Friday, February 24, 2012
Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:23,24
23 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Are there requests which are just too trivial to ask? When people pray, "Lord, where did I leave my glasses (or my keys)?", is this a waste of time? No. Father God is concerned about all of the details of our lives. Luke 12:7 says "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Are there requests that shouldn't be asked? Yes, if one is aware of a Biblical principle that addresses a request such as, "May I be unfaithful to my spouse?" Don't!
How about if the answer seems obvious? If there is no Biblical principle addressing an issue, then don't assume anything is obvious. In Joshua chapter 9 the leaders of Israel did not ask the Lord about a matter which seemed obvious. But they were deceived and suffered for it.
And finally, are there requests which are too big, too immense, too grand for us to ask? For example, is it a waste of time to pray for our nation or even for world peace? No. First Timothy 2:1,2 says,
I urge, then, ... that prayers, ... be made for ... all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives ...
So should I pray about everything? Well, yes. But praying can be quick. You don't have to explain anything to the Lord God, or convince Him of anything, or argue a case, or bow your head and close your eyes. He's right here, He loves you, and He's been watching over you as a father or good shepherd.
So ask, and receive, and experience the joy of the Lord.
Larry Carroll
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Power To Forgive
The Power To Forgive
At my church we have been blessed to have the subject of forgiveness addressed from the pulpit for several weeks, starting with Mike Ferris’ presentation on January 8. Mike addressed this from several angles and exposed the big lie of the enemy which is:
“If you forgive, you are implying that this offense was really nothing much. It’s OK.”
And he went on to say, rightly so, that there are many abuses, offenses, and even crimes, especially crimes, that have happened, and they aren’t OK, and they never will be OK. Nevertheless, we need to “let them go” for our own well being, for our own benefit.
“If you forgive, you are implying that this offense was really nothing much. It’s OK.”
And he went on to say, rightly so, that there are many abuses, offenses, and even crimes, especially crimes, that have happened, and they aren’t OK, and they never will be OK. Nevertheless, we need to “let them go” for our own well being, for our own benefit.
Jesus went further when He said in Matthew 6:14,15
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
We see here that we really must forgive – and we know this to be true from experience, too, since we’ve seen unforgiveness damage people, and bitterness destroy people.
But how?
When we experience an offense and then look within ourselves we find that the power to forgive is not in us. What to do? Are we trapped in unforgiveness with no hope? It seems as if forgiveness is not humanly possible. Is the Lord God asking too much of us? Well, He’s asking too much of ordinary mortals, that is, people operating in their own strength. Martin Luther wrote:
“Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing,”
(From the hymn: “A Might Fortress”)
Alas…"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24. Well we know who will: Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
How does this deliverance work?
There’s an old song I love:
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
It’s true.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
It’s true.
So the first step is to “turn your eyes (the eyes of your heart) upon Jesus”. Then ask Him to save you from your prison of unforgiveness. Ask Him to wash you clean. Ask Him to enable you to repent, that is, acknowledge that you (we all) are needy people and that your pride, greed, fear, and unbelief must be renounced (crucified, if you will). Jesus is a savior and a redeemer, not just from hell, but from all that binds and torments us.
But what will keep us free?
Will we just slip back into our old habits? Oh, Jesus will save us yet again, but this is no way to live. We desperately need to be operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. And to be operating in this power, we must be baptized in and filled with the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:8 says that Jesus is the one that baptizes and fills with the Holy Spirit. So, pray to the Lord and ask Him to baptize and fill you with the Holy Spirit. He will do it.
Notice that the word baptize is used here, as it is with water baptism. Is there any connection? Well, water baptism signifies to all that we’re totally in, no turning back. Same thing with being baptized in and filled with the Holy Spirit. He’s totally in us and we’re totally in Him. This is not just a Sunday morning activity anymore, this is life itself.
Now forgiveness is not just a hurdle to get over occasionally so we can get on with life – it is a core element in life itself. Does that sound depressing? Well, then turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. Paul and Silas sang praises to the Lord God in the Philippian jail. Why? They were aware of God’s presence. In the same way, you too can do things that are humanly impossible.
Larry Carroll
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Ask, Seek, Knock
Matthew 7:7-11
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
The promise in verse 8 is quite evident - everyone who asks receives. "Why" is addressed below in verses 9 through 11. "When" a promise will be fulfilled is not stated. So, for example, Abraham had to wait 25 years to see God's promise to him fulfilled.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
So the question is, "How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him? The answer is "much, much more". Why? Because He is your Father, and He's an exceedingly good Father.
So ask, seek, knock, and receive - and experience the joy of the Lord.
Ah, but the tempter is still at work, as he was with Eve in Genesis 3, where he said, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?”
And today he will use circumstances to say the same thing, "Did God really mean what He said?" Circumstances often say "No, He didn't mean it." The Spirit of God inside you says "Yes, He really meant it."
Whose report will you believe? Choose wisely, choose life.
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Christmas, 2011
11 December 2011
Christmas is a time when we celebrate the very precious gift that the Lord God gave to humanity, which is His son Jesus Christ, born to the virgin Mary. We celebrate His birth.
However a few days ago, the thought came to Helen that when we celebrate birthdays for family and friends these days we celebrate all that they have become. We celebrate and rejoice in who they are today.
There is a place to celebrate the gift of the baby in a manger, as the angels and shepherds did that first Christmas night. Nevertheless we also need to celebrate Him as He is today.
And how is that?
Revelation 1:12-18 describes Him as He is now.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
So we see that John fell at His feet as dead when he saw the Lord Jesus as He is now. And we will, too. But the Lord Jesus will raise us up and say, "Don't be afraid." as He has done so many times in the scripture.
Today, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Yet He loves us tenderly as a shepherd who loves each one of His sheep, as a shepherd that would leave the ninety nine back in the sheepfold and go out at night and search for us, anyone of us, who wandered away and became trapped, seemingly hopeless.
Today, Jesus Christ is a savior, as it says in Psalm 34:6
This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
Why? Because of His great love for us. Rejoice!
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
11 December 2011
Christmas is a time when we celebrate the very precious gift that the Lord God gave to humanity, which is His son Jesus Christ, born to the virgin Mary. We celebrate His birth.
However a few days ago, the thought came to Helen that when we celebrate birthdays for family and friends these days we celebrate all that they have become. We celebrate and rejoice in who they are today.
There is a place to celebrate the gift of the baby in a manger, as the angels and shepherds did that first Christmas night. Nevertheless we also need to celebrate Him as He is today.
And how is that?
Revelation 1:12-18 describes Him as He is now.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
So we see that John fell at His feet as dead when he saw the Lord Jesus as He is now. And we will, too. But the Lord Jesus will raise us up and say, "Don't be afraid." as He has done so many times in the scripture.
Today, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Yet He loves us tenderly as a shepherd who loves each one of His sheep, as a shepherd that would leave the ninety nine back in the sheepfold and go out at night and search for us, anyone of us, who wandered away and became trapped, seemingly hopeless.
Today, Jesus Christ is a savior, as it says in Psalm 34:6
This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
Why? Because of His great love for us. Rejoice!
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Hopeless?
12 September 2011
There is an account in the scripture in which the circumstance has all the signs of hopelessness, until the Word of the Lord Jesus turns the situation around 180 degrees.
Mark 5:35
While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
These same thoughts will come to us saying, in essence, "It's hopeless. Why bother to pray any further?" However, Jesus stepped in with these words:
Mark 5:36
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Jesus then proceeded to raise the little girl from the dead.
Are your circumstances hopeless? Is there no point in praying anymore, since things are too far gone?
No circumstance is hopeless.
Jeremiah 32:17 says:
Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
"OK", you say, "He can rescue me, but will He rescue me in this situation? Or will He ignore me?"
The Lord God is called Father all through the scripture for a good reason. He loves His children.
Psalm 103:13
As a father pities his children,So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
The Lord Jesus reveals the nature of our Father, as it says in Hebrews 1:3
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power,...
And Jesus turned no one away who asked for grace, mercy, or healing.
He will save us, too. Don't be afraid, only believe.
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
There is an account in the scripture in which the circumstance has all the signs of hopelessness, until the Word of the Lord Jesus turns the situation around 180 degrees.
Mark 5:35
While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
These same thoughts will come to us saying, in essence, "It's hopeless. Why bother to pray any further?" However, Jesus stepped in with these words:
Mark 5:36
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Jesus then proceeded to raise the little girl from the dead.
Are your circumstances hopeless? Is there no point in praying anymore, since things are too far gone?
No circumstance is hopeless.
Jeremiah 32:17 says:
Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
"OK", you say, "He can rescue me, but will He rescue me in this situation? Or will He ignore me?"
The Lord God is called Father all through the scripture for a good reason. He loves His children.
Psalm 103:13
As a father pities his children,So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
The Lord Jesus reveals the nature of our Father, as it says in Hebrews 1:3
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power,...
And Jesus turned no one away who asked for grace, mercy, or healing.
He will save us, too. Don't be afraid, only believe.
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Apple Picking Time In July
July 6, 2011
It's apple picking time - for the squirrels in my backyard! Alas. I saw them steal my apples with my own eyes. They started in earnest two days ago and pretty much have taken them all now. The squirrels are also taking many of the blueberries, and I believe the chipmunks took all of the gooseberries.
Vermin: "small common harmful or objectionable animals that are difficult to control or manage."
Do you think squirrels and chipmunks fit this description? I do. There are so many it's like a plague.
And yet, and yet - Habakkuk 3:17-19
17Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18Yet will I rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
So I am at peace.
Larry Carroll
It's apple picking time - for the squirrels in my backyard! Alas. I saw them steal my apples with my own eyes. They started in earnest two days ago and pretty much have taken them all now. The squirrels are also taking many of the blueberries, and I believe the chipmunks took all of the gooseberries.
Vermin: "small common harmful or objectionable animals that are difficult to control or manage."
Do you think squirrels and chipmunks fit this description? I do. There are so many it's like a plague.
And yet, and yet - Habakkuk 3:17-19
17Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18Yet will I rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
So I am at peace.
Larry Carroll
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Psalm 23 - In the 2nd Person
18 May 2011
Psalm 23 is so often read at funerals. And that's OK, but it's a psalm for living moreso than for dying. I was reading it and noticed how easy it would be to rewrite it such that it addresses the Lord God all the way through (2nd person), since more than half of it is already written this way.
The Lord God is good - is exceedingly good - is wholly good - is only good - is absolutely good. And He loves us.
See what happens when you pray this psalm and/or declare these truths.
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD, You are my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 You make me to lie down in green pastures;
You lead me beside the still waters.
3 You restore my soul;
You lead me in the paths of righteousness
For Your name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in Your house, O LORD,
Forever
Blessings on you,
Larry
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Psalm 23 is so often read at funerals. And that's OK, but it's a psalm for living moreso than for dying. I was reading it and noticed how easy it would be to rewrite it such that it addresses the Lord God all the way through (2nd person), since more than half of it is already written this way.
The Lord God is good - is exceedingly good - is wholly good - is only good - is absolutely good. And He loves us.
See what happens when you pray this psalm and/or declare these truths.
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD, You are my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 You make me to lie down in green pastures;
You lead me beside the still waters.
3 You restore my soul;
You lead me in the paths of righteousness
For Your name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in Your house, O LORD,
Forever
Blessings on you,
Larry
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Good Friday
23 April 2011
Good Friday
Was Good Friday a good day?
Is this a trick question? No, it isn't. OK, maybe it is.
There are two sides to this. On the one hand, our precious Lord Jesus suffered extreme torture on Good Friday. So, we can all certainly understand why so many people would say that Good Friday was definitely not a good day.
On the other hand, it is called Good Friday. There must be a reason for this name, and the only reason that comes to my mind is:
As of that moment in time, we were and now are all allowed into the presence of our most holy Father, the Most Holy Lord God Almighty. We are allowed into the Holy of Holies. We enter by the blood/death of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Not only that, we are welcomed in! This is exceedingly good news! Whoever wants to come in is welcomed in!
Now, why do I say, "as of that moment in time"? All three of the synoptic gospels tell us that the temple curtain was torn open from top to bottom at the time of the crucifixion. This signified that the separation between God and people (us) was and is no longer there.
Matthew 27:51
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
Mark 15:38
38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Luke 23:45
45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
So to me, Good Friday was a very bad day, but now is a very good day! Hallelujah!
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Good Friday
Was Good Friday a good day?
Is this a trick question? No, it isn't. OK, maybe it is.
There are two sides to this. On the one hand, our precious Lord Jesus suffered extreme torture on Good Friday. So, we can all certainly understand why so many people would say that Good Friday was definitely not a good day.
On the other hand, it is called Good Friday. There must be a reason for this name, and the only reason that comes to my mind is:
As of that moment in time, we were and now are all allowed into the presence of our most holy Father, the Most Holy Lord God Almighty. We are allowed into the Holy of Holies. We enter by the blood/death of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Not only that, we are welcomed in! This is exceedingly good news! Whoever wants to come in is welcomed in!
Now, why do I say, "as of that moment in time"? All three of the synoptic gospels tell us that the temple curtain was torn open from top to bottom at the time of the crucifixion. This signified that the separation between God and people (us) was and is no longer there.
Matthew 27:51
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
Mark 15:38
38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Luke 23:45
45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
So to me, Good Friday was a very bad day, but now is a very good day! Hallelujah!
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Lord Jesus, Please Drive
05 April 2011
Lord God, Lord Jesus, You Can Drive
Lord Jesus, please drive.
I have a friend who wanted to spend time with me, but had other things he wanted or needed to do, too. So he asked me to come along with him as he attended to his errands. It was sort of OK, but was not really a good time of fellowship. He was quite distracted, and conversation was interrupted frequently. I was just tagging along after him. We won't be doing that again, well, probably not.
I don't want to treat the Lord Jesus like that.
Lord Jesus, I want and need Your presence, where You're the driver - where You're not just tagging along after me or with me while I'm driving.
As the song by Brian Johnson says - Lord Jesus, where You go I will go, what You say I will say.
Where You Go I’ll Go
[Where You go I go
What You say I say
What You pray I pray
What You pray I pray
Jesus only did what He saw You do
He would only say what He heard You speak
He would only move when He felt You lead
Following Your heart following Your spirit
How could I expect to walk without You
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender
I will not begin to live without You
For You alone are worthy and You are always good
Though the world sees and soon forgets
We will not forget who you are
and what You’ve done for us]
To see more -> http://brianandjennjohnson.com/
We know that our Lord Jesus was not too busy to spend quality time with Father. I can think of two places where this is documented.
1. Mark 1:35 says, "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed."
2. After the feeding of the 5000, Matthew 14:23 says, "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there."
(Interesting - I see Jesus prayed both morning and evening.)
And we know that the time He spent alone with Father was joyful, since Psalm 16:11 says,
"You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
We have found this to be true when we are alone with Father, too, haven't we?
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Lord God, Lord Jesus, You Can Drive
Lord Jesus, please drive.
I have a friend who wanted to spend time with me, but had other things he wanted or needed to do, too. So he asked me to come along with him as he attended to his errands. It was sort of OK, but was not really a good time of fellowship. He was quite distracted, and conversation was interrupted frequently. I was just tagging along after him. We won't be doing that again, well, probably not.
I don't want to treat the Lord Jesus like that.
Lord Jesus, I want and need Your presence, where You're the driver - where You're not just tagging along after me or with me while I'm driving.
As the song by Brian Johnson says - Lord Jesus, where You go I will go, what You say I will say.
Where You Go I’ll Go
[Where You go I go
What You say I say
What You pray I pray
What You pray I pray
Jesus only did what He saw You do
He would only say what He heard You speak
He would only move when He felt You lead
Following Your heart following Your spirit
How could I expect to walk without You
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender
I will not begin to live without You
For You alone are worthy and You are always good
Though the world sees and soon forgets
We will not forget who you are
and what You’ve done for us]
To see more -> http://brianandjennjohnson.com/
We know that our Lord Jesus was not too busy to spend quality time with Father. I can think of two places where this is documented.
1. Mark 1:35 says, "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed."
2. After the feeding of the 5000, Matthew 14:23 says, "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there."
(Interesting - I see Jesus prayed both morning and evening.)
And we know that the time He spent alone with Father was joyful, since Psalm 16:11 says,
"You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
We have found this to be true when we are alone with Father, too, haven't we?
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Walking In Intimate Delight
23 March 2011
"Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away,
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell,
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away! (from Song of Solomon 2:10-13)
God's plan was and is for us to walk in intimate delight with Himself in the garden, in the cool of the day. Adam lost this privilege, but on the cross Jesus bought it back again for all of us.
Now we have choices to make. I want to focus on one.
Here's a parable about a merchant that made a good choice.
Matthew 13:45,46:
45. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46. "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."
So, why did the merchant sell all that he had to buy the pearl? Because it was worth it. The pearl was worth it all, and likewise it's worth it for us to sell all that we have to gain a precious intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus - to know Him, and for Him to know us.
In Philippians 3 Paul shared that he had everything going for him. However, he writes:
7. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9. and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10. That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
A very precious truth was revealed to Paul, and he made the right choice.
And why would we sell out for the Lord? Because He's worth it!
Jim Elliot wrote in his journal, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
This sounds a lot like Matthew 6:19-21:
19. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20. "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal,
21. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Psalm 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 27:4 says, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, That will I seek; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple."
David had a clear revelation of the Lord God. Here he made the right choice.
What are some things that hold people back from growing in intimacy with the Lord Jesus? Or what diverts our attention so that we forget about the Lord and His goodness and beauty?
1. Ignorance or blindness or a misconception of the Lord God
This could be based on a view of the Lord God as an unloving, judgmental task master. The truth is, you are precious in the sight of the Lord, and greatly beloved. This is illustrated very well in Luke 15 in the parable of the prodigal son.
2. Good things, delights, beautiful and amazing things, wonderful new discoveries, and those things we would normally call blessings from the Lord.
A lot of people find themselves torn. They know what's best but find themselves "half in" and "half out". However, we know that "half in" and "half out" doesn't work.
Jesus said this to the Laodicean church in Revelations 3:15-16:
15. "I know your works, that they are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth."
Jesus said this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:24:
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth)."
3. Pain
4. Fear
A. What would I be getting myself into? (The answer is, a great adventure and whole lot more.)
B. What will other people think? (Who cares? Find a group of like minded believers, and hang out with them.)
5. Inertia - or apathy
Keith Green wrote this:
Oh Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clean
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with holy fear.
6. Busyness and stress
Luke 10:39-42:
39. And she [Martha] had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.
40. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
41. And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
What to do if you're not satisfied with your present level of intimacy with the Lord Jesus?
If you want intimacy with the Lord Jesus, you need to pursue it. You need to press in.
When the Jews were in exile in Babylon, the Lord gave them a promise in Jeremiah 29:11-14:
11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; ...
This is true for us, too.
Time with the Lord is key. What would you do if you were courting/dating/wooing/romancing/pursuing someone? You would make very sure you could spend lots of time with that special person. Time with that person would have a very high priority. And so it is here.
Some steps to take to build greater intimacy with the Lord Jesus:
1. Tell the Lord Jesus that you love Him. Tell Him frequently. Find ways to express your love to the Lord.
2. Make time for the Lord. Enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise, as it says in Psalm 100:4.
3. Ask the Lord Jesus to shepherd you through to greater intimacy with Him. He will. He wants you to succeed in this venture.
4. Keep a written journal of your spiritual adventures, quiet times, learning experiences, revelations, and tough times and subsequent deliverances. As time goes on, this will become a very precious document of your interaction with the Lord.
It's worth it.
Some will also need discipling in parallel to the above search for intimacy. Here are some steps:
1. Decide that you're in, not just half in. Declare it out loud. Declare it in the presence of some other person if you can. Declare this, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back." If you need to repeat this step five hundred times, do it.
2. Ask for a fresh cleansing baptism of the Holy Spirit and of fire (the fire which burns away the dross).
3. Find a mentor. Ask the Lord to provide just the right person for you.
4. Search the scriptures to find all the necessary tools/gifts/graces the Lord God has for you to build you up.
5. There may be strongholds the enemy has used to capture you in some unholy/unhealthy habits. These will be broken if you pursue the Lord. You might need to ask others for help. Don't be embarrassed to ask. Strongholds are widespread.
6. Make the right choices - daily. If you goof up and make a bad choice, repent and then make the right choice next time. You may also have restitution to make with others.
7. If an enemy attack comes against you in mind, body, or soul, resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
Larry Carroll
All scripture above comes from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Appendix A - Songs That Present the Same Truth as Above
1. We sing:
All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now compared to this
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love You Lord! (by Graham Kendrick)
2. We also sing:
Oh Lord, You're beautiful
Your face is all I see (or seek)
For when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me. (by Keith Green)
They both know, or knew, something very precious. It sounds like they made the right choice.
3. Our parents, and some of us, used to sing:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. (It's true.)
4. We also sang:
And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own;
and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. (Hallelujah!)
"Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away,
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell,
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away! (from Song of Solomon 2:10-13)
God's plan was and is for us to walk in intimate delight with Himself in the garden, in the cool of the day. Adam lost this privilege, but on the cross Jesus bought it back again for all of us.
Now we have choices to make. I want to focus on one.
Here's a parable about a merchant that made a good choice.
Matthew 13:45,46:
45. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46. "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."
So, why did the merchant sell all that he had to buy the pearl? Because it was worth it. The pearl was worth it all, and likewise it's worth it for us to sell all that we have to gain a precious intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus - to know Him, and for Him to know us.
In Philippians 3 Paul shared that he had everything going for him. However, he writes:
7. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9. and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10. That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
A very precious truth was revealed to Paul, and he made the right choice.
And why would we sell out for the Lord? Because He's worth it!
Jim Elliot wrote in his journal, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
This sounds a lot like Matthew 6:19-21:
19. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20. "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal,
21. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Psalm 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 27:4 says, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, That will I seek; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple."
David had a clear revelation of the Lord God. Here he made the right choice.
What are some things that hold people back from growing in intimacy with the Lord Jesus? Or what diverts our attention so that we forget about the Lord and His goodness and beauty?
1. Ignorance or blindness or a misconception of the Lord God
This could be based on a view of the Lord God as an unloving, judgmental task master. The truth is, you are precious in the sight of the Lord, and greatly beloved. This is illustrated very well in Luke 15 in the parable of the prodigal son.
2. Good things, delights, beautiful and amazing things, wonderful new discoveries, and those things we would normally call blessings from the Lord.
A lot of people find themselves torn. They know what's best but find themselves "half in" and "half out". However, we know that "half in" and "half out" doesn't work.
Jesus said this to the Laodicean church in Revelations 3:15-16:
15. "I know your works, that they are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth."
Jesus said this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:24:
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth)."
3. Pain
4. Fear
A. What would I be getting myself into? (The answer is, a great adventure and whole lot more.)
B. What will other people think? (Who cares? Find a group of like minded believers, and hang out with them.)
5. Inertia - or apathy
Keith Green wrote this:
Oh Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clean
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with holy fear.
6. Busyness and stress
Luke 10:39-42:
39. And she [Martha] had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.
40. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
41. And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
What to do if you're not satisfied with your present level of intimacy with the Lord Jesus?
If you want intimacy with the Lord Jesus, you need to pursue it. You need to press in.
When the Jews were in exile in Babylon, the Lord gave them a promise in Jeremiah 29:11-14:
11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; ...
This is true for us, too.
Time with the Lord is key. What would you do if you were courting/dating/wooing/romancing/pursuing someone? You would make very sure you could spend lots of time with that special person. Time with that person would have a very high priority. And so it is here.
Some steps to take to build greater intimacy with the Lord Jesus:
1. Tell the Lord Jesus that you love Him. Tell Him frequently. Find ways to express your love to the Lord.
2. Make time for the Lord. Enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise, as it says in Psalm 100:4.
3. Ask the Lord Jesus to shepherd you through to greater intimacy with Him. He will. He wants you to succeed in this venture.
4. Keep a written journal of your spiritual adventures, quiet times, learning experiences, revelations, and tough times and subsequent deliverances. As time goes on, this will become a very precious document of your interaction with the Lord.
It's worth it.
Some will also need discipling in parallel to the above search for intimacy. Here are some steps:
1. Decide that you're in, not just half in. Declare it out loud. Declare it in the presence of some other person if you can. Declare this, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back." If you need to repeat this step five hundred times, do it.
2. Ask for a fresh cleansing baptism of the Holy Spirit and of fire (the fire which burns away the dross).
3. Find a mentor. Ask the Lord to provide just the right person for you.
4. Search the scriptures to find all the necessary tools/gifts/graces the Lord God has for you to build you up.
5. There may be strongholds the enemy has used to capture you in some unholy/unhealthy habits. These will be broken if you pursue the Lord. You might need to ask others for help. Don't be embarrassed to ask. Strongholds are widespread.
6. Make the right choices - daily. If you goof up and make a bad choice, repent and then make the right choice next time. You may also have restitution to make with others.
7. If an enemy attack comes against you in mind, body, or soul, resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
Larry Carroll
All scripture above comes from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Appendix A - Songs That Present the Same Truth as Above
1. We sing:
All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now compared to this
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love You Lord! (by Graham Kendrick)
2. We also sing:
Oh Lord, You're beautiful
Your face is all I see (or seek)
For when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me. (by Keith Green)
They both know, or knew, something very precious. It sounds like they made the right choice.
3. Our parents, and some of us, used to sing:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. (It's true.)
4. We also sang:
And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own;
and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. (Hallelujah!)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Indwelling of Christ
05 March 2011
Many good, caring believers find themselves trapped in a state described so very well in Romans 7:21-25.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
How to get out of this horrid state? The answer is right there in verse 25, "through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Romans 8 expands on this deliverance and shares both the means by which this happens and the freedom which it brings.
The means by which this happens, the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, is found in Romans 8:9-11.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Do we just go on living with the hope that the Holy Spirit will someday come upon us?
No. Our part is to put ourselves in a place where we can receive this indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We cry out to the Lord to save us from this wretched state, rejoice that He will, and then remove distractions from our lives as they are revealed to us. Trust and obey.
We especially need to be freed from the lie that this new normal life will bore us to tears. Psalm 34:8 says, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good." (Exceedingly good) In fact, the adventures we will start to experience will sometimes scare us to death (so to speak). Later as we look back at them (in our journals), they'll blow us away. We will experience life to the full.
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Many good, caring believers find themselves trapped in a state described so very well in Romans 7:21-25.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
How to get out of this horrid state? The answer is right there in verse 25, "through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Romans 8 expands on this deliverance and shares both the means by which this happens and the freedom which it brings.
The means by which this happens, the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, is found in Romans 8:9-11.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Do we just go on living with the hope that the Holy Spirit will someday come upon us?
No. Our part is to put ourselves in a place where we can receive this indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We cry out to the Lord to save us from this wretched state, rejoice that He will, and then remove distractions from our lives as they are revealed to us. Trust and obey.
We especially need to be freed from the lie that this new normal life will bore us to tears. Psalm 34:8 says, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good." (Exceedingly good) In fact, the adventures we will start to experience will sometimes scare us to death (so to speak). Later as we look back at them (in our journals), they'll blow us away. We will experience life to the full.
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
If Only We Knew From How Much We Have Been Forgiven
If only we knew from how much we have been forgiven.
1 February 2011
Luke 7:37-48
37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Romans 3:10-18
10 As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
If only we knew from how much we have been forgiven, we would kiss His feet, too!
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
1 February 2011
Luke 7:37-48
37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Romans 3:10-18
10 As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
If only we knew from how much we have been forgiven, we would kiss His feet, too!
Larry Carroll
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
8 December 2010
There Is Only Room For One God In This World
I woke up this morning with the thought:
There is only room for one god in this universe, and that is the Lord God of Hosts, the Lord God Almighty.
And there is only room for one god in my personal world, and that god is the same, the Lord God Almighty.
Well, of course. So?
I was thinking about the majesty, the holiness, and the overwhelming intensity of the light that radiates from the Lord God. And I was thinking about how we're all going to fall down at His feet as dead, as it says in Revelations 1:16,17
16..., and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,"Do not be afraid" (Good news here. "Don't be afraid.")
Also, all of Isaiah chapter 40 declares the majesty and glory of the Lord God. Verses 15-17 are especially pointed:
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
OK, so?
This world cannot contain two overwhelmingly intense sources of light. There is only one LORD OF LORDS, AND KING OF KINGS. There is no contest, no struggle, no other god at all!
So?
Well, of course, this argues against polytheism.
It also argues for the Trinity, since Revelations 1 describes the Lord Jesus Christ.
But thirdly, it strongly warns against idolatry in my personal world, especially the idolatry of self. If all the nations of the world are nothing, what then is just one person? Absolutely nothing! And yet, He loves us! Amazing! Especially amazing knowing how much we've messed things up in our lives.
Which brings up a related point. The Lord God loves us enough to drive the idolatry out of our lives. I'm experiencing this now, and it's not pleasant, but I'm glad, for the end result will be very good, exceedingly good.
Know that the Lord God loves you, too, and in fact has numbered all the hairs of your head, as it says in Matthew 10:30. With that in mind, know that we can't hide from Him, not that we should want to, for He loves us. So embrace Him, and all that He is doing, knowing that He tempers His judgment with mercy and grace, for He is exceedingly merciful and gracious.
Let me end with some encouragement from the end of Isaiah chapter 40:
25 " To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things,Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: " My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Hallelujah!
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
There Is Only Room For One God In This World
I woke up this morning with the thought:
There is only room for one god in this universe, and that is the Lord God of Hosts, the Lord God Almighty.
And there is only room for one god in my personal world, and that god is the same, the Lord God Almighty.
Well, of course. So?
I was thinking about the majesty, the holiness, and the overwhelming intensity of the light that radiates from the Lord God. And I was thinking about how we're all going to fall down at His feet as dead, as it says in Revelations 1:16,17
16..., and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,"Do not be afraid" (Good news here. "Don't be afraid.")
Also, all of Isaiah chapter 40 declares the majesty and glory of the Lord God. Verses 15-17 are especially pointed:
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
OK, so?
This world cannot contain two overwhelmingly intense sources of light. There is only one LORD OF LORDS, AND KING OF KINGS. There is no contest, no struggle, no other god at all!
So?
Well, of course, this argues against polytheism.
It also argues for the Trinity, since Revelations 1 describes the Lord Jesus Christ.
But thirdly, it strongly warns against idolatry in my personal world, especially the idolatry of self. If all the nations of the world are nothing, what then is just one person? Absolutely nothing! And yet, He loves us! Amazing! Especially amazing knowing how much we've messed things up in our lives.
Which brings up a related point. The Lord God loves us enough to drive the idolatry out of our lives. I'm experiencing this now, and it's not pleasant, but I'm glad, for the end result will be very good, exceedingly good.
Know that the Lord God loves you, too, and in fact has numbered all the hairs of your head, as it says in Matthew 10:30. With that in mind, know that we can't hide from Him, not that we should want to, for He loves us. So embrace Him, and all that He is doing, knowing that He tempers His judgment with mercy and grace, for He is exceedingly merciful and gracious.
Let me end with some encouragement from the end of Isaiah chapter 40:
25 " To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things,Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: " My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Hallelujah!
All scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thanksgiving Day - 2010
25 November 2010
Thanksgiving Day - 2010
Yesterday I was listening to Bill Johnson and heard him say:
1. Thanksgiving is my response to what He [the Lord God] has done.
2. Praise is my response to who He is.
3. Worship is my response to His presence.
This is based on Psalm 100:4, which says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."
Verse 5 is good, too, "For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations." Let me add that the Lord is exceedingly good.
Ruth Ward Heflin, in her "Glory" book, shared that each one is a stepping stone to the next. So, as you give thanks today, use it as a portal to praise, and then on to worship.
As you are giving thanks today (or any day), if you find yourself drawn toward praising the Lord God for all that He is, and His goodness and grace and mercy and love, and if you are at a loss for words, just softly say "Hallelujah".
.
Thanksgiving Day - 2010
Yesterday I was listening to Bill Johnson and heard him say:
1. Thanksgiving is my response to what He [the Lord God] has done.
2. Praise is my response to who He is.
3. Worship is my response to His presence.
This is based on Psalm 100:4, which says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."
Verse 5 is good, too, "For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations." Let me add that the Lord is exceedingly good.
Ruth Ward Heflin, in her "Glory" book, shared that each one is a stepping stone to the next. So, as you give thanks today, use it as a portal to praise, and then on to worship.
As you are giving thanks today (or any day), if you find yourself drawn toward praising the Lord God for all that He is, and His goodness and grace and mercy and love, and if you are at a loss for words, just softly say "Hallelujah".
.
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Power of a Testimony, and the Power of Journaling
6 August 2010
The Power of a Testimony, and the Power of Journaling
There is power in a testimony, power to change, power to overcome, as it says in Revelation 12:11.
A few days ago I was encouraged by reading a biography of J. Hudson Taylor, a testimony of what the Lord God could and did do through one man. This is just one example of so many that illustrate the grace and mercy of the Lord God over the years. We have 20 centuries full of godly accounts (testimonies) that demonstrate the grace and mercy of our Father God.
We also hear of the wonderful miraculous things the Lord God is doing these days all over the world. It sounds like our God has kicked it up a notch or two. Jesus came to destroy all the works of the devil (First John 3:8), and it looks like He's doing this with great fervor.
These are all very encouraging, but the testimonies that should be most precious to us are:
(1) the Word of God, the Bible
(2) our own testimony - what the Lord God has done and is doing with us, to us, for us, personally.
But, alas, we forget! Forgetting just seems to be what people do:
(1) when they have hard hearts, or
(2) when they don't write things down.
(1) With hard hearts, what is written in the parable of the sower comes into play, "the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." Matthew 13:19. Pray for a soft heart.
(2) Psalm 106 recalls the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt.
v 7. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, but rebelled by the sea--the Red Sea.
But they were delivered anyway.
v 11. The waters covered their enemies; there was not one of them left.
v 12. Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.
v 13. They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel,
v 14. But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.
All of this forgetting happened in three days! Hard hearts? Maybe. Probably.
What to do? Yes, write it down. Write down what the Lord God is doing for you and what He is saying to you, and what He is showing you.
Write it all down in chronological order. And remember, this is not supposed to be a chore. You are free. You don't have to make an entry everyday if there is nothing to write on certain days. But when something comes, you want a procedure to be in place so you can quickly and easily capture the gem that just came to you, while you are still excited by what the Lord God just showed you, or said to you, or did for you.
If you use paper, write your journal in a bound volume, not just on scraps of paper that end up as bookmarks in your Bible. And when you fill the first volume of your journal, buy a second similar volume and start writing in the second one.
If you use an electronic device you will have the ability to search, sort, and edit. If this is your choice, choose a device that can travel with you (a laptop or netbook or tablet, not a desktop), since you really need that flexibility to write consistently. It's your choice as to whether you eventually want to have one enormous file, or whether you think there is value in a periodic (maybe yearly) restart. I prefer one big enormous file, since searching is easier with just one file. And be sure to back up your journal file(s) frequently!
Note: A friend of mine recently shared that he finds the use of a paper journal allows for more focus than an online journal, since there is so much out there, almost instantly available, when we are online.
You might not see much value in the journal for the first few days or weeks or even the first few months, but sooner or later you will be able to go back and find golden nuggets of encouragement that will let you know that the Lord has been speaking to you, and will continue to speak to you, and will continue to be with you, and continue to save you, and will never abandon you. This will be especially valuable if you are down.
Why journal? To build faith - and to see your heart soften.
It's never too late to start.
Hallelujah!
The Power of a Testimony, and the Power of Journaling
There is power in a testimony, power to change, power to overcome, as it says in Revelation 12:11.
A few days ago I was encouraged by reading a biography of J. Hudson Taylor, a testimony of what the Lord God could and did do through one man. This is just one example of so many that illustrate the grace and mercy of the Lord God over the years. We have 20 centuries full of godly accounts (testimonies) that demonstrate the grace and mercy of our Father God.
We also hear of the wonderful miraculous things the Lord God is doing these days all over the world. It sounds like our God has kicked it up a notch or two. Jesus came to destroy all the works of the devil (First John 3:8), and it looks like He's doing this with great fervor.
These are all very encouraging, but the testimonies that should be most precious to us are:
(1) the Word of God, the Bible
(2) our own testimony - what the Lord God has done and is doing with us, to us, for us, personally.
But, alas, we forget! Forgetting just seems to be what people do:
(1) when they have hard hearts, or
(2) when they don't write things down.
(1) With hard hearts, what is written in the parable of the sower comes into play, "the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." Matthew 13:19. Pray for a soft heart.
(2) Psalm 106 recalls the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt.
v 7. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, but rebelled by the sea--the Red Sea.
But they were delivered anyway.
v 11. The waters covered their enemies; there was not one of them left.
v 12. Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.
v 13. They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel,
v 14. But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.
All of this forgetting happened in three days! Hard hearts? Maybe. Probably.
What to do? Yes, write it down. Write down what the Lord God is doing for you and what He is saying to you, and what He is showing you.
Write it all down in chronological order. And remember, this is not supposed to be a chore. You are free. You don't have to make an entry everyday if there is nothing to write on certain days. But when something comes, you want a procedure to be in place so you can quickly and easily capture the gem that just came to you, while you are still excited by what the Lord God just showed you, or said to you, or did for you.
If you use paper, write your journal in a bound volume, not just on scraps of paper that end up as bookmarks in your Bible. And when you fill the first volume of your journal, buy a second similar volume and start writing in the second one.
If you use an electronic device you will have the ability to search, sort, and edit. If this is your choice, choose a device that can travel with you (a laptop or netbook or tablet, not a desktop), since you really need that flexibility to write consistently. It's your choice as to whether you eventually want to have one enormous file, or whether you think there is value in a periodic (maybe yearly) restart. I prefer one big enormous file, since searching is easier with just one file. And be sure to back up your journal file(s) frequently!
Note: A friend of mine recently shared that he finds the use of a paper journal allows for more focus than an online journal, since there is so much out there, almost instantly available, when we are online.
You might not see much value in the journal for the first few days or weeks or even the first few months, but sooner or later you will be able to go back and find golden nuggets of encouragement that will let you know that the Lord has been speaking to you, and will continue to speak to you, and will continue to be with you, and continue to save you, and will never abandon you. This will be especially valuable if you are down.
Why journal? To build faith - and to see your heart soften.
It's never too late to start.
Hallelujah!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A Kiss From the Lord Jesus
16 June 2010
A Kiss From the Lord Jesus
I had an "I want my knife back!" episode Monday.
For several days a bolt from the garage door was missing. We'd look around for it whenever we were there, but never saw it. About noontime Monday, I went out to the garage to get something, and while there by the garage door I said, "Lord, I'd really like to find it."
Then I poked around for a few seconds as usual, and as I was doing it, I felt a lump under my left foot, which was the bolt, right there on the concrete.
Well, it's not as dramatic as Carol O's diamond, or Bobby Conner's knife, but it was my very own personal experience, and now it's my very own story and memory.
A kiss from the Lord Jesus. Nice.
Hallelujah!
Larry Carroll
16 June 2010
A Kiss From the Lord Jesus
I had an "I want my knife back!" episode Monday.
For several days a bolt from the garage door was missing. We'd look around for it whenever we were there, but never saw it. About noontime Monday, I went out to the garage to get something, and while there by the garage door I said, "Lord, I'd really like to find it."
Then I poked around for a few seconds as usual, and as I was doing it, I felt a lump under my left foot, which was the bolt, right there on the concrete.
Well, it's not as dramatic as Carol O's diamond, or Bobby Conner's knife, but it was my very own personal experience, and now it's my very own story and memory.
A kiss from the Lord Jesus. Nice.
Hallelujah!
Larry Carroll
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Be Anxious For Nothing
28 April 2010
Be Anxious For Nothing
Helen and I were at a conference last week. On Thursday morning, the speaker, Graham Cooke, listed four levels of fear:
1. anxiety
2. fear
3. depression (perhaps 'dread' would be a good word here, too)
4. panic
When I heard the word "anxiety" I thought of the scripture that says "Be anxious for nothing".
We got home and the next morning, Sunday morning, I looked up "Be anxious for nothing" and decided to nail it down.
Philippians 4:6&7
6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God:
7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Well, I was an usher that morning, so I was out in the lobby doing usher things. There was also a friend that was hurting and needed us to pray, so two of us prayed for him. Also, I was sharing with people that there is healing in praise, and I wholeheartedly believe it.
Immediately after my ushering responsibilities were done, I felt this 8 out of 10 intense pain come on me in less than a minute. It was right across my front where the diaphragm is.
I went to the men's room to see if I needed to throw up. No. I went to the car to see if I could just lean back and recover. No.
I went back in and told Herb I can't serve communion this way. He prayed for me right then. That was good.
I then told Karen I couldn't pray for her after the service, since I hurt so badly. So she and Al prayed for me right then. That was good. Then Karen went in and got Helen, and Helen drove me to the ER as she was praying for me.
OK, so as I was hanging onto the strap, I knew I had to practice what I preach (and I wanted to). So somewhat weakly, I said things like, "OK, LORD, Hallelujah" And I kept saying, "Be anxious for nothing". But it still hurt of course.
What was illustrated to me at that time was - the truth of the Word of God that is already inside me was all I had to keep me from panic. In terrifying times like this, we are not able to go back to the written Word of God, it has to be in us already.
You know that "sword of the Spirit" mentioned in Ephesians 6:17? That's the word of God that is already in you, that you have already pondered or meditated on and memorized, that you have made part of you. It is not the Word of God that is on the pages of the Bible, which you have never made your own.
And when the battle comes, you better have a sword.
Well, I spent two days in the hospital, and I needed to reactivate that particular scripture a few more times. I found that Philippians 4:6&7 is not just a principle to live by; it's a promise, a personal promise to me (and you). In fact, that's what the Word of God is - personal.
Larry Carroll
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Be Anxious For Nothing
Helen and I were at a conference last week. On Thursday morning, the speaker, Graham Cooke, listed four levels of fear:
1. anxiety
2. fear
3. depression (perhaps 'dread' would be a good word here, too)
4. panic
When I heard the word "anxiety" I thought of the scripture that says "Be anxious for nothing".
We got home and the next morning, Sunday morning, I looked up "Be anxious for nothing" and decided to nail it down.
Philippians 4:6&7
6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God:
7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Well, I was an usher that morning, so I was out in the lobby doing usher things. There was also a friend that was hurting and needed us to pray, so two of us prayed for him. Also, I was sharing with people that there is healing in praise, and I wholeheartedly believe it.
Immediately after my ushering responsibilities were done, I felt this 8 out of 10 intense pain come on me in less than a minute. It was right across my front where the diaphragm is.
I went to the men's room to see if I needed to throw up. No. I went to the car to see if I could just lean back and recover. No.
I went back in and told Herb I can't serve communion this way. He prayed for me right then. That was good.
I then told Karen I couldn't pray for her after the service, since I hurt so badly. So she and Al prayed for me right then. That was good. Then Karen went in and got Helen, and Helen drove me to the ER as she was praying for me.
OK, so as I was hanging onto the strap, I knew I had to practice what I preach (and I wanted to). So somewhat weakly, I said things like, "OK, LORD, Hallelujah" And I kept saying, "Be anxious for nothing". But it still hurt of course.
What was illustrated to me at that time was - the truth of the Word of God that is already inside me was all I had to keep me from panic. In terrifying times like this, we are not able to go back to the written Word of God, it has to be in us already.
You know that "sword of the Spirit" mentioned in Ephesians 6:17? That's the word of God that is already in you, that you have already pondered or meditated on and memorized, that you have made part of you. It is not the Word of God that is on the pages of the Bible, which you have never made your own.
And when the battle comes, you better have a sword.
Well, I spent two days in the hospital, and I needed to reactivate that particular scripture a few more times. I found that Philippians 4:6&7 is not just a principle to live by; it's a promise, a personal promise to me (and you). In fact, that's what the Word of God is - personal.
Larry Carroll
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Look to Jesus and You Will Live
05 March 2010
Old Testament - Numbers 21:8,9
8. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."
9. So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
New Testament - John 3:14,15
14. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15. "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
So look to Jesus, look at the cross, and you will live!
Looking at the cross, to Jesus, implies that we will take our eyes off our circumstances, which is good in itself.
But more than that, when we really look at Him, really see Him as He is now, we will be overcome by His beauty and holiness and glory and majesty and grace. Hallelujah! And we will worship Him. And He will lay His right hand on us.
It is written in Revelation 1:13-18
13. and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
14. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
16. He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
17. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18. "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
John fell at His feet as dead, and we will, too. But why wait? We know this is true now! Look to Jesus now!
A song by the Supertones says it this way:
You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depths of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty, enthroned above
And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You
And let me end with this. There is an old song:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Do it!
Larry Carroll
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Old Testament - Numbers 21:8,9
8. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."
9. So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
New Testament - John 3:14,15
14. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15. "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
So look to Jesus, look at the cross, and you will live!
Looking at the cross, to Jesus, implies that we will take our eyes off our circumstances, which is good in itself.
But more than that, when we really look at Him, really see Him as He is now, we will be overcome by His beauty and holiness and glory and majesty and grace. Hallelujah! And we will worship Him. And He will lay His right hand on us.
It is written in Revelation 1:13-18
13. and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
14. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
16. He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
17. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18. "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
John fell at His feet as dead, and we will, too. But why wait? We know this is true now! Look to Jesus now!
A song by the Supertones says it this way:
You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depths of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty, enthroned above
And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You
And let me end with this. There is an old song:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Do it!
Larry Carroll
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Preparation
20 February 2010
Preparation
I was reading in First Samuel and came to that part where David and his men had just arrived home; found their city burned to the ground, and their families gone. They wept until they had no more strength to weep.
In addition to that, it says in First Samuel 30:6, "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters. [Wives were mentioned in the previous verse.] But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."
How did David do that? Well, simply put, he prayed. (Then, after getting the assurance that the Lord was with them, he and his men rescued their families and possessions.)
At this same time, other portions of scripture came to my mind that address the storms of life.
The first was the parable of the house built upon the rock vs. the house built upon the sand; Matthew 7:24-27. We can see that the wise man planned ahead. We are told here to strengthen our foundation by hearing the words of God and doing them.
The second was the parable of the seeds; Mark 4:3-8. The seed sown on stony ground withered away when the sun scorched it. In verse 17, Jesus interprets the scorching as tribulation or persecution. So, we need deep roots.
The third was in Proverbs 6:6-11, which starts by saying, "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways...", and ends by saying, "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep-- So shall your poverty come upon you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man."
So, we see the secret to weathering the storm is all in the preparation. When the storms come, (and they most certainly will, for Job 5:7 says; "Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.") there will be no time to build a defense.
So how do we prepare?
1. Get yourself into the Word of God (the Bible) and get the Word of God into you. That sounds trite, but it's absolutely true. Meditate on it. Ponder it. Memorize if you can. Most people can. It will change you. Pay very close attention to the promises in the Word, especially so if they come alive to you. If they come alive to you, write them in your journal.
2. Get close to the Lord Himself. Seek His face, His beautiful face. How? (I'm speaking to those who have established a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ already.) "Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I will say, rejoice." Philippians 4:4. "Always" here means always, even when circumstances are ugly. This is said another way in First Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice evermore (always), pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Singing is a very useful tool in enabling us to rejoice in the Lord. Whatever method you use, whether it be verbal praise, song, or dance, do it with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.
3. Review your journal. Remind yourself of all that the Lord God has saved and delivered you from in the past, how He has answered your prayers, and how He has shown Himself strong on your behalf. This I call "witnessing to yourself".
4. Spend a good amount of time with those people that will build you up in the faith. We need to receive strength from each other. We need to hear brothers and sisters share their stories of God's goodness, His grace, and His deliverance. Also, they need to hear us tell of the blessings we have received from the hand of the Lord.
OK now, you get to choose. It's up to you to prepare for the storms of life. Choose life.
Larry Carroll
Preparation
I was reading in First Samuel and came to that part where David and his men had just arrived home; found their city burned to the ground, and their families gone. They wept until they had no more strength to weep.
In addition to that, it says in First Samuel 30:6, "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters. [Wives were mentioned in the previous verse.] But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."
How did David do that? Well, simply put, he prayed. (Then, after getting the assurance that the Lord was with them, he and his men rescued their families and possessions.)
At this same time, other portions of scripture came to my mind that address the storms of life.
The first was the parable of the house built upon the rock vs. the house built upon the sand; Matthew 7:24-27. We can see that the wise man planned ahead. We are told here to strengthen our foundation by hearing the words of God and doing them.
The second was the parable of the seeds; Mark 4:3-8. The seed sown on stony ground withered away when the sun scorched it. In verse 17, Jesus interprets the scorching as tribulation or persecution. So, we need deep roots.
The third was in Proverbs 6:6-11, which starts by saying, "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways...", and ends by saying, "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep-- So shall your poverty come upon you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man."
So, we see the secret to weathering the storm is all in the preparation. When the storms come, (and they most certainly will, for Job 5:7 says; "Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.") there will be no time to build a defense.
So how do we prepare?
1. Get yourself into the Word of God (the Bible) and get the Word of God into you. That sounds trite, but it's absolutely true. Meditate on it. Ponder it. Memorize if you can. Most people can. It will change you. Pay very close attention to the promises in the Word, especially so if they come alive to you. If they come alive to you, write them in your journal.
2. Get close to the Lord Himself. Seek His face, His beautiful face. How? (I'm speaking to those who have established a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ already.) "Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I will say, rejoice." Philippians 4:4. "Always" here means always, even when circumstances are ugly. This is said another way in First Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice evermore (always), pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Singing is a very useful tool in enabling us to rejoice in the Lord. Whatever method you use, whether it be verbal praise, song, or dance, do it with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.
3. Review your journal. Remind yourself of all that the Lord God has saved and delivered you from in the past, how He has answered your prayers, and how He has shown Himself strong on your behalf. This I call "witnessing to yourself".
4. Spend a good amount of time with those people that will build you up in the faith. We need to receive strength from each other. We need to hear brothers and sisters share their stories of God's goodness, His grace, and His deliverance. Also, they need to hear us tell of the blessings we have received from the hand of the Lord.
OK now, you get to choose. It's up to you to prepare for the storms of life. Choose life.
Larry Carroll
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
What Is God Like?
16 February 2010
What is God like? Look at Jesus Christ and you will know what God is like.
Hebrews 1:3 says this about the Lord Jesus Christ:
"who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person ..."
Colossians 1:15 says this about the Lord Jesus Christ:
"He is the image of the invisible God..."
John 8:58 says, 'Jesus said unto them, "Most assuredly I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM." '
In John 10:30 Jesus says, "I and My Father are one."
In John 14:9, Jesus tells Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father; ..."
Why is this important?
The Lord God is exceedingly good. This is foundational. Psalm 106: 1 says:
"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
Nevertheless, hurts, pains, and disappointments come. No one seems immune. When this happens we are tempted to think, "Where is God right now, when I need Him?" And some people have blamed God for their misfortunes.
When God is blamed for something, barriers go up between that person and the Lord God, making praise, worship, and intimacy either very hard or impossible. "If God speaks, I don't think I want to hear what He has to say", they say.
But we know what Jesus was like while He walked on Earth.
He wept with Mary when her brother died - and then raised him from the dead.
He ate dinner with anyone, even those the establishment condemned.
He did not inflict any pain on anyone, except for some of those in the establishment.
He did not condemn the woman caught in adultery.
He healed all that came to Him.
He had mercy on the people that hung Him on a cross.
He was compassionate, approachable, and tender.
Jesus demonstrated what God our Father is like!
And why is this important?
It's important because we are needy people - all of us. We need to come before the Lord God to ask for salvation, deliverance, grace, mercy, and help. We need an approachable Father God. And since our Father in Heaven and Jesus the Son are one, we have an approachable Father God!
Hebrews 4:14-16 says:
14. Seeing that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Another reason this is important concerns our personal spiritual growth or development, that is, whether we will be transformed into His likeness or not. We become like whom, or like what, we worship. We become more and more like the Lord God in His presence. We enter His presence as we worship Him.
If we feel alienated from the Lord God, we will have no appetite to draw close to Him, or worship Him, or seek His face - and we will not become more and more like Him. We will remain carnal and behave as "mere men", as it says in First Corinthians 3:3.
And finally, it's important because we need to hear and get to know His voice.
There is a growing interest in hearing the Lord God speak to us, fellowshipping with Him, experiencing Him, moving well beyond theoretical knowledge (as good as this is) only.
And why is that?
Because relationship implies two-way communication and even interaction. We will not pursue a relationship with one who causes us pain and is difficult to live with.
So what is God like?
He is our lover. ---
"Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away,
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell,
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!" (from Song of Solomon 2:10-13)
He is our shepherd. ---
In John 10 we read:
3. To him [the shepherd] the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
14. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
27. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
He is our dear friend. ---
And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known.
He is our peace. ---
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Larry Carroll
Friday, February 12, 2010
Favorites
12 February 2010
Favorites
Over a decade ago, I asked my three (at the time) grandsons, "Who's my favorite grandson?" Rebecca, their mom, knew this could be a dreadful mistake if I picked one, for then I would be rejecting two.
But the answer to the question was, "You all are!", so Rebecca breathed a big sigh of relief.
As time went on, this question was expanded to include all of the cousins, with the answer always remaining the same.
A couple of years ago, I asked the same question, and the kids must have been getting a bit tired of it, because this time my precious smart-aleck grandson, Chris, (whom I love dearly) said, "I am!" and his older brother, Joshua, said the same thing. This gave me pause, but then I found I could say, "That's right, you are, Chris. And so are you, Josh, and so is Jonathan."
Now at the end of every visit with the grandkids, as I'm hugging each one and saying "Goodbye", I whisper in each one's ear, "You're my favorite." And sometimes then the hug gets a little tighter, even though each one knows I'm telling all the others the same thing.
Oh, but that's not logical. That's true, it isn't. But so what? It delivers the message I want to convey. I want each of them to know how precious they are to me.
OK, now in Luke 15:4-7, did the shepherd who left the ninety-nine to search for the one lost sheep have a favorite? He had one hundred favorites, since he would have gone searching for any one of them. It didn't matter which one. But at that time, it seemed like he had just one favorite. And that lost sheep was (or is) you! You are His favorite!
The Lord Jesus wants you to know how precious you are to Him - even if you wander away and ask for your share of the good life, as the prodigal son did.
God's love is faithful and constant, to the point of being irrational. Parents know what this is like. Klingons and Pharisees don't. But you're not a Klingon or a Pharisee. The Spirit of the Lord has entered (or will enter) your inner most being and has given (or will give) you a new heart. You can know and experience that love.
Father God wants you to enjoy His presence. Rejoice in His presence!
It's a blessing to be one of God's favorites. Hallelujah!
Larry Carroll
Favorites
Over a decade ago, I asked my three (at the time) grandsons, "Who's my favorite grandson?" Rebecca, their mom, knew this could be a dreadful mistake if I picked one, for then I would be rejecting two.
But the answer to the question was, "You all are!", so Rebecca breathed a big sigh of relief.
As time went on, this question was expanded to include all of the cousins, with the answer always remaining the same.
A couple of years ago, I asked the same question, and the kids must have been getting a bit tired of it, because this time my precious smart-aleck grandson, Chris, (whom I love dearly) said, "I am!" and his older brother, Joshua, said the same thing. This gave me pause, but then I found I could say, "That's right, you are, Chris. And so are you, Josh, and so is Jonathan."
Now at the end of every visit with the grandkids, as I'm hugging each one and saying "Goodbye", I whisper in each one's ear, "You're my favorite." And sometimes then the hug gets a little tighter, even though each one knows I'm telling all the others the same thing.
Oh, but that's not logical. That's true, it isn't. But so what? It delivers the message I want to convey. I want each of them to know how precious they are to me.
OK, now in Luke 15:4-7, did the shepherd who left the ninety-nine to search for the one lost sheep have a favorite? He had one hundred favorites, since he would have gone searching for any one of them. It didn't matter which one. But at that time, it seemed like he had just one favorite. And that lost sheep was (or is) you! You are His favorite!
The Lord Jesus wants you to know how precious you are to Him - even if you wander away and ask for your share of the good life, as the prodigal son did.
God's love is faithful and constant, to the point of being irrational. Parents know what this is like. Klingons and Pharisees don't. But you're not a Klingon or a Pharisee. The Spirit of the Lord has entered (or will enter) your inner most being and has given (or will give) you a new heart. You can know and experience that love.
Father God wants you to enjoy His presence. Rejoice in His presence!
It's a blessing to be one of God's favorites. Hallelujah!
Larry Carroll
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Forgiveness
23 January 2010
Forgiveness
Matthew 6:12,14,15
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
We see here that we really must forgive – and we know this to be true from experience, too, since we’ve seen unforgiveness damage people, and bitterness destroy people.
Yet we read what the Pharisees said in Mark 2:7.
7 “Why does this Man [Jesus Christ] speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
This is also written in Luke 5:21.
I understand why the Pharisees said this, since the Law states “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, so I agree with the Pharisees’ second question and the implied answer.
Yet there are at least two examples in the Old Testament where people forgave others:
Matthew 6:12,14,15
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
We see here that we really must forgive – and we know this to be true from experience, too, since we’ve seen unforgiveness damage people, and bitterness destroy people.
Yet we read what the Pharisees said in Mark 2:7.
7 “Why does this Man [Jesus Christ] speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
This is also written in Luke 5:21.
I understand why the Pharisees said this, since the Law states “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, so I agree with the Pharisees’ second question and the implied answer.
Yet there are at least two examples in the Old Testament where people forgave others:
1. Joseph forgave his brothers after they sold him into slavery.
2. David forgave Absalom after Absalom killed his brother Amnon.
But I noticed that it took them both quite a while to forgive, though they truly did. Also, notice that both cases here are within families, so what we see are two examples of brotherly love, or familial love, (phileos), enabling these two men to succeed in their efforts to forgive.
But where does that leave us? We don’t have familial love for everyone. Yet we need to forgive, and we find that the power to forgive is not in us. What to do? Are we trapped in unforgiveness with no hope?
We’ve all been there, (or are there). We’ve been hurt (and have hurt others, of course, but never mind that!) Revenge seemed so sweet. We wanted to “get even”! Yet deep down we knew revenge wouldn’t make it right. It would just make us feel good for a few minutes and then, alas, increase the hostility between us and the other party, making the whole mess even worse. And yet, we did it! We “got even”! The McCoys and the Hatfields warred for several decades. They kept on “getting even”. Why?
Alas! “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24. Well we know who will. Hallelujah!
OK, how does this deliverance work? Simply put, we desperately need to be operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. And to be operating in this power, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit and “die to self”. By saying “die to self”, I’m saying that we must acknowledge that we are needy people and that our pride, greed, and unbelief must be renounced (crucified, if you will). Then we can truly forgive.
A corollary to this is – if we sense that we are able to forgive, we know it is the Spirit of God working through us. Said another way, the ability to forgive is evidence that one is filled with the Holy Spirit. The Amish folks that forgave the schoolhouse killer a few years ago were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit.
OK, let us go on.
Well, are there two types of forgiveness? Is there God’s type, which washes a person clean, vs. “our” type, which doesn’t have any effect on the one being forgiven?
Related to this – is forgiveness of others merely for our own benefit? Is it just an annoying hurdle to get over to get to a place of blessing and favor from Father God?
To answer the above questions – no! Jesus addresses this in John 20:23.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
2. David forgave Absalom after Absalom killed his brother Amnon.
But I noticed that it took them both quite a while to forgive, though they truly did. Also, notice that both cases here are within families, so what we see are two examples of brotherly love, or familial love, (phileos), enabling these two men to succeed in their efforts to forgive.
But where does that leave us? We don’t have familial love for everyone. Yet we need to forgive, and we find that the power to forgive is not in us. What to do? Are we trapped in unforgiveness with no hope?
We’ve all been there, (or are there). We’ve been hurt (and have hurt others, of course, but never mind that!) Revenge seemed so sweet. We wanted to “get even”! Yet deep down we knew revenge wouldn’t make it right. It would just make us feel good for a few minutes and then, alas, increase the hostility between us and the other party, making the whole mess even worse. And yet, we did it! We “got even”! The McCoys and the Hatfields warred for several decades. They kept on “getting even”. Why?
Alas! “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24. Well we know who will. Hallelujah!
OK, how does this deliverance work? Simply put, we desperately need to be operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. And to be operating in this power, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit and “die to self”. By saying “die to self”, I’m saying that we must acknowledge that we are needy people and that our pride, greed, and unbelief must be renounced (crucified, if you will). Then we can truly forgive.
A corollary to this is – if we sense that we are able to forgive, we know it is the Spirit of God working through us. Said another way, the ability to forgive is evidence that one is filled with the Holy Spirit. The Amish folks that forgave the schoolhouse killer a few years ago were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit.
OK, let us go on.
Well, are there two types of forgiveness? Is there God’s type, which washes a person clean, vs. “our” type, which doesn’t have any effect on the one being forgiven?
Related to this – is forgiveness of others merely for our own benefit? Is it just an annoying hurdle to get over to get to a place of blessing and favor from Father God?
To answer the above questions – no! Jesus addresses this in John 20:23.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
This is also implied in Matthew 18:18.
18 Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
(Do not treat this power lightly! Use it!)
Therefore, if you truly forgive someone, and that person knows it, that person is really set free and washed clean. But remember, you did it as an ambassador or agent of the Lord God, and you did it by the power of the Holy Spirit in you, not by your own power. You performed a priestly function.
Jesus taught and demonstrated by His life that maintaining healthy relationships and friendships is a key element in His kingdom, and forgiveness is an essential part of it. How often? 490 times a day (at least!) as seen here.
Matthew 18:21,22
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (But who’s counting?)
So forgiveness is not just a hurdle to get over occasionally so we can get on with life – it is a core element in life itself.
This was a new concept - a hard saying - to the people of that day. I did a scan of the word “forgive” in Strong’s Concordance, and it is clear that in Old Testament times the Lord God was the only one asked to forgive – to forgive His people. People had to pay or atone for their trespasses and sins, or run to a city of refuge if they mistakenly killed another. Person to person forgiveness is not a commandment in the Old Testament, although Judaism now embraces it.
Right after Jesus said to Peter, “seventy times seven”, He shared the parable of the unforgiving servant, in Matthew 18:23-35. This is quite long, so I’ll just summarize it here by saying a servant was forgiven an enormous amount by the king, and then turned around and refused to forgive a fellow servant just a small amount. When the king heard about it, he was very angry and rescinded his forgiveness. The unforgiving servant lost out big time. This parable ends with verse 35:
35: So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.
Now let me quickly mention a question that often comes up. Should I confront the offender or “just let it go”? My answer to that is – one needs to get the “peace of God” on this, one way or the other. According to Colossians 3:15, the “peace of God” in our hearts calls the shots, it determines the direction of our lives. This peace is controlled by the Spirit of God, who resides in believers. I advise you to read this in context. Either way (to confront or not), we need to forgive.
“This is really hard, Larry. Have you experienced this, or is it just theory?”
That’s a good question. It truly is hard, which we all know, because trouble comes to everyone, yes, including to me. Nevertheless, Philippians 4:13 says,
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
(It’s really true.)
Let’s wrap it up with this:
If you examine yourself now and find that you are not in a place where forgiveness of others is possible (but you want to be in such a place) – or if unforgiveness is gripping your heart and soul and you’re sick of it - cry out to the Lord God for the power to change, to be able to forgive, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus truly is a savior! He most certainly will give you the power to forgive.
18 Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
(Do not treat this power lightly! Use it!)
Therefore, if you truly forgive someone, and that person knows it, that person is really set free and washed clean. But remember, you did it as an ambassador or agent of the Lord God, and you did it by the power of the Holy Spirit in you, not by your own power. You performed a priestly function.
Jesus taught and demonstrated by His life that maintaining healthy relationships and friendships is a key element in His kingdom, and forgiveness is an essential part of it. How often? 490 times a day (at least!) as seen here.
Matthew 18:21,22
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (But who’s counting?)
So forgiveness is not just a hurdle to get over occasionally so we can get on with life – it is a core element in life itself.
This was a new concept - a hard saying - to the people of that day. I did a scan of the word “forgive” in Strong’s Concordance, and it is clear that in Old Testament times the Lord God was the only one asked to forgive – to forgive His people. People had to pay or atone for their trespasses and sins, or run to a city of refuge if they mistakenly killed another. Person to person forgiveness is not a commandment in the Old Testament, although Judaism now embraces it.
Right after Jesus said to Peter, “seventy times seven”, He shared the parable of the unforgiving servant, in Matthew 18:23-35. This is quite long, so I’ll just summarize it here by saying a servant was forgiven an enormous amount by the king, and then turned around and refused to forgive a fellow servant just a small amount. When the king heard about it, he was very angry and rescinded his forgiveness. The unforgiving servant lost out big time. This parable ends with verse 35:
35: So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.
Now let me quickly mention a question that often comes up. Should I confront the offender or “just let it go”? My answer to that is – one needs to get the “peace of God” on this, one way or the other. According to Colossians 3:15, the “peace of God” in our hearts calls the shots, it determines the direction of our lives. This peace is controlled by the Spirit of God, who resides in believers. I advise you to read this in context. Either way (to confront or not), we need to forgive.
“This is really hard, Larry. Have you experienced this, or is it just theory?”
That’s a good question. It truly is hard, which we all know, because trouble comes to everyone, yes, including to me. Nevertheless, Philippians 4:13 says,
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
(It’s really true.)
Let’s wrap it up with this:
If you examine yourself now and find that you are not in a place where forgiveness of others is possible (but you want to be in such a place) – or if unforgiveness is gripping your heart and soul and you’re sick of it - cry out to the Lord God for the power to change, to be able to forgive, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus truly is a savior! He most certainly will give you the power to forgive.
.
(Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quoted is from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
.
Larry Carroll
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