Balanced or Off Balance?

  Tuesday, March 24, 2015

 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trust in Him, and I am helped;  therefore my heart exults,  And with my song I shall thank Him" (Psalm 28:7).  "Do not be grieved for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

 Hey Gang: I am a balanced therapy addict!  I have refrained from using the word "therapy" because of the connotations that it surfaces in many minds.  I would rather have people look at their lives from the platform of experience.  I am also an advocate of looking at all of life situations from the standpoint of a three-point triangle that include Values, Choices and Destinations.

 And what do I mean by balanced? There is no denying the fact that we are going to run into 'Back-Against-The-Wall times and Alligators up to our armpits, and clinkers in our path on a fairly regular basis.  I have come to this conclusion: when we allow the negatives to override the positives, we are going to get clobbered!

I believe, if all couples who were contemplating marriage were compelled to read Gary Smalley's book The Language of Love, it would provide a foundation on which to build a  marriage relationship’ He introduces the concept of a ‘Love Bank’, which we have shared with many couples.  What in the world is that?  It is the same as your checking account with your local bank only it pertains to human behaviors. 

 When we do something good for our mate, child or co-worker, a deposit in yours and their love bank account. So, when there is a disagreement, you make a withdrawal from that love bank account.  It is sad that so many couples, families and friends get into deep problems because they think they must have all the bangle and beads the world offers. When the withdrawals exceed the deposits, trouble is close at hand!

 The basics of the Love Bank or the ‘tie that binds’ is found in Ecclesiastes 9:4-9; the Preacher writes about a strand of three that binds the husband and the wife and the Holy Spirit together.  A strand of three is so much stronger than a stand of two! When the two (or family) are not bound through a love bank principle, it is a strand of one plus one and breaking a strand of one is a piece of cake, especially when there is no Holy Spirit in the life of that one.

 ‘Love Bank’ principles are found throughout the Bible.  Jesus was a constant planter of deposits in all those who loved Him and called Him Lord.  His greatest contribution to your Love Bank was His willingness to lay down His life that you might be freed from the bondage of sin.  He said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for friends" (John 15:13).

  I have heard it said a zillion times that marriage or friendship is a 50 - 50 proposition. To that I shout "balderdash".  First, marriage is not a proposition, it is a lay down your life commitment: second, it is not 50-50 it is 100% - zip.  If you are not willing to lay down you life for that special person God united you with, go fishing instead of to the altar.

 Jesus, "the way, the truth, and the life" gave us clear instructions in the proper procedures for our Love Bank, He said, "For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to Me."  (Matthew 25:35-36).  When questioned about doing these things, Jesus responded: "…to the extent you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me" (Vs. 40).  Even our spouse and family!

 Soooo, Jesus removed any excuse we might muster for not going into all the world, even our next door neighbor, when He said: "I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest" (John 4:35) He also said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few" (Matthew 9:37).  What say ye?  Are you a laborer for Jesus?  Is it time to do an accounting on your Love Bank?

 BLessings,

Gramps

 

Gramps

Shouts of JOY, Even When the Sky Appears To Be Falling!

 Tuesday, March 17, 2015

 

"Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.  He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:5-6).

 Hey Gang:  I believe Satan hates hymns of praise.  As a matter of fact, I have tested this many imes.  When the alligators are up to my armpits and my back is against the wall, I get out my lawn mower (or snow blower) and go out and ….  Now, I may have cut the grass two days ago so there must be another reason why I am doing a repeat performance, when it certainly does not need a repeat performance at this time.

 And there is.  You see my lawn mower makes a lot of noise and when it is running at top throttle and the cutter bar is whirling a full speed it makes a lot of noise, so much so that I can sing at the top of my lungs and no one but me and Abba Father can hear me.  I believe, when I am singing praise songs, and power songs and Scripture Songs, it is as a soothing aroma to Abba Father and an eviction notice to "Slue Foot!

 The Psalmist gave us these very special words of encouragement in times of trouble: "He who dwells in the shelter of the most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  ..For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence".  Now notice the next phrase, "He will cover you with His pinions and under His wings you may seek refuge" (Psalm 91:1, 3).

 Paul said, "I became your Father in Christ…Therefore I exhort you, be an imitator of me" (1 Corinthians 4:14-16).   He also said, "be an imitator of God".  (Ephesians. 5:1).  Do you think Paul was a man of joy?  He certainly had many reasons to believe life was a bummer.   I believe the one thing that Paul developed early in his ministry was to survive and remain firm in his walk with the Lord. You, too, will need a very strong "act of the will".  And where does the cannon fodder for the "act of the will" come from?  James says we grow strong through trials and tribulations so that we can handle even bigger trials and tribulations in the future. (James 1)

 In 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul refers to his slight afflictions as producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.  Later, In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, he lists what he considered "slight afflictions", any one which could send us into depression -ville.  How do we keep our Love Bank from becoming totally bankrupt  when we encounter even one such experience listed in this passage? 

 I believe we can find the key to Paul's success, “…in keeping his eyes on the mark that is Jesus Christ”, in the Book of Philippians.   It is truly a book of joy.  Paul begins by telling us there is great joy in knowing that there are those in the family of God who are praying for us.   (I fear the phrase "I will pray for you" has become a phrase with no meaning or commitment to many.) 

 When we started the Village, there is no question in my mind, we were successful  because we had a solid core of grandmothers who prayed very faithfully for us.   I believe our Nation has taken the wrong path in recent years because our prayer life has become "pithy".  I am truly blessed and so very thankful to know there are faithful prayer warriors who take me to the throne room of heaven on a regular basis., and many who pray for the Village.

 Sooooo, my young friends and neighbors, I will close this epistle for today with Paul's words from First Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  Paul has much more to say about joy and I will scatter them throughout these epistles.

 Blessings,      Gramps                                                                                                            

   Gramps  

Is There A Point of No Return? Part 2

 Friday, March 6, 2015

 "Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.  Say to those with anxious heart, Take courage, fear not.  Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come.  But He will save you.  The eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. ...And The ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion" (Isaiah 35: 3-5

 Hey Gang: If you missed reading the last morning message from Gramps, you need to go back and read Dr. Reagan's first four points pertaining to "There is a point of No Return". (March 3,2015)   Before getting into the final three points, I want to challenge you to consider the amazing parallels of Netanyahu's (Prime minister of Israel) coming speech to our Congress and Purim found in the Book of Esther.  If you are not familiar with the story of Esther's laying her life on the line to save her people, you might want to spend a half hour reading the entire book.  does have great significance for what is happening in our world today. (2015 & more so 2025!)

 I do not believe it is an insignificant point to note that his speech to the combined Houses occurs two days before Purim (which actually starts the evening of March 4-March 14,2025).  The importance and symbolism of the address is astounding - affirming the Jewish Nation's continued survival on the day before they celebrate the victory over their ancient Persian foe now called Iran.  It is God's amazing timing!  As I have watched and listened to the rhetoric surrounding Netanyahu's pending speech, the words of Jesus also continued to bang around in my head: "I do not want you to be unaware of what is going on around you".  I think He might rephrase that today to say, "Get your head out of the sand, Look around you, “look up for your redemption draws very near"

 Which leads me into Dr. Reagan's point five: "God holds nations in contempt".  Did He not create the nations and define their boundaries? Does He not determine when they will come on the scene and vanish from the scene?  Does He not have a purpose for each? And does He not bless and curse each in accordance with their obedience to Him and their treatment of the Jewish people?   Why then does He hold them in contempt?  Isaiah 40, a wonderful and powerful chapter, gives us the answer: “They were disobedient, filled with pride and rebellion, and they choose to serve man-made idols rather that the living God.  

 Dr. Reagan's point six: “God forgives and blesses a nation when its people repent."  The only thing that touches God's heart more than faith is repentance.  Nineveh had been judged and was found wanting, and was at the edge of the cliff when He brought a rebellious prophet on the scene to warn them that God's patience had run out.  O, Lord how we need a Jonah to stand on the mountain top and warn this once great nation that Your patience is running out!!

And point seven: “God destroys a nation when its rebellion becomes entrenched, reaching a point of no return.”  But, as we search the Scriptures, we find that God does not just suddenly pull the string and zap a nation.  He is much too fair and polite to do that that.  First: He sends His prophets to warn the nation that they best examine their hearts and repent.  A message He also sends to every person who has chosen the "going my own way" path.

 Second: He sends ’eye openers’ such as natural disasters, political confusion and corruption, crop failures, snow and ice storms. economic calamities, rebellious youth and on and on.  If the people still refuse to repent, God will deliver the nation to trash heap in time.  Nineveh heeded Jonah's warning and repented.  Later as they returned to their old ways, God again sent a prophet by the name of Nahum’ he was told Nineveh had an "incurable wound".  A wound that resulted in their destruction.  Lord, I pray that we do not have an "incurable wound".

 Soooo, my friends and neighbors, Our God is a patient God and is long suffering.  But, keep in mind He cannot be mocked.  He is going to deal with the sins of our nation sooner or later.  There are a hundred or so verses that I would like to close this with, but I will control myself and list only one.  Since I have my Bible open to Isaiah 40, I’ll close with one of my very favorite verses, "Though youths grow weary and tired and vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lords will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run a not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."  (Isaiah. 40:30-31).

Is There A Point of No Return?

 

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

 "But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes, with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you" (Deuteronomy. 28:15).

 Hey Gang: Is that not an awesome warning?  And what curses is Moses referring to?  Natural disasters, political confusion and corruption, crop failures, economic calamities, rebellious youth, rampant disease, even epidemics of divorce, defeat in war, among many other things, including giving the nation  the kind of leaders it deserves.   Does that not fit the American society of today?  (and 2024-5?)

 But what if they do not heed His words?  Moses goes on and tells us that, if the nation refuses to repent, God will deliver it to destruction, as He did many times throughout the Old Testament.  O, but you say that was under the law and today we are under grace, right?  Not quite so.  Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 24, “…not one stone will be left on top of another in this fabulous building” (the Temple).  A prophetic word that was fulfilled in 70 A.D. 

 I recently received an epistle from Dr. David R. Reagan, a well-known pastor/teacher whom I feel is blessed by God and one of His last day prophets.  Keep in mind - prophets are judged by is whether or not their prophecies come true.  The title of his epistle is-  Is America Facing A Spiritual Crisis?

 In it he list sseven points you might want to research.  The first, God establishes nations and defines their boundaries.  Paul in his sermon at Athens said, "God made from one man every nation of mankind, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation"  

 Point two:  God determines when a nation will cease to exist.  A nation can be the most powerful in the world like Babylon or Russia and God can pull the plug on that nation.   As I look at recorded history, I notice that when a powerful civilization begins to wane, there is another that rises to move into the void.  BUT, today, I see no nation rising to replace the power of the United States.  We might want to say that Israel is that nation but, due to its size, that would not fly with most gurus, however, they do have a mighty army and they have something no other nations has- the promise from the throne room of heaven that "I will never leave you or forsake you".

 The third point  God has a purpose for each nation, both general and specific.  I tend to believe that God's daily planner is filled to the hilt and, therefore, he does not waste one iota of time.    I tend to agree with Dr. Reagan that God's purpose for all nations is to provide an atmosphere of freedom, security and tranquility.  I also believe He brings nations into being with a specific mission.  For Israel it is to be a witness of God.  It is Dr. Reagan's opinion that the purpose of the United Sates was to evangelize the world for Jesus.  But perhaps our great purpose was to assist in the reestablishment of Israel.

 His fourth point: God blesses and disciplines nations in accordance with their obedience to Him and their treatment of the Jewish people.  God told Abraham "I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you" (Genesis 2:4-6) My dear sainted Grandma said, “The day Germany began their program of annihilation of God's chosen people, the Nation’s days were numbered.”  History is littered with the cadavers of nations that have persecuted the Jews.  I am a firm believer that ISIS, and those killing machines that have placed bull’s eyes on the back of every Jew and Christian, will be soon find out there is no paradise for those terrorists who are martyred.

 Soooo, I will close this for today and finish Dr. Reagan's seven points the next time.  I pray you are heeding the Lord's word to Habakkuk when God said: "Look around and see what I am doing".

 Blessings,

Gramps,