Ran out of town

I don’t think of this happening very often...Jesus getting ran out of town.

But there it is in Matthew chapter 8, last verse. I forget how sometimes people do not want to change and how difficult it is to bring change to others. I take for granted that everyone would welcome Jesus, even though as I have traveled internationally I know that this is not the case.

Resistance in the world to the gospel abounds in many places. Hate and violence directed toward Christ followers happens on a regular basses. We don’t often reflect upon persecution, we live in a free society with religious freedoms....how free are we?

Freedom comes in many ways. Free to live where we want, free to marry the person we love...free to vote. However, when I look at that list what I see are not freedoms but privileges.

We live in a land of privilege where we have come to expect certain things and often we take those for granted. What then is freedom? I want to suggest one aspect is the ability to choose. You see Jesus got into trouble because He made a choice. He chose to set free the man processed,

He chose to proclaim liberation through life change if any person would just ask. Choice will always cause a reaction, good or bad.

I choose to side with Jesus in life matters. My choice is to follow Him. Watch out, i might get ran out of town. SWEET!

Whatever is is changing

I just read a quote that said, "You are not a human being BUT a human becoming". We, you and I are on a course of  life that God has put into motion. We are changing each day to become....What are you becoming? Great question dont you think.  What in the world am I becoming???

Change happens that is for sure. I am not the person I was just a few moments ago. I HAVE BEEN CHANGED? By my choices, my friends, my lifestyle, lots of things change me. I believe that God is about change as well. T

Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the patern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Change should happen. It's God's purpose for the living of our life. Renewing, transforming, non-conforming change.

I think a good place to start is to ask the question what needs to change in my lfe. What needs to change so I can become a person that understands GOD'S will for my life. By the way...that is the promise offered in Romans....

Think about it---it it will change your life.

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The power of thought...

All of us have been given the power to think. What thoughts are you having today? Good or bad? Faithful or faithless?

Thinking is a choice. I choose to think of things that can be either good or evil. Actually I spend most of my time struggling with wrong thoughts. Thoughts can deceive or they can build up. The beatuty of living as a Christ follower is that we have been given the mind of Christ to guide our thoughts if we avail ourselves to follow His ways. Read Philippians 2 5-8 for some insights.

Blessings

Rip

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Hi friends

I will Be on the road for the next month so the The Jesus Walk will be hit and miss as I have opportunity to access the Internet.

Pray for me as I go to India and share the gospel there. These are exciting times in the Kingdom of God and I want to encourage you to walk each day with Jesus...it makes the difference.


See you when I can!


Blessings,


Rip

James1: 2-4. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I must admit that I hate test. Growing up I did not like to study, especially spelling. Spelling words were difficult for me to learn. Long list of useless words, which filled the pages of our worksheets, bombarded my mind each and every Friday. Testing day was always on Friday and we would have a week to learn the new words. I confess that I waited until the last moment to study and I have a suspicion that this had something to do with my lack of testing well.

Test in life are inevitable, it’s a reality of life that each of us will face difficult times, yet it is in the midst of such testing or trials, that we discover who we are and how much we need the provision of our heavenly Father.

Struggle as much as I did in elementary school, the lesions I learned have guided me into my adulthood and have produced in me the qualities that I now process. Look at how this works which is lined out for us in scripture.

Trails produce faith, faith develops perseverance, perseverance finishes work, and this produces Christian maturity.

So Lord, bring on the test, I am ready to discover more of who you are and more of how much I need you in my life. And you said something about having pure joy? I want that as well. Amen.

James 4: 7 -10 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

What does this say about us? I find it rather convicting that James is reminding church people that this life is lived best when we lose control, or more correctly when we give control to God. I have taught over the years that living life is a series of choices. Every choice has a consequence and reaction. Therefore it is important that we make right choices, choices the reflect God in our lives.

James gives us some important instructions for making this right choice. Let me highlight these words for you. I have added my insight for clarification.

Submit yourselves
Surrendering my desires to God so that He is in control

Resist the devil
Walking away from evil

Come to God
Trusting in His power and grace

Wash your hands
An image of being cleansed by the blood of Jesus

Change
An act of choice to follow after God

Humble yourselves
Realizing that we are not God

There is a promise contained in this passage. The promise is that when we live under God's control; one day, He will lift us up. I look forward to that day. Amen.

JAMES 1:5-8
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

“If any of you lacks wisdom.” I can’t tell you how many times I have found myself in this dilemma. More times than I care to count I have come to the realization I don’t know what to do next. If you look closely at this passage, you will see that it relates to verses 1- 4 that deal with facing difficult times in our lives. The promise is that God will be with us to give us all the things we need.

Here is the key: the first thing to do is ASK. Ask God to help you, to bring to remembrance the things you know to do and the strength to do them. Asking for wisdom is asking God to use that which I already know to fulfill God’s purpose in my life. The second thing to do is TRUST. How can we receive from God or anyone else for that matter if we don’t trust them to provide the answer? Trust God to provide the things He wants to give to you freely.

Prayer: Father, thank you for daily wisdom for the living of my life. Amen.