✍️Got That in Writing 📝

 The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. Ernest Hemingway

Back in the day I watched my dad more than once shake hands with another to complete what was said. That used to mean the deal is true, I’ll do what I say, my word is proven by my shaking your hand. My advice is don’t do business that way in today’s world; best get it in writing. I’m just simply saying that words coming out of mouths in today's economy can’t always be trusted. Hand shakes are the way of greeting today, not so meaningful in business. 

Now the God we serve who is truthful in all that He says and does can’t shake our hand. Therefore He puts His promises in writing. Looking for the right way, right truth, and right life? We got it in writing. 

John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Maybe we have a question about how we should overcome our anger issues. Yes, that is in writing too.

Proverbs 15:1 (KJV) A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Proverbs 16:32 (KJV) He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Got a question about eternity? I find this interesting, this word eternity is only found one time in the KJV and it’s in Isaiah.

Isaiah 57:15 (KJV) For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

You may have the question who’s name is Holy? We are told that once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. 

 Isaiah 6:3 (KJV) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Yes, we have that in writing too. 

God knows His creation and what they are capable of so He has put it all in writing and we can without doubt trust God. 

2 John 1:6 (KJV) And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

Our Goodness is in writing

Romans 3:12 (KJV) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Our Righteousness is in writing

Romans 3:10 (KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Our Sinfulness is in writing

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

Our Salvation is in writing

Romans 10:9 (KJV) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

God knows, while we think we know what seems right for us. God also wants us to know the end result of our thinking. 

Proverbs 16:25 (KJV) There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

🧧The Gift 🎁

A gift wrapped differently than expected.

Have you ever wanted to give to a person who has given you something? There is a word for that “RECIPROCATE” It means to make a return, as for something given. Someone gives you; let’s say an unexpected gift. Most people would like to give something back. It is used in business to build relationships with their customers. We ourselves may give a little something to another on their Birthday or at Christmas. Then we may feel as if we should give something in return. Here in Psalms 29 we see something similar. In verses 1&2 

Psalms 29:1 (KJV) Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

Psalms 29:2 (KJV) Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Many have said they don’t go to Church because all they ever talk about is money. I wouldn’t go to a church like that either. I have been to a lot of Churches and I have never been to one like that. I will say I want to give to the Lord more than just my money and the Lord wants more than that. Notice what is being said “Give unto the LORD” well I got interested in that phrase, you know how many times that phrase is mentioned in the Bible? Now the KJV has 31,102 verses, now that’s a bunch of verses. There are 23,145 verses in the Old Testament and 7,957 verses in the New Testament. Out of all those verses the phrase “Give unto the LORD” is only mentioned 12 times. Now I do give to the Lord my Time, my Talent and my treasures. Why? Because He has given to me way more than I deserve. In verse we recognize where our might and our strength come from. In verse 2 we are to give glory due to His Name and we are to Worship the Lord in the Beauty of holiness. You see I never considered giving unto the Lord until I knew who the Lord Jesus was and what He had already done for me. That is when I want to reciprocate. I’m not trying to repay, for there is no way I could ever do that for God’s Gift is way too costly to even try. You know what? Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us to do that nor ever try, Why? The same reason your loved one gives to you, they just love you and a gift is an expression of their love. What a gift our Lord has given to us. Ephesians 2:8 (KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

No greater gift can be given than that of eternal life. It’s no different than any other gift, in order for it to become yours, you must receive it.

💪Strong Belief 💫

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

What does the word “Believe” mean? Webster 1828 says “To credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of something upon the declaration of another, or upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions of the mind, or by other circumstances, than personal knowledge.”

We can use that word “Believe” and really not believe at all. I was stationed in Duluth Minnesota when I was in the military. Duluth was the coldest place I had ever been at that time. The city of Duluth sits right on Lake Superior and in the winter months Lake Superior freezes so thick that you could drive a car out on it. Now I, a boy from Georgia, had never seen anything close to that. My dad always told us to keep off lakes and where water was frozen because it would not hold our weight. One cold winter day I was at Lake Superior and decided to walk out on it. I saw cars where people were fishing but I was testing the water as I slowly took each step. Why? Because of the words my dad has taught me “it won’t hold your weight.” Where I was testing you more than likely could have had tractor trailers run over it. Now I was testing the waters because I really didn’t trust the lake. Why was that? Because I believed what my dad had said because he was a man of authority and truth and what he said I believed. 

Now in Daniel chapter three we read of 3 men who believed what they could not see when their very lives depended on what they believed. 

Nebuchadnezzar had made a golden image and told everyone they were to bow down to it when they heard music. Daniel 3:5 (KJV) That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

This wasn’t an option you do it or else.

Daniel 3:6 (KJV) And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

It didn’t matter who you were, don't fall down and worship you go to the furnace. One day there was a problem: three men whom Nebuchadnezzar had set over the affairs of Babylon didn’t fall down and worship the King's image.

Daniel 3:12 (KJV) There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

What happened next showed what and whom they believed. Daniel 3:16 (KJV) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  What was their answer?

Daniel 3:17 (KJV) If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. Wow what an answer. These men believed so strongly that their God was well able to save them from the fiery furnace. 

Daniel 3:18 (KJV) But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Now that is believing, no change of mind. Now King Nebuchadnezzar was so full of fury that he had the furnace turned up 7 times hotter. That furnace was so hot that the men who took these men to the furnace were burned up. A lot could be said about what our anger does to others but I’ll leave that for another day. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound yet they believed that God would either deliver them; but if not their God would take them to a much better place. Read what happened. Daniel 3:24 (KJV) Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. Something isn’t right here. How are there four and how in the world are they not burned up?

Daniel 3:25 (KJV) He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. These three men believed, and their belief was not just talk, it was action. Many never see the wonders of God because they believe by talk not by action. 

It was late one night an old man lay in a hospital bed in a coma. He hadn’t spoken in weeks, not a word. Many years earlier this man had asked the Lord to forgive him of his sin and his life changed. He became a member of a good church and did what he could as he followed the Lord the best he knew how. Now everyone is sitting around a bed doing what they could for their granddad and their loved one. Then it happened, the old man sat up in the bed as if nothing had ever been wrong. With a clear and loud voice he said these words “Oh how beautiful the colors oh my.” He then fell over and was gone. What happened?  His family got to witness what their loved one had believed 

Psalms 116:15 (KJV) Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Hold up your hand if your belief is this strong.

🤝Advice 👋

 Having the applauses of men is not the same as having the peace of God.

Psalms 28:1 (KJV) Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

David calls out to the Lord properly addressing Him by name. “O LORD my rock” David refers to the Lord as his salvation, his firm foundation. David desire is hear the Lord speak to him. David doesn’t just ask the Lord to speak but then tells the Lord of his fear “if thou be silent to me”  “I become like them that go down into the pit” Like those in  prison.  David’s desire is to please the Lord so he ask the Lord, lead me, direct my steps, for if you don’t I’m afraid I’ll follow wrong advice. David may not mean the bad advice of others but himself. I don’t know about others but it is not the advice of others so much as my own advice I give myself. If I allow wrong thinking to continue it won’t be long before wrong actions follow. You see David cried out in desperation because of his fellowship with the Lord. My relationship with the Lord is daily not just when I go to the Church house. David had respect to the Lord with out doubt as well as a relationship with the Lord as a friend.

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

David showed himself friendly. You see if all David did was honor the Lord at a certain place and time he would never get to know the Lord as a friend. Friends talk to one another, care fore one another. A friend is one you build a relationship with. A friend is one you shares life’s ups and downs with and also it’s joys. A friend is one whom you are glad to introduce to others as your friend. A friend is one whom you have great respect for; “there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Who do you think is that friend that sticks closer than a brother? David knows  “Unto thee will I cry, O LORD” when you need advice who do you cry out to? When I head off in the wrong direction or sinful thinking and do not call out to the Lord for help I always end up in the wrong place. Why is that? I follow my own advice!

⚖️Lady Justice👨‍⚖️

 The scales of justice are not balanced by judging the wrong and praising the right, but from letting go of all illusions. 

Lady Justice is a statue displaying a set of scales in one hand. On one side, the argument and the other the evidence. Therefore the scales can tip in favor of either side. Lady Justice is also wearing a blindfold, blind and impartial to wealth, power or any other status one might hold. She also holds a sword, Justice can be swift and final. In John chapter 8 we read of a woman who has broken the law there are eyewitnesses who are more than willing to come forth. The law which does not look or try to understand, has no sympathy, no mercy and no grace. Guilty as charged! This woman needs a good lawyer for the law she has broken requires the death penalty. If I were caught on radar going 88 mph in a 55 mph zone there is no question I’m guilty. What I need would be a Judge that could and would show me mercy. Get the picture of what is taking place here in John chapter 8. The prosecutors bring in the one being charged. 

John 8:3 (KJV) And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

The accusation is made John 8:4 (KJV) They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

This is what the law says John 8:5 (KJV) Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

The law says no mercy, no grace; the penalty for such an act is death by stoning. But what do you have to say, Jesus? Looks pretty cut and dried to me. You broke the law now it’s time to pay the piper. We have our own rules and guide lines in our own life. Oh they might not stand up in a court of law and they may or may not be written down but we have them none the less. Jesus did not ask this woman the question you and I may have asked, “Miss is this true what they are saying?” Jesus didn’t ask that question but he did ask the accusers a question.

John 8:7 (KJV) So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

A simple question we should not forget when we or someone else is requesting punishment for another. It’s easy to condemn others for their wrongful actions and even pass judgement. What we need to do is realize we are all guilty of some wrongful act even if we didn’t get caught. Jesus asked a question, if any of you have never done any wrongful act please be the first to put your request into action. Jesus wants these accusers to think, use your head, put yourself in the place of the one that is being accused. The question was not is she guilty, she was for Jesus told her go and sin no more. What this woman needed is the same thing you and I need and that is mercy and grace for we all have sinned. Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Hebrews 4:16 (KJV) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Those that accused had no respect for the place where they were or their rude interruption they made. They came into the Temple and interrupted Jesus the teacher and turned the Temple into a court house. The woman was accused but no witness ever said “yes I saw it all she is guilty.” No, it is hearsay only. Are you seeing the holes in this kangaroo court?  We ourselves are guilty without doubt. We have lied, stolen, cheated, spoken evil, and the list could go on and on but notice what Jesus told the woman; “go and sin no more.” The greatest sin is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as our Savior. Reject that which Jesus has done for you and there is no hope. Oh then I can do like I want as long as I don’t reject Jesus Christ. No you won’t want to do wrong if you know Jesus Christ personally. Like this woman who committed adultery she could not be involved with another and be committed to her husband.  

😱Who is The Lord⁉️

Assumptions are the termites of relationships.

As we began to read our Bible we open up to Genesis chapter 1 and we read 

Genesis 1:1 (KJV) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The very first person mentioned is “God” the creator of all. Now that’s interesting that we know who the creator is but what has that got to do with you and I? Nothing if we don’t know or want to know God personally. On a dark night in the front yard of my friend's house in December I saw a young lady. I knew who she was, I knew where she lived, I knew her name but I didn’t know her and that was what I wanted; to know her. Knowing her, being around her, knowing others who knew her even knowing her name didn’t make me know her. A person would have to have a wild imagination to believe that everything we see would not have to have had a creator. In Genesis chapter 1 we read of the Creator, God. In Genesis chapter 2 we are introduced to God the creator as Lord. 

Genesis 2:4 (KJV) These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

In Genesis chapter 3 we are introduced to the destructor. Now what is interesting is how sneaky the destructor is. In Genesis chapter 1 God steps boldly out upon the page. In Genesis chapter 2 the Lord steps on boldly upon the page. No hiding, no disguising but in chapter 3 the destructor steps out disguised as a serpent. He spreads his destructive message by lies and deceitfulness and questions which seems to make life more worthwhile. This method is still being used and works largely on greed. 

Genesis 3:1 (KJV) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Another interesting fact is the name “Lord” is mentioned 7970 times in our Bible more than any other. “Jesus” is mentioned 983 times which comes in second most mentioned. While the devil only 61 times. Let me put it another way. If the president was going to share important news tonight and right after that I was going to share important news. Who do you think would get the most views? Then what the Lord and Jesus have to say are way more important than anything the devil has to say.

Therefore we should say with the Psalmist 

Psalms 28:7 (KJV) The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: 

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Oh that young girl I saw that December night in my friends front yard. I did get to know her really well, I also asked her to marry me and you know what she said? Well she plainly said “yes.” 

🫪Being Fearful and Afraid🥶

  Fear is the passion of our nature which excites us to provide for our security, on the approach of evil.

Psalms 27:1 (KJV) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Two words jumped out at me when I read that verse. One was “fear” and the other was “afraid” so I looked into it. Fear can be that which might happen. When I was in my teenage years My Dad, my hero, the one I placed trust in was also a man whom I feared. Let me explain. My Dad was a man of his word if he asked you to do something he expected you to do what he asked.  Now I didn’t always do what he wanted me too and I never was too worried about it until I saw him. Then I became fearful of what he might do. Then there’s being afraid. If my dad ever said go to your room it wasn’t like getting to stick your nose in the corner for 10 minutes. That’s when fear left and being afraid came on. Now he might not come right in and punish me, why he might not come in for 15 minutes or so. Sometimes it seemed like an hour or more when it was only a short time. Questions began to rise up in my mind of how bad it’s going to be. What type of punishment? That is when fear and being afraid blended in together. I didn’t understand it all back then but my Dad knew some things I didn’t know at the time. One thing was if he didn’t teach his boys respect that no one else would. We learned very early to say “yes and no sir.” How well was his teaching? Well today I’m still showing respect to others. Like the young man I was speaking with on the phone. I was old enough to be his granddad and I was saying yes sir. Why? Because my dad required it as a way to show respect. Respect, discipline, honor, great teaching for a young boy and my dad had 3 of them and he made it his responsibility to teach us. The difference between fear and being afraid. Well fear can be over that which may or may not happen. Being afraid is that which will more than likely happen. The fear of flying is much different than hearing the pilot  say prepare to crash.  David says “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? David goes on to say

 “the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” The Apostle Paul said it this way.

Romans 8:36 (KJV) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Sheep headed for the slaughter? Wow! Why was Paul writing about a slaughter? Could it be that the sheep don’t understand what’s about to happen? If that’s the case then there is no fear of being afraid. Paul goes on to say. Romans 8:38 (KJV) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Romans 8:39 (KJV) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What can separate us from the God that promised eternal life? Paul says nothing.  Oh but you don’t know what I have done. That’s right I don’t and I’m sure it’s awful or you wouldn’t remember it. What I do know is that God knows all about it. If God is willing not to remember it so why don’t you just trust God? Psalms 103:12 (KJV) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.  God did what “removed” get busy trusting in God and stop being fearful and afraid.