OUR FOOD: TO DO THE WILL OF GOD

A nearby resturant was having a drawing for a 10 speed bike.
So a mother took her son to enter the drawing. She handed
her son an entry blank, and his question was; "Just one"
And he promptly began filling out a handful."
Well son" she said, "You know that if the Lord wants you to
win that bike, you will only have to fill out one." "Oh I know that"
he said. "I'm just signing these in case this is a contest the Lord
doesn't happen to care about one way or another."
It happens with people today. We like to do things our own way.
We don't stop and consider what the Lord's will is for our lives.
Right after Jesus visits with the Samaritan woman, and the
disciples return from town to get some food, Jesus makes a
statement that caught their attention. And it should get our
attention today. "My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of Him
who sent me,and to finish His work." (John 4:34)
There are three blessings that come when we do the will of God
in our lives.
1. TO DO THE WILL OF GOD IS THE ONLY WAY TO PEACE
(Luke 1:79)
2. TO DO THE WILL OF GOD IS THE ONLY WAY TO STABILITY
(Matthew 7:24-27)
3. TO DO THE WILL OF GOD IS THE ONLY WAY TO POWER
(2 Corinthians 3:5)
When we are obedient to God, it shows how much we love Him.
It shows that we are more sufficient in God than of ourselves.
To experience God's blessings, that's the way it should be. (GP)

THE WORLD, OR THE LORD?

In Matthew 16:26, Jesus asks a very challenging question.
For what is a man profited, it he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul? or what will a man give in exchange
for his soul?"
The soul is our inner person. When this life is done, our
inner person will go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ for
eternity. But that depends on how we answer this question
by our life's attitudes, and actions.
In essence, we place on the scale of life, the priorities
and pursuits of the world, verses the priority and the
pursuit of the Kingdom of God. You may say, "Well, that's
an easy answer. What is more important is, the pursuing of
the Kingdom of God. But when we look at our lives, has it
just been lip service? Have we really been 100% committed
to this priority? I know I haven't. I may have said yes to
the Lord, but by actions have said yes to the world.
When we lose something very precious, how devastated we feel.
And deep regret comes, when we have given up something,
and now we we wished we had it back.
The word "tragic" will not describe well enough, the losing
of our soul to the world. The Lord Jesus, loves us, and
wants us to be with Him for eternity. Don't we want that too?
Let's place our soul in His love, and in His will, knowing
that with Him, we will be in safe hands, now and forever. (GP)

SPIRITUAL WEAKNESS

“Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”(Matthew 26:41)
It was not a time to sleep, but a time to pray. This was a time to pray for strength, to face the tragic upcoming events of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and death on the cross. Peter, who said that even if all the rest fall away, he never would. Even if it meant that he would die with Jesus, he would not deny Him. But he did, just as Jesus told Him He would (Matthew 26:34)
We can criticize Peter all we want, but we know ourselves, how weak we are. We say that we will not do those things that are sinful, those things that are against the will of the Lord. But yet in a moment of weakness, we find ourselves participating in those sinful acts. Yes, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The two things, Jesus told the disciples to do, in overcoming temptation, will work for us as well. He told them to “Watch, and Pray.”
Watch for those urges to participate in a sinful act. When they come, in prayer, bring them to Jesus, and let Him have them. Don’t take them on yourself, but give them to Jesus, to deal with, and destroy. It is always an advantage for something weak to be placed along something that Is strong. Let’s place ourselves with Jesus. There is no one who is stronger for us, than He.
GP

OUR GREAT PHYSICIAN

It's good to be back! I am sorry for not posting any Bible teaching in awhile. I hope I can stay constant now, and keep the posts coming. A question that was presented by Andy Rooney on "60 MINUTES", "What ever happened to the family physician, who could treat a number of conditions? Today we are so specialized." It made me think about our Great Physician, Jesus Christ, who can treat every spiritual condition we have. Broken lives, broken hearts, and most of all the restoration of our souls, for eternity. Jesus can do it all, but the question is, will we let Him? Will we take advantage of His services? I listened to a preacher on TV this week, and he had a good sermon on, attending to the Word of God, which is the medicine for our poor spiritual conditions. If we don't attend to the Word of God, on a continual basis, how can we expect to have good spiritual health? I think of individuals, and families, who find themselves in such ruin these days. If they only would have found Jesus, and His teachings, and experienced what He could do for their lives, life would be so much better for them today. In reponse to the criticism Jesus received for sitting with the publicans and sinners. Jesus said "Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick." (Matthew 9:12) In those times of being both physically and spiritually sick, when I turned to the Lord, He was always there for me. With His wisdom, and His resources, He ministered unto me, the right words, and the right people, to take care of my needs. He will do the same for you. You don't have to make an appointment. Right where you are, you can pray, and study His Word, and receive the best He has to offer. He is a loving and faithful Physician. He won't, let you down! (GP)

Jesus' Health-Care Plan

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”Matthew 11:28-30.
No matter what happens this week-end, with the vote on national health care, the debate will still be long-running. In this great tug-of-war over this issue, a person wonders, what will work for many Americans, without health insurance today? It will be almost two years ago, since I under-went surgery, for prostate cancer. I wasn’t sure about my health care, but I was sure about my Lord’s care. When I needed Him, He was there. He gave me the strength to endure, that difficult experience. It was a heavy burden for me, because I am not a strong person. He gave me the inner strength, to endure, and to recover. Today, as I write this article, I am cancer free. If you are physically sick today, maybe dealing with a severe illness; (while the world goes on debating on health care) you can count on the Lord, to help you with whatever dark valley you’re going through. And if complete healing doesn’t come in this life, it will come in the next.
Instead of the worry, and sadness, that comes with the yoke of the world; put on the yoke of Jesus. In everything, in Him, you will find the best care you can find. (GP)

Crossroads

"Must Jesus bear the cross alone, And all the
world go free? No there's a cross for everyone,
and there's a cross for me."
Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus said to His disciples,
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him
deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me."

There are three spiritual entrances to the road
of the cross.
1. The Entrance Of Desire.
Do we desire to follow Jesus? Or The world?
I would rather desire to follow Jesus, and suffer
for Him, than to live for the world, and allow it
to gradually destroy my life, and my soul.
2. The Entrance Of Denial.
It's not easy to deny ourselves, and put Jesus first.
But it is necessary if we are to be in the best
spiritual health we can be in. With Him in our lives,
we do so much better, than with those worldly products,
that promise, but never deliver.
3. The Entrance Of Decision.
If you'r going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk.
That's what Jesus wants. He doesn't want good
intentions, He wants a decision, and a commitment to that
decision. If Jesus set His face like flint to go to the
cross for us, what is our excuse?
The road to glory includes a cross.
If Jesus was willing to take up His for You and for me,
we should never hesitate, to do whatever it takes, to live
for Him, and serve Him, 100%. (GP)

Entering The Family Of God

Of our three children, Tracy is the oldest.
Her entering our family was very dynamic.
She was born in a snowstorm in 1979.
It took us four hours, to go seventeen miles, to get
to a hospital. It may have been a stressfull
experience, but all in all, it was exciting, and a very
joyful experience.
It is exciting too, when one enters the family of God.
After the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, and one's need
for Jesus, to be Savior and Lord, they enter the waters
of baptism. It is at baptism, where Jesus cleasnes one
of sin, and the Holy Spirit finds His eternal place in
that person's heart, and life.(Acts 2:38)
There are two things we find, in this wonderful experience.
1. Our Placement.
The Apostle Paul says that ..."If any man be [in] Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold
all things are become new."(2 Corinthians 5:17)
To enter the family of God, is to be placed [In] Christ.
The old sins, and sinful nature, and lifestyle, is gone,
and we are enabled, by Christ, to take on new life.
A new life, a new peace, and a new hope.
2. Our Postion.
There are two aspects of God's call for the Christian
life: One is Privilege, and the other is Purpose.
We see this in Ephesians 2:8-10.
Privelge: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.."
Purpose: "..not of works, lest anyman should boast,
for we are the workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them."
It is exciting to be apart of the family of God.
To be born again, and to be placed [In] Christ for eternity,
To experience the blessings offered, and to be able to
do our part, to be involved in "good works" for the cause, of
the Kingdom of God. I believe there is nothing more
exciting than this! (GP)
Outline And Helps From "Check Your Life In Christ"
(By Knofel Staton)1993 The Standard Publishing Co.

A Spiritual Olympian

I have been watching the Winter Olympics.
It amazes me, what some of those athletes do,
in their events of competition.
And to think that they have practiced, and worked
hard, for a long time to get ready for this one time
event. The Apostle Paul looked at this life, as being
a time of preparation, for a one time event.
That event, is our homecoming with the Lord Jesus
Christ, and receiving all the eternal blessings He offers.
He said this: "Do you not know that those who run
in a race, all run, but one receives the prize? Run in
such a way that you may obtain it."
(1 Corithians 9:24)
We and the rest of the world are on a life course.
Between our birth and our death, is our running time.
All run, but not all will get the prize. All that are living now,
will not have eternal life, when this life is done.
Paul is saying; make it your main goal to live your life, in a
way that is definately heading toward the eternal rewards of God.
Paul writes to Timothy; "For bodily excercise profits little,
but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise
of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."
(1 Timothy 4:8) Everyday of our lives is a time of training
and preparation, to be the best we can be, when we
meet Jesus face to face. We are spiritual Olympians,
heading for the prize, "the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14b) GP
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