I love this kinda scripture.

NEHEMIAH 4: 14 Back when I was able to play contact sports, or team sports in general, there was an unspoken rule that you would sacrifice yourself for the good of the team. Blocking, tackling, rebounding, overhead smash at your opponents feet. You did what ever it took and if you got hurt, the old saying was rub some dirt on it and get back on the field. You did all this for your brother. I have also had this experience in the biker world. You did it for your brother. Well, back in the day, the walls of Jerusalem were torn down by war. the city was left unprotected, and the people were under constant threat of enemies breaking into the city. Some Babylonian slave, the kings cup bearer, heard of this and begged his master to let him go to rebuild the city walls. The slave was so trusted by the king that he was allowed to go and the slave promised that he would return to service when the job was done. WHILE THE WALL WAS BEING BUILT,the enemies of Jerusalem were constantly threatening the people and the city. Moral was low. Then one day the cup bearer from Babylon brought them together with a few simple words 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." Don't be afraid, and remember God. Good advice for us even today

Wow. It still works

I'm not using scripture today, as I have just stumbled upon this blog that I had a few years ago. I think that it is about time that I breathe some life into it and give it another go.

I FOUGHT THE LAW, AND THE LAW WON. NOT!

Galatians 3: 19 – 29



Laws are strange things if we look at them.
No matter what the law is, or what it says, there has never been a law written that hasn't been broken.
Even if we are able to follow the law to the letter what does it gain us?
Does it mean that we can work our way to salvation?

19 The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ (the descendant) came, inheriting the promises and distributing them to us. Obviously this law was not a firsthand encounter with God. It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses.
20 But if there is a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith.
21 - 22 If such is the case, is the law, then, an anti-promise, a negation of God’s will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule-keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time.


Just like the word says, if we could work our way out of our sin, you'd think that we would have gotten it right by now.

26 By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God.
28 In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.
29 Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.

This may be the ramblings of a sleep deprived grandfather, but I know one thing for sure.
I'd rather be a member of the family by faith thereby inheriting my salvation, than working my way into the back door of paradise.



I love you guys.

OOOH, AAAH, OH!

Job 37: 1 – 18



I once told a co-worker, “How can you look around and not see the hand of God in creation?”
Okay. It wasn't a statement it was a question but what's the difference.
The important thing is that if we look at a sunset, see the complexity of a flower in bloom, or witness the birth of a baby.
Well all I can say is you can't get a prize like this in a box of Cracker Jack.


1 ¶ "Whenever this happens, my heart stops—I’m stunned, I can’t catch my breath.
5 His word thundering so wondrously, his mighty acts staggering our understanding.
10 It’s God’s breath that forms the ice, it’s God’s breath that turns lakes and rivers solid.
11 And yes, it’s God who fills clouds with rainwater and hurls lightning from them every which way.
15 Do you have any idea how God does it all, how he makes bright lightning from dark storms,
16 How he piles up the cumulus clouds—all these miracle-wonders of a perfect Mind?

Just take a look around.
Be amazed by what you see.




I love you guys.

ZAT YOU?

John 10: 1 – 6




I was in grade school.
My parents and I had gone shopping in a department store. While we were there I wandered off . When I went back to where I was supposed to be I saw my mother from the rear at the end of an aisle. When I got to her and spoke to her to tell her that I was back, the woman,s voice was not that of my mother's, it was just a woman who happened to be wearing a coat like mom's and had a similar hair cut. I was filled with anxiety and turned to run from her when I heard the voices of both my parents just one row over.
I ran to them with relief and didn't leave them for the rest of our visit to that store.
I felt safe and at home when I heard the voices of my parents and felt unsafe when I heard the strange voice of the other woman.
It's the same with Jesus.
People like us whom follow Him, know Him and know His word.
We are not easily led astray by fakes and charlatans.

1 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.
3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice."
6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Be careful out there.
Don't fall for the fakers.
Listen to the voice of God.
Take comfort from it.

LOST

Mark 16 24 – 28



As I look over my life, I can see that there were times that I had no interest in my eternal existence.
I had the old reasoning that I wanted to go to hell because all my friends would be there.
Some fun right?
I thought that money, booze, drugs, women, and a cool bike was the ticket to a good life. And after all, if I didn't hurt anybody while living like this, if people thought that I was a good person, well then I'd go to heaven.
Wouldn't I?

25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

I had heard that that philosophy about gaining the world and losing my soul, but, I was just a ham and egger. I had no interest in gaining great power, and every thing I did, I did with a little soul.
What a fool I was back then.

27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

Uh oh.
There's that old God's word goes against my ways again.
I had seen the old TV shows and movies where one character says that he just wants what he deserves according to what he had done and it always ended badly.
As I said, I thought being a good person was enough. But, I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I would truly get what I deserved.
I was kinda scared of that one.
So, I was starting to look for ways to change my circumstances.

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Hey we all have our cross to bear, I just wasn't up to what that saying really meant.
Then as we look at these scriptures that phrase takes on a whole different meaning doesn't it?
Take heed
take heart.
Remember where we all came from.
We all got here by following different yet similar paths.
We have all come to walk the same path following God.

THAT'S A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.

Joshua 1: 1 – 9



Rice had to follow Yaz. Yaz had to follow Williams. Somebody had to follow DiMaggio and Ruth. And so it goes. Each new guy had a lot to live up to. They had to work harder than their predecessors just to come in a close second until they were finally able to creep out of the shadow of the legend they followed.
I'm sure that during their early days replacing the known hero, the replacement was given encouragement from the Team owner and manager.
When we take the lead whether it's at work, in church, or with our families, we all are in need of time and encouragement to get through those early adjustment days.

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant:
2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.
3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
5 No-one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.

If we think we have it hard, imagine what it must have been like for Joshua taking over after Moses died.
Talk about following in the footsteps of a hero.
But, God knows what He is doing when He chooses a leader.

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

With encouragement like that, how can we fail? How can we not gain the trust of those who follow our lead?
Listen to God's command. He knows what He's doing.
Follow His commands.