Gracious!

The small letter to Philemon from the Apostle Paul contains quite a bit of action.  The action is not fist fights and explosions.  The action is of a spiritual direction. The Apostle Paul knew very well the grace of God, at salvation and in his day to day ministry and trials.

Onesimus has maybe stolen from Philemon and runs away.  (He was Philemon's slave).  Philemon had been led to Christ in Ephesus by Paul and transformed returned to Collosee and started a church.
Onesimus had ripped off Philemon and runs to where he can blend in.  Rome.

How many of you know you can run but you cannot hide.  God providently leads him to the Apostle Paul, who is in jail.  Onesimus might have been incarcerated there himself. Maybe from stealing. Paul for merely preaching the Gospel of Christ.

Paul shares the gospel to Onesimus and he is saved and transformed into useful from useless! He becomes strongly involved in Paul's ministry. "What's your story Onesimus?"  He shares his story of how he had stolen from Philemon...  "Philemon?"


"Philemon accepted the gospel when I shared it with him as you did."  Paul sent him back to Philemon with an explanation of how Onesimus  heard by grace and trusted by faith the work of Jesus on the cross.

Read the letter and using your imagination, see also the illustration:

Philemon is God
Onesimus is sinner
Paul is Jesus speaking on our behalf and saying to put the sinners sin to His account.

We know that Jesus paid the price and all to Him we owe.

Oh the Amazing Grace of God!

How did I get here?

You ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, you will get a list of careers, some you never heard of.  We might be surprised in fifteen years when that young boy or girl has created that business, service or ministry we didn't have the imagination to achieve.

The young girl wasn't born a Doctor, or have all the needed.skills and knowledge at three years old.  There would be daycare, she would attend elementary school.  The parents had to drop her off at High school. She might be top of the class, yet not be ready to do surgery in the local operating room.

Policemen, lawyer, doctor, Pastor, soldier, CEO, fireman, truck driver, NBA/NFL star. all require steps of growth and training.

"Yeah, we know that!" 

 Then why do some students have to be class clown or sleep in class. (that only works for comedians).

No matter the age of a person, you will become tomorrow, what you are making of yourself today! Some men and women even during prosperous times, sat in unemployment offices with their head in their hands. Why?!
That is what they trained themselves to do while in school, as they sat their looking at the clock with their head in their hands.

Teenager to senior citizen if you wish to accomplish some dream or career, begin now to develop yourself.  Those in school, have a great time!  Also study and  receive an education, not just a letter grade.  

We might be an adult.  Read, read, read and get those Cd's maybe those old cassettes, take a leadership course and teach and motivate yourself.  You and I might be surprised at the dreams and accomplishments!  Others will be surprised at your business, service or ministry they didn't have the faith and imagination to achieve.

"Lord, You are the Potter.  I am the clay." -Amen

Thinking Back/Looking Forward

 It seems like yesterday I was babysitting and watching children's videos with him. He will go down on record as the first one to call us "PopPop and Gma." There will be memories of many conversations with this "Ol' soul" of a toddler and elementary age young boy.

He has always been creative and imaginative. He's forever been a young child and an older youth of impeccable manners and concern.

They say you will be what you are making of yourself. He is today a young adult of impeccable manners and concern.

Though his parents did a fantastic work in him, he is faithful to the village that led him along the way. 

To us who are now very senior, he will be forever young. He is involved in our past, present, and future thoughts.

He has met his counterpart someone similar to himself, both are a loving unit of impeccable manners and concern for others!

Today they will be married, a union that will always cause me to be thinking back and looking forward with great joy!

                                      -PopPop

Cats and Dogs

The saying goes it is raining "cats and dogs" meaning it is raining hard and might make travel or standing on the porch difficult. Tradition says that cats and dogs are always fighting. Old cartoons verify this.

It is also known that the Church sometimes fight like cats and dogs.  It apparently has been discovered; some church goers relate to God like cats and dogs relate to their human masters.

Not too long ago I read that, some Christians are like dogs and some are like cats. "Dog Christians" love their masters and wait eagerly for them to return from being away. These doglike worshippers say, "You feed me, you must be God".  The "Cat Christians" are finnicky and act like they can take it or leave it and say, "You feed me, I must be God."

If this comparison were true, I wonder which one am I. Which one are you?

Issues and Circumstances

Watching TV in the late 1950's and 60's one phrase I heard on cowboy shows was "Let's cut 'em off at the pass!"  The good guys would take a different trail.  It was more difficult but more direct and stopping the bad guys before they could arrive at the stagecoach they had planned to rob.

Parents (most, well some) know that discipline at an early age curbs some behavior problems in later years.  The child is too immature to see that it is for their own good, as well as for future relationships. The development of children and in changing adult behavior will be a "cutting the issues off at the pass."  Deleting many of the issues and circumstances of an untrained lifestyle.

In our own lives we hope to be growing and maturing.  On the other hand, we have or know someone that stopped investing in themselves much less others.  The result often is to flow through life later bouncing off one circumstance floating aimlessly

The Bible calls it being tossed to and fro.  A Christians lifestyle can be ordered and submitted to the loving teachings/doctrines of God's Word.  Many a Christian either untrained or distracted from quiet time of prayer and reading God's word soon find themselves throwing toddler like tantrums or falling for an incorrect teaching or secular worldview. The term "selfie" comes to mind.

So let us draw near to God and He will draw near to us. The Bible also directs us to have our minds set on the things above because our citizenship is in His kingdom!  Then we will shine in a dark world, giving God glory!

"As you therefore have received Christ the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 2:6,7.

"Chasten your son while there is still hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction." Proverbs 19:18.

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."  Philippians 2:3,4.

"He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses instruction goes astray." Proverbs10: 17.

Seasons Change

   

We see the consistency and authority of God when we see the changing of seasons since time began. Like "clock work" seasons in order, come and go. 

  You and I are guilty of taking changing seasons for granted. Not only seasons but the location of the planets and stars as well. God most likely sits back in amazement that many are not amazed.

  Maybe the reason is, we think the solar system and its' weather revolves around us.  Why, even God died for ME, He even answers MY prayers. We complain when He doesn't answer quick enough.

  Let's not forget it wasn't long after creation, humans given a choice, chose self, and how is that working out for us. They say we're even ruining the events of seasons with climate change.

  I know that in spite of us, God is in control! Anyone with any discernment can see that.  We have many questions but reading His Word, we have many answers. 

 Read throughout the Psalms and you'll find those questions and the answers. The book of Genesis tells the how and why this world is as it is.

  Your personal life goes through seasons. We experience the Fall, Winter, Spring and summer of life.  Emotions that are high and low, Seasons of joy and those of sadness.

  Look to the Seasons once again to see the love and control of God.  See the God that deserves our worship. This is all simple but yes, it's not easy. 

  I  pray that God would open the eyes of your heart, that you might see His love and wisdom. That He might incline forward to the season you might find yourself and divinely meet you there and comfort you.

Check out; 

Genesis 1-11

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Psalm 37: 1-7

  

In Christ!

What a miracle it is, being "in Christ." At one point you are dead in sin, realizing the call/draw of His Holy Spirit.
you then hear: "Follow Me." And you do.  You then are born again.  Your sin is covered/blotted out by the blood of Jesus. The believer walks now in Spirit and in truth. Now I'm dead to this world but alive unto God.

When it comes to God, your "Do I have to?" turns into "I love to." Religion turns into a relationship!  

 That person now knows what it means to have old things passed away; all things are made new.  Paul wrote that, His Spirit and Word, assures us we are the Children of God.  John said that those who received Him, to them, He gave power to become the children of God.!

 "But God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love, with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses,  made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been sasved), and raised us up together, in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus."  Ephesians 2:4-6.

HOSANNA! HOSANNA!

I have read that in the history of Israel, kings and military generals have returned to the cheers of Hosanna. The Maccabees in victory heard the crowds chant Hosanna.  Jesus the carpenter's son, humbly riding a donkey into Jerusalem receives the kingly praise. 

HOSANNA! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!
(quoting Psalm 118:26).

Crowds headed to Jerusalem for Passover festival (another picture of Christ Jesus). Those already in town had heard that Jesus was coming,  they and all the people already on the road, came to meet Jesus waving palm branches and laying them and their coats on the ground before Him, hailing Him as King and Messiah.

Hosanna has everything to do with Salvation (save us now), and the palm branches, everything to do with victory.  Jesus was/is who he had said He was; The Son of God! and worthy of their praise and ours. Jesus through His death, resurrection and ascension has defeated the power of sin, death and the grave!

"O' death where is you sting? O' grave where is your victory?  Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." -1 Corinthians 54-57.

 Previously, Jesus had asked those He delivered and healed, not to tell anyone . Now here in John 12, He allows everyone to shout sing and announce that He was King and Messiah!  As always the jealous, power grabbing Pharisees show up and tells Jesus to silence the crowd, Jesus reply to that was: " If these be silent , the rocks would  cry out in praise"  There will be those  people and events, in your life that will try to hinder your praise and devotion and ministry.  Whether we are approved of or not, we can continuously have a dip in our hip and a  praise on our lips.

HOSANNA!

They say Sunday He rides down the road hearing Hosanna!  By Friday they are shouting "Crucify Him". That day He hung on the cross dieing for the sins of the world  (we remember it as "good Friday") and said "Father forgive them".  Finally He said "It is finished".  Watching them roll the stone in front of the tomb, His followers might of said "It's over all right".  The events and paradigms of today, make many feel like it's hopeless and over.  

How about you? still have some praise left?  He was crucified, but on Sunday what happened? (stay tuned in for more).  It wasn't over. It was just beginning! We have great opportunities for ministry ahead.

John 3:16.

We serve a God that is very much alive. He is not dead!  We are then to die to this world yet be alive unto God.  Today Christ followers can give Him that praise of deliverer and King!  Worshiping Him with our voice and life.

HE IS RISEN !!



 

Stormy Life.

Occasionally off in the distance, you see storms clouds rolling in. Other times you are caught in the middle of nowhere, rowing as fast as you can, knowing you will not make shore in time.

Emotional, financial, mental, storms arise.  These storms can be a result of our lifestyle or no fault of our own.  The wrong or even sinful decisions of friends and family, can effect the every day of someone else.

The Word of God assures us we can experience peace, while being smack dab in the middle of a storm.

"Peace I give you. Not the peace the world gives, but my peace."-Jesus.

Paul wrote "Let your requests be made to God and the peace of God that passes all understanding, will keep (guard) your heart and mind, through Christ Jesus our Lord."

You can read Acts 27 for starters.  I believe it will encourage you or someone you know, that hasn't seen the Sun for days.

The Way of the Cross - A short film for Good Friday and Easter

He is risen, no prison.

Resurrection

Flowers rising,

surprising,

within green grass,

shining alas.

Flowing in mass,

victorious through winter,

even because of winter,

displays a splinter,

a stem.

Spring proves resurrection!

He is risen

no prison

no death or grave

Risen indeed will save.

First sign of life after death

giving the dead new breath.

New colors, new hopes.

Spring displays through green,

colors seen...

The death of Christ and resurrection!

                                                   tim flener