I Have Fought The Good Fight 2 Timothy 4:7-8

I want someday to be able to say this as Paul did:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

I don't think I'm that righteous as yet though. I still have a long way to go. I sort of wish that I had the kind of conversion that Paul did. But then again he was one of those counted as "righteous" before his conversion...and I most definitely was no such thing.

Of course their idea of righteousness was basically a pile of poop...but he had discipline for sure. And he knew the scriptures already. He was one of those who held to the letter of the law...even if he didn't quite manage the spirit. He had a lot going for him.

It wasn't enough. Which I guess evens things out a bit. All his so called "righteousness" did him no good till he met the Lord on the Damascus road and had his eyes opened. So I guess it really doesn't matter how fast your eyes are opened...how quickly you manage to change...only that you do see, do change.

I'm working on it. As for the longing for his appearing...that I do. The world is in need of his return already...and the need is only going to get worse.

Lord haste the day!

Mans Days Are Determined Job 14:5

"Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed." Job 14:5

"Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:16

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

"Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life." Psalm 39:4

My cousin was in an auto accident this past Thursday. She was on the way to visit her daughters grave. Her daughter died in an auto accident exactly 19 years ago Thursday. Her daughter was 5 years old.

The accident took place not far from where her daughter died. And old man pulled out in front of her and she hit him head on. The old man died.

Remember that only God knows the number of your days. Or your families. Or friends. This could be their last day to live.

Cherish your children and other family members. You never know what might happen. Especially these days.

But don't get too freaked out either. Remember you will see them all again in the resurrection.

We Deceive Ourselves 1 John 1:8-10

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." 1 John 1:8-10

I like this. That everyone has sinned. Even the most ardent church goer, even the person who reads the bible constantly and can tell you exactly what it says about any situation, ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Anyone who claims they are without sin is deceiving themselves and maybe trying to deceive everyone else. It doesn't work very well and doesn't do them any good.

If we confess our sins though...he is faithful and JUST to forgive us our sins. This is really neat...we just have to stop trying to hide that we are not perfect, that we mess up, that we sin, which God already knows of course...and so does everyone else. We just have to admit it...confess it and he will forgive us.

And not only forgive...but CLEANSE us. Cleanse us of all unrighteousness. That won't make us permanently clean though...so long as we keep sinning we will need to be forgiven and cleansed. For most of us that will be true for the rest of our lives or until Jesus returns.

Lord haste the day. We need it.

As A Man Sows, So Shall He Reap

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galations 6:7

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I read something about it the other day and it has been on my mind off an on since then.

You might think it isn't really accurate. We see a lot of people apparently getting away with sowing some bad things. Celebrities and politicians seem to sow a great many "wild oats" and do not appear to be reaping what you and I think they deserve.

We have seen a lot of stories lately about corrupt corporate officials too. Most of them don't seem to be having many "bad" consequences.  Some apparently get away with illegal and unethical behaviors without any consequences at all.

We can rest assured however that even if we can't see it, even if the person involved thinks he got away with it...there will be consequences. He will reap what he sowed eventually. If not in this life...then at the judgement.

Most of use do reap one way or another in this life. I smoked for almost 30 years and am now reaping the harvest of that. I sowed a few "wild oats" of my own back in my younger days too. The harvest from those wasn't anything I would have chosen either.

Lately I have been sowing a bit of impatience and irritation. I don't even want to know what the harvest of that is going to be like. I need to work on my planting for sure. I want to sow a bit more mercy, patience, kindness, generosity, and love. I have a feeling I may be in desperate need of a harvest of such things before too much longer.

I had better put in a good crop. How has your sowing been going lately?