When I talk about American Idols, I’m not talking about the TV show American Idol.  I’m talking about the idea of idols.  Idols can be anything.  Some people might have money, a big house, fame, sex as their idol.  Wikipedia’s definition for Idol is “An idol is a man-made object that is worshiped in some way.”

Now, let me stress that there is nothing wrong with sex, fame or having money, etc. in the right context.  Let’s take money for example.  Many well known godly people in the Bible had lots of money and wealth, like Abraham, Solomon, David and many others.  The question is, where is your heart?  Is your money controlling you?  Are you a slave to your money?  Are you focused on just on the accumulation of money?   When money becomes your focus, in other words your idol, it is then when you’re getting into real trouble.

It’s worth thinking about.  First of all, you will never experience lasting fulfilling success if your focus is on money.  Bill Gates did not make his money by focusing on money.  He had a passion for computers and software and money was a side effect of his passion.  Besides failure, having the wrong attitude about money can cost you everything including your soul?  Here is what the Bible says about money and success.

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26 (NKJV)

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”  Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “  Matthew 4:8-10 (NKJV)

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  1 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.  1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NKJV)

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.  1 Corinthians 7:23 (NKJV)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.  1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV)

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  James 4:4 (NKJV)

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.  1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV)

“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  John 12:25 (NKJV)

The amazing thing is that when we focus on God, he takes care of us.  His promises are amazing for people that focus on him.  He provides true, lasting and enjoyable success.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Josh 1:8 (NKJV)

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.  2 Cor 9:8 (NKJV)

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.   Psalms 1:2-3 (NKJV)

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.   Prov 18:10 (NKJV)

then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Phil 4:19 (NKJV)

Frankly, it’s hard to change some of our attitudes like the one about money by ourselves, however, if we ask God, he promises to help us change from the inside out.

Other related articles Success Stories, Addictions and Struggles, Money, How to succeed in tough economic times.

Baseball great Yogi Berra’s “déjà vu all over again” quote will likely appear often, as Brett Favre threw another interception at the end of a conference championship game, just like in January of 2008. Will he retire, or not? And, if he retires, will he stay retired? Between him and Conan O’Brien, who list the battle with Jay Leno over the 11:30 time slot, future employment will be in celebrity news for weeks or even months.

Interesting that, in each case, they likely want to do something. It’s doubtful O’Brien will give up comedy, though he could with his severance package. As for Favre, pro athletes are so used to competition and cheering, it would be hard to imagine him spending his whole life golfing and fishing, even if we think we would with his millions.

The reason it’s hard to imagine is, we are born with a desire to do something. Even the first man, Adam, didn’t just sit around doing nothing. His job was to till the garden in Eden, to dress it and keep it nice. This was a much easier job before the Fall, of course.

When Adam and Even sinned, things changed. To use our present examples, a Brett Favre can’t play quarterback without 300-pound guys clobbering him. The old adage is that football is not just a contact sport, it’s a collision sport. Because sin came into the world, these collisions cause Favre to get banged up, and to age to the point where someday, he’ll realize his body can’t take it. Similarly, Conan O’Brien is in a job where jokes fall flat sometimes. Sometimes, communication fails, and there can easily be someone better who can take that job.

These are the “thorns and thistles” of their jobs, the problems of working that have existed since sin entered the world. Tilling the garden would have been easy for Adam. But, because sin was brought into the world, with his job came problems. And, the ground would produce thorns and thistles. (Genesis 3:18)

Every difficulty we encounter, no matter what our work, can be traced back to these thorns and thistles. Every task that seems fruitless, every attempt to get something done that fails, comes because of this. Favre’s interceptions, his many bruises and aches, come because this world is not the perfect place it was created to be. Conan’s struggles with his employer, as well as times when any comedian is “just dying out there,” are the consequences of sin having been brought into the world back at the dawn of time.

Of course, work has success, too. God promises that success will come in that verse, when He tells Adam he shall eat the herb of the field. What he is saying, though, is that that herb is going to be hard to come by, much harder than if sin were not present. And, in the same way, Favre and O’Brien have each tasted great success in their jobs. Favre is a surefire Hall of Famer who increased his prestige with an incredible season. Conan O’Brien is seen by many as a great comedian, even with his problems.

Some jobs bring more difficulties than others, of course. In some, it’s the location – a house in a poor market might not sell for months, even with the best seller. Ratings are dependent on the competition and “lead in” viewers. A quarterback can struggle mightily with no supporting cast. At times, it’s the nature of the job. Favre’s successor, Aaron Rodgers, saw an incredible playoff game go to waste because of defensive struggles. And, the best doctor can’t save every patient. Even in a field where that doctor would rarely ever see something bad, there will always be that one case that turns out to be an untreatable cancer. Thorns and thistles come up in every field.

And yet, when all is said and done, that agent can find someone to buy, if the price is low enough. The surgeon in the busiest emergency room, with the worst accidents, will be able to save some. A truly great quarterback can still get noticed by the Hall of Fame eventually, and a great comedian can get laughs from someone. The herb of the field will come. It will just be with a lot of effort, a lot of toil, and a lot of sweat.

That toil and sweat of the brow comes at us just as it came at Adam, and just as it comes for Favre and O’Brien – whatever they choose to do. However, the next verse, Genesis 3:19, points to what Favre and O’Brien must both consider. Eternal rewards are the only ones that will last, and they must start to earn these, instead of only Earthly ones. To get those, we must receive Christ’s forgiveness.

Consider Adam’s situation. He learns that he will have to work much harder to get any yield from the land. He will do this in sorrow his whole life, realizing what once was. Yes, he would be able to get the herb of the field eventually. But, even when he did, it would seem so fruitless at times. The toil and sweat of his brow would make labor so tiring. And, after all that labor, what would he get? A physical body that would grow old, decay, and die. Just as Brett Favre and Conan O’Brien – and all of us – have.

God knew this. He didn’t want any of us to be surprised. The fact that Adam would have to toil and sweat was an implied part of that warning back in Gen. 2:17 that he would surely die. This phrase, literally translated, says, “dying, you will die.” In other words, the process of death would begin right away, and would continue until, at long last, Adam returned to dust. Gen. 3:19, then, is telling Adam just how that would happen. Just as we will turn to dust someday and so will celebrities like Favre and O’Brien.

Of course, some work is more joyful than others. When Paul Harvey, the great radio commentator, passed away, there was a clip of him stating something to the effect that he’d never “worked” a day in his life. It was always so much fun. Just as Favre, when he looks at it, keeps coming back to the thrill of the game. (And, thus, keeps coming out of retirement.) And, just as O’Brien keeps looking at the thrill of doing stand-up comedy. Sure, it takes a lot of toil and sweat, as it did for Mr. Harvey. But, if you ask them, they’d probably echo his sentiments.

This is an element of God’s grace. It shows that God, in His perfect love, has created each of us with interests that, if we hone them, will grow into lifelong work that we’ll love. We’ll love it because God has matched us to that work. Paul Harvey still worked, of course. But, he had found that one specific thing which he could do that brought him pleasure. Just as Favre and O’Brien no doubt have.

This is not a sign of salvation per se; plenty of saved people toil in unhappy situations, and plenty of unsaved love their jobs. What it means is that God loves us, and it’s one of the ways He shows that love to us. There is always that reminder – through how we age – that our bodies are but dust. However, he provides us with grace, so we can have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

However, Adam was still mortal, as we all are. He would return to the ground. Even if someone is the greatest ever at what they do, all the things they do in this life build treasures on earth. Ones that moth and rust can corrupt, and thieves can break forth and steal. (Matt. 6:19) That frail, physical body simply returns to the dust.

Yet, Adam could receive God’s forgiveness for his sin – that means forgiveness for falling short of God’s perfect glory. And, so can anyone. We must each accept that we’re sinners, in need of a Savior. Simply receive, by simple faith, God’s forgiveness, through what Jesus Christ, God in flesh, did on the cross. He was sinless, yet He became sin for us. He was the substitute, he took the punishment for our sins, when He died on the cross, and then he rose from the dead, just as we who receive Him will be raised someday. To as many as received Him, gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. (John 1:12) This means trusting Him by simple faith to forgive us for our sins.

Once a person trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior, they are assured of a home in God’s perfect Heaven, where there is no pain, no suffering, no heartache. One can only get to heaven by receiving that forgiveness, because when we do, God makes us a new creature on the inside; He comes to live in us and guide us to becoming more like Him.

When a person has received Christ as their Savior, they can earn rewards in Heaven, by serving the Lord. A person can serve the Lord in a secular job, of course – you don’t have to be a missionary to serve Him. But, to build treasure in Heaven, a Christian must live with an eye toward doing things that glorify and honor Him and draw others to Him.

It is vital that we lay up treasures in Heaven, where they can’t decay, grow old, or be stolen. (Matt. 6:20) This applies just as much to us as it did to Adam. We, too, have physical bodies that will return to the ground. However, we also have that promised Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He longs for us to turn to Him. He longs for us to be born again, through what He did for us on the cross, dying and rising from the dead. And, then, He longs for us to build those treasures in heaven, so we don’t have to be empty-handed when we approach the throne of God. We can have crowns to lay at His feet. We can have wonderful, eternal blessings that go beyond this world, into eternal rewards.

These rewards are what Favre and O’Brien should seek. Favre can’t play quarterback as long as O’Brien can do comedy. Both must realize that – while God has been gracious in giving each something that fills them with joy, no matter what they do, if they seek only Earthly gain, it will all be wasted. They can’t last forever. But, if they receive Christ, they can live forever, and they can serve the Lord in whatever He provides for them, that will glorify and honor Him.

I have dogs. They’re all rescue dogs. There’s a phrase for these kinds of dogs…wonder dogs, because you “wonder what they are.” Their names are all based on important things I need to be reminded of in my life. Luke, Lily and…well you’ll see.

Three years ago a friend found this little dog in the shelter. He was quiet, tiny, white and sitting alone in a corner. He was called “Wags’ because he constantly wagged his tail. I took him home and named him Ezekiel (Zeke to his close friends) like that powerful prophet in the bible who proclaimed restoration.

I soon discovered he didn’t like to perform “his duty outside” in the rain and cold, he also needed to be “top dog” and he was relentless in his need for giving and getting love. It annoyed me too…the relentless part. He constantly had to be on me, jumping on me, licking my hand or face, and so on. Thankfully he has become more obedient in almost all things. We’re still working on the rainy day mishaps. However, he still remains obsessively loving, protective, and persistent in getting me to love him any way he can…like God. Here’s what I mean.

The Lord has been trying to teach me about a good “four letter word”… love. He’s been at it for many years. It’s always been a very frightening word that I felt was used too frivolously and had lots of other painful connotations. Then one day as Zeke was leaning on me, then lying on top of me, following me everywhere, in general “bugging Me”, I heard a still small voice inside me say “That’s the way I feel about you. I will not give up showing you My love. I have relentlessly pursued you and will not stop until you learn how to let Me love you. I’m not going away and I’m not giving up. I will continue to pursue you until you learn how to receive it. Like Zeke, I think you’re perfect. Like Zeke, I’ll be patient. Like Zeke, I’m never running away.”

Prior to this, I had spent the last thirty-five years being very busy doing good works; going through every open door I could find to achieve my goals and filling my life “with life.” I thought I was doing what the Lord wanted. I was right in some ways and wrong in one big way.

Something significant happened to me in England nearly twenty years ago. It was my last day there after attending a conference. I had time to waste. I wandered across the street to Kensington Park. As I was walking down a pathway I noticed a man covered with all types of birds, swarming around him, over him and on the ground around his feet. I got closer and was amazed at what I saw. This little old man, with tattered dirty clothes, a worn out hat, dirty hands and nails and very thick glasses had birds of kinds eating in his hands, or from his shoulders or as they perched on his head. Some were playing catch with the food he was tossing in the air. They were not afraid of him. They trusted him. Even the sparrows sat in his hand to enjoy the feast. They fearlessly sat next to a type of herring gull and pigeons twice their size!

It was a spectacular sight. I had to find out how such a thing could happen. He explained that he and his wife had come to the same place in the park at the same time of day every day since the beginning of World War II when they were newlyweds. He was not allowed to serve in any military due to his poor vision. She had passed away several years ago but he kept coming to feed their birds. They expected him and he loved his time with them.

On the airplane trip home the Lord explained why I had the opportunity to meet this man and his winged friends. He told me that I too would not be afraid if I could spend time with Him each day and allow Him to feed me and while I got to know Him better. But, as I said earlier, I got side-tracked and kept my life nice and busy so I didn’t have to think about it. After all, I was doing good works wasn’t I? That should have been enough right?

Two years ago, He got my attention due to a lot of different circumstances. One of which was losing my last living parent, my mother. The day I write this is the anniversary of her death.  In addition, all the “usual doors of opportunity and favor” shut tight and I was forced to be still. And that I did. Not with a perfect attitude I might add, but I did it. I had no choice.

Months went by. I didn’t sense any great breakthroughs. I kept reading, crying, pleading, pouting, yelling and searching. I didn’t think anything was changing, including me. But it was… and I was.

You see, I spent these twenty four months relentlessly seeking Him. Each day I began to get better with reading, studying, being silent and listening. I needed to know the purpose for the remainder of my life. I didn’t want the time I had left to be wasted. I wanted to know that my life, my dreams were aligned with His so I could one day hear “Well done good and faithful servant.” Everything that I once thought was important, the purpose for my living, was shifting or some would say being “sifted”.

Then I suddenly realized something.  I could finally hear this still small voice about this love. I was feeling safe, ready to hear about it and to experience it. I wanted to feel that thing that I heard people talk about all the time…unconditional love.  The love that is given without expectations…without asking…without pain.  A kind of love with lots of understanding and forgiveness, even if I make a mistake, like Zeke. It came and began (and still is) penetrating into the broken parts of me, healing me, giving me more power, more peace and more strength than ever before and at a speed that I can handle. It was always there…always available. I was too scared and too busy.

Like those little sparrows, I too look forward to my time with the One who feeds me, teaches me and talks to me. I actually cherish and protect those times. I’m no longer afraid to sit and listen. I don’t do this out of some religious obligation. I do this because I am drawn by this sense of love, safety and the anticipation that I might learn something new each day. If not, it’s alright. I’ve got the time. I’m in no rush. He’s worth it and He thinks I am too!

Most people you know would not come right out and say that they are planning to fail in all they do today, but according to the old proverb, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” How many of us actually have a plan for our spiritual lives today? If you are serious about your future, you should have a plan which includes a personal mission statement. It can even be written in the form of a letter to God, if you prefer. Your personal mission statement may include any or all of the following items:

– a declaration of your goals and objectives for your life

– a vision of what you would like to be doing in the future

– a statement of who you would like to become.

Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook gives these pointers for shaping your mission statement in her book,  Live Like You’re Blessed,

1. Make it holy; use the letters in BLESSED to remind yourself what you want your life to contain B-balance L-love E-energy S-spirit S-success E-encouragement and D-devotion to the Lord

2. Stress the positive; note what you desire in an affirmative manner and don’t dwell on the negative experiences in your life

3. Recognize your gifts and how you can use them to accomplish your mission

4. Give yourself a reasonable time limit; 2 to 5 years is acceptable

5. Use inspirational quotes to remind yourself of who you want to become.

As you work on your mission statement keep these words in mind from Jemiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Have you noticed how much we hear about our hearts these days?  We’re frequently reminded we should reduce the stress in our lives, eat properly, exercise regularly and have yearly check ups.  Doctors believe if we do these things we will keep healthy.

Of course, if problems arise, we can choose to ignore their advice and risk the consequences, or we can make whatever changes are necessary for a healthy heart. It is really up to us to decide.

Our “spiritual hearts”—our relationship with God, need to be taken care of as well.  Some people have very healthy spiritual hearts, but for others, there is bad news.  Their “spiritual EKG” shows severe sin problems in desperate need of forgiveness.  There are only two options available to them:  They can ignore their condition, in which case they will “die in their sin,” or they can take the healing advice of “God, the Great Physician,” and get well.  It seems like an easy decision to make, but it’s amazing how many people make the wrong one.

The Physician has a “file” about all people with unhealthy hearts.  It is entitled, The Book of Romans. It’s a book in the Bible.  Contained within its pages is complete information about the patient, along with a diagnosis and recommended treatment.  It’s a very important file.  This is some of the information contained within it:

The Physician’s Diagnosis:

There is a condition known as sin.  It is defined as not measuring up to God’s standard of perfection in our thoughts, words, or deeds.  Sin entered the world because of one person’s behavior (Rom.5:12 NIV).  That was Adam.  Since then, all people have sinned (Rom.3:23 NIV).  Sin separates each person from a relationship with God, results in physical and spiritual death, and condemns each one to a place of eternal torment called Hell (Rom.6:23 NIV).  This is a world-wide epidemic, and is the most serious and deadly problem known to humankind today.

Treatment and Cure:

The treatment and cure for this problem is available from only one source—Jesus Christ, the Great Physician.  Although Jesus never sinned, He showed His great love for us by taking the punishment for our sins—a cruel and painful death.  It is the punishment we deserve (Rom.5:8, 17-18 NIV).  After three days, God raised Jesus from the dead. Verbally confessing Jesus is Lord, and believing in ones heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is the treatment for a sinful heart condition (Rom.10:9-10 NIV). Anyone who asks for the treatment will receive it (Rom.10:13 NIV). Then, no longer sick in your sins, you will be able to give yourself “whole heartedly” to God (Rom.6:16-18 NIV).  Nothing will ever be able to separate you from God’s love for you (Rom. 8:35-39 NIV).  This is truly good news!

With this treatment the patient will soon realize his heart has been cured.  By daily “feeding” on God’s Word, the Bible, and “exercising” one’s prayer life, a good check up with the Physician is guaranteed.  This treatment will also result in a less stressful life because cares can be given to God, and it will cause one’s heart to beat in time with His.

A bright future is promised the patient who makes these changes.  When that person dies, a home in Heaven, with God forever, is guaranteed (Rom.3:23 NIV).  After Jesus arose from the dead, He went to heaven to prepare that home.  In fact He’s working on it right now.

Imagine being able to live with the Physician forever in a place prepared especially for you.  With Him, there will be no more tears, no more aches and pains, no more sin-sick hearts.

The Physician has never had a malpractice suit filed against Him, nor even a complaint from any of His patients.  He has a great bedside manor, and even makes house calls. With His “health plan,” there’s no waiting to see the Physician, no paper work to fill out, and no co-payments.  Best of all, anyone can afford it—because it’s free for the asking.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 (Paul writes) ……. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would  believe on him and receive eternal life.

1 John 1:8-9 ……. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, (realize that you are a sinner and there is nothing  that you alone can  do to earn your way into Heaven) he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 6:23 ……. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:21-26 ……. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified (made right with GOD) freely by his grace (giving you what you don’t deserve) through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He  did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

John 3:16 ……. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

1 Corinthians 15:35-44 & 50……. But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised?  With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable .

John 5:24 ……. ”I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Revelation 21 ……. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this   down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

1 John 5:5 ……. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 3:1-3 ……. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. AMEN!!!

For more “Wisdom” go to nuggetsofwisdom.us

We’ve seen the bumper stickers on cars: God Isn’t Finished with Me Yet, God Doesn’t Create Junk, etc. I suppose not everyone believes what they read; after all, we still don’t believe we’re worthwhile.

Well, the idea behind God creating humans was that we be different. We all have our own personalities, even if we’re born half of a set of twins. We also have our usefulness for the differences in our make-up whether it be physical, spiritual, or mental. We are worth more because we are not all the same.

God sees our beauty. We say we trust the Lord, but we don’t trust His divine opinion that we are each beautiful in our own right? Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that picture?

What good would the world be if we were all the same? There would be no motivation to better anything about ourselves. There would be no interesting friendships. What’s the point in having a friend if that friend is exactly like us in every way? Friends should be just alike enough to be able to relate to each other and yet just different enough to bring something of interest to the friendship. Without differences, there would be a boring, monotonous world with no reason for existence.

God appreciates our differences and loves us because of them and regardless of them. He knows our worth. He has a purpose and a reason for each wonderful design. What we see as flaws, He sees as a special quality.

The trick is to use our differences for the benefit of the Lord. We are to put ourselves to good use as He wants. We have a beautiful gift in each of us only if we choose to use that gift in the proper way; we must use it as it was meant to be used.

Big feet, crooked nose, fuzzy hair, stutter, fear of something? It’s not a problem for the Lord. It may be a problem for you, but only if you allow it to be.

The grace of our flaws is that we can also use them as our strengths. Pray about it. Wait for the answer. Be willing to see or hear the answer when it happens. Then go and make your differences useful!

Avatar is a blockbuster movie about a fabulous utopia. One might wonder, is it possible that there could be an even better place?

Not only is there a wonderful place of perfect peace, with no suffering, but you can have your ticket punched to go there someday.

The Bible promises that in Heaven, there will be no pain, no suffering, no tears, no heartache, no sorrow. Imagine, a world where you won’t have to suffer anymore.

Avatar sounds like a cool movie, but it’s over after a while. Heaven, however, is forever! And, it’s the most beautiful and fabulous place you can imagine! Nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. He wants you to be ther esomeday.

In this world, we have problems, though. Life is short, and full of trouble. Why? Because of sin.

God made this world perfect, but He gave people free will. People chose to sin. Becuase of that sin, death was brought into the world. Things are so corrupt here. they decay, they grow old, they get ruined. Pople, animals, even the planet itself has problems.

The problem is, we all have sin in us, too. but, God made a way for us to get rid of the sin. he came to this world to suffer and die on the cross for your sin, for mine, for everyone’s. Then, He rose fromt he dead.

he rescues us from 3 potent p’s when we receive Him by simple faith, believing that He took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross, and then he rose from the dead, conquering that great spiritual death that haunts us. What are those 3 potent p’s He saves us from when we receive Him?:

1. He saves us from the penalty of sin. Because of our sin, we can’t get to heaven. Heaven would cease being perfect if *any* sin were allowed in it. Just thikn – if anyone could be mean to someone, or hurt them, or anything bad, it would stop being perfect. Remember, Pandora had problems because of the threat. But, Heaven will have no problems.

The penalty for sin is separation from god’s love and goodness forever, in a place of outer darkness, with wailing and gnashing of teeth. it’s full of all the people who rejected God’s perfect love over the years, and all those who received his perfect justice becuase of their sins.

You don’t have to go there, though. You can be saved from the penalty of sin by trusting in Jesus Christ to forgive you right now.

2. He rescues us fromt he power of sin. We all have sin natures. But, when Jesus saves you, he comes to live in you through the Holy Spirit. then, He can guide you to do what’s right, to live a Godly life where you keep away from sin.

You won’t always succeed, becuase of that fleshly nature. that’s why this world still isn’t perfect. We should be making it better. Christians should be known by their love. However, we are not here to save the world from sinners. We are here to save sinners from a lost and dying world.

And, the benefit is that you will still be in this world, so you can make this world better while you are here. But, you will be doing it to glorify God. And, if you mess up and you do sin, then we have the promise that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That’s Jesus saving us from the power of sin – the closer we stay to Him through prayer, Bible reading, etc., the further we’ll be from sinning. We will be as protected from the power of sin as we want to be on this world, until we go to the next. There is where…

3. We will be rescued from the presence of sin.

that is the promsie of Heaven. That one day, we will be rescued fromt he very presence of sin! No more suffering, no more pain, no more heartach,e no more death, no more of any of that bad stuff. You will have eternal life, that will never end! That is so amazing!

Pandora is a wonderful, fictional world. But, it’s nothing compared to the wonders that await us in heaven. Are you going? If you have ever chosen to let Jesus Christ forigve you for your sins, you can receive Him right now, by simple faith.

And, one day, you can go to that real life Heaven, which is more incredible and amazing than the most imaginative person could invent!

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Matthew 24:6

Over the years we have seen many wars among the nations of the earth. Wars have been fought over lands, natural resources and even politics. However, more wars have been waged because of religion than any other subject in the world. It has been said that the two subjects that people can never agree upon are religion and politics.

Which religion is correct? Where do we worship? Better yet, whom do we worship? One could make an argument for any religion, and all points of views will seem to be the correct one. The reason is because all religions have some truth, and all religions (including Christianity) have controversial elements to them.

The fact is, the only way to determine which religion is correct is to put the God of that religion to a test. Challenge God, you say? The idea of challenging God might seem a bit sacrilegious, but it is a practice that has been used throughout the generations of men. The most prominent case is that of the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 18:17-40.

King Ahab had allowed the nation of Israel, God’s people, to go down a path of worship to the god Baal, and other gods. Elijah’s solution was to challenge these false gods to a duel, of sorts. Both sides were to build an altar of worship and make a sacrifice to them. The god that responded to the sacrifice by consuming the sacrifice by fire would be the god that all agreed to serve. The challenge was accepted and the rest is history. The false prophets were eliminated and their altars were torn down. The people then bowed down to worship the True and Living God.

But, what about today? What type of challenge can we issue to the world that would prove that Jesus Christ is the way? Animal sacrifices have been done away with, so that is not an option. I have come up with (I believe) a suitable challenge to issue to the religions of the world, and so I present it here. I challenge you to watch this short video and ask yourself, “Can my God do this?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpJu7Tlhz-Y

The video you just saw is just ONE of the things our God, Jesus Christ, can do. Here are some other points to ask yourself about your god.

Can your god manifest himself in human form by way of a virgin birth? Ours did. (Mt. 1:18-25)

Can your god present himself as a perfect sacrifice to take away the sin of the entire world? Ours did. (John 1:29)

Can your gods give his life on the cross, be buried, and raise himself up after 3 days in a sealed tomb? Ours did. (Mt. 27:33-28:7)

Finally, will your god return one day to judge the world of sin? Ours will. (Rev. 20:11-15)

The big question is, where will you stand on that day? Will you be still clinging to a religion that has no power to save, or will you have received the God who is able to forgive all sin and make one righteous? The choice is yours. Choose wisely; we only get one shot at this.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

Jonathan E. Rudd

jonathanrudd@hotmail.com

http://tubsgroup.com

http://integrityptr.com

What do we do when we find ourselves in the wilderness?  Let me define for you the word ‘wilderness’ before I proceed any further.  By ‘wilderness’, I am not talking about being in some kind of deserted place here.  Instead, I am referring to ‘spiritual wilderness’ – a dry season in a Christian’s life in which nothing seems to be going right.  It could even be a state in which everything – relationships, career, health, and so forth – falls apart.  Nothing seems to test a Christian’s faith more than a wilderness experience.

As a Christian, wilderness experiences are inevitable unless he/she is a lukewarm Christian who does not pose any threat to the kingdom of the devil. Having said this, I must add that I believe there are Christians who are blessed with a smooth-sailing life with no wilderness experience at all.  But nevertheless these Christians are in the rare minority.

A wilderness experience could be ordained by God to test a Christian’s faith.  It is also inevitable in God’s plan if He intends to use a Christian greatly in His kingdom.  The Bible is full of such examples.  Just take Moses for instance.  He had to spend forty years in the desert before God could use him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

To be honest, I hate to go through a wilderness experience.  To me, a wilderness experience is like being put ‘on hold’: nothing seems to be moving forward.  I cannot stand it, especially because I am someone who enjoys life in the fast pace and also because I am not a very patient person.   Just imagine yourself being put on hold when you make a phone call, or when you wait in queue at a post office and the staff seems to be taking forever to attend to a customer.  How does it feel like?

What should your response(s) be when you find yourself in the wilderness?  What kind of responses are pleasing to God? For me, my natural response is to complain about it. But I have learnt that complaining won’t help get me out of the wilderness.  Now, I am learning to praise God while I am in the midst of a wilderness experience.  I am learning the importance of not focusing my attention on the wilderness experience.  I am also learning to wait on God while in the midst of it.

For those of you who are experiencing wilderness in your lives right now, take heart.  Just fix your eyes on God and you can be sure that He will see you through it.

Copyright by Chan Hui Li Annie

It’s easy to see that many disasters are man-made.  God, in His infinite wisdom, lets people have free choice.  He doesn’t want us to be mindless robots.

In fact, when we choose to follow Him, by trusting Christ as our Savior and inviting Him into our hearts, we are freed. We are set free from the penalty of sin, because jesus Christ, God in flesh, was punished for us, the just for the unjust. We are set free from the burden of sin, because we can just go to Him and receive His forgiveness, and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And, one day, we will be set free from the presence of sin. In Heaven, there will be no suffering! What a joyous day that awaits us!

But, here, there is suffering. And, while many evil things can be blamed on people rebelling against God – even famines can at times be clamed on peoples’ mismanagement – earthquakes can’t. So, how do we explain such things?

In the beginning, the world was perfect. There was no suffering. Then, by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so that death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned. (Rom. 5:12)

What that means is, death entered the world. For the first time, things could decay and wear out. Decay means things crumble; they break down. This is one of the consequences of sin being in the world. It’s a natural consequence, just as much as staying up all night makes you tired the next day.

This breaking down of the world wasn’t limited to mankind, though. Animals were originally made to only eat plants and herbs, but yet they started to eat each other instead. That breakdown of nature was part of that cause and effect relationship.

One might say nature itself was having a breakdown. Plate tectonics were jolted to such an extent when sin entered the world, and the weather became such, that we are blessed by God *not* to have the disasters we could. God, in His infinite wisdom, protects us from a huge multitude of disasters. But, He can’t totally eliminate the cause and effect relationship that is caused by sin. If there were no cause and effect, the world would be much worse, because knowing what will logically result from what actions is necessary for normal functioning. Breaking down of things logically comes from sin.

God promises to redeem nature, and make things perfect again. Look at Romans 8:21-3: 8:21 – Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
8:22 – For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Ro 8:23 And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.

What these verses are saying is this:

1. There is bondage right now; but there is liberty with God. That bondage is present over all the earth. It is a bondage of courrption; this world is enslaved by that old foe called death, which causes things to decay.

2. That decay has been present since the beginning, not only in people, but in nature itself. All of Creation is said to be “groaning.” This is a poetic way of saying that the decay which causes suffering and pain spread through the entire world when man fell from Grace. The burden of sin spread through the entire earth.

3. We humans face the same problem as the world. We don’t have earthquakes, but we have disease and sickness. One person’s sickness can cause pain to that person’s family and friends. In the same way, some natural disasters cause pain to millions.

4. However, we will be redeemed. Jesus Christ has redeemed us, so we can go to heaven. And, He will one day perform an extreme makeover, if you will, on this world, so there will be no more disasters.

Until then, disasters will be a part of life. However, we have a loving God who will help us through all of the disasters that come upon us. He is an ever-present God who is with each and every one of those victims, if only they will call on Him for help.

Jesus didn’t promise a perfect life. In fact, He says, “In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:31) he was speaking of overcoming sin and mistreatment by those who persecute, but this verse can be applied to the problem of disasters, too. Because, He can, and will, guide us through the storms of life. We just need to seek His help in this world which constantly groans because of the sin that was brought about when sin was brought into the world.

Miley Cyrus has been a superstar, and a great influence on perhaps millions of girls through her hit show, “Hannah Montana.” It was recently announced that her show will end production, allowing her to go on to other things.

So, what should she do, and what will she do? That is the question a lot of girls – and their parents – will ask themselves. Perhaps Ms. Cyrus, too, is asking herself this. It’s my prayer

First, while the performer is not the character, that line is blended to a certain extent even in normal situations. Even an actor who is very well known for two roles – Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor and Ben Matlock, for instance – finds most fans associating him with one or the other most of the time.

That line is blurred to a much greater extent with Miley Cyrus, because Hannah Montana was produced to be very similar to her career. Not only that, but viewers’ ages means they will connect Miley to Hannah a lot more.

So, what should Miley Cyrus do? What will she do? Let’s look at a few things with regard to entertainment in today’s culture. Because, she has a choice to make, and should consider that she may be here for such a time as this.

What time is it? It is a time when many connect adult entertainment with vulgarity. There is little good, wholesome entertainment.

Viewers of TV and film, and readers of books, are drawn by conflict, of course. That’s not always a bad thing. The four main types – Man versus man, man versus nature, man versus himself, and man versus God – can be done in a very wholesome way. Consider the story of the Prodigal Son, for instance. The “man versus man” part is found in the actions and words of several people. “Man versus nature” is when the Prodigal struggles trying to live and eat with the pigs. (One could also include the struggle with sin nature.) “Man versus himself” is his inner struggle and decision to finally return to his father. His open rebellion, of course, is just like us, with our sin nature, rebelling against God.

I’ve never seen Hannah Montana, but I would guess that, unlike most entertainment, it is probably much closer to the model shown in Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” This is a good list to consider when focusing on anything, of course.

So, the general answer is that Miley Cyrus should focus on things in the above verse. There are certainly plenty of good parts in movies, TV series, and what have you that focus on these things. Obviously, not all characters in every story will have excellent morals. However, the key is that entertainment should focus on the fact there is an absolute right and wrong that has existed since the foundation of the world. (Whatever things are true.) There doesn’t have to be a big moral lesson hanging over every episode or every movie. Some things are just fun, or silly, or meant to project simple things. But, ideas such as people being more important than things, compassion and kindness being important, and so on should be apparent.

Take love, for instance. This is something that will likely be a big part of some of Miley Cyrus’ roles.

True love is unconditional. It is very deep. People who are truly in love give of themselves for the one they love. They accept that it means sacrifice. They give the other person input in decisions. Obviously, in parent-child situations, the relationship is different. But, the parent still considers the child’s best interests with things, not the parents’. In the same way, those who love each other are always thinking of the one they love. True love is forever. True love is God’s love.

The world’s system, however, is different. The world’s system is full of vulgar things, and the lusts of the flesh. The world’s system says to love selfishly, so that you are only trying to please your flesh. The world’s system is all about getting whatever you can take, and not caring about the other person. The world’s system is about tearing others down, not building others up like God’s system. The world’s system says love is fleeting, that it can’t last forever. But, true love is forever.

There are many things one can do, many parts one can play, while keeping true to this ideal. Story arcs can find people growing from a physical, selfish love into a wonderful, dynamic love where the couple cares for each other and always puts the other first. Individual stories can show a young couple that feels true love, but one or both are tempted to be selfish. In the end, they accept that they were wrong and recommit to each other and to that ideal of unconditional love. Those in a relationship where they are selfish toward each other can find justice prevailing, as they lose because of their selfishness. (Whatsoever things are just.) Or, the couple that feels true love can just be in a situation that doesn’t threaten that love, but instead finds them together as they experience some life event. They could be mourning a loss, celebrating something, or just something silly like getting lost on a trip. I could name quite a few other plots, where this couple is either a major or minor part of them.

Love is only one example of the things Miley Cyrus will face in her future roles. She will face many choices. She should make the decision now to commit to Philippians 4:8 as a means of testing what should be done. This means no vulgarity, true love, building others up, and many other good thigns that she can be part of in her future rules.

So, what will Miley do? A good way to judge any life choice is the “Four C’s”: 1. Consider the choice; 2. Compare it to God’s Word; 3. Commit to following Godly principles; 4. Count on God’s protection and provision.

Whether she follows this pattern is up to her. She has professed Christ as her Savior. What having Christ as Savior means is, you accept that you’re a sinner,a nd fall short of God’s perfect glory. You can’t save yourself and thus can’t get to that perfect heaven, where there is no suffering, no sorrow, no pain, because of that sin. But, Jesus Christ, God in flesh, took the punishment for your sins, just as He did for all of us, when He died on the cross, the just for the unjust. Then, He rose bodily from the dead. The only way to heaven is to receive what Christ did on the cross as having taken all the punishment for your sins.

From what I’ve heard, her testimony seems genuine. But, like everyone, she will face temptation. She will face temptation to follow the world’s system in the roles that she chooses. She will face temptation to choose lots of money over roles that may pay less, but which will keep her reputation intact.

Because she is human, therefore, her fans should focus on the One who was perfect, Jesus Christ. He was the sinless substitute for our sins. His perfect life is one we should all pattern ourselves after.

However, we should also pray for Miley Cyrus. Prayer does work wonders. The temptations she faces will be huge, and she will need the Holy Spirit inside her to guide her toward things that fit that Philippians 4:8 profile. She will need prayer to have her eyes constantly opened to the fact that she can play adult roles while still holding fast to the absolute right and wrong which she professes. She can be a great adult performer with no swearing, violence, really sensual scenes, etc.. She can have great success this way.

She will be sorely tempted, because the devil would like nothing more than to steal her reputation and tarnish her image. That could lead a lot of fans to follow after things of the ungodly world’s system, instead of after things of God.

However, hopefully, Miley Cyrus will continue to be a great example of Jesus Christ for others. As Paul Harvey used to say, “If that’s not the way to bet, that’s the way to pray.” Pray that she be encouraged to follow the Lord with everything, and not be tempted by what the world says “adult” means when it comes to entertainment. Who knows – maybe she’ll even find this blog somehow, and be encouraged. If God wills it, he can do it.

However, while Miley Cyrus is very popular, the one to truly pattern yourself after is Jesus Christ. He can help us through anything. There is no temptation which He can’t overcome, if you have his Holy Spirit in you, and He will provide a way out each time, so we don’t have to fall for sin.

This, as above, is something everyone can count on who receives Jesus and lets Him make them new creatures on the inside. And yet, when we mess up, thankfully he is just and faithful to forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Discover The Unsearchable Riches in Christ!!!

Ephesians 1:3-8 ……. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Jesus) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Ephesians 1:13-14 ……. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, (God)  you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (Eternal Life) until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Romans 8:1-4 ……. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ……. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Romans 8:38-39 ……. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3:7-12 ……. (Paul writes)  I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles (everyone not Jewish) the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Romans 11:25-36 ……. I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening (not believing in Jesus) in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. (to God’s Eternal Kingdom) And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. (Israel)  And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As far as the gospel is concerned, they (the Jews) are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, (Abraham Isaac and Jacob) for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Isaiah 40:13) “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” (Job 41:11)  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.

AMEN!!!

For more “Wisdom” go to nuggetsofwisdom.us

When I moved into my home five years ago, a dear friend helped me. She did this because she had superior skills in organization, detail, interior decorating, landscaping…and more. She also did this because I was not physically able to do a lot of things due to an undiagnosed physical challenge. She had a habit of modeling the love of God to people by being there to help when help was needed. Although, I was not one to ask for help or readily receive it until this infamous first year in my home.

I eventually underwent surgery to repair a hip degeneration. Due to the delay in making the diagnosis, I experienced some muscle atrophy (shrinking) and remained out of work for over eight months while trying to recuperate from a total hip replacement. I had never in my life experienced anything like this. I relied on many friends during this period of healing. It taught me many things…to be discussed another day.

During this time, this dear friend planted many things in my yard that I had never seen before. I trusted her and her skills for long-range planning. All I saw was dirt but she had a vision and I trusted her.

Because we live in an area of the country that suffers from lack of water, she chose some trees that she knew would do well in my dry, hard soil and recurring winds. All I knew was that these saplings were not very big and needed to be protected and sustained with secure poles. She told me these were Melaleuca trees (also called tea trees). I had no idea what the years of growth would bring. What a surprise was ahead!

As the years passed, I was aware of their increasing size due to change in height on the poles that they were securely attached to. They were getting taller and stronger and began to be sturdy enough to sustain themselves against the gusting winds. Then one day they began to produce a flower that the bees flocked to for nourishment. Amazing…my little saplings had grown into beautiful, strong, life-sustaining reminders of a very cleaver and creative Power!

As the seasons passed, I enjoyed my tree with its peeling bark. I was fascinated by the beauty of the bark that hung in layers on the trunks.  Each piece of bark had its own unique connection point and shape. At times, the pieces seemed to dangle, sustained by tiny and sometimes invisible-to-the-eye connection points. I watched and waited to see when and if the bark would fall. The colors in this maturation process were spectacular.

Then, this last June, I was out front watering and started to notice how smooth the trunk of the tree had become wherever the bark had fallen off. It was large and was now immovable by anything. Then I heard the Lord say, “Your life is like this tree. Layers upon layers have gently fallen off as you have grown in me and allowed me to stretch you to new heights. The beauty and strength that was hidden under the exterior covering has become more exquisite and the foundation has become stronger as you have allowed the layers to fall off in my time. This can’t happen unless you allow the old to be removed to make room for the new.”

What was so amazing was that I never even really noticed how majestic the trees had become. I saw them every day and just took them for granted. I enjoyed them so very much but hadn’t taken time to really study them. Imagine my amazement as He paralleled what had happened in my own life during many years walking with Him. I was so preoccupied with the present that I could not see how far He had taken me and how I had changed.

I was given a promise in a dream fifteen years earlier that I continually hold in my heart. Isaiah 40:28-31…”He created all the world. Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The LORD is the everlasting God; He never grows tired or weary. No one understands his thoughts. He strengthens those who are weak and tired. Even those who are young grow weak; young people can fall exhausted. But those who trust in the LORD for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak”.

I love to hear His promise in Jeremiah 29:11-13…“I alone know the plans. I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring abou the future you hope for. Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will answer you. You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart.“

During my years of trials, tribulations, tears and triumphs I had sought Him with all my heart. I had no choice. There were no other answers…no other way. I knew that.

Like my melaleuca trees, I have become stronger, steadier, able to withstand the winds of time that rage against me. I continue to seek Him with all my heart. I see the Glory of His love and the power that His Son gave to me when He gave up His own life. This wisdom, love and power that He promised in His comforter, the Holy Spirit, changes my life as He fulfills the dreams in my heart.

Do you feel like a little sapling hanging on with all your might? Does it feel like you’ll never get strong enough to withstand what is hurled against you? Are you having trouble seeing any change in your life or in who you are? Don’t give up! He is standing right next to you, attached to you, sustaining you during your growth. I promise you He will never leave you or abandon you. He loves you too much. He knows the beauty that is hidden and He plans on showing you off to the world! He plans on using all your talents and gifts, in His time and when He knows you’re ready. In the meantime, stand back…take a look…see how far you have come! You might be surprised…just like I was.

The idea of fairness comes from when we’re really little. As our minds grow, “fair” means different things.  To a toddler, it means they get their own way.  To an elementary school child, it often means everyone is treated the same. As we get older, we develop a sense of right and wrong that helps us define fairness.

When people say “life isn’t fair,” why kind of fairness are they talking about?  And, is there a solution; a way to make life fair?  In fact, what is fair?

First, since “fairness” means different things to different people, those who say “It’s not “fair” can mean different things, too.

One kind of “It’s not fair” complaint is because someone did something wrong; let’s say that they cheated you out of some money.  That’s true – it isn’t fair.  Cheating is wrong.  However, we also see that justice will be served. The Bible promises that the wicked will be tormented day and night, forever and ever.  It also promises a place, called heaven, where there will be no pain, no suffering, no sin at all.

“Okay, great,” you might say. “But, what about fairness here?”  Well, it’s true, those who do wrong should not do wrong.  The point is that there will be consequences.  People will, at the least, lose blessings and rewards in Heaven for their mistreatment of others.  They may face eternal punishment, though.  Which one will happen will depend on something we’ll get to a bit later.

Thus, we see that it’s wrong to just mistreat someone and say, “Well, life isn’t fair.”  It’s like the toddler example, where a child takes another child’s toy and says, “So? Life isn’t fair.”  That child must be taught right from wrong, so they don’t just go around taking other peoples’ things, right?  Of course.  We can’t just excuse our behavior by saying “Life isn’t fair” if we have a chance to behave in a way that will treat others with the kindness, compassion, and so on that they need.  This is where the Golden Rule comes from – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  It’s wrong to blindly act without concern for others and just say “Life’s not fair,” in the same way that you would feel it wrong for someone else to mistreat you and say “So?  Life’s not fair.”

We see, then, that we have a duty to act fairly.  Also, we can be satisfied that those who are unfair in their stealing, lying, mistreatment, etc., will not prosper forever.  However, that doesn’t answer the whole question of fairness. Because, there is another definition of fairness that people often use when they say “It’s not fair!”

This definition of fairness says, “It’s not fair because things aren’t going the way they were planned.”  This is the definition used when someone, for example, eagerly awaits a very special vacation, then suffers all week with the flu. It means that things were “supposed” to go a certain way because that’s what seemed best.

I had a grandfather like that.  He volunteered for World War Two, and served in Lubbock, texas.  He spent around a year preparing; he loved the idea of flying, and was so anxious to fly for his country in the U.S.Army Air Corps. He’s spent so much time training and flying, and then, after all that work, 2 weeks before his flight group’s first flight, he came down with a very painful disease called pleurisy.  He was grounded, and never allowed to fly.  All that time had been wasted!

He was really sad and frustrated for all of two weeks.  Then, his crew took off on their first test flight in New Mexico.  The plane suffered a malfunction and crashed.  There were no survivors.

He lived over 54 years longer because of what he thought at the time was “rotten luck,” but what turned out to be the grace of God.

“Okay, wait,” you say.  “That’s an obvious one.”  But, some people died then, too?  What about why some people get a longer life and others don’t?  That’s not fair, is it?”

It’s not right that some people live longer than others, it’s true.  But, God didn’t mean it to be that way.  He made this world perfect, so everyone could live perfect lives.  However, they had what was known as “untested creature holiness.”  That’s a fancy term that means they had free will; they had the choice to do right or to do wrong.  It’s the choice God gives each of us.  And, man chose to do wrong.  This plunged for world into sin, because suddenly, the world wasn’t perfect.

That’s why we have all the natural disasters too, as well as all big problems – like why not everyone lives the same amount of time – all the way down to the smallest – like why that traffic light you hate so much always takes so long to turn green.  It’s because man brought sin into the world.  The world, in a sense, became broken.

I know, you’re probably thinking, “Well, God should have made them so they had to obey.”  But, then He couldn’t have given you free choice, either.  Just thinking, you wouldn’t be able to choose anything.  You also would have no choice but to follow the rules, or you’d be destroyed.  That wouldn’t be nice, would it?  Isn’t freedom much better?

Yes, freedom is great!  That’s why God gives us the freedom to choose.  He gives us the freedom to make decisions.  However, while you can certainly decide which restaurant to eat at this weekend, and it won’t hurt anyone, there are other choices you might make that can hurt others.  For instance, you might decide to get angry at some waitress in that restaurant, even though she’s only distracted because a loved one was just in a horrible accident and they’re worried about them.

You would expect people to understand if you were in that situation, right?  In fact, I dare say you would probably consider it mean for someone to get extra angry at a waitress if she was suffering like that.  Of course.  That’s a small thing compared to some sins, of course.  But, it’s still sin.  And, it causes us to fall short of the glory of God.  We all get that way sometimes.  But, we only do because we’ve got sin natures.

In fact, because of that sin, those things we do that “just aren’t fair,” we deserve that punishment, just like those who aren’t fair to us.

Thankfully, God made a way for us to get to Heaven, anyway.  See, He came to this world, in the person of Jesus Christ – Jesus was 100% God and 100% man.  He took the punishment for all the world’s unfairness.  He suffered a horrible death on the cross for our sins, and then he rose bodily from the dead.  He did that because we can’t save ourselves.  We have sin natures, and we can’t get to that perfect Heaven.  We would each face eternal punishment, separated from the love of God, if it wasn’t for God’s perfect love in taking our sins upon Himself.  We each have a sin nature, we can’t save ourselves.

God made it very easy, too.  You see, He made it so that we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.  Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)  Think how fair that is.  People who are richer don’t have an advantage in giving over poor ones.  People who are handicapped don’t have a disadvantage over those who can do more physically.  Isn’t that a wonderful and fair way to get everyone saved who wants to be saved from that eternal torment?

All a person has to do to be saved is to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31) That means to put one’s whole trust in Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross, to receive what He did as taking the whole punishment for your sins.  He was sinless, yet He became sin for us.

Once we trust Him to save us, He saves us from all our sins, past, present, and future.  A person who rebelled and didn’t come to Christ till he or she was, say, 50, will have lost many chances to earn blessings and rewards, which they would have had if they’d been saved at age 20, for instance.  However, they will still be saved. (And, we don’t know when we’ll die, so it’s better to get saved now, for now is the day of salvation.)

When we get saved, God comes to live inside of every believer through the Holy Spirit, and He works in us to help us to be more like Him in hwo we treat others, what we do, and so on.  It’s a free choice.  And, we can choose to follow our own path afterward.  But, guess what?  While we still get to Heaven, we lose blessings and rewards.  I could have chosen to play a game like Strat-O-Matic baseball instead of writing this blog, for instance, but I’d have lost the blessing of someone being encouraged by it, or even of someone trusting Christ to save them through it.  I chose to write this blog of my own will, because I want to glorify God and make Him known.

So, will life only be fair when we get to heaven?  Yes, because we live in a sinful world.  But, there is forgiveness for that sin.  And, wonderfully, one day Jesus will come again, and there will be a reign of Christ where fairness will be the norm.  He will “rule the nations with a rod of iron.”  His perfect love and compassion will be matched by his perfect justice.  And still, there will be those who rebel in their hearts because of that sin nature.  We can never create a perfect world here on this earth.  However, we can trust God to one day make a “new Heaven and a new earth.” (Rev. 21:1)  Then, fairness will be the norm again, just as it was meant to be in the beginning.  And, those who dwell there will be either those who died before they were old enough to choose (these go to heaven because it’s Christ alone saving us, not any of our works), or those who made a conscious choice to receive what Jesus Christ did for them as taking the whole punishment for their sins, when he died on the cross for them and rose from the dead.