Month: December 2017

Luke 24:2-8

“And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, — behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered his words,”

Luke 2:8-14

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men, ‘to whom the Lord is please ( some translations add these last words).’”

Aside from these verses being some of my favorite verses I am convinced that between “remembering His words,” and knowing that God’s intent is “peace, good will towards men” that we carry the heart of the gospel. In dealing with people, especially people who have been jaded by life or maybe hurt by the church we need to help them understand that God’s intent towards them is that of peace and good will. In so doing a door could open and  a bridge of trust could be built.

However we first must start by living a life that represents the Gospel, a life that remembers His words and a life that is marked by peace and goodwill. Then when we speak our words have credence and truth to them. And whether people ask us about our faith, or remark regarding it we have created an opportunity for dialogue. When they have a need to know more an open door exists. A door that allows us to explain God’s heart and intent for them. That God seeks peace and has good will towards them, and that peace means much more than just the absence of conflict. Peace or “Eirens,” goes to the heart of what peace is. When a parent and child, one of our strongest bonds are divided can either one of them really have peace till unity is restored? It is the same between the Lord and us. We have become divided from Him because of our sin nature and until we are united back through the provision of forgiveness through faith in Christ’s work, abiding peace will allude us.

After Christ sacrificial death, “becoming the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of man,” man’s rebellion was atoned for. Animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. Prior to Christ the sacrifices pointed to Christ, but they could not change man’s heart. Only the indwelling Holy Sprirt is able to give man a new nature. Sacrifices were a reminder of the seriousness of sin. That blood had to be shed from an innocent animal to “cover over” for the consequences of man’s ways. Much of what I am sharing I have heard since my youth, but as I have matured in my walk the story of our Saviors birth and sacrifice is the dearest thing I hold. I hope you feel the same.

Therefore “Eirens,” takes on a far greater significance. It means to be one with God or to be in right standing with Him which is huge, something that we taken for granted. By revelation, Paul who championed the faith to the Gentiles understood this.

In the medical field Eirens means to mend or to set a broken arm or leg. To “make one again.” And whether it is a broken limb or a broken soul the need for unity is required. The love and forgiveness of the Father is what repairs our broken soul which began at Christmas with the miraculous birth of our Savior. And via His willful sacrifice and our faith in Him we are granted “Eirens,” or peace, unity with God, that is a miracle; sinful man made right with a Holy God. Now via the Holy Spirit man now man has a new Friend and a Vida4U “The Eternal Message”

Luke 24:2-8

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, — behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered his words,

Luke 2:8-14

The Shepherds and the Angels
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men, “to whom the Lord is please ( some translations add these last words).”

Aside from these verses being some of my favorite verses I am convinced that between “remembering His words,” and knowing that God’s intent is “peace, good will towards men” that we carry the heart of the gospel. In dealing with people, especially people who have been jaded by life or maybe hurt by the church we need to help them understand that God’s intent towards them is that of peace and good will. In so doing we could open a door to build a bridge of trust.

We must first start by living a life that represents the Gospel, a life that remembers His words and a life that is marked by peace and goodwill. Then our words have credence and weight to them. And whether people ask us about our faith, or remark regarding it we have created an opportunity for dialogue. If and when they want or have need to know more an open door exists because of our example. A door that allows us to explain God’s heart and intent for them in greater detail. That God seeks peace with His prize creation and that peace means much more than just the absence of conflict.

 Peace or “Eirens,” goes to the heart of what peace is. When a parent and child, one of our strongest bonds are divided can either one of them really have peace till unity is restored? It is the same between the Lord and us. We have become divided because of our sin nature and until we are united back to God through the provision of forgiveness through faith in Christ, abiding peace will allude us. After Christ sacrificial death, “becoming the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of man,” man’s rebellion was atoned for. Animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. Prior to Christ the sacrifices pointed to Christ, but they could not change man’s heart. Only the indwelling Holy Sprirt was and is able to give man a new nature. Sacrifices were a reminder of the seriousness of sin. That blood had to be shed from an innocent animal to “cover over” for the consequences of man’s ways. Much of what I am sharing I have heard since my youth, but as I have matured in my walk the story of our Saviors love for us is the dearest thing I hold. I hope you feel the same.

Therefore the word for peace “Eirens,” takes on far greater significance. It means to be one with God or to be in right standing with Him which is huge, something that we take for granted. By revelation, Paul who championed the faith to the Gentiles understood it.

In the medical field this word means to mend or to set a broken arm or leg. To “make one again” is the overall meaning of this  word. And whether it is a broken limb or a broken soul that need the love and forgiveness of the Father to heal us. Christmas begins this miracle with the birth of the Savior. And via His willful sacrifice and our faith in that grants us “Eirens,” or peace, oneness with God, that in itself is a miracle. Now via the Holy Spirit man now man has a second chance. We no longer need to follow or capitulate to our sin nature. To have God’s Divine favor is beyond awesome and  thus we become people with whom God is pleased.

Question, why do you think it’s hard for us to show God’s goodness, could it be because we have not experienced it? Know that we cannot give what we do not posses, and also it might be difficult  for some of us to believe God loves us – especially if we had a difficult childhood. Therefore comments about God’s goodness and love are in danger of becoming just talk to us.  We hear it so much we become conditioned to it, but the reality of living out and receiving this truth wholeheartedly escapes us. This needs to change, for we are not only doing harm to ourselves but to others we know who need to be connected to the Lord.

For “Peace on earth Good will towards man” was too expensive of a gift to not receive it in its fullness. God’s goodness if I was to give it a human expression would be like having desert at a dear friends house and they just don’t give a piece of pie, they give you a serving for three people and the ice cream with the whip cream is about to roll off the plate.  It is lavished on. Such can be our relationship to the Lord. If it is not, and mine wasn’t always, it is

because we are wanting other things as well – idols. We are not exclusively His. The lyrics of Johnny Lees’ song “Looking for love in all the wrong places,” describes many of us. There’s only one place for Agape love, the highest and purest of all loves. Our soul seeks to be fully loved and fully known and He alone has the exclusive rights on Agape. And given His sacrifice, He has the right to seek  exclusivity with us. He doesn’t demand it, but to the degree He has to share us is to the degree His blessings are cut short in our life. To truly experience what it is like to walk with Him and know Him means as far as we know ourselves we are all in. That’s what He wants, and it is not because He is selfish but it’s because nobody, and no idol can love us as He has, does and can. Revelations puts it this way, a sobering verse that brought me to tears when I first heard it  for I knew I was lukewarm.

Revelation 3:15-21
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

This Christmas and the coming New Year take time to reflect on the things that hold us back from a deeper relationship with God.  Ask God to search your heart and reveal to you the  “others” you may have in your life that compete with Him. May you have the wisdom and the courage to remove whatever hinders and realize that it doesn’t compare to the greatness and love that God has for each of us. For those of us that struggle with knowing that God loves this will be a matter of faith for you and until the Cross becomes personal – that He died just for you. That if you and Him were the only people on planet earth He would have been born your just for you. He would have allowed you to reject Him, beat Him and crucify Him just so that you could be saved from yourself; until the Cross becomes this real to you, you will struggle in your walk with Christ.

  May this Christmas and the days ahead find us growing in faith and in the love, peace, and joy of the Lord which is our rightful inheritance as His sons and daughters. May God, though it be somewhat painful, purge from our hearts the unequally yoked relationships we have made with the world.

Lastly, I publish a monthly article in House2Home, many of you are aware of that, but for those who do not we write a faith based article each December’s. Please go to our company website, executivecareinc.com, click on publications and read “Foundations Part I and Part II.” I would be honored.

May you have a Blessed Christmas, more joy than ever because you have made a decision to follow Christ with a whole heart. Amen

1 Samuel 1:25-28

And they slew — a bullock, and brought — the child to Eli.
And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.
For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me — my petition which I asked of him:

1 Samuel 3:19
And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

We have journeyed with Hannah through her struggles because of her failure to bare a child for her husband, which especially in that time was a woman’s purpose and identity.  Without children to raise and care for, she had no purpose. Yet Elkanah her husband, in contrast to societies dictates, never demeans her but speaks words of tenderness and kindness to her, “I’m I not better than 10 sons.” These words not only show he held no bitterness toward her but it shows his character as being compassionate. However despite his kindness, culture is something that not even Elkannah’s kind words could not surmount. Culture and her own upbringing dictated that she must bare children, at least one son. Hannah did not know that God had “shut her womb” for a specific reason. Sometimes the acts of God appear less than kind, however that is when faith comes in. When one truly knows God, one knows that God is anything but unkind, it’s just not in His character. However, He knowing our weaknesses and self focus tendencies needs to cause or use circumstances to bring a spiritual awakening in us. And in reality something within Hannah needed “birthing” prior to conceiving Samuel. Samuel’s birth was symbolic of the completion of that work.

Soon, the pain of being childless became unbearable ontop of witnessing the awful behavior of the priests. These two pains is what the Lord used  to bring to “birth” an attitude in Hannah that would allow God to entrust her to conceive and raise Samuel. Hannah expressed from the depth of her soul a prayer that she would have never prayed if it were not for these two combined trials. Prior to this moment her prayers centered around her own need, her own insecurity, the need to fit into the culture etc.  Yet  because of the spiritual decline being so serious in Israel she could no longer pray just for herself, but for the nation Israel. Now her prayer took on a far greater purpose. It was now about God’s name and having a man that would execute God’s justice; Israel’s  future was at stake. Maybe her thoughts were this, “Lord you need a man to lead us more than I need a son to make me feel like a woman. If you allow me to conceive a son, I will give him back to you.” How often does God withhold something that in itself is a good thing, just so He can give us a better thing? Are we even aware of this grinding down process, do we even know that the trial we are in is to get our eyes off ourselves and onto a much bigger purpose. To go from “I want this for me (though we would never say it so directly, that is really the truth) to Lord glorify Yourself through this and in me,” and now the prayer of years gets answered.

 And so it was, her focused changed to what God needed and a “deal” was made and she conceived. I have prayed since my teenage years to be a pastor, even to tears and through the many years of unanswered prayer I finally came to understand my error. Trying to make what I do fulfill me, not who I am fulfill me. Who I am is much more important than what I do. What I do is a matter of provision, but who I am is a matter of life, for it determines my decisions and my behavior and brings meaning and purpose to whatever I do. We are always seeking meaning from our careers or from what we do, where as in reality our meaning and purpose needs to come from our relationship to the Lord. This rightly adjusts our approach to everything we do, from our jobs, to our marriages, to raising kids, or now in our case helping to raise grandkids. This approach brings honor to the Lord and keeps me from “burning out.” By “being” God’s adopted son by Grace, which is my foundation and core identity, it brings to me honor and strength and gives me the perimeters or the boundaries of my life allowing me to make right decisions, decisions that are much bigger than just me, giving my life a far greater purpose and direction.

This right foundation is critical, for it determines how we view ourselves and the value we place on others – and how we relate to our world in general. Though the job of pastoring and teaching His Word would thrill me, He didn’t die on the Cross for me to teach His Word. He died on the Cross so that the LORD and Arthur could have a relationship. That’s why He died, and thus understanding the purpose of His sacrifice it lifts me above my natural tendencies of being self centered to see and live for a much bigger picture. A life that has the awesome privilege of doing LIFE with my Heavenly Father. Of growing old in His love, and taking that love and sharing it with others. From being a liability of need to becoming an asset of love and care.  Without these intense struggles, such as what Hannah went through, most of us live our whole lives being a liability to God. Life becomes all about my world, my job, my family, my home, my interests, my, my, my. Instead of how Jesus taught us, ” Let Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” As believers we need to ask ourselves, how is God’s Kingdom being realized through me? And part of that is being responsible for our family but it’s easy to become “only focused” and not be “other focused” as well.  God’s Kingdom is seen through us, “given flesh and blood, character and purpose” brought to earth through us.  if it is not seen through the actions of His people, then who? We are His hands and feet. Bringing God’s Kingdom to earth through our relationship to Him first, is what being a Christian is all about. In John 15:5 Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can — do nothing.”

This is the chief purpose of every believer, how are you doing with that?

I fear that this next statement is true of many that “warm the pews” in church.  John 15:6

If my fear was not true then how is it that all the plagues of society are not decreasing, divorce, pornography, drugs,- both legal and illegal, sex etc., to just name a few. We are called to be salt and light, and we should be reversing this trend. In Matthew Jesus speaks of our collective representation in society 5:13-14&16

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid….
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”