My book "The Power of Perfect", the perfect work of a perfect God in man, is now available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon. (Search for "Power of Perfect Cobb" on the websites)
Did you know that to be one with God and enter into God's realm of heaven, you have to be perfect. God requires you to be perfect in everything you say, do, or think from the day you are born till the day you die. In addition to that, you must also think holy and have righteous actions that are on equal footing with God all of your lifetimes. That really blows all those religions trying to do a bunch of good stuff to make up for all the bad stuff they have done in their lifetime. But this is why the Bible says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". No one is capable of attaining that level of perfection. If you are going to qualify to meet God's standard then God is going to have to do something to raise you up to his level of holiness and righteousness. He is going to have to account for your failures and sins with some kind of cleansing action and give you the ability to be righteous and holy.
The book "Power of Perfect" describes all the things God did to make that happen. He did a perfect work in you so you can be perfect in His sight and make one with Him, a child of God. What is that perfect work? How does it change you and what can you now do because of it. Within you is the Power of the Perfect work of God. Once you realize what it is and what you can do, the question becomes, what will you do with it? His plan is for you to serve Him and do great and mighty things to change the world. It could be that the great and mighty thing might seem insignificant to you but not to Him. Everything itsy bitsy action we do for Him in faith is great and mighty to Him.
So why am I saying all this? His people, Christian people are not doing the things He asked them to do. They are not doing the big things, little things, or even the itsy bitsy things that really matter to Him. Today's world is in a great big mess. It got that way not because the bad and powerful people of this world pushed their way in and ran over the Christians and imposed a sinful and immoral world upon us. No, it got that way because Christians, who had the power of the perfect work of God contained within them, did not do what God, through Jesus, asked them to do: Go in His authority, make disciples, and teach them the things that He taught His disciples to do. That one sentence sums it all up. If we had done that, the world would not be in a big mess. That one sentence would eliminate all the immorality, perversion, crime, and evil that is going on in our world.
Instead of standing in His perfect power and changing the world, Christians have basically laid back and just tried to enjoy the ride. Waiting for that day when they would leave this horrible place and sit in the heavenly fields with Jesus, listening to Him telling them how wonderful they are. Not.
Is there still time to save the world? Yes. How? Repent, humble yourself and pray, and do what He asked you to do: Go in His authority, make disciples, and teach them the things that He taught His disciples.
What did He teach His disciples? Read Mark chapters 9 and 10. That's a good place to start. I'll save that for next time.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Free tuition - Really?
I was watching some the “young” people for Bernie Sanders
speak about how great socialism is and all the great and wonderful things it
will do for America. Duh? These people really don’t get it. I learned years ago
that the human brain does not fully develop until about age twenty-five. It
appears to me that these kids are definitely still in the under-developed
category. My son told me that when he was eight years old he listened to his
first presidential debates. Again when he was twelve he listened to the debates
and he said that at that age the ideas of the democrats sounded really good.
Now that he is grown he sees the fallacy of those ideas. People who buy into
socialist ideas are either totally ignorant or their brain development is stuck
somewhere around the twelve year old stage. They cannot comprehend the dangers
and evils that socialism brings.
One of the ideas that Bernie is selling is “free tuition”.
If you ask one of them who is going to pay for it they will usually answer “the
rich”. Somewhere (any guesses?) they have been taught that rich people are bad
and not deserving of what they have. To be fair the government should take away
all the “rich” people gains and give to someone more deserving (like them). To be really fair let’s look at how the rich
person gets rich.
First, a person does not get rich sitting around watching TV
all day or thinking about is who is going to be the next American Idol. People do
not get rich by going to class till they are twenty-plus, getting a job and do
the same routine over and over for forty years, never taking a risk, having a
creative idea or stepping out of the norm to be different from the rest of the
world. No people get rich by creating a product or service that people want
(i.e. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Jeff Bezos [Amazon]) and in doing so to
provide those goods and services they had to hire people, create jobs, expand
and create more jobs. People get rich by creating jobs and opportunities for
everybody. How many people are making money on the internet? A lot of people
now make their money from the internet. None of that could have happened if
there were no personnel computer, Windows or Apple operating system. If there
were no internet switches (like Cisco) and fiber optic cable to tie us all
together. All these came to being because someone didn’t just go to school and
get a job and work the rest of his life. No, someone had an idea and took a
risk. Many started out taking a big risk by signing onto a big loan to get
started. Then they endured the stress of repaying the loan, paying bills,
employing people and making payroll. Starting out they worked long hours and
basically invested their whole lives into making their business a success. This
is how most rich people get rich, hard work, long hours, risk taking and high
stress.
Then along comes a kid who has probably never worked a
real job or even had a job, and he wants to take from the hard working rich person to
pay for his schooling. He wants the Bern(ie) to take from somebody else and
just give it to him for free. But then here is the real problem the young
knucklehead doesn’t see. The rich guy got rich by hard work figuring on a fair
return for his risk, time and investment. If Bernie get his way, 90% of the
rich guy’s income (through taxation) will go to someone else instead of his own
family. After a while the rich guy will decide it is not worth the effort and quit doing
the things that once made him rich. Now there is no more money to tax. What’s
more other potential future entrepreneurs will see the lack of reward and won’t even
try because the risk will not be worth it. Now, no longer are there any rich folks but now there is no one to replace them. As the old adage goes; sooner or
later socialist run out of other people money. Then there is no more free
stuff.
Speaking of free stuff, another problem with Bernie’s
plan is he is going to raise taxes on the poor. Well not directly. He says he
is going to tax the rich but if they are small to medium size business people
then they will pass those taxes on to their customers. The price of everything
will go up. Taxes are always passed down to the lowest level. If I have a small
business and my taxes increase that’s an expense that doesn’t add any value to
my goods and services. I have two choices, raise my prices (which may mean
fewer customers) or lay people off and try to do the same job with less people.
That is what’s happening when governments raise the minimum wage. The minimum
wage is really a tax on employment. If I’m operating on a 5% or 6% profit
margin then to maintain that margin when there is a minimum wage hike; I can lay
people off, increase prices or find a machine that will do the same job for
less or just go out of business. None of this is going to make Bernie’s utopia
work.
You could write all day on the failures of socialism.
Name one country that socialism made prosperous. You can’t, there isn’t one?
People use Sweden as an example but what has Sweden produced? People there are
happy to live out a simple complacent life paying more than 50% of their income
to the government. But name any new product innovation that comes from Sweden, very
few if any. They are content to live in a 19th and 20th
century world.
In the end socialism bring nothing but death, suffering
and bondage. First we start with politically correct speech and government
think speak. The punishment is public humiliation. Then we go to group speak
and intense sensitivity training is required. Then group speak will be demanded
and legalized and the punishment will be reeducation camps. A Vietnamese friend
of mine said his father spent five years in a reeducation camp. Really it was just
a prison camp where you are punished for “wrong” thinking. If you think we
could never get that bad think again. There are too many of us who will not buy
into their socialist scheme. After they take our guns away they will have the
same problem that Stalin and Mao did, and they will eventually come to the same solution. Over
100 million people died under Stalin and Mao.
If you know one of these “Feel the Bern” kids, take them
aside and let them know the truth. If we can’t convince them then America could
be lost forever.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Back to the blog-o-sphere
I have been working on a book for the past several years so there has been very few post from me during that time. Now I am done. My book is finished and I will probably spend a lot of time venting my feelings, frustrations and beliefs on this space.
By the way, my book title is "The Power of Perfect", the perfect work of a perfect God in imperfect man. It is not released yet but it will be available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon in the near future.
By the way, my book title is "The Power of Perfect", the perfect work of a perfect God in imperfect man. It is not released yet but it will be available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon in the near future.
A Really Big Gigantic Hoax
The Big Hoax
I was reading EPA Pays $1.2M to Prepare Poor Neighborhoods for Climate Change. The EPA is using Climate Change as an excuse to create and empower Environmental Justice Panels. The purpose of Environmental Justice, social justice or any of the Marxist justice concepts is to take away from one person and give to another. This could be monetary or it could your rights or anything they (not the people) decide is unfair in their viewpoint. It could be to punish you for what you are doing on your own land or just punishing you because you have land. Or it could be taking from you because someone else is at a climate dis-advantage because they can't afford to live in your neighborhood.
All this is based on there being "Global Warming" or so called "Climate Change". There has been no recorded "Global Warming" for the last 18 years. So the Global Warming alarmist say there is a lull or “pause” in Global Warming. So explain this. If the number of computer models predicting Global Warming could not accurately predict the 18 year “pause” (kind of a major event in itself) which was a “near time” event, how can they claim their models are accurate concerning a “far time” event. If zero is the number of models that were correct about the “pause”. Then their models have a zero history of being correct. Does it not stand to reason that there is a zero chance of being correct about ‘Global Warming”? Does this not make it clear to everyone that this is a really big gigantic hoax? Can’t you see that only the people who want a bigger and bigger government and more and more government power to rule over your lives are the ones perpetuating this hoax? Seem obivious to me.
I was reading EPA Pays $1.2M to Prepare Poor Neighborhoods for Climate Change. The EPA is using Climate Change as an excuse to create and empower Environmental Justice Panels. The purpose of Environmental Justice, social justice or any of the Marxist justice concepts is to take away from one person and give to another. This could be monetary or it could your rights or anything they (not the people) decide is unfair in their viewpoint. It could be to punish you for what you are doing on your own land or just punishing you because you have land. Or it could be taking from you because someone else is at a climate dis-advantage because they can't afford to live in your neighborhood.
All this is based on there being "Global Warming" or so called "Climate Change". There has been no recorded "Global Warming" for the last 18 years. So the Global Warming alarmist say there is a lull or “pause” in Global Warming. So explain this. If the number of computer models predicting Global Warming could not accurately predict the 18 year “pause” (kind of a major event in itself) which was a “near time” event, how can they claim their models are accurate concerning a “far time” event. If zero is the number of models that were correct about the “pause”. Then their models have a zero history of being correct. Does it not stand to reason that there is a zero chance of being correct about ‘Global Warming”? Does this not make it clear to everyone that this is a really big gigantic hoax? Can’t you see that only the people who want a bigger and bigger government and more and more government power to rule over your lives are the ones perpetuating this hoax? Seem obivious to me.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Catching up
It has been exactly a year since my last blog. It has been a
busy world and I work in a busy place but many things remain the same. When I read my blog from last year, nothing has changed. As we
watch the world seemingly fall apart many Christians think the world is so bad
because the end is near but I think the world is so bad because Christian
pastors and churches have failed to do what Christ called them to do. In fact
Jesus made it perfectly clear but yet they still do not see the whole picture.
America’s church has become a lukewarm church. Not really hot but not really
cold either. It we were Goldilocks’ soup we would be just right. But Jesus didn’t
tell us to be just right to the world, He told us to change the world. Change the
world for Christ, to fulfill His plans and purposes. The American church today
is probably a 30% to 50% church. Doing 30 to 50 percent of what God’s design
was for the church. Let me illustrate below.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came, and spoke unto them, saying, “All power
is given unto me, in heaven, and in earth. 19 Go therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the holy
Ghost, 20 Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you:
and lo, I am with you always, until the end of the world, Amen”.
1. Jesus’s first line
in the Great Commission is all about His power and authority and then he says “Go
therefore”. His meaning is to go in his power and authority and change the
world. We are to use his authority to defeat all of the enemy, overcome
sickness and disease, wrestle against wickedness in high places and cast down
imaginations (negative spiritual influences) against Jesus and the church. When
was the last time you heard a message about walking and living in the authority of
Jesus Christ? How often are you encouraged to stand against the wiles of the
devil using the power and authority that dwells within you? Peter told the cripple
in Acts chapter 4, “silver and gold have I none, but such as I have (authority
in Christ name) give I unto you. In the name of Jesus (using the authority)
stand up and walk.” And the cripple man stood and walked. Today’s typical American
church does not obey Christ and walk in His authority.
2. The next thing is to
go to all nations and teach them, make disciples. The American church has, in
the past, gone to all the world and taught them. It has taught them denominational
theology, some which is correct some that is not. It has taught them American
culture which is now the wrong thing to do. But they have not taught them what
Jesus told them to teach. Jesus said to teach them the things I have taught
you. Teach them to heal the sick, cast out devils, preach the word in power and
authority of God. The method Jesus used was to make disciples, who made
disciples, who then made more disciples and so on until most of the modern
world was converted to Christianity in a few hundred years. In America the
church is diminishing. Our numbers are shrinking. Why, because men have decided
to do things differently. They have come up with their own programs to “improve”
on what Jesus did. Guess what it is not working.
Many Christians think the world
is so bad because Jesus is returning. No, the
church has failed and become lukewarm. Jesus said the solution for being lukewarm is to return to
your first love. The root of the first
church, our first love was two thousand years ago. If we are to be the Church
Jesus wanted us to be and not be lukewarm we need to return to the things that
worked then. Making disciples and teaching them everything that Jesus taught.
Passing on the full knowledge of what it means to be a Christian. True
disciples learning who they are in Christ, set free in the full power and
authority of the Christ within them will change the world once again.
Nubby
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The Real Church
I am not a historian of the specific facts, but I believe the early church was not comprised of a number of large buildings like what we have now. The early church was mostly comprised of many small house churches. It is possible that some houses were large but small church units were the norm.
When I first came to Christ, I was involved in a small group bible study we called Disciple Families. As a part of a large intercity church, the small home Disciple Families grew from an initial fifty participants to about six hundred in one year. The home groups became an active part of the younger church member’s lifestyle.
I often bring up the idea of home study groups (cell groups, life groups, disciple families, etc.) because I believe it has many advantages to building a church body that lasts and helps fulfill what Christ intended for the church. When I speak of enduring, I only have to look at what the underground churches have accomplished in China and during the former Soviet Russia repressive socialist rule. It was and still is the true body of Christ in those countries. Through the small house churches people are coming to Christ and the church is growing despite the persecution and harassment from the government. I remember reading about a Chinese woman who had started over 500 house churches in China. She was pursued by the government and would flee one city to start a church in another city, always running but always serving the body of Christ.
This brings me to the point of my message. The 2012 political conventions are over and it is clear that one party has become the anti-god party. The President, and the government as a whole, has been on a crusade to eliminate religious freedom as our constitution defines it. The number one threat though, to our religious liberty is the national debt. If our economy were to collapse, the constitution would be eliminated. There would be no money for a military to protect us. The progressives would try to assemble a socialist style government and we would all hope we could avoid total anarchy. With no defenses to speak of, who knows what China or Russia and ever Iran would attempt to do. In all of this, the persecution of the church and Christians would become acceptable on any level. Most likely, all the evil that sweeps across the land will be blamed on the Church, Christians and Jews.
The scenario I describe above is not that farfetched. If it were to happen, it would be wise to prepare Christians everywhere in church survival. Just as in China and Russia, the house church will be the single most important factor in maintaining the body of Christ. The house church can fulfill the ministry of Christ where most of American churches fail today. I will list some of the advantages.
1. The house church is an intimate group, more like a family, where each member can have regular fellowship and accountability. With the closeness of a small group, you are more likely to strive to live according the scripture. In a small group, you will have people who can help you to overcome areas in your life that you could hide in a large body of believers.
2. The small group is a perfect place to learn how to love one another. The closeness will test your love and the accountability to other will cause you to follow through to love as Christ Loved.
3. The small group will have awareness of each other needs and can pray for those needs. It is easier to confess you faults one to another if you know and trust the people you are with in a small group.
4. The small group is a perfect climate to grow and develop without the embarrassment of failing in a large church setting.
5. A small group is more likely to share their material things with one another because they can recognize the needs of others as they arise. If one person has an emergency or crisis, it is easier to react and help people you know and trust. The family like bond you develop moves you to meet each other’s needs when they arise.
6. Small groups will help you to establish trusting relationships even if you have difficulty doing so.
7. The small group leader is pastor to his group and can represent the group and individual needs to the larger body.
8. The small group is flexible and can adapt to changing circumstances where a large body cannot.
I believe the American church has failed to be what Jesus intended it to be is because we have left the small group model in the New Testament and gone the way of Mega church and ‘bigger is better’ model. All the functions of the body of Christ happen in small groups. Very few can happen in a large church where you can attend for many years and nobody knows anything about you. By returning to small group home churches, the body of Christ can function evangelistically and more personally than any other plan. That is why the house church in China is growing exponentially while the church in the United States is shrinking as a percentage of the population.
If American’s economy fails and the worst befalls us then the best preparation any pastor can do right now is to develop small group leaders who will become the pastors of tomorrow in their home church groups. If there were to be war, revolution or anarchy, it will be the small group house church that will be left standing as the big churches are burning and collapsing to the ground.
Nubby
When I first came to Christ, I was involved in a small group bible study we called Disciple Families. As a part of a large intercity church, the small home Disciple Families grew from an initial fifty participants to about six hundred in one year. The home groups became an active part of the younger church member’s lifestyle.
I often bring up the idea of home study groups (cell groups, life groups, disciple families, etc.) because I believe it has many advantages to building a church body that lasts and helps fulfill what Christ intended for the church. When I speak of enduring, I only have to look at what the underground churches have accomplished in China and during the former Soviet Russia repressive socialist rule. It was and still is the true body of Christ in those countries. Through the small house churches people are coming to Christ and the church is growing despite the persecution and harassment from the government. I remember reading about a Chinese woman who had started over 500 house churches in China. She was pursued by the government and would flee one city to start a church in another city, always running but always serving the body of Christ.
This brings me to the point of my message. The 2012 political conventions are over and it is clear that one party has become the anti-god party. The President, and the government as a whole, has been on a crusade to eliminate religious freedom as our constitution defines it. The number one threat though, to our religious liberty is the national debt. If our economy were to collapse, the constitution would be eliminated. There would be no money for a military to protect us. The progressives would try to assemble a socialist style government and we would all hope we could avoid total anarchy. With no defenses to speak of, who knows what China or Russia and ever Iran would attempt to do. In all of this, the persecution of the church and Christians would become acceptable on any level. Most likely, all the evil that sweeps across the land will be blamed on the Church, Christians and Jews.
The scenario I describe above is not that farfetched. If it were to happen, it would be wise to prepare Christians everywhere in church survival. Just as in China and Russia, the house church will be the single most important factor in maintaining the body of Christ. The house church can fulfill the ministry of Christ where most of American churches fail today. I will list some of the advantages.
1. The house church is an intimate group, more like a family, where each member can have regular fellowship and accountability. With the closeness of a small group, you are more likely to strive to live according the scripture. In a small group, you will have people who can help you to overcome areas in your life that you could hide in a large body of believers.
2. The small group is a perfect place to learn how to love one another. The closeness will test your love and the accountability to other will cause you to follow through to love as Christ Loved.
3. The small group will have awareness of each other needs and can pray for those needs. It is easier to confess you faults one to another if you know and trust the people you are with in a small group.
4. The small group is a perfect climate to grow and develop without the embarrassment of failing in a large church setting.
5. A small group is more likely to share their material things with one another because they can recognize the needs of others as they arise. If one person has an emergency or crisis, it is easier to react and help people you know and trust. The family like bond you develop moves you to meet each other’s needs when they arise.
6. Small groups will help you to establish trusting relationships even if you have difficulty doing so.
7. The small group leader is pastor to his group and can represent the group and individual needs to the larger body.
8. The small group is flexible and can adapt to changing circumstances where a large body cannot.
I believe the American church has failed to be what Jesus intended it to be is because we have left the small group model in the New Testament and gone the way of Mega church and ‘bigger is better’ model. All the functions of the body of Christ happen in small groups. Very few can happen in a large church where you can attend for many years and nobody knows anything about you. By returning to small group home churches, the body of Christ can function evangelistically and more personally than any other plan. That is why the house church in China is growing exponentially while the church in the United States is shrinking as a percentage of the population.
If American’s economy fails and the worst befalls us then the best preparation any pastor can do right now is to develop small group leaders who will become the pastors of tomorrow in their home church groups. If there were to be war, revolution or anarchy, it will be the small group house church that will be left standing as the big churches are burning and collapsing to the ground.
Nubby
Friday, September 7, 2012
Bill and Hillary and Huma and Anthony
Read the post first
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/09/bill_and_hillary_and_huma_and_anthony.html
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I have a tree that has many roots. The roots grow just beneath the surface but expose themselves in places where they destroy the walkways and brickwork around the flower gardens. I can destroy just one root. To eliminate all the roots I have to destroy the whole tree. If I cut off one root, there will soon be another to take its places. If I cut off all feeder roots the tree will die.
Within our government, there is now a tree of Marxism. The Hillary/Huma episode (the link above) is just one root of the the Progressive Marxist corruption in high places. We need to destroy enough roots like this so the tree will die or we just kill the tree. We, with God’s help, can destroy roots but only God can ultimately destroy the tree.
The way to destroy the roots (corrupt, Marxist, godless people in places of power) is to become the Church (All of America’s churches) Christ intended for us to be and to win America to Christ as He desired. For years, I have heard the phrase “we are a New Testament Church”. But really, if we compare ourselves to the church Jesus created in the book of Acts, are we really a “new Testament church? I think only a small minority of churches in American even understand what a real New Testament church is. I see churches that sit empty five or six days a week. The New Testament church was meeting daily, worshipping and fellowshipping. They were daily eating together, discipling, growing and changing the world around them. The New Testament church is an active seven-day a week, miracle-working church. That is just the starting point.
To be plain, the American Church as a whole has failed. Failed to be what Christ intended and failed to do what He instructed them to do. To turn American around, we are going to need an “Acts chapter II” revival, a world changing revival. A revival of not just one or two, or ten or twenty people getting saved and filled with the spirit but a revival where there are three to five thousand are getting saved at one time and become fully committed to living the new life in Christ. We must have an Acts 2:42-47 church that changes America and fulfill the plans of Jesus. It is time for people to stop being lukewarm and passive and be what Jesus wants us to be. Jesus did not say, “Sit until I come”. He did not say, “Wait until I come”. He did not say, “Hope for the rapture until I come”. Jesus said in a parable “Occupy until I come”. We are the true “Occupiers”. We are to occupy Wall Street, Main Street and Elm Street. We are to occupy every street in America. We are to go back what Jesus started, the real New Testament Church, a fully power, life changing and world transforming seven days a week church.
We are not restoring America. We are building the Body of Christ as we should in America. We are the body of Christ who lives in America.
The only answer to marxist, socialism, corruptionism is Jesus and Jesus working through his body, the church. That is how we destroy the corruption, its roots and the tree.
Nubby
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/09/bill_and_hillary_and_huma_and_anthony.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a tree that has many roots. The roots grow just beneath the surface but expose themselves in places where they destroy the walkways and brickwork around the flower gardens. I can destroy just one root. To eliminate all the roots I have to destroy the whole tree. If I cut off one root, there will soon be another to take its places. If I cut off all feeder roots the tree will die.
Within our government, there is now a tree of Marxism. The Hillary/Huma episode (the link above) is just one root of the the Progressive Marxist corruption in high places. We need to destroy enough roots like this so the tree will die or we just kill the tree. We, with God’s help, can destroy roots but only God can ultimately destroy the tree.
The way to destroy the roots (corrupt, Marxist, godless people in places of power) is to become the Church (All of America’s churches) Christ intended for us to be and to win America to Christ as He desired. For years, I have heard the phrase “we are a New Testament Church”. But really, if we compare ourselves to the church Jesus created in the book of Acts, are we really a “new Testament church? I think only a small minority of churches in American even understand what a real New Testament church is. I see churches that sit empty five or six days a week. The New Testament church was meeting daily, worshipping and fellowshipping. They were daily eating together, discipling, growing and changing the world around them. The New Testament church is an active seven-day a week, miracle-working church. That is just the starting point.
To be plain, the American Church as a whole has failed. Failed to be what Christ intended and failed to do what He instructed them to do. To turn American around, we are going to need an “Acts chapter II” revival, a world changing revival. A revival of not just one or two, or ten or twenty people getting saved and filled with the spirit but a revival where there are three to five thousand are getting saved at one time and become fully committed to living the new life in Christ. We must have an Acts 2:42-47 church that changes America and fulfill the plans of Jesus. It is time for people to stop being lukewarm and passive and be what Jesus wants us to be. Jesus did not say, “Sit until I come”. He did not say, “Wait until I come”. He did not say, “Hope for the rapture until I come”. Jesus said in a parable “Occupy until I come”. We are the true “Occupiers”. We are to occupy Wall Street, Main Street and Elm Street. We are to occupy every street in America. We are to go back what Jesus started, the real New Testament Church, a fully power, life changing and world transforming seven days a week church.
We are not restoring America. We are building the Body of Christ as we should in America. We are the body of Christ who lives in America.
The only answer to marxist, socialism, corruptionism is Jesus and Jesus working through his body, the church. That is how we destroy the corruption, its roots and the tree.
Nubby
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Faith and Unbelief
Matthew 9 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic
1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”3 And at once, some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
Throughout much of the bible the bond between the forgiveness of sin and healing is made clear, Like Psalm 103:
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s
And Isaiah 53
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
And Jesus made it abundantly clear in Matthew 9 when he says “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” Alternatively, put another way for today, which is it easier to say, ‘because Jesus died for you, your sins are forgiven’ or ‘because Jesus died for you, you are healed’. The forgiveness of sin provides for healing, both spiritual and physical. Forgiveness of sin and healing go together like a mother and a daughter. They are bonded together. One comes from the other. The bond cannot be separated.
Many teach that supernatural healing is no longer needed because we now have the bible and that healing was just a temporary thing until the bible was complete (that idea is not in scripture). Some also teach that the gifts of the spirit are no longer needed either.
Some teach that if you are sick and God does not heal you then it must be God’s will for you to be sick. If that were really so then why do you go to the doctor? Trying to get well might be going against God’s will.
Some say our sickness glorifies God. Then we should all pray to get sick.
What does Paul say in Galatians chapter 5 about those who turned away from trusting in faith and tried to keep the law, “a little leaven leavens the whole loaf”. People being taught to trust in keeping the law. They are being taught unbelief. If people are being taught that the bible does not means what it says then they are being taught unbelief and that leaven contaminates everything else.
What happened to America?
Nearly fifty years ago I graduated from high school. As a young person, you don’t pay much attention to the subtle changes in our culture. On the surface, many seem to be good. The acceptance of new things, new styles and new values appear to benefit everyone, at least it seems to benefit the younger, more liberal group of people. However, looking at America through the long lens of fifty years you realize that that those changes were not good. Those changes were part of the slippery slope to cultural and moral decay, the decay of national pride and patriotic values. We’ve changed from a people who were proud, self reliant and independent to a people who want everything, we want it free if we can get it and instantly if it’s available. We’ve become a people who want the most for the least amount of work. We want perks we didn’t earn. We want wages that pay us way above our abilities and most of all we think we deserve more than we got. We think people who work hard do not deserve what they get.
The long slow decline of America hasn’t been ignored. There have been people who have fought many battles in the culture war, the political wars and the war of principles. We have looked for legal solutions, political solution and media solutions. We have elevated men to the level of little messiahs and then were disappointed when they eventually failed. The spirit of socialism, Marxism, atheism and otherisms now reign supreme over a once great culture that represented the Christian and moral values of America’s core people, the America that won wars to set people free. The America that gave individuals the ability to be what they wanted to be. The America that gave people the freedom to accomplish anything and everything they could dream of. All of that is on the verge of disappearing and sooner rather than later.
With people so willing to do battle on so many fronts why are we losing this war. Why have we ceased to be a Christian nation with a strong culture, high moral values and freedom loving people? The primary reason I believe is the failure of the church, not a particular church, denomination, or group but the American church as a whole, Catholic, protestant and everything in-between. America has not been perfect but it has been blessed. Blessed mostly because we have held Jesus up high and his standards and morals have been our national standards and morals. With so many good people fighting the battles we are still losing the war.
I first blamed the church for America’s failure. I blamed them for not teaching their people about who they were in Christ, what God had done in them and for them. I blamed them for not teaching them the about the power of God that dwells within them. Now, I still blame the church, but for a different reason. In place of the needed teaching about Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit, the people of America’s churches have been taught unbelief. They have been taught to be powerless against Satan and his devices. They have been taught fear and unbelief and when things get tough. They cry to God hoping he will do something instead of them operating in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. Every time the devil kicks our backside we have learned to accept what the he does as God’s will and, instead of fighting in the spirit. We say, “thank you Jesus” for our misery when Jesus had nothing to do with it. America Christians are weak, selfish, materialistic just like the rest of the world because we haven’t been taught what real faith is, what Jesus expects of us and how to do the things he has created us to do.
Unbelief is a form of leaven that will destroy a church, a Christian people or a Christian nation. A little bit of unbelief will contaminate not just a little but everything that is taught, and the contamination will cause us to question everything God has promised to do for us and in us. If I doubt whether it is God’s purpose to heal me when the bible talks so much about healing, then I can question whether he will provide for all my needs. I can doubt whether I am truly crucified in the flesh and have the ability to deal with sin in my life. I can doubt whether his power to work in me to fulfill his will in me and to work out my life “according to his good pleasure”. I can doubt whether he really loves me and has my best interest in his mind. I can doubt whether my salvation is good enough. Unbelief multiplies itself.
Many churches teach that the Holy Spirit does not work today as he did in bible times. They teach that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not what the bible says they are. They teach that we are not to expect miracles anymore or God's miraculous intervention in our lives is a rare occurrence. What it means is that many churches teach their people doubt and unbelief. Doubt and unbelief are ingrained in their doctrine.
Someone prayed for healing one day and they were not healed. They concluded that either healing was no longer in effect or it wasn’t God’s will to heal. Certainly, it had nothing to do with their doubt and unbelief. It could not be their lack of faith that caused God not to heal them. Certainly it had to be God, not them, that prevented healing power from flowing. No way could it be them. It must be something God is responsible for, not them.
Many churches and denominations actually interpreted the bible based on their personal experiences. If their experience was lacking then they assumed that is the way God wanted things to be so they entrenched those experiences into their doctrines. They teach them in their universities, Sunday schools and their congregations.
How to stop God
Unbelief was the only thing that prevented Jesus from doing miracles. Unbelief actually stopped Jesus’ healing power from working in his day. If unbelief stopped him then how much more does it stop us today? Look at the scriptures below:
Matthew 17: 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen.
Matthew 13: 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Matthew 14: 29 And he said, “Come”. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, “Lord, save me”.31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
What we see above is that unbelief can and will limit what God can do in individuals lives. Unbelief limited the disciples in their ministry. For whatever reason, in Matthew 17, perhaps because they had seen this boy with the demon like this for many years, they did not have the ability to cast out that demon. Unbelief interfered with their ability to what they should be able to do. Unbelief limits us in what we think we should be doing for God and believing that we have the power to do it.
After his resurrection, Jesus chastised the disciples on their unbelief because they did not believe the message when God did what he said he was going to do.
In Matthew 13 Jesus was limited by unbelief. The people were too familiar with him to accept what he was saying. They first knew him as an ordinary person. Now he was different. Now he has been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Now he can do miracles. The unbelief they had put a wet blanket on Jesus ministry. He could do no might works. Unbelief steals from the power of faith. Unbelief will destroy faith and leave you wondering why God abandoned you when actually through your unbelief you abandoned him.
The solution today is probably the same as the Israelites in the desert; those who had unbelief were not allowed to enter into the promise land. God gave them forty years to figure it out and still they didn’t get it. Today’s American churches and denominations who are ingrained with unbelief will probably not get it either. What will happen is God will simply allow them to die in the desert of America’s once promising land. The land will also be turned to spiritual dust. The storms coming over the horizon, economic storms, political storms and moral storms will destroy the America we once knew and the Christians who have true faith, without any unbelief, will stand in the test and trials while the churches of former days pass away. It will take a people of pure faith who will stand. Finally, a church that is good enough to be the bride of Christ. When we see the last American church of unbelief fail then possibly we will see the return of Christ.
Luke 18: 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
When the Lord returns he will be looking for a people full of faith. His plan was to have a church full of New Testament faith, full of Holy Spirit power changing the world around them, not a bunch of Christians hiding under a rock waiting for the Rapture to take them away.
Some people believe that before Jesus died he empowered a few disciples and a few others. After they all died that was it, game over, no more power. However, Jesus’ going away was to spread the power. He went away and left the Holy Spirit to empower all of us so He would be manifested all over the world. The works that Jesus did, did not die with him. He was just the beginning. We, as Jesus’ representatives, would go into all the world doing all the same things that Jesus did, displaying all the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, drawing people to him and winning them to Christ. Jesus’ dying was not an end of his works but the beginning. The book of Acts is not a history book; it is a living action plan for changing the world. When Jesus returns will he find this kind of church on the earth, one full of faith? Or will he find something else.
Consider this: God’s structure for the church is very clear. He set first Apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers to guide the church. It was a spiritual relationship, a bonding relationship, like a family, spiritual brothers and sisters working together for the good of the family.
What has man done to God’s structure? They have replaced it with boards, committees, president, CEO’s and all other kind of structures and plans. God’s plan has become outdated in their mind. They have a better idea as to how to organize a church, one where men are in power and authority over other men, just like the world’s business and political systems. Instead of servants we have rulers.
Where are the apostles, the prophets and evangelist? Where the men who lead by spiritual authority given by God? Where are the men who are to edify the body of Christ and bring us into the unity of the faith, the fullness and maturity of stature of Christ? Instead of unity, we have men who divide, compete, insult, accuse and ridicule others. This is not the true church of Christ. This is not what Jesus had in mind when sent the disciples out in all of his power and authority.
Will Jesus find faith on the earth? Only when the old worldly church systems, man’s systems and teachings, pass away.
I often hear the quote “America, the last best hope for the world”. The problem with that statement is that the reason America was, and still can be the last best hope, was its people. Even in the worst of times, the America people were rooted in a biblical foundation, a moral and religious people as a whole. That is no longer the case. The American churches have failed. The world must look for a new kind of church, a new church based on the true New Testament model. The new best hope of the world is not a country; it is a church fulfilling the call of the bride of Christ. The old churches filled with the leaven of the world and unbelief will have to pass away. They only stand in the way of true churches of faith. The churches that think they are part of the “in” crowd may find themselves on the outside looking in at Jesus’ return.
The question is, when Jesus returns, will he find faith on the earth? Will you be one of the ones he will find full of faith?
Hebrews 3 12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Mark 6 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.
Nubby
1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”3 And at once, some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
Throughout much of the bible the bond between the forgiveness of sin and healing is made clear, Like Psalm 103:
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s
And Isaiah 53
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
And Jesus made it abundantly clear in Matthew 9 when he says “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” Alternatively, put another way for today, which is it easier to say, ‘because Jesus died for you, your sins are forgiven’ or ‘because Jesus died for you, you are healed’. The forgiveness of sin provides for healing, both spiritual and physical. Forgiveness of sin and healing go together like a mother and a daughter. They are bonded together. One comes from the other. The bond cannot be separated.
Many teach that supernatural healing is no longer needed because we now have the bible and that healing was just a temporary thing until the bible was complete (that idea is not in scripture). Some also teach that the gifts of the spirit are no longer needed either.
Some teach that if you are sick and God does not heal you then it must be God’s will for you to be sick. If that were really so then why do you go to the doctor? Trying to get well might be going against God’s will.
Some say our sickness glorifies God. Then we should all pray to get sick.
What does Paul say in Galatians chapter 5 about those who turned away from trusting in faith and tried to keep the law, “a little leaven leavens the whole loaf”. People being taught to trust in keeping the law. They are being taught unbelief. If people are being taught that the bible does not means what it says then they are being taught unbelief and that leaven contaminates everything else.
What happened to America?
Nearly fifty years ago I graduated from high school. As a young person, you don’t pay much attention to the subtle changes in our culture. On the surface, many seem to be good. The acceptance of new things, new styles and new values appear to benefit everyone, at least it seems to benefit the younger, more liberal group of people. However, looking at America through the long lens of fifty years you realize that that those changes were not good. Those changes were part of the slippery slope to cultural and moral decay, the decay of national pride and patriotic values. We’ve changed from a people who were proud, self reliant and independent to a people who want everything, we want it free if we can get it and instantly if it’s available. We’ve become a people who want the most for the least amount of work. We want perks we didn’t earn. We want wages that pay us way above our abilities and most of all we think we deserve more than we got. We think people who work hard do not deserve what they get.
The long slow decline of America hasn’t been ignored. There have been people who have fought many battles in the culture war, the political wars and the war of principles. We have looked for legal solutions, political solution and media solutions. We have elevated men to the level of little messiahs and then were disappointed when they eventually failed. The spirit of socialism, Marxism, atheism and otherisms now reign supreme over a once great culture that represented the Christian and moral values of America’s core people, the America that won wars to set people free. The America that gave individuals the ability to be what they wanted to be. The America that gave people the freedom to accomplish anything and everything they could dream of. All of that is on the verge of disappearing and sooner rather than later.
With people so willing to do battle on so many fronts why are we losing this war. Why have we ceased to be a Christian nation with a strong culture, high moral values and freedom loving people? The primary reason I believe is the failure of the church, not a particular church, denomination, or group but the American church as a whole, Catholic, protestant and everything in-between. America has not been perfect but it has been blessed. Blessed mostly because we have held Jesus up high and his standards and morals have been our national standards and morals. With so many good people fighting the battles we are still losing the war.
I first blamed the church for America’s failure. I blamed them for not teaching their people about who they were in Christ, what God had done in them and for them. I blamed them for not teaching them the about the power of God that dwells within them. Now, I still blame the church, but for a different reason. In place of the needed teaching about Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit, the people of America’s churches have been taught unbelief. They have been taught to be powerless against Satan and his devices. They have been taught fear and unbelief and when things get tough. They cry to God hoping he will do something instead of them operating in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. Every time the devil kicks our backside we have learned to accept what the he does as God’s will and, instead of fighting in the spirit. We say, “thank you Jesus” for our misery when Jesus had nothing to do with it. America Christians are weak, selfish, materialistic just like the rest of the world because we haven’t been taught what real faith is, what Jesus expects of us and how to do the things he has created us to do.
Unbelief is a form of leaven that will destroy a church, a Christian people or a Christian nation. A little bit of unbelief will contaminate not just a little but everything that is taught, and the contamination will cause us to question everything God has promised to do for us and in us. If I doubt whether it is God’s purpose to heal me when the bible talks so much about healing, then I can question whether he will provide for all my needs. I can doubt whether I am truly crucified in the flesh and have the ability to deal with sin in my life. I can doubt whether his power to work in me to fulfill his will in me and to work out my life “according to his good pleasure”. I can doubt whether he really loves me and has my best interest in his mind. I can doubt whether my salvation is good enough. Unbelief multiplies itself.
Many churches teach that the Holy Spirit does not work today as he did in bible times. They teach that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not what the bible says they are. They teach that we are not to expect miracles anymore or God's miraculous intervention in our lives is a rare occurrence. What it means is that many churches teach their people doubt and unbelief. Doubt and unbelief are ingrained in their doctrine.
Someone prayed for healing one day and they were not healed. They concluded that either healing was no longer in effect or it wasn’t God’s will to heal. Certainly, it had nothing to do with their doubt and unbelief. It could not be their lack of faith that caused God not to heal them. Certainly it had to be God, not them, that prevented healing power from flowing. No way could it be them. It must be something God is responsible for, not them.
Many churches and denominations actually interpreted the bible based on their personal experiences. If their experience was lacking then they assumed that is the way God wanted things to be so they entrenched those experiences into their doctrines. They teach them in their universities, Sunday schools and their congregations.
How to stop God
Unbelief was the only thing that prevented Jesus from doing miracles. Unbelief actually stopped Jesus’ healing power from working in his day. If unbelief stopped him then how much more does it stop us today? Look at the scriptures below:
Matthew 17: 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen.
Matthew 13: 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Matthew 14: 29 And he said, “Come”. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, “Lord, save me”.31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
What we see above is that unbelief can and will limit what God can do in individuals lives. Unbelief limited the disciples in their ministry. For whatever reason, in Matthew 17, perhaps because they had seen this boy with the demon like this for many years, they did not have the ability to cast out that demon. Unbelief interfered with their ability to what they should be able to do. Unbelief limits us in what we think we should be doing for God and believing that we have the power to do it.
After his resurrection, Jesus chastised the disciples on their unbelief because they did not believe the message when God did what he said he was going to do.
In Matthew 13 Jesus was limited by unbelief. The people were too familiar with him to accept what he was saying. They first knew him as an ordinary person. Now he was different. Now he has been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Now he can do miracles. The unbelief they had put a wet blanket on Jesus ministry. He could do no might works. Unbelief steals from the power of faith. Unbelief will destroy faith and leave you wondering why God abandoned you when actually through your unbelief you abandoned him.
The solution today is probably the same as the Israelites in the desert; those who had unbelief were not allowed to enter into the promise land. God gave them forty years to figure it out and still they didn’t get it. Today’s American churches and denominations who are ingrained with unbelief will probably not get it either. What will happen is God will simply allow them to die in the desert of America’s once promising land. The land will also be turned to spiritual dust. The storms coming over the horizon, economic storms, political storms and moral storms will destroy the America we once knew and the Christians who have true faith, without any unbelief, will stand in the test and trials while the churches of former days pass away. It will take a people of pure faith who will stand. Finally, a church that is good enough to be the bride of Christ. When we see the last American church of unbelief fail then possibly we will see the return of Christ.
Luke 18: 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
When the Lord returns he will be looking for a people full of faith. His plan was to have a church full of New Testament faith, full of Holy Spirit power changing the world around them, not a bunch of Christians hiding under a rock waiting for the Rapture to take them away.
Some people believe that before Jesus died he empowered a few disciples and a few others. After they all died that was it, game over, no more power. However, Jesus’ going away was to spread the power. He went away and left the Holy Spirit to empower all of us so He would be manifested all over the world. The works that Jesus did, did not die with him. He was just the beginning. We, as Jesus’ representatives, would go into all the world doing all the same things that Jesus did, displaying all the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, drawing people to him and winning them to Christ. Jesus’ dying was not an end of his works but the beginning. The book of Acts is not a history book; it is a living action plan for changing the world. When Jesus returns will he find this kind of church on the earth, one full of faith? Or will he find something else.
Consider this: God’s structure for the church is very clear. He set first Apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers to guide the church. It was a spiritual relationship, a bonding relationship, like a family, spiritual brothers and sisters working together for the good of the family.
What has man done to God’s structure? They have replaced it with boards, committees, president, CEO’s and all other kind of structures and plans. God’s plan has become outdated in their mind. They have a better idea as to how to organize a church, one where men are in power and authority over other men, just like the world’s business and political systems. Instead of servants we have rulers.
Where are the apostles, the prophets and evangelist? Where the men who lead by spiritual authority given by God? Where are the men who are to edify the body of Christ and bring us into the unity of the faith, the fullness and maturity of stature of Christ? Instead of unity, we have men who divide, compete, insult, accuse and ridicule others. This is not the true church of Christ. This is not what Jesus had in mind when sent the disciples out in all of his power and authority.
Will Jesus find faith on the earth? Only when the old worldly church systems, man’s systems and teachings, pass away.
I often hear the quote “America, the last best hope for the world”. The problem with that statement is that the reason America was, and still can be the last best hope, was its people. Even in the worst of times, the America people were rooted in a biblical foundation, a moral and religious people as a whole. That is no longer the case. The American churches have failed. The world must look for a new kind of church, a new church based on the true New Testament model. The new best hope of the world is not a country; it is a church fulfilling the call of the bride of Christ. The old churches filled with the leaven of the world and unbelief will have to pass away. They only stand in the way of true churches of faith. The churches that think they are part of the “in” crowd may find themselves on the outside looking in at Jesus’ return.
The question is, when Jesus returns, will he find faith on the earth? Will you be one of the ones he will find full of faith?
Hebrews 3 12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Mark 6 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.
Nubby
Friday, March 4, 2011
God’s provisions
Deuteronomy 24:19-22 (New Living Translation) 19 “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do. 20 When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. 21 When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. 22 Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.
Leviticus 19 (New Living Translation) 9 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. 10 It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 23:22 (New Living Translation) 22 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God.”
____________________________________________________________
I was studying the topic of a redeemer and read the book of Ruth to get some insight on the subject. I saw where Boaz, Ruth’s redeemer, directed his harvesters not only to leave what God instructed them to do per Deuteronomy and Leviticus but told them to leave extra grain for her to pick up. At the end of the day, she had gathered a full basket to take home to her mother-in-law Naomi.
What I see in this story in Ruth is that it is the fulfilling of the Lord’s command to leave provisions for the poor, the orphaned and the foreigner. God wants his people to share with the less fortunate and the foreigners or strangers in the land who might not have food or work.
The straight and simple is God had made provision for all of us. The provision is already there it is up to us to find it and gather it. God made provisions but each person still had to go out and gather it. They still had to do something. They had to work for it. As the saying goes: “there is no free lunch”. Many Christians are sitting around waiting for “the check in the mail” or gold to fall from the sky or to win the lottery. It is not going to happen. There may be a few cases of free money but often the person who received laid the groundwork to receive that money. They have given and paid the price that causes them to receive that “free” money. In the end, it really was not free. The rule always applies “You reap what you sow”.
All my life when I prayed for more money I usually had to work for it. The opportunity to work overtime would offer itself. A side job would be there just when I needed it. The message I want to share today is that we, Christians, will always have to earn what we need. If you lack what you need, look around, the provision is there somewhere.
I remember a story I read years ago about a priest in a small church that needed money to provide for his poor parishioners. He prayed and prayed but nothing came. He was getting desperate when the Lord finally got through to him and said, “I’ve already provided for you, look around you”. The priest got up and looked around the little plot of land on which the church stood. They built the church in an old pecan orchard and it was full of pecans that were just falling to the ground. People usually just picked up what they wanted for themselves but nobody gave thought to gathering them and selling them. The priest got some parishioners to join him and between them, they gather a number of baskets to sell in the market. Strangely, the money they received was just enough to meet their needs.
So it is with us. Nothing is actually free. That is part of the American ideal. You get to work as hard as you want, make all you want to make and keep it. God said, “If you don’t work you don’t eat”. Many people in American, Christians included, want a free ticket, a free meal or a handout from either God or the government, or a winning lottery ticket. Instead, you need to look around. Maybe you are standing in your orchard. Maybe what you have been praying for is right beneath your feet or just above your head. God has instructed the world to leave provision for His children. We still have to harvest it. Look around you; find out where God wants you so you can bring in your harvest. It is there, waiting for you.
Nubby
Leviticus 19 (New Living Translation) 9 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. 10 It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 23:22 (New Living Translation) 22 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God.”
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I was studying the topic of a redeemer and read the book of Ruth to get some insight on the subject. I saw where Boaz, Ruth’s redeemer, directed his harvesters not only to leave what God instructed them to do per Deuteronomy and Leviticus but told them to leave extra grain for her to pick up. At the end of the day, she had gathered a full basket to take home to her mother-in-law Naomi.
What I see in this story in Ruth is that it is the fulfilling of the Lord’s command to leave provisions for the poor, the orphaned and the foreigner. God wants his people to share with the less fortunate and the foreigners or strangers in the land who might not have food or work.
The straight and simple is God had made provision for all of us. The provision is already there it is up to us to find it and gather it. God made provisions but each person still had to go out and gather it. They still had to do something. They had to work for it. As the saying goes: “there is no free lunch”. Many Christians are sitting around waiting for “the check in the mail” or gold to fall from the sky or to win the lottery. It is not going to happen. There may be a few cases of free money but often the person who received laid the groundwork to receive that money. They have given and paid the price that causes them to receive that “free” money. In the end, it really was not free. The rule always applies “You reap what you sow”.
All my life when I prayed for more money I usually had to work for it. The opportunity to work overtime would offer itself. A side job would be there just when I needed it. The message I want to share today is that we, Christians, will always have to earn what we need. If you lack what you need, look around, the provision is there somewhere.
I remember a story I read years ago about a priest in a small church that needed money to provide for his poor parishioners. He prayed and prayed but nothing came. He was getting desperate when the Lord finally got through to him and said, “I’ve already provided for you, look around you”. The priest got up and looked around the little plot of land on which the church stood. They built the church in an old pecan orchard and it was full of pecans that were just falling to the ground. People usually just picked up what they wanted for themselves but nobody gave thought to gathering them and selling them. The priest got some parishioners to join him and between them, they gather a number of baskets to sell in the market. Strangely, the money they received was just enough to meet their needs.
So it is with us. Nothing is actually free. That is part of the American ideal. You get to work as hard as you want, make all you want to make and keep it. God said, “If you don’t work you don’t eat”. Many people in American, Christians included, want a free ticket, a free meal or a handout from either God or the government, or a winning lottery ticket. Instead, you need to look around. Maybe you are standing in your orchard. Maybe what you have been praying for is right beneath your feet or just above your head. God has instructed the world to leave provision for His children. We still have to harvest it. Look around you; find out where God wants you so you can bring in your harvest. It is there, waiting for you.
Nubby
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