You – Topia
It’s a new generation and new words are popping up on the horizon every day. Even though it is not in Webster’s Dictionary yet, I feel that at the next printing it will be. Believe it or not it is not a hip new culture word yet, it popped into my brain a week ago. So… when you hear it being used in the future, you can say, “You heard it here first”.
So what is the thinking process behind this writing, you say? The time of man, I say.
Every youthful generation has had its share of the pie, but the youthful generation of 2005 – 2009 has seemingly gobbled up more of the pie.
When I was graduating from high school, our class was going to go out and change the world. We knew we were smarter than the previous graduating classes and could see the future and knew what to do with it and for it. And off to college we went. Some became lawyers, some doctors, some teachers, and a few never got past year one, because they were partiers, yet the dream lived on. Those who completed college and went on to Master Degrees and PhD’s, continued the quest for utopia, the quest for self gratification and a sense of fulfillment. Most of us had enough common sense and good upbringing to realize that there was a thing in life called balance. But, in our quest for this utopia, we left behind our families, our wives and our children.
We were on a mission to have more than our parents, we were tired of hearing the phrase, “I’m sorry son/daughter, we just can’t afford it right now”.
[“Back in the day”… there were no Credit Cards. If, and I repeat if you had credit at a store, you paid it in full at the end of the week and only bought what you could pay cash for. It didn’t make any difference whether you were “rich or poor”, you always paid cash you lived on “what you had”.]
Back to the future…. As this generation grew up and wanted more, they could never define, “How much was enough”. The phrase was, “Just a little more”. If you made $20,000 maybe $50,000 would be enough. Of course when you got to $50,000, that didn’t seem to be enough, so then it was $75,000.
“You need a bigger car”, no problem, pay it off in three years. Bob and Judy just moved to a bigger house, we need to have one too. Now you salary isn’t large enough to keep up so you need $125,000 to make ends meet. Steve and Sarah went to Hawaii on vacation. We only get to go to Florida this year, but next year we’ll go to Hawaii.
Where does it stop? It doesn’t… for most people. That is why utopia will never be reached. You are bound to the past by debt, which is robbing your future.
Were we really going to change the world when we graduated from high school or college? Or was the world going to change us? The answer is obvious; we were changed by the world. We got “caught up” in the vortex of “Have it your way”, “Have it all”, “Have it now”.
Back to the future, again…. Therefore, because all that I have said, this generation is “caught up” in the You – Topia Generation. Those who are of the age from 18 to 35 or even maybe 40 years old, have the mindset of, you promised me, you owe it to me, now hand it over. No one is responsible for his own way in life. “I’m stuck here because you didn’t give me something I needed”. “I’m stuck here because you won’t give me a raise”. Even though the person has never put forth any effort to “work at the job” and try to improve himself/herself.
You – Topia: It’s all about me. It is no longer about we or us. It is no longer about how I can help you, so we can improve the product to make more profit, to improve the company, to sell more products, to be able to hire more people, to get a raise. It’s more truly stated, “I am here for the duration, you need to pay me more money every year and not bug me about how much work I do or don’t do”. And boy, are you lucky to have me!
Another aspect of this generation is that they think history started when they were born. And those of us who have lived a little longer are just “old fashion”. “You – Topians” have yet to figure out that is was us/we, the old guys/gals who brought the past into the future through blood, sweat and tears. They have yet to realize that, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. They have yet to realize that freedom is never cheap just because it is free. But they are about to loose their freedoms and don’t even realize it. Freedom is never cheap, just because it’s free.
What did that credit card do for you? Did it give you the freedom you thought it would? Probably not, so you got another credit card because the old one didn’t have a high enough credit limit on it. And now you’re still not satisfied. How much is enough? Do you continually want more? Can you live within your financial budget? Or do you ask, “What’s a budget”? At this point, can you even “get out of debt”? Are you so “in hock” that the interest rate keeps you even on the principle when you make a payment? How do you stop the madness? Are you having fun yet? Have you found utopia, or have you found “you – topia”?
Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk,
Ron
reskew@aol.com
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Oath of Office
February, 12th, 2009
Watching the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States, I was truly amazed at the nearly 250 years of the ease of transition from one President to the next. That can only come from a free society and the rule of law, not to mention the grace of God.
The “Founding Fathers” of this country, after long and hard discussion, came to the conclusion that man could not be trusted to govern for himself. So a Constitution was developed to guide, defend and protect the transition of power, so that no “man” could move beyond what it dictated. So, when a President is duly elected, he has to take the oath of the “Office of the President of the United States”.
Each president recites the following oath, in accordance with Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
I may do further research into the “faithfully execute” clause and insert it later.
For now I am more concerned with the next phrase, “and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”.
If you were to do a “man on the street” interview, and ask the question, “What do you know about the Constitution of the United States”? Most would probably answer, “Not much”. Because we know little about the Constitution, we were never taught much about it in high school or college.
If you pursued a degree in law, you would have studied law, leaning toward the area in which you were interested, criminal, divorce, medical, etc.
Constitutional Law is something that most Attorney’s shy away from. That is the area in which “even angels, fear to tread”. That area is the top of the ladder kind of stuff. That’s the stuff for the “Supreme’s” and District Court Judges.
As in any field of study, the more you study the more you know and the more you know the more you advance in your field. Even to the point that you are able to teach others and guide them to truth in said area. Would you expect a person with a BA or BS in Art, and there’s nothing wrong with having a degree in Art, trying to teach a college level biology course? Would you want someone removing you gall bladder if their degree was in business? Some things just seem to make sense while others don’t.
In light of this thinking and the topic at hand, the oath of office, would you not think that if someone swears to uphold the Constitution, they should know something about it… more that the average person? Would you not think that a person who swears an oath would have read it at least once? “But Ron”, you say “That’s a very long and complicated document. It would take days to read it and months, if not years, to understand it”.
Exactly my point…. It has become a very complicated and in some cases a convoluted document. Not to mention the laws that have been molded by a radical Supreme Court. My understanding as to “law making” is that a law starts in the House of Representatives and is discussed and passed there. It then goes to the Senate, where the Senators have a chance to edit and revise it. After the revisions, it goes back to the House for final approval, before going to the President for his signature (or VETO) and then it becomes the law of the land. But the Supreme Court has “interpreted some laws to fit the needs of radical liberal groups and therefore creating a whole new law, thus, by-passing the House and Senate. I am prepared to start reading the original writings of the Constitution and see just what the Founding Fathers had to say in regards to the beginnings of our nation.
That one “Bill” should be sent forward to become law, but in the twentieth century, it became fashionable to bunch several bills together for a single vote. Then “special projects” were added for personal interest and the original “Bill” was so desperately needed that a lot of trash became law also.
Is there an “Oath of Office” for Christians? Who get to write it? Is there a “body of men” that can add or subtract from it to fit their “special needs”?
Who gets the final vote for passage of the oath?
Or does it work like this? A Commanding Officer has ten men lined up in front of him. He tells them that he has a very dangerous mission and needs three men to volunteer for it. An amazing thing happens, seven men step backwards.
It’s all backwards from the way we think. When God calls, how many step backwards? Thus leaving the job at hand left to a “few good men” instead of “all the Kings men”. And as in the movie Braveheart, will you fight for the heart of your King?
So, let’s go back to the oath itself.
Who writes it? To my way of thinking, God writes it. Is it similar to the Presidential oath of office?
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of Christian (President of the United States), and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Bible, its contents, its concepts, its teachings, One God revealed in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, my Lord Jesus, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His death on the cross, His burial, His resurrection, and His return to earth in the future, (Constitution of the United States)."
Who gets to vote on it? Actually, none, God said it… that settles it. But in “real life” we all get to vote on how we participate in the execution of it. Like I said above, it seems that too many are taking a step backwards instead of moving forward into the most incredible life that God has planned for us.
Matthew 28:19 says, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel, making disciples and baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.
In the Gospel of John Chapters 15 – 17, Jesus gives a volume of instructions to His disciples. Starting with “Abide in Me and I will abide in You”. The first aspect and most critical of carrying out our oath of office is abiding. That takes place when we humble ourselves and daily, minute by minute, place ourselves under the authority of Jesus.
Then He tells us that He knows we cannot do it on our own, so He is sending us the Holy Spirit to live in us to help us making those decisions that are pleasing to Him.
Jesus then says, “I glorified You (Father), having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do”. So where are we in our mission that Jesus has given us to do on this earth?
The word “Christian” actually means “little Christ’s”. The question has been ask, “If you were to stand before a Judge in a Court Room, would there be enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian”?
Do I know how to defend my faith in Jesus? Do I know enough to know that I don’t know very much and I need to keep studying? Do I need to read that last question again? Do I know when to say, “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’ll find out and get back with you”. There are basics and there are tangents. A lot of people know about Jesus, but they don’t know Jesus. Do you understand the difference? Many religions talk about Jesus as being a good man, even a great man. Some say He was a prophet. Some say He was the third reincarnation of “Hoopta-halla-bahsradah” (not a real person, just want to get your attention). But what is the truth?
Can you rationally explain the virgin birth? Can you rationally explain the substitutionary death on the cross? Can you rationally explain the resurrection?
These are the kind of questions that come from the phrase, “I will faithfully execute the office of Christian”.
Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew
February, 12th, 2009
Watching the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States, I was truly amazed at the nearly 250 years of the ease of transition from one President to the next. That can only come from a free society and the rule of law, not to mention the grace of God.
The “Founding Fathers” of this country, after long and hard discussion, came to the conclusion that man could not be trusted to govern for himself. So a Constitution was developed to guide, defend and protect the transition of power, so that no “man” could move beyond what it dictated. So, when a President is duly elected, he has to take the oath of the “Office of the President of the United States”.
Each president recites the following oath, in accordance with Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
I may do further research into the “faithfully execute” clause and insert it later.
For now I am more concerned with the next phrase, “and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”.
If you were to do a “man on the street” interview, and ask the question, “What do you know about the Constitution of the United States”? Most would probably answer, “Not much”. Because we know little about the Constitution, we were never taught much about it in high school or college.
If you pursued a degree in law, you would have studied law, leaning toward the area in which you were interested, criminal, divorce, medical, etc.
Constitutional Law is something that most Attorney’s shy away from. That is the area in which “even angels, fear to tread”. That area is the top of the ladder kind of stuff. That’s the stuff for the “Supreme’s” and District Court Judges.
As in any field of study, the more you study the more you know and the more you know the more you advance in your field. Even to the point that you are able to teach others and guide them to truth in said area. Would you expect a person with a BA or BS in Art, and there’s nothing wrong with having a degree in Art, trying to teach a college level biology course? Would you want someone removing you gall bladder if their degree was in business? Some things just seem to make sense while others don’t.
In light of this thinking and the topic at hand, the oath of office, would you not think that if someone swears to uphold the Constitution, they should know something about it… more that the average person? Would you not think that a person who swears an oath would have read it at least once? “But Ron”, you say “That’s a very long and complicated document. It would take days to read it and months, if not years, to understand it”.
Exactly my point…. It has become a very complicated and in some cases a convoluted document. Not to mention the laws that have been molded by a radical Supreme Court. My understanding as to “law making” is that a law starts in the House of Representatives and is discussed and passed there. It then goes to the Senate, where the Senators have a chance to edit and revise it. After the revisions, it goes back to the House for final approval, before going to the President for his signature (or VETO) and then it becomes the law of the land. But the Supreme Court has “interpreted some laws to fit the needs of radical liberal groups and therefore creating a whole new law, thus, by-passing the House and Senate. I am prepared to start reading the original writings of the Constitution and see just what the Founding Fathers had to say in regards to the beginnings of our nation.
That one “Bill” should be sent forward to become law, but in the twentieth century, it became fashionable to bunch several bills together for a single vote. Then “special projects” were added for personal interest and the original “Bill” was so desperately needed that a lot of trash became law also.
Is there an “Oath of Office” for Christians? Who get to write it? Is there a “body of men” that can add or subtract from it to fit their “special needs”?
Who gets the final vote for passage of the oath?
Or does it work like this? A Commanding Officer has ten men lined up in front of him. He tells them that he has a very dangerous mission and needs three men to volunteer for it. An amazing thing happens, seven men step backwards.
It’s all backwards from the way we think. When God calls, how many step backwards? Thus leaving the job at hand left to a “few good men” instead of “all the Kings men”. And as in the movie Braveheart, will you fight for the heart of your King?
So, let’s go back to the oath itself.
Who writes it? To my way of thinking, God writes it. Is it similar to the Presidential oath of office?
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of Christian (President of the United States), and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Bible, its contents, its concepts, its teachings, One God revealed in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, my Lord Jesus, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His death on the cross, His burial, His resurrection, and His return to earth in the future, (Constitution of the United States)."
Who gets to vote on it? Actually, none, God said it… that settles it. But in “real life” we all get to vote on how we participate in the execution of it. Like I said above, it seems that too many are taking a step backwards instead of moving forward into the most incredible life that God has planned for us.
Matthew 28:19 says, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel, making disciples and baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.
In the Gospel of John Chapters 15 – 17, Jesus gives a volume of instructions to His disciples. Starting with “Abide in Me and I will abide in You”. The first aspect and most critical of carrying out our oath of office is abiding. That takes place when we humble ourselves and daily, minute by minute, place ourselves under the authority of Jesus.
Then He tells us that He knows we cannot do it on our own, so He is sending us the Holy Spirit to live in us to help us making those decisions that are pleasing to Him.
Jesus then says, “I glorified You (Father), having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do”. So where are we in our mission that Jesus has given us to do on this earth?
The word “Christian” actually means “little Christ’s”. The question has been ask, “If you were to stand before a Judge in a Court Room, would there be enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian”?
Do I know how to defend my faith in Jesus? Do I know enough to know that I don’t know very much and I need to keep studying? Do I need to read that last question again? Do I know when to say, “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’ll find out and get back with you”. There are basics and there are tangents. A lot of people know about Jesus, but they don’t know Jesus. Do you understand the difference? Many religions talk about Jesus as being a good man, even a great man. Some say He was a prophet. Some say He was the third reincarnation of “Hoopta-halla-bahsradah” (not a real person, just want to get your attention). But what is the truth?
Can you rationally explain the virgin birth? Can you rationally explain the substitutionary death on the cross? Can you rationally explain the resurrection?
These are the kind of questions that come from the phrase, “I will faithfully execute the office of Christian”.
Following the Shepherd,
Ron Eskew
Monday, May 25, 2009
Who “invented” the TV dinner?
Several individuals developed the TV dinner.
Like many creations, the story of the development of the TV dinner is not straightforward. Many people and companies played a role in the development of the concept of a complete meal that needed only to be reheated before eating. The invention of the TV dinner has been attributed to at least three different sources, primarily Gerry Thomas, the Swanson Brothers, and Maxson Food Systems, Inc.
Maxson Food Systems, Inc. manufactured the earliest complete frozen meal in 1945. Maxson manufactured “Strato-Plates” – complete meals that were reheated on the plane for military and civilian airplane passengers. The meals consisted of a basic three-part equation of meat, vegetable and potato, each housed in its own separate compartment on a plastic plate. However, due to financial reasons and the death of their founder, Maxson frozen meals never went to the retail market. Some feel that Maxson’s product does not qualify as a true TV dinner, since it was consumed on an airplane rather than in the consumer’s home.
Following in the footsteps of Maxson Foods Systems was Jack Fisher's FridgiDinners. In the late 1940's FridgiDinners sold frozen dinners to bars and taverns. Frozen dinners did not take off, however, until the Bernstein brothers came on the scene.
In 1949, Albert and Meyer Bernstein organized Frozen Dinners, Inc., which packaged frozen dinners on aluminum trays with three compartments. They sold them under the One-Eyed Eskimo label, and only to markets in the Pittsburgh area. By 1950, the company had produced over 400,000 frozen dinners. Demand continuted to grow, and in 1952 the Bernstein brothers formed the Quaker State Food Corporation. They expanded distribution to markets east of the Mississippi. By 1954, Quaker State Foods had produced and sold over 2,500,000 frozen dinners!
The concept really took hold in 1954 when Swanson’s frozen meals appeared. Swanson was a well-known brand that consumers recognized, and Swanson launched a massive advertising campaign for their product. They also coined the phrase TV Dinner, which helped to transform their frozen meals into a cultural icon.
But this is where different stories begin to emerge. Until recently, the most widely credited individual inventor of the TV dinner was Gerry Thomas, a salesman for C.A. Swanson & Son in 1953. For example, the American Frozen Food Institute honored him in their "Frozen Food Hall of Fame" as the inventor of the TV dinner. However, his role as the inventor is now being disputed.
Conversely, Betty Cronin, a bacteriologist who was also working for the Swanson brothers at that time, asserts that it was the Swanson brothers themselves, Gilbert and Clarke Swanson, who came up with the concept of the TV dinner, while their marketing and advertising teams developed the name and design of the product. Cronin also worked on the project, taking on the technical challenge of composing a dinner in which all the ingredients took the same amount of time to cook, also called synchronization.
So who really invented the TV dinner? It depends on your definition. One thing is for sure, though: the first company to use the name and successfully market the TV Dinner was Swanson.
My Text
Weren’t T.V. Dinners great? As a kid I had my fair share of them. The Chicken was good, but I liked the Salisbury Steak. The veggies and mashed potato’s were OK, but the desserts were tasty and not enough of it.
BUT… they were nothing like “mom’s cookin’ ”. Her fried Chicken was “to die for” as they say today. I’m not sure if you could call it “Salisbury Steak, but when she pounded out the Round Steak and threw in salt and pepper and some other spices, of course known only by her, it was mighty tasty. With potatoes and carrots it was quite a meal.
Mom knew us and wetted our taste buds from early childhood. She knew what was good for us, because she knew us best. She knew how to get us through illnesses, without going to the doctor. She had those “home remedies” that were handed down from her mother and her mother-in-law, and back and back and back. The chicken soup, the tea and crackers were part of the regimen for wellness, if you were sick.
No, we didn’t have steak or chicken every night. We had beans with cornbread and beans with beans, we weren’t rich. Mom had taken a job in a factory, and dad came back from war. As a child, and not knowing all the “family factors”, I guess we needed the dual income. You see, my dad was a drunk, he did not want to be called an “alcoholic” because he said, “Alcoholic’s had to go to meetings and drunks didn’t”. So, he drank up a large part of his income and mom had to work to finish paying the other bills and feed us kids.
Thus enters the T.V. Dinner…. They were quick and easy. Out of the freezer and into the oven and within 15 minutes you had the full meal. It also became popular to watch the evening news while eating these dinners. There was no conversation because adults wanted to hear what was going on around the world, and of course the kids had to be quiet. T.V. dinners were only part of the families decline. And as they say on T.V, “Stay tuned for “Part Two of Our Mystery Series”.
T.V. Dinners Part Two
Please let me say right up front, that I do not blame the decline and fall of the family unit on T.V. Dinners. There are many, many factors that attribute to the issue and I will only discuss a few.
The break down of the family is the man’s fault. He has not taken his rightful place as head and leader of the family and led them to Christ. It is the woman’s fault in not supporting and encouraging the husband to do so. It was Adam’s fault for not setting the guidelines more clearly with Eve. It is Eve’s fault for not listening to her husband.
Ephesians Chapter 4 verses 11-16 : And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers. For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
It’s the apostles, it’s the prophets, it’s the evangelists, and it’s the pastors and teachers who are at fault for the demise and downfall of the family. It’s the dad’s and mom’s fault for the downfall of the family. In essence, it’s the church that has been directly responsible for the breakdown of the family. You see, the church is “the people”. The church is not the building; it is where the church (people) meets. But it is the responsibility of the people to “make things work”.
How do we know what we are to do? We ourselves are ultimately responsible for knowing Him, Jesus. It is the role of the pastor-teacher to help us grow and understand, so that we can “feed ourselves”, so that we can feed others, so they can grow and feed others, etc, etc, etc.
How does all of this connect, T.V. Dinners and the body of Christ? It’s simple to a somewhat warped mind like mine.
In the past few decades, I’ve seen a trend taking place all over the United States. It has intensified in the past few years. That being, some churches having success in an area of church functioning and prayer has gone into it for their church. What do we need and how do we go about it. Some might call it a “business model”, plan the work and work the plan. Then another church will hear of it and bring that model to their church. It seems to be working for them and they tell a friend or a sister church to use it also, etc, etc, etc, thus the T.V. Dinner. I’ll just warm it up and serve it, “It’s just like momma use to make”. Or was it?
The problem I see with this is, the Pastor is not truly in touch with his people. The Lord is my Shepherd…. As a Shepherd, He knows His sheep and calls them by name. He binds up their wounds and anoints them with oil. He will sometimes carry them on His shoulders to keep them close and learn to know His voice and His smell, so when around other shepherds they will not stray. The real shepherd will not serve you a T.V. Dinner, something that another has taught his flock, he will teach you “according to the proper working of each individual part”. The real shepherd will not care about what is going on across town or across the country because he knows his sheep and what they need.
There’s enough fault and guilt to go around. Just concentrate on you own. T.V. Dinner, anyone?
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
reskewsquad@blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
2 Chronicles 7:11-14
Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the King’s palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayers, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My Name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land”.
The context of this passage is that David wanted to build a building, a house, for God. The Israelites were no longer roaming in the desert and yet God was “still dwelling in a tent”, while David lived in a great palace. David had brought the Ark of the Covenant back from Kiriath-jearim. So David started gathering material from all across the region. God told David, he was a man of war and could not build Him a building. Solomon wanted to honor his father’s wishes to build a house for God.
One thing struck me as I re-read the passage. God had already selected this place for Himself. Then it was to be a place of “sacrifice”. In the dedication, Solomon had offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep for all the people. That’s quite a sacrifice.
Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross; One, for all. So you might think or have heard that it is no longer necessary to make a sacrifice. Then why are we told in the New Testament, offer up a sacrifice of praise?
Now, to the main body of the text. If My people… who are called by My Name…. In the Old Testament God’s people were the Jews. In God’s economy in the New Testament, those who have ask Jesus to forgive their sin and looked to Him as Savior, “are God’s people”. So this Old Testament passage can apply to the New Testament believer. And because that is so, we must pay close attention to it.
The next phrase is, “will humble themselves”. Humble means: absence of pride, meek, modest. In the context, it means knowing one’s position before God.
Then God tells us to “pray”. What do we pray about? In the previous chapters, God has been reviewing the Jew’s “shortcomings”, their sins,
and is in essence saying, “Don’t do that”. He’s reminding them that they have just offered up a sacrifice of 142,000 animals and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, i.e. Jesus blood on the cross. Pray daily for the forgiveness of sin. Pray to walk closer to the Lord. Pray for others so that they may do the same.
“And seek My face”. Do you pray for your wants and needs and then hang up the phone? Or do you truly seek God’s face? Seek His will? Seek His mind?
This is where most people go on to God’s response… “Then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land”.
Let’s take this one from the top. “And seek my face and “turn from their wicked ways”… “Then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land”.
Turn from whose wicked ways? God’s people are to turn. God’s people are the problem. Yes, God is angry with the wickedness of the worldly people but, He is more upset and angry with those people who say that God is the Father and Jesus is His only Son and then go on their merry way and live as they please.
Those of you who “name the Name of Jesus” as Savior and Lord, you are the ones whom God is asking to turn from “your wicked ways”. If you think you are OK, then you’re not looking at God enough. The more you know Him, the more you see yourself, and it ain’t pretty.
Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God that you present yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable and spiritual service of worship.
Walk with God,
Ron
reskewsquad@blogspot.com
Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the King’s palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayers, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My Name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land”.
The context of this passage is that David wanted to build a building, a house, for God. The Israelites were no longer roaming in the desert and yet God was “still dwelling in a tent”, while David lived in a great palace. David had brought the Ark of the Covenant back from Kiriath-jearim. So David started gathering material from all across the region. God told David, he was a man of war and could not build Him a building. Solomon wanted to honor his father’s wishes to build a house for God.
One thing struck me as I re-read the passage. God had already selected this place for Himself. Then it was to be a place of “sacrifice”. In the dedication, Solomon had offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep for all the people. That’s quite a sacrifice.
Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross; One, for all. So you might think or have heard that it is no longer necessary to make a sacrifice. Then why are we told in the New Testament, offer up a sacrifice of praise?
Now, to the main body of the text. If My people… who are called by My Name…. In the Old Testament God’s people were the Jews. In God’s economy in the New Testament, those who have ask Jesus to forgive their sin and looked to Him as Savior, “are God’s people”. So this Old Testament passage can apply to the New Testament believer. And because that is so, we must pay close attention to it.
The next phrase is, “will humble themselves”. Humble means: absence of pride, meek, modest. In the context, it means knowing one’s position before God.
Then God tells us to “pray”. What do we pray about? In the previous chapters, God has been reviewing the Jew’s “shortcomings”, their sins,
and is in essence saying, “Don’t do that”. He’s reminding them that they have just offered up a sacrifice of 142,000 animals and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, i.e. Jesus blood on the cross. Pray daily for the forgiveness of sin. Pray to walk closer to the Lord. Pray for others so that they may do the same.
“And seek My face”. Do you pray for your wants and needs and then hang up the phone? Or do you truly seek God’s face? Seek His will? Seek His mind?
This is where most people go on to God’s response… “Then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land”.
Let’s take this one from the top. “And seek my face and “turn from their wicked ways”… “Then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land”.
Turn from whose wicked ways? God’s people are to turn. God’s people are the problem. Yes, God is angry with the wickedness of the worldly people but, He is more upset and angry with those people who say that God is the Father and Jesus is His only Son and then go on their merry way and live as they please.
Those of you who “name the Name of Jesus” as Savior and Lord, you are the ones whom God is asking to turn from “your wicked ways”. If you think you are OK, then you’re not looking at God enough. The more you know Him, the more you see yourself, and it ain’t pretty.
Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God that you present yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable and spiritual service of worship.
Walk with God,
Ron
reskewsquad@blogspot.com
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Open My Eyes Lord
Music has always been a part of my life. I don’t just listen, I think. Two songs of my past hold the key, “Open the eyes of my heart Lord”; and “Open my eyes Lord”.
Open the eyes of my heart Lord, Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You.
“Open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him and say that I love Him”.
Are we even looking to see Jesus better? Are we seeing, knowing and growing into the image of Christ? Are we seeing and sensing the unseen world that is as real as what we see?
My text for this message is 2 Kings 6. Elisha had been given the “mantel” of the Prophet of Elijah. As per usual, Israel was at war, this time it was Syria. Elisha had prophesied against the King of Syria, the King didn’t like it. The King was going to attack Israel and the Prophet. Great fear had overtaken most of Israel. But, Elisha, the man of God, knew his God.
2 Kings 6:15-17 Now when the servant of the man of God (Elisha) had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas my master! What shall we do?” So Elisha answered him and said, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them”. Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see”. And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (Bold for emphasis).
Have you ever asked the Lord to open your eyes in this manner? Have you even thought of such a question? Is your “vision” limited to only what your physical eyes see? Have you ever had a dream, so real, that you knew God was speaking to you? Are you comfortable going to church on Sunday and as you leave thinking, “I’ve done my duty this week”? Do you go to church and as you walk through the doors a magic wand scans you and you put on that “happy face” that says I’m doing fine, no problems here? When in reality, your life is falling apart. And when you leave, that wand scans you again and now you can go back to the way things were.
My questions are a part of a reality check and seeing what is true about life on this planet. Do you ever pray, “Open the eyes of my heart Lord”? Do you ever pray, “Let me see Jesus”?
Do you, as Elisha, see beyond the physical world into the spiritual world? Remember, only one third of the angels fell and follow Lucifer, Satan, the Devil. So, that leaves two thirds that are servants of the Most High God. I am not talking about angels, per say, or in specifics in this writing. My message is for you and what you see and or what you are looking for. Do you see the world as it really is or do you see it as you want it to be? Polly Anna or Rose Colored Glasses will not show you reality. Knowing Jesus, studying the Bible, and having someone to bounce your thoughts off of will help.
Do you “see” what I’m saying? Do you think christianly? I write and few respond. A fellow traveler asked me just yesterday, “Are your writings changing the lives of those to whom you send them.”? I had to tell him, “I don’t know”. Do I make sense? Do you “blow me off as a nut”? Does anything I say touch your heart? Does anything I say, change your way or challenge your way of thinking?
Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Open the eyes of my heart Lord!
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
reskew@aol.com
Music has always been a part of my life. I don’t just listen, I think. Two songs of my past hold the key, “Open the eyes of my heart Lord”; and “Open my eyes Lord”.
Open the eyes of my heart Lord, Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You.
“Open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him and say that I love Him”.
Are we even looking to see Jesus better? Are we seeing, knowing and growing into the image of Christ? Are we seeing and sensing the unseen world that is as real as what we see?
My text for this message is 2 Kings 6. Elisha had been given the “mantel” of the Prophet of Elijah. As per usual, Israel was at war, this time it was Syria. Elisha had prophesied against the King of Syria, the King didn’t like it. The King was going to attack Israel and the Prophet. Great fear had overtaken most of Israel. But, Elisha, the man of God, knew his God.
2 Kings 6:15-17 Now when the servant of the man of God (Elisha) had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas my master! What shall we do?” So Elisha answered him and said, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them”. Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see”. And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (Bold for emphasis).
Have you ever asked the Lord to open your eyes in this manner? Have you even thought of such a question? Is your “vision” limited to only what your physical eyes see? Have you ever had a dream, so real, that you knew God was speaking to you? Are you comfortable going to church on Sunday and as you leave thinking, “I’ve done my duty this week”? Do you go to church and as you walk through the doors a magic wand scans you and you put on that “happy face” that says I’m doing fine, no problems here? When in reality, your life is falling apart. And when you leave, that wand scans you again and now you can go back to the way things were.
My questions are a part of a reality check and seeing what is true about life on this planet. Do you ever pray, “Open the eyes of my heart Lord”? Do you ever pray, “Let me see Jesus”?
Do you, as Elisha, see beyond the physical world into the spiritual world? Remember, only one third of the angels fell and follow Lucifer, Satan, the Devil. So, that leaves two thirds that are servants of the Most High God. I am not talking about angels, per say, or in specifics in this writing. My message is for you and what you see and or what you are looking for. Do you see the world as it really is or do you see it as you want it to be? Polly Anna or Rose Colored Glasses will not show you reality. Knowing Jesus, studying the Bible, and having someone to bounce your thoughts off of will help.
Do you “see” what I’m saying? Do you think christianly? I write and few respond. A fellow traveler asked me just yesterday, “Are your writings changing the lives of those to whom you send them.”? I had to tell him, “I don’t know”. Do I make sense? Do you “blow me off as a nut”? Does anything I say touch your heart? Does anything I say, change your way or challenge your way of thinking?
Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Open the eyes of my heart Lord!
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
reskew@aol.com
Saturday, May 16, 2009
On Eagle’s Wings
Isaiah 40:28-30 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable, He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
As I have written this passage, I sit and think; “What more can I say”? Of course the answer is, “Nothing”. This is God’s word; it stands alone and speaks for itself. But… with that word written on my heart, I must unwrap and un-package the nuances of it.
First of all, do we understand that God is the Creator? We and this world are not just “random chance” happenings. We were created in His image, to worship Him and for His purposes. Do we understand that He does not grow weary or tired? On the other hand, I grow weary and tired because I am not God. Yet, He gives strength to the weary… me. The “normal male” has strength and vigor, yet because of the limitations of that manhood, he will become both weary and tired. That’s why we have to sleep, that’s why we have to eat. God does not do either and we loose our strength, we stumble.
We have just had a Mini-Marathon (13.1 miles) in Indianapolis, Indiana, setting off the month of May and the Indianapolis 500 Race. Though people train for the event some will stumble because of lack nutrition or lack of water. Others may stumble because of unevenness of the road.
On our spiritual journey, we will also stumble and grow weary. There will be something in the road that will make us detour or make us slow down or take us off our pace. Then we will have to refocus and get our pace back in order to continue our race. Maybe we stubbed our toe and will continue the race, but in pain. We may grow weary because we see others going around us, bettering their position. We may grow weary because we have not trained well enough. Maybe the weather is hotter than we would like and the heat is taking energy and nutrition out of us faster than we expected.
That’s where the second part starts. Yet those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. There will be times in your spiritual journey when you need to wait. And for most that have been running well, you will have difficulty. The phrase will be on your tongue over and over again, “But I… but I… but I”. But I was doing so well… but I was doing Your will… but I thought….
Maybe you stumbled; maybe you didn’t take in proper nutrition, God’s Word. May it wasn’t even something “you did”. But, it is a time to refocus, rethink, reconnect and recommit. And for sure, it is a time to wait upon the Lord.
Because He wants you to “mount up on wings like eagles”, and that brings me to part three. What does that mean? Back to my nature stories; most of the time when you see nature stories about eagles, you see them perched on a branch of a tall tree or soaring in the sky. Sometimes you see them swooping down on a lake to catch a fish and then fly off somewhere to eat their dinner.
When they are sitting in a tree or their nest, what are they waiting for? Or, for what are they waiting? I think God has created them with a sense that few other birds have. I think that is a sense of “being”; knowing who they are, knowing why they were created and knowing their purpose. That may be a stretch for some to grasp, because we are told that animals don’t sense of feel or think, they just have instincts. But I think there is a lot we don’t know. They don’t have big ears sticking up on the sides of their heads, yet I’m sure they have ears. To spot a fish swimming in a lake from a hundred feet in the air and then maintain that vision until it has the fish in its talon’s, is also an amazing fete. Waiting on a branch of a large tree is for the air current to be right. A few flaps of the wings and the eagle can soar for hours. Why? Because he waited for the wind to be right, then the natural design of the wings will carry aloft a large bird.
Another aspect of the eagle’s wings is that at a point in their development, the feathers will regenerate. At this point, the eagle can not fly. The old feathers fall out and the new ones grow in, but they are not fully developed or mature. So the eagle has to wait.
Does this bird think highly of itself for all the great and wonderful things it can accomplish? No. As one of God’s creatures it simple does what it is designed to do. It is designed to make people look and wonder, to look and wonder… what makes this bird so majestic? What makes this bird so regal? And conversely, what about the sparrow, seemingly one of God’s simple birds, what makes it so special? They both point us to Him, both are mentioned in scripture and God takes care of them both. God uses both in His great plan.
The analogy is this; our waiting is for the purpose of the Spirit of God to be the One who lifts us up. The word for spirit is wind. When God’s Spirit lifts us, we will not struggle, but soar on His wings, His wind. But… we must wait. The analogy may goes like this; You have been do exactly what the Lord has been asking, and now for no apparent reason, you find yourself, as it were, sitting with nothing to do. You wait, you pray, you read, you study, yet nothing happens. Has the Lord forgotten me? Am I being punished? Am I done? The last thing us humans want to do is wait… but we must. We must wait for His Spirit to uplift us and energize us.
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
May 6, 2009
Isaiah 40:28-30 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable, He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
As I have written this passage, I sit and think; “What more can I say”? Of course the answer is, “Nothing”. This is God’s word; it stands alone and speaks for itself. But… with that word written on my heart, I must unwrap and un-package the nuances of it.
First of all, do we understand that God is the Creator? We and this world are not just “random chance” happenings. We were created in His image, to worship Him and for His purposes. Do we understand that He does not grow weary or tired? On the other hand, I grow weary and tired because I am not God. Yet, He gives strength to the weary… me. The “normal male” has strength and vigor, yet because of the limitations of that manhood, he will become both weary and tired. That’s why we have to sleep, that’s why we have to eat. God does not do either and we loose our strength, we stumble.
We have just had a Mini-Marathon (13.1 miles) in Indianapolis, Indiana, setting off the month of May and the Indianapolis 500 Race. Though people train for the event some will stumble because of lack nutrition or lack of water. Others may stumble because of unevenness of the road.
On our spiritual journey, we will also stumble and grow weary. There will be something in the road that will make us detour or make us slow down or take us off our pace. Then we will have to refocus and get our pace back in order to continue our race. Maybe we stubbed our toe and will continue the race, but in pain. We may grow weary because we see others going around us, bettering their position. We may grow weary because we have not trained well enough. Maybe the weather is hotter than we would like and the heat is taking energy and nutrition out of us faster than we expected.
That’s where the second part starts. Yet those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. There will be times in your spiritual journey when you need to wait. And for most that have been running well, you will have difficulty. The phrase will be on your tongue over and over again, “But I… but I… but I”. But I was doing so well… but I was doing Your will… but I thought….
Maybe you stumbled; maybe you didn’t take in proper nutrition, God’s Word. May it wasn’t even something “you did”. But, it is a time to refocus, rethink, reconnect and recommit. And for sure, it is a time to wait upon the Lord.
Because He wants you to “mount up on wings like eagles”, and that brings me to part three. What does that mean? Back to my nature stories; most of the time when you see nature stories about eagles, you see them perched on a branch of a tall tree or soaring in the sky. Sometimes you see them swooping down on a lake to catch a fish and then fly off somewhere to eat their dinner.
When they are sitting in a tree or their nest, what are they waiting for? Or, for what are they waiting? I think God has created them with a sense that few other birds have. I think that is a sense of “being”; knowing who they are, knowing why they were created and knowing their purpose. That may be a stretch for some to grasp, because we are told that animals don’t sense of feel or think, they just have instincts. But I think there is a lot we don’t know. They don’t have big ears sticking up on the sides of their heads, yet I’m sure they have ears. To spot a fish swimming in a lake from a hundred feet in the air and then maintain that vision until it has the fish in its talon’s, is also an amazing fete. Waiting on a branch of a large tree is for the air current to be right. A few flaps of the wings and the eagle can soar for hours. Why? Because he waited for the wind to be right, then the natural design of the wings will carry aloft a large bird.
Another aspect of the eagle’s wings is that at a point in their development, the feathers will regenerate. At this point, the eagle can not fly. The old feathers fall out and the new ones grow in, but they are not fully developed or mature. So the eagle has to wait.
Does this bird think highly of itself for all the great and wonderful things it can accomplish? No. As one of God’s creatures it simple does what it is designed to do. It is designed to make people look and wonder, to look and wonder… what makes this bird so majestic? What makes this bird so regal? And conversely, what about the sparrow, seemingly one of God’s simple birds, what makes it so special? They both point us to Him, both are mentioned in scripture and God takes care of them both. God uses both in His great plan.
The analogy is this; our waiting is for the purpose of the Spirit of God to be the One who lifts us up. The word for spirit is wind. When God’s Spirit lifts us, we will not struggle, but soar on His wings, His wind. But… we must wait. The analogy may goes like this; You have been do exactly what the Lord has been asking, and now for no apparent reason, you find yourself, as it were, sitting with nothing to do. You wait, you pray, you read, you study, yet nothing happens. Has the Lord forgotten me? Am I being punished? Am I done? The last thing us humans want to do is wait… but we must. We must wait for His Spirit to uplift us and energize us.
Following the Shepherd,
Ron
May 6, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Elvis Has Left The Building
The phrase, “Elvis has left the building” was two fold in nature.
One reason was for his safety. If you are old enough to remember how popular Elvis was, then you will recall the fans (girls and women) swooning at his concerts. Then you saw the film footage about how he was guarded and could barely make it to the “limo” with all his clothes on.
I think the second reason was that those “loving fans” would want him to continue to sing and perform all night. He would do “curtain call” after “curtain call”, after “curtain call”. So the promoters had to come up with something that would let those loving fans know it was time to go home.
I guess, that’s what it’s like to be a star, everyone wanting a piece of you. There is no time for you. You can’t go out into the public without being mobbed. You can’t have a peaceful dinner with friends without being mauled by someone or several someone’s, wanting your autograph. You can never be yourself; you always have to be that person everyone expects you to be. I see actors, male and female, in movies and think they are “that type of person”. Then I see them being interviewed by a reporter or a talk show host and they come across as a jerk. In many ways, I think it would be a sad life, and that is why so many stars become addicts. That is not where I’m going with this writing.
If you have received other writings from me, you know I am going somewhere with this… don’t you? Should I drag out the suspense longer or get right to my point?
OK… OK… I’ll get to my point….
Do we hold up our Pastors and our worship leaders to the realms of “Rock Stars”? Do we continue to applaud for “one more song”? Do we put our pastors on a pedestal as someone above the norm? I know they should the men of integrity and intelligence, but I mean in a rock star fashion? I think not. Do we clamor for one more point in his sermon? Do we applaud him at the end of his message? Or are we giving thanks for a message delivered by God Himself?
Now, to the point of all points for this writing.
An analogy: Elvis has left the building.
The Holy Spirit has left the building.
The question has been asked for decades, If the Holy Spirit were to leave your gathering, would you know it?
Just because we feel good after being together for a couple of hours, how is that different from going to a basketball or football game and yelling and screaming for three or four hours?
How do you know you have met with God? Do you tell yourself, “I can’t wait to get back next week to feel good again”? Do you have to come back to get another “high”, just to make it through the next week? Does feeling good mean the Holy Spirit was there?
Have you ever asked a person why they attend a certain church? Have you ever asked a person who goes to church, what the Pastor is teaching? Have you ever asked a person what type of music they have? Can “said” person tell you more about the music than the Pastor’s sermon?
How would you measure that person’s ability to sense the Holy Spirit in themselves or the local church?
The Holy Spirit is a co-equal part of the Trinity. We hear sermons on the Father in many forms and fashions. We are always being directed to Jesus via the Sermon on the Mount, or at Christmas or Easter, but what about the Holy Spirit? Has He left the building? Has He left your building, your body, your life?
In John chapters 16 and 17, Jesus tells us that He is going to send us a Comforter, One just like Him. He will lead us into truth, righteousness and judgment to come. How’s your relationship with the Holy spirit?
Grace and Peace to you in the power of the Holy Spirit,
Ron
The phrase, “Elvis has left the building” was two fold in nature.
One reason was for his safety. If you are old enough to remember how popular Elvis was, then you will recall the fans (girls and women) swooning at his concerts. Then you saw the film footage about how he was guarded and could barely make it to the “limo” with all his clothes on.
I think the second reason was that those “loving fans” would want him to continue to sing and perform all night. He would do “curtain call” after “curtain call”, after “curtain call”. So the promoters had to come up with something that would let those loving fans know it was time to go home.
I guess, that’s what it’s like to be a star, everyone wanting a piece of you. There is no time for you. You can’t go out into the public without being mobbed. You can’t have a peaceful dinner with friends without being mauled by someone or several someone’s, wanting your autograph. You can never be yourself; you always have to be that person everyone expects you to be. I see actors, male and female, in movies and think they are “that type of person”. Then I see them being interviewed by a reporter or a talk show host and they come across as a jerk. In many ways, I think it would be a sad life, and that is why so many stars become addicts. That is not where I’m going with this writing.
If you have received other writings from me, you know I am going somewhere with this… don’t you? Should I drag out the suspense longer or get right to my point?
OK… OK… I’ll get to my point….
Do we hold up our Pastors and our worship leaders to the realms of “Rock Stars”? Do we continue to applaud for “one more song”? Do we put our pastors on a pedestal as someone above the norm? I know they should the men of integrity and intelligence, but I mean in a rock star fashion? I think not. Do we clamor for one more point in his sermon? Do we applaud him at the end of his message? Or are we giving thanks for a message delivered by God Himself?
Now, to the point of all points for this writing.
An analogy: Elvis has left the building.
The Holy Spirit has left the building.
The question has been asked for decades, If the Holy Spirit were to leave your gathering, would you know it?
Just because we feel good after being together for a couple of hours, how is that different from going to a basketball or football game and yelling and screaming for three or four hours?
How do you know you have met with God? Do you tell yourself, “I can’t wait to get back next week to feel good again”? Do you have to come back to get another “high”, just to make it through the next week? Does feeling good mean the Holy Spirit was there?
Have you ever asked a person why they attend a certain church? Have you ever asked a person who goes to church, what the Pastor is teaching? Have you ever asked a person what type of music they have? Can “said” person tell you more about the music than the Pastor’s sermon?
How would you measure that person’s ability to sense the Holy Spirit in themselves or the local church?
The Holy Spirit is a co-equal part of the Trinity. We hear sermons on the Father in many forms and fashions. We are always being directed to Jesus via the Sermon on the Mount, or at Christmas or Easter, but what about the Holy Spirit? Has He left the building? Has He left your building, your body, your life?
In John chapters 16 and 17, Jesus tells us that He is going to send us a Comforter, One just like Him. He will lead us into truth, righteousness and judgment to come. How’s your relationship with the Holy spirit?
Grace and Peace to you in the power of the Holy Spirit,
Ron
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