The Problem With Instant Coffee

Who doesn’t like a nice hot cup of coffee?!?!

   The problem with instant coffee, or the K-cup generation, is that it gets us used to the idea of instant gratification.  Now this isn’t a new concept by any means. Quick and easy coffee has been here for years but there is a whole generation of young adults who probably don’t know what a percolator looks like never mind how laborious it was to prepare the coffee and then wait for it to perk!

    Yes, I know that I sound like some old-timer harping on about the good old days and bemoaning these new fangled ideas! I am aware and I do have the grey hair that goes with it. But, stay with me for a moment please.

    Fast food and fast coffee and oil changes in 30 minutes or less along with next day shipping and so on and so on can have a real affect on how we think or expect things to be. Not everything is quick and easy. You can’t speed everything up. You shouldn’t be able to hasten the development of a baby inside the womb and you can’t attain years of experience in a particular field of study overnight either. Some things just take time.

    As many of you may know I am a contractor. I have worked with tile and marble for over 30 years now and in that time I have gone threw my share of young apprentices. One in particular comes to mind because he fits in our discussion here. A young guy just out of high school and looking for work, I hired him as a helper, a go-for if you understand that expression. He had no experience and would have to be taught everything. Side note – it wasn’t that many years ago that such a young person would have paid to learn the trade – but I digress.

    About the third day of basically carting this and handing me that and other boring mundane  stuff he turned to me to say “I thought I was going to set marble, not be your slave! I turned down the chance to go run with the bulls in Pamplona for this!” Needless to say, I for one wasn’t going to stand in his way of getting gored in Spain – I let him go that day.

    Somethings just take time. The Bible tells us not to despise the days of small beginnings and that in our patience we win our souls. James speak of us letting patience have its work in us so that we will be whole, complete and lack nothing. James 1:4.  I have a niece who along with her newlywed husband finally were able to buy a little home in Georgia.  “It’s a cute little house” my sister told me in a phone conversation. “They need to do a lot of work to it and there’s not much furniture to speak of now, but they’ll manage.” I was grinning from ear to ear as my sister told me about the young couples new place because I knew that they would make it their own. Sure it will be hard work and it will take sacrifice and sweat but in the end it will not just be a house – it will be their home that they made.

      So, this post may have been a grey-haired old man going on about the good old days after all but if anyone can take away anything from this I hope it’s the idea to slow down and enjoy where you are rather than where you hope to be.

He has us all where He wants us and will use us to His Glory – Here and now!

     Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.         Ps. 46:10 KJV

Chasing after Paradise

    As we chase after the intangibles and the fleeting pleasures of this world pondering the questions of life after death or why we even run this race, we overlook the obvious. We fail to see what’s right in front of us and instead we concern ourselves with this worlds treasures and how we compare to those beside us. The world around us sends thousands of bright lights at us each second of every day. Some of these lights are meant to dazzle us with the awe of their beauty. While yet others are meant to seduce and distract us from our course. Some are sent to entice us to envy or jealousy. The last of these lights are meant to fill our hearts with fear. To get us to doubt and mistrust ourselves and those around us.

    Thousands of bright lights to distract and entice us as we search for that ever illusive paradise. Paradise – that place where once there, we will be completely whole and lack nothing. The place where we will no longer need the bright lights of distraction because we will in fact have it all. We will have arrived. But has anyone ever really reached this paradise?
The truth is that this “paradise” is the biggest carrot on a stick that dangles out of our reach no matter how hard we run or how far we go to attain it. It is the brightest of bright lights sent to seduce and distract us. It’s is as much an illusion as it is unattainable. Yet we pursue it.
In reality the paradise we seek is inside of us. It’s there inside us asleep waiting to be awakened by the Spirit of the Living God Who died a humiliating and painful death so that the gates of the only one true paradise would be opened for all who seek it. Turn away from the illusion of the bright lights and lies and turn towards the Light of the World – Jesus
Jesus – Son of the only One True God and Creator of all things. He alone can fill that space within you and secure you a place in the everlasting paradise that is soon to come. The days are short and the light of this world will soon fizzle away but Jesus Christ is eternal and unchanging. Turn to Him now in humility and sincerity of heart and He will reach down and touch your soul. You will be new and you will live forever. FOREVER IN PARADISE!

    Stop running after the illusion and grab hold of the real unchanging hand of the only begotten Son of God – He reaches out for you – NOW

What’s the Devil like?

   Did you ever see that old movie where a family is experiencing strange things in their home? You know the one – a little blond haired girl stands in front of a static filled TV screen and turns to announce “their back!”. Yup, that one. Well there’s a scene in one of the movies in that series where a tall skinny scary old man walks up to the screen door and yells “You’re all gonna DIE!!!”

That, Virginia (and everyone else), is what the Devil is like!

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour   1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

And if we left it at that it would be a fairly scary situation to be in

But there’s more to the story

You see, the devil, is a defeated foe. Beaten down by our Lord Jesus Christ

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. Rev 1:18 NKJV

   Whatever authority the devil thought he had when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he lost it that day on Calvary. By dieing the death of a sinner the sinless Savior broke the curse and defeated the devil.

 Death came into the world because of what one man (Adam) did, and it is because of what this other man (Christ) has done that now there is the resurrection from the dead. Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, being members of his sinful race, and wherever there is sin, death results. But all who are related to Christ will rise again.  1 Cor 15:21-22 TLB

   If you recall, Sin came into the world because the devil (serpent) deceived Adam and Eve in the garden. That sin was past down threw the years to all by birth. Jesus being both God and man, born of a woman but without the sin of man upon Him, died in all of our places so that the devil has no hold (ownership) on us. Jesus called the devil the father of lies and revealed to us that the only real power the devil has is to deceive. Yes, it’s true that the devils job description is to kill, steal and destroy. But, he accomplishes his tasks by deception. Just pick up a paper or turn on the evening news and you will see acts perpetrated by people who were listening to a liar. Theft, drug addiction, domestic violence, murder, abortion, adultery, fornication, and on and on – all acts fueled by lies whispered into peoples hearts and minds by the father of lies. But we do not have to believe his lies. We do not have to act on his lies. We do not have to die in our sin.

  We can be free from our past sins. We can be born again by accepting Jesus as our Savior and our Lord.  We can open the Bible and read the Word of God that will tell us how to live a life in victory of the devil. Do not be confused here. I’m not saying that your life will not have troubles or trials. Everyone on this earth will see their share of difficulties. What I am saying is that when trials come we can see them for what they are – bumps in the road. Potholes of life if you will. They are not the end all of all. You are not gonna die!! No matter how loudly that skinny scary old man screams it at your door.

   Granted some potholes may be bigger than others. I have had my share of potholes that I thought would take me out. But they did not. Jesus is truly bigger than any pothole you hit. He will see you threw whatever life or the devil throws at you. But if you don’t know that it’s just a pothole. If you think you are alone on the side of the road because you don’t know Jesus or His Promises found in the Word. You may be tempted to believe the liar who is screaming at you that you’re gonna die! That’s why it is so very important to have a relationship with Jesus, read His Holy Word, and be strengthened thru fellowship with other believers –

so that you will know the truth and the truth will set you free  John 8:32

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior and Lord you can get to know Him. He is waiting for you to call out to Him. All you need do is admit that you are a sinner. The Bible tells us that all have sinned. Admitting that you are a sinner is the first part. The Bible also tells us that the wages (penalty) of sin is death. Jesus Christ died for your sins. Yes, your sins. As He hung on that cross He thought of you and how much He wants you to be free from sin and be with Him in Paradise. Call out to Him and ask for His forgiveness and ask Him to save you and become Lord of your life – and He Will. The moment you admit your a sinner and ask Him to save you it will be done. Don’t expect to feel or hear or see anything special or different. Your sins silently weighed on you and just as quietly they will be washed away. You will be a child of the most high King and although you die you will live.

If you prayed a pray like that and you meant it in your heart, you are saved and Jesus is Lord of your life. get a Bible and find a church that reads and teaches the Word of God (not mans opinion) and grow in your new relationship with the Creator of the universe.

If you already know Jesus and have a Bible that you read and a church that you attend remember to beware the liar lion that roams about and see if you can help save others before they really do die.

God bless you all and thank you for stopping by, AL

A Formula For Success

So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  James 4:7 TLB

   We all strive to be successful. Whether it’s success in our profession or our personal lives we want to be our best at whatever we do. How can we insure our success in all of our endeavors? What can we do to have an edge?

Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race,

but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.  1 Cor. 9: 24 HCSB

   If you have run in a race you know that there is a wall that you hit that seems impassable. It can stop you in your tracks or motivate you to push threw. But, it requires calling on ever last ounce of effort. Sometimes that extra effort isn’t enough. Sometimes our best efforts and shear strength is not enough.

What do we do then? Give up? Make excuses?

Jesus gives us insight into how we can succeed in life.

 “I am the vine, you are the branches.

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;

for without Me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5 NKJV

for without Me you can do nothing

   Wait a minute! That’s got to be a misprint! I am an adult who is able to do anything. How can Jesus say such a thing? He can say that because He knows that we are only able to do so much while we live this life. We can get by for awhile but to be successful in this life – in a way that is important to God – we need to be connected to the source of power and strength.

Jesus is that source

and He uses the example of the vine and branches to illustrate His point.

   The Word of God is full of people who were incapable of great things in their own strength but will God did mighty works. Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Samson, Paul, Peter and many more. His grace is sufficient for them and is also for me – and You too!

  So the next time you are tempted to sin (no matter what that might look like) remember the formula for success –

1. Humble yourself before God

2. Resit the devil (the temptation)

3. Rest in the assurance that you and God have sent the devil fleeing

also consider this

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 10:13 NKJV

and this

 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. Heb 4:15 NKJV

and finally always remember

He who has begun a good work in you will complete it  Phil 1:6b NKJV

Thank you for stopping by and God Bless, AL

….and the Lord God planted a garden….

The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. Gen 2:8a NKJV

I think it’s safe to say that almost everyone knows of the Garden of Eden. It’s the garden that God made to be the home for Adam and Eve. It’s the place where they ate the apple. It’s where they realized that they were naked.

But how many remember that this is where they also had fellowship with God. Gen 3:8 tells us that they heard the voice of God calling to them in cool of the day. I believe that this was a regular occurrence but that this time they hid because of their sin.

This garden was the perfect example of Who God is and how gracious and merciful He is towards us all. Within the garden were all of the trees and plants and animals. Nothing was held back. God instructed Adam that everything was his for the taking except the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. This was, I believe more a cautionary warning regarding something harmful rather than willful withholding of a delicacy as the world would imply. This is where we see the Just and Fair character of God Almighty. He could have just as easily NOT planted that tree and kept them safe. He rather planted the tree and gave a stern warning in hopes that they would trust Him and obey. Not so dissimilar than a parent instructing a child to not touch wet paint or a hot stove.

Armed with their freewill and a relationship with God Almighty they lived in the garden together. Until the serpent showed up. The serpent raises one question to Eve that set the tone for the whole conversation and is the same trap/test that he continues to use today – “Has God said….?” By asking her a question he already knew the answer to he is looking to see just how well she knows God. Sadly, she fails this test by answering him incorrectly. “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” Eve added “nor shall you touch it” and that told the serpent that she didn’t know God. Armed with this he was able to plant seeds of doubt regarding the trustworthiness of God. God is withholding from you. He doesn’t want you to enjoy this beautiful fruit and the power it brings. Why, you will become just like Him and He doesn’t want that. Look at how pretty it is. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.” Gen 3:6 NKJV

Herein are the three roots of all sin – “good for food’ – the lust of the flesh; “pleasant to the eyes” – the lust of the eyes; “desirable to make one wise” – the pride of life. But we’ll visit that another day.

Eve showed that she didn’t have a complete understanding of what God said and that may have been Adams fault for not telling her or it may have been that she didn’t have a close relationship with God fro herself. Either way this has been the devils doorway into our lives for generations. Sadly, for many years only the “Church” had the Word of God and so people were in the dark as to what God said. In modern times we have the Word printed in every language and spoken loudly on the radio, TV, worldwide web and in churches across the globe. Yet, so many are still unsure of what God did and did not say.

Today, more than ever, it is important to not only know the Word of God but to have a relationship with God and His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit because the devil knows his time is short. We live in a world where you can read online about how God is a myth and how Jesus never existed and how we all get to live over and over again threw reincarnation. We live with thousands of abortions daily but have to rescue puppies from pounds. How we can have intimate relations with anyone we want but just don’t go to that fanatical church. The devil, like a roaring lion, looks to see whom he may devour because his only job is to kill, steal and destroy. The glorification of the sinful nature of man is ramped up all around us. Truly we are in the days when good will be called evil and evil will be called good. By not knowing God or His promises in His Holy Word so very many have believed the lies of the devil and are perishing daily.

Brothers and Sisters let us read the Word of God while we can. Listen to the voice of God always. Tell this dieing world about He Who died for them before it is too late.

 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Jude 20-23 NKJV

Enjoying Your Freedom

   Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Gal 5:1 NKJV Bible Gateway

   Liberty and Freedom. Today is a day of joyous celebration for the whole country. Marching bands and barbecues and fireworks. Nothing shy, subdued or subtle about the 4th of July. We will remember those who have died to create this land of the free as well as those brave men and women who gave their all to protect it. The very bones of our nation are built on the idea that all of us are equal and free to persue happiness. Whatever that might look like and regardless of the cost.

    No! That’s not what it says in the constitution. It does say that we are all created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But, one mans happy might be another mans sad. This is why we have laws to govern our behavior. I am not free to do whatever I like if it interferes with another persons life, liberty or pursuit of happiness.

    Likewise most “religions” have lots of rules of conduct and traditions that must be adhered to. Jesus came to fulfilled the Law and heralded in a new and better way. Radically different from the old way because the Law of Moses was incapable of cleansing us from our sins. It only covered up our sin until they could be washed away. Washed by the Blood of the Lamb. The Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.

     We, who have trusted in the shed blood of Jesus, should hold our heads up high and walk in the liberty and freedom that Christ has made for us and not be again mixed up in the rules and traditions of religion or in the guilt and shame of our own past sins. Who the Son sets free is free indeed. Free to live a life full of love for Him who first loved us and free to share that love with everyone. Yes, everyone.

    Let freedom ring this 4th of July and let that song you sing be a song of love because God is love and He desires that all come to the saving knowledge of the truth. Let us fulfill the law of Love.

      Be blessed. Have fun. Love them like Jesus. Al