bite me

RUST STAIN

After thousands of devotional posts, 99% of them with no political axe to grind I’ve come to the point where I have to act as a counter balance against my own evangelical brothers.

Jesus is not a democrat, nor is he a republican. Son of God, Lord and God almighty but not an endorser of illegal alien children.

Fact #1, the Muslims want only 3 things, a; join them, b, be taxed by them, or c; die, that’s it, join, pay or die. There is no peace only a sword.

Fact #2. All these illegal aliens, emphasis on illegal, are coming for one thing, to rob us of all that’s decent and good about America. They want to suck on the teat of the liberal, left wing democrats and rob hard working Americans of everything we have built. They are welfare rats that are going to sink the ship.

Now, I’m not against immigrants, my grandfather was a legal immigrant from Holland, my great father from Ireland. They legally came here and worked all their lives. Fought in the military. We have a family heritage of soldiers, law enforcement, coal miners, lumberjacks. Hard working, pay your taxes go to church folks.

You cannot use the bible on this issue. Illegal children grow up to be illegal adults.

Have there been exceptions, yes, there have. But even the millions of legal Hispanics are yelling build the wall. They came here for the American dream of work. Go to college, pay your own way.

And since I live in Texas build a wall that keeps Californians out as well, don’t legalize pot.

Well, my blood pressure is up so I better stop, if you’re offended by any of this “bite me”. Jesus loves you any way you moron.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

THE OLD MAN’S DEAD

THE STRUGGLE

  “Ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:9).

  Sometimes our Christian life and love are divided between the two Adams(the old man and the new creation). It may be 60–40 in favor of the Last Adam, still it is shared. But the Lord Jesus paid it all, gave His all, deserves our all, requires all, because He is our ALL. Ours is to be total separation—death to the old, life in the New.

  “Our Father has removed everything to His own satisfaction, and you learn in the first eleven verses of Romans 5 the terms He is on with you. It means much to the heart of the believer to know that he is received on the ground of another Man (Christ)who perfectly glorified God.

    “The only way to freedom is to leave Adam for Christ—to change your man; then it is ‘not I, but Christ liveth in me’ (Gal. 2:20). There are two sides; one, that you are cleared from the old in the eye of God in the Cross; the other, that you are now new in Christ risen. ‘For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death’ (Rom. 8:2). The old is held in the place of death as you walk in newness of life in the Spirit.”

  “And have put on the new man, that is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him” (Col. 3:10)

That old story about the two dogs, one white, one black, in some old ancient country, and whatever dog you feed the most wins. That’s a crock, the black dog (the old man) isn’t starving, it’s dead. We too are gloriously resurrected in Christ.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

Pray for Erin, stopped all the fertility doctors and hormones. It was driving her nuts. She is praying for a baby. If you’ve been in this situation you know the anguish. I don’t why it happens, but so often after the couple gives up, they get pregnant. God knows.

Pray for Robbie R, just joined the New York State Police, keep him in prayer and my nephew, Timmy, 12 years with the force.

 

ALWAYS LOVING YOU

2 Corinthians 12:15 New International Version (NIV)

15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?

2 Corinthians 12:15 King James Version (KJV)

15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

2 Corinthians 12:15 English Standard Version (ESV)

15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

If you don’t recognize this verse, it is the ending of yesterday’s devotion.

I am finding verses that in my 40 years of preaching I haven’t done a sermon on this verse is one of them.

So I’ve read it over several times yesterday and again several times today.

I always ask the 5 ‘W’s’

Who, where, why, what and when. What does this verse mean? To whom was it written? Where, why and when. And then I ask myself how it affects me and then you.

8 possible answers to 8 possible questions.

And then there’s the word studies, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Theological German, the English dictionary.

How about gut reaction, how does this verse strike you?

Will you love me less, if I love you more?

We are called to be lovers, love the world, love our neighbor, love God. Are we good lovers. Not sex, but relationships, how do we react when our love is not returned?

God talks about it, we should to, what happens when love is not returned?

Lot’s of questions, some answers. We are to love the unlovely, we are to love unconditionally when we do love. No matter if it is returned or not.

So here are our prayers for today. For you that are loving and not being loved back, not enough, not in the right way, keep loving as a commandment, but also because love always changes us first.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

OUR FATHER’S MERCY

Our Father’s Mercy

  “I endure all things for the elect’s sake” (2 Tim. 2:10).

  Our Father’s mercy is all-encompassing. It includes our salvation—” . . . according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5); and our service—” . . . by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice. . . which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1).

  Reasonable service is based upon sacrifice: “I, Paul. . . rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church” (Col. 1:23, 24).

 To truly minister to others is always to accept new happiness and new distress, both of them forever deepening and entering into closer and more inseparable union with each other, the more profound and spiritual the ministry becomes. The one who gives himself to others can never be a wholly sad person; but no more can he be one of unclouded gladness.

  The fuller the service, the greater the surrender and sacrifice. It is not giving what one can spare without feeling it, for I will not offer the Lord ‘that which doth cost me nothing’ (2 Sam. 24:24).

  “The service declares its virtue and aim by the suffering which is endured in rendering it, for what can be done at one’s ease is generally done without much concern for the one to whom it is rendered, and thus the true quality is lost.”

  “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (2 Cor. 12:15).

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

Questions, comments, or prayer requests please send to the email.

 

When you became a Christian, you became an ambassador for a kingdom. You were given not only “Good News” to share with others but also one of the most powerful communication tools ever developed: the conversation.

 A conversation is simply a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between people who are following unspoken rules of discourse in an agreeable and polite manner. What makes starting conversations about the gospel so difficult is we assume one of society’s “unspoken rules” is to avoid talking about religion.

 Consider all the Christians you’ve met. Almost every one of them came to the faith because someone had a conversation with them about Jesus. Similarly, millions of people of other faiths are “spiritual, but not religious.” They, too, are likely to have an interest in discussing religion.

 In his encounter with the woman at the well, Jesus showed how a conversation could be a powerful tool for revealing himself and his kingdom. We can unlock the power of conversations about the gospel by applying the following:

  ➤ Be open—When he sat at the well, Jesus was likely tired and parched and in no mood to talk. But when he encountered the Samaritan woman he remembered his mission was to “finish the work” he had been sent by the Father to do (see Jn 4:34). Remembering our mission makes starting conversations easier.

 ➤ Be interested in people—People like to talk about what they know. And the one thing they know better than anything else is themselves. People aren’t necessarily being narcissistic for wanting to talk about themselves; they might just want to talk about what they know with someone who appears interested. We will be interested in others when we remember we are called to love and serve them.

 ➤ Ask questions, but don’t interrogate—Rattling off a series of questions can be intimidating. Instead, show genuine interest by asking people about themselves. Asking follow-up questions based on their responses to previous questions shows you are listening and are sincerely interested in their thoughts and ideas.

 ➤ Uncover their burden—At some point in a conversation, a person is likely to say what they do for work or relate an experience they are going through. A simple way to establish empathy and signal you truly care is to respond with some variation of “that sounds challenging.” Almost everyone believes the work they do is difficult or unappreciated or that their life is, at least in some ways, burdensome. If they open up about the challenges in their life, it provides a key way to open the door to spiritual matters.

 ➤ The “prayer ask” opening—If the person is willing to reveal a burden, ask if you can pray for them about it. When you ask, though, the reason should be because you are truly interested in interceding to God on their behalf. It’s not a “technique” to turn the conversation, though it can help you gauge a person’s interest in talking more about the gospel. If it seems appropriate, you can then follow-up with other questions, such as “Do you think much about spiritual things?” “Does faith play a significant role in your life?” “What is your concept of God?”

 ➤ Listen carefully to their responses—You don’t have to agree with them, but avoid trying to show why they are wrong. Show them you are interested in their views, opinions and concerns.

 ➤ The “reason I ask” approach—After broaching a spiritual topic and listening to a person’s answers, you can transition by saying “The reason I ask is because . . .” and then explain why you think it is important to talk about Jesus. This is your opportunity to share the gospel, though you might find it easier to begin by first briefly sharing your testimony. Remember, however, that your testimony is your “witness”—it is not the gospel. It would be a shame to open the door for a discussion about the gospel only to forget the most important part.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

Pray for Matthew, 40 years old and is stressed and suffering from anxiety attacks.

Pray for Carl V, looking for a new job

Pray for Susan K, just graduated from high school and will be leaving home for college in a month and is freaking (a little).

WHO CARES?

  “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

  How difficult it is for the hungry heart to adjust to the Father’s pace. He is so deliberate and thorough, while our need is so pressing and paramount. Apart from never being behind time, our Father is an eternity ahead of time! We have but to see in the Word what He has accomplished on our behalf in the Lord Jesus, and then quietly rely upon Him, “according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).

  “God will perfect that which concerneth His own; and even where there are mistakes and failures, as alas! there are in abundance with all of us, the Lord’s rich grace abounds over all, and actually takes occasion from our very mistakes to shine out all the more brightly—though, assuredly, the mistakes and failures must produce their own painful and humiliating results.

  “It is the remembrance of this which alone can give calm repose in the midst of the most discouraging circumstances. If we take the eye of faith off God, our souls must soon be overwhelmed. It is our privilege to be able, in our little measure, to thank God in view of everything, and take refuge in His eternal counsels, which must be made good despite all the unbelief of man, and all the malice of Satan.”

  “May God give us to increasingly know Him! If we had only to learn what we are, we should surely be cast down, and sink into despondency; but His object in giving us a knowledge of ourselves and of His grace, is to give us an expected end.”

  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6

scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

the tongue

The best devotion I’ve ever read on taming the tongue was in the late 70’s and it was written by Christian song writer Keith Green, if I can find that devotion I will post it for you, until then…..

Taming is a process by which a wild beast is subdued into adapting and submitting to human control. As James notes, “all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind” (Jas 3:7). But despite mankind’s success in taming the animal kingdom, there is one wild thing, James says, that we haven’t been able to subdue and adapt: “No human can tame the tongue” (v.8).

 While we might never fully tame our tongues, with God’s help we can learn to use our words in a manner that is increasingly more edifying and Christlike.

 In what way does your tongue most often get you in trouble? Look over the following list of verses that address how we are to use our words. Choose two or three verses to memorize and reflect on daily:

 Watch what you say and speak only after careful consideration.

  “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin” (Pr 13:3).

   “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity” (Pr 21:23).

  Sometimes the most becoming speech is silence.

  “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues” (Pr 17:28).

  Seek first to understand what someone is saying before attempting to respond.

  “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame” (Pr 18:13).

  Be slow to speak your mind.

  “Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them” (Pr 29:20).

  Be wary of making trivial or casual remarks that reflect ungodly attitudes.

  “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken” (Mt 12:36).

  Avoid obscenities, profanities and blasphemy; instead, speak words that build up others.

  “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph 4:29).

Blessings from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

I’ve run this devotional before, but we have to practice what we preach, and unfortunately, I didn’t. I said something to someone close to me in what I thought was clearly a joking manner. They didn’t. I didn’t know their feelings were hurt until a little later. Because it took a week to apologize it only added fuel to the fire.

So there are no excuses for bad behavior. Ever. So the tongue will make you  fall. Keep a tight reign on it.

 

BOW THE KNEE

BOW THE KNEE

You may think I live in a cave, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard this song. What a great song.

Ron Hamilton

What a privilege to come into God’s presence,
Just to linger with the One who set me free.
As I lift my eyes and see His awesome glory,
I remember who He is and bow the knee.

Bow the knee, bow the knee,
He is King of all the ages, bow the knee!
God alone on His throne,
See Him high and lifted up and bow the knee!
Kneel before Him, all adore Him.
As you live to love Him more, bow the knee.

In His hand He holds the power of creation.
With His voice He spoke, and all things came to be.
Yet He hears each simple prayer I bring before Him
When I humbly seek His face and bow the knee.

Bow the knee, bow the knee,
He is King of all the ages, bow the knee!
God alone on His throne,
See Him high and lifted up and bow the knee!
Kneel before Him, all adore Him.
As you live to love Him more, bow the knee.

  “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19).

  Personal knowledge of and fellowship with our risen Lord Jesus is counter-balanced by personal knowledge of and fellowship in the death of the Cross. The principle of balance prevents our slipping past the Cross and pushing into His presence.

  “Where do you dwell? ‘Come and see. They came. . . and abode with Him’ (John 1:39). The highest satisfaction He can have is that we should be at home with Himself. He has removed the distance from His own side.

  “If you believe that, you say, I will approach Him. That is one thing. The next thing is, His love is so great He delights to have your company. It is not that you will feel yourself out of place there—you will be there in all the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Our Father delights in having us with Himself. Love yearns to satisfy itself about me. It is not only that I can go in, but a much greater thing—my Father, in all His majesty and glory, can come out! All is equipoised. Not only have I entree, but I am shaped to the grandeur of the scene, conformed to the glory of God. Not admitted like a stranger, but changed into the same image; not to equality but similarity; transformed into moral correspondence.

  “If we are not with Him where He is, we cannot be for Him where He is not. We must be inside the veil to be outside the camp.”

  “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:22).

 

SUPER POWERS

  “Partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world” (2 Pet. 1:4).

  We are to find out in Romans 6, through the gracious teaching of the Spirit of truth, all that happened to the Lord Jesus there on the Cross. Then we will know our own position and standing, since we were judicially in Him there.

Have you ever thought about God’s thought about you, that you are ‘to be conformed to the image of His Son’? ‘It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him’ (Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

This cannot fail. The Lord Jesus presses on our hearts that He brings us into association with Himself. He ‘hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ (Eph. 1:3). He puts us in this position answering perfectly to His nature, and with a nature to enjoy it.

  “He imparts to us of Himself in order to qualify us for Himself.”

Not only is my blessing in heaven, but I need the Lord Jesus’ power to enable me to rise above the sense of my infirmity down here; for this world, instead of contributing to me, makes me feel my weakness and need, and that I must rise out of it to find and enjoy my blessing.

The very infirmity which this evil age makes me conscious of makes me draw upon the power of Christ, as the One outside it, passing into the heavens, so that I take pleasure in the very infirmity which is exposed here, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

  “God forbid that I should glory, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

Praise from Anne, 42 days sober

Pray for Rachel, severe ear infection

Pray for Jay P, having knee surgery on Thursday

Cam, pray for this young mom and her battle with cancer.

Pray for Christina and Todd, spiritually curious, pray the right people come into their lives

NO DRY SPELL

To Timothy, my young preacher.

There is a big east coast newspaper columnist and a huge west coast syndicated producer and a somewhat famous university professor of English and Literature that occasionally write me comments about the devotions.

They sometimes offer critics, or praise or criticisms, it is appreciated. But after preaching, teaching and writing for over 40 years, I learned something very early in this career. You are not writing to an audience, ultimately you are writing to yourself and to what God lays on your heart.

I think some people are born with a gift, as the bible says different people different gifts. I was taught or now days as they say mentored, by a very respected preacher. He had one bit of advice, ‘fear God, not man.’

I’ve never had writer’s block, not ever. For every text book, sermon, magazine article, or devotional. I just sit down and start writing. Editors love it. They can call and say we need a book on so and so and we want it by then, bam, out it comes.

Now I will tell you this, I started my writing career before there were computers. Some of you may not know what carbon paper was, or the smell of the old lithograph printer. I would keep three copies, one in a briefcase, one in an old fire proof safe, and one at the office. My biggest worry was to lose a copy. When computers came out I kept three copies on three different disks.  A loss then meant hours of retyping. Now we have the cloud and instant backup and usb drives.

So my advice my young preacher is write everyday at least 5 pages, read your bible at least an hour a day. Pray frequently, learn the difference between a message from God to yourself and the one for a congregation. Oh, and fear God.

Buy a bible with no commentary or notes and read that bible more than any other bible. Fill it with the notes God gives you. Underline, highlight, put paperclips, sticky notes, paste in extra pages. Duct tape that bible when it starts to fall apart.

After years of evangelism, street preaching, and traveling, I get offers from churches all the time to buy me a new suitcase, or a new bible. I always say yes to the suitcase, but no to the new bible. Although now I give the bibles away on this site.

Master your writing and you’ll never have a dry spell.

God bless my young preacher, preach the Word.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com