Wednesday, November 29, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “It is God’s will that we love others; without love nothing else matters.” (Life Recovery Bible, page 1385)
[Love] It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
1 CORINTHIANS 13:6 NLT
Have you ever been in a relationship and felt as though possibly you have been wronged? And then that person has something happen to them that is hurtful or painful and we say, “Serves them right, look at how they treat others.” I recall to my mind some of the worldly sayings that follow that line of thinking. “You know what they say about paybacks?” is one, another is “What goes around comes around.” And still another is “You want to play, you gotta pay.” I have been so arrogantly ignorant before in my life, that I actually thought that some mishap that someone else experienced was because they messed with me, the anointed of God. That kind of thinking comes from a spiritually inflated ego with no foundation in love, which is the greatest of all emotions. As I sit and type this I come to the realization that possibly love is not an emotion or a feeling at all. How egotistical of me to think that love stems from my emotions and feelings, that it originates in me. Love is much more than just an emotion, It is God! It is a command, not a suggestion, but a command. Love is action, love is giving, and love is work! Jesus said to love everyone from your enemies to your neighbor to yourself. That pretty well takes in everyone I know! My problems seems to be that I don’t like everybody, and I don’ like the way some people have treated me. My dilemma seems to be one of loving those I don’t want to love. That old childhood thinking, “if someone hits you, hit them back!” doesn’t hold up too well with the teachings of Jesus. Today in my recovery from addictions and alcohol, I come to the understanding that when I stopped using, my work was just beginning. The real work is learning to live at peace with God, others, and myself. Paybacks should be cleansed from my mind. I feel like I have rambled on long enough, thanks for letting me share as I aired out some of my dirty laundry. God is still doing for me what I could not do for myself……………JRE
“No one loves perfectly, but we must learn how to love. We can ask God to help us love others and stop waiting for them to love us. We cannot expect to be good at loving right away; we should be patient as God’s love grows within us and he teaches us how to love. When we choose to act in loving ways, the emotions will follow, and we will find that our love will be returned.” (Life Recovery Bible, page 1385)
Arroganly ignorant
Thought for the day: “It is God’s will that we love others; without love nothing else matters.” (Life Recovery Bible, page 1385)
[Love] It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
1 CORINTHIANS 13:6 NLT
Have you ever been in a relationship and felt as though possibly you have been wronged? And then that person has something happen to them that is hurtful or painful and we say, “Serves them right, look at how they treat others.” I recall to my mind some of the worldly sayings that follow that line of thinking. “You know what they say about paybacks?” is one, another is “What goes around comes around.” And still another is “You want to play, you gotta pay.” I have been so arrogantly ignorant before in my life, that I actually thought that some mishap that someone else experienced was because they messed with me, the anointed of God. That kind of thinking comes from a spiritually inflated ego with no foundation in love, which is the greatest of all emotions. As I sit and type this I come to the realization that possibly love is not an emotion or a feeling at all. How egotistical of me to think that love stems from my emotions and feelings, that it originates in me. Love is much more than just an emotion, It is God! It is a command, not a suggestion, but a command. Love is action, love is giving, and love is work! Jesus said to love everyone from your enemies to your neighbor to yourself. That pretty well takes in everyone I know! My problems seems to be that I don’t like everybody, and I don’ like the way some people have treated me. My dilemma seems to be one of loving those I don’t want to love. That old childhood thinking, “if someone hits you, hit them back!” doesn’t hold up too well with the teachings of Jesus. Today in my recovery from addictions and alcohol, I come to the understanding that when I stopped using, my work was just beginning. The real work is learning to live at peace with God, others, and myself. Paybacks should be cleansed from my mind. I feel like I have rambled on long enough, thanks for letting me share as I aired out some of my dirty laundry. God is still doing for me what I could not do for myself……………JRE
“No one loves perfectly, but we must learn how to love. We can ask God to help us love others and stop waiting for them to love us. We cannot expect to be good at loving right away; we should be patient as God’s love grows within us and he teaches us how to love. When we choose to act in loving ways, the emotions will follow, and we will find that our love will be returned.” (Life Recovery Bible, page 1385)
Monday, November 27, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “God has a purpose behind every problem.” (Rick Warren)
If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too may fall into the same sin. But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT)
Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. (James 1:14 NLT)
The holiday season is always a hard time for those who are in recovery. When we hear the word recovery, most of us probably think of overcoming alcohol and drugs. The way I see it is that most people are in recovery of some sort or another, and this time of year is rough on all of us. There are those who are in recovery from the addictions of chemicals. Some are in recovery from physical and health problems. Some are recovering from mental and emotional situations. Some are recovering from the death and loss of someone close. Some are recovering from relationships that seemed to go different directions. Some are in recovery from eating disorders. Some are trying to recover financially. Some are trying to recover spiritually. If you’re not recovering from something, then praise be to God for peace, but my experience is that in life, we move from one situation to another. For myself the key has been not to let the person, place or thing, pull me too far off track. Yesterday I had a wonderful visit from my cousin Bradley and his son Ely. We went fishing in the afternoon. We are having some fantastic weather for late November, upper sixties. We did manage to catch a couple of bass, but it was slow because the water temperature was still cooler than the warmer months. Most of those old bass would not even budge for the lure. I found myself changing lures to try and find something that would work. Finally I put on a light colored grub with a rooster tail, and one and only one bass, was lured by his desire. I caught him and released him. Was the bass caught because the lure tempted him? No. He was caught because inside of that bass was the desires to either eat, or fight that lure. All the other bass just didn’t have the desire, probably because the cool water had made their bodies and brains sluggish. For myself I must realize that this holiday season the temptations will be out there. But what causes the problems is not because they are there, but because of my own desires. God has made “a way out” with every temptation, so I run to Him, and God does for me what I could not do for myself……………..JRE
“Unfortunately, temptation is a permanent part of our sinful world and of human experience. The Bible says, “The temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Not only is temptation all around us; it is within us as well. “Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires” (James 1:14). Even if we could rid ourself of all external temptation, we would still have to live with the destructive desires within our old nature.
“Even Jesus Christ faced temptation, and yet he never sinned. Before he was tempted, he spent an extended period of time alone in the wilderness, and he went without food. We are usually tempted the most when we are lonely or hungry.” Life Recovery Bible, page 1381
The bass I let go
Thought for the day: “God has a purpose behind every problem.” (Rick Warren)
If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too may fall into the same sin. But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT)
Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. (James 1:14 NLT)
The holiday season is always a hard time for those who are in recovery. When we hear the word recovery, most of us probably think of overcoming alcohol and drugs. The way I see it is that most people are in recovery of some sort or another, and this time of year is rough on all of us. There are those who are in recovery from the addictions of chemicals. Some are in recovery from physical and health problems. Some are recovering from mental and emotional situations. Some are recovering from the death and loss of someone close. Some are recovering from relationships that seemed to go different directions. Some are in recovery from eating disorders. Some are trying to recover financially. Some are trying to recover spiritually. If you’re not recovering from something, then praise be to God for peace, but my experience is that in life, we move from one situation to another. For myself the key has been not to let the person, place or thing, pull me too far off track. Yesterday I had a wonderful visit from my cousin Bradley and his son Ely. We went fishing in the afternoon. We are having some fantastic weather for late November, upper sixties. We did manage to catch a couple of bass, but it was slow because the water temperature was still cooler than the warmer months. Most of those old bass would not even budge for the lure. I found myself changing lures to try and find something that would work. Finally I put on a light colored grub with a rooster tail, and one and only one bass, was lured by his desire. I caught him and released him. Was the bass caught because the lure tempted him? No. He was caught because inside of that bass was the desires to either eat, or fight that lure. All the other bass just didn’t have the desire, probably because the cool water had made their bodies and brains sluggish. For myself I must realize that this holiday season the temptations will be out there. But what causes the problems is not because they are there, but because of my own desires. God has made “a way out” with every temptation, so I run to Him, and God does for me what I could not do for myself……………..JRE
“Unfortunately, temptation is a permanent part of our sinful world and of human experience. The Bible says, “The temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Not only is temptation all around us; it is within us as well. “Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires” (James 1:14). Even if we could rid ourself of all external temptation, we would still have to live with the destructive desires within our old nature.
“Even Jesus Christ faced temptation, and yet he never sinned. Before he was tempted, he spent an extended period of time alone in the wilderness, and he went without food. We are usually tempted the most when we are lonely or hungry.” Life Recovery Bible, page 1381
Saturday, November 25, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NLT)
The late blues singer Eva Cassidy sings a song titled Easy Street Dream in which she sings of easy love. In the chorus of the song she sings, “Any love that is easy falls down like rain. Any love that’s easy goes out with a bad name. Any love that you find on Easy Street can only be a dream.” For years I chased an image of love that had been taught to me by Hollywood, music, novels, and fairy tales. My main ideas of romantic love were of a warm fuzzy feeling that brought complete satisfaction and contentment. How self-centered this concept of love was. I chased it in and out of bars, taverns, schools, concerts, big gatherings, small gatherings, and big and little parties. As Eva sings in her song, “Any love you find on Easy Street can only be a dream.” I chased a dream. For years I floated along after this dream on the river of denial. “Looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for love in too many faces.” Twenty-four years ago when I was 36 years old I remember reading for the first time the words of the apostle Paul in the 13th chapter of first Corinthians. At that time I began to realize that love was not feeling warm and fuzzy, but being warm and fuzzy for someone else. This morning as I once again study Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, a church with many divisions and problems, I see how his emphasis on loving one another could melt away any controversy that might have existed. What was true two thousand years ago will work today the same way. I am truly grateful for the unchanging Word of God that is our roadmap, our headlights, and our destination. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………..JRE
“Love is a lifestyle in which all our thoughts and actions are guided by our concern for others. Most of us need recovery because we have lived for our own gratification. As we sought to escape our inner pain through the fleeting pleasures of addictive activities or substances, we became blind to the needs of the people around us. That lifestyle left our past littered with hurt people and broken relationships. A life governed by selfless love is the only path to rebuilding our broken past. Knowing that God loves us no matter what our past is the place to start recovery.” (The Life Recovery Bible, page 1377)
Warm and fuzzy
Thought for the day: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NLT)
The late blues singer Eva Cassidy sings a song titled Easy Street Dream in which she sings of easy love. In the chorus of the song she sings, “Any love that is easy falls down like rain. Any love that’s easy goes out with a bad name. Any love that you find on Easy Street can only be a dream.” For years I chased an image of love that had been taught to me by Hollywood, music, novels, and fairy tales. My main ideas of romantic love were of a warm fuzzy feeling that brought complete satisfaction and contentment. How self-centered this concept of love was. I chased it in and out of bars, taverns, schools, concerts, big gatherings, small gatherings, and big and little parties. As Eva sings in her song, “Any love you find on Easy Street can only be a dream.” I chased a dream. For years I floated along after this dream on the river of denial. “Looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for love in too many faces.” Twenty-four years ago when I was 36 years old I remember reading for the first time the words of the apostle Paul in the 13th chapter of first Corinthians. At that time I began to realize that love was not feeling warm and fuzzy, but being warm and fuzzy for someone else. This morning as I once again study Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, a church with many divisions and problems, I see how his emphasis on loving one another could melt away any controversy that might have existed. What was true two thousand years ago will work today the same way. I am truly grateful for the unchanging Word of God that is our roadmap, our headlights, and our destination. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………..JRE
“Love is a lifestyle in which all our thoughts and actions are guided by our concern for others. Most of us need recovery because we have lived for our own gratification. As we sought to escape our inner pain through the fleeting pleasures of addictive activities or substances, we became blind to the needs of the people around us. That lifestyle left our past littered with hurt people and broken relationships. A life governed by selfless love is the only path to rebuilding our broken past. Knowing that God loves us no matter what our past is the place to start recovery.” (The Life Recovery Bible, page 1377)
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “If you turn it over and don’t let go of it, you will be upside down.”
(Heard at AA meetings)
“And now I exhort you to be of good cheer.” (Acts 27:22)
Have you ever made a decision to turn over a new leaf, and found yourself back to doing the same old things? Why is it that when we want to change some aspect of our life that many of us have the tendency to bring all the old stuff along with us? I moved to the country twenty-one years ago. It had been a dream of mine to some day live in the country. I had aunts and uncles and grandparents that lived in the country and when we visited I always enjoyed walking in the woods, playing in the creek, going fishing, and just being one with nature. All of my life up to the time I was thirty-nine years old was spent living in metropolitan cities. My parents grew up in the country and like many rural people after World War II they moved to, and worked in the city. In 1985 I had a chance to buy some of the family farm that my mother was raised on, and I jumped at the opportunity. It was like a dream coming true. I picked a spot in a small clearing in the timber to make my home. I purchased a mobile home, cleared a six hundred foot path for the power lines to come through, had a well drilled, and put in a septic tank. To get to where I lived I had to drive to the end of a gravel road, turn onto the property and drive about a quarter mile on an old wagon trail, up hill and through the timber, to get to my homestead. Some of the local people asked me why I had not built closer to the county road. I had no answer other than that I had lived next to streets and roads all of my life and wanted to be in the country. That first winter I began to see things differently. My cars would not make it up the hill in the snow, and I had to park about a half mile away from home to ensure not getting stuck. Then the spring came with joyous expectancy only to bring ticks, chiggers, wasps, hornets, flies, skunks, opossums, foxes, and raccoons. I had purchased a few calves and some chickens to raise, and found that it was a full time job tending to all their needs. After the first year of my country experience I found myself homesick for the city. I missed the hustle and bustle of life. I missed the constant sound of people and traffic. I missed the convenience of traveling only a few minutes and being able to get anything I needed. I missed people! I found myself at times driving down to where I could see the highway and just sitting and watching the cars go by. I had turned over a new leaf and had not let go. I found myself upside down. It took several more years to adjust and today I would not trade my rural lifestyle. The point is that I was just not ready to turn over a new leaf when I did. I found some of these same effects to be true when it came my walk with the Lord. I wanted freedom from sin in my life and forgiveness, but wanted to hold on to some of my old resentments. I became upside down. When I found myself in the grips of terminal alcoholism and drug addiction, I wanted to be set free, but tried to hold on to old using buddies and that care-free lifestyle. I found myself upside down. Today I realize that when I turn it over I must let go…………and let God have it. God’s desire is for me to be set free from sin and self, but to be set-free I’ve got to let go. I heard someone say once that we need to hold on to things loosely, because it hurts when God pries our fingers away from it. Today may I learn to turn over selfishness and self-centeredness to God. When I do, I find that God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
Upside down
Thought for the day: “If you turn it over and don’t let go of it, you will be upside down.”
(Heard at AA meetings)
“And now I exhort you to be of good cheer.” (Acts 27:22)
Have you ever made a decision to turn over a new leaf, and found yourself back to doing the same old things? Why is it that when we want to change some aspect of our life that many of us have the tendency to bring all the old stuff along with us? I moved to the country twenty-one years ago. It had been a dream of mine to some day live in the country. I had aunts and uncles and grandparents that lived in the country and when we visited I always enjoyed walking in the woods, playing in the creek, going fishing, and just being one with nature. All of my life up to the time I was thirty-nine years old was spent living in metropolitan cities. My parents grew up in the country and like many rural people after World War II they moved to, and worked in the city. In 1985 I had a chance to buy some of the family farm that my mother was raised on, and I jumped at the opportunity. It was like a dream coming true. I picked a spot in a small clearing in the timber to make my home. I purchased a mobile home, cleared a six hundred foot path for the power lines to come through, had a well drilled, and put in a septic tank. To get to where I lived I had to drive to the end of a gravel road, turn onto the property and drive about a quarter mile on an old wagon trail, up hill and through the timber, to get to my homestead. Some of the local people asked me why I had not built closer to the county road. I had no answer other than that I had lived next to streets and roads all of my life and wanted to be in the country. That first winter I began to see things differently. My cars would not make it up the hill in the snow, and I had to park about a half mile away from home to ensure not getting stuck. Then the spring came with joyous expectancy only to bring ticks, chiggers, wasps, hornets, flies, skunks, opossums, foxes, and raccoons. I had purchased a few calves and some chickens to raise, and found that it was a full time job tending to all their needs. After the first year of my country experience I found myself homesick for the city. I missed the hustle and bustle of life. I missed the constant sound of people and traffic. I missed the convenience of traveling only a few minutes and being able to get anything I needed. I missed people! I found myself at times driving down to where I could see the highway and just sitting and watching the cars go by. I had turned over a new leaf and had not let go. I found myself upside down. It took several more years to adjust and today I would not trade my rural lifestyle. The point is that I was just not ready to turn over a new leaf when I did. I found some of these same effects to be true when it came my walk with the Lord. I wanted freedom from sin in my life and forgiveness, but wanted to hold on to some of my old resentments. I became upside down. When I found myself in the grips of terminal alcoholism and drug addiction, I wanted to be set free, but tried to hold on to old using buddies and that care-free lifestyle. I found myself upside down. Today I realize that when I turn it over I must let go…………and let God have it. God’s desire is for me to be set free from sin and self, but to be set-free I’ve got to let go. I heard someone say once that we need to hold on to things loosely, because it hurts when God pries our fingers away from it. Today may I learn to turn over selfishness and self-centeredness to God. When I do, I find that God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
Monday, November 20, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “A good action is never lost; it is a treasure laid up and guarded for the doer’s need.” (Pedro la Barca Calderon)
Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! When you came down long ago, you did awesome things beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow, godly ways.”
(Isaiah 64:1-5 NLT)
The apostle Paul quoted Isaiah 64:4 when he wrote his letter to the Corinthians. Paul said it a little different, but the thought was the same, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). How true this is! If you love God, and put God first in your life, then you cannot even imagine what good things are in store. When I first got serious about recovering from drugs and alcohol I decided to put God first in my life. I decided that when I got up in the morning I would first spend some time in self-examination, prayer, and the reading of the Word of God. I am amazed at how a little thing such as reading the Bible daily over the past eight years has truly altered how I see God, how I see myself, how I see others, how I see life, and how I accept life on life’s terms. Eight years ago if I would of have made a list of everything I wanted after eight years of sobriety, and I would have received what I had on the list, I would have come up short of what has actually happened. I would have sold myself short. I am not saying that life over the past eight years has been a bed of roses. I have had to deal with death of family members, the death of many friends, the death of pets, times when finances were stressed, times when physical pain abounded, and times when depression sat in. It was especially during these difficult times that I observed the love of God smoothing the road out ahead of me. Of course it takes a trained eye to see some of these things. As long as I stayed in my self-pity and felt sorry for myself my eyes never raised up enough to see how God was smoothing the road out ahead. As I look back over the short time of my recovery and take a positive inventory I see where I have not lacked for anything I ever needed, and most of my desires, material, emotional and spiritual were supplied. My mind could not even imagine what was prepared for me when I fell in love with God. I see the future the same way that I look back at the past. What has God prepared for my life? I don’t know. No list here, I don’t want to sell myself short. God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………….JRE
“When our life is unmanageable and we feel as if we have lost direction, we often blame God or feel that somehow he is making things worse. Paul reminded the Corinthians that God had wonderful things planned for them, things even more wonderful than they could imagine. This message if for us, too. If we turn our life and will over to God, he can build a new life for us that is beyond our wildest dreams.” The Life Recovery Bible, page 1370
Don't sell yourself short
Thought for the day: “A good action is never lost; it is a treasure laid up and guarded for the doer’s need.” (Pedro la Barca Calderon)
Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! When you came down long ago, you did awesome things beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow, godly ways.”
(Isaiah 64:1-5 NLT)
The apostle Paul quoted Isaiah 64:4 when he wrote his letter to the Corinthians. Paul said it a little different, but the thought was the same, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). How true this is! If you love God, and put God first in your life, then you cannot even imagine what good things are in store. When I first got serious about recovering from drugs and alcohol I decided to put God first in my life. I decided that when I got up in the morning I would first spend some time in self-examination, prayer, and the reading of the Word of God. I am amazed at how a little thing such as reading the Bible daily over the past eight years has truly altered how I see God, how I see myself, how I see others, how I see life, and how I accept life on life’s terms. Eight years ago if I would of have made a list of everything I wanted after eight years of sobriety, and I would have received what I had on the list, I would have come up short of what has actually happened. I would have sold myself short. I am not saying that life over the past eight years has been a bed of roses. I have had to deal with death of family members, the death of many friends, the death of pets, times when finances were stressed, times when physical pain abounded, and times when depression sat in. It was especially during these difficult times that I observed the love of God smoothing the road out ahead of me. Of course it takes a trained eye to see some of these things. As long as I stayed in my self-pity and felt sorry for myself my eyes never raised up enough to see how God was smoothing the road out ahead. As I look back over the short time of my recovery and take a positive inventory I see where I have not lacked for anything I ever needed, and most of my desires, material, emotional and spiritual were supplied. My mind could not even imagine what was prepared for me when I fell in love with God. I see the future the same way that I look back at the past. What has God prepared for my life? I don’t know. No list here, I don’t want to sell myself short. God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………….JRE
“When our life is unmanageable and we feel as if we have lost direction, we often blame God or feel that somehow he is making things worse. Paul reminded the Corinthians that God had wonderful things planned for them, things even more wonderful than they could imagine. This message if for us, too. If we turn our life and will over to God, he can build a new life for us that is beyond our wildest dreams.” The Life Recovery Bible, page 1370
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
To see a World in a grain of sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
WILLIAM BLAKE
“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.”
(1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV)
“The natural man. This is man living under the control of the fleshly passions, the sensual and depraved part of man in contrast with the rational part. He is the animal man as opposed to the spiritual man. He has no sense of spiritual values and no relish for them. He counts it the highest wisdom to live for this world and carnal pleasures. Spiritual things are foolishness to him. He cannot see the supreme excellence due to animal appetites and being spiritually dead.”
FINIS DAKE…………..The Dake Bible, page 177
The natural man, “He cannot see the supreme excellence (in living spiritually…JRE) due to animal appetites.” Exactly what did Finis Dake mean by animal appetites? Ever tried to take a bone away from a dog that was enjoying grinding away at it? They will bit you! That is an example of an animal appetite. How about if you put two dog dishes of food out for two dogs, and they will wolf it down in a big hurry. When the first one gets finished he will go over and try and eat the other dog’s food also. That is an animal appetite. If a horse happens to get into the grain bin they will eat until they founder themselves becoming sick. That is an animal appetite. When you put fish food in an aquarium they will immediately come to the surface and scoop up all they can. Some will even fight each other for the food. That is an animal appetite. Human beings are born with a natural side of us that will act in many ways just as animals do. Without a spiritual experience in our lives we will fight, founder, and fulfill the lusts of animal appetites. I praise God for the Holy Spirit and the gift of discernment. Even though at times my animal instincts speak louder than then spirit man, The Spirit still is there with words like, “That’s enough,” Don’t go there,” “Better not do that,” and “That is not healthy.”The natural man is pretty much all about himself, and if he does help someone else it is for personal gain, to feel superior, or to boost his pride. Today I understand that this kind of animal thinking is what led me to thirty years of misery due to alcohol and drugs. I thank God for a spiritual awakening that came only after years of struggle and personal defeat. Today there are little things in my life that have so much more meaning that some of my greatest natural-man experiences. Today I desire the little loving things that God gives me. God has done for me what I could not do for myself………….JRE
The natural man
To see a World in a grain of sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
WILLIAM BLAKE
“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.”
(1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV)
“The natural man. This is man living under the control of the fleshly passions, the sensual and depraved part of man in contrast with the rational part. He is the animal man as opposed to the spiritual man. He has no sense of spiritual values and no relish for them. He counts it the highest wisdom to live for this world and carnal pleasures. Spiritual things are foolishness to him. He cannot see the supreme excellence due to animal appetites and being spiritually dead.”
FINIS DAKE…………..The Dake Bible, page 177
The natural man, “He cannot see the supreme excellence (in living spiritually…JRE) due to animal appetites.” Exactly what did Finis Dake mean by animal appetites? Ever tried to take a bone away from a dog that was enjoying grinding away at it? They will bit you! That is an example of an animal appetite. How about if you put two dog dishes of food out for two dogs, and they will wolf it down in a big hurry. When the first one gets finished he will go over and try and eat the other dog’s food also. That is an animal appetite. If a horse happens to get into the grain bin they will eat until they founder themselves becoming sick. That is an animal appetite. When you put fish food in an aquarium they will immediately come to the surface and scoop up all they can. Some will even fight each other for the food. That is an animal appetite. Human beings are born with a natural side of us that will act in many ways just as animals do. Without a spiritual experience in our lives we will fight, founder, and fulfill the lusts of animal appetites. I praise God for the Holy Spirit and the gift of discernment. Even though at times my animal instincts speak louder than then spirit man, The Spirit still is there with words like, “That’s enough,” Don’t go there,” “Better not do that,” and “That is not healthy.”The natural man is pretty much all about himself, and if he does help someone else it is for personal gain, to feel superior, or to boost his pride. Today I understand that this kind of animal thinking is what led me to thirty years of misery due to alcohol and drugs. I thank God for a spiritual awakening that came only after years of struggle and personal defeat. Today there are little things in my life that have so much more meaning that some of my greatest natural-man experiences. Today I desire the little loving things that God gives me. God has done for me what I could not do for myself………….JRE
Monday, November 13, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth.”
(Rick Warren)
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few or you were wise in the world’s eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
(1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT)
I sometimes hear around the tables of AA that “You can’t be too dumb to get the program, but you can be too smart to get it.” I find the same thing to be true when it comes to some people accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and understanding the finished work of the cross. I myself struggled with the idea of needing a Savior in my life. I‘m not saying that I was too smart to get it; it’s just that I had too many unanswered questions, and I was trying to come up with the answers on my own. Before I could understand anything about the cross on a personal level, I had to first surrender. As long as my ego, my will, and my mind were thrashing around looking for the definitive answer as to why all this was and is necessary I could see and understand very little. Before I surrendered, gave up, and realized that I could not make it on my own, I wanted answers. I wanted to know why I needed a Savior in my life? The truth is that I had been trying to save myself from all of life’s problems and had failed miserably. I wanted to know why God did not interfere in life’s problems and fix everything? Trying to work out my own problems I failed to understand God’s grace and the simplicity of receiving a gift that I did not deserve. I failed to understand that God’s love allows us to be ourselves and use our own will anyway we choose. God can’t fix anything if we choose to go contrary to His will. I wanted to know why the blood of Jesus was such a big deal? I failed to understand Scriptures because I had not taken the time to study and read the Bible. Understanding the importance of the blood of Jesus took days, months and years of studying the Scriptures. I had to read all of the Old Testament, and make comparisons to what happened on the cross, and then come up with my own conclusions in my own heart. The concept of animal sacrifice and the purpose in using the blood seemed so primitive to my modern mind. I was too modern and smart to grasp the full meaning of the cross. Only by surrender………..did the wheels of my mind stop spinning long enough for God’s grace to seep into a heart full of pain and doubt. Today I realize that I have to surrender daily. If not my mind will manufacture false answers for questions that probably don’t even need to be asked. I surrender to win, give up to gain, and give it away to receive. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………….JRE
“It pleased God to confound the wise men of that day by the preaching of a crucified Christ. The Jews would not have Him because they expected the Messiah to come as a mighty conqueror. When he came to be crucified they stumbled at Him. The Gentiles could see no reason for salvation by a crucified malefactor of Judea. To those of both classes who would believe, Christ was the power and the wisdom of God.” FINIS DAKE………………….The Dake Bible, page 176
Modern mind
Thought for the day: “Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth.”
(Rick Warren)
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few or you were wise in the world’s eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
(1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT)
I sometimes hear around the tables of AA that “You can’t be too dumb to get the program, but you can be too smart to get it.” I find the same thing to be true when it comes to some people accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and understanding the finished work of the cross. I myself struggled with the idea of needing a Savior in my life. I‘m not saying that I was too smart to get it; it’s just that I had too many unanswered questions, and I was trying to come up with the answers on my own. Before I could understand anything about the cross on a personal level, I had to first surrender. As long as my ego, my will, and my mind were thrashing around looking for the definitive answer as to why all this was and is necessary I could see and understand very little. Before I surrendered, gave up, and realized that I could not make it on my own, I wanted answers. I wanted to know why I needed a Savior in my life? The truth is that I had been trying to save myself from all of life’s problems and had failed miserably. I wanted to know why God did not interfere in life’s problems and fix everything? Trying to work out my own problems I failed to understand God’s grace and the simplicity of receiving a gift that I did not deserve. I failed to understand that God’s love allows us to be ourselves and use our own will anyway we choose. God can’t fix anything if we choose to go contrary to His will. I wanted to know why the blood of Jesus was such a big deal? I failed to understand Scriptures because I had not taken the time to study and read the Bible. Understanding the importance of the blood of Jesus took days, months and years of studying the Scriptures. I had to read all of the Old Testament, and make comparisons to what happened on the cross, and then come up with my own conclusions in my own heart. The concept of animal sacrifice and the purpose in using the blood seemed so primitive to my modern mind. I was too modern and smart to grasp the full meaning of the cross. Only by surrender………..did the wheels of my mind stop spinning long enough for God’s grace to seep into a heart full of pain and doubt. Today I realize that I have to surrender daily. If not my mind will manufacture false answers for questions that probably don’t even need to be asked. I surrender to win, give up to gain, and give it away to receive. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………….JRE
“It pleased God to confound the wise men of that day by the preaching of a crucified Christ. The Jews would not have Him because they expected the Messiah to come as a mighty conqueror. When he came to be crucified they stumbled at Him. The Gentiles could see no reason for salvation by a crucified malefactor of Judea. To those of both classes who would believe, Christ was the power and the wisdom of God.” FINIS DAKE………………….The Dake Bible, page 176
Friday, November 10, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “If it can be verified, we don’t need faith………Faith is for that which lies on the other side of reason. Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.” (Madeleine L’Engle)
“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.”
ECCLESIASTES 5:1-3 NASB
Solomon peppered the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes with the word “fool.” Everyone knows what a fool is and today we don’t hear the word used very much. Instead we hear words like stupid, ignorant, dumb, and phrases like the lights are on but nobody is home, their elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top, and their cheese has slid off their cracker. I don’t use the word fool very often, probably because it reminds me of myself. Solomon often referred to the fool as someone who talked a lot, and said very little. One of the hardest of my character defects to get a rein on has been my tongue. When I was lost in sin it flapped all the time. When I got saved and had a life changing experience with God my tongue still flapped. The only thing that changed was the direction of my speech; the many words were still there. When I relapsed back into the grips of alcoholism my tongue still flapped, but now it went both ways. I can recall sitting in a bar stoned out of my mind, and preaching. That falls under the classification of a genuine fool. Later on as my alcoholism flourished I began to use Methamphetamine. This drug allowed the fool inside of me to come alive and take control. My mind would run in circles and my tongue would flap endlessly for days and nights. As I allowed this lifestyle to run rampant fueled by my self-will, I eventually ran out of words. I even ran out of cohesive thoughts. Nothing made any sense and my mind seemed like it contained a spiritual void that was being sucked into a black hole in my spirit. The very essence of my life, my spirit, was being drawn away. All of my many words were narrowed down to three, and they were, “help me God.” I had nowhere else to turn; no human power could have relieved my self-afflicted state of existence. What is amazing is that as soon as I turned to God the spiritual void and vacuum in my life was gone. A tiny spark of Life that came from my knowledge of God began to grow. I soon learned while in treatment for my addictions that if I added fuel to that spark, a fire would start burning. I added more fuel by reading daily the Word of God. Other believers fanned the flames by encouraging me, and now a fire has been burning for over eight years, and I have not had to use or drink. Today I must give the glory to God, because God was there when I cried out of desperation those three honest words for help. It wasn’t the many words of a fool that brought about change, but the few words of a hurting man. Today I know that God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………………..JRE
“Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.” BILL W. ……………………….A.A. 12X12 page 95
Spiritual void
Thought for the day: “If it can be verified, we don’t need faith………Faith is for that which lies on the other side of reason. Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.” (Madeleine L’Engle)
“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.”
ECCLESIASTES 5:1-3 NASB
Solomon peppered the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes with the word “fool.” Everyone knows what a fool is and today we don’t hear the word used very much. Instead we hear words like stupid, ignorant, dumb, and phrases like the lights are on but nobody is home, their elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top, and their cheese has slid off their cracker. I don’t use the word fool very often, probably because it reminds me of myself. Solomon often referred to the fool as someone who talked a lot, and said very little. One of the hardest of my character defects to get a rein on has been my tongue. When I was lost in sin it flapped all the time. When I got saved and had a life changing experience with God my tongue still flapped. The only thing that changed was the direction of my speech; the many words were still there. When I relapsed back into the grips of alcoholism my tongue still flapped, but now it went both ways. I can recall sitting in a bar stoned out of my mind, and preaching. That falls under the classification of a genuine fool. Later on as my alcoholism flourished I began to use Methamphetamine. This drug allowed the fool inside of me to come alive and take control. My mind would run in circles and my tongue would flap endlessly for days and nights. As I allowed this lifestyle to run rampant fueled by my self-will, I eventually ran out of words. I even ran out of cohesive thoughts. Nothing made any sense and my mind seemed like it contained a spiritual void that was being sucked into a black hole in my spirit. The very essence of my life, my spirit, was being drawn away. All of my many words were narrowed down to three, and they were, “help me God.” I had nowhere else to turn; no human power could have relieved my self-afflicted state of existence. What is amazing is that as soon as I turned to God the spiritual void and vacuum in my life was gone. A tiny spark of Life that came from my knowledge of God began to grow. I soon learned while in treatment for my addictions that if I added fuel to that spark, a fire would start burning. I added more fuel by reading daily the Word of God. Other believers fanned the flames by encouraging me, and now a fire has been burning for over eight years, and I have not had to use or drink. Today I must give the glory to God, because God was there when I cried out of desperation those three honest words for help. It wasn’t the many words of a fool that brought about change, but the few words of a hurting man. Today I know that God has done for me what I could not do for myself…………………..JRE
“Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.” BILL W. ……………………….A.A. 12X12 page 95
Thursday, November 09, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “On the path to spiritual maturity, even temptation becomes a stepping-stone rather than a stumbling block when you realize that it is just as much an occasion to do the right thing, as it is to do the wrong.” (Rick Warren)
“Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” (Romans 14:22 NKJ)
The apostle Paul when he said in this verse, “Do you have faith?” was referring to faith in oneself not necessarily faith in God. Of course he was writing to the church in Rome so he expected them to have faith in God and the finished work of the cross. I like what the Dake Bible has to say on the verse, share this with me. “The word faith here means the full persuasion that one is right, lawful, and sanctioned by God in his act.” Some of my greatest emotional hangovers have been caused by times when I assumed what I was doing was okay, and it turned out to be very wrong. Folks, I’m talking about remorse. From my past experiences, the last half of that scripture verse could read “Unhappy and remorseful am I when I condemn myself because I did something not acceptable. This happened after I rationalized and told myself it was okay.” I have learned about myself that I can talk myself into just about anything if I try. I can take a behavior that I know not to be right, and twist it just a little to make it appear not so wrong. This kind of stinking thinking fueled my alcoholism and drug addition to the point of near death. So many mornings I would wake up feeling horrible. I’m not talking so much about physical pain, but the emotional pain of remorse that comes from knowing that I willfully went against my own guidelines. The only way I can have faith in myself and have it before God is to have my will line up with God’s will for my life. That is not easy. But, I am finding it is easier to stay in the road, than to keep slipping off into the ditch because of poor driving habits, which often bring God’s tow truck to hoist me out. God has never failed to help me. I know that I have a twenty-four hour service in a loving God that offers forgiveness though His wonderful grace. What takes time and requires self-examination is dealing with the emotional hangover caused by remorse. My AA sponsor always says, “When the pain exceeds the pleasure we change.” Some changes in my behavior happen quickly, some take years to come around. One thing I know to be true, and that is that in my spiritual walk with the Lord Jesus, God has done for me what I could not do for myself. If I “keep on trucking” for the Lord, the tow truck is called less and less. Thanks for letting me share……………….JRE
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us, they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectations of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts wit his love.” (Romans 5:3-5 NLT)
“Learning to wait patiently is an important characteristic for us to develop. Each time we admit sin and accept God’s forgiveness, our hope and faith have a chance to be exercised and grow stronger. We no longer have to hide in shame every time we slip. We can admit our wrongs and move on. God’s love for us is reaffirmed every time we rely on it. In this way God helps us hold our head high no matter what happens.” THE LIFE RECOVERY BIBLE, page 1353
God's tow truck
Thought for the day: “On the path to spiritual maturity, even temptation becomes a stepping-stone rather than a stumbling block when you realize that it is just as much an occasion to do the right thing, as it is to do the wrong.” (Rick Warren)
“Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” (Romans 14:22 NKJ)
The apostle Paul when he said in this verse, “Do you have faith?” was referring to faith in oneself not necessarily faith in God. Of course he was writing to the church in Rome so he expected them to have faith in God and the finished work of the cross. I like what the Dake Bible has to say on the verse, share this with me. “The word faith here means the full persuasion that one is right, lawful, and sanctioned by God in his act.” Some of my greatest emotional hangovers have been caused by times when I assumed what I was doing was okay, and it turned out to be very wrong. Folks, I’m talking about remorse. From my past experiences, the last half of that scripture verse could read “Unhappy and remorseful am I when I condemn myself because I did something not acceptable. This happened after I rationalized and told myself it was okay.” I have learned about myself that I can talk myself into just about anything if I try. I can take a behavior that I know not to be right, and twist it just a little to make it appear not so wrong. This kind of stinking thinking fueled my alcoholism and drug addition to the point of near death. So many mornings I would wake up feeling horrible. I’m not talking so much about physical pain, but the emotional pain of remorse that comes from knowing that I willfully went against my own guidelines. The only way I can have faith in myself and have it before God is to have my will line up with God’s will for my life. That is not easy. But, I am finding it is easier to stay in the road, than to keep slipping off into the ditch because of poor driving habits, which often bring God’s tow truck to hoist me out. God has never failed to help me. I know that I have a twenty-four hour service in a loving God that offers forgiveness though His wonderful grace. What takes time and requires self-examination is dealing with the emotional hangover caused by remorse. My AA sponsor always says, “When the pain exceeds the pleasure we change.” Some changes in my behavior happen quickly, some take years to come around. One thing I know to be true, and that is that in my spiritual walk with the Lord Jesus, God has done for me what I could not do for myself. If I “keep on trucking” for the Lord, the tow truck is called less and less. Thanks for letting me share……………….JRE
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us, they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectations of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts wit his love.” (Romans 5:3-5 NLT)
“Learning to wait patiently is an important characteristic for us to develop. Each time we admit sin and accept God’s forgiveness, our hope and faith have a chance to be exercised and grow stronger. We no longer have to hide in shame every time we slip. We can admit our wrongs and move on. God’s love for us is reaffirmed every time we rely on it. In this way God helps us hold our head high no matter what happens.” THE LIFE RECOVERY BIBLE, page 1353
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9 NKJ)
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfast in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard to good things in the sight of all men.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
ROMANS 12:10-21-NKJ
I just got blessed by typing that out. In the Old Testament we find where the wise man Solomon wrote most of the Book of Proverbs. In the New Testament we have the Book of James, which is called by some, the New Testament Book of Proverbs. Today I have had the revelation that the apostle Paul penned his own book of proverbs, they can be found in the twelfth chapter of Romans. Actually they are not strictly original to Paul, but can be found many places in the old and new testaments, especially in the words of Jesus. The older I get I find that it is the short sayings that I know that carry me through a tough situation more than the books and chapters that I know. Webster’s definition of a proverb is: “A short saying in common use that strikingly expresses some obvious truth or familiar experience.” When I’m hurting I don’t need to sit down and read fifty profound pages on how to overcome my problem. I need the simple thoughts like, “God loves me,” “This too shall pass,” “Easy does it,” “Repay no one evil for evil,” “One day at a time,” “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “Keep it simple,” “God is love,” “Live and let live,” and most of all “Prayer changes things.” Trying to “do things my way” caused much pain in my life. When I understood that I needed to “Let go and let God,” then I began to see how “God is doing for me what I could not do for myself.”…………………JRE
Proverbs
Thought for the day: “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9 NKJ)
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfast in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard to good things in the sight of all men.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
ROMANS 12:10-21-NKJ
I just got blessed by typing that out. In the Old Testament we find where the wise man Solomon wrote most of the Book of Proverbs. In the New Testament we have the Book of James, which is called by some, the New Testament Book of Proverbs. Today I have had the revelation that the apostle Paul penned his own book of proverbs, they can be found in the twelfth chapter of Romans. Actually they are not strictly original to Paul, but can be found many places in the old and new testaments, especially in the words of Jesus. The older I get I find that it is the short sayings that I know that carry me through a tough situation more than the books and chapters that I know. Webster’s definition of a proverb is: “A short saying in common use that strikingly expresses some obvious truth or familiar experience.” When I’m hurting I don’t need to sit down and read fifty profound pages on how to overcome my problem. I need the simple thoughts like, “God loves me,” “This too shall pass,” “Easy does it,” “Repay no one evil for evil,” “One day at a time,” “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “Keep it simple,” “God is love,” “Live and let live,” and most of all “Prayer changes things.” Trying to “do things my way” caused much pain in my life. When I understood that I needed to “Let go and let God,” then I began to see how “God is doing for me what I could not do for myself.”…………………JRE
Monday, November 06, 2006
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” (Kahlil Gibran)
And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
1 PETER 3:13-16 NKJ
“Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” Peter could have said this at an AA meeting and it would have fit right in. We share our experience, strength and hope with each other, and we find encouragement in knowing that others have overcome times when all seemed to come against them. Peter was familiar with times when everything seemed to go the wrong way. The night they arrested Jesus, as they came against the Lord and the disciples, Peter who carried a sword, pulled it and cut a guy. Later that same evening they came against Peter with questions and he denied the Lord. The next day at 3pm Jesus died on the cross, and Peter left. The twenty-four hours up to that time were not good, or they seemed not to be good to Peter, but actually God was working a work in and through Peter and all men that would set us all free from the bondage of sin and a life of hopelessness. Fifty days later as 120 followers of Jesus were gathered together, as promised, the Holy Ghost came and filled them with power to be bold and to be “ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” As I sit in gatherings of other believers I find also that this Power comes upon me, and gives me the desire to share about the hope that I have in myself. When I sit in AA meetings and listen to other people share their experience, strength and hope, I also receive Power that can be used in my own life as I daily thread myself through situations that could possibly reach out and try to bring me down. Being willing to tell others of the hope we have takes some learning. At first my pride would get in the way and I found myself ashamed to explain how I had to surrender, and give in to God, to gain the victory and see the hope of a better life. That was my foolish pride when I though that people would think less of me because I depended on God. Actually the opposite has happened. The more I came to rely on God, the more people that I know and associate with came to accept me the way I was. And that was to be dependent on God. Today my desire is to seek God first each day, therefore to keep from straying off into the hopeless state that I used to call the “good life.” Today I live the true good life, a life where I allow God to do for me what I could not do for myself. Peter had the key to giving a defense for the hope he had, it was having the Lord God holding a spot in his heart that was reserved for God and God only. Thanks for letting me share of the hope I have in knowing Jesus Christ……………….JRE
“But sanctify the Lord in your hearts.” (1 Peter 3:15)
“Another proof that sanctification means to separate from a profane purpose. We are to give God His rightful place; hold Him in reverence.” (The Dake Bible, page 267)
In defense of hope
Thought for the day: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” (Kahlil Gibran)
And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
1 PETER 3:13-16 NKJ
“Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” Peter could have said this at an AA meeting and it would have fit right in. We share our experience, strength and hope with each other, and we find encouragement in knowing that others have overcome times when all seemed to come against them. Peter was familiar with times when everything seemed to go the wrong way. The night they arrested Jesus, as they came against the Lord and the disciples, Peter who carried a sword, pulled it and cut a guy. Later that same evening they came against Peter with questions and he denied the Lord. The next day at 3pm Jesus died on the cross, and Peter left. The twenty-four hours up to that time were not good, or they seemed not to be good to Peter, but actually God was working a work in and through Peter and all men that would set us all free from the bondage of sin and a life of hopelessness. Fifty days later as 120 followers of Jesus were gathered together, as promised, the Holy Ghost came and filled them with power to be bold and to be “ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” As I sit in gatherings of other believers I find also that this Power comes upon me, and gives me the desire to share about the hope that I have in myself. When I sit in AA meetings and listen to other people share their experience, strength and hope, I also receive Power that can be used in my own life as I daily thread myself through situations that could possibly reach out and try to bring me down. Being willing to tell others of the hope we have takes some learning. At first my pride would get in the way and I found myself ashamed to explain how I had to surrender, and give in to God, to gain the victory and see the hope of a better life. That was my foolish pride when I though that people would think less of me because I depended on God. Actually the opposite has happened. The more I came to rely on God, the more people that I know and associate with came to accept me the way I was. And that was to be dependent on God. Today my desire is to seek God first each day, therefore to keep from straying off into the hopeless state that I used to call the “good life.” Today I live the true good life, a life where I allow God to do for me what I could not do for myself. Peter had the key to giving a defense for the hope he had, it was having the Lord God holding a spot in his heart that was reserved for God and God only. Thanks for letting me share of the hope I have in knowing Jesus Christ……………….JRE
“But sanctify the Lord in your hearts.” (1 Peter 3:15)
“Another proof that sanctification means to separate from a profane purpose. We are to give God His rightful place; hold Him in reverence.” (The Dake Bible, page 267)
