OUR INHERITANCE

Romans 8:16, 17 says:  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.  Now that's a pretty big statement.  What's an "heir", anyway?  I'd say it's someone who inherits that which belongs to another. 

So the next question is, If we're God's children and God's heirs, just what is it that we inherit?  The answer's obvious, I'd say -- we inherit everything that He has!  In other words, EVERYTHING that God has belongs to us!  Can't get much better than that, can you? 

And right on the heels of that thought comes still another question.  What does God have that we can inherit?  That's a loaded question if I ever heard one!  You mean I'm the one who actually asked such a stupid question?  Why, God has everything!!!  And more besides!!!  Here again it's time to get out your trusty paper and pencil and start making a written list!  I'll start it for you.  God's got peace, joy, love, strength, wisdom, understanding, kindness, patience, longsuffering. 

So if God has all this "stuff", and if we're His heirs, as well as joint heirs with Christ, why don't WE have peace, joy, love, strength, wisdom, understanding, kindness, patience and longsuffering?  Huh?

That's a question to meditate on not only throughout the day, but also as you go to bed tonight!  Hope you come up with an answer!  Let me know if you do.

We'll continue our discussion tomorrow!

Preacher's Kid

ONE-TRACK MIND

Can't believe I haven't blogged since day before Thanksgiving.  That's cuz I've got a one-track mind -- but what else can you expect when I'll be 82 tomorrow!!!  Whoo-eee!

Thanksgiving Day we woke up to icy roads and an inch or so of snow -- all in a country where my husband claims he has seen more winters without snow than with the stuff!  Of course the news was showing pictures of cars sliding uncontrollably down the hills and streets of Seattle.  This only served to remind me of a number of years ago when I lived in the snow belt in New York.  And on a back road alone, after dark, I found myself hanging upside down in my car which had turned turtle!  I had gone into a skid and hit a dry spot in the road in the middle of that skid.  That's when I learned that if you hit a dry spot in the middle of a skid, you'll flip your vehicle every time!  So on Thanksgiving Day I refused to leave the house even though someone offered to come get my husband and me.  (We were to go to a friend's house and they live way up on the mountain!)

Instead, I stayed home and wrote three humorous monologues and gathered the "fodder" for six more.  And when I get my mind on something like that, forget about doing anything else, even blogging!  I gave one skit at our Senior Citizen's monthly meeting today, and they really enjoyed it.

Suddenly it's a new week and I see it's my turn to have devotions at our local nursing home Wed. morning.  And we have another session in our Bible Study coming up Wed. afternoon.  (We skipped both those activities last week.)  Choir rehearses Wed. night and I need to practice my accompaniment!  So now that I'm getting back into the swing of things once again, I hope I'll get back to the blogging!  Oh, yes, my husband is taking me out to dinner tomorrow night!

Just wanted to touch base with everyone so you know I'm OK!  Talk to you later.

Preacher's Kid

WHO IS GOD, ANYWAY?

Yesterday I said I loved Rex for who he is -- MY HUSBAND.  But when I transferred that concept to God, I failed to explain Who GOD is!

Now, let me ask you, who is God, anyway?  Should someone ask you right now who God is, how would you explain Him?  Could you?

I was trying to explain to my sleep doctor yesterday why it takes me so long to get to sleep when I go to bed at night, but I failed miserably in convincing him!  You see, it's dark then.  It's quiet.  There are no distractions.  I don't have to worry about the phone ringing.  I cuddle up against my dear, sweet hubby who goes to sleep about the moment his head hits the pillow, so I know he's not going to want to carry on a conversation.  I'm cozy; I'm comfortable.  I don't have to be concerned about doing the laundry, or cooking, or dishes, or cleaning, or anything else for that matter.  I don't have an ache or a pain when I'm lying down.  And I dearly enjoy thinking, praying and meditating when everything else is blocked out of my mind.  The Lord takes advantage of these quiet moments and shows me so many insights into His Word.  Now explain that to any doctor, if you will!

Be that as it may, I got to thinking last night about Who God is, and the thoughts came so thick and fast I just lay in bed and marvelled and smiled to myself in delight with the realization of Who God is.  I would challenge you to get out a sheet of paper and your pen and make your own list.  I'll give you a few suggestions for a starter.

God is love.  God is my peace.  God is joy.  God is my Guide.  God is my Comforter.  God is my Leader.  God is my Redeemer.  God is my Healer.  God is my sunshine.  God is my Strength.  I think you get the idea.  In other words, God is my Everything.  He's my All-in-All.

OK.  Ready to start your list?  You may need more than one sheet of paper before you're finished.  And if that doesn't make your Thanksgiving Day one grand day of thanksgiving, I'm afraid nothing will!

Happy gobbling!

Preacher's Kid

SIMPLE LOVE

Over and over recently I've been awakened in the mornings with the strains of an old hymn going through my mind:  There's A Wideness in God's Mercy Like the Wideness in His Sea.  The hymn was not particularly a favorite of mine and I was surprised the first morning it came back to me.  Then several mornings later the same thing happened, and again, then again.  I figured the Lord must want me to learn something, so I looked it up in a hymnal and read through it but nothing struck my fancy until I came to the last verse:  If our love were but more simple, we would take Him at His Word.

Aha -- that word SIMPLE jumped right out at me.  My husband and I have been discussing lately that perhaps we make it more difficult than it really is to receive the fulfillment of God's promises.  I began pondering what SIMPLE love really is.  How, I wondered, can I make my love more simple?  Isn't love something you'd want to grow greater and bigger and stronger?

My mind went back to a little over six years ago when Rex and I were married -- it was a first marriage for me at the age of 75.  Friends told me marriage would never work for me.  They claimed I had been single too long.  I had been my own boss and made my own decisions, and was boss at the office, etc., etc.  But I knew, as did Rex, that marriage was destined for the two of us.  Acquaintances gave me six months max!  Now we're heading into a seventh year of marital bliss that grows stronger with each passing day.  It's such a relief not to have to make my own deicions any more about when to buy gas for the car, or when to buy another car, or keep my checkbook balanced and pay the bills or make sure I don't overdraw my bank account, or get the car serviced.  The endless list goes on and on.

As I reflected upon our love, I asked myself, Why do I love the man?  Do I love him for the things he does for me?  Suddenly it hit me, although I appreciate all the responsiblity he takes and all the things he does for me such as driving me around to all my doctor appointments or wherever else I want to go, that's not why I love him.  I'd love him whether he did those things or not.  So why do I love him?  I'll tell you why.  I love him FOR WHO HE IS!!  HE'S MY HUSBAND!!  It's just that plain and simple!  And if he says he is going to take me out to dinner, I know I can trust him to keep his word and I make plans accordingly.  If he says we're going on vacation, I don't question him.  I know to start getting ready!  (That doesn't mean we don't discuss and decide things together, for we often do!)

Now, why can't I transfer that kind of love to God?  God's blessings are abundant and above measure, but is that why I love Him?  And suddenly it hit me -- I love God FOR WHO HE IS!  He's the Creator of the universe; but He's also the Savior of my soul!  And if my love for God is as simple as my love for my husband, can I not trust Him to keep His Word as much as I trust my husband?

When Jesus says in John 16:23 Whatever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you, is my love simple enough to trust Him to confirm His Word to me?  When He promises in Exodus 15:26 I am the Lord that healeth thee is my love simple enough to put my healing in His hands knowing He will fulfill His Word to me in His way, in His time?

How simple is your love?  Simple enough to trust God to keep ALL His promises to YOU?

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL ANEMIA (Part 3)

We've blogged about causes and results of Spiritual Anemia.  Let's wrap up this mini series by looking at some remedies for those afflicted with this insiduous affliction.

First of all, an individual with Spiritual Anemia needs sunshine.  An individual who has symptoms of Spiritual Anemia may possibly be walking behind light.  That is, he/she may not be in obedience to God's will in some area of life.  It may be that God has asked them to do something, or perhaps give up some harmful practice, but so far they are not being obedient to what God is asking.  In other words, they are walking behind God's light.  Such a person needs to step out in obedience to a holy God thereby living in the sunshine of His love.  It will be amazing how quickly his Spiritual Anemia will begin to disappear.

Then, too, an individual afflicted with Spiritual Anemia needs to follow a prescribed diet -- a spiritual diet, that is.  As the Apostle Paul admonished Timothy in I Timothy 4:13, the afflicted person needs to "give attendance to reading" -- reading and feasting on the Word of God for his spiritual food.  He needs to listen to good sermons and other supplementary reading.

And in more advanced cases of Spiritual Anemia, it may be necessary to have a blood transfusion.  Of course, care must be taken that the individual receive the right kind of blood.  For the anemic Christian, only one individual in the entire universe has the type of blood that is needed, and I'm sure you know what that is.  We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.  If a blood transfusion is used successfully, a change for the better will be noticed immediately.

Yes, there is a remedy for Spiritual Anemia.

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL ANEMIA (Part 2)

Yesterday we blogged about some of the the causes of Spiritual Anemia.  I hope you didn't discover this treacherous malady lurking in your life!

Today let's look at some of the results of Spiritual Anemia.

With Spiritual Anemia, it's possible for spiritual vision to become impaired due to hemorrhaging in the retina.  Our churches today are full of people who lack spiritual vision.

And did you know that indigestion is another result of Spiritual Anemia?  Although a preacher may give the most nourishing sermons from the Bread of Life, if his congregation is suffering from Spiritual Anemia, they will not benefit from the proferred sustenance.

Then, the victim of this unfortunate disease, this Spiritual Anemia, often finds it difficult to keep warm.  He cools off so easily because he finds it hard to be "fervent in spirit".  He has difficulty in praying fervently.  He has difficulty in having fervent love for his brothers and sisters in Christ.

And should a sufferer of Spiritual Anemia happen to be afflicted with a wound of some kind, even a slight wound, he/she finds that it takes a long time for the wound to heal.  Such people are easily offended and carry around grudges and a grieving and bitter spirit for a long time.  Only forgivenness will heal the wound.  A cut or wound will heal quickly and easily in the physical life if one enjoys good health and strength.  And the same thing is true in the spiritual life.

In the physical realm, a mother with anemia may not be able to bring a child to birth.  Sad to say, the same thing is true in the spiritual realm.  Isaiah spoke about this in Isaiah 37:3.  (F)or the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

The saddest of all results to me, though, is the fact that people with Spiritual Anemia may linger in this condition for years upon end often unaware they have been afflicted.

We'll conclude this mini series on Spiritual Anemia in tomorrow's blog and find, thankfully, that there IS a remedy!

Until then, Adios!

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL ANEMIA (Part 1)

What is anemia, anyhow?  As I understand it, anemia is a disease caused by a lack, or deficiency in the quality or quantity of red corpuscles.  It causes the blood to lose some of its red coloring.  The symptoms of anemia resemble the symptoms of many weak Christians.

What causes anemia, anyway?  One cause is improper nourishment.   Did you know that about all the nourishment some Christians receive during the week comes from the daily newspaper and the TV newscasts?  Oh, ouch!

Anemia can also result from other conditions or diseases which destroy the red blood corpuscles in the blood.  In Christians, such a condition could very well indicate a hindrance such as an unforgiving spirit, bitterness or hidden sin their lives.

One symptom of anemia is a pale and unhealthy skin color which appears gradually.  In the spiritual realm, we speak of such a condition as "lukewarmness," or "falling away" or even the "love of many growing cold."  This often creeps up on those who have been Christians for many years.  Suddenly they don't manifest good spiritual health, and they get "off color" in their church activities.

Anemia incapacitates its victims for any strenuous exertion.  People so afflicted get tired of spiritual activities very easily.  Oh, they can engage in vigorous activities for themselves, but have no energy left for the Lord's work.

Do any of these descriptions fit you?  Are you, by any chance, afflicted with spiritual anemia?  I sincerely hope not; but, if so, look for tomorrow's blog when we'll discuss some results of this ailment.

Preacher's Kid

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

I know some of you get concerned when you don't find a blog every few days in your e-mail, so am blogging just to say I'm OK. 

We had a terrific wind and rain storm Monday night and lost our internet connection for a couple of days, but Rex got it working again today.  Wednesdays, however, are our busy days -- devotions at the nursing home in the AM; Bible Study at church in the PM; family night at church in the evening followed by choir practice!

Tomorrow a group from church will attend an annual Thanksgiving dinner at the senior center in a nearby village -- a tradition!  After that I hope to go back to church to catch up on cataloging the books for our library.  Someone else was doing that but turned it over to me when they left for another church!  I do have help, however, once I learn the system!

So at least you can see I'm keeping out of trouble!  I'll get back to blogging one of these days.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Preacher's Kid

HIGH VS LOW

Remember the ballad we used to sing years ago, something about "You take the high road, and I'll take the low road, and I'll get to Scotland afore ye."  Wasn't it a love song about "me and my fair love" on the "bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond."  I'm surprised I can remember that much of it!

You know, there's also a high road and a low road in the realm of Christianity, the realm of the spiritual.  Each individual must make the choice as to which road he/she will travel.  I'm afraid too many Christians today are inadvertently taking the low road resulting from a multitude of factors.  Lack of prayer and Bible reading keep one on the low road.  Loss of appetite for spiritual things contributes to the problem.  Trying to handle our own affairs instead of looking to the Lord for guidance keeps us on this low road.  So does the hustle and bustle of the daily cares of life, to say nothing of the stress of daily living.

Do you remember reading the words of Jesus in John 14:12?  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO; because I go unto my Father.  (Capital letters mine)

Do we, as Christians, believe on Christ?  Of course, we do!  But are we doing the same works that Jesus did?  Of course not.  It shakes our very being crazy and almost seems sacrilegious to even think of the possibility of such a thing!  But I didn't say it -- Christ did!  We're to do not only the same works He did, He says we're to do even GREATER works!  Wow!  My mind really can't grasp that thought!

And do you see other Christians doing the same works as Christ did?  Why don't we see miracles today as the early church experienced?  I'll tell you why.  We're living beneath our privileges in Christ Jesus.  If we could only grasp who we are in Christ, Who He is in us, the power He has given us and what our privileges are in Him, I believe we'd begin experiencing spiritual results akin to those the early Christians experienced.

And so I ask, are you on the high road spiritually or the low road?

Preacher's Kid

BAKING POWDER VS YEAST

Both baking powder and yeast are leavens.  Yeast takes longer to work while baking powder works quickly.  If you've ever made bread, you know that after you put yeast in the dough, you must set it aside and wait for it to work.  Patience isn't my strong point.  When I want something, I want it right now.  In fact, yesterday would be even better!!!  So I prefer to use recipes that call for baking powder rather than yeast.  I like to put baking powder in my dough, then pop it into the oven immediately for quick results.  I will admit, though, that both baking powder and yeast are valid methods for preparing dough.

I suppose you're wondering, by now, what I'm driving at!  Well, I'll tell you.  Too many times we want to see "baking powder" results from our Christian witness when in reality our witness is more like "yeast".  The same thing is true in our prayer, life, too.  I'd much rather see "baking powder" results from my prayer requests than wait around for the "yeast" to bring about an answer!  I want my answers NOW, if you please.

We must remember that our Heavenly Father sees the big picture and knows whether to produce "baking powder" or "yeast" results be it in our witness or our prayer life.  There are times we must wait for our witness to work.  Sometimes it will take warmth -- the warmth of our love and concern.  We must continue to "knead the dough" several times and be willing to wait when our leaven is more like yeast than baking powder.  The same thing holds true in our prayer life.

So the next time it seems a long, long journey in our witnessing or in getting our prayers answered, let's remember that it's yeast that's working, not baking powder.

Preacher's Kid

SIN CONSCIOUS VS SON CONSCIOUS

If you watch the cureent newscasts at all, you're very much aware of the sin and evil surrounding us on every side.  I sometimes wonder why I even waste my time watching the news.  Then I remind myself that it just gives me all the more reason to know how to pray for this country of ours.

We don't want to minimize the awfulness of sin.  But the world already knows about sin.  In fact, most of them are sick of it but know no other way of life.  As Christians, we, too, are aware of the terrible condition of the world and the blackness of sin.  But we also see the other side of the coin and know that God, through His only begotten Son, has provided forgiveness and peace in the midst of the ongoing wickedness.  That is the message we need to get to others.

We can all quote John 3:16 from memory.  But what about the wonderful truth of John 3:17?  Jesus said, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.  God's purpose in sending His Son into this world was to make people "Son conscious" rather than "Sin conscious".  Our message, our emphasis should be on deliverance from sin through God's Son.

Too many Christians have their eyes on sin instead of on the Son.

Where are YOUR eyes?  Are you sin conscious or Son conscious?

Preacher's Kid

ENDURING VS OVERCOMING

How do you react to trials?  Do you endure them, or do you overcome them?

Have you ever wondered why the Apostle James challenged us in James 1:2 to count it all joy when we fall into trials?  Why would anyone be crazy enough to consider a trial a thing of joy?  I think the joy lies in overcoming our trials rather than buckling down and enduring them.  We can triumph over our trials through faith and patience.  Faith and patience -- I call them the "power twins".

Jesus wants us to be overcomers even as He was.  He says in John 16:33, "I have overcome the world."  Christ overcame sin, death, hell and the grave.  And when you and I realize that He has already defeated Satan (for us, I might add), we, too, will be overcomers over everything Satan sends our way.

Trouble WILL come our way.  I Peter 4:12 says, "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you . . ."  He doesn't suggest that trials MIGHT come our way.  He takes it for granted that trials are GOING to come -- and we know they will!  But when they do come, God will cause us to triumph over them if we trust in Him.

We don't have to let go of our peace just because trials and tribulations come our way.  Read what Paul says in Romans 5:1-4, how he overcame and what he learned from the trials that came his way.  Then let us follow his example and learn to be overcomers when faced with the difficulties and problems of life.  Don't be content just to "endure" your trials any longer.

Preacher's Kid

BELIEVING VS SEEING

Mark 11:24 is the promise I have been claiming for healing.  "Whatever things ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."  These are words that Jesus said.  As the song writer said, "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word.  What more can He say than to you He hath said?"  And I ask, what more can God say than He has said in the above Scripture????

Believing means we have already received something although in an unseen state.  It is in the spiritual realm.  Once we do this, He says we will have it.  God is not asking us to believe that we have something in its manifested state; for if we did, that is seeing, not believing!

There is no way we can change the fact that believing comes first -- THEN it will be followed by seeing!  In our humanity, we want to reverse the order and say, "If I can only see, I'll believe."  But that is not God's way.  He says, "Believe first, then you will see!"

The believing occurs in the spiritual, or the unseen realm.  Seeing occurs in the natural, or the seen realm.  Our part is to take care of the receiving.  God's part is to take care of the having or the manifestation.  If we make sure that we receive, God will make sure that we have.  We can't do His part for Him, and He will not do our part for us.  Manifestations are not our business; believing is.  We must remember it is real even though we don't see it.

Preacher's Kid

PROBLEM-CENTERED VS GOD-CENTERED

Luke 12:31 (Living Bible Paraphrase) says:  "He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."  You probably know the verse better as "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."

Another Scripture I want to include in this blog is Matthew 6:25, also the Living Bible paraphrase, which sets the pattern for our attitude concerning material things.  The writer says, "So my counsel is:  Don't worry about things -- food, drink, and clothes.  For you already have life and a body -- and they are far more important than what to eat and wear."

Putting these two Scriptures together we see that we need to give God and His Word first place in our lives.  We need to have an attitude of faith and trust.  And we can always depend on God's Word.  It will never fail us nor forsake us.

But-t-t-t -- oh, that dreadful little word "but"!  We cannot have faith and trust if all we see is our problems!  And whichever looms larger in our sight will determine what we are mostly conscious of:  our problems or God!  Often we cannot figure out how God is going to meet our needs.  Hey, that's none of our business.  Our business is to trust Him and realize that He is bigger than our problems.

In my working days, I had a poster on my wall at the office that said (somewhat ungrammatically, I will admit):  "Help me to remember, Lord, that nothing's gonna happen today that You and me can't handle together."

Which is bigger in your eyes -- your problems or God's Word?  Just asking!

Preacher's Kid

FORGETFULNESS

Forgetfulness -- I suppose that's something that none of you even know about!!!  How I wish I didn't -- or do I?  On second thought, I guess it's good to forget some things such as a hateful word someone has spoken to us in a moment of anger, or the unintended slight given us.

On the other hand, though, we don't want to forget the love and kindness of others, or the friendship of friends.  Above all, let's not forget the blessings and benefits that God bestows upon us daily.  The Psalmist David admonishes us in Psalms 103:4,5, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, Who healeth all thy diseases, Who crowneth thy life with loving kindness."

And what inspired this blog about forgetfulness?  Well, it happened like this.  Before I went on our recent vacation, I had five or six folders here at my computer desk just loaded with ideas for devotionals of all kinds.  But now that I'm home and ready to use them, I can't find them anywhere!  Where, oh, where did I put them?

Yep, there are some things you just don't want to forget!

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL SPECTATORS

Why is it that many Christians sit back and relax and allow the pastor to do most of the ministry? Or are you thinking, "Isn't that what he's paid for? After all, he's gotta earn his money somehow!

But I wonder if that's God's plan. God has given each of us gifts, talents, and abilities of one kind or another. We're each a part of the body of Christ. So shouldn't we be using those gifts and abilities to bless the other members of the body of Christ?

Ephesians 4:11, 12 reminds us of some of the gifts we've been given and challenges us to use them to bless others. I Corinthians 12, starting with verse 12, enlarges on the subject. It's too long a passage to repeat here, but you can read it for yourself.

If we don't exercise, or use our physical bodies, they become weak and useless. The same principle applies, I believe, to our spiritual lives. We don't have to be great speakers, teachers, preachers, etc. But we all have talents of some kind we can use to further the work of the Lord. It may be nothing more than helping out where needed -- baby sitting, running errands, working in the church kitchen, helping an elderly person with house cleaning, phoning someone who is house bound and lonely, etc., etc.

What is it that you enjoy doing that would bless someone else? How about baking a pie, or cake, some cookies, or even making a meal for a shutin? Start thinking -- it might surprise you what you can come up with. And in blessing others, you'll be strengthened and blessed yourself. Just don't allow yourself to become a spiritual spectator!

Preacher's Kid