Hope

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This . . .
I was attending Colby Jr. College back in 1972. A friend, Kathy, came bouncing in announcing . . . I like the way that sounds so I think I'll say it again. She came bouncing in announcing, "I've written a book!"
I answered with, "Wow, that's great! What's it about?"
Her response, "I don't know, I haven't read it yet."
She wasn't joking.
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That is how this blog is. I don't know what it's about because I haven't read it yet, but as soon as I do, I'll let you know. No joke.
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That . . .
I don't like halloween.
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This is That . . .
I Thessalonians 5:8 talks about the hope of salvation.
Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things hoped for.
I Corinthians 13:13 says now abide faith, hope and love.
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There is a line in The Princess Bride that says, "I don't think that word means what you think it means."
I think the word hope might be a word like that.
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The word hope in the above passages has nothing to do with wringing our hands and "hoping" that things will work out.
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A simple definition of faith is,
Confidence in God's promises related to the present.
A simple definition of hope is,
Confidence in God's promises related to the future.
So faith focuses on the present and hope focuses on the future, but they both are certainties.
There are many, many prophetic promises in the Bible that have "certainly" already happened, and there are many others that "certainly" will happen.
As believers, we should exercise great faith
in believing the now promises of God.
And we should also enjoy a great hope
for promises related to the future.
They will certainly come to pass . . . I hope.
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I don't like Halloween.

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

This . . .
I remember taking Elliott to baseball practice the other year when he was about eight. It was around 4:30 in the afternoon and he let me know he was really hungry, so we stopped at Taco Bell for some tacos. As he was eating his third one, he looked over at me and said . . . "This doesn't count as supper does it?".
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That . . .
I saw Cindy, Kenny and Matt Hudgens at Wal-Mart this evening.
Kenny said, "How are you?"
I started to answer fine, but then, decided to say good, only it came out, "fude".
The question is how do you spell food? I mean good is pronounced good, and food is pronounced food, so how do you spell the word good with an f in front pronounced like a word that rhymes with hood only with an f? I don't think you can spell that word, but trust me, you can say it.
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This is That . . .
James 4:4
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
I think it might be good to read that again.
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
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James chapter six says we used to know this, but we don't anymore.
I am feeling a bit prudish. It is not easy to "not be friends with the world". That TV show is funny and fun to watch, but I somehow think we should not be friends with it.
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That music makes my flesh feel great. I "love" that song, that singer, that group.
I don't think we should be friends with that music.
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That actor or actress has values that make me want to puke, and going to a movie they are in denounces all that I believe, but it's only a movie, right? And so entertaining.
I don't think we should be friends with that actor, that actress or that movie.
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We have rolled our eyes and shook our heads at the idea that stores shouldn't be open on Sunday, that dancing as the world dances is evil, that rock 'n roll is of the devil, that we shouldn't allow Elvis to gyrate his hips on the Ed Sullivan show, that "Woodstock" was immoral and rebellious, not a new freedom of speech full of peace and love. That "Saturday Night Live" is trash.
Maybe the old fogeys were right after all. Maybe I'm turning into an old fogey.
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People say, "Get a life"; "Lighten up"; "Times have changed".
I think times HAVE changed, but God hasn't. My flesh is crying out, but my spirit is not agreeing. This is not an easy thing; the way to destruction IS broad and the way to life IS narrow.
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Call me an old whatever, but I believe we need to re-evaluate who and what we are friends with, repent, and confess . . .
"What a friend we have in Jesus".

Chronos / Kyros / Plero'o"

Notes from a message by Dutch Sheets
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Ecclesiates 3
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
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This . . .
There is an appointed time. Really. There is an appointed time of change, and nothing will ever be the same.
There is an appointed time. A day. A moment when God breaks in.
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That . . .
There is a season for us to plow; a season to plant; a season to water and weed; and a season to reap.
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This is That . . .
What time is it?
Three different words dealing with times and seasons.
Chronos
Chronological time: day to day; hour to hour; moment to moment.
Plowing. Planting. Cultivating. Blood. Sweat. Tears.
Kyros
An appointed time. An opportune time. A kyros time is not necessarily a time when something IS done, but the strategic time when something can and must be done. A kyros moment is a window of opportunity. Kyros is not a time of arrival, but a new season where something is possible. If you "keep on" you will move into the next phase of time . . .
Plero'o
Fullness of time. Jesus came at the "fullness of time". When the day of pentocost was "plero'o" (fully come). The disciples could have fervently prayed for the day of pentecost to come earier, even a day, but it was not going to happen, because the day of pentecost had not yet "fully come".
Plero'o is what we all desire - fullness in joy and provision; Fullness in unity with one another and with God; Experiencing fullness in purpose; Fully loving God and fully recieving his love for us. We have plowed, planted, cultivated and fervently prayed. We have entered into a kyros time of believing and knowing that the window of opportunity is open. That God is up to something. That something big is going on. We can smell the bacon cooking, but we can't quite get a full hold of it to take a bite. Keep pressing, keep praying, do not grow faint. The fullness of time, the fullness of all that God desires, and the fullness of all that we desire in God is coming.
The fullness of God is coming.

Wisdom and Revelation

Ephesians 1:17-18
". . .that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; . . ."
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This . . .
In a work environment if you know how to do something, then when that something needs to be done, the responsibility will be given to you because you know how to do it. The more right stuff you know how to do and the more wrong stuff you know not to do, the more you are expected to do the right stuff and not do the wrong stuff.
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That . . .
Wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God are good things, but when wisdom and revelation come they bring along a heightened level of responsibility. To "not know any better" is a pretty good excuse for falling short. But if you know better, you are wise to do better.
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This is That . . .
I have been seeking wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God's will concerning divorce and remarriage. As I have sought after God's heart on this subject I believe he has given me some answers and those answers are different from what I have always thought and believed. God's thoughts are higher than mine. As stated above, when revelation comes an appropriate response is required. Sometimes I think I would be better off not knowing or understanding some of the things I know and understand concering the ways and will of God. While it may seem good to keep my head in the sand, it for sure is better to pull it out.
Please pray for me as I pray for you and others, that God would give the gift of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
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John Piper on divorce and remarriage . . .
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1986/1488_Divorce_and_Remarriage_A_Position_Paper/

I'da seen to it that you'da got to . . .

This . . .
I don't know the story behind this quote, but it's a dandy. I got it from my son Elliott and he thinks he got it from a story that Tarah told. If anyone knows the whole story, I would like to hear it.
"If I'da know'd that you'd a wanted to a went I'da seen to it that you'da got to get to go.".
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That . . .
I have had some second thoughts about yesterday's post. I do believe that it is good to keep the gospel message simple, but then on the other hand I know that Jesus didn't always "speak English" as it were. I have listed a few instances under This is That.
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This is That . . .
John 6:53-56
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Makes sense to me.
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John 7:6-8
Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.
I get what he's talking about, but I don't know what he means.
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Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
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I'm gonna go look for one more and then I'm done.
Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
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So is calling on the name of the Lord enough? or is doing his will required as well?

Prophetic Untimeliness

This . . .
I have been "reading at" a book called Prophetic Untimeliness by O.S. Guiness. Here is a short summary of what the book is about.
By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and our relevance. Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant.
I am not sure that I know what that means, but I think I understand it.
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That . . .
OS makes statements in this book that I enjoy because they sound totally brilliant, but after reading them three or four times, I am still scratching my head.
Here is another favorite.
If resistance thinking is so important and untimely people are so vital, where do we find the counterperspective that frees us from the distortions of our own situation?
What?
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This is That . . .
When God speaks, what he says is always relevant and timely. It is the spin we put on what he says that sometimes makes what we think he said irrelevant and untimely.
I think we need to think simple and speak English.
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God is good.
God loves me.
God desires that I love him.
When I love him I will be obedient to him.
Sin is bad. Obedience is good.
Read God's word and pray to him about it.
Take care of the needy, give to the poor.
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I could go on and on and so could you.
We know, but we don't always do.