Thor’s Day Thundering | 31 July 2014 – I Change Not

Another facet of the diamond called “faithful” we looked at on Monday is the attribute that God is immutable; He never changes.

Malachi 3:6 (KJV)

6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Hebrews 1:3 (KJV)

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, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Hebrews 6:13 (KJV)

13  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

When God gives His word He keeps it! When He promised Abraham He had to sware by Himself because there is none greater. Hebrews 1:3 says everything that exists is upheld by “the word” of His power. Malachi 3:6 says the Lord, God, never changes. If He did the world would dissolve, consuming the sons of Jacob.

Here’s the problem. What do you do with the dialog between Abraham and God concerning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah found in Genesis 18? When Abraham learned of God’s plan to destroy the cities Abraham began to negotiate a settlement to save the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

“If there are fifty righteous people will you spare them?” God said He would.

Abraham countered, “What about forty? Would you spare them?” God said He would.

“Thirty?” Yes. “Twenty?” Yes. “Ten?” Yes.

Even though there were not even ten righteous, God still allowed Lot and his family to flee before the destruction. So, looking at this story can you still say the God did not change? YES. God did not change because it is His nature to extend grace! God showing mercy on Lot and others simply expresses an attribute of God: He is merciful.

Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)

8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

The grace and mercy of God is still available to us through Jesus. Thank God today for His mercy and grace constantly being extended toward you. Thank God that He does not change.

Wednesday Wit | 30 July 2014 - And Then the Fight Started

My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, 'What's on TV?'
I said, 'Dust.'
And then the fight started...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.
"I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please."
He said, "Aren't you worried about mad cow?""
Nah, she can order for herself."
And then the fight started...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.
She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband,
'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly.
I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's near perfect.'
And then the fight started.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95.
Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95.
I told her the beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream.
And then the fight started....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
My wife asked me if a certain dress made her butt look big. I told her not as much as the dress she wore yesterday
and then the fight started.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A man and a woman were asleep like two innocent babies.
Suddenly, at 3 o'clock in the morning, a loud noise came from outside.
The woman, bewildered, jumped up from the bed and yelled at the man
'Holy crap. That must be my husband!'
So the man jumped out of the bed; scared and naked jumped out the window. He smashed himself on the ground, ran through a thorn bush and to his car as fast as he could go.
A few minutes later he returned and went up to the bedroom and screamed at the woman, 'I AM your husband!'
The woman yelled back, 'Yeah, then why were you running?'
And then the fight started.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
My wife and I are watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?"
"No," she answered.
I then said, "Is that your final answer?"
She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying "Yes."
So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."
And that's when the fight started..

Tuesday Thrombosis | 29 July 2014 – Unfaithfulness

Yesterday’s post looked at the faithfulness of God. Today let’s look at what happens when man is unfaithful.

I love the forthright way that Solomon went about articulating the wisdom that God shared with him. Remember, Solomon asked for wisdom. In turn, God gave it to him.

1 Kings 4:29 (KJV)

29  And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

1 Kings 5:12 (KJV)

12  And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

1 Kings 10:24 (KJV)

24  And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

You’ve got to admit the man was wise. When all the earth sought after Solomon because of his wisdom he clearly must have had something to say.

Look at what he had to say about unfaithful men.

Proverbs 25:19 (KJV)

19  Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

If you have ever experience tooth pain you just cringed when you read that. When I was about 11 or 12 years old my brothers and I were playing in our backyard. Tim had one of my friends pinned to the ground tickling him. I ran toward Tim with the intent of lunging toward him to knock him off of my friend. Just about the time I leapt he raised up. My face met his shoulder and broke my front tooth off at the gum line. I cannot remember ever having such pain before or since.

When you commit to someone and then go back on your word it is like snapping a tooth off at the gum line. The primary affect of a broken tooth, besides the pain, is you cannot eat properly. Your ability to consume proper nutrition is impeded. You whole body suffers because of it.

What about a foot out of joint? I guess the closest I’ve ever come to having a foot out of joint was a sprained ankle. If a foot out of joint is worse than that, then OOOCH! The problem caused by a foot injury is mobility is limited. You cannot go where you need to go. You cannot bear the weight that you could normally bear. Productivity is diminished.

So today’s thrombosis is a double-threat. When you are unfaithful, those who were counting on you are deeply affected. Their diet and mobility experience potentially irreparable loss. If you have a difficult time keeping your word then seek help from the Lord. Begin with repentance. Consider the ramifications of your actions. Realize that others need what you have to offer, but can only benefit from it when you can be trusted. God is faithful! He can teach you how to be faithful.

Monday Mooring | 28 July 2014 – God Is Faithful

There are few things that count more than being faithful. When God came to give us His life through the promises He made to Abraham, God made this bold declaration:

Hebrews 6:13 (KJV)

13  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

When you receive a promise from the most powerful force that exists there is no one that can prevent that promise from being kept. When that most-powerful-force is also one that cannot go back on their word, you now have a guarantee that whatever has been promised will come to pass!

Hebrews 10:22-23 (KJV)

22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

When you commit your life to God it is in hands that cannot mishandle it. He cannot loose it. He cannot be anything but Himself: faithful.

2 Timothy 1:12-13 (KJV)

12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

13  Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Let this become the anchor for your soul: HE IS FAITHFUL. Know your God, the One in Whom you believe. Become fully persuaded of His ability to keep you. Then commit your life to Him with no reservations.

He is able! He is faithful!

Tuesday Thrombosis | 15 July 2014 - A Religious Spirit

One of the strongest arguments for being part of a local church is accountability. When we are accountable to “one another” as we see repeated in scripture it keeps us in a healthy place. Just as a well-tended garden is green and lush with fragrant beauty and abundant fruit, so is the Believer, the Disciple of Jesus when cared for by a loving group of fellow Believers.

The Lone Ranger Christian is one ruled by a religious spirit. It is difficult to correct someone controlled by a religious spirit. They have all the answers. They can quote book-chapter-verse on many subjects. It is difficult for these to be “real” with other Believers. It’s not that they are involved in overt sin. But the priority is to present a front of spiritual maturity.

Here’s a couple of questions to ask yourself to determine the level, if any, of a religious spirit that might be at work in your life:

1. When you hear a message from scripture do you immediately think who needs to hear it?

2. If someone shares a problem with you do you always quote scripture instead of actually listening and feeling concerned for them?

3. Do you pray repetitious prayers of repentance for “everyone”, as opposed to personal repentance?

4. Do you attempt to justify any of your behavior by blaming evil spirits instead of personal accountability?

James 1:26 (KJV) If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

The problem with deception is the fact that you are deceived. That is the reason we need the Body. The body knows when a part of it is not functioning properly. It experiences pain and rallies resources to bring healing to the ailing member and restore health to the whole Body. A religious spirit can be a true thrombosis to the Body and block the natural flow of God’s plan and purpose for His people.

Pray for the Lord to open YOUR eyes to the truth concerning what motivates you to what you do for the Lord. Ask Him to fill you with love for others. A religious spirit cannot remain in a heart surrendered to God.

Monday Mooring | 14 July 2014 – Yet I Will Rejoice

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (KJV) Although 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: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The 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. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

What do you do when there is nothing else you can do? The same thing that we should do when there are plenty of things to do: rejoice in the Lord; take joy in the God of our salvation.

If God ever becomes your problem then you have no hope, no solution. Regardless of what it looks like God is not your problem. He is always your answer. Rejoice in Him. Find joy in Him. Find strength in Him. Because in so doing your path will be established to take you higher in Him.

Sing that for a while!