Bumped

Often we like to excuse our sinful speech and behavior...we like to play the Garden of Eden "blame game"...someone else MADE me do it.

Someone else acted in such a way to make me sin with my words or actions...and that dirt bag should be shot!...me on the other hand...I should receive mercy...because "hey, everyone makes mistakes right?"

I heard one preacher compare us to a glass full of liquid...a wonderful smelling perfume or sewer water.

If you "bump" either glass the contents will spill out...it all depends on what is inside the glass that will determine what comes out when the glass is "bumped"

And believe me...we live in a world where "bumps" are plentiful.

What spills out of you when you are "bumped"?

Happy Anniversary

God has blessed me greatly with a wonderful life partner...my beautiful wife Bonita.

p.s--That is what her name means in Spanish...very fitting.

Bonita and I were married 13 years ago today...she is a true blessing and treasure to me...she is my best friend and I love her dearly.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

Security

I heard church planter, Tim Keller tell this story...its good food for thought...and should put our priorities into perspective.

Keller tells a story of a friend who is a University Prof. One day the Prof gets a phone call from a mom of one of the girls he taught.

She was very upset.

You see, her and her husband sent their little girl to University so she could get her degree and then her 'Masters'.

But something happened.

Their daughter ended up meeting someone in University that changed her plans.

She met Jesus...and nothing was the same again.

After this girl met the Lord Jesus she felt called to become a missionary and decided to follow this call.

Mom wanted to tell the Prof, who was instrumental in introducing her to Jesus, that she was very unhappy.

You see, mom and dad wanted their little girl to get her degree and masters so that she could have some security in life.

The Prof listen to mom's complaint and then responded.

He said something like this "Mrs. Johnston, we are all riding on this piece of rock, flying millions of miles an hour throughout space. And even if we don't collide into something out there we all know that we walk around in life with our own personal trap door beneath us...one day that door is going to open and we are going to leave this life...and we are going to fall into the everlasting arms of Jesus, the Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth...or we will fall into the arms of our...Masters degree?"

Keller was not dissing degrees or masters or Ph.d's...he was simply reminding us that if we are putting our eternal security in money, job, school, rrsp's or anything other then Jesus then we are making a horrible, tragic mistake.

Only Jesus can give us true security.

Be Careful Where You Sleep.

The Bible tells us "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed defiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."

Sex is good...God designed it to be fantastic! He designed it to be practiced and enjoyed between husband and wife. Inside this covenant union, sex is blessed by God and can be fully enjoyed by the husband and the wife.

But outside of this covenant union...it is not blessed. The rest of Scriptures teach us that God's judgment against unrepentant fornicators and adulterers is that they will not inherit everlasting life...that is a scary price for a little 'nooky' outside of marriage.

God created Adam and Eve...God ordained their union...God presented Eve to her new husband and blessed their new union...God made the two individuals become one by the instrument of a covenant relationship...it pictures the Trinity.

In the Trinity there is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...and these three are One God. They are in perfect union and communion with each other.

The husband and wife are two and yet are to live as one.

Common law wants a relationship but the parties of it don't think that God needs to be a part of the picture. The Bible teaches us that both the church and the civil government are instruments in the hands of the Lord...both hold the Lord's authority...as long as both follow the words of the Lord.

God made marriage to be between one man and one woman for life...only death is to separate them.

God gave the church and the civil government authority to bless this marriage union.

You hear the pastor say..."now by the authority given to me...I now pronounce you husband and wife"...the authority given to him by God.

Just stop and think about ritual or ceremony for a short moment...how the Bible teaches its importance.

In the Old Test...a man from a certain tribe of Israel went through a certain ritual to become High Priest...before he was ordained High Priest he wouldn't dare enter the Holy of Holies...even on the proper time prescribed...because of if he did God would judge him...He would strike him dead!

What's the difference? After the ritual or ceremony...the man now had God's permission to enter that role...God gave His blessing...God's authority blessed him in his new position.

Let me give you an example that we can relate to today. Imagine you are driving your car and you see red and blue lights flashing behind you. You pull over squeezing your eyes in frustration...you really can't afford to pay for another speeding ticket. All of a sudden at your window is a guy in jeans and a t-shirt. You roll down the window and he tells you that you were speeding and you are going to get a ticket. You ask him if he is a police officer. He smiles and says no. He then tells you that he has always wanted to be a cop but didn't think that he really had to jump through all the normal hoops to be one. He hands you his home made ticket and walks back to the car.

Do you pay the ticket?

Of course not...because you do understand that the government has been given the authority to proclaim who is officially a police officer and who is not.

You breath a sigh of relief...tear up the ticket and throw it in the garbage.

Fear of the Lord

How do we know that the Proverbs are not merely another self help manual?

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools hate wisdom and understanding."

Fear of the Lord doesn’t mean we only understand that God is more powerful then us and that He punishes disobedience...even though these truths are included in this type of fear.

The fear of the Lord is more then just God’s power and punishment of rebels...it comes from knowing all about who God is...

All of His characteristics, attributes...actions.

We must realize that Satan understands God’s power and his wrath against sin...but he isn’t wise...he doesn’t fear the Lord in the godly sense...he continues to fight against God.

There are things about God that Satan doesn’t ‘personally’ understand.

God chose to send His Son to save "human" rebels...but left the angels who fell...and their leader [Satan]...in their sin and rebellion...no mercy, forgiveness, no redemption.

Only wrath.

Jesus became a man...to die for men’s salvation...he did not become an angel.

God’s angels desire to look into our salvation...God’s showing mercy and grace to us.
When they [elect angels] saw God’s dealings with their own kind it was only justice and wrath for rebellion.

And then they watch with amazement as their Creator is born of a virgin...takes upon Himself
"human" flesh to save these "other" type of rebels...they shake their heads in awe.

Fear of the Lord...means for us to be in utter awe of God’s greatness...of His infinite majesty!

We need to see God as the Creator of all things...of the galaxies...down to the smallest unseen germ.

God controls and governs all things...the movement of the planets, the history of the world...down to the smallest unnoticed details of our lives.

All power... is His, He is the everlasting One [no beginning...no end]

God is All wise...this means He knows what is best for us...because He knows best...period.

God is all good. Whatever God decides is good...because God is the fountain of goodness.

God is always just...He is the standard of fairness.

God is love...love is God’s very nature.

God shows us His wisdom, goodness, justice, love, wrath, mercy and truth...all in one incredible event in earths history.

God’s shows us the greatest love by sending His one and only Son to die on Calvary’s cross...and to rise from the grave victorious!

As we look at the crucified Savior we see God’s love for the sinner...and at the same time we see God’s justice and wrath...sin’s penalty must be paid...and Jesus voluntarily...out of love for God the Father and us...chose to pay that debt.

God graciously calls us to Himself...God daily loves us, feeds us, strengthens us, and prepares us for eternity with Himself...why...because He loves us.

God is so great that He needs nothing...He is the fountain of life, love and every blessing...but because God is love... wants to share all of these blessings with us.

When you get a sight of God...who He really is...how He loves you...and what He has done for you... and what He continues to do for you...then you have taken your first step on the journey to be a wise man or woman.

For all eternity you are to grow to see God’s infinite greatness...in all things...and become more and more wise.

All of this is a gift from God's gracious hand. Thank you Lord Jesus!