Making Me His

  When Wiwik and I were married in 2004 we were faced with many difficulties. One was our little house. Some called this type of home a ‘match-box’, but we didn’t care… it was OUR home. However, since I had been divorced… it just didn’t feel like it was OUR HOME. Thus the renovations and changes started. New paint, new molding, walls came down, two rooms became one, one became something else, a bathroom became a closet (mine), a new closet was built (hers), old carpet came up and new title went down, more paint, a window came out and French doors went in and a back porch, and an addition with yet another porch… That’s just on the inside!!! So, what’s the point?
   We read in the scriptures that Jesus came to give his life a “ransom” for sinners (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; I Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 9:15). To “ransom” means to pay the price demanded to set someone free. Jesus did this with his for us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8), when we were spiritually “dead” (Ephesians 2:1-4). We belong to Satan before Christ comes into our lives. I repented of my sins and was immersed into Christ (Acts 2:38-39), I was born again (John 3:1-10)… when I was 10 years old. Then and now I was and am His.
   Jesus moved in, immersed in water and Spirit (John 3:3-5), forgiven, justified (I Corinthians 6:9-11) and no longer under condemnation (Romans 8)… I became a temple for His Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19), but I needed RENOVATION SO BADLY. You see Jesus came to do all this for everyone, but after He saves an individual, HE CONTINUES TO WORK TO MAKE US, RENOVATE AND CHANGE US into HIS DWELLING PLACE, HIS HOME, HIS TEMPLE!!! We just need to ‘yield’ and let Him work!
   A lot of stuff has to go when Jesus comes into a person’s life. Understand, ONLY JESUS AND HIS SPIRIT CAN TRULY CHANGE A PERSON ON THE INSIDE. I had and have a long way to go… so many changes are continually being made… like, “WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?”, “SEEKING REVENGE AND JUSTICE FOR EVERY WRONG DONE TO ME”, “TRYING TO BALANCE THE BOOKS WITH GOD BY KEEPING LAW”, “FORGIVING” and so much more. Everything from the past life that is a reminder that I was Satan’s property… HAS TO GO! No looking back like Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26).   
   Is the renovating over? No way! There is still much work to be done in my life by His Spirit, and I say, “bring it on, whatever it takes!” You see there is nothing in the old life of serving Satan, that is worth keeping. There is everything to gain in serving Christ and truly becoming HIS HOLY TEMPLE.
   The apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:7-10a “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ…”

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God Of Wonders

Growing up, I remember times when we would gather on the porch and watch as storms could be seen ‘coming in’. The temperature would drop, dark clouds would cover the sky, and the thunder could be heard along with the flashes of lightning. We would say “Wow! Did you see that lightning dad?!” Just sitting in our rocking chairs, we were all amazed at God’s grand power.  
   Now mom and dad are gone, we still sit and watch the storms roll in. Sometimes we go out on the porch at night and look at the sky, filled with stars and are so amazed at God’s creation. We sat and watched the program the other night called, “God of Wonders” narrated by Creation Scientists, and I just wanted to mention a few things that were mentioned on this great program.
   In Romans 1:20 Paul says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
    The sun’s core is twenty seven million degrees Fahrenheit. Five million tons of energy leaves the sun every second. One million earths would fit into the sun, and yet our sun is average in size compared to other suns. “Arturis”(?) is the brightest star (one hundred times brighter than ours). “Betelgeuse” is one hundred times brighter than that. Yes, “The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure” (Psalm 93:1). “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6). Without the sun, all life would just disappear! So, “Let all the earth fear the LORD;  let all the people of the world revere him” (Psalm 33:8). There are hundreds of billions of galaxies, maybe a trillion billion galaxies… how great is that?!  “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:5).
   All of this is circling and spinning, and moving in sync and design and by plan!  To try and cross our  galaxy would take an estimated twenty eight billion light years. (Light travels about 671 million miles per hour.  I am reminded of what Isaiah says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in”  Isaiah 40:21-22. 
   Truly, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun” (Psalm 19:1-4).
    “God of Wonders” is the name of the program, look it up, watch it, think about it… Our God is an Awesome, Awesome God…. He reigns!!! He loves you!!! He gave His one and only Son just for you and me. 
 

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The Way In, Out, Through And Down

   Dad used to say, “The way in is the way out, the way out is the way through, the way through is the way down, and the way down is the way up.” Sometimes I still struggle with this riddle.
   With every passing day, life presents problems and difficulties to deal with. Sometimes we choose not to deal with them… perhaps they are too difficult, stressful, painful, or perhaps there are other things more ‘important’, or we just don’t want to be bothered. Usually we just hope the problem will go away and solve itself. Unfortunately problems are not solved this way.
    Mankind has a sin problem… it will not go away by itself. You cannot get rid of it by doing good or keeping the ten commandments… or being a good moral person. You cannot “balance the books” with God. Let’s look at the ‘riddle’…
   “The way in is the way out.” Since “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin” (Romans 5:12), and as Paul said, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”(Romans 3:23), it remains that there is only one way out… the way is “in” Jesus.
   “The way out is the way through.” Sin is like a trap, when you are caught, that’s it. Sin opens the doors to guilt, fear, shame, depression, anger, bitterness and a myriad of other life destroying things. Trying to escape your own sins is like a dog trying to run from its fleas… it just won’t work. You can run from one end of the earth to the other… sin goes right along with you. The only way “out” of sin is “through” Jesus.  He once said, “I am the way the truth and the life, no man can come to the Father but by (“through”) me” (John 14:6). It really is all about Jesus… His life, His work, His cross, His blood, His love, to receive His promises…
   “The way through is the way down.” You can’t come to Jesus with a boat-load of pride and selfishness. Give it up! Peter told Jesus when He was about to wash his feet, “No way Lord!” Jesus said, “If you don’t let me do this… you’re out!” Humility came quickly to Peter’s heart (John 13). Pride prohibits surrender to Jesus. Humility opens the heart to Jesus. Getting down is hard but being forced down is harder.
   “The way down is (truly) the way up.” Often times you get knocked down, and don’t want to get up. A reporter asked Muhammad Ali what he was thinking when he was knocked down by Joe Frazier. Ali said, “I was thinking about getting up!” James says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).  It must have been strange for the champ to be knocked down… For us, I guess we get used to it, and loose the desire to fight on. Friends, this is one fight you cannot afford to loose… and even though you may not be able to fight… the good news is we all have a “Champion” in our corner… His name is Jesus!
  

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