Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Psalms 139:14 KJV

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

A friend is pregnant and said she feels a bug coming on. She is a good mommy and has chosen to stay Rx free.
That made me think of this verse. I don't think it's a coincidence that God made maternity just long enough for the baby, in his mother's protection, to experience nearly every seasonal change.
We know our immune system is programmable, otherwise we'd be wasting time with a lot of early childhood shots. So there in protection of the womb, mommy's immune system starts training Jr how to deal with the climate long before mommy gets to bundle him up for the 5 second walk to the car.
I'm not going into a rant against medicine and immunizations, they've both, along with better food preparation and preservation, contributed to longer life. But have you ever wondered why young children were ever able to survive being born and raised in harsh climates prior to all the medical discoveries?
Perhaps it's because we are fearfully and wonderfully made by a marvelous God.

Happy Veterans Day

"I, Ralph Harold Fiscus, Jr, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

It matters not the reason why one takes this oath. The noble call of patriotism, a ticket away from home, college money, a "job", travel, or just a childhood dream, all mean the same. Your enlistment presents your life as a blank check, payable on any battlefield your country needs you on.
No soldier loves war, but all soldiers are willing to fight one with the hope that it's the last one.
Say a prayer today for the men and women still fighting and standing for our freedoms.
I offer a heartfelt Thank You to all my brothers and sisters in arms, past and present. It was truly an honor to serve with you.
Thank You to the greatest country on earth for affording me the opportunity to serve. I am who I am today because of hard-nosed NCOs who wouldn't allow me to give up, and if I failed, taught me to adapt and overcome.
And Thank You to every person who takes the time to thank us for our service, a period of our lives where we believe we gained more than we gave.
Happy Armistice Day!
Happy Veterans Day!

All about Me

You wanna know why we have more suicides and mass shootings? Because we are a selfie driven society that has been fed the lie that it's all about "I".

Matthew 22:36-40 KJV

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.    This is the first and great commandment.    And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.    On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

We have no problem sharing our assumed "beauty" with the world through endless selfies, promoting our own selves like we're running for office, but we place service to others on a lower level. How about doing something solely for the benefit of others? What's wrong with serving?
Notice that directly below loving God, Jesus places the command to love our neighbors. That's everyone, not just those nearby. He says "as thyself." He uses that because as he says elsewhere "No man hateth himself." He knew that no command needed to be given for us to love ourselves. The Bible tells us to esteem others better than ourselves. It's not about YOU, it's about THEM.
Just a short time ago we all asked how Robin Williams could make so many people happy, yet be so depressed. It seemed that he thought only of us, his fans, and neglected himself. No, it's the exact opposite. Sure, he made us laugh, he even did things for others at great personal cost, but his substance abuse and final exit reveal that his care of himself won out over his care for others. He left at his own hand, not caring what it meant to his wife, his kids, or his fans. That's selfish.
So we live in a self-help world where money is made hand over fist telling us how to love ourselves. That's why Mrs Charlatan Osteen was able to get a resounding amen from the crowd after saying we shouldn't be serving and worshipping for God, but for ourselves. That's the kind of heresy that makes money in our "all about me" society.
Do something for others today. Not because they can't do it themselves, but because your Creator says it's the very next greatest thing to loving God.

Matthew 25:34-40 KJV

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:    For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:    Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.    Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?    When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?    Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?    And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Convictions

1 Corinthians 6:12 KJV

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

If I were perfect, I'd have no need for Christ. Thankfully I do have Christ.
Because I have Christ, there are some things that are not profitable or expedient in the Holy Spirit's quest to conform me to the image of Christ.
That fact puts many of my friends in two categories:
1) Some find my convictions and preferences silly, antiquated, and unnecessary. Those people tend to, by word or deed, attempt to persuade me to ease up and let some things go.
2) Others see unprofitable things still in my life and, out of concern for my family and I, will bring those concerns to me. Yes, it happens. I wish I could say I always heeded their counsel, but I remind you of my opening statement, "If I were perfect, I'd have no need for Christ." But as a certainty, I count these people as my only true friends.

Church is full of imperfect saints. Our commission is sharing the Gospel, but the purpose of our fellowship with each other is edification.

Vain Service

Matthew 7:22-23 KJV

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?    And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Notice that the claim of prophesying, casting out devils, and many wonderful works is not disputed. Because of that, I have no reason to believe that these people didn't actually perform those acts, in the name of Christ. But He said he NEVER knew them.

Never let your service fool you into believing that you stand where you ought to be with God.
We obtain salvation through belief in Christ. If these folks could have the faith to confront devils, but not even actually believe in Christ, then you better believe that YOUR service will not hide your disobedience in other areas. It's not a shell game with God. If your response to rebuke is a prideful pointing out of what "you" do for Christ, you've missed the whole point.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 KJV

And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord , he hath also rejected thee from being king.

In a way, service can often be obedience, but in its truest form it is a sacrifice of our time, efforts, and ability. It is NOT to be neglected, but it is also not to stand alone. It will not cover sin in our lives.

I Stand With Cliven Bundy

Those who oppose Nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy because he is breaking the law, opposing court orders, might want to consider the implications had the men in this picture simply "obeyed the law," stopped their protest, and went home, complying with every whim of their government.

The rights of free citizens are at jeopardy when the government can claim ownership to land within the sovereign boundaries of a State, leave that land to just waste away, then charge a fee for ranchers to just graze their cattle on unused land. That land belongs to the State, not the federal government.
In the 60's men saw segregation as normal because if hadn't even been 100 years since blacks were considered property. As a nation we still had some maturing to do on the issue.

With the Cliven Bundy issue it is just the opposite. 200 years ago no one in this nation would stand for our centralized government seizing State lands. Nobody ever deeded that land to DC, they just took it. But over the years as we slowly began accepting DC control into every aspect of our lives, we have lost freedoms inch by inch, yard by yard, mile by mile, farm by farm, and ranch by ranch.
Even my own initial opinion was slanted due to my strict law and order views. But when I discovered the deeper aspects of this case, I realized the I AM CLIVEN BUNDY. We are ALL Cliven Bundy. Does he have a personal struggle with DC? YES! But he also realizes that his struggle is a much bigger issue of citizen rights.

The black men in this pic are breaking the law. The law says they are not really men, not granted the same rights as the white guys in the pic. All across the country they broke laws. On buses, bridges, courthouse lawns, and university property, they broke laws and many were arrested, beaten, and jailed. But eventually thei actions led to change. So much change that in modern society, just 50 years later, one would never dare posting a whites only sign on any business. 

This is the kind of change that needs to come of the Bundy Ranch crisis. While he might lose his battle, and might even be killed by the jack booted thugs and snipers, his actions and the actions of others need to lead to a world where in some short time from now, we will no longer even fathom the idea of DC claiming ownership to state, city, or even personal property.

It starts now. Mr Bundy has opened a door that we all MUST enter. Not doing so just makes you a slave, and not a man.

Condemned

John 3:17-21 KJV

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The seemingly most overlooked phrase in Scripture: "but he that believeth not is condemned already"

We love to read the part about God not sending His son to condemn is, but we neglect the fact that condemnation is a done deal for the unrepentant man.

Speaking to the Pharisees in John chapter 8, Jesus told the unrepentant Jews that regardless of their earthly heritage, they were born into sin, and therefore condemned.

John 8:44-47 KJV

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Unrepentant men do evil because it's learned from their father, the devil. That is man's problem, and man's need. We needed someone to bring us from the condemnation we already possessed.
When someone speaks against sin, we get defensive and say he's judging us. No, he's judging sin, and if you are a willing participant, you voluntarily associate yourself with that judgment.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

So, when we truly repent (no other way to heaven) we are no longer a child of the devil, bound by his deeds. We become children of God, reconciled to our Creator, constrained by His love to us to serve Him.

Salvation isn't about drinking, drugs, sex, immorality, murder, or any other fleshly deed. Those are just symptoms of a far greater disease.
If all a doctor did for a man with an infection was give him pain medication to ease the pain as the infection aye his flesh, that man would die with, and from that infection. Jesus came the we might be healed of the infection of sin that we were born with. Many of the sins we partake in in are actually just pain medication to ease the pain of sin. But the cure is much greater. And only the cure will heal us.

We are a hurting people. We have no means, on our own, to achieve eternal life. We are ALREADY condemned to eternal death.

Romans 5:6-9 KJV

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Romans 10:8-14 KJV

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Sin is just a byproduct of living after the flesh. If we had the power to actually avoid fleshly deeds, yet still didn't believe, we'd still be condemned.
We were born condemned, but we don't have to remain that way.
Christ offers a pardon. Believe on Him, that he died in your place, was buried with your sin, and rose again with your victory over death, hell, and the grave. Then you become a child of God and walk after the Spirit.

The Christian life is not one of perfection, but one of forgiveness.