The Search for Righteousness

Colossians 3:1-6
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming

The Bible is not circumspect. At no point does God hint. Even so, this passage is like a slap in the face with a sea bass. God tells us to think about... No, that is not strong enough. God commands us to dwell on Heavenly things.

Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature. God is commanding us to execute parts of our nature. Look at that list; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. All of us, every single one, is subject to all of these. Some people, have better handle on it than others. Some just seem to.

This is going to be covered by more than one post. Here, I've laid out the command. Tomorrow, I am going to look at the implementation. This tells us to summon our spiritual firing squad. Next, we need to know where it is coming from.

2006... That was the last year I posted here. It has been a long six years. A lot has happened. I got married. My dad died. I know I will see him again, but still, I'd like to be able to call him. I have a pretty good idea everything he would say to me, but I'd still like to hear him say it.

This blog was about the Bible. Well, that is not going to change.

Proverbs 3:1-10
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

I copied the whole passage here, but one small piece jumps up and smacks me in the face. Here it is: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

That little snippet hurts. Yes, hurts. I have sent my whole adult life trying to do things my own way. I had to be in charge. Still today, relinquishing control is hard for me, even when I look back at the ruin I have made of my life.

Oddly enough, the greatest gift I have received from God has been when I went to Him and said, "Tell me what to do, Lord." He gave me my wife. She has been wonderful to and for me. It really is a great story, one I might tell you some day.

This is going to be short tonight. I really dislike typing on this computer. It comes down to this. Listen to God. Let Him lead. You will not regret it. He will never lead you astray.

These will get deeper with practice.

Well, this is my first substantive post in close on a month, and I apologize. I have been in a sort of spiritual malaise. I would go to read the Bible and I would get nothing. The words were passing before my eyes, yet there was nothing entering my brain. I realize this is another form of attack by Satan. This morning I prayed for God to open my eyes and feed my spirit. He has. Now, I hope to aid in the feeding of yours.

Romans 2: 5-11 - But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

This is my text this morning. I do not think I have an unrepentant heart, but stubborn I am. I persist in my sin. I have one sin in particular that hounds me. It is with me daily and I revel in it. I enjoy it. Yet, I want it out of my life.

God will give to each person according to what he has done. Hmm. Let's examine that. What are you doing for the kingdom of God. Until recently, I was doing nothing. Now, I've become involved with the boys ministry at my church. I enjoy working with the boys. Truthfully, they minister to me as much as I may minister to them. God has a place for each of us in ministry. Look around your church. Is there something that needs done. Is there a ministry that's understaffed? Go talk to a pastor. They'll find a place for you to help. Trust me. It will minister to your spirit as much as you minister to anyone else.

Also, since I have become involved in a ministry that one particular sin becomes less and less prominent in my life. If I continue to grow in my walk and in ministry I see the day coming when it is gone.

I am feeling beat up tonight. I just got news from my employer that I am getting a paycut. It is going to mean around $300.00 less a month, if not more. Then, a very good friend of mine and I have a falling out. She is royally ticked off at me. I am unable to get her to even talk to me. So you can imagine the mood I am in.

Can someone help me? Can someone give me some scripture or something to encourage me. I'm the one in need this time.

Today, I was encouraging a friend and I read this passage:

Judges 6:36-40: Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised- look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

This got me to thinking. How often do we not seek the will of God for our lives? How often do we not seek God's help? God wants what is best for us at all times, but we need to remain within his will. If we stay there He will help us through the trials that beset us daily. He will make us strong to endure them. He will give us peace.

"Father in Heaven, you are holy and in control of all that happens. Your good and perfect will for our lives encompasses all that we do. First, forgive me for not seeking that will. Second, I ask that you reveal to me what I should be doing and where I should be going. I have made a wreck of my life. I ask you to take control and steer me in the correct course. In the name of Jesus, amen."

I was messing around on the net when I ran across a reference to my favorite song, It Is Finished by Petra. Here are the lyrics:

In the heat of the early morning
On a hill they call the Skull
The roaring of the angry mob had settled to a lull
All eyes were cast upon the man whose hands and feet were bound
They saw him cry in anguish when they heard the hammer pound

They watched the bloody woven thorns with which His head was crowned
They watched the bloody cross of wood be dropped into the ground
The soldiers gambled for His clothes, they watched them win and lose
They saw the sign above His head that said "King of the Jews"

(Chorus) (It is finished) And the sky grew black as the night
(It is finished) And the people scattered in fright
The work had been done, redemption had been won
The war was over without a fight
It is finished

They searched His face for anger, for vengeance in His stare
Instead of eyes that burned with hate a look of love was there
He prayed for their forgiveness and bowed His battered head
And noone knew the meaning of the final words He said

The provision has been made
The foundation has been laid
He paid the ransom due and tore the temple veil in two
And opened up the way for me and you
It is finished

This goes right along with my post from yesterday. Also, I think you can see why it is my favorite song. It is taken directly from the Bible. The story of the Crucifixion directly translated into song. This is the moment of our victory. At the bleakest time in His existence Christ was on the verge of defeating Satan and taking away from him the keys of death and Hell.

"Father in Heaven, I praise and thank you for the sacrifice of your Son. Please, never let me take this for granted. Let me always remember the price paid for my soul. Amen"

I am something of a comic book hero buff. Oh, I don't collect any comics, but I do enjoy the movies about them. I was watching Batman Begins and this line stands out to me, "It is not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." This struck a chord in me.

Truly, it is not who we are, but what we do that matters. Without Christ, we are nothing anyway. God has said, in His holy Word that our own righteousness is as filthy rags. Think about it. If we show up at the marriage supper of the Lamb clothed only in our own works we will be turned away at the door, but if we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ we will be ushered in and given a place of honor.

Now, I imagine someone not familiar with the way the people of the church talk looking at what I have written and shaking their heads as if I am crazy. "What is he talking about," I can hear them asking. Let me put it plainly without all the church-speak.

God in His wisdom realized that man could not uphold the law. He provided a sacrifice for our sins that would cover them all. That sacrifice was to come to earth as the man, Jesus Christ. Did He come as a triumphal, vengeful savior of the Jews with a fiery sword in hand? No, he came as a baby, born in the most humble of circumstances. He then grew up as a carpenter, a man used to hard work. He left carpentry to begin His ministry on earth. He called to His side twelve men, most of whom were of a rough sort, fishermen. After a short period of time in ministry He allowed His body to be broken and scourged. Finally, He was hung on cross to die. He lifted His head to the sky and cries out to God, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani!" Which means, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!" Then He said, "It is finished." At that time He gave up His spirit and died.

However, that was not the end. Then He was taken down from the cross and buried. His disciples hid. Three days later two women came to the tomb to find it open. The Christ wasn't there. Then he appeared to His disciples. Thomas stuck his hand into the scars.

This was the sacrifice that paid for our sins. This is what allows a man to be righteous. We cannot do it on our own. Nothing we can do will make us worthy of Heaven. Christ alone paid the fare. All we have left to do is get on the train. To refer to an earlier post, this is not cheap grace. Not cheap, because it cost the Son of God, God Himself, His life. How can we ignore that. We do so at our own peril.

CWG, Helen, thank you for the links.

God, is ever great and always leads in the right paths. I'm in the Word today and I read this:

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 - But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

I have to be incredibly thankful to God for His sovereignty. Over the past several years I have been each of these; sexually immoral, slept with my first wife before marriage; idolater, who hasn't put a possession before the Lord; slanderer, a couple of comments here and there, what do you think gossip is; drunkard, I have been the life of the party; and lastly, swindler, chiseling a couple extra bucks out of someone that you are doing some work for, which covers greedy, by the way. Thanks to the sovereignty of God, however, I am back in the fold. I will not claim to be free of all these things, but I will say that God now has His hand on my life and I am getting better every day. I think I might even stand the barest chance of some day being seen as a Godly man. I can only hope.

"Father, I thank you for your patience and forgiveness. I ask that you keep me in your word daily. Give me the need to read and pray every day. I would show you to the world. In your Son's name, amen."

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 - Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Where is the wise man? I often make the claim that I am pretty much the smartest person I know. However, I am not, by any stretch of the imagination wise, not even by human estimation. The funny thing is, one of the wisest people I know has the least education, never even completing high school. He is my dad. Life has taught him well. Also, he has spent the last thirty years in the Bible. If that doesn't make you a little bit wise, nothing will. The thing that probably makes my dad as wise as he is, is the fact that he does not lean on his own wisdom. He relies on God's wisdom and strength. This is something I am still learning to do.

"Father, I need your wisdom. I need to wait on your leading. Lord, make patient to wait and hear your direction. In the name of Christ, amen."

Luke 14:26 tells us this:

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

At first, it would seem that this verse contravenes other commands from God in the Bible, such as, “Honor your father and mother.†Let’s look at another translation, the Amplified Bible.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters--[yes] and even his own life also--he cannot be My disciple.

This lays it out a little clearer. God is once again repeating the greatest commandment. We are to have no other gods before him. We are not actually to despise or loathe our own family members. We, instead, are to just not esteem them more than our God. God isn’t just talking about family members either. We must also count our own life as nothing when compared with our relationship to God.

This is hard. We often don’t want to give up little comforts for God and He demands our whole life. Not just little comforts, either. How many of us have our favorite sin. You know, that one thing that you do that no one knows about. You justify it to yourself. You say, “But it’s just a small sin.†“No one knows about it.†“God will forgive me.â€

I have one. It has reached the point of being habitual. For years I've ignored/enjoyed it. Now, I want free of it and it has wormed its’ way so deeply into me that it is proving painful to try and get rid of it.

Which leads me to the next verse. Luke 14:27, which says:

And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

What is your cross? Each cross is different. For some, their cross would appear not that hard to bear, get up Sunday morning and make it to church. We don't see the stigma that church attendance might have in their lives. For others it is just maintaining their beliefs under threat of prison or death. Mine it would appear is to fight this sin that I hold on to so dearly, also to write and express the thoughts that God would have me share. The last couple of posts that I have put up have been cop-outs, things that have caught my eye and let me post, but with no creative input from me. God has given me gifts and talents, but I persist in not using them.

There is an old proverb, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.†I actually believe this. I think that this whole writing gig would have been much easier had I started doing it in high school or college, when I had actually taken a grammar or creative writing class. Now, I’m here trying to flex the old mental muscle and at the same time be sensitive to what God wants me to write. To coin another phrase, “It ain’t easy, brother.â€

“Father, I beg your forgiveness. First, I need it for my sin. Be merciful to me, chief of sinners. Also, Lord, forgive me for wasting the talent which you have blessed me with. Now that I seek to use my talent in service to you, please show me the way and let me touch those around me. Lord, let me have no gods before you and let me hate all else. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.â€

We are all footsoldiers in the Army of God. I had never really thought of it this way. This morning I'm surfing the net and finding the larger world of Christian bloggers. There's actually quite a few of us. Well, I found this article:

http://ed.asisaid.com/blog/index.php?p=405

As Ed says, everyone in the U.S. Army is infantry first, no matter what they sign up for. In the same vein, we do not go to God and say, "I'm going to preach, but I won't sweep the floors." We are called to do whatever God calls us to do. Part of that is knowing your Bible. This is one of my weak points, but I'm getting better.

"Father, keep me from the sin of pride. Never let me be too good to do what is needed. Let me take every direction from you and follow it. Lord, make my heart soft to your commands and make my ears capable of hearing them. Amen."

OK, here here is the second of our doctrines from our Statement of Fundamental Truths.

2. The One True God

Passages to back this up:

Deuteronomy 6:4 - Or The LORD our God is one LORD; or The LORD is our God, the LORD is one ; or The LORD is our God, the LORD alone

Isaiah 43:10,11 - "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.

Matthew 28:19 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Luke 3:22 - and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

OK, this is pretty basic and self-explanatory. There is no god but God and Jesus is His Son. We will worship no other gods. This makes life much easier. If you know that your instructions come from THE source, then you have that much less to worry about. Keep yourself grounded in His word and listening for His voice and you can't go wrong. Turn away from Him and doom youself to failure. Just ask me. I am a prime example.

I am at a loss. It has been five days since I have written and I am having trouble. I don't want to go this long without an update. So, I have decided to talk about the fundamental beliefs of my church. I belong to the Asseblies of God, and they have laid out their position very nicely in their Statement of Fundamental Truths. Also, the fact that I whole-heartedly agree with their position helps immensely.

I will take these one at a time.

1. The Scriptures Inspired

Passages to back this up:
2 Timothy 3:15-17 - and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 - And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

2 Peter 1:21 - For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

There it is, in the words of God Himself. The Bible is His. It is our manual, our guide to life. We cannot be perfect, but through a relationship with Jesus Christ, and being in His Word daily we can live a life pleasing to the Lord. When we stumble God, in His faithfulness, will be there to forgive us and help us back up.

"Father, never let me forget that the Bible is your inspired message to us, sinful men. Lord, let my hunger for it grow daily. Let me need it's direction, Then, let me heed it direction. In the name of your Son, Jesus, amen."

A man once asked Jesus, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The man persisted asking which commandments. Jesus replied, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself." The young man then said that he had kept all of these and asked what he still lacked.

This was the Christ's reply:
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

The young man walked away sadly. Why? He was rich, rich and unwilling to part with it. Not all of us are rich, but each of us has something that we hold on to, no, something that we clutch desperately in hopes that God will not ask us to do without it.

I had something like that, computer video games. Now, you're probably thinking, "What kind of idol is that?" Idol? Yes, idol. That's exactly what I am talking about, idolatry. Anyone remember these words, "You shall have no other gods before me?" I wasn't paying my tithe. Yet I was paying a monthly fee to play a game online. A wee bit of idol worship there I'm thinking.

This is not what I was going to write about today. I had my passage all picked out, Romans 10:9,10: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

You can see where that ties in with the title. But I was led in a different direction, a direction I believe relevant for all believers. We must put God over all. No matter what it is God must take priority over it. Sometimes, this isn't easy. Computer games was easier than I thought it would be. Now I must sit back and survey my life and look at what else has assumed the role of a god.

What is your god? What keeps you from serving God to your fullest? Where does your heart lie? These are questions for you. You must answer them yourself.

"Father, I know there are things in my life that I put ahead of you. Lord, I ask that you take away my dependency on them. As ever, my cry is less of me, more of you. I want to serve you. I want to touch people's lives that they might see you. Please make me an able servant. In the name of Jesus, amen."

I was in the umm..., library, yeah, that's it, the library and I opened The Cost of Discipleship to a random page. I found where Bonhoeffer was speaking on the Beatitudes. I include a whole section from the book.

---

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
Who is pure in heart? Only those who have surrendered their hearts completely to Jesus that He may reign in them alone. Only those whose hearts are undefiled by their own evil--and by their own virtues too. The pure in heart have a child-like simplicity like Adam before the fall, innocent alike of good and evil: their hearts are not ruled by their conscience, but by the will of Jesus. If men renounce their own good, if in penitence they have renounced their own hearts, if they rely solely upon Jesus, then His Word purifies their hearts. Purity of heart is here contrasted with all outward purity, even the purity of high intentions. The pure heart is pure alike of good and evil, it belongs exclusively to Christ and looks only to Him who goes on before. Only they will see God, who in this life have looked solely unto Jesus Christ, the Son of God. For then their hearts are free from all defiling phantasies and are not distracted by conflicting desires and intentions. They are wholly absorbed by the contemplation of God. They shall see God, whose hearts have become a reflection of Jesus Christ.

---

What do I have to add to that? Not a whole lot.

"Father in Heaven, this is my cry, to be pure in heart, to let your Son reign in my heart and in my life. I want to see you. Purify my heart and let me be ever more like Jesus. In the name of Christ, amen."

Today, I am reading Romans 4. Paul has more to say on circumcision. If you read the chapter, I recommend this, you will see he is talking about Abraham, the father of Israel. He specifically talks about when Abraham was counted righteous by God. It was before he was circumcised, before he made the outward sign. Why was Abraham seen as righteous by God? He was counted as righteous because of his belief.

We cannot achieve righteousness through our actions alone. We can go get circumcised and still not be righteous. We will be seen as righteous only through our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:23-25 - The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

There it is. God has spelled it out in black and white. Only through our belief in Jesus Christ will we be righteous. We can be righteous only in Him. Do we then give up and live as we see fit. No, not at all. We must strive at all times to overcome our sinful nature.

1 Corinthians 9:24 - Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

What does this tell us? It says we need to do all in our power to achieve the prize. We need to strive to live the sinless Christian life. Can we? Under our own power no, but Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are there to empower us.

"Father in Heaven, I come today seeking your power in my life. I ask that you touch all that I do and count me righteous because of my belief in your Son. Make me a beacon in this dark and bleak world. Let me show those around me the hope that is Jesus. In the name of Christ, amen."

As a veteran myself this day has meaning much greater than a barbecue or a picnic. I have left the home shore for a war. I have two nephews that are both combat veterans. Mine is not a family afraid of service. Here is what I posted to a bulletin board.

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.†— George S. Patton

A lone bugle's silvered notes form a mournful cry over a field of crosses.

Families lay wreaths for the lost.

A young boy salutes at the grave of a father never more seen."

And When He Gets To Heaven,
To Saint Peter He Will Tell;
One More Marine Reporting Sir,
I've Served My Time In Hell"- Marine Grave inscription on Guadalcanal, 1942

For God and the soldier we adore, In time of danger, not before!The danger passed, and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted." - Rudyard Kipling

Thank you, brothers. I would that I had joined you.

Today, in church, the pastor spoke from Acts 2. This is the chapter that documents Pentecost. The believers were gathered together and the Holy Spirit visited them and filled them. They spoke in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. People from around the world were amazed that Galileans, fishermen, were able to speak in their languages.

This was the fulfillment of Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

This is the next thing on my list of things needed for personal righteousness.

1) Daily time with the Word and prayer
2) Seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit so that I might have God's power in my life

I want His power. I want to reach people for God. I want to touch lives for Him. This to me is the ultimate goal.

"Father, I need your power in my life. I want to touch people in your name. I want to show them your love. God, fill me with your Holy Spirit. Give me your power in my life so that I can do your work. In the name of your holy Son, amen."

I surfed on over to my nephew's blog. He claims inspiration from my meager offerings here. I read his writing and compare it with mine. I am twenty-two years his senior and yet he has an understanding of God's Word that rivals some of the most veteran pastors I know.

This is his latest post:

Seeking the Face of God

Go on, read the rest. You will not be disappointed.

"Father, I lift Benjamin up to you. He wants a life of accomplishment. Lord, grant it to him. Let him reach the world for you and do great things in your name. Keep your hedge about him and protect him. In the name of Christ, amen."

Benjamin, strive for excellence. Always try to be better than the next man, but never think you are. Therein lies the trick. I love you, little brother.

Have you ever wanted something? I mean, have you ever wanted something so much it left a palpable taste in your mouth? You think about this want. You nurture it. You give little thought to anything else. You turn this want into a need. You obsess. You lose sight of the fact that it is an earthly thing. You begin to compromise principle to get it.

I have a want. In the past I'd have acted just this way. Now, however, I am different, through no power of my own, mind you. I am different through the power and blood of Jesus Christ, my savior.

Anyway, I was headed down that same road. I was letting the want take over my thoughts. It was gnawing at me. Then, as I was praying and worshipping alone, I recommend this, God visited a peace on me. Today, at Bible.com their scripture of the day is:

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

So, I do a word search on peace, remembering this verse:

Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This is happening for me. God is visiting His peace on me. He is truly a great and wonderful God.

"Father, I praise your holy name. I ask that you reach down and touch me. Keep your peace in my heart. Keep me focused on you. I know that all answers come through you. You are the creator, the beginning and the end. Keep me growing in you and let me know the way you want me to go. I love you, Lord. Amen"

I lost a friend today, but I am not too bummed. She was having a bad time and was depressed and guilt-ridden, mostly about her former life. Her own description of herself was a former stonerslut. Her previous life haunts her, and she was unable to talk to her husband about it. My advice was to seek pastoral counseling and talk to her husband. This became my mantra, "Seek counseling. Talk to your husband."

Finally, she has spoken to her husband. He was upset that she gave me her number and email address. In his mind a married Christian woman should not have male friends. Oddly enough, I agree with him. So, my rather small group of friends grows smaller, but I am happier for it. Why? Because she and her husband are going to counseling. She finally heeded my advice and told him everything that was going on in her mind. They are my brother and sister in Christ and she was under the attack of the enemy. I really think that God has great plans for them, or she wouldn't have been under such heavy fire.

Now, I have advice for both of them. Get into church. If the doors are open be there. Get into a circle of Christians. Keep Christian friends around you. Get into an organized Bible study. Study the Bible daily, together. Pray together daily. God will bless your lives individually and as a couple.

Now, a few words for him. Sir, you are supposed to be the spiritual leader of your home. So, lead. In the moments you have together with her get your Bible out. Study it with her. Then pray with her. Then pray for her. You have been a Christian most of your life. She has not. Help her deal with her past. Let her know daily that she is loved, by you and by God. She loves you. It is obvious in the way she talks about you. Now, show her true love in return. Grow closer to Christ, together.

I have two failed marriages in my past, but I was not working on following God as I am now. I didn't do the things that I have just counseled others and now I know the pain of divorce. The one thing that I would tell other men was my big failing was that I did not lead. Men are supposed to be the spiritual leader to their household. If we don't lead then we let both God and our families down.

"Father, I lift these two up. I know that you hold them in the palm of your hand and that you can make all things right. I ask that you do so. Show them the path they need to follow. Show them your perfect love. I ask that you heal her spirit so that she might do your work. Also, I ask that you put your hands upon him and let him be the Godly leader a husband should be. Amen"

So, I am surfing over to http://www.bible.com, to do my daily reading, when their verse of the day catches my eye:

Psalm 37:23-24 - If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

I can't even begin to tell you how this touches my life. I would make my ways such that the Lord delights in them. I want nothing more than to grow in knowledge of the Lord and in His power.

Travelling on my own, I do nothing but fall. I have seen God's hand on my life. I have seen His protection, yet I often remove myself from His umbrella. Now, I seek to remake my life into something different. As I said I want my ways to delight the Lord and He will carry me through the bad parts. God's will is that His children are victorious. I claim that victory in my life.

Yesterday being the sixteenth I was reading Proverbs 16. Every day I discover something new in His word. Something there applies to me. It excites me. It astounds me. This is yesterdays.

I have been thinking heavily about something for a couple weeks now. It has weighed heavily on my heart. I have been praying about it. I have been seeking the face of God. I have no doubt that He can take care of my problems and that He can handle anything. I just need to let Him.

Well, this issue, as I said, has been weighing on my heart. I have spent time in prayer. I, like any other human, am impatient. I want an answer NOW. Well, as is often the case God is telling me to wait.

Then I read this:

Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

This reached right up and hit me square between the eyes. So often I just wander aimlessly under my own direction. It is at these times that I mess up my life. Now, I am seeking the face of God. I want to hear His voice and know His will so that I may follow it. I will make every effort to do His work.

So, this morning I am starting a book given to me by my pastor, Living With Power, a 21-Day Bible journey with the first Christians. Pastor Krueger is starting a series of sermons on the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Christ said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

120 people gathered in the upper room and waited on the Lord. As they tarried they were visited by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1-4 - When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Pastor Krueger made the point that around five hundred believers were invited to the upper room, but only one hundred and twenty showed up. We were discussing this in my Bible study and someone was looking at it like they had missed something, and truthfully they had. However, think about this, when those one hundred and twenty came out of the upper room and began ministering after the day of Pentecost do you think the remainder of the five hundred might have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit themselves? Even so, one hundred and twenty Spirit filled, motivated believers witnessing and working for God must have made an impact on the World. I want to see the same impact on the world today.

This is what I seek, the direct power of God in my life. I want His manifestation in me so that people will come to Him. The greatest calling God has given us is to reach people for Him, and He has given it to all believers, not just a select few called to the ministry.

Tonight, at Bible study, I began to feel that power again. We are in study that centers on spiritual growth and we had wandered off topic, but were still talking about the Holy Spirit and the way He works. I began to speak, I mean with power. I was excited and couldn't wait to get the words out. My mouth wasn't working fast enough. God was moving in that place and He chose me to bring out a point. I can only be humbled. My host then told me to lay off the Turkish coffee.

"Father in Heaven, you have shown your mercy through the death of your Son for our sins. You have granted to us much that we do not deserve. I ask for the power of your Holy Spirit in my life. Touch me. Fill me with your power that I might be a witness for you. In the name of your Son, amen."

I'm going through my reading for the day, Proverbs 14, and these two verses reach out and hit me on the head:

Proverbs 14:2 - He whose walk is upright fears the LORD, but he whose ways are devious despises him.

Proverbs 14:5 - A truthful witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.

Why should these catch my notice? Because I am a deceiver. I am a liar. It cost me a marriage. Well, that is the end. I will attempt to achieve transparency. When someone looks at me I want them to see what is really going on inside. When I talk I want people to be assured that they can put faith in what I say.

Now, how to achieve this? I'm going to start by trying to relate every conversation I have to Scripture. If I am quoting Scripture, I cannot be lying. Second, I am going to pray about it daily. God Himself will be my guide. It is obvious that deceit can have no place amongst believers.

"Father, I have been deceitful with those around me and with myself. I know that I have your forgiveness. Now, I ask for your help. My lies usually came out of cowardice. Now I ask that you give me the courage to say and do what is right. I want to be a good example of Christianity. I want people to look at me and see you. In the name of Jesus, amen."

I wanted write today, but I just stared at the wall unled, uninspired. Then I looked at some of the comments left by my nephew. Yes, you can leave comments. I encourage it. He left for me this verse:

1 Corinthians 6:20: you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

This reached right up and hit me in the face. Not the you were bought with a price part, I've already talked about that, but therefore honor God with your body. I have not. Ever. I've never even thought about this verse before. This is a call to fitness, physical fitness. How do I bring honor to my God by being fat and slovenly? In short, I don't. Part of our higher calling is to be fit for the work of God, fit spiritually, mentally, and physically.

"Father, I have let myself become unfit for your work. I have allowed myself to become slovenly and hedonistic. I ask your forgiveness and the willpower and the character to change this. I would be a fit and willing servant. In the name of Jesus, amen."

I sit here at work thinking about my day. I had lunch with a good friend and was able to talk to her. I was able to set some things out for her. I think she would have come to the right conclusion as she spends time in the word daily and in prayer, probably more than I do.

So, then tonight I call another friend of mine. We talk for a bit and I'm able to ease her mind on a few things.

I'm only recently getting into the Word on a daily basis, but as the Word says about itself, it will not come back void. As I am talking to my friends I am able to come up with verses that apply. That is not what I am questioning. That is God's purpose for his word, to teach and reprove.

What I am questioning is why I, an admittedly fallen Christian, am called upon to help my friends. Do not get me wrong. I love being able to help. If I can remove that worried look and replace it with a relaxed one, I am happy.

I guess my whole issue is fear, fear of failure. What if the day comes along that I am not able to help? What if through my failure I lose a friend. This is a much larger fear than physical danger or death. In actuality, those that I truly call friend are few. Friendship is something that I have redefined several times over the last couple of years. To put it in the harshest of terms, I only have a couple of people who I would go over to their house and help bury the bodies.

"God, I am scared. I thank you for the call on my life. I praise you for my higher purpose. I know you see the fear in my heart and I ask you to remove it. I thank you for the ability to aid my friends. Father, you alone can fix the issues I have caused in my life and make me an effective witness for you. I desire this above all else. I ask that you sharpen your tool to be used for your purpose. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, amen."