The Providence of God Romans 8:31

The Providence of God  Romans 8:31

In the fall of 1621 the Pilgrims and the Indians held a feast together. What we celebrate as Thanks giving day, was founded after a year  of great tribulation.  Out of the 102  Mayflower passengers  50 died that first winter.  By spring only 4 of the original 14 adult women remained alive. This celebration with the Indians was a thanks to God for the first harvest in Plymouth Colony.  Less than one month after the 3 day long celebration of their harvest a ship arrived from England. The colony had not been notified of its voyage, and it took them by surprise. The name of the ship was "The Fortune".  Merchants who sent this ship, with out provisions for the return trip, expected not only stock for the crew, but payment  that had be agreed upon by the Pilgrims.  They loaded down the ship with furs and pelts. I imagine that this was a sacrificial payment. Immediately the ship set sail to return to England.  Their meager rations that had been stored for the coming winter now needed to be shared with the 37 new settlers.  Was this just “luck” or providence?

Fortune is defined in English as;
A – Luck  =   a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's controls or
B – Wealth  = an abundance of items of economic value

The Puritans along with many other groups of Christian faith would often view circumstances as 2 distinct things;

A -"general providence"which refers to God's continuous upholding the existence and natural order of the universe.   B -"special providence" refers to God's extraordinary intervention in the life of people.

As I read this history I thought of how "God cannot stop loving us". He cannot lie. I believe in his his promise for his providential care for us: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 NKJV

Back in the 1900’s a teenage youth group was returning from a trip to Alaska. I heard that the group stopped to eat their lunch under a big spruce tree. Lightning struck the tree and  just one young girl died. Why her? I have asked Jesus so many times about this and other things that bring about the death of children and youth that are so innocent.  In a small town on the west coast a 19 yr old young lady, one who was a disciple of Jesus is murdered in broad daylight. Why God?  Did you see what was going on and did not intervene? Where were you when this happened? His word says: "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13 NIV

 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  Romans 8:31 KJV My understanding of this truth has been that IF God was on my side I would be victorious in the circumstance or a relationship. Who could be against me and win? It was just a matter of knowing if I was on Gods’ side or not. Victory could come in some way, temporal or spiritual.  Here on earth or in heaven.  Recently I have seen Romans 8:31 in a different light. I am not always going to be the winner in a temporal way. There are individual people or a government as a whole that are obviously enemies of God. They are antichrist’s and persecutors. Leaders like Pharaoh or Herod could not be in the position over Jesus unless Our Father allowed them to be there. What about Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao Tse-Tung, and even the succession of leaders in North Korea  for 65 yrs. They have imprisoned   and tortured over 200,000  political prisoners! "Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." - John 19:11a NKJV
 Because God is for me, I can know that he is not going to allow something out of his permissive will to come to pass. My perspective is that Sovereignty allows "evil" people or other negative things to come to pass in our lives. Would he allow evil to be something that is for us?  Is this “providence”?  Would he allow evil to be something that is for us and not against us?  

As missionaries in Mexico  for 6 yrs we prayed for the teams or the young singles that wanted to come and serve with us for a week or two. Some committed for 3-6 months. We cried out for wisdom and love to come out of us to care for them. We prayed that if it was his will for them to be able come, then we would be able to lay down our lives for them, care for them if they got sick or injured.  We had faith that they would able to see what they were to learn from Jesus.  Often Marianne and I would be praying "Lord do not let them come unless it is your will. Slam the door shut if it is not”. We  trusted  for  “ divine providence”  to intervene in this circumstance.The reason why we often prayed this was not for our comfort or fear of sharing from our provisions.  There is also Gods promise for "general providence" which refers to God's continuous upholding the existence and natural order of the universe.  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 NLT 

When Marianne and I met we were married in 1980.   We became ”one flesh”  and some would say it as just “luck” and some good fortune that we met. I believe we have been joined together by divine Providence, to be joint heirs in the gift of Life. Author Thomas Vaillancourt's writing on the subject has considered a wide scope of quotes on the subject.

http://www.postersfromtheheart.com/essay_pages/divine_providence.htm


In 1735  John Wesley crossed the Atlantic to  the Georgia colony by ship. When a storm rose up he became quite frightened.  He noticed the 25 Moravian Christians making the same journey. They were calm despite the rough seas.  They spoke to him an explanation of the peace he could see them expressing. This caused him to think about his own inner peace. The storm was not bad luck. He made passage with others who had a spiritual faith that he had yet found.  The Providence of God brought his peril and their peace together. It exposed his lack and also provided him with a paradigm shift in his faith.

Back in the 90's we were in fellowship with an elder and his wife that we really looked up to.  Their son who was in a wheel chair all his life kept them home bound. They had great vision for missions and ministry.  This child who had come into their life held them down in the same  house and membership in the same little church for nearly 30 yrs.  They were questioned, " is this illness because of some sin, or lack of faith of you  parents?”  The mother, who had become  a grandma, thanked God for this "handicap" that she and her husband had. She knew that better things were given to them through their commitment to stay home and care for a special needs son.  Their other sons went on to become missionaries and pastors. All the things that they were prevented from doing out there “somewhere” actually worked for their good. They had an incredible solid home life. They were examples of love and faith for other believers in their small community.  This couple received a little one who grew up with great joy and love. He came to them by the providence of God.

On their way to their first mission to live in Africa a middle age couple were waiting quite a while at the airport.  Close by there was a Menonite couple. As they took up conversation the younger couple shared that they had tried to live as missionaries in  another country and had to return. They were now embarking  to another location to live and try to serve again. They stated  “God has a purpose in all this." Even though they had failed on previous attempts, they believed that God knew it and his provident hand was with them all the way.

In our mission work we held our meetings on Saturday nights. This freed up our Sundays. At first we visited churches in the area and also traveled often to the city an hour away to attend a Calvary Chapel.  As time went on we grew accustomed to being home alone on Sundays. Our family really enjoyed a day without activities. Being home with together and not working or traveling was a good practice. But, we had become well in the region. Folks did not call ahead there in the villagers. It was like the USA culture and economy was like in the USA in the 40's or 50's  So, they would just drop in on any day of the week, but a lot more on Sundays  for they would not be working. Well, a visit in the villages was not just business for them and then, "we need to be on our way". They would sit and talk and the  family would all be conversing. Then if there was something of business or an item to be borrowed it was mentioned last. We found out that the longer the visit  the larger the a favor or and item with would be.  So I prayed that no one could pass through our gates with out the hand of God allowing it. We needed rest  and really needed quiet for the  family to be together.  So if some one came through our gate, we saw it  as opportunity to share Gods love and the gospel. Like the good ship fortune, we were able to see the visits as what Divine Providence allowed.
May we see Gods hand and his sovereignty over our lives and what happens on the earth.  May we not shrink back in our faith when things happen that we do not understand. May we trust that Jesus is with us always, even to the end of the world. G.W.

A Wise Heart Proverbs 23.15

A Wise Heart Proverbs 23.15

My Friend had a note to himself on the door to his shop, " Work harder" At the time he was managing a business that, at the time, had a potential of growing to annual income of 6 digits. How could he be saying to himself to work harder? I am not sure of all of the implications to the motto. I think that most of it was to be an example to his sons. To be faithful to his family. Even though the shop was grossing more than just a few hundred some days, and most of the time by noon, some thing of the work ethic was in moral fiber of my friend.

Mean while I had had returned to the U.S.A. From the slow lane, in a foreign country, like living back in time, spending most of the week in a small village of a few hundred people. Getting out a few days a week and doing 40 mph out on the four lane highway seemed just fine to me. Now I was trying to make a go of it, make ends meet, and earn an honest living. For me, $20 an hour, in the construction sites seemed like plenty, but we were having trouble making ends meet, and we were not even paying rent! Marianne started working part time, and that was humbling. We had always done well with my wages from the woods. I had very little understanding of the seismic shift that was coming to our economy. I found myself working Saturdays. I even stayed home from church a couple Sunday's to be able to get a few things done around our home, which at that time was only 2 travel trailers.

The Lord had spoken to me years in advance a word that I needed and still need as I just turned 50 this year.

" Work smarter, not harder." For those who know me, hard work has never been a stranger to me. But wisdom in business management has always been something that I could use more of.

This fall another word came to me from Proverbs 23:15

My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; NIV

At first I took this to be some guidance in praying for my sons, for them to have wisdom, and for me to blessed with joy in seeing them succeed and enjoy the abundant life they have been promised in Christ. Today, after meditating on this and digesting the context, I can hear our Lord saying to me, " work smarter today, not harder, and my heart with rejoice over you, with singing!"

This summer I was in a real struggle to keep it together, mentally and emotionally. I was determined to work hard at paying down our debt. We are doing great in a few areas, and have never had struggles with a few of our accounts. By Gods grace we have never been late or behind on any payments. We have paid down certain loans, but one credit card keeps running up there. In July, we took on a few new cleaning contracts with our cleaning business. I had promised Marianne that I would quit working in the day, and only concentrate on the cleaning hours , so she would not have to work so much. Well, it did not happen. I worked my self to a frazzle, and debt did not go down. $30 an hour work kept coming in and I chose, not to say "no" except to a few really good big projects.

I have called it, " burning the candle at both ends." Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that he and his team worked night and day to not be a burden to the body there.¹ This is a great example of " spending and being spent"² for the sake of others being served in love and for the increase of faith in the hearts of Christs disciples, true?

May we each be led, as we know we are capable of doing, to serve one another with a pure heart. A mind that is protected by the peace that passes all understanding can be had for each of us, "today"; if we will give everything over to Our Father in Prayer. Look to see what he hands back to you on the to do list for today, and do not worry about the rest, ok? The following thoughts are describing more of what I have learned in the last couple months. May they be food for your soul. :) If there be anything note worthy of what Christ has wrought in me, all glory to him! G.W.

A Tender Heart An entry to my Face book wall, November 26^th 2011

Well, lately I have had a troubled heart. For a week, I was so stressed I did not feel safe driving. Yea, Greg, me having fears of being hit, or not able to concentrate enough so much that I was concerned that I might hit some one. I did hit a power pole and take my mirror off. AND locked the keys in my van 2X. Oh, well, its past and I am walking more humble than ever. Did you see the movie "Brave Heart"? Cool. What about all the broken hearts out there, anyone ever see one? I see them almost every day. Had one myself a time or two. The following is an excerpt from lesson 24 in the BLBible Institute course. I am learning from about 15 other teachers, some maturity and stability that I need in my own walk. A Tender Heart is what Jesus had³, and still has. I pass this on in hopes that it might encourage a few of my face book friends, and perhaps a family member or two also:

...maybe you have been betrayed by someone who you thought was a friend or a loved one. That hurts so deeply. Perhaps someone has undermined you, lied about you, or stabbed you in the back, who you thought was a strong supporter. Now, I am sure it has happened to most of us to one degree or another. If it has not, it will. It is just one of those guaranteed things.

But the question is: how do I react? How do I respond when I have been hurt, betrayed, or attacked? That is when it is the hardest to love. Do I harden my heart? I have been hurt so I want to harden my heart. Or do I become calloused and negative? If so, then God’s love is choked out. Do I become bitter, close my heart, or hold on to ill feelings? It is easy to do that, isn’t it? It is very natural, but it is not supernatural.

Jesus said, “As I have loved you, even so, love one another” (John 13:34). It is not a natural love. It is a supernatural love. If we become bitter, if we harden ourselves, if we get callused or cynical, even as pastors, then God’s love is choked out. It cannot flow. So the Lord wants me to run to Him. Only with His love can my heart be strong and yet tender at the same time. How do you keep a tender heart in this world? It is really easy to see how people get hardened in this world and how people get cynical or closed off. But with Christ, we cannot afford to do that because He has called us to love. We can keep a tender heart and yet be strong through the power of His love as He heals us.

Servant Leadership – Lesson 24 The Supremacy of Love by Wayne Taylor

1For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. - 1 Thessalonians 2:9 KJV

2And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. - 2 Corinthians 12:15 KJV

3 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Pulling Out The Weeds Matthew 13:22

Pulling Out The Weeds Matthew 13:22

The other day I was in our back yard pulling out weeds in the garden. The biggest one was a bull thistle, about 5 ft high. I kept it aside from the little pile that I had accumulated from just one small area. Later, my trophy weed, which I was so proud of, made the trip up the steps with me to our front yard, where I could show it off.

Normally weeds of this size are not possible to truly irradicate. The tap roots are most likely to break off and the thing will eventually grow back somehow. This year, weed pulling has been extraordinarly easy because our soils have been exceptionly wet this spring with all the rains. I have learned a lesson from this. Why don't I water really heavy in the dead heat of summer, and then be wiling to muck through the mud and pull those weeds that have gotten away on us? In like manner; if we are overwhelmed with cares of work, family, or personal things, its time to soak our hearts with alot of what God has to say about things. Saturate our souls with the water of the word, and the worries can be rooted out.¹

After I showed Marianne my trophy, this sport became her endeavor, which she normally avoids, due to allergies. She made a pile in the garden twice as high as mine, and even made it accross the street to start pulling weeds in a flower area by where we park. I mentioned, "Wouldn't it be something if humanity could get garden vegtables to grow faster than the weeds?"

By the spoken word of the Creator that is recorded in Genesis 3, the soil is under a curse. In the new economy of life, Jehovah God was presenting to Adam and Eve an adversity that most of mankind has faced ever since. As "stewards of the earth"², we have thorns and weeds growing in the areas where we are trying to gain our livelyhood. Whereever we are trying to plant, water, and prune plants that are to bear us fruit or pretty flowers, we encounter weeds to some degree. Now days, most of us are not famers, working directly with the crops that become our source of food or commodity. So how does this relate to me? There are mechanical breakdowns with any thing that moves, or that is electronic. There are traffic problems. There are social issues with customers, co-workers, and in some cases employers, teachers, or goverment officials. Can any one relate? Our lot is to be facing these weeds and experience the hard sweat that it takes to remove them, till the return of Christ and the earth is made made new again.³

If your feeling the worries of this life choking you spritualy, take courage, and roll up your sleaves, along with me, and pull those weeds out. Don't remove the people in your life, or park your car and start walking. Move away if you have to, but only as a last resort for peace. Pulling the weeds, in most cases involves a paradigm shift, a new perspective, and a real change in my own heart. Lately the deceitfullness of serving mammon, or obtaining wealth⁴, has been minimizing the "Fruits of the Spirit" ⁵ that Jesus wants me to be emanating to others.

There is a deception that can come upon us as we work. When we work, we are rewarded with a wage. Some of what we do is just survival or self maintenance; but most of us labor 8 hrs or more a day to produce a product, or a service to others, and the reward is money. With that money, we have the power, or the ability to do what ever we want. That is within the natural laws that exist and the market value of dollars we posses. It is the purposes that motivate our labor that are the question to be answered. Money itself is not evil, it is the love of it.⁶ Jesus declared that we cannot serve God and wealth.⁷ So how can I be working, and enjoy it, but not let the rewards of it become the master that I serve?

Obtaining wealth, or my goal to be "debt free" is not an end in itself. Interviews with lottery winners have shown that the "victims" testify that they are no more happier now that before they bought the winning ticket. I recently heard a radio preacher expound on Matthew 5. The beatitudes, or the description of a truly blessed and happy life that Jesus taught us, or is still trying to teach us through the written scriptures, no where mentions wealth. The merciful, the peacemakers, the ones who are persecuted and suffer for what is right are the truly happy and fortunate ones.

For 10 yrs now I have been working 2 jobs, burning the candle at both ends per say. I believe that I am right where I should be in life, and with work, and most things will not get totally cut out of the time budget. I am seeking a paradigm shift⁸ in the approach that I use to face these daily tasks and positions of responsibilty. The seven hats hanging on my office wall are allegorical to the multi- tasking that I face each day. I wear the Sherwin Williams hat on painting days, and the True Value hat on carpentry days. Most days I am changing hats at least 2-3 times. How can I let God's word bear fruit as I fulfill each of these responibilities? Which of these hats should I take down, and retire, for this season or possibly for ever? The tree climbing one? Not yet. For today I will wear the husband / father hat first. The negotiations of the construction business and the janitorial business are major time blocks that require alot of mental energy and concentration. Doing the work is the easy part, and its very therapudic. Pulling the weeds is very rewarding!

Our world view needs to be based on the good seed, the words of Jesus that we can live by. They are "spirit and life" for us.⁹ May we continue to hunger for God's word and take time out to read it, or listen to it as we drive or work. I need to be less anxious about things; and learn to be in prayer as I go about the "Martha" duties; so that the cares of this world are not hindering God's word from bearing fruit in my life.

We also need fertilizer at times, and that can really help the garden veggies up strong and produce a lot of fruit. May this re-birth that each person can experience be given any one who reads this devotion and wants illumination¹⁰ to what God is speaking to them. For the disciples who have been hearing Christian teaching for years, may there be a fresh anointing so that what is heard is put into practice more than ever before. May our spirit, or our character, and "good works" ¹¹ be an ever growing brighter light in this dark age, by putting into practice what we have heard from God. G.W.

1That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, - Ephesians 5:26 KJV

2So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. - Genesis 9:1-3 NKJV

3Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. ... "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." - Revelation 21:1, 4 NKJV

4"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. - Matthew 13:22 NKJV

5But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, - Galatians 5:22 NKJV

6For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. - 1 Timothy 6:10 KJV

7"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God andwealth. - Matthew 6:24 NASB

8 Paradigm Shift def. "a profound change in a fundamental model or perception of events,"

9 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. - John 6:63 NKJV

10For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. ... But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. - 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, 14 NKJV

11"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Ready For Every Good Work

"Ready For Every Good Work" 2 Timothy 2:21

This fall we tore out the carpet of our Living room. Not only was it worn, but we had never used a rental cleaning machine on it during the last 2 yrs that we have lived here. All the 100+ times we vacuumed over the warm brown fuzz were not enough. I knew that this was not the best living condition for us, or any of our grandchildren to be playing on. We knew that down under the surface there was some things that not even a steam cleaning would take out. Under the carpet was a foam pad. Under the pad was a few layers of dirt. After we set all the furniture out in the front yard and rolled up the first 2 layers and swept all the dirt up, a once beautiful linoleum was revealed. We took up 3 layers of different patterns of this vinyl flooring with 1950's newspapers being the final barrier above the worn, torn, and diesel stained red fir floor. For 20 some years the original owners probably lived on the medium to poor quality, untreated wood floor with hopes of having a "new look some day." Layer after layer were installed to keep the "new look". Now we were going back to the "rustic look" and it took hours and hours of sanding to get this floor ready for normal use. Gideon did most of the work. I researched the products, rented the tools and helped with the corners and the edges. It was worth all the cleaning and elbow grease we put into an area of our house that is ready for good use.

Paul used a similar analogy of the floor removal that I just described. He described the various vessels that a great house would have in it. Some of clay, some of wood. Others of gold or silver. Some of these need to be need to cleansed out, if we are going to be useful to our Master, Jesus.

2Timothy 2:21 ESV says, "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work."

As a follower of Jesus I have a choice to cleanse out of my life the sins and iniquities that he has called me to depart from. If I want to be useful to him, and ready for every good work this is a necessary exercise. Confession is a good start. Daily choices, and habit changes have to happen or change is not really change. Change of mind that brings about a change of action is what it means to repent.

"We sow our thoughts and reap our actions. We sow our actions and reap our habits. We sow our habits and reap our character. We sow our character, and we reap our destiny."

As a follower of Jesus, I have a responsibility to not take our Gods name in vain. To me this means that if I am going to call myself a Christian, and profess to know God, I am commanded not to deny him in my conduct. I always used to think of this command relating to swearing curse words that included one of Gods' names. The application that I just shared with you may be obscure, but a true moral principle. Don't do any thing in Jesus name that does not honor and glorify him. Don't let it be for nothing. Don't run the race 3/4 of the way and quit. These are the some of the things that I am hearing. "Pursue peace with all men" but also holiness or I won't see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

How do we find a proper balance for this as we live out our faith? Over a decade ago I marched our whole family out of the middle of a worship service. The church we were visiting was playing the music a little louder than I liked it. What we were accustomed to in our "home birth, home school, home church" environment was hymns and Maranatha scripture songs. I felt not only compromised myself listening to these secular style love songs to Jesus, but I sensed that I needed to lead my family away from its exposure. Another time I was in a service at a church camp where a group of young adults were trying to share a few special songs. The sound equipment kept cutting out. I gave a loud cry, "God doesn't want this rock music in his house!" Then I stormed out. While attending a similar outdoor meeting with the same church group, a singer who is now a nationally known music artist, came with a visiting youth group. The artist who was at that time barely a teenager, stood up to share his talent in the rough. His special was a hip-hop style played with a custom made stringed instrument. The lyrics were rhyming rap lines. That time I did not round up all my young adult children from their various seats in the crowd. Right in the middle of song, I marched out, and left the service. I did not give ear to the lyrics, because of the music style, and the location of the situation. If it would have been on the street or in a home I would have had more tolerance for the music talent trying to be shared. I would have had more patience to hear out the faith of this young man. My preconception of "how it should be" in an organized church service, or what kind of worship our Father desires was very narrow.

Over the centuries the church as whole has seen a lot of changes. Eventually I experienced enough change in myself that my judgments and reactions have changed in relation to the way things are done or the way that other people are. Especially when it comes to worship.

I've changed. For those who know me now, its obvious when one hears what music I play myself or what you would find us listening to in our house. What happened? When did this change occur or where did it start? I have to ask myself that question as I write this article. I am sorry to leaving you hanging, but I am going to leave off writing this and call this part "A" and follow up this with a sequel. The answers to questions above will be explained in detail and testimony the next time I get share another "Soul Food" article.

The bottom line answer needs to shared now, in case I don't live to type in all the that I have scratched on my notes for this subject. What happened was I faced the fact that I failed miserably to win the hearts of my young adult children. I may have been winning some battles, but I was definitely loosing the war. The enemy was my own flesh, not a style of music. The tempter had trapped me into condemning myself in the way that i was judging. The vessel that I was being, did not point them to Christ, or attract these precious ones that I love the most to be connected with his love. It might have been my private faith, obedience, or heart felt love for God at the time. But it did not bear good fruit in the end. God declares that he can work it all together for good, and I believe that there are ways that he is redeeming what I have ruined in my own life.

The few "righteous" acts that I testified about above...along with a dozen other incidents that occurred in Mexico, Southern Oregon, and a few other places in between; may have been some good conservative food ( see John 4:34 ) but it was served on wood, hay, and stubble platters ( 2 Timothy 2:20 and 1 Cor 3:12-14 ) My heart attitudes of pride, criticism, and desire for selfish comforts of being surrounded by others who were just as like minded as myself were the dis honorable vessels that Paul wrote about.

The good work that I missed out on doing, was the call to be an intercessor for those I was among or in difference of opinion with.

May our Lord Jesus, by the Spirits power, cleanse us and help us to do our part in cleaning out of our own house any thing that dis-honors our Master. We have a great hope. As His property you have a great and noble destiny.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 ESV

There is a bright future of good works to be fulfilled in and through us, despite any past or present circumstances, true? My vision is fixed on the finish line ahead of me. I see 10- 20 years of life ahead. Each day the faithfulness in the small things will matter. Each day, until final day, there will be a work or two that I need to be ready for. Peace to all who read this. Blessings to you, in Jesus our Savior and Lord. G.W.

A Treasure To Keep 2 Corinthians 4.7

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

As I read the passage above, I thought of how temporal our bodies are, and the various weaknesses we all have. God places his Holy Spirit in us, fallen humans, sons of Adam, with delight.

“See what I can do, in you and through you,” he says. He calls this his treasure, the deposit of the Holy Spirit that guarantees our resurrection from the dead and the eternal life to come. The Scripture declares "that where a mans treasure is, that is where his heart will be also." Our Fathers heart is in us, where he has placed his spirit, that our inward man can be “renewed day by day.” 1 Corinthians 4:16

When we lived in Mount Vernon, Oregon, a mobile home burnt to the ground in our neighborhood. I remember seeing the older couple standing in their yard being thankful just to be alive. They mentioned that they had a fireproof box, full of money, but the heat was to great and it too was lost. They had the greatest thing remaining after the fire, their lives and each other.

What do you treasure? Where do you keep your treasures? I think of a chest, up in an attic, full of treasures. My folks had an attic, and I have a few memories of seeing a bunch of old relics and various things, very unused, like an old violin up there. Marianne has several little jewelry boxes, that are full of pretty rocks, and ornaments, memorabilia and keep sakes. We take these kinds of things out every once in a while and hold them in our hand, appreciating their beauty. Some times we set them on a shelf for display, but often we just put them back away till another rainy day comes along and we re-discover these little treasures again. Some of them are tied to good memories, others are just rare items that you cannot just run down to local “Five and Dime” and replace.

Last week was very long for me. Many occupations were before me. Working for the U.S. Census Bureau, Tree service and construction, then on Saturday our janitorial duties. Thank God for one day of rest each week! I treasure this day of rest that we are given, one in seven is very good for me, and it helps to set aside a day or a time to worship. I also treasure the rest of Hebrews 4, ceasing from my own works for righteousness.

The scripture declares that the “unseen things are eternal” 1 Corinthians 4:18 This is where our attention should be drawn to, each day, as we go through our work and play. Out of this circumstance or relationship, what has lasting value? Do I love? Does this glorify God?

A friend of mine has often testified, “I have peace.” This was his treasure, and joy. He was referring to the right standing that he knew he had with God by faith. Romans 5:1

One of the most valued treasures that some people have is their family. Many are missing this security and love. May we all know our Fathers love for us, and how much he has invested in us. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is working in us! See Ephesians 1:18-20

Many are searching to fill up in themselves, the void God designed to fill with himself. I had sought for security or fulfillment from a peer group, or pleasures from alcohol, drugs or sex, and even video games. Sports enthusiasts live for the burn or the rush. May our identity as Gods sons and daughters be so strong in knowing him and his care for us that we are not lost, or searching in the wrong places. May we enjoy all the good things in this earth, and in this life, even sports or horses, with a sound mind and without making it an idol. G.W.