Beyond Doubt

I debate back and forth in my mind to take or not take medicine. I’m not talking about just for pain, but for any illness. I’ve searched the scripture and found quite often God uses pain and circumstance to get ones attention or, as in the case with Job to accomplish a greater purpose. But, even Job found a bit of comfort as he sat in the garbage refuse scraping his sores with a broken pottery shard. Here is a broken man using broken pottery for comfort. Would we take that away from him saying, “Suffer more, suffer greater.” Of course not!

I know beyond any shadow of doubt our Father could take the rods, screws, and cadaver bones out of my back and instantly heal me. Jesus broke the physical laws governing these miraculous things all the time. Yet, with Paul, writer of most of the New Testament, our Jesus told him, “My grace is sufficient.” But did Paul take his own advice that he gave to Timothy? “Take a little wine…,” Did Paul do this too? Well we don't know, but we do know that Paul was willing to give up anything that hindered an immature believer. So, I doubt it, or at least not around an immature believer.

Only King Asa in 2 Chronicles 16:12 was cast in derogatory light for using doctors or medicine. But, it is because he didn't seek the Lord first. Let’s go back to my first question or statement. There are references throughout the bible of both healing and use of medicine. Medicines were in raw forms then, and I'm not going down a road to figure out what they were, not now. God uses his built in auto-healing mechanisms to repair and replace our worn out flesh all the time. He even uses supernatural methods to heal, yet on a rarer basis. And, He uses doctors and medicine too. So we are left with the first question all over, however with a broader insight of God’s word. There is physical healing in Jesus, but it’s guaranteed only the New Heaven and New Earth. For now we do our best to look through a dimmed mirror and distinguish God's will from principles and statutes. We search the scriptures and pray, and hopefully use wisdom.

I try to do all this right, but, I've blackened both my eyes tripping too. I want to live a holy, godly life, but the tricks of the devil are many and they come in all shapes forms and sizes. And, don't forget Satan’s been going to church longer than you, and probably knows God’s word better that you. So, what’s the key? Well, I only know that if you walk according to the Spirit of God, you will not fulfill fleshly evil desires. I wish I could say I've always walked this way, I haven't, but I do more and more.

^“13 My brothers and sisters, God called you to be free, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful self. Serve each other with love.¹⁴ The whole law is made complete in this one command: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."^[b]15 If you go on hurting each other and tearing each other apart, be careful, or you will completely destroy each other.

The Spirit and Human Nature

 ¹⁶ So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. Then you will not do what your sinful selves want.¹⁷ Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please.¹⁸ But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not under the law.

 ¹⁹ The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins,²⁰ worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people,²¹ feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God's kingdom.²² But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong.²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do.²⁵ We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit.²⁶ We must not be proud or make trouble with each other or be jealous of each other.”  Galatians 5:13-26 NCV

Grace Is Shown

...When your judgments come upon the earth,

the people of the world learn righteousness.
But when grace is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil
and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.
Lord, your hand is lifted high,
but they do not see it.
Isaiah 26:9b-11a NIV

In a prior chapter, Isaiah 24, the earth is destroyed, though not completely. This is still in our future and it's pictured in the book of Revelation. As humanities cup of sin fills to the brim, the wrath of God overflows. In the coming chapters it sound's like it's a divine spanking with eternal consequences. Yet the verse above is part of a song of triumph. This is because it is Jesus' victory of the enemies over the enemies of God. These enemies are both internally and externally. The enemies of God are not just hostile nations and people that reject God. There are also more subtle enemies. Some of these are due to the fact that not all of Abraham seed became his children (of faith). Other enemies hide in the midst of the faithful, for not all of Israel held to the faith, and the church fared no better with tares resembling the faithful (Romans 11, John 15, Matthew 13). We serve a God of love, but we that read God’s word know that the world faces judgment. And, judgment comes because of the rejection of God’s Son, Jesus.

Now, it's easy to forget that we live in an age once shrouded in mystery. The church throughout the Old Testament remained hidden. This mystery is the church. The church  is in age is an age of grace (though God has always shown grace).  But, Isaiah predicted even God's grace would be trampled on.

Verse 10 says it all,

“But when grace is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil
and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.”

Though many witnesses go out into the field of the Lord and the harvest is great, most miss God's grace. Though God's workers go into the highways and byways, the world goes on doing evil. Why? They do not regard the LORD.

Jesus said it this way in John chapter 3.

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

John 3:16-20 NIV

Even though the Father gave His best, Jesus is rejected, because their deeds are evil. Fear of exposure and fear of repentance (change) drives people away from Jesus. But, if we are people that reflect Jesus' love through being gracious and forgiving, we lift Jesus up and draw others near. Be someone who brings people closer to Jesus.

The New Room

After fifteen year living in our old fixer-upper our room is almost ready. Yeah, we’ve lived in it the whole time, and I’ve seen worse, but it was bad. The carpet layer finished the other day and we were just anxious to move in. Why? Our bed and all of the other stuff filled our living room to overflow. So yes! Thank God we have a new room!

My wife the other day went to a woman’s conference and one of the speakers taught on the ancient courtship rituals of Jesus’ day. A betrothed couple, in this period, didn’t just plan a wedding date and move forward. The groom built a room on his father’s house. There he would build and prepare a room making it just right. Like any couple, I’m sure, the groom would have settled for four walls and roof and let’s move on with it. But the groom didn’t get to say when it was done, the father did.

This is why Jesus as He told the parable of the virgins said they needed to be ready. Morning, noon, or night when the room was done, it was time. For as soon as the father said the room was done, the groom would come for his bride. Jesus has been gone awhile now, over 2000 years. Though He lives outside of time—it’s still taking a while. He’s now preparing a room for us, a place for us. We the bride of Christ await His return. How glorious that place must be, but most of all Jesus will be there too!

 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust in me also.

“There are many rooms in my Father’s house. If this were not true, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  If I go and do that, I will come back. And I will take you to be with me. Then you will also be where I am.

 “You know the way to the place where I am going.”   (?)

John 14:1-4 NIRV

The Social Neanderthal

Being a social Neanderthal I often flub the simplest of conversations. Even so through the grace of God and even the power of the Holy Spirit I meet and greet a lot of new people. ( I say the power of the Holy Spirit because you wouldn't believe how shy I was until the Holy Spirit cracked my shell.) Many of the people I meet are just visitors at church. I shouldn’t say “just” because sometime they are people that are in need of ministry. In fact perhaps the best place to witness is at church. For instance, if you were a fisherman, you would want to go where the fish are interested in what you are offering. At church, new comers are usually interested and some are not believers yet. Others may just need the love of Christ that you can offer at just the right time.

I guess God working in and through us is more important that fixing all of our social graces. But, I wish I was better at small talk, if for no other reason than moving it toward deeper thing of eternal value. Anyway we work it we know God is right there all along working it toward His end.

In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9 NIV

Weighed Down?

It’s easy to let the cares of this life weigh us down. One moment all can be going well, or at least seem to be, and then an argument can come in like a hurricane. Yes, we bunker down and go through it and survive. But, kinder words should have and could have been used. We say the sorry word and move on. But, is that really forgiveness?

The Lords Prayer reminds us that we have a need to have forgiveness and to be forgiving. Why do we need forgiveness? It is our trespasses, the willful sin. We trespass when we cross on to or into another’s property. In this case it’s against God’s law and we offend both Him and another party. Here it was my family, I need there forgiveness. Graciously, they give it, though they stew first sometimes.

I know that it would be better to never offend. But, I do. I also remember Jesus words then to, “offences must come, but whoa to one who brings them” (paraphrase). That is why we need our Fathers forgiveness too.

Dying Daily

Are our ears actively dulled?

Do conditional queues quicken or quell?

Or do they bring with it questionable fears or tears?

Is it a fathom pho pas or manic messiness?

No, merciless meandering are measuring me.

If our standard measures ourselves, we fall and fail, or fake it.

If our standard is that of God’s perfection, we fail all the more.

I looked into a dulled mirror only to see imperfection laid deep within. Though I look intently into the perfect law of liberty, my mind refuses to give in, it fights submission. Through a war hard fought or hardly fought, facts fizzle and fears fade. I would that I would really fear the Holy One. For there find I hope.

Through a Father’s love, the fog on the mirror clears and reappears. Written in the haze these words appear, “For God so loved the world….”

In a hard fought war, death brought certain victory.

Victorious, the Son, raised in newness of life takes up my war and defeats my enemy.

Though self fights hard he will one day yield. And if I kill him today, again he’s there tomorrow.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 1 Cor 15:50 NKJV

Resplendent Thoughts

Resplendent thoughts rush through my soul

I think ahead to a day with no pain

I think past any present misery.

I think through ruffled feathers, blinded sight, and hidden mysteries

Will future thoughts become today's dream?

Only in heaven, only in heaven will Loves’ sweet will be revealed.

Today we read the words and try to make sense.

Today is cast in shadows and dirty mirrors reflect Loves light

Today we wonder in mystery, while we wait to cast off misery.

Resplendent thoughts rush through my soul.