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What Are You Spreading?

Written by talk2shari Published October 10, 2013October 10, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

Sponge People

In reading Psalm 22 this morning chills ran down my spine as my thoughts ran through the words of David in verse 13-19:

They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

You cannot help but see the correlation between David’s Psalm and the crucifixion of Christ. Whether or not David knew the weight these words would carry, I don’t know. But the church is without excuse as we carry them forward.

The final two verses of this Chapter, verses 30-31 read

A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Verses 13-19 – That’s Christ.

Verses 30-31 – That’s Christ and us.

The Bible promises that until the end of time the Word will be taught in this place by these people of God that He’s chosen and He’s holding Himself accountable for it. If the Lord, the Creator of all, is holding Himself accountable for the Word, should we not hold ourselves accountable for the delivery of it? There are far too many people sitting idle in the churches across America giving way to every excuse in the book on why it’s not their responsibility to further the gospel. They’re soakers.

It reminded me somewhat of a kitchen sponge this morning. When the water of the Word flows into them, they enjoy it and they soak it up, the Holy Spirit gets into the mix and is like a detergent scrubbing the soul squeaking clean and then they leave the church and go back into the community. There they brush up against the germy counters of their lives and bits and pieces of the world’s pollution clings to them and as they go on their way they distribute bits and pieces of that pollution themselves because they haven’t got back to the Water to get cleansed again. It’s not wash day after all. And then wash day comes again. Sunday…more Word….more cleansing… and out they go again. I don’t know if you’ve ever kept a sponge for a while and didn’t use it a lot, but it gets this funky smell to it that eventually won’t wash out and you just have to throw it away, its spreading more germs than cleanliness.

The same is true in a Christian life when they don’t hold themselves accountable for the collection and distribution of the Word. In place of the Word they’re not reading, the world heaps into their soul polluted thoughts and those are the things that are spread. Where, if every day they’d just have taken a little time to let the water of the Word cleanse them again, it is those thought that would be distributed.

We’re not all called to be preachers, or teachers but we are called to serve Him. And that service is not an allotted time between 11 and noon on Sunday morning. You’re His. He is holding Himself accountable for making sure you have the Word that He willingly died for.

What are you doing with it?

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Don’t Judge me for Judging You

Written by talk2shari Published October 9, 2013October 9, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

How many times have we heard “Don’t judge me until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.” Or “You have no idea how I feel on the inside so stop judging me on the outside.” And one of the most quoted Bible verses is Matthew 7:1 ~ Judge not, that ye be not judged.

And yet I confess to you that I judge people.

When Jesus spoke these Words, it was a warning to His disciples not to be like the religious Pharisees. Not to look at the lives of others and make our word law to determine right and wrong by our standards and what we deemed as acceptable. He was not referring to scriptural evaluation of living standards. And if the scripture is the standard for judging I can assure you I have a few beams in my eye that need removing before I ever cast judgment on any one. But… I’m still gonna judge, so don’t judge me for it.

That statement is almost as ridiculous as the man I heard say “I’m Catholic but my wife is a practicing Catholic.” He was telling this to the cute little Amish man that I love at Zinck’s Inn in Berlin, Ohio. He had ask him to explain the Amish faith, and once he had shared the Amish faith background the man felt the need to justify his life by his practicing, non-practicing statement. I would have laughed out loud had it not reminded me of a few Baptist I know.

I know, I know, there I go judging again.

But keep reading Matthew 7 and you’ll come to the verses 15-20

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Is that not a form of judging to look upon the life of another and examine their effectiveness and legitimacy for the cause of Christ? Sure it is. That’s not judging them by my standards, which is often pathetic, but it’s judging them by the Word of God. Does what they’re saying line up with what God says we’re supposed to do? Hello practicing, non-practicing whatever denomination you cling to. It’s not an unwarranted act of judgment when I examine your life with an attitude of concern for both your soul and the souls for which you touch.

It’s my greatest fear that I’m going to end up with blood on my hands because I failed to tell someone the truth about salvation. And by the way, it’s not biblical to be a non-practicing anything. If you’re not serving God, you’re serving Satan. Plain and simple. So before you judge me for judging you ask yourself this question.

When is the last time you’ve done as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

When I read those words I can’t help but heap conviction upon my own soul. That’s a righteous judgment. The one that forces me to look back upon myself with the same measure and ask “when is the last time?” I do teach the Word of God, I do share the gospel in this “Jesus Chick” place, but I am a far cry from the measure of Christ’s expectation of the church. I do not die daily. I do not always pick up my cross and carry it boldly. SometimesI lay it down and sit on it for fear of being too “preacher-y”. It is in those times that I am a non-practicing Christian. Because if you look at the standard of Christianity in scripture they didn’t lay it down. They were crucified on it.

So don’t judge me for judging you. I just need to know if you know Jesus.

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Fig Leaf Faith (the big cover up)

Written by talk2shari Published October 8, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

Genesis 3:7-11

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Adam and Eve had just made the fatal mistake of eating the forbidden fruit. They no longer were blessed with the innocence afforded them at creation; and their first reaction to their new found knowledge was “Let’s cover it up.” Outwardly they were the same that day as they were the day before, but inwardly things had drastically changed. They knew still knew right, but they also knew wrong. Their nakedness had meant nothing the day before, but suddenly now it was an issue. As they heard God approaching the garden as He had done so many times before they covered themselves with fig leaves and hid behind the trees of the garden fearing what was to come. They had also just discovered trouble…

God has a few questions for them: Where are you? Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat what I told you not too? (Paraphrased by me).

It seemed to me to be the reverse of Salvation.

“I’m here Lord.”

“I’m covered by the blood.”

“Thank you for forgiveness.”

Only then we revert back to the garden ways. We discover there is a lot wrong with us. And we hide ourselves among the trees and cover ourselves up in dread of God coming close. And God asks again, “Who told thee that thou wast naked?” Who uncovered your sins?

It’s for certain that God didn’t. The same one who took the innocence of Adam and Eve is still taking it today. He’s the father of lies and the last thing he wants is you walking close the truth. So you messed up. The next thing you do is begin the cover up. Rather than walking with God you suddenly find yourselves out in the wilderness, away from church and reading the Word of God, hunkered down in hopes He doesn’t come by. And then He calls you out and your heart begins to thump out of your chest because you know you’ve just been busted. And He asks that question. “Who told thee that thou wast naked?”

We don’t get it. God covered us with the blood of Jesus the day we accepted Him as Savior. But Satan lies and tells us that our sin is exposed and we need to run from God because wrath will follow. And we begin the fig leaf fallacy. I’ll cover it up with goodness, busyness, work, contributions. Things that don’t require me getting too close to God, because He’s upset.

I’m reminded of a friend who’s blind and serves in the ministry under a powerhouse preacher. In one of their leadership meetings the Preacher had just raked them across the coals because of issues that happened while he was out of town. They exited the meeting and my blind friend said to someone standing close by, “Boy, the big guy was upset today, wasn’t he?” To which that person replied “I am the big guy!”

I crack up every time I think of that story! The “big guy” was right beside him all along.

And so is God. And yes I think God gets upset with us, and He expects repentance for sin. But He still asks. “Who told thee that thou wast naked?” You can’t do anything to hide what you’ve done. I know. Now move on, you’re covered.

If Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit they’d have never known “wrong.” But they did, and now we all know it. But we’re not naked. Our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and it’s time to stop buying the lies of Satan that puts so many Christians out of commission and back in the trees.

Time is short. Get busy!

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Discouraged? Have I got a verse for you!

Written by talk2shari Published October 7, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

It’s not hard to find discouragement in the world. Look at any number of posts on Facebook or Twitter and you find a world of hurt. Bring up the subject with friends and most will have an immediate recitation of events and dates. People let us down, we let ourselves down, life doesn’t go as planned and then Satan jumps on the bandwagon and shouts “They’re playin’ my song!” And we, in our weakened state say “Play it again Sam…” And rehearse the heartache again and again until it consumes us and we’re miserable. I speak truth because I’ve lived it.

When my children were small and someone or something had made them upset, all I wanted to do was hold them; I wanted to fix their world. The smaller they were the simpler it was, but as they grew so grew the complexity of their hurt and my hugs no longer had the impact I desired. They grew up and made the world their own and found somebody else to hold them when there was pain. They married and together those new found friends gave me grandbabies and the circle continues. That circle of life that is filled with an abundance of love, pain, and discouragement. That circle continues too.

It is in those times when we’re all grown up that the world seems the harshest and it’s in those times when I’ve found the God sized lap that I can climb into and He holds me just like I held my girls when they were small.

In search of encouragement this morning I found the sweetest verse that gave me a glimpse inside Heaven. When God was about to send Jesus into the world as our Savior, He was still His Son. He wanted to fix our world so bad that He’d do the unthinkable as a parent and sacrifice that which He loved most. And Jesus went voluntarily without hesitation because He wanted to fix our world too. Together the Father and Son had had the perfect life, but for the first time Jesus was going to experience life the way we know it to be, very imperfect. I could imagine the words in Isaiah 42:6 to have been the conversation between God and His Son…

I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

“I will hold thine hand.” Is that not the sweetest thought ever? That God, the Creator of all tells the Son, the Creator of all, I called you and I promise to stand by You and strengthen You. He promises to hold His hand not only in the work but when the world lets Him down. When the angel was sent from heaven to strengthen him in his agony in the garden, just before He went to the cross, God fulfilled that promise. And it’s a promise that carries over to us. He’s called us and will in no way turn His back on us, but His unchanging hand will hold our hand as a loving Father does through it all.

Discouraged? Take heart that Your Father, the Creator of all has your hand, and He’s not letting go. Look up!

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Shipwrecked Faith

Written by talk2shari Published October 6, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain: Shipwreck at sunset

I Timothy 1:19 ~ Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

I often question why I see people walking away from God. How one minute you can be upon the mountain and the next minute they’re at the lowest depths of the seas. I don’t understand how you can stand and praise God for all He’s done for you, how much He’s done in your life and then fail to mention Him, come to church or seem care about spiritual things. And then I realize that without God’s grace my faith could have been shipwrecked as well. I don’t ever want anyone to think that I am above failure in spiritual matters, lest I be the next one that falls. I heard someone say the other day that they would have gotten upset over someone spreading lies on them until they realized the lie wasn’t as bad as the reality the person didn’t know. Yea, I feel like that.

Reality Check

I haven’t suffered like Paul or any number of my friends; so I cannot say I understand their pain. I can say that I’ve witnessed saints of God in the face of horrific battles come out praising God. I’ve watched them do it quietly and I’ve watched them do it loudly. They had only One common thread running through their lives, Christ. He’s the reality check. Without Him, none of it would make sense. Paul had been literally shipwrecked, beaten within an inch of his life, jailed and abused and yet praises God through it all. Because Paul did his own reality check; he looked to Christ, and then lived his life through Christ. Paul’s scars were many, but not as many as the Lord’s. Paul had been forsaken, but not as many times as Christ. Christ had no sin and yet was willing to die in the place of all sinners; Paul had sinned, slain those who he now called brothers and sisters, could he not at least live for Christ. A reality check for me is the fact that any conversation I have with Paul or Christ when I get to Heaven will not start out with “Let me tell you what happened to me on earth…” No. I don’t think I’ll be showing them the scar of hurt feelings, career let downs, or any other of the many things that have happened in my life that I thought were devastating. They won’t compare. So my trivial excuses for allowing my faith to get shipwrecked won’t fly in the face of the reality of what Christ can do. He’s so much more than we give Him credit for.

Reasoning Choices

A shipwrecked faith is a choice. And perhaps I should define “shipwrecked faith” as the abandonment of faith, not the doubt or temporary setback any one of us can experience. I’m talking walking out on God and never looking back. Those who do have to reason within their minds the choice they’ve made. But one reasoning I’ve yet to understand, and pray I never do is, how do you reason away the peace of God? Every trial I’ve been through draws me closer to Him because I know He alone is my Hope. So to walk away from that is leaving all hope behind, and is it not human nature to desire hope?

I guess this thought is heavy on my heart this morning because it’s Homecoming Sunday at our church. And I can’t help but think, just for a minute, on those who aren’t coming. Over the years we’ve lost so many who have walked out on God. Not gone to another church and served elsewhere, just quit! They chose to crash the ship of grace into the jagged rocks of despair. They could have landed the ship on the Rock of Jesus Christ Himself and He would have steadied the craft, but instead they got out of the boat and fought the waves on their own. Crazy, right? It may be a metaphor, but if you’re out of the boat, you know what I mean.

Come Home. Peace, Hope and Joy are waiting at the door.

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Depreciated Pastors

Written by talk2shari Published October 5, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

It’s Pastor Appreciation month, and if you have one you should indeed appreciate the fact. I guess it’s more relevant than ever this year as it is the first year since salvation that I’ve not had a Pastor. Those words really hit me hard this morning, because I’m a spoiled brat in the house of God. I don’t know why He chooses to bless us at Victory Baptist Church like He does, but in the absence of a Pastor on staff, God has sent not only one man, but multiple men who are qualified preachers in the site of God. So as a Pastor is sought I cannot say that I know what it’s like to be leaderless because I do not, nor has the Word of God been lack, we’re blessed. But a Pastor is not only a preacher and leader, (in the words of Matthew Henry) they are magistrates and ministers. Their role in the church is worthy of appreciation.

Jeremiah 3:15 says ~ And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

A Pastor after God’s Own Heart

Samuel said of David that the Lord had sought him because he was a man after His own heart,

1 Samuel 13:14

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

It is God’s heart desire to satisfy the body of Christ. To give each member what it stands in need of. Some need knowledge, some need understanding, and all need a captain. Inspired by God in Psalm 78:72 David wrote of himself as the leader of Israel “So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

A Pastor’s role is not just preaching on Sunday, it’s very much like David’s shepherd days when there would be sheep who stayed nicely in the pen, those who wandered off and the occasional black sheep to be dealt with. There were mild mannered sheep, and bullies. There were ewe’s who didn’t want the shepherd to boss her baby, and there were rams who thought they knew more than the shepherd. The shepherd fed them all. There were bears and lions on the outside that the shepherd defended the flock from; sometimes, they didn’t even know.

To put that metaphor in layman’s terms, there are steadfast members of the church who desire to know God deeper, to them the Pastor feeds knowledge. There are those who stray in and outside the church, to those the Pastor offers guidance and understanding. He is magistrate to those who stir strife inside the church, and minister to those who have struggles in their lives. And on his off hours he’s fighting a literal and spiritual warfare with those on the outside of the church who would desire to rip apart the work he’s doing on the inside.

The world continually depreciates their value, and unfortunately many churches do the same. Please don’t tell me that your Pastor doesn’t need a little lovin’ this Sunday. Give honor where honor is due.

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Will you ask?

Written by talk2shari Published October 3, 2013October 3, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

Handhewn 1860’s Log Church in Gilmer County, West Virginia

I pass Job’s Temple everyday going to and from my office. Although I have no ties to it, it’s actually in the county my husband was raised in, I’m still drawn to it. I love that God has preserved this old place of worship and I have to wonder what the saints of God that labored to build it would think about the Country they’d just fought for. For six years it sat unfinished while the civil war raged around it and was completed in 1866. They had strong political views then too, although I doubt they were as self-promoting as the United States today. I try to imagine the first service following the war. No doubt some that worshipped there had lost family in the battle, death was a harsh reality. It was battle on their own soil; fear had been present daily. Peace was sweet.

Word traveled to America in the same era that upward of 10,000 Christians were massacred in Syria by Islamic forces. But on American soil, on at least three occasions, President Lincoln proclaimed public fast days when he urged Americans to go to their houses of worship, to confess their sins humbly to the Almighty, and to ask God’s blessing. There may have been some that gathered at the site of the incomplete Job’s Temple, who prayed and fasted as their leader had ask… my how far we’ve come. While on foreign soil Christians were martyred for their faith, on American soil Christians where memorialized. There was no CNN or nightly news that broadcast images only belated newsprint that would make it’s away around eventually.

But the people of Job’s Temple were likely more concerned about their own soil than that of another nation. They had their own issues to contend with. They could not even imagine a day that America wouldn’t be a Christian nation and Islamic attacks would be an issue. What a difference 150 years can make.

One of my favorite verses has been brought to mind multiple times, I even tried using another for this post and then finally with God’s gentle prodding and these words being recalled to my mind again and again, I knew I’d better listen.

Jeremiah 6:16

Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Three directions from God: Stand, See and Ask.

I’m reminded this morning of those men and women who throughout the years have stood on the foundational old paths of Christian faith. There are many still standing, regardless of what media reports.

I have Job’s Temple, an historic land mark that reminds me of a time when our nation was led by Christian values in the church house and in the White House. It could happen again if we’d take President Lincoln’s advice and confess our sins humbly to Almighty God and ask Him to bless this nation again. The arrogance of our leadership is set on destruction and we set knowing what needs to be done and yet doing nothing. Even those of us who are still on the path are not walking, we’re just waiting. It’s not biblical.

Isaiah 40:31 says ^“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Wait is not to stand still, but to serve and to walk. Ever moving forward to the Kingdom of God.

We may or may never have the opportunity to go to Capitol Hill and speak our minds but we have a greater hill than that.

Psalm 121:1

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

ASK!!!

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If Your Life was a Project Proposal, Would God approve it?

Written by talk2shari Published October 1, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

Ephesians 5:21~ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Submission. It’s almost a dirty word in society today. You can drop any vile, profane word in a room full of men, women and children and nobody turns their head; but speak about submission and you’ve got a fight on your hands. There are two definitions for submission, the one (which causes the fight) is the “The action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.” I love the dictionaries use of it in a sentence. “They were forced into submission.” Even the dictionary thinks it’s a bad thing. And then there is the second definition, the one I want to focus on today (and not because I fear the first, I believe in submission as a wife and a servant of God). The second is thus: the action of presenting a proposal, application or other document for consideration or judgment. That doesn’t sound too painful does it?

As a matter of fact, in my world it sounds exciting. Submitting an idea to someone for consideration leaves open the possibility for a new project or venture and that’s the stuff excitement is made of. What if each one of us went into the house of the Lord, knelt at the altar and submitted our ideas before the Lord. He may in all reality send you back to the drawing board, I’ve experienced that many times. But He may just say, “Let’s do it!”

That apostrophe “s” in the word “let’s” is you and Jesus. That’s where the first submission definition comes back into play. I know… tricky, tricky…. Right? You were excited right? New projects do that to people. Or at least me! But take it from the queen of trial and error, leaning much heavier on the error side; if you want success in your life submission is key. Whether we’re talking about family, career or the church, there’s an order, and without it there’s a battle.

Life’s a project.

If you submitted your life for approval what do you think would be the result? I know the answer in my own life. ~ REJECTED: You need to do a little more work on this and resubmit, Shari. Clearly some of your ideas have not been well thought out.” Mainly because I set myself up for failure by not having submitted myself to Him. God knows we have great ideas, He gave them to us as an assignment. But He didn’t give them to us to be changed and manipulated into our own and for our own glory. They were His and for HIS glory.

He gave us a family as a project for us to work on together, and submit ourselves to each other in love and mutual respect, understanding authority and accountability to God, and for His glory.

He gave us a career as a project for us to work on together, and submit ourselves to each other in love and mutual respect, understanding authority and accountability to God, and for His glory.

He gave us the body of Christ as a project for us to work on together, and submit ourselves to each other in love and mutual respect, understanding authority and accountability to God, and for His glory.

So… what’s your project idea? Have you submitted it to God for approval? Have you submitted to the authorities involved to get it accomplished? And most of all, will it glorify God?

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Frustrated Grace

Written by talk2shari Published September 29, 2013September 29, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

Can you frustrate grace? Apostle Paul said you could. I love his forthright writing. (That’s almost a tongue twister!) But he enforces grace as hard as he enforced the law. And yet as the modern day church, 2000 plus years this side of grace we are continually trying to rebuild works.

Galatians 2:18-21~ For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

A little background on these verses. Just prior to then Paul and Peter had had words. Paul felt compelled to line Peter out regarding his separating himself from the gentiles so as not to offend the Christian Jews who believed to be saved you still needed to follow the ceremonial laws. I fear we have a few laws of our own. The Bible says “Come out from among them” (II Corinthians 6:17) and too often I hear that verse being used as church separation rather than as the way it was intended as a sin separator. The entire verse reads “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

Before you stop reading for fear I’ve gone over to the all-inclusive side of a one world religion let me clarify that I’m not talking any other faith other than those who have our born of a virgin Savior, Jesus Christ, crucified for the redemption of fallen man, risen the third day and awaiting our return in glory LORD. Now that that’s settled let me continue. We’re still separating ourselves and that ought not to be. I believe in the Baptist doctrine for which I make no apologies, but I have friends of various other denominations. I take each one of my friends as individual saints of God and do not lump them into their denominations, as I hope they do the same for me. Because in truth there are some Baptists I’d rather not be lumped in with. I speak not on any specific denomination this morning because when Paul wrote this there was none, although you can see its beginning.

Why would we want to rebuild what was destroyed?

The ceremonial law. Six hundred and thirteen commandments? I can’t even keep ten. And although I really don’t believe we’re rebuilding Jewish law in the Christian faith I see ideas of man intermingled with grace that to the unsaved, they have to wonder “How much work is involved in Christianity?” The church (as a whole) spends so much time explaining why someone else is wrong that they forget to say why Jesus is right. Peter was so concerned with what the “religious” thought that he hurt the gentile believers, and it’s still true today. We’re still hurting each other. There’s enough false religions out there that we have no need or time to tear down the ministry of another church because we don’t believe as they believe.

It’s really not about what we do, it’s about how we live. What goes on in our churches is seldom seen by the lost because we don’t live the example outside the walls of the sanctuary.

We were created to worship God. When’s the last time you worshiped at work or school. (Don’t try to feed me separation, you can do it if you want to, even if it’s subtle.)

We were told to study the Word. In the words of an old friend, the Word of God is a spiritual “warsh” cloth, it’ll clean you inside and out. When’s the last time you’ve really bathed in the Word.

We’re called to be a witness; to tell others about Christ, not to tell others what others are doing wrong. Jesus said, “I am the way.” He did not say how you dress is the way, how you speak is the way, or how you sing is the way which in many ways we are using to define salvation.

This thought has been on my heart a lot lately. Care to weigh in?

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No Where to Hide

Written by talk2shari Published September 28, 2013October 14, 2019 Discussion Leave a Comment

During my earlier years of working in the courts I was always a little surprised when people would hire bail bondsmen. It was most often the case, providing the crime wasn’t too bad, that a defendant could post 10% of the bail and be released, or they could hire a bail bondsman who usually charged 5%. The difference was, the court gave you the entire 10% back when all was said and done; the bail bondsman used the 5% as profit and you kissed that money goodbye. Seems like a no brainer, but there are many wealthy bail bondsmen (or women) to prove that’s not the case. And a few television shows that thrive on people stupid enough to think it’s a good idea to skip out on court. Today, because of the times we live in, the 10% option isn’t always on the table, too many people would view that as a cheap escape.

But the bondsmen? They’re still in business because they have something the court doesn’t have. Ownership. Literal ownership of the defendant. Apex Bail Bonds in Danville offers fast, affordable professional, and confidential bail bond services. The court is highly limited today with all of our “rights” to do anything to a defendant. But a bail bondsmen has a little more leeway. In the 1990’s one of the court approved bondsmen went a fella’s bond who decided it was a good idea to jump bail and head to Texas. The bondman got wind of it and headed to Texas to find him and bring him back to West Virginia. When he located the defendant he handcuffed him to the roll bar on the back of his pickup truck and made him ride there all the way home, or so the story went. And I believe him because that bail bondsman was as much an idiot as the defendants he bonded out. He was just on the other side of the law.

God and bail bondsmen have a few things in common, but God trumps them for certain!

God, like bail bondsmen often only get calls when someone’s in trouble

They don’t want to talk to either when times are good. But let them get in trouble and the phones ringing off the hook. The difference is, you may or may not get an answer from the bondsman, but God is always on the line and he ALWAYS answers. He has three, yes, no, or wait. And all three are the right answer for you.

God, like the bail bondsmen, has a fee

The difference is, God waved His. As a matter of fact, He paid it for you with His own blood on the cross of Calvary. You owe Him nothing because He gave everything. If you’ve trusted in Him as your Savior; if you believe He died in your place, and rose again the third day to prove we too can have victory over death, Hell and the grave, and that He now awaits you in Heaven where He intercedes on your behalf then your debt is paid in full. Whatever it is that caused you to call on God, is under His blood.

God trumps the bail bondsmen. He not only owns you, He controls your fate

The AllPro Bail Bonds professional can deliver you back to the court in whatever manner he decides, but he cannot control the verdict. God does. Under the blood you are NOT GUILTY. If you’re not saved, it’s GUILTY.

There’s coming a day. And my heart tells me it’s soon that God’s going to hold court.

Revelation 6:15-17 ~ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

There’s no place to hide. Please know that you know Jesus. If not, follow this link https://thejesuschick.com/the-road-to-salvation/