Why God is Trustworthy

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29   NKJV

Once He has decreed a thing, God does not waver and change his mind like men do. Nor is He temperamental as many of us are, allowing our moods to dictate our actions.

Even when we do things we know we shouldn’t, God is faithful to us. He does not discard us upon some trash heap, but instead draws us to Himself. If He has called us, that calling is without revocation, or as the King James says” without repentance“.

Because He is a keeper of His promises, we can trust Him completely.

Hebrews 6:18 says, “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). If he spoke it, then he will carry it out unto completion. Think about that statement; “it is impossible for God to lie“. If we were to say that about ourselves, that in itself would be a lie, wouldn’t it?

Because God always sees things through to completion, we can trust Him completely.

“in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,” Titus 1:2    emphasis mine

Before time ever was, God had ordained that those He has called to eternal life will indeed live and reign with Him forever.

Because God has always been and will always be, we can trust Him completely.

God alone is worthy of our complete trust, for what He said He will do will come to pass.

Resting in the sure promises of God this day…..

Be blessed!

Ron

 

Desperation

Desperation. Just seeing or saying the word invokes certain emotions in all of us. The word desperate denotes feelings of hopelessness, despair, loss, or anxiety. All of us have likely experienced these same emotions at one time or another.

Did you know that desperation can also be something positive? I have learned that desperation can actually be a powerful motivator to push us beyond our comfort zone.

You see, desperate people tend to try harder. Desperate people tend to want it more. Desperate people tend to keep the end goal in sight,rather than focus on the seeming impossibilities of their present situation.

See if you remember any of these acts of desperation from the Bible;

A certain woman who had a blood disorder spent every penny she had trying to find a cure. In her desperation, she managed to push her way through the crowd  and touched the hem of the robe Jesus was wearing as He passed by.  Matt. 9:20

A paralyzed man was brought to Jesus to be healed,only to find that the crowd was so large they couldn’t even get to the door. In their desperation, they took the roof apart and lowered the man down in front of Jesus,where he was healed.  Mark 2:4

A man who lay crippled and unable to move for 38 years struggled desperately to crawl to the healing waters of the pool of Bethesda,where at certain times an angel troubled the water. Thirty eight years!    John 5: 2-8

All of these stories,and so many more, have one thing in common. The central figure in each story is a person who in their desperation would do whatever it took to get to Jesus.

 

Pushing through a crowd? No problem.

Tear a roof apart? Piece of cake.

Crawl on hands and knees? Been doing it for 38 years.

 

So, what’s your story? What are you desperate for?

Do you know that God sees your situation? That His ear is open to your cries?

A lot has been written about whether or not God hears our prayers, or if He even cares about our plight.

Let me assure you today that God loves, God hears, and God cares.

“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” Psalms 34:15-19

Sometimes I think all that stands between us and victory, between us and deliverance, is desperation.

May we become desperate enough to stop at nothing to get to Jesus.

Be blessed,

Ron

 

 

What is faith,really?

The bible tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.   Hebrews 11:1

I’ve quoted that verse at least a thousand times over the past forty years.

But lately I’m wondering if I understand faith at all. I’m talking about faith as it applies to everyday life. Real life.

For example, sitting in the Dr.’s office this morning I’m dealing with countless thoughts that want to challenge my belief in faith.

Is it still faith when “hoped for” didn’t happen?

Is it still faith when all you can think is “why”?

Is it still faith when the diagnosis you received isn’t the one you hoped for, prayed for?

Is it still faith when you’re told more tests are needed?

Is it still faith when God doesn’t respond?

Is there really such a thing as having faith as a “grain of mustard seed”?

What is faith anyway?

Is it for today?

Does faith keep believing even when things don’t turn out right? Is that the secret?

Here’s what I really think about faith. I think faith is much more than “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.

I think faith is the lifeline between God and his children. A lifeline that God tosses to us in the midst of the storm. A lifeline that has one end secured to the immovable God while we hold firmly to the other end.

All of us need a lifeline from time to time. Faith tells me that God will throw one my way just when I need it most. After all, the cry of a desperate heart to be rescued from the storms has been known to awaken the Master before.

Faith is believing that all I really need is to hear His gentle voice saying “peace be still”,and everything will be alright.

Have a blessed day,

Ron

 

Make America Great Again?

Catchy slogans are just that: slogans.

They’re words on a billboard,magazine cover,or TV ad.

Oh, and they’re on ball caps too.

Mostly though,slogans are just words that someone thought would provide motivation to accomplish a goal or a task.

Did you know there are companies that employ people to make up slogans? I found that out when I was still working. Go to any trade show or conference and you will see booths plastered with eye catching slogans.

So while the slogan “Make America Great Again” sounds wonderful,we must be careful to understand that it is impossible for a simple slogan to make that happen.

It’s sort of like our paper currency. The slogan “In God We Trust” sounds wonderful. But does it actually encourage people to trust in God? I think you know the answer to that.

You see, patriotism and nationalism aside,and forgive me if I don’t sound like a team player here,but neither hard work,government intervention,or catchy slogans can make America great again. Any more than riots and demonstrations in the streets will make America great again.

I happen to believe that slogans and demonstrations aren’t what is needed in order for America to become great once again. Oh sure,they may effect change at the local level,and they can be effective at rallying the troops.

Our need however,is so much greater than that. For America to become great again she must look beyond herself. Far beyond herself.

Our priorities are out of order. We seem to think that we alone can fix what ails us. Lest we forget, the brightest minds and trillions of dollars combined have failed to right the ship.

This is what happens when a people is lifted up with so much pride that it replaces God with themselves. We cannot see the forest for the trees! We have bought into the lie that we are in control of our own destiny because our collective pride will not permit us to recognize One greater than ourselves.

And if we are brave enough to dig even deeper, what we have in America is a consciousness problem. As in…

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,” I Timothy 4:1-2   emphasis mine

Paul’s letter to Timothy contained an important message for the church of today. What we have failed to recognize is that as the church goes, so go the nations of the world. Think about that for a few moments.

I will end this post by saying this. A couple of thousand years ago a warning went out to a group of churches located in what we now refer to as Asia Minor.

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” Revelation 3:17,18

While the verses above were directed to the church of Laodicea, America clearly resembles these words from Revelation almost to a “T”.

Make America Great Again?

The only way for America to become great again is for Americans to make God great again in America.

I’d like to see that on a ball cap.

What do YOU see?

It’s been said that God sees everything, and I have no doubt that He does.

He sees the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Whether we’re at our best or worst, God sees it all.

All of it.

What do YOU see when….

*You are forced to walk around a homeless person on the street?

*You see a young girl carrying a child she is not prepared to raise?

*Yet another drug addict has fallen into despair?

*The evening news tells one horrific story after another of abuse?

*You see the line of people that stretches around the block at the food pantry?

God sees all of this. He sees the suffering and the pain of every one of these people. People that His only Son suffered and died for. People we are commanded to love.

Do you see the suffering? Do you see the pain?

Or are your eyes focused only on the cause?

Do you see fault?

Do you see blame?

When Jesus reminded us that the poor would always be with us (Matt. 26:11) he was letting us know that the problems of humanity are perpetual. That is a sobering thought isn’t it?

Now,we can choose to look at this in one of two ways. We can throw our hands up in despair at the seeming hopelessness of the plight of the poor and suffering.

Or we can choose to take the words of Jesus as a challenge to understand that these issues are not going away,therefore we must plan accordingly to do our best to alleviate the plight of the unfortunate among us.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers as to how best to accomplish this. But I am firmly convinced that it must begin with the church. Not the government. The church. Alleviating the suffering of the poor and unfortunate has always been the responsibility of the church.

It all boils down to what we see when we observe the pain and suffering of the poor.

I believe God sees their hurting.

I wonder what we,the people under the steeple, see…

 

Let it go

Sometimes, you just have to let it go and simply trust.

Trust that Someone much bigger than you has it under control.

For most of us, there aren’t too many things more difficult than that.

We just aren’t wired that way. Instead, we’re a people who have to maintain control of the situation.

If you are a get it done, whatever it takes type of person, letting go and putting your faith in,well, faith, is not easy.

 

Yet this is exactly what God asks of us. He asks that we step back and allow Him to take control of our situations.

That thing that we insist upon having…control….He asks us to relinquish it to Him.

As difficult as that can be, what makes it possible is something that Jesus promised to us.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:27‬ N‭KJV‬‬

Words to live by.

Words of comfort and rest.

Words of assurance that in every situation, we are secure in His love.

Words that remind us that we can trust Him and let it go.

Be blessed!

Ron