Don’t confuse the “canal” with the “water”!

I was a head cook at a Mexican restaurant in Hawaii. The food…because of the recipes…was incredible. When people desired to share a compliment the manager would bring them to the kitchen and they would tell the grill & hot oil how delicious the food was and thank them. WHAT?!! If anyone had ever done that, I would have shown them out of the restaurant via the window! :)

Christmas is not about our presents to each other, though I enjoy that tradition. It is about a Person and a work accomplished. 

Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.    

For all of us that have experienced “Salvation”, “Trusting in Christ”, being “Born Again”, or “Regeneration” we understand that the reason “faith” is stressed is to counter the lie the enemy and our flesh try to produce in us, that OUR works win us eternal life with God. 

However, in doing so we can magnify “our” faith and miss the REAL focus of Salvation. It is based on works…not ours! Jesus Christ performed all the work needed to pay the debt of sin, which is called “Grace”! 

Faith is the “channel”, which is used to receive that GRACE “water” of God. Jesus Christ accomplished that through His death, burial, and resurrection! 

What is interesting to me is that we celebrate Christmas as a new year begins. Most individuals take seriously what they desire their life to mean and spend some time reevaluating and pondering where they are on that path. What matters to them; have they accomplished any of their goals; are they content; and do they see the future with hope? 

Consider these issues as you approach those questions: Do you still exist after your body stops working? What happens to you? How much time have you spent knowing what you believe? Are you endeavoring to plan your life, or just letting it happen? What do you hope will happen after your heart quits beating? What have you done to prepare for that? 

The God of the Scriptures has a plan:

1 John 5:11–13 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 

You do not have to hope for a future! You can KNOW your future! 

The So What: Why not take some time right now and contemplate – What is my future after my body dies? Do I have a plan? Why would I not Trust God’s plan? If you have questions, email me – nategwm@gmail.com

A demonstration speaks much more than a thousand words!

I remember the exact moment my dad made me face his love when I had been very unlovable!  I was 15, delivered papers at 4am in the morning. It was winter, which made it no fun. He usually left home every day at 5am, but when I got home, He was still there, I was cold and hungry, and I asked him how to make grits. (Now I laugh, but then I did not know it was so complicated. 1. Pour grits in bowl. 2. Boil water. 3. Pour boiling water into boil with grits. Stir!) 

Rocket Science!!! 

To continue…he said he was late and had to leave but would show me tonight. I was a brat, and as he walked down the hall to kiss my mother goodbye, she was already bedridden and quite ill, I flipped him off! (Believe me, this is not a story I am proud of, but the point is huge) I forgot that at the end of the hallway was a full-length mirror. I saw myself, standing there with my arm straight out, my dad looking at me in the mirror. He turned and looked at me, went in and kissed mom, walked past me into the kitchen and made me grits! THAT was one of the longest days of my life! 

When he walked in the door, I was on him. I was on my knees holding his legs, crying, and begging for his forgiveness. He forgave me and we hugged.  

This may be why Rom 5:8 was my first memory verse and one of my favorite Scriptures to meditate on. 

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

I love the Christmas stories of shepherds, the manger, swaddling clothes, but for me Rom 5:8 is the Christmas story. 

You and I are separated from God from the moment of conception because of a choice mankind made when they were walking with God. Sin caused that separation, and God is not a man that He should lie! The penalty (payment) of sin is death (separation of our spirit from our physical body and God) 

Yet God chose not to leave us without hope. He chose to make the payment needed to allow (remember “allow”) us to bridge the gap between Him and us.   

God extended to us what He possesses, a will that can make choices! To take that away from reality denies the Scriptures and Who God is. Man, good men, so desire to explain God to man that they get trapped making man made theories that men can understand. If a finite mind can explain God, then God is a finite god. God chooses all of His children, and we choose Him! If I can explain that then I am equal to Him, which I am not! 

The So What: Just a challenge – Make this Christmas a single focus – God demonstrated how much He loves YOU! The penalty is paid, and IF you ALLOW God’s sacrifice to pay the debt of your sin, you can experience His Eternal life here and now!

Investment or Waste? It’s Your Call.

A life that was controlled by drugs, selfish ambition, looking out for #1…even if it means stepping over or on someone to succeed…it goes on. I know a guy like that, BUT now he cares for others more than himself, he desires to leave every situation better than he found it! 

I met this guy in prison and shared the Love of God with him. The transformation was amazing! The description of how selfish he was would match mine, just the drug would have been alcohol. 

Not only does John 3:16 communicate that God’s Love “Gave”, it also makes clear that our future can be secure! 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 

How sad is it that the enemy has deceived so many to believe that when Scripture speaks about “Eternal Life” it is talking about something that happens after our body ceases to live! This is a lie from the pit of Hell! God is Life! When an individual enters into a relationship with God, eternal life begins that moment!

Consider the words used:

Perish - “apoletai” ἀπ-όλλῡμι to destroy utterly, kill, slay, demolish, waste, 

Eternal life -  aionion - αἰώνιος    ζωή – zoen – Unending, Everlasting, For all time.

Dor. ζωά; Ion. ζόη, Dor. ζόα; Aeol. ζοΐα; ἡ: (ζάω):—a living, i.e. ones means of life, substance. 

I am 67 now, with 3 significant health issues. Earthwise, God has blessed me with a great wife, 3 great kids and 10 grandchildren. There, I am content. Heavenwise, I have not accomplished much, and failed far too many times to want to recall, and I would not be too content with my life. However, because I know that the little I could do, sharing the Truth concerning God’s Love and sacrifice for us, and witnessing the impact that some of the folks I shared with have had on this world, I do rejoice in the life my heavenly Father gave me! Being even a tiny part of what God has been doing in this world allows me to participate in eternal things!

Scripture states we exist forever…contemplating that…one Billion years from now how will you view this “spit in the wind” called life and how you used it? Will the thought be “Invested!” or “Wasted”? You, and you alone, control that. God intends you to make the most of it, but He won’t force you, because true Love includes freedom!

The so what: Allow yourself time to consider this Christmas how much your Creator Loves you and desires you to succeed in what really matters in this life! You don’t have to quit your job, sell everything, and then go to a foreign place! That’s the lie the enemy sells…it’s to scare you and make you think God is a slave master. He is not! He became the servant to come and die for you and me, so we could live forever with Him. All God really wants is a 24/7 relationship with you, just like you do with your friends, your spouse, and your kids. Just living with Him, sometimes more interactive, sometimes not, yet always consciously aware that your life intertwines with His. I never forget I am a husband and a dad, and thankfully, even when I fail, I always remember I am His child. How about you?

Christmas: Familiarity should not always breed contempt!

It took me 3 years to get through Algebra 1! The reason is partly because of the way my God made me. I wanted to know why “Pi” was Pi! Sadly, my first two teachers would not take the time to help me understand it. Finally, in my Sr. year, a wonderful teacher at Leilehua High School in Hawaii, took the time to make me familiar with this kind of math. I received a A+ in that class! …Maybe I could not get Pi because I am such a square! :) 

I have felt led to spend the next Devos focused on Christmas, and then I will return to Proverbs. I want to re-examine verses that we are very familiar with. It is dangerous for us to ever take a familiar verse of Scripture for granted.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.


Love is an action word! God tells us through John that Love Gave! One of the most famous quotes about Love came from Hollywood: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

Actually, depending on which person we are talking about, that is true and false. We live in a fallen world and are sinners by nature. If we were offended, since Love is unconditional, our commitment should remain the same...that is what God does. However, if we are the transgressor, Love demands we take action to make things right.


Why? Love requires two parties, unless you’re in love with only yourself, which in that case you desperately need some counseling!


God Loves us; fallen, sinful, and even rebellious human beings. (Which BTW He created innocent and, in His image, yet we chose our own way and listened to our desires, not His.) His Love led Him to give (God Gave His Only Son) so we could, if we are willing to do it His way, humbly accept His forgiveness and become an intimate child of His. Related to Him by blood! His blood.


Nate, how does that work? If I could fully explain that…then I would be God! I am finite and sinful; I cannot comprehend in full an Infinite God. Still, if I am willing, I can understand His reaching out to me in Love to restore my relationship with Him!

The So What: Jesus did all the work required. Christmas, for us, is about receiving. Can you get over yourself and embrace the reality that being a Child of God and living in fellowship with Him is far better than being your own god and living separate from the Giver of REAL Life, Joy, and Contentment?

The Dangerous Doubt!

 

Matthew 14:30–31 

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

God created us to ask questions,

which is important when it comes to learning.

 

That would include the idea of doubting 

something if you are not sure it is true.  Simple definition: 

To call into question the truth of; to be uncertain about; to lack confidence in; to distrust.  

Doubt is not wrong; the problem is the object of that doubt.

Anything that originates from human beings should be questioned because we have a fallen nature and selfishness is a key ingredient to that! How does this benefit me?; What can I gain out of this?; I just want to protect myself!…and the infamous – I am just looking out for number One. (Me!) Sadly, all of these I have thought and allowed to control my actions. I am a sinner…which I am sure is no revelation to anyone! 

 

The problem with doubt is when it enters our relationship with Almighty God.

 

How can I say that? I can hear the screams right now…Don’t I have the right to question God?!

 

If god is one you made on your own, then yes. If, however, you accept the God revealed in His Word, the Scriptures, then there are some questions you need to ask yourself. BTW, if you are kicking against whether the Scriptures are the Authority, then don’t bother reading this. I accept them as the Authority with no apologies and base my thoughts and comments on that premise. You have every right to disagree, and I just don’t want you blowing a casket over my Faith. In the end we will all have to answer for the stand we took on this, and if the Scriptures are a fairy tale, then I agree with Paul, I have been a fool. However, until then, I am full in. Have you at least spent any time questioning what you are committed to?

 

So, just to start this, because it will take me more than one Devo, the God of the Bible is a Being completely outside of our understanding! He is not floating around the universe doing things, He created the universe! So where is He? I am not God, so I don’t know, but the evidence of His existence is seen everywhere!

 

He desired to create us and give us free choice, knowing we would not choose Him. After we decided to sin, He still pursued us with an unconditional love, offering a fully paid-for, by Him, Salvation that allows us to be children of God. Based on that, many questions are good, but doubting His commitment to us is a lie sent by the ultimate God hater, who was not content to be with God, but wanted to BE God.      

The So What: How would you describe Who God is? Where do you get that description? Have you considered checking out how the Bible describes Him? If not, Why? Are you afraid of something?

Hope: Less Can Be More!

Before I was a twinkle in my father’s 

eye, a man named Edward Mote penned these words: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness”

 

When you think of Hope, what comes to your mind?

 

I received a call from a dear brother who desired to catch up. His timing was perfect. In the midst of all that was going on health-wise, I had just taken a fall and was not in a good place.

 

The enemy knows how to strike…never a little at a time. Covid hurt our support and  Gateway is the farthest behind it has been financially at this time of the year. My wife, who is the healthiest person I know, had been in bed for days with a 102 temp, she is back to great health now, PTL! I have an appt. with a specialist today to discover why I am having such problems with dizziness, I am waiting on the biopsy report concerning my prostate and possibly other cancers, my neuropathy has now made walking painful at times and now I have two broken teeth. I have a dentist appt. tomorrow.

Just before my friend called I stepped on a piece of broken bone my dog left on the rug. It cut into my foot, I dropped my cane, and fell, catching myself with my left arm. God protected me from any broken bones, but my wrist and shoulder paid a price.  

 

Just yesterday I was born in Munich, Germany, at a military hospital…Life “IS” a vapor! It passes much quicker than we think. How tragic is it for those who think this is it!

 

First, they miss the journey they could experience with a loving God and His plan for life.

 

Second, like it or not, there is a reckoning that all of us will face as we stand before God and answer for what we did with the life He entrusted us with. It is a Stewardship!

Our Creator allowed us to choose, we chose wrong. YET, He still reached out with His offer for life, again leaving that choice to the individual.

This is HOPE!

 

Romans 5:1–5: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  

 

My friend and I had a great Bible study on the Scripture’s meaning of Hope. Hope produces patience, which we all want, but want to take the "pill" form. There is no pill - it requires time. Hope is the key “life raft” when your world seems to be drowning you. For me, the “Golden Years” refers to intellect and emotions. I love what I have learned through the years of my life and how that brings balance to my life. Physically though – it’s always going to be a “no win!” That is the cost of the Fall…BUT resurrection trumps every difficulty life can hold! That is my HOPE!

 

The So What: do you possess HOPE, or hope? Having a relationship with God makes the future is sooooooo bright! Ask God to take control of your life now, you will never regret it…especially a Billion years from now!

“True” Faith should not include Presumption. The Claim Game! Pt 1

Are you standing on His promises or Claiming (Demanding) your will?

I would love to share just a couple of thoughts, because this issue has been used by the enemy to divide the Body, and to produce children of God that approach Him, not with confidence and expectation, but with arrogance and a demanding spirit, which exposes that it is NOT the Spirit of God.

Perhaps the best teacher would be the Lord Himself. His example of how to pray answers these issues.

Mt 6:8–15 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Notice: Jesus states “Ask”…Not Tell Him, or Demand from Him…or “Claim” from Him.

Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

He begins with praise to the Father:

‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Here are 2 demands we can make: God’s Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth and in heaven.

BTW – whether we say this or believe it, It will be done! Nothing, and no one can frustrate God in doing what He has decided to do!

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Then the Lord tells us to “Ask”, not demand, for our daily food, for the forgiveness of our failures, and for guidance, which includes being delivered from evil.

Interestingly, He attaches a condition concerning how our fellowship will work. If we forgive those who fail us and remain in fellowship with them, He will forgive our failures and remain in fellowship with us. He then ends with praise to the Father.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

The So What: Do you take time to quiet yourself before you meet with God? When you approach God to pray, how much of it is about Him? How much is it about you? When you meet with Him, do you feel awe, do you sense intimacy? When you talk to Him what terms do you use?God, Father, Lord, Papa? Do you see Him as High and Mighty while at the same time sense He is Intimate?

The Real Question!

 

“To be or not to..."NO!

“Here & Now” or “Forever”

IS the question!

Most people when asked if they would take one billion dollars now or a penny doubled every day for a year would take the billion dollars. However, here is the dollar amount for a penny doubled every day for a year: 

$375,766,813,243,813,000,000,000,000
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000.00

I realize that we all like to know what our past is and where we came from, just look at the time and money spent on genealogies. Knowing your heritage has some important elements to it, especially for health. Yet, when I consider the lack of balance I am dismayed by the short-term vision! Every one of us has a
beginning that goes back to a certain time. Even if you believe you are only flesh and came from evolution we are talking “thousands” of years. But how long do we go on?
 
Matthew 19:23–26 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
 
There is a subtle Truth in this section of Scripture that we need to pay attention to. Riches are something a person must pursue; most are not born rich. So, a most important question arises that we need to ask ourselves: What are we pursuing? Worldly riches will end, burn, or be taken by someone else. God’s riches are eternal and are given to those that seek them.

Ro 1:21–23.21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Let me “cut to the chase” here: What if this whole eternal life thing is a sham? I have lost nothing! Endeavoring to love everyone, trying to be the best at whatever I do, and praying for good to happen to others, even if all false, made me a better person and more sensitive to people around me. There is very little I would change in my life if I found out Jesus was not Who He claimed to be…maybe where I lived on this planet for most of my life might change, but that is all.

However, if
someone has rejected Christ and made themselves "god" of their life, and they are wrong…they will experience eternal regret, which is a tragedy! Christ has paid for their sin, but they never accepted the forgiveness, so they remain separated from God forever! Terrible!

The So What: What are you pursuing? How much time have you invested in your soul, versus your flesh? Do you desire to be known for what you have, or what you are? 

Can the impossible be made possible?

Consider what we once thought was impossible: Human flight; sinking to the bottom of the sea and resurfacing alive; traveling thousands of miles in hours; landing on the moon and returning…the list could go on! Some might think – Nathan Leigh not talking for at least an hour! NOT TRUE! I sleep at least 5 hours every night and I do not talk or even snore in my sleep! How do I know? I use a CPAP machine.:)

BTW, Husbands…if you snore, and love your wife, swallow your pride, and get on a CPAP. Not only will she sleep better, you won’t be a walking zombie due to exhaustion. Just a challenge! 

Also – I spend 1-2 hours every morning not talking out loud preparing these devotionals…I think slow! 

Considering what is impossible, think about life on Earth. Science, claims a cosmic accident caused this and for it to repeat, the chances of intelligent life emerging are – less than 0.01 percent over four billion! 

I believe that a Sovereign God created this universe, with such a variety of life, including one unique life (Man & Woman) that is so far superior in thought, possessing an ability to advance so far, and I am called ignorant or superstitious.

The other view is that a cosmic "fart" took place and began a process that finally made it to a monkey, which we then came from.

I find myself believing that we may need to redefine "intelligent" life! Accepting the theory that nothing started all this with a Big Bang, which made another thing happen, that made another thing happen...ad nauseam! I find the second requires more Blind faith. 

I know of lots of people that have the talent to make up worlds, i.e. JRR Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, Edgar Allan Poe, J.K. Rowling – But none have ever claimed their stories were anything more than fantasy or science-fiction. Believing the “impossible” is possible is not crazy, it is faith! Real “faith” has evidence, so it is not blind. 

Remember this – “theories” have disproved the Scriptures, NOT facts! In Fact, every turn of an archeologist's shovel proves the Scriptures. The fact of the Resurrection of Jesus historically has more evidence than any other “historical” fact based on an unbiased and honest examination. (More on this next Devo)

Jesus made many incredible statements in the gospels, many that seem impossible, but He performed the works and signs to prove He spoke Truth.

Matthew 19:23–26 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 

I am going to park here for a couple of devotionals because there is much to cover. 

First, God is not against the rich! Some use a passage like this to say He is. What God is against is basically two things. Life, independent of Him, and misguided love.
 
Let’s deal with misguided love this time. God is Love. True Love is expressed in 3 ways:


1. Toward our Creator. 2. Toward His creation, including each other. 3. Toward ourselves. Misguided love leads to idolatry, which leads to murder and then suicide.
 
The So What: Do you attach conditions to your love? Make a list in order of the priorities for your life. What does it say about what you love? Can a “thing” love? On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how important are things in your life? 

The disliked promises concerning Faith: Comfort & Caution (Warning)! Part 2

 

The disliked promises concerning Faith: Comfort & Caution (Warning)! Part 2 There once was a manager of a minor-league baseball team. He was so angry at his centerfielder that he benched him and grabbed a glove, placing himself in that position. A ball was hit to him, it took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth. Then a fly ball, and it bounced off his forehead. The third was a line drive, it went past his glove and hit him in the eye. Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the uniform, and shouted. “You idiot! You've got center field so messed up that even I can't do a thing with it!”  - Discipleship Journal God loves us and desires us to feel safe in His love. However, we are not yet in His presence, we live in a fallen world. He understands we will struggle in our flesh with evil and our own sin nature. God wants us to understand the benefits (which we focus on sometimes exclusively) and the costs!   …Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61–62 Luke 21:17 “And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.”   1 John 3:13 “So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”   John 15:20 “Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.”   Matthew 10:34-36 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’” Also * John 15:19   Does this message sound strange to you? If it does, you have also been influenced by the one-sided teaching of the Health Wealth Prosperity movement. The life of a disciple includes both benefits and costs! Many followers quit discipleship because they were not taught the complete picture.   Sadly, what so many disciples fail to understand is our greatest growth is produced during our sorrows, losses, and the tough times. That is where faith, trust, and anticipation become the path to maturity. These life skills help you navigate life so you can work through circumstances instead of being controlled by them.     The So What: The true “Wholeness” movement was begun by God at Creation! His plan is for humans to mature into Spiritual Adults. Salvation is by Grace Totally! He did all the work! However, maturity is still by Grace, (His work) along with our sweat (our obedience) God’s plan has always been a partnership. God created man to exist forever, but there are two destinations: In His presence or separated from Him. Our choice!

Faith is about - Who or What we depend on!

In Review:

Evidence # 1 – How you handle troubles is an “evidence” of what you believe

Evidence # 2 – Purposeful living is an “evidence” of what you believe.
Evidence # 3 – Spiritual Maturity is an evidence of what you believe.
Evidence # 4 – Wisdom that comes from God is an evidence of what you believe.
Evidence # 5 – Standing on what God states in His Word and not how you feel, is an Evidence of what you believe.

James 1:9-11 “But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.”

Too many people believe this lie: “The real problem with our lives is our lack of money!” We think: “If I just had enough money my whole life would be great!”

REALLY? Howard Hughes, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Janis Joplin - On & On & On! Money at BEST can only bring physical comfort to your life, but it carries a bucket load of troubles! 

Like What...you ask?

1. Who are your real friends?

2. Do you keep it for yourself, or share it or both?

3. Everybody thinks you have no problems. So, they don’t ask or sometimes even pray for you. (Except for you to give them some of that money)

Here is the number 1 problem I see...You learn and believe you can depend on yourself and what you possess. How many suicides took place right at the beginning of the great depression? 

People had convinced themselves they were what they owned, when that was gone they saw no point in living.
 
God’s wisdom flows through James right here as he brings up the poor and rich. Each person has his own test and needs to deal with it properly. No one’s test is harder or easier. For some, it is possessions, for some, it is fame and recognition, for some, it is environment, and shocking as this sounds, for some, it is how religious or spiritual you appear to be. 

Scripture shows that God is a very personal God and desires intimacy with all those created in His image. Each test is custom-made by God to meet that person’s need for growth. 

God is not against the rich? If He can take what you have and know that you will keep following Him, you are freer to keep it. He does not play favorites but does understand realities.

Matthew 19:24-26 "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  

Evidence # 6 – Knowing that God’s concern is not about money, but about Who or what we depend on, is an Evidence of what you believe.

The so what: When the future frightens you; do you look to the bank, or a rich relative, or the Lottery? Or to God? Why wait till things are frightening, look to God now. 

The disliked promises concerning Faith…Comfort & Caution! Part 1

When Job was tested; lost all his children, everything he owned, finally his health, his wife told him to curse God and die. Clearly, bitterness had grabbed her. {Be careful how merciless you are to her. She also was just human and had lost everything. This was her worst moment…did Jesus die for your worst moment? Let’s show her what she failed to show her husband. Remember, they went on to have 10 more children, 7 sons & 3 daughters.}

Job 2:10 “But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.”

Having grown up in Europe, without the distraction of TV, arriving in the USA, I fell in love with watching TV...too much!  That changed drastically during Vietnam...one of the most intense eras to live in. Young men were given numbers that would be used to draft them into service to go to war. I received a number but was only 16. However, my oldest brother was draft age. They televised the drawing of numbers (called it “The Lottery”) and we watched. They would show the date of birth on the screen and then draw a blue capsule out of a large glass container. An individual watching this fiasco would see their birth date and find out if they were in the “300th” group to be called up to go to war…or the “1st” group! Fortunately, my brother was assigned a higher number (Whew!) …but looking back, I remember how that changed forever my thoughts concerning TV. 

When I trusted in Christ, the Holy Spirit awakened in me a fierce hunger to know Him intimately. I read, listened to radio, and began looking for Biblical teaching on TV. The Scriptures are full of God’s promises and statements about life for those that enter into relationship with Him.
These should bring us comfort and caution. Embrace BOTH! The Comfort is obvious = Eternal life in the presence of God. The Caution is less obvious due to the nonsense taught by the HWP (Health, Wealth, Prosperity movement) This group has twisted the picture of Who God is, and the damage is immeasurable! The HWP doctrine on TV ignores many statements God made to prepare His children of the “full” picture of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
 
If we desire to make a mature decision to follow Christ, we should know the Benefits and the Costs! Jesus Never spoke in a vacuum! He made sure His disciples understood the privilege of their position - Matthew 13:17 and understood the cost - Luke 14:26–28. This was not a light decision or some fad of the moment! It means walking away from personal dreams and letting God create His dreams for us.
 
The So What: What is the final step in your process of making any decision in your life? Do you control your life, do circumstances or does He? When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart with God about what you want versus what He wants? If you say: “I don’t know what He wants?” what does that expose about your relationship with Him? What can you do about that?

 

There is a time to get serious!

James 4:14 “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”  

I have always loved music…almost every genre. When I was in my teens, I was a big fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. God is so kind, a dear brother that attended my Bible Study was a promoter and he invited me to be his guest at the Crosby, Stills, Nash concert in Manila in 2015! Man, was that a fun night and the icing on the cake was he took me backstage after!
 
In January of 2023, David Crosby died. He had been sick for some time, and when asked what he thought about heaven on Twitter, the day before he died, his answer was: “I heard the place was overrated…cloudy.”

I am sure he meant it in a joking way, however, I have found that a fallback people have for avoiding hard Truths is to make light of them.
 
I am known for having a sense of humor, and I love to laugh, yet, understanding and planning for your own soul is nothing to scoff at or take lightly. God is the Creator that made us eternal, sharing and offering us His eternal life, through the sacrifice of His Son. This is also why I do not enjoy jokes concerning Hell. For me, it is a real destination and there is nothing funny about it.
 
The BIG “What If” needs to enter here. Let’s start with me: “What if” all this stuff about the Scriptures and a dude named Jesus is baloney? One millisecond after my spirit leaves this temporal shell, I will either, not know…because I am gone and just a worm feast until nothing, but dust is left. Or I will appear before what or whoever started all this and regret settling for a lie. I will also have a great desire to find the dude named Jesus and beat the stuffing out of him because he claimed to be it! The only way, the only truth, and the only life, and he wasn’t.

Which means - I invested my life in telling people a lie and was guilty of leading them astray, living in a climate (HOT) I was allergic to, traffic that could make Gandhi lose it, and having to endure the profiteers down in immigration. The people were fantastic, and I made some great friends and learned a lot from them… but I could have done that as a house painter living in Hawaii!
 
However – What if the Scripture is true? No matter how great your “here and now” has been, compared to eternity, it is a “belch”, a “blink” of the eye, a vapor that has now evaporated! Then you will take whatever your claim to fame was, whatever rewards you earned to a destination that is separated from Life and the Life Giver…Forever! There is no early release, no parole, because the Pardon was already accomplished, offered, and left to your decision.
 
The So What: Doesn’t the weight of an eternal decision deserve a time of consideration in your “here and now”? God privileged you, and you alone, with that choice! How is the Gospel’s offer of salvation different from every other offer in the world? If you don’t know I would be glad to help. Choose a Relationship, not a religion.