INVITING GOD TO INTRUDE

INVITING GOD TO INTRUDE

Sunday, September 09, 2018

Psalm 139:17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

  What guidance do we seek when we read, study, meditate upon God’s Word? Survival in this troubled world, relief, peace, serenity, or guidance on how to stay on top of life, agreeably centered in what it takes to be happy? Or maybe even going so far as asking God how we as individual, family, community, and nation can please, honor, and glorify Him? (Rom.12:1-3)

  Reading a history of Sir Francis Drake* I found an intriguing prayer that he had written and used. (In some Christian groups prayers were and still are written and prayed more than once.)

Disturb us, Lord, when We are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.

  How often do we as did Drake invite God to intrude and disturb, to direct us from the safe cove that we covet? How precious are His thoughts to us? 

EBB4

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Francis_Drake

FAITH IN _______?

FAITH IN ______?

Friday, September 07, 2018

  Romans [NLT] 4:4-8 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”

   Galatians 2:16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

   Ephesians 2:8-9 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

   Titus 3:5-8 [God] saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

  I drove carpooling 40 miles to and from work. During the 70’s Walt rode back and forth to work with me for a number of years. He was my first pickup, last dropoff. Walt was a highly skilled Master Machinist, a devout Roman Catholic, one of the finest men I’ve known. An unsung hero that did not demand or expect recognition for the work he did as a volunteer developing medical devices in cooperation with Johns Hopkins. Once in use, there was no Walt in the credits. The public tribute went to the department manager.

  Each day in coming and going Walt and I had 10-12 minutes alone before and after another passenger. It was a delightful time as he had a keen mind interested in many topics. His favorite subject was faith, which I was quite happy to discuss.

  Walt retired early as he wanted to put more volunteer time and energy into medical device development. On our last day together Walt wanted to talk about faith. We did so extending our time parked on the roadside grass.

  In his concluding farewell remarks he told me he liked and respected me, but to live as I lived by grace, love, and application derived from personal and group Bible study . . . would never work for him. He had decided that only seminary educated priesthood had figured out what it took to please God and go to heaven; religious good works that contributed to hoped for present and eternal redemption.

  Whether Walt still walks this side of death or not, I know not as we never met again. Hopefully he rethought the Scripture (above) I had shared with him, and trusted Jesus Christ alone as his redeemer and realized God’s blessed assurance. 

EBB4

SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY

SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY

Thursday, September 06, 2018

1Corinthians [NLT] chapter 15 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. … our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.[Isa.25:8]
 death, where is your victory?
 O death, where is your sting?[Hos.13:14]”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Dear fellow follower of Christ,

  How different is your life since accepting the truth that by and in Jesus you are assured of life eternal?

Waiting,

Edwin Bennett Bullock 4th (EBB4)

AMBIENT NINNYHAMMERS

AMBIENT NINNYHAMMERS

Wednesday, September 05, 2018

   Hosea [GW] 13:4-10 "I am the LORD your God. I brought you out of Egypt. You have known no god besides me. There is no savior except me. I took care of you in the desert, in a dry land. When I fed you, you were full. When you were full, you became arrogant. That is why you forgot me. So I will be like a lion. Like a leopard I will wait by the road to ambush you. 8 Like a bear that has lost her cubs, I will attack you. I will rip you open. Like a lion I will devour you. Like a wild animal I will tear you apart. You are destroying yourself, Israel. You are against me, your helper. "Where, now, is your king, the one who is supposed to save you? Where in all your cities are your judges? You said, 'Give us kings and officials!'

   1Peter chapter 5 … Put on humility. For God resists proud ones, but He gives grace to the humble….

  The general professing Christian population is no different than people spoken of in Hosea and elsewhere in Scripture; when provender is scarce or limited in menu there are those dependent on Jehovah-Jireh, He who provides. When living in richer ambience, they become proud independent ninnyhammers.

  I like the poetic way MKJV wording describes this situation: “According to their pasture, so were they filled. They were filled and their heart was lifted up. Therefore they have forgotten Me. “ (Hos.13:6) 

  Let us beware defining who we are by our environment; Dwelling in good places, independent of Jehovah-Jireh, bringing on the Lion, and then faulting the feline. Then longing for the next promise for man’s hope and deliverance. (A better king, the rapture, et al.)

  Let us, as did Jesus when He walked among men, trust in Jehovah-Jireh’s provision whether desert trudge or strolling fertile land. He will exalt us in His time. (1Pet.5:6)   

EBB4

FUZZY PERSPECTIVE

FUZZY PERSPECTIVE

Tuesday, September 04, 2018

John chapter 3 … Jesus answered [Nicodemus] and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born again, he cannot see [G1492εἴδω; eido; i'-do A primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent, G3700 and G3708; properly to see (literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perfect only) to know: - be aware, behold, X can (+ not tell), consider, (have) known (-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand, wist, wot. Compare G3700.] the kingdom of God.

  Clear spiritual vision, proper perception of all matters having to do with life and death is of paramount importance. Jesus in conversation with Nicodemus explained this fact in the most transparent terms.

  However, as with Nicodemus our preconceived perceptions may make for fuzzy sight.

   Jesus’ John chapter 3 conversation opened my eyes to several things:

·         Education, knowledge religious or otherwise, is counterproductive spiritually without the person of John 1:1; The Word. Nicodemus is prime example of being learned but ignorant of essential truth. (Jn.3:9-10)

·         God is love. He is not the condemner. (Jn.3:15-18; Rom.5:8; 1Jn.4:7-10)

·         Preexistent to personally trusting Redeemer Jesus, we stand already condemned. (Jn.3:18)

  At age 27 I trusted Lord Jesus Christ and my worldview immediately changed and in year 83 continues to change. Please consider something I see that troubles my heart:

  Jack, though raised in Christian home by born-again parents striving to see all things as God would have them to envision, rejects Jesus, The Word of God. Jack is shiftless. His focus is on eat, drink, and be merry; booze, drugs, whoremongering; living the life of a debauched free-loading libertine. Jack has children by several female acquaintances, children that he makes no provision for materially or emotionally, but counts on their welfare dependent mothers for provision.

  Jill, twin sibling, lives life opposite of Jack’s. She is a solid family member and citizen; dependable, doesn’t drink or drug at all, faithful to her husband and children, keeps a decent home; a hard worker with delightful life goals. There is one problem however and it is the major one. She also has no interest in The Word of God for redemption or guidance.

  Consequently both stand presently eternally condemned.

  Looking at too-typical attitude of Christian parents, and Christians at large . . . I see great concern for badly behaved Jacks, but relaxed complacency where well-behaved Jills are concerned.

  “Please pray for my Jack!” when where lies heart for just as lost Jill?

  Seeing this situation of inconsistent vision on the part of Christians blurs my eyes at times.

EBB4   

THE FIRST SELFIES

THE FIRST SELFIES

Monday, September 03, 2018

   Psalm [MKJV] 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is only in the Law of Jehovah; and in His Law he meditates day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivulets of water that brings forth its fruit in its seasons, and its leaf shall not wither, and all which he does shall be blessed.

   Psalm 16 [GW] … "You are my Lord. Without you, I have nothing good." Those who lead holy lives on earth are the noble ones who fill me with joy. Those who quickly chase after other gods multiply their sorrows. …

   Jeremiah [MKJV] 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

   Romans [MKJV] 12:3  For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. [Phil.2:3]

  Selfies as a culture did not begin with mythical Narcissus or latter day available technological gadgets.

  Exactly when did narcissistic exercise of self-love, self-actualization, self-improvement, self-assertion, self-image, self-pride, self-esteem commence . . . and who were the people first involved?

  Humanly it began as is recorded in Genesis with and by Eve, then Adam, deciding for self as opposed to Jehovah God Almighty and resulted in their vainly attempting to compensate for their naked self . . . with we hereafter following suit. (Genesis chapter 3

  When James explained that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (4:6) he, as all holy men and women was encompassing truth from the first family, then, and future. Not for one moment do I kid myself that just because I’ve never smartphoned a selfie that I’m above and beyond vanity opposing Him. I too do the “me, myself, and I” routine, regret it, confess it, and do it again: “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I know not. For what I desire, that I do not do; but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I do not desire, I consent to the law that it is good. But now it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I do not find. For I do not do the good that I desire; but the evil which I do not will, that I do. But if I do what I do not desire, it is no more I working it out, but sin dwelling in me. I find then a law: when I will to do the right, evil is present with me. For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin being in my members.” (Rom.7:14-23 MKJV)

EBB4

A VICTORY

A VICTORY

Ed,

Just read this (August 22, 2018 DT UNEQUIVOCAL FREEDOM) today. Wrote this early AM today after great temptation to lose peace and freedom last night in "discussion" with my wife. Your words a great confirmation of the Lord's working.

My Victory

My Victory

Always leading me

In triumph

Never

Leaving me

Alone

Very present help

As I cry out

No doubt

Remains 

Pure light 

Refrains 

The darkness

Of my soul

Pushing back

The old

Renewing my mind

No longer blind

To wiley tricks

That tick

Like a time bomb

Ready to explode 

If I carry the load

In self mode 

I am delivered 

From sharp arrows

In the quiver

Of beguiling sin

Don't have to win

Just begin again

All things new

In Him

Insurmountable peace

Joy beyond thought

He has bought

My freedom

Don't have to fight

Grappling in the night

Trying to be right

Liberating sight

Has cleared the way

It's a new day

The past is behind

Pressing on to find

Forgetting my history

My eyes on Calvary

I enter

My Victory