Devotion: In You or Through You?

God desires us to get to the point where He can use us.  Well how does that work?  Good question, first He does a work in you;

Philippians 2:13 KJV  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.


Now there is a continual work of God in you which is part of the sanctification process - that is the perfecting of the saints.  It is not a process of fixing you but of transforming you;
Romans 12:2 KJV  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.


When we get to the point where we know what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God, then He is able to work through us to benefit others.  The sad reality is most christians in America don't know the difference between what the world calls good and what God does?  Think I am wrong - lets take a test, one question; Are you a good person?

If you are an christian and said "Yes", I submit you don't know what God calls good?  Not to get to wordy but let me do a little follow up.  Most people are familiar with the Ten Commandments - God's Standard for living.  Let me ask;
1.  Have you ever told a lie?  It is a simple yes or no, if you are trying to make excuses already - don't bother.

2.  Have you ever took anything that didn't belong to you and monetary value is not significant.  In other words it could have been a pen or paper clip from work.

3.  Have you ever committed adultery?  Now before most of you breathe a sigh of relief, Jesus said if you look upon a women (or man) with lust in your heart you have committed adultery therein.

4.  Have you ever committed murder?  Alright, I'm ok with this one - Jesus said if you had unjust hate (anger) towards another you have committed murder?  God's Law is very strict.

If you were honest, you are a lying, thieving, adulteress murderer at heart?  OUCH!!!  On the day of judgement will you be found guilty or innocent?  If you said innocent because God is love - you don't really know Him.  He is a Just God and you have broken four of His Ten Commandments.  Because God is just he must find you guilty or He wouldn't be Just.  The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus left Heaven to be born of a virgin, suffered and was crucified and died to pay the debt of my guilt.  He rose again on the third  day and ascended to Heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father so that all who call upon His name and put their trust in Him will be saved.


The problem is many of you (synonymous with us - me too) never get to the point that the work God is doing in us is so that He can work through us and we can effectively represent Him and His message to others so the can be reconciled to Him;

2 Corinthians 5:20 NKJV  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.


Remember; you don't go to church (christian) to find Jesus.  You brought Him! because He is in you wanting to work through you.

Blessings
ernie

Classic Democratic Cow Manure!

Thank you Miss Marie for a look back at what is still going on!

Moses, Roosevelt & Obama!

5000 years ago, Moses said, "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land." When Welfare was introduced, Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land." Today, the government has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land to China.

Sent to me by a friend.

Breaking Story-National Disgrace!

Why do we continue to pay other countries (enemies no less) to hate us?  We can get that for free!

How Did You Fall Asleep Last Night?

Well yesterday marked the first day of school here in the mountains of North Georgia.  Summer for the kids is officially over (not for me though).  I can vaguely remember entering High School, only a few fond memories stick out some 35 years later.

One in particular was my first day as a Freshman, I remember this one, I was standing at my new locker on the Southeast corner of the school with a few friends from grammar school when Mary Larson walked towards me.  First let me tell you about Mary, she was a Junior and Captain of the Pom Pom Team.  Mary had slamming red hair and was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.  Mary was the sister of Tim Larson whom I had played little league baseball fort years with.  I only remember seeing Mary at one game, but that was all it took.  Tim teased me when he saw how star struck I was.  Back to the first day, Mary walked right up to me and and said "Hi Ernie" (she knew my NAME!!!!!!!) and planted a kiss on my lips and a big hug right in front of all my friends.  I couldn't speak, nor could my friends.  I didn't wash my face or bathe for days.  I didn't bathe much back then anyway, I just went longer.

That was my first day, in contrast to a young lady I know from our church whom has committed her life to Jesus Christ our Lord this summer.  When she saw her girlfriends which she hadn't seen all summer they ridiculed her upon finding out about her knew found faith.  They called her names every time they saw her throughout the day and gave her mean looks and made fun of her.

Now if you are some one reading this saying; "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me."  You are either an idiot or a fool!  That little rhyme we learned as kids is one of the biggest lie perpetrated on people.  Our jails and penitentiaries are filled with men and women who heard little to know love or affection and a lot of ridicule.

The young lady I spoke of cried here self to sleep in her mothers arms.  Thank God Almighty for providing you loving parents if you had them.  If you did not He is willing to be your loving Father.

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.  Remember the words I spoke to you:  'No servant is greater than his master.'  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.  Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates me hates my Father as well.  If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin.  But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law:  'They hated me without reason.'  
John 15:18-25


How did YOU fall asleep last night?

Blessing
ernie

Psalm 23

During a birthday party for a young man, one of the guests was a well known actor.  If I was to mention his name most of you would know whom I am talking about.  This actor was a close friend of the family, even prior to the young mans birth.   As the ceremony formally began, the father of the birthday boy asked his close friend, the actor, to read the 23rd Psalm.  This actor's testimony was that he was "saved" at a young age, however if you knew who I was talking about you would know that he was not living his conviction!?  (Oh, did that hit home for many)

Anyway, as the actor started to read;  The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  Now as he was reading he began to recall this Psalm which he had memorized as a youth.  He continued to read on with passion;  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Being a great orator, he used his skill to dramatize the scripture and with a triumphal ending finished the Psalm with;  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever!  The crowd of family and friends clapped with exuberance.

The actor humbly bowed and looked to the families older pastor, now retired and well into his eighties the actor asked the pastor jokingly, if he remembered the 23rd Psalm and if he would recite it.  The old pastor painstakingly stood to his feet.  The old pastor closed his eyes and raised his hands as high as he could and began quoting;  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  The old pastor spoke slowly and the gatherers could feel his sincerity and actual experience of what he was saying.  His voice broke as he recalled the next two verses;  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  With the last two verses the old pastor bowed his upper body, his head shook from side to side, his hands clasped together and with tears in his eyes spoke;  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever...

The old pastor finished, wiped his eyes with his handkerchief and then sat down.  No one clapped nor spoke, however many were crying.  Slowly the festivities continued.  The father of the young man slowly approached his friend the actor and asked him what he thought the difference was in both of there renditions of Psalm 23.  The actor said;  I knew the Psalm from memory as I read it, he knew the One the Psalm was talking about.

Do you know Him or have you only read or heard about Him?

Blessings
ernie

Club God

This summer I took Caleb to the beach.  As we played in the water together, he tried to to talk and play with every one else(he is SOOOO outgoing).  One lady who was watching her grandson asked how old he was, I told her Caleb was two years old.  She was astonished because her grandson was two and Caleb is bigger than most four year old's.  Well that started her and I conversing and I asked the usual questions, then I asked if she attended a church in the area.  She told me she just joined a Mormon church because they have tremendous family values.  She must have seen my puzzled look when I said; I have never heard it put that way before.

Some of you might be saying what if anything is wrong with that?  I am glad you asked.  To answer this we must ask a couple of questions;

1.  What or who is the Church?  The Biblical church is not walls and floors but people.  Most people when asked about their church identify with a building.  If you say; I go to church, and don't understand what I have just said, then their is a good chance you are not even part of God's church.  The Good News is that you can change your position in Jesus Christ RIGHT NOW!?  The word "church" is ekklesia in the Greek which means assembly or called-out ones.  If you are saved, you are the church.  You can't go to what you are.  You are already it!?


Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT
(22)  God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
(23)  And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.


2.  What is the purpose of the Church?   Corporate worship to a Holy, Righteous and Loving God for starters.  Teaching God's Word, providing fellowship for believers (the church), observing the Lord's Supper and to Pray (both corporate and individual prayer).


Acts 2:42 NASB
(42)  They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.


Now a by-product of the above would be better personal and family values however, that is not a reason to join a "fellowship / church.  If you just want those things then you can or are most likely in a Club.  The largest so-called christian church in the world doesn't teach God's Word, as a matter of fact only forty years ago you could still hear the Mass in Latin.  I know very very very few Americans that speak Latin - do you?  This same "church" doesn't want you to even read your Bible or bring it to the services - you gotta start asking WHY???

Further, if there is "secret stuff" going on in your "church", you also are in Club God.  Keep this in mind; the devil is not against religion (i'd say it again, but you should just read it twice - same effect).  Religion keeps people from "KNOWING GOD"!  You can only get to know God through a personal relationship with Him and to Know Him (The Father) you must Know who The Son really is.  If you have a false understanding of Jesus, you have a false relationship with The Father.  But Ernie, who then am I praying to?  You can figure that one out...

This is one "Club" you don't want to belong to.

Peace