Category: Something to Think About

Acts 16 is one of those chapters that excites and convicts me at the same time. 

Paul and Silas traveled to preach the Gospel, they were attacked by demons, cast out demons, were beaten, accused, imprisoned, worshiped and still won souls for Jesus.

From a literary standpoint, it is an awesome, captivating read.

On the spiritual side, it’s exciting and convicting.

Why does this chapter, this story stir emotions so? Or maybe why should it?

What do we see when we look around the structured, square-box religions that most Christians belong to? Does it look like the adventures of Paul, Timothy, and Silas? Are lives being stirred to change, stirred to move, to witness, to seek God’s guidance?

What about your own life as an end-time Christian? Does your life look like a page from the early church, or does it look like something else?

What are you most concerned about? Are you complaining about the air conditioning or the music being too loud/not loud enough in your church?

Are you picking the sermon apart or critiquing everyone’s clothes?

Are you measuring the spiritual health of others by their appearance?

Or, are you hungry for the movement of the Spirit? Eagerly waiting for the troubling of the water.

What are you really waiting for?

The movement of the Spirit, the troubling of the water may hinge on you.

Too often, we are not in tune with the spiritual motion and miss the spirit altogether.

We must find our first love. Model ourselves after the first church, pursue God, court Him and seek His will.

Paul and Silas followed the Spirit of God and preached His Gospel. Wherever they were sent.

They never mentioned the style or appearance of the people. Didn’t tell them to clean themselves up and come back later. They simply went where they were led and preached. Not looking for comfortable, easy, or approval, except for God’s.
They looked for lives to be changed, souls to be saved.

I personally believe Comfort is one of the most dangerous things a church can have. When we get comfortable, we get lazy, we get soft, and somehow we get the idea that we deserve comfort.  

Comfort takes our eyes off the cross and places them on ourselves.

How we feel becomes more important than what God wants.

It robs us of the zeal and fervency of taking the whole gospel to the whole world.

Example:
My great, great, great, great grandfather was a man named Joseph Willis.
He is referred to as the father of the Baptist religion in Louisiana.

Born as a half-white, half-Cherokee slave in North Carolina, he ran away and fought in the Revolutionary War and gained conditional freedom many years later for his service.

He succeeded in business and owned properties in South Carolina. Joseph Willis could have been known by men for his successes and fortune but chose rather to leave it all for a divine calling.

He preached and assisted in many churches along the way, burying three wives before reaching Louisiana. One of them on the banks of the Mississippi while traveling to Louisiana.

As far as I can tell, he never had comfort, yet he carried the word of God into a place that was dangerous and uncomfortable for him because he was compelled to do so by the Holy Ghost.
He started many works in Louisiana.

I love this part of my family history because it reminds me to be persistent in living for God, consistent in living for God and to shun the pleasures of this life in favor of God’s will.

I’ve never been beaten, cut, shot, or stabbed for the Gospel. Never buried family members on a river bank, knowing I’d never see their gravesite again.
Like many of us, I have been lied to, about, slandered, and rejected for the Gospel. But God has never failed me. He has never left me or forsaken me.

So why do we make Church as easy as possible? We have convenient times, locations, duration, subject matter, nice pews, and upbeat music. God forbid the AC doesn’t work quite right.

But the truth is people are dying and going to a devil’s hell all around us. There’s no time for easy.

Consider this, Pen Gillette, an illusionist and atheist. He is quoted as saying, “If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell . . . how much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?”

If a man that claims to believe that there is no God can see the importance of outreach, how flawed must we be for not screaming this message to the world?

And what will our defense be when we stand before God?

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Hebrews 2:3

Act 16 stirs me, convicts me, and excites me, but if I don’t allow it to change me, what good has it done?

Stop looking for comfort! Start pursuing God,

I fly a lot, a whole lot. As in, millions of frequent flier miles, a lot!
I’ve flown in ratty little Russian owned airplanes over Iraq. I’ve flown out of the Baghdad International Airport within minutes of it being rocketed. Combat landed there many, many times. I’ve flown in and out of the Jungles of Papua New Guinea on dirt runways.  From Mexican airports that seemed better suited to jaguars than airplanes. I have flown across the Pacific and the Atlantic and right up to the shore of the Indian Ocean.
On airlines well known and not so known. For example, Phoenix Airline always troubled me. Its name, referring to the mythical bird reborn from its own ashes. The overall condition of the plane let you understand how it might have ended up there to start with.

Two things about commercial flight that has always struck me as strange. One is the oxygen masks that are supposed to drop down if cabin pressure is lost. I realize there’s not much Oxygen at 40,000 feet, but I also know from my EMT days that Oxygen will help calm you down, help you relax.

The strangest of the two is the instruction to “Assume the Emergency Position.” If you are in a regular cheap seat, which I always am, you are advised to lean forward, place your arm on the back of the seat in front of you, and rest your head against your arms. I’m not sure what the logic is with this, but it seems, at best futile.
If you are on a giant flying bus with 300 – 400 of your closest friends and it falls out of the sky, would not every position be an emergency position?
Do they want your eyes looking downward so you can’t see them donning parachutes? In all my flying, I haven’t been able to figure that one out.
Is anyone actually going to follow the panicking flight attendant’s instructions? If they are on the plane with you, odds are you have as much crash experience as they do. Most people don’t get a second chance to learn anything from being on a crashing airliner.
So what’s the point in assuming the emergency position?

The reality of assuming the emergency position is preparing before going to the airport. Before going anywhere, really. The real emergency position is in going to Jesus, in being sheltered by His Love.
The Apostle Paul said to live is Christ and to die is gain. To live, to survive is the anointed will of God, but to die is the reward. To die as a Christian is to be forever in His presence, and is ultimately what we are working toward, correct?

The three Hebrew boys in the Book of Daniel said we’re not careful to answer thee O’ King. Our God is ABLE to deliver us out of the furnace, but either way, this goes, He WILL deliver us out of your hands. They had Assumed the Emergency Position before the fire was even lit.

So, to assume the ultimate emergency position is something that happens at an altar, or beside your bed, or in front of your recliner or even on the front porch. It has nothing and everything to do with getting on an airplane or in a car or going to work or staying home.

Every day that you draw a breath is an opportunity to assume the emergency position.
Think about it. If you’re on a plane and it goes down, there is virtually nothing you can do to change the outcome, at that point it’s too late.
Likewise, how can you wait to last minute of your life to Call on the Name of Jesus and become one of His when you don’t know when that last minute will be.

In industry, there’s a saying or quote that says,
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

In a spiritual sense, it can be said that “your indecision becomes your decision.”

If you don’t know Jesus in the Power and Glory of His Spirit, what are you waiting for? You’ve got Heaven to gain, joy unspeakable, and peace flowing from Gods Throne to gain and misery to lose.

Assume the Real Emergency Position! And find out what living really is.

God Bless You Richly

Greg

In the early 1980s, I started driving on the heels of movies and T.V. shows like Smokey and the Bandit and the Dukes of Hazard.  Along with the entertainment value, they could also be described as lessons in How NOT to Drive rather than anything to do with safe driving.   Along with these, B.J and the Bear, The Fall Guy, Cannonball Run, The Rockford Files, Hardcastle and McCormick, Vanishing Point, and Miami Vice and several other were some of my favorites and also bad life examples in many ways, not just driving.

While my best friend, Chuck Kennedy and I didn’t try everything that we saw on those shows we did try enough to keep the Body-Man busy (thanks Bro. Johnny Nash) and the mechanic with a few things to do as well.  We drove faster than we should, took chances that we shouldn’t, drifted on dirt roads before drifting was a thing, and even got airborne a few times, ok, more than a few.  God had His hands upon us, and I’m sure that many times we were held on the road by our Momma’s prayers rather than traction. Taking eternal chances on only seconds or no thought at all.

Every so often, I still enjoy a good dose of adrenalin.  I’ve jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, swung out over the Royal Gorge, spent years in a war zone, rode motorcycles on some of the wildest roads anywhere, and so on.  Chuck and I are even planning to join Wesley Smith in Spain to Run with the Bulls next year if all goes as planned.
My driving has slowed down considerably, and I’ve made my living as a Safety Man for many years, but I still like a thrill from time to time.
I’m not telling anyone to follow my example on anything I’ve just mentioned. I’m not advocating foolishness or taking unnecessary chances or tempting the Lord, as some of you are going to say.  Maybe I have done that, I don’t really think so, but…..
I do believe that we can “Live” while we are busy living as long as we keep Living Right!

In hindsight though, most of the foolishness of my youth was done to impress my friends, some girl or even a group of strangers.  The doing of it was more about the “after” or the story than the actual doing.
I am less concerned now about what anyone might think of me, and I’m married to the girl of my dreams, so it’s more about being alive than impressing anyone.

So, as I prepared a sermon a few weeks ago, I began to consider my life in God, my new birth, God dwelling in me and how that tops every thrill, every experience, every emotion, and makes everything else even better by His presence.  But what is the purpose of my life in Him?  What do I want out of this relationship? Am I living FOR God, or am I simply living to get to heaven? Is that the same thing? I don’t think it is.

What does the world have to offer that can compare to one day in the presence of the Lord, one moment where you know that He has His arms around you.
Even if it doesn’t work out, by the world’s understanding of “working out,” God already has it worked out.
I’m sure that at times, I’ve begrudgingly lived for the “after” rather than taking full advantage of the “here and now.”

I began to think about Heaven and Hell and how they’ve both been used to scare or entice us to live “right” and be good.
What if there were no Heaven and no Hell?
I’m not saying that I just want us to consider the idea of it.
What if this was all there was?
What if our 70, 80, 90 or 100 years was it?
What if all we had was this life?
How would you live?
Would you serve God anyway, would you love Him unconditionally as He has Loved you.
Would you still serve Him even with no Prize at the end?

Or would you live like the devil?
Would you throw caution to the wind and kick God to the curb, knowing that only a coffin awaits you?
If Hell was no longer a deterrent from allowing your flesh to control you would you let your flesh control you?

Or would you Love God for the God that He Is?
Would you continue to serve Him even though this life was It?

Are we living our lives for what’s After?  Are we living just to avoid Hell?

I’m afraid that if we are living for God just to make it to heaven that we’ll never love God, really LOVE God enough to actually make it there.

Think about this and apply it.
I Love my Wife with all my heart, and I know that this experience is also the reward.  The joy of living with her and being madly in love with her is my payment.  The excitement I feel when I hear her voice, the anticipation of coming home and being in her presence.  The peace of just being in her fellowship and presence.
She’s not laying up treasures for later.  This is our life, this is our relationship, this is the joy and reward of that faithful companionship and devotion.

Heaven is REAL and will be there for the faithful, but if we’re trying to live FOR HIM just to get to Heaven, I’m afraid we’ll never LOVE HIM enough to actually get there.
We must love Him for Him. We MUST fall in Love With our maker. Dedicate our time to pleasing Him, fawn over Him, pet on Him, cater to Him, Fall in Love with Him, over and over and over again.
Similar to a thriving relationship with a spouse, it only works if you are IN LOVE with Christ. That’s one of the reasons we are called the Bride of Christ.

The Bible talks way more about living for God in this life than it does about Heaven. I believe we sell ourselves short, lose out on miracles, and sometimes live defeated lives because we are living to get to Heaven and Not Living to LOVE Jesus!

What did those old car movies and T.V. shows have to do with this?  Probably not much, but here we are and now your thinking.

I promise you that once you Love Jesus more than you love yourself and once you are willing to serve Him without the promise of a prize, pleasing Him will be your heart’s desire and the focus of your existence.

As a final thought, I want to say that even the most faithful Christian has bad days, weeks, months, and even years.  Every day is not a picnic or a parade, every day is not a holiday. Some days are going to be dark and gloomy.  There is Life in Christ! Never allow yourself to be defeated without a fight.  If your struggle seems overwhelming. If your heart is broken and you can’t even find all the pieces. If you are alone and lonely and see no way out. Don’t give up, don’t try to keep going alone. Cry out to your friends, your family, your pastor, a counselor. There is no shame in asking for help or asking for a sympathetic ear or asking someone to get down and pray with you. You have not finished fighting until we have fought alongside you.  God wants us to be victorious, but we as a body have to cry out to the rest of the body for help.  If you need an ear, I am here!

God Bless You Richly,
Greg

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For several years now I’ve said that I was going to write a book, not really knowing the subject or even the genre.  But apparently, somewhere in my mind, I was assuming it would be autobiographical in nature, based on the title (the only part I was settled on).

My name is special to me for a lot of reasons, partly because it’s mine, partly because of who gave it to me and lastly because of those that have worn it before me.  My full name is Thurman Gregory Fee.  Thurman was supposed to be spelled Thurmon like my Daddy, but the great state of Louisiana, in typical fashion, couldn’t get it right on my birth certificate. It went unnoticed and I spelled it that way for thirty years before a governmental agency pointed it out to me and informed me that I’d have to either get it changed or start spelling it the way it is on my Birth Certificate. They also informed me that either way, I’d have to list the other as an alias on any government paperwork from now on.  Bummer!

Louisiana also messed up my birthday, which made it appear that I may be the antichrist.  They had my DOB listed as 6/6/66, which is incorrect.  Now, I’m sure my parents thought that they were raising the devil a few times, but fortunately for my parents and the world really, I’m an angel.

Back to the name.  My Daddy’s name being Thurmon made Greg the obvious choice for what they’d call me, which is the direction my parents took it.
Being Greg seems simple, easy even, but no, it is much more difficult than you’d think.
Greg sounds like Craig and I’m sure the Craigs of the world face this in reverse, but many people insist on calling me, Craig.
And then there’s the name Gary. Apparently, because Gary and Greg are the same lengths people believe they are interchangeable. Not so and again Not Cool!
These are not isolated, rare or even infrequent occurrences, this happens with an annoying frequency.  I try to be polite about it or even ignore it, but occasionally I have to say something.
So When….or If I ever write a book I plan on the title being:

It’s Greg! Not Craig, Not Gary!

Catchy, right?

While I’m sure I’ve been called other, not so flattering things through the years the people I really care about know what to call me.  My Momma calls me Greg (sometimes Brad and occasionally Connie or Tina and few times all four in a row).
My Bride calls me Baby, my kids call me Daddy, my grandkids call me Pawpaw and in the Leather and Blade world, I’m Whisper’n Jack.
But officially I am Thurman Gregory Fee, a number, a nobody, a statistic.

That is who I am, but what’s in a name?  Unless I get busy or do something really dumb my name will not go down in history. My name has never been on a marque, and I’ve never made the headlines. My name is really only special to me and to those that Love me.

But! there is a name that not only will go down in History for greatness, but it is History, the Present and the Future, and what a Lovely Name it is.

You can call my name out in desperation, but unless I’m within earshot I’m not coming. Oh, But this other Name, this Glorious Name, this Name that Is Above Every Name, when it’s uttered the Universe takes notice, the angels go on alert, the Throne of Grace is listening and answers are dispatched.
What a Lovely Name, the Name of Jesus!
He is the Alpha and the Omega! The beginning and the Ending! All things were created By Him and For Him. He is the Comforter, the Way Maker, Our Salvation, and Our Hope.

You can forget me, you have my permission, but I admonish you, beg you, plead with you, learn that Name, the Name of Jesus. But don’t just learn the Name, learn Who He Is. Read what He Said and Live it. There is no peace in the world, but peace in Jesus passes all understanding.  Learn of Him, Love Him, Serve Him, Trust Him, Follow Him, Worship Him. In Him is Salvation!

God Bless You Richly,
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I’ve wanted to write on the subject of beards for some time.  I’ve hesitated for a couple of reasons. One, I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes or cause hurt feelings.  Two, if you’ve ever spoken to me about beards, you know that I am very passionate about biblical insights on beards.  I do not want my passion to be misconstrued as some sort of fanaticism, I assure you it is not.

I also do not want to be seen as bashing anyone past or present who holds a different view.  At some point, someone felt very, very strongly that beards were wrong, a sin even, as is witnessed by the intense emotion that surrounds the subject on both sides of the discussion.

Personally, I’ve been taught everything from “beards are spiritual icicles” to beards are wrong because they represent rebellion, to beards are a source of pride. The rebellion idea can almost always be traced to the 60s, as beards were seen as a symbol of the Hippie movement in the 60s

I disagree wholeheartedly with those “reasons” and want to share a right-spirited explanation of my reasoning and findings on this subject.  I obviously believe it is an important topic, or I would not have invested my time and effort into studying beards in the Bible and in History.
And on another personal note, the greatest revival I’ve ever experienced in my life and in my ministry, this side of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost was during a period that I wore a full beard.

Nothing that God establishes should ever be surrendered to the world or to the devil.  Rainbows are a perfect example. Rainbows are and forever will be the sign of Gods promise to never destroy the earth by flood again, yet we have surrendered a thing of beauty, and a symbol of God’s promise to the world and it now represents the LGBT world.  The rainbow will never lose its meaning even if it’s been hijacked to represent a perversion.  Likewise, one moment in history will not and should not determine the purpose and importance of a symbol established in the garden of Eden to distinguish between men and women.

Before I go further, I want to offer a short testimony to show you where this journey really started for me.  As a young Christian, eager to share the good news of Jesus, I started reaching for a young man at work. As it turns out, he was raised in the Mennonite faith and felt that beards were necessary for men.  He was living in a backslidden condition but was open about his desire to have a relationship with God. As we continued to talk about faith, it became very apparent that he was much more knowledgeable about my beliefs than I was of his.  He soon asked about beards and what I believed was right and wrong and could he have a beard if he came to my church.  Being raised to believe that beards were good and Godly if not essential, it would have been very difficult to convince him otherwise, especially when his argument was more Biblically sound than mine.  This was the first time in my young Christian walk that I encountered a standard that was not founded on Biblical principles; actually, I’m still not sure when and where it was decided. As I strove to find an answer that would satisfy us both, I found nothing. No scripture, no sound reason, nothing.  When I asked questions about it I was told that beards are rebellion and that’s the same as witchcraft, I didn’t want to be classified as a rebel or a witch.  Also, being immature and not being able to answer his questions our discussions waned and eventually stopped altogether.

I needed to know the truth.

1 Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

We use that scripture a lot to convince men and boys to get a haircut.  I’ve never really had an issue with cutting my hair or not wearing it long, but the thing that has always jumps out at me about this scripture is the first part. “Doth not nature itself teach you.”  Without going any further on the beard subject, what is the natural way? Does the beard occur naturally? Or is it cultivated on the face? Obviously, it occurs naturally and is forcibly removed from the face of men. What does that say about the lessons of nature?

Every reference to Beards in the Bible is either neutral or positive. I can’t find any references to the cutting of the beard that does not pertain to God’s Judgement, mourning, disease or breaking a vow.

Leviticus 19:27 says not to round the corners of your head nor mar the corners of your beard.

The assumption here is that there is a beard. If they were not to cut off the corners or mark up the corners of the beard, how could it be ok to cut it off completely? This is written in the middle of some pretty heavy rules handed down from God, and the emphasis is not on growing but on marring what naturally occurs.

Then we have Joseph tucked away in an Egyptian prison. When he was finally pulled out to interpret the dream for the king, the Bible says he shaved and changed his clothes. It’s been said that he shaved before going before an important person to indicate that shaving is the proper way.  Let’s look at that a little deeper.  Joseph was in Egypt in a period when almost everyone shaved their entire body.  It was part of their customs and rituals, and they were obsessed with it.  So, if the old testament is a schoolmaster and Egypt is a type of the world, why would we consider this an example to follow.

In 2 Samuel 10, the Bible tells of David’s ambassadors going to Ammon to show kindness unto the new king Hanun.  Hanun thought they were spies and decided to shame them by cutting their garments in two and shaving off half their beards.  The Bible doesn’t say that David even responded to them cutting off his men’s clothes, which exposed the buttocks. He only told his men to tarry in Jericho until their beards are grown before they returned home.  The beards held a sacred place in the Israelite male’s life. It was a sign that he was a man, made in the image of God.  David wouldn’t let his men come home until their beards were grown.  If they were not important, why did David not say shave off the remainder and come home?

The Bible teaches us not to wear anything that pertains to the other sex. Yet throughout most of history, men and women wore robes. A beard is one of God’s ways of showing everyone what you are as a man or as a woman.  Without a beard, the line can become blurred.

I expect someone to bring up the circumcision, saying that God created man a certain way but then commanded him to be circumcised. True, but He very clearly commanded Abraham (Abram) to circumcise all the males on the eighth day. No such commandment was given about the beard.

Beards have gone in and out of vogue throughout history and followed the fashion of the day and the style of the elite.  Something that Christians have been warned about throughout the ages. Love no the world, neither the things that are in the world.

16 out of 45 U.S. Presidents had some sort of facial hair

Aaron had a beard – Psalms 133:2
David had a beard –  1 Samuel 21:13
Mephibosheth had a beard – 2 Samuel 19:24
Amasa had a beard – 2 Samuel 19:24
Ezra had a beard – Ezra 9:3
Ezekiel had a beard – Ezekiel 5:1
Jesus had a beard  – Isaiah 50:6

The reformation period ushered in a period of bearded preachers, many of who preached that beards were pleasing to God (What I personally believe)

C H Spurgeon had a beard and was attributed with the quote “it is a very natural habit, Biblical, manly and beneficial.”

Modern Pentecostal churches can trace their revival to the Azuza street revival and William J. Seymour. Seymour wore a beard, and though God used him to usher in a revival that burns still around the world today, he would not be allowed behind many of the pulpits today. Pulpits that wouldn’t even exist if not for his persistence and sacrifice while wearing a beard.

Likewise, our Lord and Savior had a beard (Isaiah 50:6) but wouldn’t meet the pulpit standards of many churches today.

God knows all things. He knew that the gays would use the rainbow as their symbol. He knew that the ’60s would come around and people would say that beards are rebellion as a result, yet He put a beard on Adam’s face anyway.
Every time I shave, I feel like I’m saying, “God, you made a mistake, let me fix that for You.”

If we are fearfully and wonderfully made, If we are made in the image of God, doesn’t it seem that we should maintain and uphold that image.

In my understanding, I don’t believe that it’s even a question if it is wrong or bad to have a beard. My question is, is it wrong or bad not to.

I welcome your comments, concerns, disagreements, but not your arguments. I refuse to argue.  I want, as we all should, the light. I must walk in the light, above all, I must be saved.

Tell me what you think. Like, Comment and Share.

Have a wonderful Independence Day, keeping God as the centerpiece of all your celebrations

God Bless
Greg

All throughout my life, I’ve heard preachers refer to a God-shaped hole within the spirit or soul of mankind that can only be filled by God and God alone.  As human beings, we try to find things to fill the void or emptiness in our lives.  God’s purpose for us includes us being useful. Without believing we are useful, we lose our sense of direction or focus.
Or we attempt to distract ourselves from it by filling our days with pleasures, activities, hobbies, sports, fishing, hunting and on and on it can go.

In a recent sermon, I stated that, in my opinion, we are only in control of two things in this life.

1st, We get to decide whether or not we Live for God.
2nd, We determine the attitude that we have about the things that life throws at us.

God decides what we will face, or what he will allow us to face. We then get to choose how we react to those situations.
Our actions, reactions, and attitude determine the legacy that we leave behind as well.

I don’t want to make God sound like a cruel, manipulating being, He is not.  Love has been the underlying foundation of everything He has ever done for His people.
From walking in the cool of the day with Adam to allowing His Blood to spill on the cross.
Also, the Bible tells us that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous changes things.  We must realize that the thing that He changes is sometimes us.
God can move the mountain, sometimes He does
God can change the mountain to facilitate an easier journey, sometimes He does.
God can translate us to the other side of that mountain, He’s done that too
But most often God gives us the strength to climb the mountain.  All the while, working all things together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His Purpose.

I believe that God created mankind for His good pleasure.  Like we only control two things I also believe we have two purposes on this earth.  They are, 1. to Worship God and 2. to carry God’s message to the world.
I’m sure this is an oversimplification, and I’m also confident that God created many things in this world to make our stay here enjoyable. For example, the vivid colors we see around us could just as quickly been drab and dreary, but God made them bright and beautiful to enhance our existence.  Another example of God’s design, the sense of taste. We could have easily had no knowledge of taste at all, but God wanted us to enjoy the flavor of our nourishment.  There are many examples of God wanting us to be happy and enjoy life. But ultimately Loving God and Loving our neighbor as ourselves are the first two commandments, according to Jesus.

It’s the order we place on things in that tips the scales. By putting God First and His work next our lives can be balanced.  God always wants to be; first, He is, after all, a Jealous God.

There are many things that we should never allow in our lives. Some are spelled out plainly in the scripture as sin. The word also talks about weights, it says to lay aside EVERY weight and THE sin which so easily besets us.  Some things are not a sin when in their proper order, but can become sin or cause sin if allowed an elevated status in our lives.

Once our heart has the King of Kings sitting on it’s thrown, the rest will be easier to sort out.  As long as our heart is conflicted about who it’s king is we will never have peace or joy.  And again from the word “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24)

Another dangerous thing for humans is to be praised or worshipped by others. People are meant to worship not to be worshipped.  Praise and worship of a person or things pervert the intent of that person or thing.  When people are placed on a pedestal and idolized, they become the god of their own heart and mind.  They begin to believe they are worthy of that praise and are somehow better than those that are adoring them.  They start to believe themselves smarter and their opinion to be more than that.
I call it Hollyweird, but the truth is the weirdness is a symptom of godless worship. Actors believing themselves to be gods among men. Living in palaces, preaching their ideas as gospel.  Demanding the adoration of those around them. Treating others as inferior.
Do a search for weird demands by actors if you don’t believe it.
I heard first hand from a former stagehand that one famous singer makes all the staff face the wall when she walks to and from the stage so they can’t look at her.

It doesn’t have to be on a national or international scale either, it can also happen within the church.  Singers, musicians, and sometimes even preachers can fall prey to this dangerous situation.
If God gives you a talent, it was so you could use it for His Glory and in worship to Him. He can easily take it away.  Christian musicians often fall when they start getting famous. They begin to believe that a God-given talent is somehow of their own making and little by little remove God from their message.  Many will completely turn from God and deny where they came from.
It’s so important to keep things in perspective and keep God first.
Lucifer was created by God, his talents given to him by God, but he became lifted up in those talents and thought himself equal to God. He also led a third of the angels in that deception.  If that can happen in Heaven, in the very presence of the Almighty how much more must we be cautious of where and who we follow.

The God that we serve is able to Keep us and wants us to be successful and above all saved.  He also wants to be first, always first.
God knows what you are capable of, even better than you do and will never put more on you than you can bear.  If it is on you, God knows you can handle it.

Just Trust in the Lord, acknowledge Him, lean not to your own understanding.
His plan for you only requires your participation, not your understanding.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Love God First, Serve God always.  Trust Him to know what’s right and best for you.

God Bless You Richly, thank you for stopping by!

I’ve been on a journey, searching for truth, not someone’s opinion of truth, not truth as it’s been taught, but truth as its written in the word.

Not detracting from what I’ve been taught or from Church, but I believe the Word of God directs us to seek a closer, deeper walk. To not be satisfied with crumbs or less, but to strive to feast at the Master’s table.  The Bible is plain about the importance of having a Preacher, but it is also plain about knowing the word, the truth for yourself.  Paul said in 1st Corinthians, be followers of me even as I am of Christ.

How do we know if someone is following Jesus if we don’t know what Jesus did and said?

I believe the Opinions can be swayed by emotion, lack of information, lack of coffee and what about being a little carnal or lacking prayer.  Opinions really have, or should have no place in the governance of the Body.

We must know that we are being led by a True Man of God as he is following truth.

According to the internet, there are 33,000 +/- “Christian” denominations in the U.S. alone. The Bible only mentions One church, the Bride of Christ.  Why do we have so many kinds of churches? The simple answer is opinions!

Opinions about what color the carpeting should be or the color of the song-books doesn’t really matter.  The Opinions I’m thinking of effect the soul. The “Oh, you don’t need that” or the “Gods not doing that anymore” opinions is what I’m referring to.

How do we get beyond allowing Opinions to fracture our churches? Take Opinions out of it and work it out with Fear and Trembling.

Philippians 2:12 tells us –
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

 

We must study to show ourselves approved unto God.

I believe that the book of Acts is relevant, available and obtainable today.  My personal experience aligns with the book of Acts, chapter and verse and is verification for me of the power and relevance of the book of Acts.  But my Heart is not to be a Pentecostal, my Heart is to be a Biblical Christian, to worship the Living God and to be pleasing to Him.

For the Record, I never want to be seen as discounting anyone’s relationship with God.  God’s ways are bigger than mine and yours, and thankfully I am no one’s judge.   As I walk through this life, I see the hand of God in places that I first didn’t expect it and secondly am a little confused and at the same time Overjoyed by it.
But as I’ve said for years “I want all that is my birthright as a Christian.”  To shun or deny any scripture just because it contradicts or does not align perfectly with what we’ve been taught is dangerous.  How does it align with the Word, that’s the yardstick we must use.  If it’s Bible and it was ever given to the Church, I want it.
I want my Daily Benefits as promised by the Psalmist that go along with my Salvation.

Psalms 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

God’s Love

The Bible tells us in John 3:16 and many other verses about God’s Love for mankind.

It is abundantly clear that He Loves us.

Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Our Love

Deuteronomy 6:5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Luke 10:27
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

As with any healthy relationship Love must be reciprocated for the relationship to endure. There must be communication and there must be a desire to please the other party of the relationship.  You must put them first and remember that in a successful relationship  100% +100% = 100%.

50/50 won’t do it, anything less than your all is not enough.

Jesus already gave His 100%, now it’s my turn.

I believe with all my heart that we need to get to a place that our service to God and in our Church services where they are centered around Loving Him above all else.  I’m not saying everything in our services is wrong, but I firmly believe we need to reevaluate our lives and our walk with God.  Put God back at the center. If we are not worshiping Him/Loving Him as the center of our walk and at the center of our service to Him then we will end up walking in the ways of a man.

The most beautiful service recorded in the Bible was in the Upper Room in the second chapter of Acts. Now consider this, not a single person in that room had ever been to a new testament service before. They had no idea what church was, let alone how it was going to be. They only had an Unyielding, unrestrained Love for Jesus Christ.

They Loved God, in unison, with purity of heart. Nothing else mattered, and the Holy Ghost came in like a flood.  Church has gotten so choreographed and programmed that we hamper a move of God to not upset the flow of the service.  God wants to demonstrate HIs Love and Mercy in our church services. He wants to be a part of our lives in and out of the Church House.

It takes dedication, sacrifice and a made up heart and mind to serve God properly, but if unfettered Love is the foundation of your relationship, then you truly can “count it all Joy.”

Trying to live for God without truly Loving Him is a lesson in frustration and a recipe for failure. You’ll soon get bored with Half-Hearted Christianity.

Love Him first.

When your walk starts to feel more drudgery than victory, check your Love. Check your relationship.

Stay tuned. More to come soon.

God Bless You richly.  Please comment and share.

A few days ago I took this picture near Monahans, Texas.  I first heard the distinctive sound of the Harley Davidsons coming toward me, which as a rider always catches my attention.  Then I saw what I found to be a hilarious sight — three men, dressed in tuxedo vests and bow ties, and wearing cowboy boots blasting down the road.  Two of the men were also wearing cowboy hats.  Again as a rider, I appreciate the complications presented by anything that must be held while trying to control your bike, especially at lower speeds.  Holding onto a big ol cowboy at any speed is just a ridiculously funny sight.

I posted this picture on my FaceBook page to get a laugh and said that I didn’t know where they were going, but they apparently wanted to make an impressive Entrance.  But then, as I often do, I started reflecting on this picture and the spirit started talking to me.

This may seem like a bit of a ramble, but please stay with me, we are going somewhere.

There’s a lot of talk today about how there’s nothing you can do to earn God’s Love, and there’s nothing you can do to lose it.  As a parent, I think I understand this concept.  My children came into this world with all of my Love.  Through their childhood, into their teens, right on into adulthood, through the good and the bad, I’ve never stopped loving them or considering them my children.  They’ve had all my Love all their days.  I’m not God, and I’m nowhere near perfect, so I’m also sure there have been times that my kids thought I could have done a better job at being their dad.  Regardless, I have always loved them, and they have always been mine.  I also realize that as a father I can’t force my will upon my adult children. I will voice my concerns, I will try to talk them into and out of some things, but ultimately their decisions are theirs to make.  Those decisions could take them to a place that I can’t reach or am not willing to reach.  They can go beyond my ability or will to help them.  But I’d always Love them and hope for their return home.

We are not born God’s children. We are born in sin, shapen in iniquity.  To become the Children of God, we must accept Him in all his Glory.  I’m not here to argue doctrine, but there’s no doubt that there is a process of acceptance based on belief in God, as defined by the Holy Scripture that separates the Lost and the Found, the Sinner and the Saint, the Children of God and everyone else.
I’m not your Judge, I’m no one’s judge, but the Bible is clear that there will be lost souls. NOT everyone is going to Heaven. There is a Process, a New Birth experience that must occur, and it does not happen by accident or without our participation. So even though there’s nothing we can do to

There are a lot of things Biblically that let us know that God cares about how we live our lives. How we act, and even how we dress.  I know that we are not under the law of the Old Testament, but Galatians 3:24 tell us “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”  So if the law or Old Testament is our Schoolmaster, then there must be lessons to be learned there, right?  If you read the Bible, especially the first five Books, you’ll find God giving Moses laws that are detailed, very detailed, down to sizes and lengths, materials, colors, shapes and so on.  God is a God of details.

I’m not trying to add anything to the word of God; there’s plenty to keep us busy without me putting in my two cents. But I do believe that Loving God, LIVING for God comes with a desire to Please God.  If you are not concerned with what God thinks of you and your dedication I have to question your Love.  Loving God is a commitment, a dedication that supersedes everything else.  Pleasing Him and Loving Him should shine through into everything that we, as Christians do.

So as I said in my FaceBook post about the Picture above, I don’t know where these men were going, but their dedication to making a grand entrance was commendable.  I would venture a guess that they were heading to a wedding, but I can’t say for sure.

I do know where I’m going, and though I may not be riding a Harley while wearing a tux, boots and a cowboy hat, I am dedicated to making a good impression. Wanting to be pleasing to the One that has called me unto the wedding feast.

I’m a firm believer that if anything will do, nothing will do just as well.  Our souls are far too valuable to gamble with, and a life of God’s Peace is far too great a prize to pass up by ignoring His Promises.
Put God’s Word as a Map before You, find that Fearful, Respectful Reverence for God, Love Him and Seek Him earnestly.
Seek to please Him, take His word for it, not mine.

Philippians 2:12 tells us to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
The Word of God is the Road Map.
Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Acts 4:12 says  ^“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

I am just a vessel.  God didn’t call me because I was good, smart or better than anyone.  He called me to be a vessel, a vessel of HIM.  If He is not on the inside, then I have nothing of value to pour out.

God Bless You Richly,
Greg

 

Recently as I read the scripture, I again happened upon the children of Israel poised on the brink of the promised land. They came through the wilderness, had seen miracles, heard the voice of God, seen the cloud by day and the fire by night all as part of the preparation for their future.

As I read these words, I was offended by the continual backsliding of the children of Israel. How could a person, let alone an entire people be plagued by such an unwarranted lack of faith? God had shown more love and outpouring of blessings upon this people, and they kept looking backward.

At every bobble or pebble in the road, it seemed that they would attempt to return to Eygpt. They would complain that God, or Moses or God and Moses had brought them to the desert to starve or die at the hand of their enemy. Such a profound lack of faith from a people that had seen so much. How could this be?

But as usually happens when I’m pointing my boney finger at someone else, I realize that I have a bunch pointing back at me. I started thinking about how God has always been faithful to bring me, again and again to the brink of revival. I’m given the opportunity to see the Promised Land from just across the river. I have the tools at my disposal to defeat what stands in my way and enter into God’s promises. But then, like Peter and so often the Children of Isreal, I take my eyes off of God and start looking at the obstacles in my path. I hesitate and end up convincing myself that I don’t have what it takes.

The truth is I don’t have what it takes, NONE of us do! Our only hope is in Jesus, in the Name that is above every name. God has brought us out, delivered us from evil, placed our boot-heel on the neck of the enemy and shown us revival, but we hesitate, we doubt, we fear, we fail.

The Children of Isreal were plagued with failures, bondage, defeat, more bondage, wondering, scattering, and near annihilation. I believe they were obligated to serve Him and never, as a nation developed a True Love for God, only a sense of obligation.

Our walk, our Salvation is based on Love. What He did to purchase it, what we must do to receive it, really receive it was and is initiated by True Love. Loving God is the most satisfying thing that a person can do. Loving God will change your heart, will change your mind, will change the way you pray and change the way you want to live.

Had the Israelites been head over heels in love with God they would have followed Him anywhere, never hesitating. I believe that Christians have got to learn to Love God. Often I believe that we try to instill all the obligation parts of Christianity into new converts before we help them develop the profound Love that will guide them better and further than rules and obligations.

I need to spend some time working on that, and I recommend that we all take a little time away from the normal. Just for a little bit, lay aside everything that you think you know about God. Lay aside every idea about what it takes to be saved, every idea and thought about doctrine, every ritual, and tradition and Focus on LOVING the Creator, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him. Don’t ask for anything, just LOVE Him. Love Him until your Heart Melts, until the tears flow like rivers until everything that holds you back and restricts you fall away.

When I read about the Children of Israel, I’m really reading about me. When I’m angry at their continual backsliding, it’s actually the shame of my true self being exposed to light. But if I can learn to Love Him that first Loved me, then I can learn to please Him, I can learn to Love You and learn to be a better man.

The old saying goes “If you live for God hard, it’ll be easy, but if you try to live for Him easy, it’ll be hard.” I still believe the premise of that is true, but I believe, that at least for me that if I Love God, really learn to Love God first that He’ll guide me through the hard parts, hold me close to Him and show me how to live and how to die. Loving God Hard will show you that there is no other life but Life in Him.

I hope this makes sense and blesses someone as much as I’ve been blessed by it.
Greg

I was honored to be asked to speak at the life celebration service for a dear cousin and quiet man, Guitar Man, Brandon Claude Smith.  Words cannot make the hurt go away and can’t really bring an understanding of why things happen the way they do. But I have learned that trusting God, trusting that God understands and has a purpose, at least for me, helps me to cope.  My heart breaks for our family, time will help us move forward, carrying his memory with us and as one of his nephews said eventually, our tears will be replaced smiles when we remember, when we share the stories of the Guitar Man.

Brando

Hero, noun

1. a) a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities

I am drawn to the heroes of my youth, when sizing up or testing the metal of an acquaintance or when meeting someone for the first time.
My daddy, John Wayne, Davey Crocket, and Tarzan were the heroes of my childhood, the ones I wanted to emulate and probably unfairly their characteristics make up the gauge I use to measure all others.
They shared attributes that I see as the mark of a man and so to this day I use them to determine the quality of character in myself and others.

I realize that two of the four listed were fictional or fictionalized characters from history and one was an actor that played the same basic person in every movie he was in. But they, along with several other real people from my life share strength and quietness that I look for when looking for guidance or advice. They were not perfect, far from it, they had flaws that were visible to anyone intent on finding them and unfortunately, faults tend to be more visible to those closest to us. These men or characters held a place in the shaping and molding of my perception of how a man should talk, act and what he should stand for and even how they walk or carry themselves.

Maybe it’s because of how I perceive a strong leader that I associate some of the Qualities of my childhood heroes to Jesus Christ as well.  And certainly, as a minister and a man of faith, He is my ultimate Hero. As I understand scripture, He was also strong, both physically and mentally, He spoke when he needed to and remained silent otherwise, often it was his actions that spoke louder than his words.  He wasn’t afraid of work and met challenges head-on further solidifying the perception of what I consider a mans, man or what defines a true Hero to me.  However, in the example of Jesus, He did it all with no character flaws, no failures, no sin. All to pay the Ultimate Price for our sins, that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

It’s with these memories and ideas that I measure men and women, my Hero Test if you will.  Now, I’m not saying it’s a scientific test, completely accurate or that it would even satisfy your idea of a Hero, but, to me, a Hero is one that stands for right,
stands for family, and lives according to a code, the code. Does what they were put here to do, what they were called to do it, not necessarily according to societies rules or ideas.
Not perfect, but perfectly fitting into the space that God placed them in.

When I think of a hero, I don’t think of a man with a cape or a suit armor.  I think of men and women that selflessly give themselves for their family.  Doing the right thing when no one is looking, being kind to the weakest among us.
Men and women that sell their time, working to feed and clothe that gives themselves for the good of their family.  That teaches and lives right, in front of their family and peers.  The real heroes are not the ones that always get the credit, the notoriety, or their names up in lights.  They work, and struggle and give, expecting little in return
They bring a quiet calm into our lives, They have walked some hard roads, and can show others where to walk and where not to.  They are the strength of their families,

The backbone of communities, Friends of us all, but not afraid to take a stand regardless of whether they have to stand alone.
When we have these kinds of people in our lives, it’s important that we pay attention,
That we cherish our time with them, that we capture the lessons that often they don’t even realize they’re teaching us.
This is the sum, at least in my mind, of the Heroes of this world.
I am for Sure and for Certain that I’m not the only one that Feels this way.
Their often unspoken message to the rest of us would be to hug more, smile more, to talk to God more and to each other more, forgive more, forget more, live more, Love more!

He was a singer,
A natural-born guitar ringer.
Kind of a clinger,
To sad old songs.
Not a walk-behinder
a new note finder
And his name will forever be a reminder,
Of a guitar man that’s too soon gone

God Bless You Richly,
Greg