  Let Him have His way."  -  Oswald Chambers.

"Ye that love the LORD, hate evil; He preserveth the souls of His saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked."   -   Psalm 97:10

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."  -  1 Corinthians 10:13  

"But the God of all grace, who hath called us into His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."  -  1 Peter 5:10

Saved By Grace - Not By Works (The Way Of Salvation)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."   -  Ephesians 2:8-9

This post is for everyone, but especially for those who read my recent Inspirational Weekend post.  Reading over that information again today, I realized that I didn't explain something as carefully as I should have.  I made a note of correction on the weekend post, but felt that I should do another post today to further clarify what I had meant to say.

Yes, we are saved by grace when we, by faith, believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior.  (Ephesians 2:8-9, the verses quoted above.) You are then a child of God forever!  In my weekend post I had urged any unbelievers to pray and ask for forgiveness to be saved.  And then I said, "It will take effort on your part" and went on to encourage them to read their Bibles and to pray and to join a Christian church.    I realized today that that made it sound like they must also do "works" to be saved, when that was not my intention at all to convey such a thought.  We are saved only by belief and faith in Jesus.  What I had meant was that, after we are saved, we can only grow to spiritual maturity by pouring over God's Holy Word and by much prayer and by attending worship services and associating with fellow-believers.  All of that helps us to mature as believers and also helps us to have a close, personal, intimate, love relationship with God our heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  -  Romans 10:9

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"               -  John 11:25-26   

Also, remember the thief on the cross who believed in Jesus at the very end of his life, and Jesus told him that he would be with Him that day in Paradise (Luke 23:39-43).  This thief had not had any opportunity to do good works; his faith alone had saved him.

I can look back to the time when I told Jesus that I loved Him and how that was the turning point for me.   There was no formula prayer for me; just a heart broken yet full of love for the Savior; a heart that was reaching out in desperation and in the hope He provided.  He showed His love, forgiveness, and patience in return.  I began to read the Bible more and to seek Him even more with all my heart.  I learned to let go of my previous "I can take care of myself" attitude and to turn to Him in surrender, willing to be taught by Him and with a desire to grow ever closer to Him.   So we are saved by believing in Jesus as our Savior, Lord, and Master; but if we are truly born again, we will have the desire to pour over His Word and to pray fervently and with importunity and to attend worship services and to thereby grow ever more in love with Him.

Following is a sermon on the way of salvation by Charles Spurgeon

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

"Emergency Number For When You Are In Danger" - Inspirational Weekend

About two years ago a young pair of Bulbul birds made a nest in one of the palm trees in front of my patio.  Only problem is, you can see from the photo above that the branch began to die, which means it will fall off the tree eventually.  The nest is barely visible on the brown branch above, and the bulbul is in shadow a bit, but you can still see him from his red rump.  These birds were going about their business of being new parents and were not aware of the danger lurking.  

So it is with many people today.  They are going about their everyday routines, scarcely noticing that the world is falling apart and in grave danger.   For those who are aware that we are living in perilous times and on the brink of World War 3, it can be frightful to ponder the possibility of nuclear war soon.   We are living in the last days, and many Bible prophesies of the end times are coming to pass right before our very eyes.  

When in danger, you need to turn to the good Lord and be fervent in prayer, devouring the Holy Word with an appetite that consumes you for more and more spiritual food.

The emergency "number to call" when in danger is number 4 above:  Psalm 91.   I urge you to please read all 16 verses of that Psalm and I will touch upon some of its verses now.  Psalm 91 has been called the protection prayer.

Psalm 91:1-2 tells us, (1) "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  (2) I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: My God; in Him will I trust."    If we have faith in God and trust Him with our whole heart, we shall have courage for any challenge or catastrophe that comes our way.  Even if we face death in a war,  as Christians "to die is gain"  (Philippians 1:21).  We will be with the Lord forever and away from this evil world.   

Verse 4 of Psalm 91 comforts us by saying, "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler."    This is such a great illustration ! The Lord loves us tenderly, and will protect us as a hen protects her brood by covering them with her wings from predators or any dangers whatsoever.  

Verses 11 and 12 of Psalm 91 gives us more comfort when it says,  (11)  "For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  (12) They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."   Folks, God loves us and wants the best for us.  If we are living godly lives and obeying Him, He will protect us in many ways and from many dangers.  This is brought out in verses 14-16 which follow:

(14) "Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.  (15) He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.  (16) With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation."

So all these promises and assurances of the Lord will be true for the godly who love and trust God.  

Now is the time to have a close, personal, intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ.   You build such a relationship by prayer and obedience and trust, and by focusing on the Lord and not on the things of this dying world.  Also, you come to know God's attributes and draw closer to Him by reading His Holy Word. But first, if you are not a believer, you must realize that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Come to God and ask for forgiveness of your sins, be truly repentant and turn from your wrongdoing, and believe with your whole heart that Jesus bled and died for you at Calvary, if you will just have faith in Him and believe in His resurrection.  (Romans 10:9,10,13).   

Tomorrow may be too late, because Jesus will return at any time soon and you need to come to Him in faith NOW.  

Following is a wonderful sermon by Charles Spurgeon, who has been called "The prince of preachers".   He goes into more detail on Psalm 91 in this insightful sermon.

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."   -  Jesus at John 14:27

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  -  Philippians 1:21

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."  -  Psalm 34:7

Romans 10:9,10,13 says, "(9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Help My Unbelief" - Inspirational Weekend

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  -  Mark 9:24b

These words were spoken by a distraught father because of his son who was demon possessed; this father went to Jesus and spoke these words of weak faith to Him (like a prayer) after Jesus had previously told him, 

"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."  -  Mark 9:23  

 Many of us can relate to this father's plea.  We believe, yet sometimes doubt creeps in and it can be hard to shake.  Like when Peter believed he could walk on water; he had faith until he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to concentrate on the howling wind and the turbulent waters.  His faith and belief faltered when he took his eyes off of Jesus, and then he began to sink.   When Jesus caught him, He said to Peter:  "Oh thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt?"   -  Matthew 14:22-31

But in the case of the father of the demoniac boy, Jesus did not rebuke the father for his weak faith.  The man tearfully appealed to Jesus, recognizing he did believe but had unbelief or doubts at the same time.   A true sense of the need for grace to believe is the greatest step towards the act of believing.  Perhaps part of this father's unbelief was due to the fact that Jesus' disciples had tried and could not cast out the demon from the boy.  Jesus healed the young man and afterwards was questioned by His disciples as to why they could not successfully heal him.  -  Mark 9:28-29.   In verse 29 Jesus told his disciples that that kind of demon would not come out but by prayer and fasting.

In this dim life we see spiritual things imperfectly, but we should continue on with prayer and Bible study to come to a full, clear knowledge.   Faith and unbelief are often found in the same heart. Full deliverance from doubt only comes by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  The more intimate and deep your relationship with God, the more you learn to trust Him and the more your faith will grow.   

Unbelief is a criminal thing because it doubts.  Unbelief robs God of His glory in every way and therefore one who has unbelief cannot receive a blessing from the Lord.   Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.  This is more true of unbelievers (those not born-again), because they are deliberate in their stubborn unbelief.  Christians tend to have doubts which are not deliberate; doubts just creep into our minds out of nowhere, it seems.  But the devil is a master of deception and tries to make us fall by putting doubts in our minds.   Pray to God in Jesus' name for deliverance and pray to have a strong faith.

We doubt because we are fallen creatures, prone to sin.   Divine truth is not yet fully comprehended by us.  Little faith can still trust in Christ as well as great faith can.  One commentator says:  " If your faith is weak, at least let it be sincere and unfeigned  The act of faith is to apply Christ to the soul; and this the weakest faith can do as well as the strongest, if it be true."

"Unbelief is criminal because it is a moral act of the whole nature.  Belief or unbelief is a test of a man's whole spiritual condition, because it is the whole being, affections, will, conscience, as well as the understanding, which are concerned in it." - Alexander MacLaren

Following is a sermon on the sin of unbelief by Charles Spurgeon:

In this sermon, Spurgeon tells us that "Unbelief is the parent of every other iniquity."  I hope you watch the entire 39 minute sermon as it is excellent.  

"Unbelief is never cheap; it costs more than it pays."  -  Andrew Kroll

One commentator said that "nothing is so provoking to God as unbelief, and yet there is nothing to which we are more prone."  When you consider all that the Lord has done, all of His promises and the many times He has answered our prayers, the sacrifice of His Son at Calvary to redeem us and wash us white as snow by the blood of Jesus, and all of His many other blessings including the gift of life itself, who are we to doubt Him ?   What would provoke an earthly father like a child who refuses to believe him?  We are God's children, and we should trust Him and believe in Him in all areas of our lives and in all spiritual matters.  

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:  he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son."  -  1 John 5:10

Remember what God said to Moses concerning the stubborn and complaining and unbelieving Israelites: "....How long will this people provoke Me?  and how long will it be ere they believe Me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?"  -  Numbers 14:11

We serve a loving and a forgiving God.  He knows we are but dust and how weak we are.   But faith and belief in Jesus can make us strong.   Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Prayer is a strong faith-builder.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By  Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  -  Romans 5:1-2

"The Power of Faith, Hope, And Love" - Inspirational Weekend

Faith, hope and love are often found together in the New Testament. One instance is at 1 Thessalonians 1:3 which tells us,

"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;"

Below is an example and explanation of what the triad faith, hope, and love actually mean.

Let's take faith first.  The power of faith produces action.  The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God  (Hebrews 11:6).  A brand new believer in Jesus as Savior exhibits faith that the Lord is the Messiah and his Redeemer.  As he studies God's Word and is often in prayer, his faith will grow.  Answered prayer is a mighty faith builder.   Belief that we will be with the Lord in heaven one day also takes faith.   

The patriarch Abraham was saved by his faith, not by his works. Romans 4:3 says, "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness."    He followed and obeyed God when the Lord told him to leave his country and go to a land He would show him.  (Hebrews 11:8).  That took faith. What took much faith was when God told Abraham to sacrifice his own son Isaac and Abraham obeyed, but the Lord stopped him from actually killing Isaac.  God was putting Abraham to the test so He could see how strong was Abraham's faith.   

Yes, there is power in faith.  There are many more examples in the Bible of the transforming power of faith, such as Moses and Gideon.   

Then there is the power of hope.   I have shared here previously about how I went through difficult times for a period of about 4 years, and all seemed hopeless to me for a while.   But God.   He put it within my heart to begin reading the Bible again, which began to renew my mind.  I know first-hand the power of hope, because His Word began to give me a hope for something better. Without hope, there appears to be no reason to exist.  You see, without God there is no hope.  The only sound and just object of hope is God Himself.  The hope that Jesus gives and the promises of God can give meaning to your life, can give you a purpose, and a desire to keep-on-keeping-on despite obstacles.     The ultimate hope is one of eternal life with the Lord in heaven.  

"(18) That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:  (19) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the vail; "  -  Hebrews 6:18-19

You can observe, then, that hope is not whimsical wishful thinking.  When we hope in God, we can rest assured that it is a reliable and true thing.  HE is called the God of hope.

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."   -  Romans 15:13

Now let us consider love.  The most famous and most loved chapter in the Bible about love is 1 Corinthians 13.  Following are the first 3 verses of that chapter:

"(1)Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  (2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing. (3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

The King James version uses the word "charity" instead of the more appropriate word "love" in the above verses.   The point is obvious: you can do many mighty works and good deeds, but if you do not have love and act out of love, it is to no avail.  Love is above all other gifts....it is preeminent.  (1 Corinthians 13:13).  We should love God and other people more than we love ourselves.   

That brings us to the important fact that God loves us.  

God is love.

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  -  1 John 4:16

Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on how much Jesus loves us. 

Jesus loved us so much that he suffered and died for us and shed His blood at Calvary so that all who would believe in Him and His resurrection could have eternal life.   Even when we fall or backslide, Jesus still loves us and is patient with us and willing to forgive us.   We need to repent of and confess all known sin and run to Him for refuge and solace.

"But the God of all grace, Who hath called us into His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."  -  1 Peter 5:10

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father"     -  Galatians 1:3-4

"Wait....Be Still And Be Quiet" - Inspirational Weekend

One time when I was very upset and agitated (with good reason), I plopped myself down on the sofa and repeated the verse above over and over to try to calm myself down.  The Lord blessed my efforts by causing me to fall into a deep sleep almost immediately, and when I awoke I felt a strong sense of peace.   Now I still repeat Psalm 46:10 by saying, "Be still and know that You are God."  It has a calming peace about it to say it out loud.  The Holy Word of God has power !  It can transform anyone from the clutches of the wicked world and the power of satan and mold them into a mild and humble child of God; a life from wickedness to a godly life; a life from loud and unruly actions and brazen speech into a gentle and meek and quiet spirit.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  -  Romans 12:2

In Psalm 46:10, to "be still" means to stop, to cease striving.  In today's hustle and bustle world, people are constantly on the go and busy, busy, all the time.  Even many Christians do not take time to pray or study the Bible because of their hectic schedules.  This should not be so.  Sadly, even some who call themselves Christians put their careers first and foremost, always striving and they seldom call upon the Lord. Before I was born-again, I was guilty of putting my career first before anyone or anything.  Now I am more happy doing the Lord's work than I ever was previously. There is also a considerable amount of peace within your soul when you know you are in right standing with God and Jesus.

Tied in with being still and quiet, is the willingness to wait upon the Lord.  Andrew Murray says that, "quietness is an element of true waiting on God.  ......But when it is seen that the waiting on God is itself an unspeakable blessedness, one of the highest forms of fellowship with the Holy One, the adoration of Him in His glory will of necessity humble the soul into a holy stillness, making way for God to speak and reveal Himself."

The quote above by Andrew Murray is from his book/devotional "Waiting on God"  .  It is an excellent rendition on the subject of waiting on God and you may still find it here .

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord."  -   Psalm 27:14

Sometime ago I wrote about how waiting can be good and I quoted Charles Spurgeon who said, "If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for.  The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes.  The Lord's people have always been a waiting people."

Following is a sermon by Charles H. Spurgeon titled "Waiting Only Upon God".  It seems to fit including it here because waiting on God involves stillness and a quiet hope.

So, to wait for the Lord is to be done in quietness and stillness. That shows faith.  Don't jump blindly into something or say something you may regret later.....wait on God to show the way.

"Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly."  -  Acts 19:36

Following is a 49 minute sermon by Charles R. Swindoll on being still and being quiet:

You must be still in order to sense God's presence - whether in prayer or in Bible reading  It is hard sometimes because even then our minds tend to wander, but we need to focus as much as we possibly can on the Lord and in reverent fear and with a sense of His sovereignty and majesty. Be still in your humble heart and realize God is your Creator, your Lord and Master, as is Jesus, and give Him honor and respect as you pray and as you wait for Him in all matters.     

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him."  -  Psalm 62:5

God responds to a meek and quiet spirit. It is pleasing to Him to see us as being meek and quiet.  No one likes a loud and brash person; God is no different, except He is more patient than we are.  God is love, and in His great love He does not wish any to perish, but to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and to believe in the heart that He is the Savior who can wash away all of our sins....and that includes even the brash person, the person we may give up on. God is forgiving.

"But (let it be) the hidden man of the heart, in which is not corruptible, (even the ornament) of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."  -  1 Peter 3:4

We have seen that to be still (as in Psalm 46:10), involves to "cease striving"; to let God be God and let Him be in control of our lives.  Not frantically pursuing endeavors contrary to God's will.  Just to simply rest in the Lord and to wait for Him.

Be still.
Be quiet.

"It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."  -  Lamentations 3:26

"For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel, In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength......"    -  Isaiah 30:15   

"And say unto him, take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted..."  Isaiah 7:4a

"The Beauty Of Meekness" - Inspirational Weekend

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a meek person exhibits humbleness, humility, lowliness, and modesty.  The meek do not feel they are better than others, and have a quiet and mild disposition. There is grace and beauty in meekness.  It is one of the fruit of the Spirit :

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law."  -  Galatians 5:22-23

As believers and followers of Jesus, we should endeavor to imitate Him as much as we possibly can. And the Bible tells us that Jesus was meek when He walked the earth about 2000 years ago.  Christ was a perfect model of meekness.  Therefore, we need to be meek individuals as well because we call ourselves Christians.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."   -  Jesus speaking at Matthew 11:29 .

Unfortunately, in today's modern English, "meek" is considered the same as being "weak".  Not so.  Meekness is strength under control. 

"Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is His method.  The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort."

A. W. Tozer

Meekness is when someone gives you a hard time or physically or verbally abuses you, and you do not retaliate but can still show kindness and feel pity for that person, for he no doubt is a lost soul.  Or a Christian in a weak and sinful moment, perhaps.   You can see, therefore, that a meek person does not show uncontrolled anger, and shows no malice or the wish for revenge.   Meekness is bearing injuries with grace, believing that God will vindicate us. (Romans 12:19)

Moses was a very meek person  (Numbers 12:3).  As a rule, he had a gentleness of spirit.  The apostle Paul was also meek. He endured much wrong and yet suffered it patiently.  

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, said, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5

The above Beatitude is taken from Psalm 37:11, which says,  "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

One commentary states that in the above Psalm, meekness here refers not so much to an attitude toward people as to a disposition before God.... meaning humility.  A willingness to bend, and obey God no matter what.  To realize that the Lord is sovereign and we are His servants.   

Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon concerning meekness and the Beatitude of Matthew 5:5.

In this sermon, Spurgeon explains what it means to "inherit the earth."

Remember, a truly righteous person is meek, and willing to be taught of God and eagerly and reverently pours over God's Holy Word, receiving understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit.  An arrogant and proud person, who thinks he knows all there is to know, is not teachable and will not, as a rule, be drawn to God and His Word.   Remember, God is far from the proud person.

"Though the LORD be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off."  

Psalm 138:6

"The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way."  -  Psalm 25:9

May we be humble and pleasing to God.  May we have a quite and mild spirit and be full of kindness and mercy toward others.  In effect, be imitators of Jesus Christ.

Yes, there is beauty in meekness.  

"For the LORD taketh pleasure in His people:  He will beautify the meek with salvation."

Psalm 149:4

"The Importance Of Patience - With God And Man" - Inspirational Weekend

We all need patience, especially mothers with young children.  As Christians, it becomes us and gives glory to the Lord when we exhibit patience with others.  It pleases God when we are patient with Him and learn to wait upon Him to answer our prayers and to give us guidance and direction in troublesome times as well as in normal daily affairs.   It has been said, if you ask the heavenly Father for patience, He will send you trials to teach you patience and endurance.   And when you ask the Lord for patience don't tell Him that you want it right now !!  We may be amused by that statement, but it pretty well describes modern man's impatience. It is in our makeup to expect instant results.  After all we have instant mashed potatoes, microwaveable meals, immediate response from our Internet, and the list goes on.   We also do not like to wait in lines or to be stuck in stalled traffic.   Again, we need patience.   After all, it is one of the fruits of the Spirit.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."  -  Galatians 5:22-23

"Longsuffering" in the verse above is an old English word for patience.  "Patience is a quiet, steady perseverance; the bearing of pain, provocation, annoyance, and misfortune, without complaint, irritation, or loss of temper."  So says the dictionary.   We all know what patience means without having to consult a dictionary, but do we actually live it out in our lives?  

There are many examples of patience - as well as impatience - in the Bible.  Moses showed impatience and anger with the stubborn and complaining people that he was leading from Egypt to the Promised Land.  God told Moses to speak to a rock to bring forth water from it, but instead in anger and impatience with the grumbling people, Moses struck the rock twice with his rod.  It was an act of rebellion against God's command and the Lord punished Moses by forbidding him to enter the Promised Land.  (Numbers 20:1-13)

Everyone has heard the expression, "The patience of Job."  Job suffered extreme loss and hardship.  He lost his ten children in one day, as well as all his wealth in the same day.  Then his health was affected by painful boils all over his body.  His so-called friends accused him of wrong-doing and said he must have sinned terribly and was being punished for his wickedness,  Through all of this Job exhibited much patience.   

"Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.  Behold, we count them happy which endure.  Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."                     -  James 5:10-11

Jesus was a patient teacher and healer.  The heavenly Father is also patient.

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

2 Peter 3:9

What a loving and awesome God !

"Quite honestly, most people are quick to 'write someone off'.  But our God is a God of second chances.  Learn from One who is patient with you and you'll learn to be patient with others."

Woodrow Kroll

Here is a 13 minute sermon by Charles Spurgeon about patience.  He also touches on gossip at the same time.  

Patience can draw us closer to God.  Let's face it, when we experience trials and hardships, we are more likely to turn to the Lord in prayer for help and guidance.  It also means we need patience to wait on and trust God for an answer and direction.  When we wait patiently on the Lord it renews our strength.

There is a worship song by John Waller that tells us what to do while we are waiting on the Lord:

Presently, in America, Christians are not persecuted as much as they are in other countries where they are being martyred.   We should use what precious time we have left in winning lost souls by the Holy Spirit.  The Rapture could happen at any time and there are still many people who need to be saved.  We need to show patience with people, yet at the same time let them know that times are urgent and Jesus will not tarry for very long before He returns.  Keep in mind, only the Heavenly Father knows the day and the hour of Christ's return, but the Lord told us what would be the signs of His near return in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21.  Many Bible prophecies are being fulfilled at a rapid pace right now, and converging all at once.

Be alert!  Be ready !

James 5:8 tells us:  "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

"But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."  -  Romans 8:25

"God's Tender Mercies And You" - Inspirational Weekend

Many years ago I saw the movie "Tender Mercies".....it first came out in 1983 and starred Robert Duvall as a country music star who came upon hard times.  It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and Robert Duvall won best actor for his role in that film, which was rated PG.   I am not here to give a review of the story line.  Rather, I wanted to say that one of the characters in the film quoted from the Bible about God's tender mercies, and that impressed me and stayed with me as I had not been aware of that verse.  I don't remember anything of the verse except the two words, "tender mercies."   Later, as I began to read my Bible once again, I came across several verses mentioning God's tender mercies.   That touched me and in turn drew me closer to the Lord, as it made me realize He had always been near and watching over me.  In reflecting on that fact, I could recall events where He had literally saved me from one catastrophe after another.  He saw me through many trials.  I was so dense spiritually back then that I didn't comprehend His loving care and tender mercies at the time He ministered to me.  Now I understand and I have such love for Him and gratitude in my heart for all that He has done in my life, my heart, my soul, and my mind.

The dictionary defines mercy as compassionate treatment, a disposition to be kind and forgiving.  The word mercy among the Jews signified the pardon of injuries and almsgiving.  To understand mercy, we need to go to the meaning of the Latin word "misericordia".  It is made up of two words:  miserans "pitying", and cor , the "heart"; or miseria cordis, "pain of heart".  This virtue of mercy which we humans should also display is "an alive emotion of the heart which manifests itself by entering into the miseries of our neighbor" and to feel for him deeply and to empathize with him.

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."  Jesus at Matthew 5:7

But back to God's tender mercies....

God showed extreme mercy to mankind by sending His Son to die to redeem sinful mankind...those who would turn to Jesus in repentance and faith in His shed blood to wash their sins away.  What love!  What mercy !  God is awesome !

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  Jesus at John 3:16

"The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works."  -  Psalm 145:9

"Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies."  -  Psalm 103:4

"God in His infinite mercy has devised a way by which justice can be satisfied, and yet mercy can be triumphant.  Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, took upon Himself the form of man, and offered unto Divine Justice that which was accepted as an equivalent for the punishment due to all His people."  -  Charles Spurgeon

Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the mercy of God.  It is short...3 minutes long.

"Embrace in one act the two truths - thine own sin, and God's infinite mercy in Jesus Christ."      -  Alexander MacLaren.

"God's mercy with a sinner is only equaled and perhaps outmatched by His patience with the saints, with you and me."  -  Alan Redpath

What about you and me?  We should follow what Luke 6:36 says, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."  In other words, God's perfection should be our example and our goal. "We, who want so much mercy from God, must learn to show mercy to our fellow-men.  It is impossible to look to Him for mercy when we fail to show mercy to others, or we fail to forgive others !   Not just show mercy in words, but by good deeds".  Help the poor, the depressed, those under extreme trials.  What a sincere and loving and pure motive it is when men make up their minds to endeavor to resemble the most high God in deeds of mercy and loving-kindness.   Let us, like God, be "not weary in well-doing."  God is love, and it takes love on our part to do acts of mercy.  One commentary tells us, "True mercifulness is a characteristic of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and they alone would be merciful.in God's way, seeking not to please themselves, but to do God's will."

Christ was an example of mercifulness...He always kept God's glory and honor in view.  "Christ's mercifulness recognized sin as the source of every man's misery, and our mercifulness is often so indifferent to the deepest needs of the men and women around us."   We need to examine ourselves and ask ourselves if we are truly following Jesus' example.  

"All that is really good is the outcome of the law of love, and its first result and inseparable companion is mercy."   (A bible commentary quote.)

Following is a moving song by Gordon Mote titled "Mercy Walked In" :

"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations."  -  Psalm 89:1

"With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright."  -  Psalm 18:25

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."  -  Lamentations 3:22-23

"Is It Impossible To Be Holy?" - Inspirational Weekend

Spring is right around the corner for most of you living on the mainland USA.  Here in Hawaii there is something always in bloom year round.   When I think of Spring I automatically am reminded of its beautiful flowers.   I still miss some of the mainland's flowers that we do not have in Hawaii; like dogwood tree blossoms and azaleas as well as many others.   Flowers make me feel good and I bask in their beauty.    I imagine there will be beautiful plants in Heaven as well.   

Below is a YouTube video of nature in Spring:

I hope you have a very happy weekend and that this information cheers you.  Sometimes I think I get too serious with all this end time prophecy and spiritual information; but then again we live in very serious times filled with turmoil and unrest and we need to turn our attention to God's Word and find comfort there.   A holy life that is pleasing to God is a very serious matter and we need to take heed to what really matters in this life.....pleasing and obeying our Creator.  

When I used to read 1 Peter 1:15-16 I would think that it is impossible to do what it says there. Those verses say:  "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."   We are all sinners, and need to repent daily; how can we possibly be holy?   The idea is to pursue holiness, to the best of our ability and with the Lord's help.

We are imperfect creatures and fall short, but we can be holy in the sense that we are "dead to sin" and we "cleanse ourselves from what is dishonorable."   Our focus is on God and Jesus, to obey and follow their guidance to the best of our ability......not to forget that the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, enables us to live a godly and holy life.    This is not perfection of holiness, that will only happen when we reach Heaven.    God in His love and mercy, has made provision for our sin:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."      -  1 John 1:9    So we need to daily confess and forsake our sins as we pursue holiness.   We cannot deliberately sin with no remorse if we are true followers of Jesus.   

"If you think you can walk in holiness without keeping up perpetual fellowship with Christ, you have made a great mistake.  If you would be holy, you must live close to Jesus."  -  Charles Spurgeon

"No man should desire to be happy who is not at the same time holy.  He should spend his efforts in seeking to know and do the will of God, leaving to Christ the matter of how happy he should be."           - A. W. Tozer  

Sanctification means to be set apart, and that for a holy use; it means to purify.   When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit regenerates you and indwells you, making you able to live as holy a life as possible.   As Christians, we grow in purity over time....a lifetime.   God and the Holy Spirit are in the process of perfecting us and it takes patience and time.   It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to reach deep inside you to regenerate you; it is impossible by your own human effort.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."  - Hebrews 12:14.  Let me stress that again,  "Without holiness, no one will see the Lord."  You cannot just dismiss your sins and say."Oh, that's just the way I am" and go on about your business as usual.  You need to repent and forsake your sins.

So now I understand better about verses such as 1 Peter 1:15-16 and also Ephesians 1:4 which says,   "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:"  Be constantly in prayer and read the Bible daily, in order to grow closer to God and Jesus and to have a close, intimate and personal relationship with the Lord.  God speaks to us through His Word, and thereby teaches us to be obedient and holy.   

Being pleasing to the Lord and living as holy a life as possible will determine whether you will be ready when Jesus returns soon to gather "His Bride" - the church, true believers- to Him in the Rapture to Heaven.    Something to look forward to with great expectations!

Below is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on holiness:

"Holiness, as taught in Scriptures, is not based upon knowledge on our part.  Rather, it is based upon the resurrected Christ in-dwelling us and changing us into His likeness."  -  A. W. Tozer

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."       -  Hebrews 10:10

"How To Become Full Of Joy" - Inspirational Weekend

My cactus above bloomed beautifully again the end of January and the first of February this year.  It is always a thrill and a joy to admire its beauty as it only blooms once a year as a rule, although last year it bloomed twice.   Double treat !  But joy such as these soon to fade blossoms bring is rather fleeting and short lived.   True joy comes from the Lord and is yours forever !

Joy is fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  You have to be regenerated, born again, in order to have the Holy Spirit living within you and thereby produce fruit of the Spirit, of which joy is one.   When you stop the lust of the flesh and worldly desires (with the help of the Holy Spirit), you have the joy of knowing you please the Lord and the joy resulting from a clean conscience.  

"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."  -  Ephesians 4:23-24

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit."  -  Romans 15:13

So to have true joy, we need Jesus as our Savior, to cleanse us and wash us white as snow.  There is joy in the Savior, and joy in knowing you have a heavenly hope.   Before I was converted, there was not any joy to speak of.   Oh , sure, fleeting moments of happiness, but they soon passed.  I have shared with you before how I used to worry constantly, and worry will definitely steal your joy. Thanks to the Lord now, even in the midst of trials, there is still joy for me because I have learned to focus on God and Jesus and I am so grateful for all He has done in my life and in my heart and soul and mind.   That is another key to being full of joy, to have a thankful heart and attitude .

The above image says it all.   So many people are so self-centered and so self-absorbed that they don't take time for Jesus or for other people.  

"The out-and-out Christian is a joyful Christian.  The half-and-half Christian is the kind of Christian that a great many of you are,,,,,,little acquainted with the Lord.  Why should we live halfway up the hill and swathed in the mists, when we might have an unclouded sky and a radiant sun over our heads if we would climb higher and walk in the light of His face."  -  Alexander Maclaren

Below is an old song that makes you joyful just to listen to it,

"Joy is the serious business of heaven."  -  C. S. Lewis

This all reminds me of that quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."  There is much truth in that, but for true joy you need Christ in your life.   You then will lead a more holy life and have a closer, personal and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ.   What joy !   I intend to do a post here soon about "Holiness", as it is so very important to the Christian in order to see heaven.

Below is a sermon on becoming full of joy by Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Jesus speaking at John 16:22,  "And ye now therefore have sorrow:  but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."

"Pride or Humility? Distant From God or Close to God?" (Charles Spurgeon's Sermon on Humility) - Inspirational Weekend

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility."  -  Proverbs 18:12

Believe me, I know how to spell "honor", but the above Scripture is from the King James Version of the Bible and they spelled some words differently back then than we do now.   But more than being able to spell honor, do we know how to live a life of honor ......to bring honor and glory to our Lord?

Let me say up front, that some of my blog posts here are triggered by what happens to me personally; I look up Scriptures and information on the subject to help myself in whatever area I am having difficulty in and then I realize it is good information to post here.   So what about pride ?   It is something that affects us all from time to time.   We have to be on guard because our adversary the devil is seeking to devour us; to influence us for the bad.   Remember, pride was satan's downfall; he wanted to be equal to God or to put God entirely out of the picture; the devil thought more highly of himself than he should have and exalted himself above the Lord God Almighty.   Is it any surprise that satan would try to bring about a person's downfall by inflating that person with pride?  As Christians we do not want to imitate the devil but instead to follow and imitate Jesus Christ.   Most of you are thinking, "Well, that's a no-brainer!"   But pride can sneak up on you without you realizing it for what it is.   If you feel proud of your humility, then you are not humble.

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."  -  1 John 2:16

Below is a song about the "poison of pride"; it is a prayer to God for deliverance.

One way to avoid the sin of pride, besides prayer, is to remind yourself that all you are and all you may have is a gift from God;  even your very salvation is a gift from our Creator.   Who are we to exalt ourselves above anyone or anything ?!!  We are but dust and our life is like a mist, which soon disappears.   Another way to avoid pride is to spend time in serving others, especially the poor and the infirm and those who cannot help themselves.   Jesus is speaking here at Matthew 23:11-12,   "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant;   And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. "   

"A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of course, as long as you're looking down you can't see something that's above you."  -  C. S. Lewis

"But He giveth more grace.  Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." -       James 4:6-7

"Though the LORD be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly:  but the proud he knoweth afar off."  -  Psalm 138:6

So if God seems far away from you and your fellowship with Him is now broken, ask yourself if the reason might be the sin of pride.   

Following is a wonderful song titled "Who Am I"  :

As we all know, humility is the opposite of pride. Humility has been described as "a prominent Christian grace.  It is a state of mind well pleasing to God; it preserves the soul in tranquility and makes us patient under trials."

Remember, even Jesus was humble.   "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many."  -  Mark 10:45 .    As followers of Christ, we should imitate His humility, in all sincerity and with a pure heart.   "And being found in fashion as a man, He (Jesus) humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. "

-  Philippians 2:8

One of the hindrances to humility is the fact that most people want to feel in control of everything.  That sometimes includes spouses, which can lead to big trouble.   The key is to surrender all to God and Jesus because, after all, He is the only one in absolute control of everything.   Pray for Him to teach you how to surrender all to Him; to guide you in the choices you make and in everyday affairs.  It is really your choice to be distant from God or to be close to Him .    

Below is a 4 part sermon on humility by Charles H. Spurgeon.  Each part is only about 11 minutes long, so the entire sermon is around 45 minutes.   It is well worth the time to listen to it.

"By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life."  -  Proverbs 22:4