👕No Sitting At This Table😬

  High standards protect you from low quality experiences.

Standards “That which is established as a rule or model”

When I think of the word standard there are a lot of standards, and we should all have some standards that we have established in our lives. Corporations have standards in which they run their company by. Our military has standards that have to be met to continue serving our country. Families have standards within their home. In my home as a child no one was to come to a meal not wearing a shirt; as Nick Sagan would say “it’s a rule!” Now that wasn’t a world wide rule it was just a standard in our home and no one questioned it and me and my brothers had shirts on. Now when it comes to our Christian life our Heavenly Father has set rules or commandments that are to be followed. If they are broken or disregarded then there will be discipline taken. The discipline taken in our home was not taken to the neighbor’s home up the street. Why? Because they were not aware of the rule or standard at our home. In other words it was a rule for our family and those in our family knew and obeyed the rule. The same is true in the family of God.  Many break the rules or commandments set up by God because they don’t know the family rules or commandments. God’s rule is that you and I shouldn’t take things that are not ours, that’s called stealing. Our rule across our country and the world is thou shall not steal, it’s a rule. If you steal then you will be disciplined. Another rule, we are not to kill  another person and once again if we do then we will be disciplined. There are also standards or rules on our highways like speed limits, lines in the roadways, stop signs and so forth and so on. Break them and you will also be disciplined. Now run a stop sign or a red light there is a chance you might not get caught and be disciplined. There is a possibility you might get away with it. Now with God’s rules or commandments there is no chance of getting away with it. Now many think they are getting away but they aren’t and this is how I know.  

Deuteronomy 11:12 (KJV) A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

Proverbs 15:3 (KJV) The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

So you see no one gets away from God’s standard!

King David one evening saw a woman bathing herself and he decided he would commit adultery and he did. Unfortunately God saw what he did, He saw that David broke the rule. The more David tried to cover it up the worse it got. My point is that God sees all, God knows all and there is no escaping like breaking the rule at the stop sign. We all break the rules. Love turns into anger and unkindness turns into awful words spoken. Those are just small examples of things we have all done. Oh there are way more than those examples and we all know it’s true. Now the amazing thing is that our Heavenly Father has made a simple way for us to get back in fellowship with Him.  1 John 1:9 (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That might not work with the police officer or the judge but with the God of heaven it does. No matter what we have done, God is ready and willing to Forgive; just ask. All have sinned and come short. For God so loved that He gave. Anyone that calls upon Him will be forgiven/saved! That too is the rule the standard.

🫶There’s Not Another🫆

 We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are. Max Depree

Psalms 146:1 (KJV) Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Praise, what’s that?  Commendation bestowed on a person for his personal virtues or worthy actions. Praise you Lord for your personal virtue and worthy actions. I will sing praises unto my God all my life. Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help. Happy is the one that gives praise unto the God that made Heaven and earth, the seas and all that’s within. Happy is the one who gives praise because His promises and truth are forever. I will praise His name as He feeds me from His Word my Bible. He has opened my eyes and made me see how great He is in all the earth. The Lord shall reign for ever unto all generations. So why not Praise Him? Why not give Him thanks. Thank Him for His personal Actions for they are worthy of our Praise. Praise ye the Lord. 

Jeremiah 20:13 (KJV) Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

Let’s make the Lord Great and Praise His Holy Name while we have breath. For great is our God worthy to be praised. Lift up His Name on high that others might hear and know how wonderful our God is. Because there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved. 

Acts 4:12 (KJV) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

No, Not One!

1 There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus.
No, not one! No, not one!
None else could heal all our soul's diseases.
No, not one! No, not one!

Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles;
He will guide till the day is done.
There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus.
No, not one! No, not one!
2 No friend like Him is so high and holy.
No, not one! No, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly.
No, not one! No, not one!
3 There's not an hour that He is not near us.
No, not one! No, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us.
No, not one! No, not one!
4 Did ever saint find this Friend forsake him?
No, not one! No, not one!
Or sinner find that He would not take him?
No, not one! No, not one!
5 Was e'er a gift like the Savior given?
No, not one! No, not one!

🤜Given by Inspiration 🤛

  Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Steve Job

2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable (or, its main use is) for doctrine, (what is right) for reproof,(what is not right) for correction, (how to get right) for instruction in righteousness:(how to stay right)  

Next verse  2 Timothy 3:17 (KJV) That the man  of God (Christian) may be perfect,(or maturing) throughly furnished (or becoming well polished)

unto all good works.

How does all this come about? In Baseball you have to get to first base, first. The first thing one has to do is see that they are a sinner and ask Christ to forgive them. That’s first base. Then the map is set and second base comes into view. Now that I have accepted Christ Jesus as my Savior something has to happen to get us to second base. We need a teacher, that is the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches us that once we see we are a sinner, ask Christ to save us, at that point something happens. John 14:17 (KJV) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. God’s Word is the road map and the Holy Spirit is our driver. We are warned in I John that there will be road blocks.  1 John 2:15 (KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Don’t get conformed to this world’s standards. Not long ago a young man told me that God had fired him from his job. I had never in my life heard someone say that. He then went on to tell me the reason. He said that he had let money get in his way from doing what God wanted him to do. The love of money sometimes sneaks up on us. I have thought at times, go and buy a lotto ticket. I told myself maybe God would let me win because of what I could do with the winnings  and would do with the money. You see, it is easy to give away something you don’t have. Do great things with what you don’t have; but if I were to win would I? I’ll never know because I have never gone and gotten a lotto ticket and probably never will. 

Oh but I have something much better than a winning lotto ticket. What’s that you may ask? I have the promise of God from God. I have the Holy Spirit living within me. I have the road map His Word guiding me. The other night I had a dream, I was in heaven with some of my old Christian friends. I ask them this question: will we ever die again? They said no this is for ever! I hated to wake up but one day soon it will not be a dream seeing heaven through earthly eyes and mind. No it will be real seeing Heaven with eyes that have never seen what Heaven is like. Thank you Lord for that day you came to me and gave to me the Gift of Salvation. On that day when I received You as my Savior, as my payment for my sins. You gave me Your Holy Spirit to guide me. I fell in love with Your Word, the Bible.  That has been my road map. I can’t say thanks enough! 

Isaiah 30:20 (KJV) And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

Isaiah 30:21 (KJV) And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

🐸The poor old Frog🫕

  It is often the small steps , not the giant leaps , that bring about the most lasting change . 

QUEEN ELIZABETH II

I’m sure everyone had heard about the frog who was placed in cold water. Then the heat was turned on low and the water began to warm up slowly. Before long the water came to a boil and the frog died. The Apostle Paul said be not  conformed to this world.

Romans 12:2 (KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I was raised 9 miles outside of Atlanta GA. We lived in a small neighborhood and we knew all our neighbors. The whole time I lived there; 18 years, not one time did anyone ever get a divorce. I didn’t know what divorce was. Then came the free love and the Vietnam war and divorce became more prevalent. Young men came home from Vietnam and had experienced and saw things at a young age and they weren’t the same. 

Just trust me they weren’t. Divorce over time just became easier to understand and except so we just conformed. Now divorce is just a way of life we have conformed to the ways of this world. because we never really committed ourselves when we placed that ring on our finger. To not be conformed to this world we have to change our way of thinking. That is what Paul is saying “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Paul is saying you have to start thinking differently. Oh that’s no problem, we can do that for a short time but it will not be long before this world’s conformity will overweight our thinking. What I’m saying is we can’t do this renewing of our mind ourselves. Oh, but with God’s help we can. I love this verse. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

How is that possible? By a reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18 (KJV) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Jesus Christ paid our sin debt and all you and I have to do is accept His gift of salvation. Sin Debt! I’m not sure I have one of those. Sure you do

Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

See that little word “all” that is you and I and we have a sin debt that must be paid.  How? Pay attention as you read this. John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God loved, so He gave “his only begotten Son” why? “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish” When that happens to us our thinking changes or a renewing of our minds starts to happen. I remember it clearly when my renewing began. It began the day I walked out of the Church located at 2365 Young Street in Atlanta GA. I wanted to know what was in that Bible. So I found myself a teacher; my wife. I began to know who Jesus Christ was. I’m still learning because I want to conform to the right way of thinking. Do you know you have eternal life? You can you know. 

1 John 5:13 (KJV) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. Renewed minds do.

🔆Closer and Closer🛐

  Every day, I get closer to God. Every day, my will to do the right thing gets stronger.

Dedication takes a willingness on our part. What is dedication?   It’s the act of giving to; being committed to a task or purpose.

What have we so far this year dedicated ourselves to? I can’t say it enough, if we keep doing the same things we have always done we will keep getting the same results we have always gotten. When nothing changes, nothing changes! New Year promises made to self, are we dedicated? Time will tell and most will stop their dedication, oh excuse me that’s not dedication is it? The Sunday after the New Year many promised to go to Church but by the second Sunday or third Sunday they have lost their dedication. If we can’t keep a promise to ourselves then how in the world will we keep it to others? The Apostle Paul dedicated himself by a presentation. I remember my Pastor James Peppers telling the story of a man who had fallen into deep water and was drowning. There were many people standing there watching but that’s all, just watching. Then a man from the rear ran and without stopping jumped in and saved the man from drowning. After he got him to a safe place out of the water. He asked the man if he would come to his home on Tuesday evening and gave him his address. The man was grateful and on Tuesday evening he left to go to his home. He entered a very wealthy neighborhood thinking this couldn’t be the right address. Surely a man with this kind of status would have never jumped in to save him. He knocked on the door and a butler opened it and invited him in telling him to go into the dining room and lead him there. As the man opened the door he saw a large table with the man who saved him from drowning sitting at the far end. As he stood there in awe of all he was seeing, the man at the other end said please come here and sit beside me so I can get to know you better. The man that was saved from drowning dedicated himself to go and then to present himself. Why? Because he understood that without the man who saved him he would have drowned. Now this man with all this wealth and prestige, wanted to get to know him? I completely understand and you will too if you were ever saved from drowning in your own stupidity. The King of Kings asked me and you that He might get to know us. Oh happy day.  

Psalms 95:2 (KJV) Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psalms 100:4 (KJV) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalms 119:170 (KJV) Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

One day I was drowning and the Lord Jeus came and saved me. Because He first loved me I want to come before His presence so I can get to know Him. Oh I haven’t been to His neighborhood yet to thank Him personally but I will. How do I know that? Because He said; 

John 14:2 (KJV) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3 (KJV) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

That is when I’m going to thank Him personally and every day I’m getting closer and closer  to His neighborhood. 

🪹Self Sacrifice 🪺

We will never change the way we act until we let God change the way we think.

 Sacrifice- Destruction, surrender or loss made or incurred for gaining some object, or for obliging another; as the sacrifice of interest to pleasure, or of pleasure to interest.

Any thing destroyed.

Dedication, self-sacrificing devotion and loyalty

Romans 12:1 (KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

What you and I know about God’s Passion we should be more than willing to self-sacrifice. Be a living example of what God has done for us. It’s just reasonable. That would be  Dedicating Ourselves. 

Romans 12:2 (KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Now we are not conforming to this world's standards because we are thinking differently. We have dedicated our minds to think more like Christ. The Apostle Paul said it this way.

Philippians 2:5 (KJV) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

The day God saved me I wanted to know more about Jesus and I began to dedicate my mind to doing so. What changed? Everything did, I wanted the mind of Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit I began to change my way of thinking. My brother was at the hospital one night. His son was in the ER and he wanted to know how he was. He told me this. He said “I sat there and I asked myself what would daddy do?” He got up and did what he thought our Dad would do. That’s it, we as Christians should ask ourselves what would our Heavenly Father want us to do? That my friend is letting or allowing the mind of Christ in. Where will we find what Christ thinks? Good question. You see, my brother that night knew what our dad would do! How did he know? He knew because he had lived with him, watched him, spent time with him, listened to him, in other words my brother knew him because he had a relationship with him. We will never know the mind of Christ Jesus if we don’t spend time with Him in His Word, the Bible. Well I don’t understand it. That is a cheap answer, a lazy answer, get busy knowing who Jesus is. My dad had a rule, be home at 11:30 on weekends not 11:31 but 11:30 after that you were late. Now my friends couldn’t understand that but I did. It was a Wednesday night 16 October 1968 I had to be at the induction center in Atlanta early. It was the last night before I left for basic training. The night was getting late and 11:30 was getting closer and closer. I told my friends I needed to leave and get home before 11:30. They asked me to call my dad and tell him I would be home later. Sounds good to me so I did. What do you think he said? If you think he said ok you are wrong. He told me the rule still applied and for me to get home. You say your dad was hard. Yeah I thought so too back then but now that I’m grown I understand what he was doing. If he had let me get by being one minute late then it wouldn’t be long until I was 5 minutes late and so forth and so on. My dad was my hero. He taught me so much in a short time. He has been gone almost 39 years and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about him. That is what my Heavenly Father wants. Never let it be a day that goes by that I don’t think about Him. You see LET this mind be in you!

⛅️ Commitment is an action, not a word.☀️

 We will never change the way we act until we let God change the way we think.

Proverbs 16:2 (KJV) All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

Really? All our ways! Are we willing to commit our ways into the Lord? I have found out that it’s hard to get someone to commit.

• To Friendship: 

How many friends do you have? I’m not talking about so-called friends like those on FB. I’m talking about a friend that’s closer than a brother or sister.

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

• To Marriage:

When you said I do to the love of your life is she or he still the love of your life?

Proverbs 18:22 (KJV) Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Did you notice it did not read “who finds a good wife or husband finds a good thing.” It reads that way for a purpose and a reason. I challenge you to discover why it reads that way. When you do it will change your marriage to real, genuine commitment. 

Ephesians 5:25 

• To Their Job: 

There was a day when employees worked at the same company all their working career. Those days are gone and the reason may be because.

• Companies are not Committed:

To their employees, wanting to make bigger profits. Therefore their quality levels are not what they were at one time. That happens when employees look for a check and not a career. 

Getting Commitment, well that’s not an easy thing to get. 

• To their Country:

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor young men ran to the recruiters' willing and ready to sign up committing themselves. Why?  Could it have been a commitment to their Country?

I find it interesting that in the 10 commandments there is only one that teaches not to commit.

Cambridge Dictionary says that commitment is “to promise or give your loyalty, time, or money to a particular principle, person, or plan of action:” 

Commitment takes thought. Commitment takes planning.  Commitment takes participation.

Commitment takes getting involved.  

Who is willing and ready to commit to do right?

Who is willing and ready to commit to do wrong?

We commit to that which we believe, trust in. Think what is it that you are committed to?