The Door

A good friend of mine was taken one night to see a man who was living a life that was on the wild side. While there my friend began to tell him about what the Lord could and would do for him. After a very short time that man got up walked across the room and opened his front door and asked my friend to leave. As I was thinking and remembering about that night on yesterday I had this thought that I would like to share with each of you this morning. That man opened the door to let my friend out and my friend got up and left; he walked right out the front door and went home. If you were to take the word “door” and run it with your computer you would find that it is mentioned 189 times in the Bible. You will find that the first time it is mentioned is in the fourth chapter of Genesis and verse seven:  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Cain’s offering had been rejected and because of that Cain got angry and disappointed. In the next verse God tells Cain if he was to do well would he not be accepted? On the other hand if you decide not to then sin is lying outside your door ready to attack, for sin wants to control you. Cain decided to allow the sin outside the door to master him and in the next verse we read of him killing his brother.

Genesis 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Cain allowed sin to master him instead of him mastering sin. In John Chapter 10 and verse nine we read of Jesus saying that He was the door. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Here we are told of a door that we need to enter. We then read of a door in Revelation chapter three and verse twenty Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Here we read of a door that is being knocked on with a voice that is saying open the door for if you do I will come in. This morning we have looked at three doors one where there is sin just outside that needs to be mastered. Another where Jesus is saying that He was the door and that we can enter in. Then we read of a door that is being knocked on. It is closed and must be opened from the inside and once the door is opened then the visitor which is Jesus Christ will come in. In other words Jesus is the door to heaven and happiness and all you and I have to do is open the door of our hearts and let Jesus come in. So that night when my friend was asked to leave with an open door he did. We have read of an open door that anyone who will can enter; not leave but enter and if we fail to enter in the results will be awful. Those who have entered the change will be noticeable.

2Corinthains  5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Are the old ways of life passing away? Are things becoming new or is sin just outside the door waiting to master you? 

Found

If you remember back on February 15, 2012 I wrote a blog "Lost at the Mall." I told you of getting lost in the Mall; my truck was not far from where I was but I had gotten myself separated from where I had parked it. As I was reading in 2 Kings I read something that reminded me of that day; except what had become lost should have never been lost to start with. There was a young boy named Josiah at the age of 8 he became king.

 2 Kings 22:1 Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem.

Then we read that when Josiah was 26 years old something happened.

2 Kings 22:3 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, [that] the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

2 Kings 22:4 Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:

The high priest was told to go to the house of the Lord to count the money that the people had brought but something was found that was far more important than money.

2 Kings 22:8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

The book of the law found in the house of the Lord how could the book of the law be lost in the house of the Lord? The reason I had gotten lost at the mall was I wasn't paying attention to where I was. As I read about the book of the law being found I wondered if that could be true in the day you and I live in. Is the house of the Lord of our day concerned more about the budget than the book? Concerned more with prestige than people? Have we become blind to the Bible? Has it been lost right where we come to worship as in the day of Josiah? What was true in Josiah's day is true in ours "For God so loved the world that He gave."

Luke 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

We must be concerned about our Heavenly Father's business.

Luke 2:49  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

The question becomes personal have we lost God’s Word in our daily lives? Do we read it, study it, do we search for the treasures that lay within our reach or have we become so busy that we just don't take the time. Don't let the Bible become lost in your life it will give what money can't buy; love, joy ,peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control. Count your blessings and stay close to the One that gave His life for you; Jesus Christ! You’ll find Him in the Bible.

  

Content

Our behavior is important not only to us but to those around us. I read if you keep doing the same thing over and over it will soon become a habit. Now this could be a good habit or a poor habit. I am sure we all want to have good habits; it would be wonderful to replace our poor habits with good ones, but how? I think we must learn to think different; you and I live in a world that so many are not satisfied with themselves. Their hair is the wrong color, they are not tall enough, old enough, young enough and on and on with the list of uncertainties. First learn to change the way we think. What if today I wrote down three things that I am grateful for? What if as I drove to work I would notice three things that I’m grateful for along the way? What if I were to write down some things that I appreciate about my job? Now what if I were to do that on a consistent basis; don’t you think it would start to change the way I look at things? Sure it would and is that not what the Apostle Paul was saying?

Philippians 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Paul said that he had learned, he wasn’t born knowing how to be content but he learned how to be content. Then he tells us about our conversation.

Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. There it is again “be content” talk about being content “let your conversation be without craving for possessions.” Be content with what you have and stay far away from covetousness (A strong or disorderly  desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good; usually in a bad sense.) What’s the plan? Keep doing the same thing you have been doing and you’re going to keep getting the same results you have been getting. Change the way to talk and think and you’ll see what you already have to be grateful for and you will learn to appreciate what you already have. 

The String

Sometimes we don't always see the importance of small things. There was a story of a kite. As the kite would soar high in the sky it would say to its self if it wasn't for that string holding me back I could go as high as the stars. One day the string broke and the kite said "finally I'm free, free at last." Unfortunately with the string now broken the kite realized that what was holding him down was what really was fulfilling his dreams. So it was in the Garden of Eden. The one thing that seemingly was holding Adam and Eve back was really allowing them to be able to reach their dreams. The string that held the kite was the same string that was allowing the kite to soar. What is it that you think is holding you back? Maybe it's time to rethink or as the Apostle Paul put it, examine yourself.

2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

That small string that you think is holding you back may just be the string that is allowing you to reach your dreams and goals.

Have a great weekend and be sure to pray for your Pastor that the Lord may use him greatly this Sunday.

Time Well Spent

Have you ever heard anyone say that it was just their nature to do….? I want you to think for a moment about what nature really is. Our nature will determine what our appetite is. Just like a pig wants slop, and sheep desire green pastures our nature will also determine our behavior. The bird’s nature is to fly, the fish’s nature is to swim, a monkey’s nature is to swing from tree to tree while our nature is to walk up right. Nature will also determine our environment, squirrels nest in trees, rats have burrows underground and fish live in the water. Nature also will determine our association, just as wolves travel in packs, sheep in flocks and fish in schools. If a person says that they are a child of God then that person should have within themselves an appetite for God’s word.

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

In this verse we see there is a desire to know what Gods Word has to say, just as a newborn baby cries for milk because they are hungry. As they drink milk they grow to the point that they began to desire a food that is more fulfilling. Our nature and appetite should do the same; there should come a point to where we want to understand more. The more we take in the more we grow; we can have as much as we want or as little as we are satisfied with. Ask the sheep would you like a green pasture or a brown one? They would say a green pasture. What do you want? Remember you can have as much as you want or as little as you are satisfied with. Do you want to know about God or do you want to know God? There are those who know my wife. What I mean is they know her by her name, her appearance, the sound of her voice maybe but  I know her! I know what she likes and doesn’t like, I know how she feels about many things, I can tell by looking at her if she is upset with me. The difference is I know her by relationship. The same is true with God. We can know Him by relationship and just like my wife it comes by spending time with Him. We do that by reading and learning His word.

Psa 119:9   Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Psa 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psa 119:16  I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Psa 119:17   Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

Psa 119:50  This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

Psa 119:65   Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.

Psa 119:89   For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psa 119:140  Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

The only way to have a relationship with the Lord is to know Him through His Word. You may know about the Lord but if you never spent time in His Word you don’t know HIM!

But Grow

If I were too ask you to name a man that in his earlier years was overconfident when danger was near and who overlooked the warnings of his master what would your answer be? He would rush ahead when he should have waited; slept when he should have prayed; talked when he should have listened and he was courageous but careless. If you said the Apostle Peter you would have answered right. Now what does this man Peter have to do with each of us? Have you ever overlooked warnings? I remember a few years back my family and I took a vacation to the Grand Canyon. We were told before going to be sure that we had hiking shoes because many a person had lost their footing and went off into the Canyon. Well, I didn’t really know what to expect for all I had ever seen of the Grand Canyon were only pictures but none the less we purchased the hiking shoes. After arriving there I could understand why it was important to have this type of shoe.  I looked around and saw that there were a lot of other people not wearing hiking anything. Some had on sandals, flip flops and a few were bare footed. As I looked off into that Canyon it was a long ways to the bottom and I for one sure didn’t want to take that trip down. The next to the last day we were there I saw people doing dumb things. There were three young men jumping from one point to another; it was a short jump but had they missed their goal they would have went straight to the bottom of the Canyon. That afternoon I heard this lady scream and as I turned around to see where that scream was coming form I saw a lady go right off the edge.  She had not taken the precaution to wear hiking shoes and her footing gave way and off she went. Her family went to the edge and lucky for her there was another ledge just below her and she was just skinned up. The next time that lady goes to the Grand Canyon I assure you she will not be wearing sandals. As we follow the life of Peter we see that he also learned not to be so loose with what he has been taught. By the time the Apostle writes his second epistle he is now singing a much different tune. He tells his readers not to be negligent but to remember the things that you know and be established in the present truth.

2Peter 1:12  Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

Then the next to the last verse in his letter he warns about being led away with the error of the wicked for it will cause you to fall from your steadfastness.

2Peter 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

At the close of Peter’s life he knows when to pray and when to sleep, he knows when to listen and when to talk. He gives us the secret in how this is done in the last verse of his letter. In order to know these things it takes some growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, then Peter says learn how to praise Him here and now each day that He allows us to live and whatever happens praise Him now and forever.

2Peter 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. Have you grown in your Christian life or are you still struggling with the same old things that you did two years ago? When’s the last time you praised the Lord for the things going on in your daily life? Seven times Peter uses the word knowledge in this epistle and it’s about knowledge of our Lord and Savior. This should tell each of us the more we know about Jesus the more we’ll know how to live each day. The more we know about Jesus the more we’ll praise HIM! 

Time

The word consider means;  To fix the mind on, with a view to a careful examination; to think on with care; to ponder; to study; to meditate on.

Have you ever fixed your mind on and viewed with careful examination what is given to us in one 24 hour period? The greatest commodity you and I have at our fingertips is time. Everyone has the same amount of time to use or waste today. The happiness in our life depends on how we use our time. 

Take time to THINK-it is the source of power.

Take time to PLAY-it is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to be FRIENDLY-it is the road to happiness.

Take time to LOVE-it is a God-given privilege.

Take time to READ-it is a fountain of wisdom.

Take time to PRAY-it is the greatest power on earth.

Take time to LAUGH-it is the music of the soul.

Take time to GIVE-it is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to WORK-it is the price of success. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and verse 1 Solomon, the wisest man to have ever lived said " To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Then he begins to name them. I noticed that he never said anything about a time to waste! We must make our time today count.