Time Is Proof Of Love

So then, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but like wise people. Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants. Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts.   Ephesians 5:15-19  (GOD’S WORD)

A lot of people are familiar with and have a check register. Some people actually use a check register. Someone uses a check register to record transactions, both debits and credits, that occur in a checking account. They are a very handy tool because if you keep up on the transactions and record them as the occur, then immediately you know what your balance is.

Few actually consider where their money went during the last month. Upon careful evaluation of a check register or budget, one can see tendencies or patterns in spending. I read in a book about a guy who made great money but wasn’t sure where all of his money was going. It seemed as though he never had any money. Someone asked him to record all of his transactions for one month in a little notebook. After one week, he knew the source of his problem. He got coffee from a coffee shop several times a day while he was making stops. At about $70 a week, that is a hefty amount of money to spend on coffee. He quickly changed his habit and “found” money that he had been wasting.

With the monthly evaluation of a check register or budget, it is easy to pinpoint where you overspent. “I overspent in groceries. I need to tighten that up. I’ll reduce my spending on groceries from $500 a month to $400. I’ll cut out snacks and eat healthier.” See how easy that was to make a correction? You just “found” $100 extra for the month.

What Does It Mean To “Wait On The Lord?”

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.    Psalm 37:4  (NKJV)

The Emphasized Bible by Rotherham states: “rest thy delight on Yahweh.” In other words, instead of running to food, drugs, alcohol, technology, money, church, the pastor, sex, busyness, or any other thing, run to Jesus. Get all of your delight and all of your pleasure from Him. He is your joy.

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.  Psalm 37:7a  (NLT)

Wait patiently for him to act on your behalf. Again, The Emphasized Bible states: “yea wait with longing for him.” Another translation reads, “wait confidently.” Confidently, patiently with longing and expectation–that’s how we wait on Him.

Quit Fornicating And Possess Your Vessel!

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour…  1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 (KJV)

That’s some pretty heavy stuff. There are some big words in there. Let’s look at it in another translation.

For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh; 4 So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour…  1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 (Basic English)

People are always wandering around aimlessly in life wondering what God’s will is for their life. This verse clearly says that “God’s will is for you to be holy and set apart unto Him.” That we understand.

Breaking Addictions: Believe The Love Of God

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us…  1 John 4:16  (KJV)

Knowing and believing the love of God.  A serious key to breaking addictions and living in the freedom that Christ Jesus purchased for us in the finished work of the cross is to know and believe the love that God has toward us.  Look at how the Amplified Bible translates this scripture:

And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us.   1 John 4:16

Love: What Does It Mean to Love The Body?

credit: drbetzdc-- flickr.com

I realized after I had already gotten the previous post all finished up and ready to go, that I had intended to break that one post into three separate posts.  Thus I would have had a series that lasted about a week or slightly longer.  Since I consolidated the posts so much, then I had a short, four-post series on the 2nd Commandment.  I could do the 3rd Commandment but I don’t feel that I’m ready for that yet.  I’m still meditating on it and allowing God to teach me.  It’s pretty radical, but I still haven’t gotten it clear enough to talk about it with others let alone type it in a way that makes sense.

The next series that I will be doing is one on Love.  What does it mean to Love The Body?  Most people don’t know.  I talked about this subject last week in a small post, but I’m going to go into some depth and talk about what it means to Love The Body and how to do it.

However, my work schedule is extremely hectic in December.  So, instead of my normal 5 posts a week, I will only be doing one post a week.  In these posts, I will talk about whatever is on my heart and what God is dealing with me about (as I always do) and not the series on Love The Body.  I will be starting this series in the last week of December or the first of January.

Commandment #2: His Name Is Our Nature

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to develop this post as God showed it to me.  However, it will have to do.  I believe it is important enough to lay it out there, quickly and simply.

And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.  Deuteronomy 28:10

Notice in this verse that the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, were called by the name of God.  In other words, God attached His name to His people and said, “they are mine.” 

Commandment #2: Name Is Nature

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…  Exodus 20:7a

One vital thing that we don’t typically understand in modern Western civilization is someone’s name is their nature.  This all started with God.  Let me explain.

Commandment #2: Empty, Idle Words

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…  Exodus 20:7a

One of the definitions of vain is the word empty.  Empty means without substance.  When we use God’s name in a form that has no substance, that is profaning and taking His name in vain.

Commandment #2: What Is It?

credit: betterendings.org

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…  Exodus 20:7a

What does this mean?  Taking the name of the Lord in vain?  First of all, vain means:

• idle,
• empty,
• worthless,
• ineffective,
• foolish,
• irreverent,
• conceited,
• useless,
• careless.

What Is Your Decision?

About two weeks ago, my wife took our 18 month old daughter to the park.  While she was there, she got into a conversation with a guy who was there with his son about homeschooling.  He emailed us some info about homeschool support groups and my wife replied with this question, “Have you thought about where you are going to spend eternity?”  After a couple of emails exchanged back and forth, this man asked:

Quick question: If God is omniscient, then why would he create billions of men and women (in his likeness), to serve alternative “Gods”, and therefore banish them to Hell for eternity? Are these other folks just unlucky for not being raised in an environment that promoted (or even had access to) Christianity? It just doesn’t add up for me…

This is my reply.