Straight Ways

Ecclesiastes 1:15 - What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered.

God is all powerful. It is only by His hand that all things exist and do what they are intended to do. Only God can make paths straight. It is through Him we walk straight, in align with what we know He requires. His ways are right and true and just. Through Him we see things more clearly. 

I looked up scriptures regarding straight paths/ways because I know there are several references. It boils down to knowing the Lord, trusting in Him above all else and FOLLOWING Him. He knows the way we should go because only He IS the way, truth and life. It takes a leap of faith to get to that place of trusting Him over all other “avenues.”

I’ll let the Word of God speak for itself!! Remember God’s way/path is good and it is straight providing we don’t look or turn to the left or the right. (Proverbs 4:25-26)

Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face.

Psalm 5:8 

They [anyone who chooses God] shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble…

Jeremiah 31:9a

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and 

He shall DIRECT your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 

The way of the just is uprightness; O Most Upright, You weigh [direct] the path of the just.

Isaiah 26:7 

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11 

I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.

Isaiah 42:16 

Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be ESTABLISHED [by God].

Proverbs 4:26

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 

Another thought. It’s difficult to see in the dark. The Bible tells us we are all in darkness before we know Jesus. Our ways are crooked. When we come to Christ the light has shown in our lives…and paths become straight (and narrower).

It’s hard to separate the idea of darkness and crooked paths. We stumble through life without Christ. Then He suggests the path to Christ is narrow (strait). And we know what the straight and narrow means. I find the word strait an interesting word for the verse below! And narrow here means to crowd (literally or figuratively), afflict, throng, or trouble. 

Matthew 7:13-14 - Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Finding True Wisdom

 “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. It cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price. 

From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? God understands its way, and He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens, to establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the waters by measure. 

When He made a law for the rain, and a path for the thunderbolt, then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. 

And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’”

‭‭(Job‬ ‭28:12-13,15,20,23-28‬)

We have seen a lot happen in the past 1 1/2 years with Covid-19. I don’t plan on getting political here.

Job asked a good question and pondered some points that maybe we also should be. While in this world we won’t always have the answers, we can know One who has them because He has created all things and allows all things to point us to Him. And that’s they key, looking to God for the answers, to gain wisdom that does not come from mere man.

Before I begin I want to share a testimony of God’s amazing goodness. 

I have not posted a blog since March of this year. Before then just minimal posts for about a year. Not sure why, but I thought it was just time to stop. 

Well, perhaps I was wrong. God had other plans. And He worked in exactly the way He knows how for me. The thought came last week to starting the blog up again. Not sure where the thought came from, I put it out of my mind, maybe thinking the Lord would let me know for sure if this was from Him or my imagination. Crickets for about a week.

Then I get a phone call this morning from a friend of ours. My phone was off so I didn’t receive it immediately. Listening to the message he left I was surprised to hear that Tom, you know who you are, wondered if he had missed some blogs. Seems on checking, his gmail account was lost through a technical glitch. He asked if he could add him to my list to receive again. 

Only God could do this! Not only did He reveal an issue for Tom but answered my question. I love how He works. So, hopefully a short blog for starters. (Hah!)

So, we might have been fearful and/or angry this past year regarding issues related to COVID. Again, I will not focus on that. I can tell you that during this time I have begun to trust more in the Lord, which draws one closer also. I listened to several credible online church pastors who all said the same thing: God is in control. Well, shouldn’t this have been something we’d known all along??

He IS in control as He has been and always will be. 

Because He is God. 

He has all the answers and He knows just what it takes to get as many as possible to look to Him, not government or man, to get us through all this. As one ministry leader says repeatedly, Things aren’t falling apart, they are falling into place.

Keep this thought in mind…the Bible says He was, He is and He is to come. This references Jesus. He was, as we know from Old Testament scripture prophesied. He is, as also prophesied and which account was seen by hundreds of witnesses. He’s alive today in the lives of His followers. And He is to come. He will return, as the Bible says, at a day or hour which no man knows. He will come as a thief in the night. And we must be ready today. 

But where can wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?  That place is in the Word of God. Divinely inspired, written, as it were, through the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of about 40 men. Documentation of things, that we might know, that we might not be unaware. Not some newspaper or news media source, no matter how good, but what God’s views are. In order that we be aware, we must enter into that Word. 

Just keep in mind the thought that God is in complete control, He always has been, always is and always will be…Things aren’t falling apart, they’re falling in place. I’m sure there will be more to follow! And…

Revelation‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭- “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”‭‭

What is an Abundant Life?

 Matthew 6:33 - But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Sometimes it’s just easier to post someone else’s views to get a point across. This is one time. Comes from GotQuestions.com, a biblical site with lotsa questions and answers. Emphases are mine. Yes, there IS a satan. Hell is real. None of us are good people by God’s standards. Yes, God is true and just!

Question: What did Jesus mean when He promised an abundant life? Answer: In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Unlike a thief, the Lord Jesus does not come for selfish reasons. He comes to give, not to get. He comes that people may have life in Him that is meaningful, purposeful, joyful, and eternal. We receive this abundant life the moment we accept Him as our Savior. This word “abundant” in the Greek is perisson, meaning “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.” In short, Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine, a concept reminiscent of 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” The apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, and He does it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him (Ephesians 3:20). Before we begin to have visions of lavish homes, expensive cars, worldwide cruises, and more money than we know what to do with, we need to pause and think about what Jesus teaches regarding this abundant life. The Bible tells us that wealth, prestige, position, and power in this world are not God’s priorities for us (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). In terms of economic, academic, and social status, most Christians do not come from the privileged classes. Clearly, then, abundant life does not consist of an abundance of material things. If that were the case, Jesus would have been the wealthiest of men. But just the opposite is true (Matthew 8:20). Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life — specifically eternal life — is provided by Jesus Himself: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3). This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God, which is the key to a truly abundant life. What is the abundant life? First, abundance is spiritual abundance, not material. In fact, God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19). Physical blessings may or may not be part of a God-centered life; neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God. Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man yet found it all to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15). Paul, on the other hand, was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12). Second, eternal life, the life a Christian is truly concerned with, is not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (1 John 5:11-13), though not, of course, in its fullness. Length of life on earth is not synonymous with abundant life. Finally, a Christian’s life revolves around “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming, because, in our present state, “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will see God face to face, and we will know Him completely as we will be known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life. Although we are naturally desirous of material things, as Christians our perspective on life must be revolutionized (Romans 12:2). Just as we become new creations when we come to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), so must our understanding of “abundance” be transformed. True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.” It consists of life that is eternal, and, therefore, our interest is in the eternal, not the temporal. Paul admonishes us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3)

Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭- Finally, brethren, 

whatever things are true, 

whatever things are noble, 

whatever things are just, 

whatever things are pure, 

whatever things are lovely, 

whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—

meditate on these things.

‭‭

The Appointed Time

 Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭- For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

So what does this mean?

...to live is Christ. While I’m on this earth and in Christ, my goal, when I’m allowed, is to stand up for Christ. While I live it is part of my obligation to share Christ when I can. Am I always perfect? No. Do I always have the right words? No. 

In these uncertain days it is even more important that people share Christ in whatever way they can. I’m not such a bold person. I have not been blessed with a strong voice or debating skills, nor am I always listened to...or heard. I’m sure the thought, yeah right, has been the decision by many. (Not so when talking with believers!) So I write. I’ve pleaded with God for a voice for years. Perhaps my writing is the voice He has given me. So until the voice comes...until people really want to hear and know Jesus...I’ll write. At least the words are out there, thoughts clearer than had they been spoken. 

So, what then does and to die is gain mean? God knows the number of all our days. We are told not to worry about tomorrow because today has its own problems. We cannot add anything to our days on our own. We trust God for today, tomorrow and the day after if we should have another day. 

To die is gain...if a person is in Christ, when we die God is not surprised. Like I stated, He knows the number of our days. His plan for our lives are in His hand. In Christ at our death, we are whisked off to be with Him. Having lived a life for Him has paid off! It will beat the alternative location without Christ. ...where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:44,46,48)

The whole reason for the Bible, Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection was for us to know Him; not about Him but know Him. He has done a miracle in our lives! Our hearts are changed. We see Him (and life) from a different perspective. His Spirit illuminates our understanding and knowledge of Him. We understand our purpose on earth. 

It’s a mystery why so many want what this life has to offer when life in Christ can offer so much more. It’s not about all the stuff we have. We really can be content with little or a lot. I believe that if certain things were removed from my life, I’d be okay without. God will ultimately fill that void and provide. I do believe that He becomes a greater part of the lives of those with little. Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife. Proverbs‬ ‭17:1‬

Jesus tries daily to turn someone’s heart to Him. He loves all people and can change even the most wicked heart...and He’s willing to redeem even the most evil person if they will repent of their sins and believe and trust in Jesus. He’s willing to do it for anyone. There is NO ONE righteous, not ONE, as the Book of Romans states. We all have need of Jesus, our Savior, to get to heaven. We all need a change of heart for Him. Today is not too late to receive Him. He knows the number of your days...there may not be too many left. We are never promised tomorrow. 

There is a land that God wants to give to us. He has promised it to those who seek Him. He will lead us in our journey. He will provide. We can be content in Him.

Philippians 4:11-14 - Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It's All About HIM

Leviticus 18:2-4 - Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 

“I am the LORD your God. 

According to the doings of the land of Egypt [the world], 

where you dwelt, you shall not do; 

and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, 

where I am bringing you [out of the world], you shall not do; 

nor shall you walk in THEIR ordinances. 

You shall observe MY judgments 

and keep MY ordinances, to walk in them: 

           I am the LORD your God.”

We are lost in this world and all its trappings until we have received Christ as our Lord and Savior. Do not be deceived is a phrase used often in the Bible. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He seeks to deceive all people into believing that what God says is not true, that the Word is fiction and just a bunch of stories. He deceived Eve in the Garden and he continues, and will continue to, till Jesus comes to throw him into the Lake of Fire, with those who will believe his lies over Jesus’ truths.

Satan wants people to believe our good deeds will get us to heaven. So many are deceived. Jesus died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. If He did that, why do we continue to think we can attain God’s mercy by something WE do? The only thing we can do is humble our prideful hearts, and let Jesus do the work He longs to do in our hearts and lives. 

It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Jesus. Let that sink in. 

Days are getting more frustrating. The evil one is hard at work to bring down more people. To bring fear and anxiety through life’s trials. To cause believers and unbelievers to turn away or reject Jesus, the only saver of our souls. We do not know when our last day might be. It might be in death or it might be at His glorious return, which we don’t want to miss. One day God will say, it’s enough, it’s time! It’s time for Jesus to return and take away His bride, those who are in Christ. Then comes far worse disasters, seven years of them, like never before seen. 

In Christ we will not be part of this tribulation. Those who have believed their good works will save them will be sadly, horrifyingly, disappointed. Those in Christ will see Him face to face at last. 

Being in Christ first calls for humility. It calls for the ability to realize we are not as strong or as smart as we think we are. It requires submitting to God, taking Him seriously every day, trusting in Him and not relying on government or money or self. When we humble ourselves, God will lift us up! If we don’t, He has the authority to bring us down. He has shown this repeatedly throughout those stories in the Bible. 

It’s all about Him. It’s not about you...or me. He has done a wonderful thing for us and to reject His gift salvation would be the worst thing anyone could do. Call on Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He will know if you are being honest in your request! We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind. Seems a challenge, but He will put that into the heart He changes.

Believers are called peculiar people because we do not think as the world does. We do not always believe the lies presented on social media or news or by government. We trust in what God says in His Word...and it is beginning to reveal we are nearing the time of the last days. Yes, there will be scoffers. I pray anyone reading this will not be one of them. Everything in the Bible is falling into place! And Jesus is still calling! 

Psalm 146:8 - The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD raises those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.

I Have Come Down to Bring Them Up

 Exodus 3:7-8 - And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey...”

There are many people in the Bible who are types of Christ. Moses was one of them. Egypt is considered a type of the world. Israel was held captive in Egypt.  If you recall Moses led the people of Israel out of Egyptian captivity. God wanted them in a land He would provide for them, a better place. 

Their captivity at that time was as slaves. But did you know that we are slaves also in our world? God desires for us to be out of this world and secure in a better place He has for us. And this is why He sent Jesus! He came down from heaven. He will deliver us up to heaven one day.

He came down to deliver US out of the snares of this world and bring us into a special place He has for us. What snares? All the things that keep us from looking to Him, things that DISTRACT. Anything that is put in the forefront of our lives that take God out of our lives is a snare. What most consumes us? Some things we are meant to be busy doing but others are not. We’re all guilty. When I was working I was a workaholic. Some people, if they have the means, travel frequently. Others shop! For some it’s their children or hobbies or activities, for some it’s self! There are so many things that consume our time. 

For a true believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us in various ways that this earth is not our home, but that heaven is (Philippians 3:20). We are strangers here on earth (1Chronicles 29:15). We are to have a loose grip on the things of this world (Matthew 6:19-20). Don’t let those things consume. But...we are to focus on sharing the truth of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the one who gives us eternal life...no one else can do that. We are told that even our idle words (which are many) will be judged. 

When we die our body is gone, but our spirit lives on. And that spirit has one of two permanent resting places...heaven or hell. And they are real. It’s why He came....that we may have eternal life in Him, in heaven...that resting place that God has chosen for us. Why would Jesus come to save us if we all were going to go to heaven?

Jesus came and died that we could have that more abundant life. We are told to think on the things above not the things here on earth. We are told to store up riches in heaven that will not be consumed as opposed to things of earth which will spoil, rust, wither away.

I heard a talk recently and this was a very good statement: to realize that self-preservation of my own life will cost me in being fearful, in being in compliance with what they (government) want me to do; but if I’m willing to lose my life, I can stand in the face of this no matter what they say. This is what the truth of the Bible tells us and this is why we need to understand.

Moses! He led Israel out of captivity. Jesus! He does too. The Word of God is so FULL of examples like this. I hope to share more. 

John‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭- The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Look to Him

 Colossians‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭- Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you will want to keep your focus on Him, on the things above, on His truth and promises. He has the world in His hands. He knows the end from the beginning. He sees through all deception (that should scare a lot of people). He will return to judge wickedness and rescue the righteous. 

He tells us there is no need to fear man if we have faith in Him. If we are in Christ, our eternal lives are secure...even if the enemy wants to take our lives. To die is GAIN! 

Do NOT be fearful. The enemy’s only task is to fill us with fear that we lose our faith, that we submit to him and be crushed, as he will be some day. His purposes are to steal, kill and destroy. He is the greatest deceiver of mankind. He uses people to propagate lies. He uses fake media too! 

Want to know why there is division? He has done it. He stands for every wicked thing in the world. He stands against all the goodness of God. He is jealous...of Jesus. Why? Because he knows that one day soon Jesus will win the battle.

But we should not stay focused on satan. He was created by God, but he has far less power. God has allowed him the capability of doing just so much, even when it hurts us, but it is used to bring about God’s plans. What father doesn’t punish a child for doing wrong, or something possibly dangerous, because he loves him? God is constantly doing what He must to draw us closer to Him and often than comes in the form of hardship, sorrow, anxiousness. Do NOT fear, He is urging people; look to Him not the circumstances. 

There is only One whose power is greater. He will crush his head one day. He is our only hope. Look to Him.  

Philippians‬ ‭1:21,23-24‬ ‭- For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].

But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; yet to remain in my body is more necessary and essential for your sake.

MY Redeemer Lives

Job 19:25 - For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth...

MY Redeemer lives! I know this. Do you? 

I do not serve a dead Messiah. Jesus rose from the dead. He is no longer on the cross. There is no need to mourn His death. He STILL calls all people to repentance and salvation through HIM. 

No amount of money, good deeds, no artificial prayers will get anyone to heaven. Only a WILLINGNESS to admit to Him one is a sinner and needs Jesus, in humility, will save! This is wise. 

Let go of pride, stubbornness, hardheartedness, self-centeredness, belief that one knows better than God. All the things one tends to believe is necessary to please God has to be set aside. Salvation is of the Lord, not works, not anything of our own doing, other than to humble one's self before God and submit to Him. This is how one becomes a child of God. It's not about me, you or anyone else. It’s about Jesus only. It’s about going to Him. 

It has been an admonition and warning all throughout the Word. God punished Israel in the Old Testament when they failed to trust Him because things didn’t go according to man’s idea. Not wise.

Praise God He can change hearts, open eyes, bring true wisdom to those who WANT to seek Him, know Him, love Him and know that He lives. 

Ignoring all this is certainly possible but it comes at a very deadly cost. Take this to heart and respond to Him and receive life though it, too, comes with a cost.

We are not ever promised an easy life in Christ, but He WILL provide supernatural, Divine peace, safety and provision to those who choose to put their trust in only Him. 

Forget man and government. For the very most part, they do not look to God for wisdom. It’s about man’s wisdom, perhaps at times man’s pride. The fear OF THE  LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

Pushing these words of truth aside is a foolish thing...I know that my Redeemer lives! He has given me a heart for His wisdom. He has given me the promise of eternal life.

As a worship song states, 

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living, just because He lives

Job 29:26-27 - And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!