Reboot

I don't know if you are a fan of the series, but this is a reboot of the Left Behind movies that starred Kirk Cameron.  

Will it be the same?  Do not know.  Looking forward to seeing it.

What say you?

Hold Fast

Battles are being fought everyday.  It seems as if there is a new 'hot spot' everyday.  There is no need to get into all of that because we all get the news in some format.  However, the greatest battle is the one for souls.  Yours, mine and everyone else on the earth.

Job's life is about to get a great deal more complicated.  Satan has Job in his crosshairs and will put all of his efforts trying to get Job to forsake the LORD God.  Chapter 2:4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life."

Speaking with the confidence that his plan will work, Satan feels quite sure that Job will cave.  

Job is stricken with painful boils from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.  

As far as i can tell Job has not uttered a word against God.  There were times in my life when I have questioned God as to why certain things have to happen to me, i.e. bad things.  During my times of trials and tribulations I have often discovered how shallow my faith is and how shallow I view God.  

My faith was not always the greatest.  It was based on God giving and me receiving.  So, as is endured  the chastening of God and the badgering of Satan the holes in my reasoning were exposed.  God has proven Himself to be faithful, in the days of harvest and times of famine.  Job chose to see his God in that light also.

  

Satan assumed that Job would question God about this his physical condition, but he did not.  So Satan goes to Plan B--the wife.  

Mrs. Job says "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die!"

Job retorts "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks.  Shall we indeed accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity?"

Talk about your tableside discussions!  WOW!

Truth be told, Job hit the ball out of the ballpark.  Shall we accept the goodness and blessings of God without having to endure hardships and loss?  I was a loooooooong time in receiving this truth.  In the New Testament cannon we have Jesus Christ and the Cross of Calvary.  But in the Old Testament we have God.  Let me reword that.  Job, in the Old Testament, has a personal relationship with God.

That is why God said that Job was unlike any man on the earth, full of integrity and blameless and honest.  That is also why Job could rebuke his wife and call her a fool because she challenged God.

How easy it is to look at life around us and feel we have a sense of entitlement just because we are children of God.  Hey God how about no more bills, no more sickness, pain, worry, hunger, crime, drugs, alcohol and so on?  I am born again.  I am a joint heir with Christ.  Show me some love.

Me, myself and I.  (There really is nothing new under the sun.)

Job has a good report because he knew that no matter what, he did not want to be defined by his earthly possessions.  Job wanted to be defined as a man who trusted in the Most High God.  Job held fast to God and we too must do the same, in all matters of our lives, if we want God to hold fast to us.

Remember: "...in all this Job did not sin with his lips."

God bless you and have a great day.

--to be continued--

 

  

    

Present Yourself

Forgive me for jumping around like this with my blog posts but this will be a short three part side trip in the life of Job.

The "Great Divide" post is halfway done and will be posted by Wednesdy at the latest.  While taking a break from blogging i picked up my bible to try and jumpstart my brain.  I am having trouble with a transition point and needed to stop writing as my frustration started to grow with each incomplete sentence/thought.  

God said that Job was "like no other man on all the earth.  Job is a man of honor and integrity, who feared God and hated evil."  

Pretty heady words don't you think?  Yes!

I agree.

God is God so there is no need to explain Him.  But Job on the other hand i wanted to look into a little closer.  Here goes nothing!

Looking at the words which God himself spoke says volumes about the kind of person Job was.  Now the bible says "God is no respector of persons", meaning He does not favor one human being over another.  Some of you may say differently and are able to back it up.  However, God speaks only of the character and characteristics displayed by the person in whom He is verbalizing.

God called David the "apple of His eye" and Noah "found grace" in the eyes of the LORD.  Why?  It is their 'living examples' of God.  David's heart can be seen throughout his writings in the Psalms, in how he ruled the Israelites, in the testimony told by others as we read the bible.  Good or bad, God is the center of David's life.  Noah, despite God's warning of the coming judgment and building the Ark, was steadfast in his witness of the love and grace and mercy of God, trying to get the people to repent and turn from their wicked ways and back to God.  Noah very well could have wiped his hands of the people around him, but His understanding of the character and nature of God led him to do otherwise.

As we can see character displayed in relation to God causes God to speak as He does of Job, David, Noah, Moses, you and I.  It has nothing to do with God picking and choosing whom He wishes.

What would the Author of my life say about me?  

Have I presented myself as blameless, honest and faithful?

The character of Job was on display for all to see and He represented His creator with the upmost joy and reverance.  

Have I?  I hang my head in shame.

As my pastor says "we are all under construction."  Yet even in life we present ourselves and the God we represent to the world around us whether we want to or not.  

Job is off to a good start, but what happens when adversity comes?

--To be continued--

Unnamed source

I heard this quote in a movie trailer i watched this morning.  Pretty profound.

It also comes on the heels of me reading from the book of Job. 

"The worst mistakes we make are preceded by decisions made in haste."

God bless you and have a great day.

BBD (Beautiful Beyond Description) Part Two

Cruxificion was the worst form of death within the Roman Empire.  Many people avoided it and sadly, more than enough experienced it.  It was said that Pontious Pilate once cruxified over 2,000 Jews in one day in response to an uprising.  How true is that I don't know, but he did have his moments.

Jesus it says in Hebrews 12:2 'endured the cross and despising the shame, and is now seated on the right hand of the throne of God.'

Looking back at how Jesus died, there can no beauty be found.  He was beaten, scourged and tortured.  He had a crown of thorns imbeaded on His head, before being nailed on the Cross.  Scriptures say Jesus was so badly disfigured that not even those who knew Him could recognize Him.

Beauty?  Cannot see it.

Jesus took upon Himself the sins of humanity so that we could find redemption froms our sins and have the hope of eternal life.  As he hung on the cross looking out at those present and those not yet alive, Jesus endured what was meant for me.  Jesus' breathing was laboured.  His broken and battered body bled from the open wounds while His life slowly ebbed away.  

Beauty?  Cannot see it.

As the people gazed up at God's glory (Jesus) against man's fury (cruxificion) there was nothing beautiful to behold.  Yet, in between the glory and the fury stood the Cross.  

Sin cannot be in the presence of the Glory of God.  Why?  Because God is Holy and Righteous and Just.  Sin causes God's fury to fall upon man.  We have turned our backs on our Creator and sought after our own god's and idols.  Namely ourselves.

God's fury (justice) needed to be satisfied, and once again, between the glory and the fury stood the Cross.

Many songs have been written about the Cross, but two stand out to me.  The first one being the classic hymn Old Rugged Cross and the second, a modern classic itself The Wonderful Cross.

These two songs talk about the suffering of Jesus on the cross, but they also belay the hope of the Cross--salvation through the shed blood of the only One whose death can give life.  

Before the Light of Jesus shone within me I could not see beauty in an ugly world, full of ugly people, full of hateful words and actions.  

Beauty?  Cannot see it.

You know what?  Something wonderful happened to me.  I found Jesus.  Now, that Cross shines brighter than the sun.   The glory of the LORD is risen upon me.  It is now within me.

Beauty?  Now I can see it.  

Three days later Jesus walked out of the grave.  His death on the cross was not permanent.  The life we gain as a reslut of the Cross is permanent.  

Arise and shine; for thy light has come.  Let us be the light in a world of darkness.  

Jesus in His holiness and glorified body, now that is BBD.  

Beautiful Beyond Description.

702 a.m.

This morning after I got home from spending the night at a friends house, i was in this place.

Something unexpected came my way and it startled me.  But, i immediately prayed to My Father and His peace filled my soul.

                                     

                                                   2nd Corinthians 4:7-10

My Grace

Paul asked The Lord three times in 2 Corinthians 12:9 to remove the thorn (not a literal thorn) that has become a constant source of pain to him.  Paul attributes this thorn in the flesh as a messanger from Satan.  Paul however, may not have felt it was necessary because the Cross had taken away his sins and cleansed him beyond measure and he now was willingly a servant, bondservant of The Lord and committd to serving Him.

Having made his request know Paul waited for an answer and received this from God.  

"My grace is sufficient for you: My strength is made perfect in weakness."

The grace spoken of here is sustaining grace.  This form of grace upholds us in those times when we seem unable to stand or go on.  We are definitely at a weak moment in our life as a follower of Jesus Christ.  

It is in the wee hours of Tuesday morning (0313) that i find myself writing this blogpost.  Why?  

I am weak.  I needed to be in the presence of the LORD and find shelter.  And forgiveness for my sin.

Need I ask why this scripture came to mind?  No!!  

God has given me the strength, grace, power and means to overcome this besetting sin in my life.  Yet each day is a struggle to not recognize it.  

"Lord would it not be better to just simply take it away from me?"  (that is my flesh crying out).

My spirit on the other hand says, "thy will be done."  The conflict rages.

God's grace has been a mystery to me because it is found in many areas of the bible and it seems to take on many different forms.  I know that grace is the undeserved favor of God and I stand by that.  I, Darryl, am undeserving.  But it does not end there.  

Grace...carries the Power of God 

          ...strengthens us in moments of weakness

        ...saves us

          ...purifies

Like I said many forms and there are more.

Paul goes on to say (verse 10) "I take pleasure in infirmities (human frailty), in reproaches (overbearing attitude), in necessities (times of need), in persecutions, in distresses (anguish of soul) for the sake of Christ: for when I am weak (seems to be always) then I am strong (God's multifaceted grace is there to keep me).

So it seems to me that I should always glory in the LORD because at no point in my life is His grace not doing something for me.  What a hard lesson it is to learn but unless I learn and understand the grace(s) of God the buffeting Satan does to me will cause me to succomb.  

God bless.