The Devotional - A Look at the Book #561

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #561

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Psalm 119:17 Longevity of life is not found in diet and exercise, since the profit of this is little! But a bountiful life is obtained in the grace of God to the one who lives in the Word, watching daily at the gate. 1 Timothy 4:8 and Proverbs 8:32-36

Good Morning

To be or not to be, that is the question; whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to — 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep; to sleep, perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub,... From Shakespeare's Hamlet; Act 3, scene 1 written around 1600 and said to be one of the most eloquent orations ever written. Maybe from a secular point of view it is, yet I believe that it is morbid if you read the whole of it. When Jesus was asked to teach His disciples to pray, He used sixty-six words as recorded in Matthew's gospel. In all of the languages of the world these words are the most articulated words ever spoken or written; explaining the Paternity of God; the Plan of God; the Provision of God; the Pardon of God; the Protection of God and the Permanence of God. The Pathway of the upright is the highway paved by these 66 words. It is better to live in the light of this truth. Then to die in the battle of self-destruction found in the words of secular humanism. It is okay to be bold; it is not okay to be foolish! Matthew 6:9-13. Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:3-7 – As we travel through this epistle I have been reminded time and again about the theme of the letter. Comfort; have you ever dropped a can of marbles and watch them spread across the floor and feel as though it will take a month of Sundays to pick them all up. Once you have collected the marbles comfort returns. In our feeble attempt to live in comfort we need to live in the truth that! “GOD NEVER DROPS HIS CAN OF MARBLES”

Now I am not claiming to have it all figured out so please do not take me wrong; but this one thing I have noticed over the last five years is that God’s Plan for mankind is painstakingly contained by the prophets and apostles. The themes and subjects of every word in the Holy Bible point to the Living Word (Jesus Christ). He alone is the Word of Life; 1 John 1:1-4 in order that His saints enjoy living life to the full. Simply put; this epistle explains this fullness of life in intricate, but accurate detail.

We live can life in boldness as we see God at work; in our tribulations, or trials, or suffering. Our flesh has little rest and life is troubling. Yet God always sends comfort; in a downcast moment; comfort comes from another brother or sister in the LORD. This is not happenchance as someone of a secular viewpoint may like to point out. This consolation comes directly from God… who is God of all comfort. The zeal of the LORD is the joy of the LORD in action. Sorrow is replaced by JOY, not because of who we are; but because of Who God IS. John 16:16-24.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #560

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #560

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Psalm 119:16 – Some of our most pleasant moments are when we are looking into the Perfect Law of Liberty. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not like our thoughts. Joy and Peace are the attributes of the soul at rest with His statutes. Psalm 19:7-10

Good Morning

I believe in a young earth and it is not popular these days to think that the earth is less than twelve thousand years old. My answer to those who want to ridicule and say that people like me are wrong is: “so what!” Once you go beyond the history of recorded human life, what is the point of going any further? Only one and that is to deny the existence of the Creator. The evolutionist simply seeks to replace the Creator who IS ETERNAL with the created that IS TEMPERAL. The existence of God is forever and even God cannot be measured in time. God does not need a clock to measure His existence and eternity is always a present condition with Him. Eternity has no past or future since eternity is always present. It is futile to search for the beginning of time and it is nonsense to seek the beginning of God. For the human mind to come up with “the” answer is in my thinking a thing of vanity, since who is there to verify the validity of such a thing. Deuteronomy 29:29 helps me know that the secrets of creation belong to God alone and that the Laws of God are provided for us to believe and to pass on to our children. Our schools, our community and our nation have failed to be faithful to this. Thus today our children are a by-product of a failed society. This fundamental principle of truth is a root cause of pollution today. Say what? Oh! Not the pollution that chokes our physical breath; but the pollution produced by men and women who teach, preach and suppress the truth that God created the heavens and the earth to promote their own ungodly agendas. Romans 1:18-32

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:2 – This is a real problem in churches today since there are many believers walking about with chips on their shoulders. Now I would say that this is a common thing among those who are recently saved and who have not experienced true brotherly love or the promises of God and true spirituality. But this is not the case many of our so called seasoned saints are carrying logs on their shoulders and several large splinters in their eyes because of falsely judging other saints. Matthew 7:1-6

Truly anyone who uses the Word of God deceitfully should be condemned and I know that verse 3 is not looking at that thought, but I am seeking to be plain in my presentation of truth in that I am not sharing this with us to judge or condemn ourselves before God; but to edify each of us in the grace of God in order that we can share together the joy of the LORD. After all; in our contemporary life we live and we die together or as we would say today; we are all in the same boat.

I could be bolder and I enjoy the apostle Paul for his boldness… don’t you? And if you know me you know that I boast a lot; sometimes it is taken wrong in that I am boasting in the flesh, but I do not think of it in that way… God will certainly be the judge in this. But I boast because of what God is doing in my life and how I perceive that he is doing the same in your life. Truly there is JOY in the LORD and as we proceed through the remainder of this epistle we will see that suffering produces the real JOY of the LORD in these earthen vessels. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

A Devotional - Looking at the Book #559

A Devotional - Looking at the Book #559

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Psalm 119:15 “I will, or I do” comes to me while contemplating the Word of God. These should not be words of idle promise, but an everlasting covenant with Him. As it is God's Will that we follow His precepts faithfully.

Good Morning

One more story from that news room barrel, this one from England: Paula, and her husband, Chris, had just finished tucking their young ones into bed one evening and after return to the parlor, they heard crying coming from the children's room. Rushing in, they found Tommy crying hysterically. He had accidentally swallowed a 5p piece and was sure he was going to die. No amount of talking could change his mind. Trying to calm him, Chris palmed a 5p coin that he happened to have in his pocket and pretended to remove it from Tommy's ear. Tommy, naturally, was delighted. In a flash, he snatched it from his father's hand, swallowed it and demanded cheerfully - 'Do it again, Dad!' Sometimes our quick thinking is just that… it is just not fast enough!

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:11-18 – Speaking to the Galatians the apostle could have easily said; “O Earthen vessels!” Our mouths are open from our heart where our words come from. You are not being restricted by us in any way, but it is your own restriction that is affecting your response to what we say. So be like children again and respond by opening your heart. Take in again what we are saying.

Stop being equally yoked with the unbeliever, since you are washed clean by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2) you are unequal. You must know that with the unbeliever there is fellowship; but it is unholy. There is relative righteousness; but this is lawlessness and there is communion with the unbeliever; but this leads only to further darkness. Jesus Christ does not mix with the religions of darkness. So we believers have no part with the unbeliever, except as a witness to them of godliness which leads to holiness.

We are God’s temple of earthen vessels made new and we do walk among the earthen vessels that have no hope; we may be the only semblance of God they will ever see, therefore our separate (although not complete) must reveal to them that we are holy. In other words what the unbeliever does is unholy and unclean by word and deed. We are sons and daughters of God; the LORD God Almighty. 1 Corinthians 7:1 so let us claim the promises; be holy; cleanse ourselves and in the fear of the LORD and leave the 5p on the nightstand.

A Devotional - Looking at the Book #558

A Devotional - Looking at the Book #558

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Psalm 119:14 The joy of my day is the Word of God; His testimonies do not fail; even when all around me the way of life is suffering and dying… His Word is everlasting peace!

Good Morning

There is room for most anything to happen in life; don’t cha know? I remember when I had owned a business shortly after retiring from the military. The work caused me to be up during the night because we cleaned banks and schools. One early morning on the way to our last job, I was listening to a radio station in Wheeling, West Virginia. The disk jockey as a normal routine would play a few songs; then share a piece of news from what he referred to as the news that comes from the bottom of the news room barrel. Seems that one early morning there was heavy fog in a small town called Guetersloh in West Germany; two vehicles were heading down the road at opposite directions and “they” collided; head-on. The fog was so thick that the two men driving had rolled down the driver side window and both had their head outside the window following the line in the middle of the road. The head on collision was not the vehicles but both heads of the drivers. The autos suffered no damage, not even the side mirrors; the drivers were hospitalized with serious head trauma. Seems that many believers these days are moving about in a spiritual fog that is as dense as that in Guetersloh; could these be like the slothful of Proverbs 24:30-34?

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:8-10 – The earthen vessel of the minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is unique among all other earthen vessels. As we noticed earlier we saw that the redeemed vessel has experience the excellent power of God and that this vessel now contains a treasury of good attributes. Attributes that only God has, but because of His love; He has given to us exceeding great and precious promises to utilize this treasury which fails not.

When we are IN the thick of it as the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:1-5 shares; he goes on to say that we have victory already, by purity, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the indwelling Holy Spirit, sincere (un-hypocritical) love, the word of truth, the power of God and righteousness. Then he changes his focus a bit by saying that in verses eight through ten that our armor of Christ’s Righteousness (the treasury in our earthen vessel) surrounds us on the right and left; even when we are honored or dishonored, even when it is reported that our actions are evil when not; even as deceivers, but yet we are true.

Known or unknown the message of righteousness is known; therefore we are in the eyes of the world as a dying breed… God is dead the world would say; but yet we LIVE; we are also chastened by the world for our testimony of truth; yet we live on and are not killed. We are sorrowful; yet we are always found rejoicing; we even seem poor while we encourage others to be rich; in that we seem to have nothing and yet; in Christ’s Righteousness we have all things. 2 Corinthians 4:7 is the key to understanding this whole epistle. I truly enjoy this epistle of Paul’s and I hope you do too.

A Devotional - Looking at the Book #557

A Devotional - Looking at the Book #557

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Psalm 119:13 I know that the LORD is righteous and justice is on His lips. Therefore I am bound by the Spirit of Him to do the same, but sometimes; I grieve the Holy Spirit by keeping quite. (Eph.4:30)

Good Morning

In December 2008 I selected this article from the LOS ANGELES TIMES, October 8 as it reminded me of an experience during my youth: People in northwestern Montana have been advised to be on the lookout for drunken bears. Black bears and grizzlies have been congregating along the tracks of the Burlington Northern railroad; where a train carrying hundreds of tons of corn derailed some time ago. The corn has fermented and the aroma is attracting the bears. "The bears are actually intoxicated up there," said wildlife biologist Loren Hicks. And a grizzly with a hangover can be as cross as a bear. Pun was intended! Cross as a bear was mom’s favorite saying about my father’s character when he was drunk. When I was a young boy my father had a pet goose; most evenings you would find the two them at the local bar. After a few hours both would come staggering out of the bar and come home. Usually when they returned my dad would brag on the goose's ability to drink, but one night he came home raging like a bear. My mom asked him what was wrong; his pet goose staggered into the road and got himself run over. My dad was as cross as a bear for the next few days... No corn here; no bull either, just a bad experience as a child. Children need parents with good character and there seems to be so little of integrity these days. I wonder how those bears are treating their young!

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:1-8 – Now I thought that we would be moving into chapter seven this morning, but yesterday I had some idle time and was rereading chapter six. Don’t you just love the Word of the Living God? I know I do; I am struck by the Words of Scripture every day. When I am down or even when I feel like walking away from the LORD; you know that feeling don’t you? “Prone to wander LORD I feel it; prone to leave the God I love” you know the song too… Come Thou fount of every blessing – Robert Robinson… early 1800.

Well it is going to take us a few more days in this chapter and I hope it makes you as goose bumpy as it does me as we revisit the chapter. We are fellow workers for the gospel of Christ… there is little pay for this work; yes I know that the pastors and some teachers receive income and they should; but when you take a good look at the work of the gospel you will find professional people, laborers, clerks and service people who know Jesus personally. They too, receive compensation from the hand of the LORD since God owns all the cattle… the bears too.

So in all; we commend ourselves as ministers of God… can you just get hold of that for a moment? Ministers of God brings such joy to my heart I can hardly make my fingers go fast enough to explain what I mean. But this joy does not come without SUFFERING does it? Notice if you will the apostle’s words. Ministers of God; in much patience, tribulations, needs, distresses, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleeplessness and fasting.

We experience these episodes of ministry because it is the life of Christ. Just as the LORD relied on the excellent power of God in His earthen vessel… we too can rely on the power of God through the Holy Spirit. Notice the next few verses. By purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God and by the armor of righteousness. All attributes of the Living God. Well I have run out of time and space; we will pick this up again tomorrow.

A Devotional Look at the Book #556

A Devotional Look at the Book #556

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Psalm 119:9 – The upright in heart has no need to cover their tracks; since the cleansing effect of God's Word keeps them pure. Oh taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who trusts in Him. Psalm 34:8

Good Morning

This is an incredible story, but true: Once there was a man in California who decided to tie several helium filled weather balloons to his lawn chair; he weighted the chair so it would not take off. He strapped himself to the chair; and placed his .22 cal. Rifle in his lap. Then he cut the ropes holding him to the ground. His plan was to see if he could get lift-off! He thought that one by one he would shoot the balloons and return safely to the ground. All was not well; the chair shot off the ground so quickly that he was above his house by several feet before he could get hold of his thought to pull the trigger on the rifle. Now he was presented with another problem in his mind. “What if I hit more than one balloon and I fall like a rock, I'll die” So! Scared to do anything; he just sat there. Soon a passenger jet that was landing at a nearby airport passed him. The air passengers where alarmed and reported that the plane had just past a guy sitting in a lawn chair holding a rifle. I would be alarmed, wouldn't you? The pilot reported to the local airport that he had just passed a guy sitting in a lawn chair with a rifle; of course the airport personnel believed him! After some debate, the pilot was able to convince the ground people that he had not lost his mind. A military helicopter was dispatched to assist the guy in the lawn chair. The pilot was able to push the chair back down by getting above the balloons and forcing the chair downward. The chair, the rifle and the man were safe, the balloons were destroyed and life goes on. Should there not be a warning on all lawn chairs about flight safety or something! After all there is a warning on most everything else we humans misuse… just a thought!

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:11-18 – In the paragraph above we simply see that mankind is restricted in his logic. Now I know you are saying… I would never do something as stupid as strapping myself to chair and flying off into the air, but you do know as well as I that foolishness of life has always been at war with integrity which demands we live responsibly. Thus we have a relative righteousness that is mixed with a relative foolishness. This is a mixture of selfishness that causes suffering of every kind in our lives and the lives of those associated with us.

Preachers and teachers call out to us with affection for our soul, but we mostly do not respond back with the same affection. Why? Because our affections are strapped to foolishness, or as the apostle plainly states; we are not wholly separated from worldly affections. We live our Christian way of life by ignoring the command to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. These unbelievers include friends and blood relatives who strapped to the foolishness and the powers of the evil air around us.

We have learned from earlier verses that we have this excellent power in these earthen vessels and here in these passages we are told that God will walk among us. He willingly then has done all to be our God; but we must be willing to be wholly separated to Him as His people. He requires that we remove the straps that bind us to the unbeliever, the world and too be HOLY. Be separate says the LORD and I will be your Father and you shall be my Sons and Daughters; says the LORD God Almighty!

A Devotional Look at the Book #555

A Devotional Look at the Book #555

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Just think for a moment; purpose and direction on earth is limited by time and space. But when our hearts fine purpose in our Creator; we are redirected by His Way, His Truth and His Life. This pathway of His exceeds time and space and called, eternity with Him. John 14:1-6

Good Morning

This morning trying to reflect on things out of the past I am reminded that some people have said in general that the present is more important. You know... recent things that go on would tend to prove that God is still currently working in your life. Explaining something that happened twenty years ago is okay, but we want to hear what God did yesterday in your life. Then the LORD reminded me of Moses who wrote the first five books of the Old Testament; much of which was two thousand years before his time. Yes, I know the bible is inspired and absolute truth. I am not trying to contend with that and would be a fool if I were to try! But sometimes ancient people like my self have ancient, but true stories to tell. And it is a whole lot better than telling those dumb blond jokes since that would be a misnomer; blonds are not dumb; are they? Careful how you answer that one; women know how to become a blond while on lunch break. Anyway things like that really go against the written word of the Living God. Ephesians 5:4. So what did God do yesterday? The very same thing He did today! And by the way it is the very same thing He will do tomorrow. He is the Eternal, Omnipresent, Immutable, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Sovereign, Truthful, Righteous and Just. He is God who protects what He created with His most powerful attribute: LOVE. 1 John 3:1; Psalm 8:1-9; Psalm 19:1-14 and Hebrews 13:8.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:1 – I do not suppose that you might think of yourself as equal in character with the apostle Paul do you? Would it be blasphemous to think a thought like that? I believe from the passages before us that the apostle is hoping that some of him will rub off on you and me. Notice he says that we are workers together with him and with the LORD Jesus Christ and that if we are not working as Christ intended then we have received the grace of God in vain.

So we really should be careful; while we do not want to be legalistically pious in our approach to serving and working together for the gospel we also do not want to squander the grace of God; do we? Here is a thought from a secular example: At an acceptable time your future employer heard your expression of faith in your ability to do the job he or she offered. On that day they delivered you into that job and helped you; so now is that time, it is the day you and your employer has been waiting for.

Who do you learn from? The general manager is not going to teach you, although he should send help; maybe the foreman will be of some help. However a good company will have manuals and regulations to interpret. All of these manuals and regulations were written by people who have long since; perished or moved on to other opportunities, but their methods are proven to work and work well.

The greater calling for you and me is bearing the marks of ministry with our LORD and those who have gone before us; we do this by imitating them which is a far more rewarding life. Notice 1 Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1 and Hebrews 6:12