BUT GOD

BUT
GOD

This
expression appears in several of Paul's letters. For example in (2
Cor 7:5-7), we see Paul in a very discouraged state. Actually
this great apostle states in verse 5 "When we arrived in
Macedonia there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every
direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside".
Just imagine, this is Paul the apostle confessing to having fear! But
notice how he starts the next verse "But God, who encourages
those who are discouraged,-----". (NLT) Yes even great men like Paul
can become discouraged by times, "but God" always comes to
the rescue! In this case it was by the arrival of Titus with good
news about the church in Corinth.

Another
example of Paul using this expression is in (Eph 2:4), after
stating the sad condition of every one of us in verses 1-3, that we
were all born in sin, he begins verse 4 "But God is so rich in
mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because
of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Jesus from the dead. (It
is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)" (NLT). In my
opinion, this second chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesian church,
gives us a very clear picture of both the universal need of salvation, as well
as how to receive it!

Just
in these two uses of this expression "But God" by Paul, we
can see clearly that they apply to us all, at some time or other.
Certainly we were all born as sinners, and I expect that we have all
been discouraged a few times. We should be greatly encouraged to know
from God's Word that He is concerned about every one of us humans.
This supernatural [Agape] love of God is so far above and beyond any
sort of natural love that we can muster up, that we find it hard to
understand. In (John 3:16) where we read that God loved us "so
much that He gave His one and only Son", John used this Greek
word [Agape] to describe this supernatural love. Whether we can
really understand it or not, we can all take advantage of God's offer
of His supernatural [Agape] love. First we need to receive it, and
then we need to extend it to all those we come in contact with!

Sincerely
submitted.

Dave
Jamer

THERMOMETERS OR THERMOSTATS

THERMOMETERS
OR THERMOSTATS

We
all know the difference between a thermometer, which "records"
the temperature of the atmosphere around it, and a thermostat that
"controls" the temperature of the atmosphere around it,
instead of just adjusting to the existing temperature and simply
recording it. As followers of Jesus we can either act as one or the
other in the atmosphere in which we live! As followers of Jesus we
all live in a spiritual atmosphere that is completely surrounded by
the ungodly atmosphere of the world that is under the control of our
enemy Satan. Jesus said we are to be "in" the world, but
not "of" the world. He also said "You are the light of
the world--like a city on a hilltop that can't be hidden." (Matt
5:14) What do you think He meant by that statement?

I
believe Jesus meant that as His followers, we are to affect the world
around us by reflecting His light! (John 1:1-5) In this way our
lives should act as a thermostat that controls the spiritual
temperature of the atmosphere in the world we are called to live in!
How well do we function in that role? Sad to say, we often become
nothing more than a thermostat which simply records the existing
spiritual temperature of the world around us. "Do not be deceived evil
company corrupts good habits." (1 Cor 15:33) So we need
to be careful what type of people we hang out with. Are we affecting
them as a thermostat would, or are we just becoming a thermometer,
and simply registering the spiritual temperature of that particular
group?

Paul has some good advice for us in (Eph 5:6-14)! Then
he goes on in verses 15-21 to explain how we can receive the power to
live this sort of life. The key is his statement in verse 18 "Don't
be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be
filled with the Holy Spirit". The proper meaning in the Greek
for this expression is "be continually in the process of being
filled with the Holy Spirit"! Living a "Spirit filled life"
is not a once upon a time event, it requires a daily filling. Some
one once asked Dwight L  Moody why he was always talking about the need
of being filled with the Spirit, his reply was "because I leak"!
If we expect our lives to function in this world as thermostats, we
must realize our need of keeping ourselves full of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus told His disciples just before going to the cross, that He
would send the Holy Spirit to take His place on earth, when He went
back to heaven. You can read about this promise in the gospel of
John, chapters 14, 15, and 16. Then in (Acts 1:8, 2:1-4) we
see the fulfillment of this promise. Then in (Acts 2:38-39)
Peter tells us that this gift of the Holy Spirit is for us Gentiles,
as well as for the Jews he was speaking to that day. So let's
determine to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, and become spiritual thermostats, and not just thermometers!

Sincerely
submitted.

Dave  Jamer

QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE

DO
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE?

Most
of us have questions that seldom even get asked---let alone answered!
BIG questions like

How
was our universe, which includes our planet earth, formed?

Where
did we humans come from?

Where
do we go when we die?

What
is the purpose of my life?

Is
there a life beyond what we experience here on this planet?

These
and many more questions often come to our minds, and we don't know
where to look for the answers. You might try to "Google"
for them on your computer, or read the many books available in the
library, but can any of them really give correct answers to my
questions? The answer is yes there is one true source of information
that holds the answers to these and many more possible questions!

This
book is the Bible, which is the "Manufacturer's Manuel",
that our loving "Creator God" has provided for the use of
human beings like us. It is available from any book store, and comes
in various translations, in most of the main languages spoken on our
planet. It was first written partly in Hebrew, and partly in Greek,
so any version you choose to read in your language has to be a
translation from the original documents. We suggest that you choose a
reliable modern translation such as the NLT (New Living Translation)
which uses words that are easily understood.

The
Bible is divided into 2 parts, the Old Testament (OT) and the New
Testament (NT). The OT gives details about the original creation, and
the life of a special nation God choose to be an example of how the
other nations around them should live. He gave them specific laws to
follow, and a system of worship that would be acceptable to Him,
their Creator. However they failed to obey these laws and were
continually following the ways of the wicked nations around them, and
God had to punish them for their disobedience. God raised up prophets
from among them, who warned them of the consequences of their
disobedience, and also of the promise of a coming righteous King, who
would some day come to lead them in His ways.

The
NT is basically the story of this King, who is none other than God
Himself, who comes to earth as "Emmanuel" (God with us),
who is the earthly manifestation of the triune (three part) God
(Jehovah) that we refer to as the Trinity. His Name is Jesus, and the
first 4 books of the NT give us a description of His birth, life,
death, and resurrection, from 4 different writers Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John. Matthew and John were both followers of Jesus, and part of
the 12 men who became known as disciples and later as apostles of Jesus,
while Mark and Luke were both part of the "Apostolic Team"
led by Paul, who wrote many of the books of the NT.

For
most people who are new to the Bible, it can seem like a very hard
book to understand, and it is difficult, especially in some of the
older translations. But we suggest you first start with the NT book
of Luke, who was a well educated doctor who travelled with Paul, and
wrote both the gospel that bears his name, and Acts, which is the
history of how the church started and grew in the first century. Both
of these books were addressed to a Roman nobleman named Theophilus,
who was apparently a friend. These 2 books will give you a general
understanding of the message of the NT, and how this message spread
throughout the then known world. Then possibly you should read the
gospel account recorded by John, in which he stresses the divinity of
Jesus. Then the short first letter of John gives us some very clear
advice, as well as the book of James, Peter's 2 letters, and of
course the letters of Paul. All these books of the Bible are meant to
point us to Jesus who is the "Truth" (John 14:6), who
came to earth to be our Savior. Once we accept Him as our Savior, the
Holy Spirit then indwells us as our guide into all truth. (John
16:13) and then, and only then, the whole Bible starts to make
sense!

Sincerely
submitted.

Dave
Jamer

RIPENED FRUIT

The Bible has a lot to tell us about "spiritual maturity", such as this exhortation from the book of Hebrews (Heb 5:11-6:3). We all start out on our spiritual journey at the same point, that is our birth in the spirit. (John 3:3-8). This can be compared to our natural physical birth from our mother's womb, or to the birth of an apple from the blossom early in the spring. In the case of a human baby, they are completely helpless at the start and need the loving care of their mother, and the acceptance and help of the rest of the family. Then as they progress on their physical journey, they are helped by school teachers, church leaders etc. as well as many various friends that make up their learning environment in an ever increasing world in which they have to learn to adapt. The little apple, on the other hand, only has to be exposed to the natural elements of sun and rain etc. while being nourished by the sap it receives from the apple tree it is attached to. (John 15:5). Over the summer months this little apple just naturally progresses through the various stages of maturity, from a little half grown green apple in June, to a beautiful tasty red apple in Sept! For the human baby the time to become mature is much longer of course. Consider the normal year in kindergarten, plus 12 years in school, plus several years in university, and even then most students are still a long way from being mature!

Our journey toward spiritual maturity is very similar to the above process of the apple becoming a tasty delicious fruit. It takes time, and exposure to various situations, some good, and some not so good, but all planned by our heavenly Father to bring us into maturity! The Apostle Peter gives us an excellent description of this process of spiritual growth in his second epistle. Why not take time right now to read it (2 Peter 1:3-11), and meditate on the steps he outlines. He starts with faith, without which it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6), and then adds to faith various qualities such as moral excellence, knowledge, self control, etc. until we reach the point of "love for everyone". This of course is the Greek word [agape], which is the highest type of love, "God's love". This should be the goal for each of us to reach, as followers of Jesus! Right?

I recently read the following quote from ODB devotional on Oct 26, 2008 "The God of all grace works in all His children, humbling the proud and exalting the humble, to make them ripe and sweet. Our task is to take hold of God's grace to endure our afflictions with patience, without growing weary". Then the devotional included the following little poem,

"Our fruitfulness and growth in Christ won't happen instantly,

but meditating on God's Word will bring maturity."---Sper

"Salvation is the miracle of a moment; growth is the labor of a lifetime"

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer