The Power Of Weakness

The Power Of Weakness

Now that's a strange concept isn't it, the power of weakness.  But what comes to mind is this:

Second Corinthians 12:9,10:

 And He (Jesus) said to me (Paul), “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

We also read in Scripture this:

First Corinthians 2:3-5:

I (Paul) was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive/enticing words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

that your faith should not be/rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Now, if we look to Jesus Christ as an example here, we see the perfect example of weakness on the cross.  You know He didn't want to die here like this, but He submitted to Father God.  And what a victory it was, since it totally broke the power of Satan over us.  That's called the power of the cross.  It's the power of weakness.

But Jesus didn't always act in a weak manner, did He.  When He drove the money changers out of the Temple, He was not acting weakly.  So, is this being inconsistent?  Yes.  Well, what was the controlling factor in His life?

John 5:19:

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

And similarly, John 12:49:

 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.

So we see Jesus was completely and continually filled with, baptized in, and led by the Holy Spirit.  And we can be, too.  I want to be, every day.

Hallelujah!  Jesus!!

Larry Carroll

Everything in Moderation

08 November 2022

 It is commonly said, "Everything in moderation".  Really?  I don't think so.

Jesus said, "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."  This is a command.  DO IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART!!

On the other end of the scale, should we engage in just a moderate amount of sin?  A moderate amount of theft, a moderate amount of adultery, or a moderate amount of deception?  Of course not!

Well, where is this appropriate?  How about putting a moderate amount of food on your Thanksgiving dinner plate?  (Oh dear, now I'm meddling!  Alas!)

Larry Carroll

Trouble

Any relationship based on the attitude of "What's in it for me?" will fall apart quickly.  We know this intuitively.  We can picture someone relating to us this way and we see that person as a leech, trying to get from us as much as he can.  Not good.  We want out.

This is also true of a relationship with Father God.  Do people want to relate to Him just for what they can get out of it?  Say, for example, a ticket to heaven?  Why?  Just because it's better than hell?  (Well, yes it is.)  But if you can't relate to the Lord God now, then what are you going to do when you are looking at Him face to face in His kingdom?

OK, that's all good, but that's not where I'm going.

Rather, let's address a situation in which a believer is offended or hurt. He reacts.  He's angry.  He may say, "Hey, I thought my God would make things better for me."  (All better even?)

But the scripture says in John chapter 16 verse 33, " In the world you will have tribulation".  And we also know by experience that this is true.

Well then, what are all the promises of God, written in His Word, all about?  Is my life just driven by random chance, sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, even though I work hard?

Or is He truly a Good Shepherd?

Well, let's look at John chapter 16 verse 33 again.  It says:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  (NIV)

Again:

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  (NLT)

This is Jesus talking here.

You know, there is a lot in this relationship that benefits me now!  The Lord God has filled me with His Spirit, and because the Spirit lives in me I can:

Forgive - and that's really huge!

Rejoice in the LORD no matter what - and that's huge, too!

Not worry (when I turn my eyes upon Jesus and keep looking at Him.)

Trust Him for my sustenance and comfort.

Let me add one more thing.  In Matthew chapter 13 there is the parable of the sower that sowed good seed in different soils.  Only one of the four soils was profitable.  So:

Don't let the enemy steal your life in the Spirit.

Don't let trouble poison your life in the Spirit.

Don't let circumstances deceive you with different prizes.

Hallelujah!  Jesus!!

Blessings,

Larry Carroll

Rejoice In His Presence

So I will not glory or boast in His presence, but instead, I will REJOICE in His presence!  I will rejoice in His grace, His mercy, His peace, His love, His goodness, His salvation!  Hallelujah!

First Corinthians chapter 1, verses 26 through 29:

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 

27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;  [He chose David over Goliath or Saul]

28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Jesus!!

Larry Carroll

The Greatest, The Servant Of All

 

"The greatest among you shall be your servant."

We read this in Matthew chapter 23 verse 11.

So, who is the greatest of all?  Well, you know, you learned it in Sunday School.  Yes, Jesus is the greatest of all.  So, He must be the servant of all.

And He demonstrated His servanthood mindset when He washed the disciples' feet in John chapter 13.  They had a hard time receiving it, as expressed by Peter, and we would too, I suspect.

Now Jesus is the same, yesterday and today and forever.  Right?  It says so in Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8.

Therefore, He is your servant, too, isn't He?  So what are you worried about?

And we want to be like Him.  Do you know why?  Because we have been filled with His Holy Spirit.  (Well, I hope you have been filled with His Holy Spirit.)

Hallelujah!  Jesus!!

Larry Carroll

Holiness

Holiness is beautiful, clean, pure, and glorious, and therefore is so very, very attractive.  And you can be holy, clean, pure!  Yes, you can.  You can be transformed.  Yes, you can!  Cry out to Jesus to make you holy, clean, and pure. 

And yes, people often come to Jesus because they have a need He can fulfill.  But then, some get close and see His beauty, His glory, and the beauty of His holiness, experience His love and discover He is altogether lovely.  Oh yes, He is altogether lovely.  Really.  And so, we fall in love with Him. 

Hallelujah!  Jesus!!

Larry Carroll

Rejoice In The LORD Always

First Thessalonians chapter 5:
16 Rejoice always
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Somewhere around 1970, my father‘s friend was killed as a pedestrian walking in the street. A car hit her at night.

Her husband told my dad, "Larry, (that’s my father's name, too) I’m not thankful that my wife was killed."  My dad said the scripture doesn’t say give thanks FOR all things, it says IN everything give thanks.

OK, is this just double talk, trying to make the scripture fit reality?  (And not too well, either.)

No, we do not give thanks because our loved ones die, or misfortunes come upon us.  That's crazy!  Instead, we rejoice IN THE LORD, as it says in Philippians chapter 4.  Why?  Because He is here with us and going through it with us, feeling the pain with us.  He has revealed Himself to us, He has revealed His love and His goodness to us, and we won't let go of it, ever!

Philippians chapter 4 verse 4 "Rejoice in the LORD ALWAYS and again I say rejoice."  "Always" always includes right now!  Right?

Do you think Paul and Silas were thankful for the stripes and the wounds and being locked up in the Philippian prison?  No, they were not!  But they were rejoicing in the LORD and singing praises because He was with them, even in the prison!  They knew and were focused on His great love for them, for He had previously revealed His love and goodness.  Find this in Acts chapter 16.

A few years later, in 1978, my family had the opportunity to do this very same thing!  We gave thanks to the LORD for His goodness in all things, even when my brother died at age 14.  We were not thankful that my brother died; we grieved, but we were thankful that the LORD was with us.  He never left us.  He said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

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!

Jesus!!  Hallelujah!

Larry Carroll

Book of Job

The Book of Job

I am now reading in the book of Job, and what I see is the three friends who sat with Job in silence for seven days! When they finally started to speak, they had good things to share, at least to start.  They were all very wise, and I mean that in a good way.

However, what they had to share with Job was inappropriate, wrong, and hurtful!

If we are not led by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, we will mess up, too. I know by experience, alas.

But God...

Hallelujah!  He redeems, He comforts, He gives beauty for ashes to those who mourn!  So we have hope!  And we praise Him!  Hallelujah!

Let me say that yet again - Hallelujah!!

Larry Carroll

ASK!

 

Ask!

We are free to ask our Father in Heaven for all sorts of things.  And we should!  This is where we start, asking for personal requests where we can see answers!

However, what could we ask that would be really significant - really, really significant!?

Solomon was told to "Ask!  What shall I give you?" In First Kings 3.
And he asked well, for he asked for wisdom to take care of his people.  And he received it!

Ahaz was told to ask in Isaiah 7, but he said, "I will not ask..." which wearied both the Lord God and Isaiah, too.  This led to a prophecy of the virgin conceiving and bearing a Son, Jesus.

Then in Matthew 7, verses 7 and 8, Jesus promises that if we ask we will receive:
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

In John 15, verses 7 and 8, Jesus said:
 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

In John 16, verses 23 and 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.

Hey, this is Jesus speaking here.  Do you believe Him?

So I, Larry, asked Him, "What should I ask?"  Wisdom, as Solomon asked for sounds good, not just for me, but for all believers.  That could lead to revival!  Wonderful!

But we can do even better than that, as good as it is!

 Ask the LORD to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, as He said He would do in Acts 2 verse 17. 
Note: He said 'all'.  As they say, all means all.

Yes, join me in asking for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, On All Flesh!!  Hallelujah!

Larry Carroll

The Lord God Will Reveal Himself

"I'm not a bad person.  I never killed anyone."

How many of you have heard something like that from someone?  And the next thing said is, "So why do I need a savior?"

This could explain why Jesus said the tax collectors and prostitutes enter the Kingdom of God before the Pharisees, that is, before the law-abiding people.  If one doesn't know he or she needs a savior, needs Jesus, that person is going to be content just to live a life of self-fulfillment.

But God...

But the Lord God loves people too much to let them drift along like that, without any awareness of their peril.  He will reveal Himself, whether they like it or not, even more so if you are praying for them.  And you may recall what happened to Saul/Paul, how he was knocked to the ground and heard Jesus' loving confrontation.  The believers were praying intensely!  (Acts 9)

He'll do that with your loved ones, too.  Because He loves them!

Larry Carroll

By Your Fruits

Matthew 7

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16 You will know them by their fruits.

...

20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not ... done many wonders in Your name?’

...

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

So, "many wonderful works" in Jesus' name are not the fruits Jesus is talking about.  Then what could they be?

We get more than a good clue from Galatians 5:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

These elements of this fruit come to us when we welcome in the Holy Spirit, when we invite Jesus into our inner-most being, to save us and to shepherd us.

Note: Don't compare yourself to anyone else, whether you see fruit or not.  This is just between you and the Lord God.  Discernment comes later.

Larry Carroll

Psalm 150

Psalm 150 with my notes in parentheses.

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!

(Praise Him - where. Everywhere. You can't get away from praising Him. I hope you don't want to get away from praising Him. That He is everywhere is a good thing, isn't it?)

2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!

(Praise Him - why. For what He does and for who He is. What He does is overwhelming and who He is is also overwhelming. That's a good thing, too, isn't it? )

3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

(Praise Him - how. I suppose you can praise Him quietly, too, but don't despise the noise of others.)

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

(Praise Him - who. Everything that has breath. Well, I have breath, so this includes me. Hallelujah!!)

Praise the LORD!

ESV version

And when? Rejoice in the LORD always...

Larry Carroll

Be Content With Such Things As You Have

 

Hebrews 13 verse 5

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hmmm, let's see.  Let's work it backward.

OK, I know Jesus said He will never leave us or forsake us.  I know He is true to His word, and I know by my experience over the decades that He has always been with me.

Therefore, for this reason, I can be content with such things as I have, since I have Him.  And that contentment is based on the fact that I have, and will always have, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and all the promises of God.  And that's huge!

And therefore, since I have this assurance of complete contentment, I have no reason to be covetous. 

Well, it works for me... when I am aware of His presence (and enjoying it) and am not distracted by the world, the flesh, or the devil.

Well, LORD, am I aware of your presence right now, or am I too intent on getting the wording of this post just right?  Jesus, save!

Larry Carroll

Spirit to spirit

 

How do you describe color to a blind-from-birth person?  You can't.  Right?

Well, how does the Lord God describe things of the spirit to a natural-from-birth person?  That is, to us?  Good news, He can!  What is impossible with man is possible with God.

First Corinthians chapter 2 declares there is hidden wisdom, the wisdom of God, a mystery. (verse 7)

And in verse 9 it expands it to this, quoting from Isaiah:

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

Adding, "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit." (verse 10)

God has revealed things to us which our natural senses have no power to comprehend!  And He will continue to reveal them to us!  That's really good news!  Yes, what is impossible with man is possible with God!

But how?  Spirit to spirit!  His Spirit to our spirit.  Hallelujah!

OK, truth be told, we will start by seeing in the Spirit dimly.  But we will grow, we will see more fully as His grace enables us to exercise our faith.

How does this all start?  ASK.  Ask the Lord God to reveal Himself to you.  He wants to.

Larry Carroll 

DAILY

 

I was reading the scripture yesterday and this word jumped out at me: "DAILY"

The Lord God is not stingy with His blessings!  They do not come just once in a while!  Look!  His blessings are constant, as is He!

Psalm 68 verse 19

(English Standard Version)

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.

(New King James Version)

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!

How did Jesus demonstrate it?  He healed everyone who came to Him!

Acts 10 verse 38

(English Standard Version)

...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

And Jesus is with us now!

Hebrews 13 verse 8

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Do you need Him now?  Don't be afraid to approach Him and ask for His touch, His hand, His blessing!  He already has given you His love!

ASK!

Larry Carroll

Romans 7

Many people know, at least sorta know, that the last half of Romans chapter 7 describes a person, even a good person, as trapped in a place where that person can't do what that person wants to do.  Sin makes him/her powerless.

Verse 19 "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice."  Alas!

However, the first six verses of Romans chapter 7 describes a marriage that is terminated by the death of one of the two spouses, and says this is how it is, or can be, with us.  [And who is us?  It could be you.]  We are not hopelessly trapped in doing what we do not want to do.  How?

Verse 6 "But now we have been delivered from the law [and from the sinful nature], having died to what we were held by so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter."

Then Romans chapter 8 picks it up again, and in it, we all rejoice at our freedom in Christ Jesus.

Does this describe you?  Are you free from all that oppresses, from the law, from the curse of the law, from religion, from that which makes you do what you do not want to do?

Chapter 8 starts out this way and describes how we are delivered:

The NewLivingTranslation says it this way:

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son [Jesus] as a sacrifice for our sins. 

The NewKingJamesVersion says it this way:

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son [Jesus] in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,   [The word "flesh" here refers to our sinful nature.]

That's how we are set free.  God does it; He rescues us!  

Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!  He is the savior!  He will set you free from the bondage of sin and self!  He starts the process of setting you free!  And usually starts off with a bang!

Your part is to say "Thank you!  I need this!  I need you, Jesus.  Please set me free!  Thank you, Father God!"

Larry Carroll

Holiness

Holiness - it's a wonderful thing.  It's pure, it's clean, it's beautiful.

Psalm 29:2 tells us to "Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."

The Lord God can clean you up, make you holy, make you beautiful. And He wants to.  Let Him do it.

 Admit to Him that you really need Him, the only one who can bring you to holiness, to purity. to cleanliness, to real beauty - in Jesus.

Hallelujah!

Larry Carroll

A Glow You Can't Hide

 

Moses, as he came down the mountain from the 40 days in God's presence, had a glow he couldn't hide. So, for others' sake, he put a bag over his head.

In Second Corinthians 2:14-16, we have a fragrance for the same reason - we have been in the presence of the LORD for a significant amount of time.

And we can't hide it.

Second Corinthians 2:14-16:

14.  Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 

15.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

16.  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 

And we can't fake it.

Some people are happy with us when we diffuse the sweet smelling fragrance of LIFE all around.  But some people don't like it and want us to "put a bag over our heads".  Or maybe they'll bag our heads for us.  But even with a bag over our heads, we'll still smell sweet.

One speaker whom I respect added Psalm 23:6 here:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever!

It is so worth the price, being in the presence of the LORD. Psalm 16:11 says "In His presence is fullness of joy!"

And we don't have to go up a mountain to be in His presence, He came down the mountain to be with us continually. And He said He would never leave us or forsake us.

Jesus! Hallelujah!

Blessings,

Larry Carroll

The Lord God is generous

 

The Lord God is generous with those who are generous.

It says so in Luke chapter 6 verse 38.

Read it in its context.

This is Jesus Christ talking here.

Blessings,

Larry Carroll

Soft Hearts

 

Our nation is divided, our politics are divided, and our news media has reported the nation as divided along lines that are not the root of the problem.  It's not right vs. left.

The real division in this nation is between people with soft hearts, people that care for others, vs. people with hard hearts.

People with soft hearts see a need and want to meet it somehow.  People with hard hearts don't care about any of it.

People with soft hearts see many needs, such as:

Pregnant women that feel like they need to make a choice between having this baby or survival.  To them, this is not just a fetus, this is their baby.  Yet to survive - how?

People, especially children, that are hungry.

People, especially children, that are chronically sick.

People in substandard housing.

People that have disabilities.

Young girls that are ensnared in sex trafficking.

People that have suffered loss due to natural disasters, whether they be hurricanes, floods, or wildfires.

People that are troubled or depressed or somehow need psychological help.

People that are lonely.

Immigrants that need to be integrated into our culture.

And actually, we see these needs exist all over the world!

What to do?  Well, if the needy is someone we know personally, then we can personally get involved.  And that will costs us something, money most likely, probably some time, too.

Soft hearted people are the people that give!  These are the people that volunteer to visit the sick, and/or tutor the ESL classes, and/or volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, or spend time and money to make food banks work, or make pregnancy resource centers functional.

If nothing else, they donate big time!

Of course, some needs are really beyond us personally, but we still care about these people that are caught in whatever trap has them.  OK, we can make donations, even small donations like $30 / month for a needy child in a developing country.

We know that a baby in the womb is just as precious as her mother who is struggling to survive.  Both are precious.

To say people that call themselves pro-life are only anti-abortion is really wrong.

And people that are pro-choice for the most part most likely don't want to see babies die in the womb, or even at all!

Soft hearted people: come together!  Work together!  Support each other!

Hallelujah!

OK, what have I missed?

Larry Carroll

Philippians 1:21, And Transitioning To a New Normal

The past few months I've been battling an on-and-off cough and with it an on-and-off runny nose.  It's gotten tiresome.  (The prescription for now is a Symbicort inhaler and OTC allergy relief medicine.)
Also, for the first time in 50 years, I am not going to be maintaining my yard.  A landscaping company will take over the task.
Also, walking around the neighborhood is doable, but, again, tiresome.
And finally, I have accepted my kids' declaration that I am a high-risk older person, and should stay home during this COVID-19 emergency!

So I feel like I started to transition from young-old to old-old.  Oh, I just started, I'm not really anywhere near old-old, but on the path.

A while back Philippians 1:21 caught my attention, which says, "for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  What caught my attention at first is the second phrase, "to die is gain".  That's comforting, and I truly believe it.  However, I knew right away that (for me at this time) this would be a selfish outcome.  So I will not entertain this thought.  It would be a selfish thing since many people I love, especially family, would be hurt badly.

Now I am focusing on the first phrase, "for me to live is Christ", since that is where I am.  I'm not dead yet, nowhere near dead.

So, I will get better.  I will pray.  I will heal.  I will strengthen myself.  I will rejoice in the LORD and praise His holy name.

And I want to enjoy the promise in Psalm 92 verses 12 through 14 which says, "the righteous...will still bear fruit in old age."  So I will still bear fruit in old age.  That sounds exciting, actually.

Hallelujah!

Blessings,
Larry Carroll

I'm Gonna Sing, in the Middle of the Storm

Raise a Hallelujah (I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm)

(Bethel Music)

I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies
I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me

I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!

We're living in a storm today, 16 March 2020.

The Coronavirus is here!  We have no vaccine for it!
Schools, churches, businesses are closed, some for two weeks.  Who knows, maybe longer.
Supermarkets were cleaned out last week, and it could happen again.
People are being laid off.
The stock markets are losing about 1/3 of their value.

But (some of the) Italians are singing from their balconies.  I like that.  Good for them, well, it's good if they have hope.

Singing in the middle of the storm is what Paul and Silas did in the Philippian prison, in Acts chapter 16.  Why?  Because the LORD promised them (and us) that He would never leave them or forsake them.  He was with them.  And they had a great deliverance!

The LORD said He will never leave you, too, since He is the same today as He was then.  And He is no respecter of persons.  Do you believe it?  Believe it!

___________________________________

A confirming scripture from Luke chapter 12, NKJV

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Believe it!

The Good News

The Good News

A friend of ours was talking with Helen and me last night and was asking how we can know that one religion is the best one, or is the right one.  He then said that for a community to live in an orderly fashion, it's just logical that people should not take other peoples' stuff or their wives, or kill each other, and that they should tell the truth, and give honor where it is due.  So how do we know which religion is right, since they "all" point us in a direction to do what's right?

Well, OK, since a religion is primarily a code of behavior, or a code of conduct, then anyone of them (maybe not some crazy ones) can setup a code that enables people to live orderly lives.  This is what governments attempt to do with laws.

But that is not the gospel; that is not the good news.  The good news is Jesus Christ: all He is, all He has done, all He is doing, all He has revealed to us, all He has freed us from, and all He enables us to do.

Jesus revealed to us what the Lord God is like, since He is God come as a Man.  [If you want to know what God is like, look closely at Jesus Christ.]  Jesus showed us that the Lord God wants to treat us as His own kids, to be to us a loving Father, to draw us to Himself, with only our best interests in mind.

Jesus made it possible for us to come into, and enjoy, Father's presence.  He setup the family as a model.  We see this as we read the first four books in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which describe Jesus explicitly.  In fact, the whole Bible reveals the goodness of God and His desire to develop a loving relationship with each of us.

Alas, I'm afraid many Christians see "Christianity" as just a good code of conduct, which hopefully will enable them to get along well with their neighbors and coworkers.  The afterlife is just a big unknown that we don't want to talk about.  Alas.  And God is scary!

No!  Father God is not scary!  Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and come to you, and to reveal His goodness, His mercy, His grace, His joy, His peace, His love!  Ask!

Larry Carroll

The Parable of the Fig Tree And The Purpose of the Fig Tree

The Parable of the Fig Tree
The Purpose of the Fig Tree

In Matthew 21 we read:
18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.
19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

In Mark 11 we read:
12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.
13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”
...
20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

There is a lot written on this account in the commentaries, since it is quite surprising, and to some people quite troubling. Why was this tree "cursed"? The fig tree is one of the things that symbolizes the Jewish nation, not just here, but elsewhere. And that's what people see here. OK, I understand that.

However, I see something else, in addition to the usual lesson.

Here is what came to me this morning:

Jesus cursed the fig tree, yes, but He didn't say, "Die", or anything like it. He just said, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again -or- Let no one eat fruit from you ever again." Same thing.

Here's my thought: If something alive loses its purpose for living, why should it continue to live?

So the fig tree died immediately. Having beautiful, showy leaves is not a good enough purpose for a fig tree to live. It must bear fruit. Let me repeat; it must bear fruit.

The same is true for people. People, individuals, need a reason or a purpose to live. They need significance. They need to "bear fruit."

Do you have a purpose? Yes, you do. Do you know what it is? Hey, the enemy is lying to so many and telling them they have no purpose, no value, no reason to live. It's a lie! Is this lie being spoken to you? Reject it!

OK, here are two reasons to live that Jesus gave us in Mark chapter 12. This is for everyone!
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.
31 And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

So, start here!

Larry Carroll

He Still Speaks Today

The Lord God still speaks - to me, and to us.  Most recently He spoke to me through the scriptures, confirming what Pastor John James shared with us Sunday, 30 June 2019.

I was thinking about all of the wonderful blessings the LORD showers on us, on Helen and me, as is written in Psalm 103.  "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits;"  verse 2.  No, I don't want to forget them.

The thought came to me, "Why should the blessings all flow in one direction only?"  His blessings express His great love for us, and I'm really, REALLY, glad to receive them, but I'd like to express my love and my gratitude back to Him.  He truly is altogether lovely!

Oh yes, I know, He doesn't need anything from me.  In Psalm 50 verse 12 He says, "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness."  Yes, praise and worship is good and right, and I love it.  But what can I do to express my love back to Him, other than that?

Then I was reminded of Matthew 25:31-46.

I'll summarize it with what is written in verse 40:
40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Thank you, LORD, for still speaking to us.

Hallelujah!

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Here is the full context of verse 40 just mentioned:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”   (New King James Version)

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At this point, I really want to encourage you all to get familiar with the scriptures, that is, the Bible.  Pick a version that is easy for you to read.  Just read a little at a time.  Start in the four books called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which are called the Gospels.  Gospel means "Good News".  And what is written in the Gospels about Jesus and His love for us is truly good news!

Larry Carroll

Never Give Up

Last week I saw a video on YouTube in which a professor from the Army War College in Carlisle, PA explained General Robert E. Lee's reason for invading the North.  The target was Harrisburg, PA.  The goal was to deliver a stunning defeat to the Union and destroy their will to win.

To destroy the Union's will to win was the only hope the Confederates had to win a negotiated settlement and survive, since the Union, the North, had so much more in resources than the Confederacy had.

And, to destroy our will to win is our enemy's strategy, too.  The LORD God has given us, individually and collectively, so much more in resources than Satan has.  Satan cannot win!  It's impossible - except if we give up.

See Galatians 6:9 which reads:
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up, or lose heart."

Rejoice!

We Will Not Be Lost In The Crowd

2019 April 15

Today I was reading through Matthew and finished the great Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5, 6, and 7.  Then I came to the start of chapter 8 and read this: Great multitudes followed Him. (Matthew 8:1)  Oh, I would, too.  I'm sure it was amazing!

But, alas, very few could get close to Him - while He was here on earth.

And this is the picture many (maybe most) have of a great multitude in heaven praising Him and worshiping Him around His Throne.  In that picture most of us see ourselves as so far back that we're just lost in the crowd.  Yes, this is a picture suggested in Revelation 5 verses 11 and 12.

11. Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
12. saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Again, amazing!  But this picture is incomplete, IF we see it as though we can't get close to Him in heaven.

Hey, it's better than that NOW, because He went away and sent "The Comforter", the Holy Spirit, to live in each of us!  So we are never alone, if we have opened ourselves up to allow the Holy Spirit to come in. Therefore, we can personally and intimately commune with Him NOW.  We can let our requests be made known to Him and receive His embrace NOW.  We can also receive personal guidance and direction in how to live.  This is true NOW.  And it will be even better then.

It can't be better now than when we are in heaven!

How will it be possible to be intimate with our precious Jesus, yet part of a great multitude praising Him?  Well, Luke 18 verse 27 says, "What is impossible with man/people is possible with God."  He will make a way.  In fact, He is doing it NOW!

We will not be lost in the crowd in heaven.  Hallelujah!

Larry Carroll

Enhance, Amplify, Augment, Boost, Elevate, Enlarge, Heighten, Increase, Magnify, etc

In Matthew 6 we read:
1. When you do a charitable deed..., verses 2&3
2. When you pray..., verses 5,6&7
3. When you fast..., verses 16&17

"Surely" one can do charitable deeds without praying. And "surely" one can pray without fasting. BUT, fasting enhances our prayers, and praying enhances our charitable deeds.

What? These enhancements make the action more effective, and dare I say, likely much more anointed.

Oh, you don't really need these enhancements. (Don't quote me on that.) But life is much better, and your service to others is much better, when it is enhanced (etc.), and frankly, this enhancement, this anointing, could mean the difference between success and failure.

See Matthew chapter 6 for instructions on prayer and fasting.

Larry
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P.S. Another enhancement to our lives is mentioned in First Corinthians 14. In verse 4 it says that the person that prays in tongues, (a.k.a., in the spirit) builds himself or herself up. So there is benefit here. You don't have to, but it's better if you do.

See First Corinthians chapter 14 for instructions on using this grace called "praying in tongues".

Hey, God is for you! This life is not supposed to be hard, if your gaze is fixed on Jesus!

God Is Good

God is good.

How do I know? Well, there are several places in the Bible that declare it to be so.

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
Psalm 119:68 You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 136:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Lamentations 3:22-23 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

These are all wonderful, but the PRIMARY REASON is this: Jesus came down and showed us what God is like. In John 14 verse 9 Jesus said to Philip, "He that has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus is the express image, the exact representation of God in all respects. And Jesus was good!

While on earth "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." as it says in Acts 10 verse 38. And then finally Jesus paid for our sin so that we are spared the penalty.

He is still good, since Hebrews 13 verse 8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

That's how I know that God is good.

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Hey, I never thought of this until yesterday, but God has been good from eternity past, which means He was good during Old Testament times, too. Many people think somehow He was kinda angry before Christ came to earth. Then? Did He change? No, God did not and does not change.

Larry Carroll

Ready For Battle?

Psalm 78:9-11

A sad account:

9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle.

Why?

10 They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law,

11 And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them.

What about me, Jesus? When might my day of battle be? (Answer: Every day in some ways)

I must be ready and willing. More than that, I must be eager. How can I be eager? By remembering Your previous victories, Jesus, and expecting further victories, since You, Jesus, are the same, yesterday, and today, and forever.

Hallelujah!

Larry Carroll

Mentoring - Sort Of

Is there a near synonym that implies a light form of mentoring?  Mentoring without really paying attention to it?  I am looking for that word.

About 35 years ago, a group of men decided to have a breakfast meeting in which each of these men would ask their individual mentors to come and speak.  I was asked.

I was not prepared to say anything, because I did not see myself as a mentor to the man who claimed me as his mentor.  So I told them basically, "I have nothing to say here."

More recently a guy started calling me one of his mentors.  Why?  All we did was eat together and talk a little, and I visited him in the hospital.  We still chat on the phone occasionally.

But now I see what it is: people are watching us.  People talk about kids watching and copying their parents.  It looks like adults do the same thing with someone they respect.  Oh, I guess these two guys felt loved, too.

You can be an example to others, right?  Well, you are doing it, even if you don't realize it.

Larry Carroll

Why?

There are exceptions to this, but there are many people who are not interested in a given subject if they see no use for it in "real" life.

One way people express this is, "When am I ever going to need to know this?" Or, "When am I ever going to use this?"

I've been there - in my junior year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute taking Advanced Calculus, which is beyond third semester Calculus. And, in fact, as far as I know, I have never used anything in this subject in the 55 years since I took it.

I believe many people view the Bible in the same way, saying, "When am I ever going to need to know this?"

Another way the Bible is disregarded is, "I already know all I need to know about it!" And, therefore, I can ignore it. My grandmother said that was how my grandfather felt about the Bible, and he was a preacher's kid. Alas. (But maybe she was wrong about him.)

Why should I read the Bible?

Well, OK, what use is it to read the Bible? This: that the Lord God reveals Himself either little by little or very profoundly as we read the Bible. This is NOT an academic exercise! (Anyone agree here?) Oh, OK, except for students in religious schools.

Knowing that the Lord God reveals Himself in the reading, the enemy of your soul wants to distract you from this effort, and He's very good at it. I know, I get distracted a lot.

Where to start? How to proceed? Ask the Lord to help, and maybe ask a friend to help, too. I will say this; start by reading about Jesus in the first four books of the New Testament, called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Yes, there will be many references to parts of the Old Testament there that either you'll just have to pass over or else write down as a question for someone else, but these books still reveal Jesus as the great Lover of all. They reveal what He was like, and that reveals what Father God is like, since Jesus on earth was the exact image of His Father in every respect.

You will also benefit from reading the Psalms. But my advice is to start with the books about Jesus. Of course, you can read whatever part you want to, and I trust that eventually you will read it all.

Larry Carroll
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P.S.
Now let me go off on a tangent. How else does the Lord Jesus reveal Himself to us? Well, the Bible is the baseline, but there are four ways listed in John chapter 5. They all must agree, or at least not disagree.

Here in John chapter 5, Jesus is telling a crowd who or what reveals Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

1. First, at that time there was John the Baptist. John's purpose in life was to reveal Jesus as the Son of God to the crowds. We have people in our lives that fulfill that same role, revealing Jesus as Lord. So, look for these people!

2. Second, Jesus said the works that He does reveal who He is, which is still true today. So, watch! See what He is doing! And find out what He has done over the centuries.

3. Third, Jesus said God the Father also reveals who Jesus is, speaking directly to our spirit, that is, to our inner being. So with this, you just know something. How do you know? You just know. But it has to agree with the Bible, which is also known as the Word of God. So, listen to the voice within! It should give you peace. If it does not, then ask if it does or does not agree with Scripture. And talk about it to a friend.

4. Fourth, the Bible, also known as the Scriptures, reveals Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. So, read it! Start here!

There is a passage in Scripture which says, "And you will seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you..." (Jeremiah 29 verses 13 and 14.) You will find Him, because He wants you to find Him. He is for you! He wants to relate to you in a good way!

His name is Jesus, or Yeshua, in Hebrew.

Hallelujah!

We Walk By Faith, Not By Sight.

II Corinthians 5 verse 7
We walk by faith, not by sight.

We should walk by faith in what the Lord God says, not by our circumstances.  Our circumstances are true, but what the Lord God is saying is "more true".  Yes, what He says is overriding truth, the ultimate truth.

Now here is an example where Peter walked by faith, and not by sight.
Perhaps you have heard someone say, "Do you know anyone other than Jesus that has walked on water?"  This is a well meaning attempt to point out the uniqueness of Jesus and differentiate Him from everyone else.  And, yes, He is unique.  He is (still) fully God and fully Man.

However, to that question, I would have to answer, "Well, yes, I do know someone else.  Peter the apostle walked on water, according to Matthew 14 verse 29."

"Well, he attempted to walk on water."  No, he succeeded in walking on water because he heard Jesus say "Come", as verse 29 says.  And hearing Jesus say something makes all the difference.

Here is Matthew 14 verses 28-30:
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”  (And Jesus did save him.)

OK, so Peter really did walk on water.  But understand this - he did it at the command of Jesus, even though Peter requested the command. (In this case it seems like Jesus' command was much like an authorization to proceed.)

Jesus' commands enable us.  His commands are good, and First John 5 verse 3 says that they are not burdensome or grievous.  And Jesus' commands are sometimes (often?) the doorway to new adventures.  So, listen!

This is a profound lesson for us today.  (No, not that anyone should attempt to copy Peter on the water.)

What we have here is:
1. Jesus commanded Peter to come (after Peter requested it.)
2. Peter succeeded in walking on water - only as he kept his eyes on Jesus (faith), and not on the waves (his circumstances).  But when his attention turned to the waves (his circumstances), he slipped away.

We can rejoice with Peter that Jesus then saved him from his circumstances.  And that was good, but only second best, don't you think?

The lesson here is this: I must only act either on what I have truly heard the Lord tell me, or on what are clear principles in scripture since this is also what the Lord God is telling us.  And when I hear it, I should go for it!

So, walk by faith.  It's exciting!  The enemy will try to use circumstances to distract us from fixing our eyes on Jesus.  But you can defeat the enemy by keeping your eyes on the LORD, on Jesus.

Hallelujah!

Larry Carroll

Thanksgiving 2018

Thanksgiving 2018

First Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7 says in part, "And what do you have that you did not receive?"

Well, I'll tell you the answer to that question. NOTHING! There isn't anything you have that you did not receive!

So - what can I, what should I, give thanks to my Father in Heaven for? EVERYTHING GOOD!

I'm trying to wrap my mind, my head, my thoughts, around this, but I know it's just too much to grasp.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hallelujah!

Larry Carroll

No flesh should glory in His presence

From First Corinthians chapter 1:

 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

No flesh shall, or will, or can, glory or boast in His presence!

And that flesh includes me (and you).

And I want to live in His presence!  NOW!  Here and now!  Why?  Because in His presence is fullness of joy! (as it says in Psalm 16 verse 11)  I believe it.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.  Romans chapter 3 verse 27 says so, and it is so obvious.

But hey, First Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7 addresses this in this way:

Contemporary English Version
What is so special about you?  What do you have that you were not given?  And if it was given to you, how can you brag? 

Good News Translation
Who made you superior to others?  Didn't God give you everything you have?  Well, then, how can you boast, as if what you have were not a gift? 

OK, I understand.  Nothing I have is intrinsically or inherently mine.  How can I boast?  I can't.  Oh, but my flesh wants to.  Alas!  What to do?  OK, I know - as this song says:

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.

Hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do it.

Jesus Christ is Lord of all!  Really!

Here, It's The Opposite

When people learn to drive a car or fly an airplane, the goal is to be licensed to drive or fly alone.  It implies freedom.

Not so in the Spirit.  Here, it's the opposite.  Here, we start out driving alone and need to learn to become merely a passenger (who can sit up in the front seat).

Why?  Because it's A LOT better to let the Holy Spirit (i.e. God, or the Spirit of Jesus Christ) drive!
1. He knows where He's going and,
2. It's so wonderfully satisfying to be in His presence!

“In Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8).

YES!

Larry Carroll

Psalm 150:6

Psalm 150 verse 6 says, Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Well, I have breath, so ..., "HALLELUJAH!!"

And you have breath, so ... ?

Write It Down

OK, what?

Well, there's the daily or weekly To Do list.  Many people have such a list.  This is good.

And there are names of people who we are meeting for the first time.  Names are important since people really like it if they see we remember their names.  But the names must be stored away for reference, rather than lost on a piece of scrap paper.

And for some of us, it helps to write down requests that loved ones have given us.  For example, I arise in the morning earlier than Helen does.  She has requested that I open the bedroom window shade (there are still curtains there) such that the light will enable her to get up.  I have written this down and it is prominently displayed on my dresser.

In the past, I have encouraged people to write down thoughts in a journal.  But now I am expanding on this idea.  This may be because I'm at a place where I need to write down more and more essentials.

A journal is not the same as a diary.  In a diary, we document our daily events.  In a journal, we write down insights and thoughts that the LORD gives to us, and the evident blessings that the LORD does for us -  in short, what He says and what He does.  And this is most important, since we forget - ah, but vaguely remember that the LORD told us something a half hour ago.  (But what was it?  It was really good!  Oh gosh!)  And it is lost.  (Or is this just me?)

Or, the LORD comes through and saves us big time.  It is quite evident that the LORD intervened here.  Have you then heard someone say, "Oh, I'll NEVER forget this!"  Yeah, well maybe.  But we can forget important details.  Anyway, these events have the potential to become testimonies to the grace and mercy of the LORD for you to share with others.  But more importantly, they are for you to remember as a testimony and to share with yourself the next time you find yourself in a tough place.

This is so very important.

Blessings!

Larry Carroll

BUT

BUT

Here are two statements:
1. It is written, and the LORD has said (something).
2. This is what I see.

If these two statements disagree, (which happens sometimes), which one comes before the word  BUT, and which one comes after the word  BUT?

Is it:
It is written, and the LORD has said (something),  BUT  this is what I see.

Or is it:
This is what I see,  BUT  it is written, and the LORD has said (something else).

OK, understand this: what comes after the BUT is more true to the speaker/writer than what comes before the BUT.

Well, what would it be if Helen had said something and circumstances disagreed?  I would choose to believe my wife of nearly 53 years, because I know her, and she will never lie to me.
Therefore, it is:  This is what I see,  BUT  Helen has said something else.  I choose to believe Helen.

The same is true for Father God, the LORD.  He will never lie to me.  So therefore, for me:
This is what I see,  BUT  It is written, and the LORD has said something else.
I choose to believe Father God.  BTW, this is how Jesus handled temptation in Matthew chapter 4.

So we all get to choose what to believe as really true, and what to dismiss as less true.

Larry Carroll