It has been a long time since I have blogged so I thought I would do one today. This morning I was having my Quite Time in the Word in the book of Acts. My routine is to set aside a half hour each day to just read the Word, not for study or for anyone else but just for me. When I do this sometimes the Lord will seemingly, highlight a verse or two. This morning there was a portion of Scripture that really stood out and I wasn't looking for anything special. This is what it said, "For I am doing a work in your days, a work that you would not believe even if someone told you!" Wow! Is that a trumphet blast (some would say a bell ringer) or not?

This is what I thought about that Scripture and wrote in my Reading Highlights. "This IS what I should expect. It seems as if I no longer expect Him to surprise me. I have become complacent. I need to renew my expectancies and make that my normal attitude toward Him."

Christian, Chelle, Don, Sivje and whoever else has a witness of the Holy Spirit can claim this verse just as much as Barb and I can. By the way the verse is out the International Standard Version. It is Acts 13:4. I have 42 different translations of the Bible that I read from and this is a new one that I just started a couple of weeks ago.

Salutations
John

Yesterday I read all of Psalms 119 in the CSB version. I have probably read it at least 50 times before but in my reading this time I thought of how the author truly loved the Word. There are 175 verses in this psalm on how the Word has and does effects the author’s life and my life as well if I take time to read it. I admit it made me envious as I too love the Word but don’t seem to express it like he does. Also when you read psalm 119 you realize how intimate of a relationship the author has with the Lord. Intimacy is a behavior that a lot of us simply don’t take the time to develop. Intimacy takes time. It’s not a quick fix. Today I finished the Psalms and started Proverbs and in chapter 1, verse 33 it says this, “But whoever listens to me will live securely and be free from the fear of danger.” Listening to God includes reading His Word and what results is freedom from fear. I want intimacy with God and the absence of fear in my life. I will read the Word and develop intimacy with God and fearlessness!

This morning I read in my quiet time Psalms 78. In the CSB version it has the heading, Lessons from Israel’s Past. As I read on I saw the primary lesson. It is this. Talk to your kids as they are growing up while they will still listen. The day will come when they may not. If I have any regret in my life in raising my kids it is that I didn’t talk with them as much as I should have because no one talked to me as I was growing up. The lesson is that if you don’t talk to them you may be setting them up for a fall.

Let me share the lesson in verses 1-8:
“My people, hear my instruction; listen to what I say. I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the things we have heard and known and that our fathers have passed down to us. We must not hide them from their children, but must tell a future generation the praises of the Lord, His might, and the wonderful works He has performed. He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children so that a future generation⎯children yet to be born⎯might know. They were to rise and tell their children so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God's works, but keep His commandments. Then they would not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

Six times there is an emphasis on communicating with our children and then concluding with what will happen if we don’t. If you read the following verses in the chapter you can see for yourself what happened and why God admonished Israel so strongly.

Last night I watched again the blockbuster movie Braveheart. You will remember it is the story of Scotland’s greatest hero, William Wallace played by Mel Gibson. In Stirling, Scotland there is a 220 foot tower memorializing Wallace built in 1861. Why? So the Scots would not forget their history and therefore, not repeat the same mistakes that caused them to need a William Wallace. If he had not shown up in their history to save them Scotland probably would be non-existant. That momument serves as an opportunity for the fathers of Scotland to tell their children what freedom is all about and why it is worth fighting for.

I as a Christian and every other Christian must remember the importance of sharing our own history as to how God redeemed us for eternity and gave us so many events of his marvelous care for us. We don’t need a momument we just need to communicate our story. After all it is HIS-tory as well.

This morning I read in CSB translation Psalm 75:6,7 the following: “Exaltation does not come from the east, the west, or the desert, for God is the judge: He brings down one and exalts another.” It made me think of how much we crave for someone or ones to praise and honor us. It says, “we are OK or special persons.” This comes out of the thinking in our hearts that we may just be fooling others and that we really aren’t that cool. I think this is why in the world there are so many vehicles that attempt to recognize our achievements and give honor. Think of Oscars or Grammys or even Dove awards. Matter of fact, who has more award shows than the so called entertainment business. Business has it’s own way of recogonizing performance by giving bonuses or plaques or even promotions.

We all look for some kind of reward or recognition. After all the silent pleas, “will someone say I’m OK. That I’m doing a good job” We simply need to come to the place and realize that the only praise or exaltation that matters and lasts is the one that comes from God. How is that obtained? Verse 10 says it well. "I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up." Horn is a word that signifies power e.g., Antlers on a elk or deer or horns on a goat. In the animal kingdom whoever has the bigger horns supposedly is the stronger animal. He has more power and is given more recognition. God is saying you won’t be recognized by Me except for your righteousness and who enables us to be righteous. None other than the Righteous one.

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

This is my first attempt at a regular blog. If it helps not only for me to express but also for you to read then it has been worthwhile. My son and daughter-in-law for some strange reason seem to think that I have something to say of value. I hope they are truly perceptive and not delusional. I will leave that to you when you read my blog. Who knows it may even help you. I know it reminds me of how I should live.

I was reading in my Quiet Time (the time I read the Word and contemplate it) in Job this morning. I started at chapter 31 which starts out with Job’s declaration of how he keeps his mind from wandering into areas he shouldn’t. He says, “I have made a covenant with my eyes not to lust after a woman.” Because I spend time with a lot of guys helping them to escape the trap of lusting after every female skirt or pants that go by their line of sight I assumed that I would be meditating on that theme. No way!

This is one of my guys that I have spent time with. He is a Pastor in a post-modern church who wants to help guys in his church who struggle with every man’s battle aka pornography

What I discovered was Job’s self-justification of his righteous behavior or at least what he considered his righteous behavior. He did what all of us do when we are caught in attitudes or actions that we are embarrassed about by our friends or acquantences. He defends by comparing his life with what he doesn’t do that others do. How do I know that? Because 16 times he starts statements by using the word “if.” Some examples are Verse 5, “If I have walked in falsehood…” Verse 7, “If my step has turned from the way…” Verse 9, “If my heart has been seduced by…” and many others. What he is doing is he saying, “if only I had done the stuff that you guys do!” That is self-righteous. Rather than saying, “OK I blew it, I was wrong, etc.”

What’s my point? If we would watch our own responses to life circumstances by guarding against starting sentences with “if” every time we mess up and face up to what we did we would be a whole lot better able to meet life’s disappointments. This reminds me personally to watch my mouth.

If only I would do it?!

Ps. Happy Birthday my very special son, Christian.

We've moved!!!

This is some of our team that helped us to unload after arriving in Sparks, NV.

This is my first post.