Are you willing to listen? Proverbs 23:12

Hello good friends,

   God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!

  Solomon said a lot of things in Proverb and I can't help but wonder if it wasn't from his past experience. 

  Here is Saying 12 

PROVERBS 23: 12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. 

THE PEOPLE MOST LIKELY TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE ARE THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO LISTEN. IT IS A SIGN OF STRENGTH, NOT WEAKNESS, TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY.

People who are eager to listen continue to learn and grow throughout their lives. If we refuse to become set in our ways, we can always expand the limits of our knowledge. 

Where are you today? Set hard and fast or willing to listen and learn? Food for thought!!!

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny 

How close to you stand to the world? What is your "LOT" in life?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!

  Today, let us look at Lot, Abram's nephew.  Lot lost his father at a young age but had good role models in his grandfather Terah and his uncle Abram (later Abraham).  Lot was not a "bad" person, however he did seem to live for the moment and did not see further ahead.  He did not always see the consequences of his actions.

  Lot tended to drift somewhat and he often walked with the evil or sinful world. We'll get to that in a moment.

  Abram left Egypt and went into the Negev taking his wife and Lot, his nephew.Abram was rich in livestock, gold and silver and he moved everything, landing between Bethel and Ai.  Lot, largely in part due to his uncle Abram, had become wealthy with flocks of sheep, goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. (Gen. Chpt. 13).  There became a conflict between the herdsmen of Lot and Abram.

   Abram did not want this to come between him and Lot and they were close kin. He gave lot the choice of the land to choose.  Lot saw the plush green valley of the Jordan Valley.  Very lush and appealing to the eye, Lot chose this, the Jordan Valley.  Abram took the land of Canaan.  Lot moved.

  So, Lot moved his tents close to Sodom and settled in the cities of the plains.  The people here were very wicked and sinned willingly against the LORD.

  During this time a war broke out, Lot was captured but one of his servants escaped, went to Abram, and Abram saved Lot.  But this is not the point.

  Let's get to the point.  God told Abraham (renamed) HE was going to destroy Sodom.  Abraham tried to barter with God.  It ends up 2 angels are sent   to Lot.

   Please understand that Lot had now moved from the plains nearby to Sodom and had a position of authority at Sodom and Gomorrah.  He was distressed about the evil that surrounded him, yet he did not take the initiative  .to do something about it.

   Lot takes in the 2 angels and protects them.  The townsmen wanted to abuse the angels and Lot offered his daughters instead.  Wow!  Think about that!

  When told what was to happen Lot tried to take his family and son-in-laws (?) but they thought he was joking.   Early in the day Lot, his wife and daughters left with the angels and told not to look back..

  Here is the point----Lot lived in harmony with sin, not trying to change it. Peter says Lot was a righteous man.  Lot was not excited about leaving, but did at the insistence of the angels. A note here, once you leave that sin, do not look back and entertain the thoughts of how good you thought it was.  Look up, look forward, and walk with GOD.

  Many Christians do not want to offend others by sharing the gospel. We offer excuses, I........don't know enough; don't speak well; have a fear of rejection. If we don't speak up the world will grow deaf and not be sensitive to the words of our Savior. Matthew 10:32-33.  What fruit did Lot bear? What fruit do you bear? Are you bold and courageous for GOD?

   Look at your life now and see!  Are you living as Lot did, rubbing elbows with sin; or as Abraham and a true man/woman of God?  In todays world of turmoil, mixed sexuality, anti-God thinking, WE, you and I have to be strong and go forth with Bible knowledge and the Holy Spirit and share with anyone and everyone.

   Thank you for taking this ride with me.  I hope you understand the gest and idea of my study today. Love you all.

In Chriist's Love and Grace

Johnny

You have to remember (John 14:1-2) Who is in charge? Not Charles or any other....

 

Good morning all.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!!

  Wow!  With everything going on in the world it is difficult to not think, worry, fret, and be discouraged or upset.  However, we have to remember who is in charge. Some think Biden, some Putin, some believe NATO, and in Ukraine some think the president and some don't know.

  Then all of this takes our focus off what is truly the most important and vital for our future ---- GOD!!  Yes, the people in Ukraine are being "murdered" by Russians, and they are concerned about their families, which is normal.  They must take precautions.

  In American, where we are extremely privileged  we are concerned about the supply train and the gas prices.  Everyone everywhere has the priorities that pop up and disappear, or pop up and remain for a lengthy period of time.

  Wildfires burning in Florida, threats of tornadoes and hurricanes, many many things come and threaten our very existence.  However, there is one that came, created, sent, and saved, and we must keep HIM number one in our lives.

  This is what Jesus said in JOHN  14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

  We must BELIEVE, and not just believe, but BELIEVE IN GOD and JESUS!!

Does this solve your current problem and take away the situation?  No!  But it gives you HOPE!

  Further on John 14: ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

  If something catastrophic happens we know that Jesus went to prepare a place for you and for me.  This is the Hope and Faith we have to cling to. GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL.  Why is all this happening?  God only knows. 

  Yes, we worry, we fret, we stew, we become anxious, yet it all rests in God's hands.  HE gives us the ability to think things through, but still our reliance needs to be on HIM.  Thank you for reading today.  Love you all.

In Christ"s Love and Grace

Johnny

How do we grow stronger in Christ? John 15:1-2

 

Good morning all, God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!

  So often we use our lips, tongue, and voice accompanied with head knowledge to say the things we "think" we should say.  This happens so much in the Christian community. 

  We can talk a good talk, but we wobble when we walk.  What does Jesus say? He is the true vine.  What comes out from the vines......many little branches.  With care these branches grow to greater heights and become fruitful.  But to be cared for they need extra help. God the Father is the husbandman. A husbandman is one who cultivates what is growing.

   As you read the verse below it is stated that every branch that does not bear fruit will be taken away, and the ones that do bear fruit will be cared for and bring forth more fruit.

  Where are you today in your walk with Jesus?  Fruitful or fruitless?  It is time we all reflect and become the branch that bears fruit.

 John 15: 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Thank you for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Jesus said, "Follow me"; can you or do you really? Hmmm!

 Good morning all.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!

  Will you follow Jesus?  Let's look at this and not just think, but meditate on it.  Matthew 4:19 And He said unto them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  And what happened?  These 2 men, Simon Peter and Andrew, got up left their fishing nets and began to follow Jesus Christ.  Huh?  Who is this man that is a complete stranger telling them to follow Him and they do.  Think about how this could have come about.  Why did they leave EVERYTHING BEHIND and follow Jesus?

  Then we come to another and see what Jesus told him.  Luke 9: 61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow Thee, but let me first go bid those farewell who are at home at my house.”  

  Here is another man wanting to follow Jesus and what is the difference between him and  Peter and Andrew?  The first two dropped everything and went with Jesus; then this man wanted to do what.  Go back and tell his household goodbye. So how does Jesus respond to this?

  Luke 9: 62 And Jesus said unto him, “No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”   What does Jesus mean from this? What does Jesus want from us?  Total dedication, not half-hearted commitment.  We cannot pick and choose which ideas of Jesus we wish to follow, we can't follow him at our will.  We have to accept the cross along with the crown.  We have to willing to abandon everything and not look back. Think of Lots wife--do you want to be a pillar of salt?

  What do you think Paul has to say?   Phillipians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended it, but this one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

  Paul is telling us to forget our past and go forth to "those things which are before";  and what does Paul mean by this?  Phillipans 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.   Paul, who was Saul, did many things in his past (killing Christians) for which he is now repentant of and we all have things in our past that we regret.  But, we must not dwell or hang on to those things of the past, but move forward and reach for the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus.

  As in 1 Corinthians 9:24 - we don't just run a race to run; we run the race to win.  We are all in this race together, the difference is that we all may win.  If you and I run the race for Jesus Christ, WE CAN ALL BE WINNERS and claim the prize!  The prize of ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD!!!  Amen and Amen!  

  Thank you for reading with me today. Love you all. Don't let down, run to win souls for Jesus!

In Christ's love and grace,

Johnny

Will you share your faith? When will you start? Today? Now?

 

Good morning and God's blessings to you,

   God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!!

  I have 2 thoughts to share with you today.  First, about Penn Jilette, the magician from Penn & Teller.  A few years ago a man came up to Penn and gave him a small book and said I wrote something in the front.  The book was a small New Testament and the Book of Psalms.  Now you need to understand that Penn is an Atheist.

Jillette, moved by the man’s gesture, recalled: “He was kind, and nice, and sane, and looked me in the eyes, and talked to me, and then gave me this Bible.”

“I’ve always said,” Jillette explained, “I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe there is a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward.

“How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate someone to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?”

Please, RE-READ THE BOLD WORDS ABOVE.  This is from an Atheist asking how much do you and I, Christians, have to hate someone to not tell them about eternal life.  Food for thought.  We often get in our comfort zone and refuse or are very reluctant to step out and tell people about Jesus Christ, the greatest man who ever lived.  WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

  The second thought that, to me, relates to what Penn was saying is this.  I was at a friends house a few days ago and we were sitting outside by the firepit and had a great fire going.  I found a small twig on the ground and decided to throw it in the fire. 

Once I did I watched it intently, as the twig lay there I saw it move slightly from the intense heat. It was as if it was withering in pain from the heat.  It was very small but did not just catch fire immediately.  As it moved, or withered in the heat slowly it started turning gray, but not yet on fire.

  As I watched the twig withering and not catching fire my thoughts turned to hell.  Is this what hell would be like?  Withering in pain, in agony, and getting no relief?  Wishing to catch fire and be extinguished forever and permanently?  Then I thought about the rich man and Lazarus, when the rich man asked for just a drop of water on his tongue to relieve some of the agony.

  Because of this and what my pastor said in church Sunday, I felt moved to buy some small crosses and share those with people on a daily basis.  I will have a tool to share and let God open the door for me to be a witness for HIM.  What about you?  Will you let God, the Holy Spirit lead you and share with others? Again, as Penn said:  “How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate someone to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?”

Thank you for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Offer encouragement and Lay aside your man-made laws and legalism

 Good morning all.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

  How often do people wish to EXALT THEMSELVES to a higher position, caring not for others?  How often do people pass others by because they are ALL ABOUT THEMSELVES, when a nice word or smile could make a difference?  Hmmm.

  Let me write a little essay taken off the internet:

  That man that you want to confront because he has a hat on in church, might be taking chemo and is trying to cover his head.

    That woman who you want to rebuke for wearing raggedy pants in church might be a struggling single mother who just got off work and is doing her best to keep her kids in church.

   That crying baby that disturbed the service may be hungry because his family can't afford food but they're trusting God for a miracle.

    That man who came in with long hair and a bad smell might be on the verge of suicide, but in an attempt to get help, walks in the House of God.

    Be careful who you criticize. Lay aside your man-made laws and legalism.  We are to bring people in, not kick them out.

    Yesterday at church pastor mentioned a "GREETER" at a small church in the country that observed a car arriving that looked as if it had been in a wreck.  A lady exited the car and was not exactly well kept.  The "GREETER" met her in the parking lot and told her she was not welcome there.  The lady was humiliated and left.  A great Christian example was not set forth here.  How often have you or someone with you reacted the way the greeter did?

   A good lesson is in Luke 14 and here is what Jesus said in Luke 14:  11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

  Where are you today my friend?  Are you the Christian that judges; OR, are you the Christian who offers a word of encouragement or maybe just a smile and nod of acknowledgement?  Something to think about. Thanks for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny