Morning Thoughts

   Am back to doing my morning devotions. I told you about them. I even instructed you how to do one.
    At least I think  I did. It was many months ago and I am sure you can look it up. May take some hunting but I am sure you will find it.
    I am presently in the book of Joshua. I read three chapters a day and a psalm of the day. Then I jot down my observations of the day's reading. I also include a scripture passage from that day's reading. That is just something I do. Add the scripture verse. I like to have something to memortize each day.
  David has said, In Psalm 119:11b, " Your word I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against God."
   This week I have been impressed in my reading that God has mapped out areas for each tribe to conquer and possess. But they had to put some effort into it. There was no entitlement mentality allowed. They were to actively take their blessing and possess it.

   So it is with my blessing. I have been given a blessing but I must go and claim it and take possession of the blessing actively. I am not entitled to it. It is all a gift of God not as a result of works that I might not boast.

Be Thankful

Tomorrow in the United States is Thanksgiving Day. We have a lot to be thankful for. God is still blessing our nation. He has so far restraned mass evil from overtaking us. Sure, we have attacks from terrorists now, but that just tells me Jesus is coming back soon. The world is not going to get better. When people turn away from God and even go so far as to say He doesn't matter anymore, God leaves that people and nation alone and lets them distroy themselves and their nation.
   Don't let anyone tell you otherwise..America was founded by peple who acknowledged God and His soviegty over people and nations. They acknowledged that if we forget God we are doomed.
    But individual people, they can be thankful they are still alive. God can stop you breathing at any moment. You are reading this so He hasn't done that to you.
   

 So Have a nice Thanksgiving. Remember who gave it to you and acknowledge your Creator.

The Election 2012

Laughing at the fools

     We just had an election here in the United States. It was between government control and self reliance.
   America finds itself in bad shape. The American people, not all, seems to want four more years of handouts not hands up. They seem to have liked the Obama plan of giving the people what? Where is his fulfilled promise of lowering the unemployment gap by providing jobs? Where is the influx of hope? Hope, what hope?
   Change? Yes, the past four years have brought change. Now the United States apologizes for trying to improve another nation's standards.. offering them a chance to be free from oppression. Now the United States apologizes to people who are trying to destroy our system of government.
   The  57 million of us who were not duped and did not vote back in Obama should grieve for what we have lost by re-electing Obama and get back into the fight to keep our freedoms.
   There is a point at which a people get what they deserve. Our creator God allows us that freedom to be stupid and non-thinking and make decisions that in the long run are not for our good.

     Don't fall into that lie that Obama is A Christan. He is a partial Muslim with a sprinkling of Christian appearance. But no Christian okays gays the way Obama has. He is not what you think he is but he seems to know that if he gives handouts not a hand-up he can be elected.
   This is one mans' opinion and does not in any way represent a majority viewpoint.

Keep On Through Hard times

    I am noticing that my readship is falling off. Maybe the subject of discipleship is not an interesting one. Maybe the readers will come back if I went into a doctrinal study again.  It is hard to tell since I am here on this end and the reader is out there in cyberland looking for a good post.
  Readership falls and rises. Jesus Himself didn't have too many following Him but only those who were committed to know doctrine. He taught. They listened. Some walked away. Some stayed.

   Maybe what I have been posting is hard for some to read so they don't click on the post title.  Believe it or not  there are some posts that have not had any look at them. Alright. They will be there for others to look at later.
     A mark of a Christian is that they keep on for the hope of the resurrection of their bodies. this promise of a future resurrection is based on the downpayment made by Jesus at Calvery. He died and was buried and rose again on the third day. Because He did that I can be sure He will come get me. He will send an angel to escort me on my way so I have no chance of getting lost. To be absebnt from my body will mean I will be present with the Lord.

A look at Matthew 7:7

   Part of Christian Duty is to set up a Bible Study time and a period of Scripture memorization.. I am memorizing the sermon Jesus gave on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 5 -7. 
   Today I would like to record a thought on Matthew 7:7. You know how it goes. "Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.

   I discovered that the words 'Ask, Seek , Knock' are written in the Greek as present imperative. Imperatives are commands. Jesus wants us to ask, seek knock. Present in the sense that they are continuous. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking.    
   I also discovered that for the first century person when Jesus said knock it was understood as another way to say pray.
   Theerfore it is a promise. And God Himslef said it. I firmly believe that Jesus is God in fleshly form. Therefore anything He says is the same as God saying it.

Basic Discipleship Truth

  We need to be aware if we are going to disciple someone that we ourselves have something to share. It is going to be a one on one relationship you will be setting up.

   You don't have to be perfect. In fact, it is best if you don't have everything together quite yet. The person you are discipling needs to see you struggle. How else is that person going to understand the Christian life and see Christian Growth?
    Of course you must realize that this is all possible because of the resurrection. If Christ is not raised, then what we do in discipleship is useless and just spinning our wheels, so to speak.
    Pastor Joe, the pastor of ACTS, A Church That Studies, has talked about the ascension. He states Christ ascended to heaven and opened the gates of heaven so that we can partake in the heavenly blessings that come down. That sounds about right.
     But we do need to be a Christian ourselves. We can't transmit something we don't have. We need to have a relationship with God because of the death of Jesus. And that death must have been as a payment for your sins.
     Jesus said if He be lifted up He will draw all men to himself. Yes. But after they are drawn someone needs to come along side and walk that person through what he needs to know. The Bible study. The prayer. The daily behavior. The attendence with fellow believers. 'Forsake not the assembling of yourself together as is the habit of some.'
      Just some basics.

   

God will Meet Your Needs

There is a Bible verse that God will meet all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. But when it comes to a business start-up I am not too sure that applies.
  Again the Bible says casting all your cares upon Him because He cares for you. That may apply somewhat when you are starting up a business. The daily care of cash flow and traffic enough to pay the bills you are accumulating are cares.
   It helps if you are a prayer. You can talk it out with the Lord. Not that He will all of a sudden pour money out. Even if the Bible does say give and it will be given to you, pressed down and overflowing, that may not be talking about finances. More like it is talking about needs being met.

   Tithing , bring all into the store house and I will pour out is talking more about blessings than it is finances.
   Even if I were to want to force financal provision into those verses and make God a bank, I just can't seem to.
    In the long run you will just have to trust that all will work out. Also that God knows and has allowed you to be where you are. And that together you and He will be alright.