Posted in Christian, Christian Service, Evangelism, Life Inspiration

The Mathematic Equations of the Apostle Peter

Let me preface this by the statement, “I hate all things math.” It makes me feel less than average that my brain cannot comprehend and compute the simplest of problems. I praise God for computer programs like QuickBooks, even though it too frustrates me because I have to put in the decimal point myself. True story. I am that person. I have been looking around A-Level maths online tuition in KL area to improve my math skills. Praise God that there won’t be math in Heaven! I don’t actually know that but I do know that God was opposed to counting, just ask King David. And Heavenly multiplication isn’t complex, It’s simply adding to the church any number, the more the merrier! I love God’s math! It’s also not numbers at all, but rather the multiplication of life edifying behaviors that will add sweetness to your life and less heartache. 

Today, I have heartache. There’s and issue in the secular world that has drama written all over it; and I don’t need it. I desire peace. I think I’ll play the song “Peace be still” on the guitar when I get done writing. It causes me to remember, if Jesus can calm the angry waves, He can calm a situation in my life. Amen? Amen! It’s basic mathematics in the life of a child of God to have peace in their life, but when the world get’s involved, that’s when it become complex.  

Grace and Peace Be Multiplied

2 Peter 1:1-11 KJVS

[1] Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: [2] Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 

Grace and Peace be multiplied, not by anything I can do, but through the knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. No other people are required in this equation to create peace in my life. Whether or not someone else is creating havoc is irrelative if I stay focused on Him and allow Him to calm the storm. That’s good preachin’! But it doesn’t take the other people out of the problem, and it won’t guarantee that I won’t have an upset stomach at days end. But I can still have peace as the answer even if the problem doesn’t get solved because I have knowledge that the world doesn’t have.

The Subtraction of Corruption

[3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: [4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

I can have grace and peace through Christ as well as confidence given to me through power and strength not possible in the life of someone who doesn’t know Christ. They may have confidence in themselves coming out their ears, (I know those people) but that also puts the pressure on themselves to perform. I have confidence in Christ, which not only takes the pressure off of me, but allows me to glorify Him through my reaction to the conflicts around me. I have His (Christ’s) divine nature within me (added on my day of salvation) that helps me to handle life’s problems. Now, for the record, I sometimes ignore that addition in my life and choose rather to react in the flesh which is the subtraction of the Holy Spirit’s guidance which most always ends with a bad grade and a poor example to anyone watching.

The Addition of Fruit

 [5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. [8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. [10] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

I want so very badly to have fruit in my life. The one common denominator that prevents it is myself. I don’t always have faith, my virtues are sometimes lacking, my knowledge is limited by the lusts of the flesh that desire worldly entertainment, and my sisterly kindness is sometimes overshadowed by human frustration. I sometimes ignore the call, choosing rather to shut myself off from the world because the world will hurt me. 

Below are a few tidbits I’ve discovered in life and found through Noah Webster’s 1828 definitions.  

Faith: Forsaking all, I trust Him.

Virtue: Voluntary obedience to the truth.

Knowledge: We can have no knowledge of that which does not exist. God has a perfect knowledge of his works. Human knowledge is very limited, and is mostly gained by observation and experience.

Charity: Love. The highest exercise of charity, is charity towards the uncharitable. 💖

It is these acts in the life of a Christian that will create a party in Heaven.

 [11] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I love a good party! I especially love the thought that there will be no division in Heaven! Glorrrraaaaaay!!!

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service

Swamp Monsters and Other False Hoods

I am pretty sure that I am not alone when it comes to growing weary of the news media of today. There was a time in my life, when the news was on, it may not have been the gospel, but at least it was truth. There was a standard, this remarkable word called “ethics” that governed media. But today media is marketing and entertainment without accountability. But it is not however there is great repercussions.

I won’t call out call letters of media that I consider to be absolute liars. That’s not my purpose here. And I’m not so sure that any television news outlet of the day is to be considered truth. Their bias is obvious and they’re either sold to the highest bidder, or they’ve got their own agenda which clouds their objectivity.

So why am I here?

I guess to tell you where I stand and hopefully encourage you with some gospel truth about the world we live in.

My first Bible study as a new child of God was on the book of Revelation. Talk about a meaty subject for a milk drinker! Oh my goodness, it was. But what it did was solidify me in the truth of the gospel. Praise God I had a Pastor that was there to break it down and help me understand what I could, and skip past what I couldn’t for a day when I was weighted in the word and ready for it.

It is important for a Christian to read and study the word of God, not only for personal edification, but for prophetic wisdom for the day.

Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not privately interpreting the Bible. God is clear on that. But I’m here to tell you, if you read it, as religiously as the world watches the swamp we call news, you’ll see the prophetic words of old that read like a modern day newspaper.

A Light in the Dark

2 Peter 1:19-21

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

The world is a dark place. Television, the web, the movie screens, all cater to darkness and evil. And Americans pay top dollar for it. Parents allow their children to watch it as if it were no more dangerous than Tom and Jerry of our day. There is repercussions. I see it playing out in our locals schools in rural West Virginia. I can’t imagine the dark side of public schools in larger areas. But I know it’s there.

Peter said we’d do well to take heed to the light that shines in those dark places because there was darkness then, and it’s far worse now. The world around us seems oblivious to it and willing to buy into any lie the media feeds them.

2 Corinthians 4 says it best…

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

We have the wisdom we need for the day within us. You don’t need me to tell you, but perhaps you needed me to remind you.

A Truth for Tomorrow

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

My words are not prophetic, but they’re truth as revealed to me by the Holy Ghost as I sat in my living room this morning wanting to hear from God. I didn’t turn on the news because there was nothing there that would encourage me. I tuned into the Word of God and this image of the swamp monster came into my head.

That’s how I see the media of the day. They’re a vile group of people working on the agenda of Satan himself to lure people into the darkness, not the light. They love creating dissention among people and groups because it makes news and keeps people talking about prejudices, politics and pathetic individuals seeking personal notoriety.

No Prejudice in the Gospel

The gospel will shine the light on every single one of those topics. There is no prejudice in God. All men are equal. Peter said it as God revealed it to him in Acts 10:34 ~ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

God loves all people!!!

Colossians 3:11 

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

No Politics in the Gospel

It was politics that killed Jesus, God’s Only Son. People wanting to please people. This ought not to be.

Matthew 16:26

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

No Personal Agenda in the Gospel

Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:

31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

While life goes on around us, and there are things we have to do and conversations we have to have that have nothing really to do with the gospel, it’s just living. But all that we do should in some way glorify God.

God is only in the truth.

1 Thessalonians 5:21

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.