SATISFACTION

Back in the 60's one of the big hit songs was, "I can’t get no satisfaction," by the group called "The Rolling Stones". It spoke to the constant battle and failure in life to find satisfaction by doing what society expects you to do. Many of us "baby boomers" grew up listening to this music. Many embraced the philosophy of rejecting social norms or socially accepted concepts of right behavior. Today we live in a world where the accepted thing is to just "do your own thing," or "just do whatever makes you happy".

Sadly, this idea has penetrated the minds of many of those who are trying to "find God" or "worship God in their own way". The problem is that though our society may have been bent enough to allow folks to do pretty much whatever they want and still be accepted, God doesn't.

You might be inclined to ask, "What gives you the right to make such a statement?" "Who made you the judge of the world?" My answer is that no one made me the judge of you, it always has been and always will be God that judges. Jesus himself said, (if you accept Jesus as authority in religious matters), in John 12:47-52, "If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (NIV)

You see somewhere in life many have been convinced that "as long as you love God, you can pretty much do whatever you want and still be acceptable to him". Yet, Jesus said, "If you don't do what I have said you will be condemned". The apostle John shared these words with us in 1 John 5:3, "Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome".

So, are you looking for satisfaction? Have you tried looking more closely at what God asks of you? Read the Psalms and see what the writers equate with joy and happiness. You'll find it is having a real relationship with God, not just a nodding acquaintance.

What About The Future?

I don't know about you, but I sometimes get concerned about the future. I don't know if I actually worry about it, but sometimes it is close to that. I am concerned about the state of our world; I am concerned about the financial condition of our country; I am concerned about what the government will or won't do to the stability of our country; I am concerned about what kind of world our children and grandchildren will have to live in; I am concerned with how things will turn out in our lives as we grow older.

Again, I am concerned, but don't worry about it. Every day, just as perhaps you do, I strive to turn my future over to God. Sometimes I successful, sometimes I'm not.

I recently read a quote from Corrie Ten Boom that said, "Never be afraid to trust the future you don't know, to a God you do know". I don't know about you, but from time to time I need to be reminded of that fact! Don't most of the issues in our lives have a direct relationship to our reliance upon God or our relationship to him? Who is it we turn to in times of trouble, is it our friends and family, our co-workers, or do we first think of God. Your answer to that question may explain your success or failure in some of your struggles.

I am endeavoring every day to rely more upon God regarding my future. Shouldn't we really be able to trust the future to our God we know? In the scripture we read: "God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) So, if we know this promise and know the one who made the promise, how can we not trust our future to his hands? David said of God in Psalm 31:15, "My future is in Your hands".

We have read the words, we know the promise; we know the one who made the promise, now it is time for us to live like we believe the promise. Stop worrying about that which you can't change or can't direct yourself and turn it over to God.

Politics and Religion

(Houston, TX, October 2014) "The battle over a controversial equal rights ordinance is heating up in Houston, Texas, with revelations that the city has subpoenaed church sermons, among other documentation, from five local faith leaders.

Officials have requested that these preachers deliver communications that have focused on homosexuality or the contentious equal rights ordinance, which these individuals have fervently opposed.

The subpoenas, which were issued last month, seek, “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession,” according to the Houston Chronicle." (Theblaze.com)

This is Satan continuing to chip away at our Christian Freedoms. Just a couple of years ago I urged the members of our church to contact the leaders in government regarding the "Hate Speech" bill that was being proposed. This bill was passed and can be used against ministers who choose to speak out against the sins of our nation practiced by many. Sadly; many in world and our churches ridiculed the idea as foolish to think that the government would try to hinder what teaching takes place in our churches. They were wrong! I believe the following quote describes the problem well:

"Our society is still trying to answer the question, do politics and religion mix? The first amendment of the United States Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof." What the first amendment is saying is that government should stay out of religion, but religious people can exercise their faith in the influence of public policy.

Over the past fifty years, lawmakers have misinterpreted the Constitution. We've majored in the first part of the amendment while abandoning the second part, and in doing so, we have disenfranchised the gospel, politically, socially, judicially, and culturally. Like a sponge with the water squeezed out, ours is a society with Jesus squeezed out, and we are living in a fifty-year experiment of building a nation without God. No prayer. No Ten Commandments. No sermon at graduation. No Sabbath. No respect for marriage.

Those things may be contributing to factors to some of today's problems: We have massive teen drug abuse, school shooting sprees, and an adolescent suicide rate up 350 percent since 1960. It's time to ask, cannot politics and religion mix?" (Stephen M. Crotts)

It's time that we understand the importance of God's Word once again. It's time for us to stand and be counted and call into account those who govern us. Jesus said this in John 12:47-50   "If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

THE BLOOD MOON AND THE CURMUDGEON

 

Last night we had a total Lunar eclipse which is a wonderful event to behold, however in our area it was visible at 4 O'clock in the morning. There has been some discussion about the event being "a sign from God," which I think shows a great lack of understanding for biblical prophecy and events. So, No I definitely don't think it was a sign from God, other that to show how wonderful the universe he created works.

Now my wife is into those kinds of events and enjoys them more that I. She talked about getting up to watch the Lunar Eclipse and I told her, "Well, don't wake me; I'm going to be a bit of a Curmudgeon about it."

Now the dictionary defines "Curmudgeon," as a person (especially an old man) who is easily annoyed, sometimes easily angered and who often complains or grumbles." I don't know if I fit into all of those areas of description, but if you wake me up at 4 A.M. I do tend to be a bit annoyed and grumble about it. The funny thing is; that I'm often up at 4 A.M. working in my office, but if I happen to be asleep I like to stay that way.

As things would happen, I woke up at 3:50 A.M. and thought seriously about trying to go back to sleep. I know that once I wake up, it is very difficult for me to shut down my brain and go back to sleep. However, I also thought about how happy seeing these events makes my wife of 47 years (who just happened to be sound asleep). I thought you have a choice; you can be a curmudgeon or be a blessing to her. So, as gently as I could, woke her up and asked if she would like to go out and look at the moon with me.

We pulled on some warm clothes and went out and stood in our front yard watching the moon and as we watched we saw a shooting star flash across the sky in front of the moon (another one of her favorite things). We watched for a few minutes and went in, hugged and kissed and she went to bed and I went to my office.

OK, what's my point? It is that we have a choice in how we act and how we relate to other people. After 47 years we still do the things Newly Weds do. We hold hands, hug and kiss often, fix one another's tea and coffee, massage sore muscles, go shopping for cloths together and in general do the things that love demands… even getting up at 4 O'clock in the morning to watch the moon.

Notice this interesting modern translation of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride; Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things." (BBE)

How about you, have you been a bit of a curmudgeon lately? Maybe it's time to turn things around and remember what love is all about