No Fear in Troubled Times

"And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be ... nation shall rise against nation ... and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles - Mark 13:7-8

Jesus predicted that before his return some fearful things would happen.

Could he have been referring to just the sort of things we see now - terrorists, Middle East wars, global warming fears (real or imagined); political and geological problems increasing everywhere? I think so.

Ahead of time he told us this so his people would trust his care and not be afraid like those without hope or faith.

We choose to believe in his personal care, acting from faith not fear.

- fritz

Reading the Scriptures Adequately and Accurately

"in order to read the Scriptures adequately and accurately, it is necessary at the same time to live them. Not to live them as a prerequisite to reading them, and not to live them in consequence of reading them, but to live them as we read them....It means letting Another have a say in everything we are saying and doing. It is as easy as that. And as hard"¹ - Eugene H. Peterson (Author of The Message Bible)

^{1 - Eat this Book: A conversation in the art of spiritual reading Copyright 2006 Eugene H. Peterson.}

The Power of Asking

And as he went out of the temple ... Jesus ... said ... Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another ... Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? - Mark 13:1b-4a

Jesus publically predicted the coming Jewish temple's destruction. Privately, four disciples later asked for the details which he gave.

Had they not asked we would not have those details.

Parents of sons understand this concept. Once, while grousing at a son for not giving me advance notice of something, he informed me he said nothing because I did not ask.

Jesus' method of teaching was, and still is, to give to those who take the time to sit down with him and ask. If there is no time and no asking there will be nothing given.

- fritz

How to Delight God

A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. - Proverbs 11:1

Doing honest work for an honest wage delights God. You can't love God and cheat people in the market place.

- fritz

Loud works well!

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. - Psalm 55:17

Prayer is not always a quiet contemplation with gentle requests. Sometimes is needs to be a loud expressive cry.

True, God is not hard of hearing, but neither is he nervous about emotions - He has them, himself.

Loud praying is sometimes the best praying.

When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: - Psalm 56:9a

- fritz

What's His is Mine!

For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' - Acts 13:47

Paul took a scripture from Isaiah 49:6, clearly referring to the work of Christ, and proclaimed it was God's calling to him.

Can he do that? Sure. Can we do that? Yes.

Paul, knew that those who are joined to Christ by faith are part of Christ in actuality.¹ What belongs to us now also belongs Christ - our sins, griefs, shortcomings.² He embraced them and took them to the cross. What belongs to Christ is now ours³ - his payment for our sins, his resurrection, his fellowship with the Father, his anointing with the Holy Spirit, his seat on the throne, even his call to ministry and the work of others in Christ. He now lives his life through us (though not exclusively), and not just for our benefit, but to those He came to save.⁴

- fritz

^{1 - 1st Corinthians 6:17, Ephesians 5:30
2 - 2nd Corinthians 5:21
3 - Romans 8:32, 1st Corinthians 3:22
4 - 1st John 4:17}

Empty of Evil

"When a corrupting spirit is expelled ... it says, 'I'll go back to my old haunt.' On return, it finds the person swept and dusted, but vacant. It then ... rounds up seven other spirits ... and they all move in...That person ends up far worse" - Jesus (Luke 11:24-26 Message)

Being empty of evil is not enough, we must be full of good.

Not doing wrong doesn't ultimately help, we must do right.

Read the Bible, go to church, pray daily, let God fill up your life with his goodness, let him guide you how to do good things.

- fritz