Serendipitousme

One In Christ

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:27:00 +0000

Eph 2:11-22

Years ago I was pastoring a little church in a small community. I was part of a ministerial association that met once a month at different local restaurants to support one another. They also had special services a couple of times a year, usually held at the local high school auditorium. It was a great experience for my little congregation because it gave them a big church experience, and it let them see that the church was much larger than themselves. There was one minister there who had a beautiful deep rich singing voice. His church didn't have an evening service so I invited him and his wife to come and sing at our church as guests. He told me that he couldn't come because we believed different things. I was so disappointed. I wasn't asking him to change his faith, or even agree with the part of our teaching that differed from his. I was simply asking him, as my brother in Christ, to come and share the gift that God had given him. There is a dividing wall in the church world, between believers in Christ, that needs to come down. We don't have to agree with every jot and tittle of each others faith to work together for the kingdom of God.

As you read through the Old Testament you will find that there was a time when God strictly limited the contact the Jewish people had with the Gentile world. The purpose of those limitations was to protect the Israelites from falling in to the pagan worship that the whole Gentile world was involved in. Consequently, the Gentiles were called uncircumcised by the Jews, which meant that they were outside the covenant. This meant that the Gentiles had little or no access to God. There were a few who the Jews called "God fearers," who believed in the God of the Jews, and there were a few like Ruth who were proselytes, but on the whole the Gentiles were without hope and without God in the world.

Many of the Jewish Christians were so locked into the traditions that had been handed down that they had a hard time when the Gentiles started coming into the church. There was a legalistic group that came out of the Pharisee sect, who were called Judaizers, who believed that the Gentiles must become Jewish proselytes before they could become Christians. Paul understood that the ceremonial laws that were in place during the Old Covenant were to remind God's people that a redeemer was coming. When Christ gave his life those customs were no longer needed. He taught that the Gentiles did not need to be circumcised to be Christian. They merely needed to receive Christ by faith. However, their not wanting to be circumcised or keep the Jewish customs sent many of the Jewish Christians ballistic. They accused the Gentiles of being apostate and insisted that if the Gentiles wanted to be saved they must first be circumcised and become Jewish converts before they could be a Christian.

Christ destroyed the hostility and made peace possible through the cross. He fulfilled and therefore did away with the Levitical laws of sacrifices and separation. He made all people into one body. Both have the same access to the Father through the Spirit. All believers, both Jewish and Gentile are now united as one body in Christ.

What relationship in your life do you need to let Christ knock down walls and do a work of reconciliation?

Living as Children of the Light

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:41:00 +0000

Eph 5:1-21
When I was a young guy I remember getting my mouth washed out with soap a time or two for using bad words. Today that would be considered child abuse. There are some people who take punishment to extreme and become abusive. Then there are also those who go to the other extreme. My wife once worked with a woman who didn't believe in discipline of any kind for her child. I told my wife I want to see if that person still believes that when their child becomes an out of control teenager.

One of my favorite Christmas stories is the "Christmas Story." Ralphy and his family are driving down the road after picking out a Christmas tree when they get a flat tire. His father has him help with changing the tire, when Ralphy's hand slips and he curses, to the shock and dismay of his parents. When they get home his mother interrogates him about where he learned the bad words. He can't bring himself to admit that he learned them from his father who is constantly cursing as he works on the furnace, the plumbing, or anything else mechanical, so Ralphy blames his friend. Ralphy's mom calls his friend's mother to report Ralphy's confession. Then she washes his mouth out with soap. As he is chewing on the bar of soap you hear him thinking about the nuances of the flavor of the different soaps.

When I was in High School I had to read a book called "The Lord of the Flies." It was about a bunch of children who were stranded on a deserted island during WWII. At first they all worked together to survive. But little by little their social order began to decay. Man left to himself will always sink to his lowest level because of the fall in the Garden of Eden. Even today, the economic crisis we are experiencing in not an economic problem, it is a moral problem. In verses 3-7 Paul addresses the moral issues. He also shares the consequences of those who are immoral. They eventually bring the wrath of God upon themselves.

There are three standards that Paul sets for successful Christian living in vv 1,2,8. They are to be imitatiors of God, live a life of love, the same kind of sacrificial love that Christ used when he gave his life for us. To live as children of light in goodness, righteousness and truth.

Aside from avoiding deeds of darkness (v11) we are also supposed to expose those deeds to make visible the shameful disobedience done in secret places. My wife and I did foster care for several years. One common denominator with all of the abused children that have come to stay with us is that they were conditioned not to tell anyone what happens in their home. They are made to feel like they are being disloyal to their family if they do. The only way to stop the abuse is to expose the abusers and remove the children from the situation. What kind of country would we have if all held our politicians and corporate leaders to a high moral standard?

Verses 18-21 instruct us about the qualities that should be exhibited in every spirit filled life. We are to speak encouragingly to one, another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. There should be a constant joy in our hearts that cause us to sing and make music in our hearts to the Lord. We are to constantly give thanks to God for everything in Jesus' name, and finally that we submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:03:00 +0000

Eph 1:3-10
They say that if you are feeling down or that God doesn't love you, all you have to do is count your blessing. look back and see what God has done your you in the past. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Blessings of the past should give you greater faith for the future. When I count my blessings, the first thing that I am thankful for is my redemption and baptism in the Holy Spirit. Then my wife and family, home, food, and clothing.

There was a time when it seemed that everyone was coming up with some new mysterious revelation given to them by God. I heard one minister tell how the Lord told him to tell a person to go run around the church seven times. That is just absurd. The devil will make fools of us all, if we let him. The Bible tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. The Lord will illuminate our understanding of what he has already revealed in his word, and help us to apply that understanding to our lives, but all of his revelations are in his word. Paul talks about the mystery of God's will in our reading. God has revealed that mystery in the fulness of time. It is his ultimate plan to redeem and restore all things that were lost in the fall of humanity. It starts with the redemption of man's soul, but in the end all things will be restored to what God intended when he first created the world. The Word tells us that all of nature is groaning until the time of restoration of all things. All of this was accomplished with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It will all come to fruition when Christ becomes the head of all things in heaven and earth at the end of this age.

I look, with a broken heart, at how a few powerful people are systematically dismantling and destroying the American way of life. There is turmoil great in Europe, with country after country heading for bankruptcy. The Middle East has always been a turbulent place. The natural disasters that are taking place all over the world are more intense than I ever remember in my life time. I am more convinced now, than ever before, that the Lord's return is soon at hand. If I am right this should not be a time of fear and dread for the child of God. It should be a time of great expectation. Jesus said that when all these things begin to happen for us to look up for our redemption draws near. Now, having said that, I am not advocating that all Christians should go to some mountain to chant "coom by ya" as some foolish people have done. Nor am I setting a date for his return. That also is foolish. The Lord said that no one knows the hour or day. However, he did tell us that we could know the season.

No matter what may come in the future, as far as this life goes, it will ultimately end with the believers receiving their eternal inheritance. God has set his mark on the life of all believers. That mark is the seal or promise of the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers when they are born again. The purpose of the seal is to give assurance to every child of God that they are guaranteed their inheritance. The exciting thing is that we don't have to wait until we get to heaven to receive our inheritance. There are so many spiritual blessings that we receive here and now. I do believe that the Lord does want to bless us in our finances, however, I believe that the prosperity message preached today is out of balance. There are so many blessings that the Lord wants to lavish on us. There is the forgiveness of our sins, eternal life, healing for the body, mind, and spirit. There is wisdom and understanding to know his will and good pleasure for our lives. None of these need to be purchased by "sowing seed." They have already been purchased for us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The only requirement is that we receive them through faith with a grateful heart

Parable Of The Sower

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 03:12:00 +0000

When we read the Parable of the sower, what we are really reading is the condition of the human heart. I have come to learn that these conditions are not static. In other words you don't have stony soil, or thorny soil and either God saves you from it, or not. I have found that, even as Christians we can drift in and out of any or all of these states if we are not careful. For instance, you can be growing in Christ until the Lord begins to deal with an issue in your life that you refuse surrender to Him. In that case you have just become stony ground. You may have started to allow worldly things to take up time you used to give to the Lord. You find that you don't have the time to read the Bible or pray like you used to. Now you just entered into thorny ground. Let's take a look at the different soils and see what we can learn.

Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

The first condition that Jesus addresses is the person that hears the Word of God, but they don't really understand what they are reading so the devil comes and steals the word out of the heart. Jesus implies that the reason this person doesn't understand the Word is because they have allowed their heart to become so hard that the Holy Spirit can't penetrate it with the word. The wayside being the road that has been compacted rock hard by many travelers. There are some whose hearts have been so walked on, so broken that it is rock hard and nothing can penetrate it. They have decided that they will never be hurt again. Consequently, the love of God can't even reach them

Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

When we bought our home, my next door neighbor told me that the area I live in used to be swamp. The developers filled it in with what I found was not only dirt but all kinds of rock, concrete, brick and what not. Consequently, when I attempted to plant vegetables they would grow a little bit then die off. The stony soil would keep the roots from going very deep, so it wouldn't take long for the hot sun to burn out the plants. I had to dig several inches deep into the soil, remove the rock and put good soil in its place. I had a decent garden this year.

Some hearts are like my soil. They give their heart to the Lord and are enthusiastic about serving him for a while. However, they have stony places in their heart. These stones are issues in a person's life that is at variance with God's word that they refuses to surrender to God. So when hard times or persecution come their way their faith has no strength so they quit on God.

The stony soil and the thorny soil have to be the two types that frustrate the Lord the most. The reason I say this is because both types seem to start out well. They receive the Word but somewhere along they way they fail to count the cost (Luke 14:28) of serving the Lord. Both find the sacrifice too great and turn back on God. With the stony soil hard times cause them to quit. With the thorny soil it is good times.

Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

It seems that there are some people that the Lord almost has to keep in a perpetual state of need. I have seen people who are in crises because they lost their job, or their world is crumbling in some other way, cry out the the Lord, promise to give their lives to him and serve him the rest of their lives, only to forget all about God after He has rescued them from the crises, and blessed them.

The solution is the same for all three types of undesirable soil. You have to dig up that which keeps the word from enter and make the soil receptive to the seed.

Mat 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

I like the Lord's view of good soil. Unlike the parable of the talents in Matt 25 where the master was displeased with the servant with the one talent. The Lord is pleased with the fruit from all three of the good soils in verse 23. The reason is that even though some produce more fruit than other, each is producing at their fullest potential.Are you producing at your fullest potential?

What's For Dinner?

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Gen_1:29
I have been studying edible wild plants, not because I think that the world is coming to an end, but because I have been laid off for over two years from the church where I was an assistant pastor. I was looking for alternative food sources. Studying these wild plants began to teach me things about God's ability to supply our needs. I am reminded of the garden of Eden. I began to really see God's provision. It is strange that when I look at a vacant lot, open field or walk through the park I now see food all around me, where before I would only see weeds. The interesting thing is that on several occasions I have looked at a certain plant in my guide book thinking that I would like to see it in the wild only to find it growing in my back yard.

God can supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory. In spite of all of the upheaval and uncertainty of today I worry less and less and trust the Lord more and more for my needs.
Php_4:19
Mat_6:31-33

Toe Jam pt2

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:34:00 +0000

Adam & Eve

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:38:00 +0000

I don't know if there is such a thing as a perfect garden, however, on the inside of our back door my wife has put up a black and white picture of a garden her father had grown. It was a beautiful garden. She placed it there as a target for me to shoot for, because I had decided to take up gardening to help supplement our groceries. Unfortunately, our back yard is very rocky and not good for planting anything so I have endeavored to grow a container garden. Eventually I would like to build a raised garden bed to give me more room to plant vegetables. So far I have had some success with a few vegies. I was given some herbs last year and I am waiting to see how they come back this year. It is a work in progress.

I picture Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden seeing each other for the first time. In Genesis 2 the Bible tells us that God brought each of the animals to Adam for him to name, but none of them were suitable as a companion for him, not even man's best friend fiddo, or mittins. So God put Adam in a deep sleep and took one of his ribs and created Eve. I wonder if God told Adam ahead of time what He was about to do, like a surgeon preparing a patient for surgery, or did God decide to surprise Adam, put him to sleep, and allow him to wake up to discover this new addition to the family? Did Adam & Eve wake up at the same time? Did one of them wake up to find the other just sitting or standing there staring at them in curious wonderment? That moment of discovery would make an interesting painting.

I am all for equal rights of all individuals, however, I see a trend that has been going on for quite a while to masculinize women, and feminize men, blurring the unique natures that God placed in men and women. I am not saying that one is superior or inferior to the other. God created us with different natures so that each would compliment the other.

In verse 20 of the King James version of the Bible it says that there was not found a “help meet” for Adam. I don't believe that the word help or helper was intended to mean some subservient second class being. I believe the word partner would be a more accurate term. That word meet often means suitable. Adam may have named the animals, and at times he may even have talked to the animals, but they couldn't talk back. He couldn't have a real relationship with the animals. So God created a helper suitable for Adam. She was not designed to be a servant to Adam but a great partner and a source of strength. Actually they were to be a source of strength to each other. Eccl. 4:9-11 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

If you are married let me ask you which of the following are you most grateful for in your marriage?

Our mutual help and support
The companionship we share
The sizzle in our romance
The intimacy of our relationship

Which would you like to focus on for growth?

If you are single, how does this story make you feel?

It makes me feel like I need a spouse to become complete
It reassures me that it's normal to need companionship
It convinces me that God does not want me to be lonely

On a scale of 1 (totally alone) to 10 (totally connected and supported), how do you fee now?

Toe Jam pt1

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:30:00 +0000

God's Amazing Grace Meets Every Need

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:57:00 +0000

2 Cor. 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul talks about his thorn in the flesh being a messenger from Satan that buffeted him. Some believe that this thorn in the flesh was a physical ailment with his eyes. Others have said that it was the Judaizers who followed him from town to town in an effort to tear down all that Paul had worked so hard to build up for the kingdom of God. I am sure that there are other explanations. Vine's Expository Dictionary defines buffeting as such: To strike with clenched hands, to buffet with the fist. To strike under the eye, to beat the face black and blue (to give a black eye). What ever it was it created a difficult time for Paul. He prayed for God's deliverance from it.

They say that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Paul learned that his strength came from the grace of God imparted into his life. Don't we all put up a front, at times, about how well we are coping with difficulties in life? I am finding it liberating to go to my heavenly Father and admit that I am weak; that I can't do it on my own. I acknowledge that I need His help. That is when His grace is made strong in my life.

My heavenly Father is a God who can not lie. He has kept His word down through history. When I look in the Bible I don't see one promise that He has failed to keep. When I look into my past and I remember all of the promises that He has made to me I am comforted by the fact that He has kept them all. He has brought me through difficult times before so why wouldn't He bring me through this time as well?

The promise of His grace is sufficient. Sufficient means more than enough to meet the need. His grace delights to forgive, deliver, and keep me. His grace of forgiveness means that if I mess up He is not just going to cast me aside, but there is forgiveness in His heart for me. His grace of deliverance means that I can be free of all hindrances that affect my relationship with Him and others. He keeping grace takes place when I listen to that still small voice that tells me, "don't do it." Most of us call it that little birdie, but in reality it is the Holy Spirit keeping us from doing something or saying something that we will regret later. He grace us more than enough to supply all the needs in my life. Philip. 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I can't tell you what joy and peace it brings to know that I don't have to go it alone on my own strength. Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
103106

A Long Distance Miracle

noreply@blogger.com (Justacarpenter) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:13:00 +0000

This story is about a person who uses his faith in a great and wonderful way. And he receives a miracle for his servant, while being a long distance away.

We find the story of the centurion, whose servant is healed by Jesus in the book of Luke 7:2-10.

2…And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

Jesus was starting to be quite popular because of the miracles that he did. And upon hearing the testimony of some of the people who were healed, this caused the centurion to believe in Jesus. He than sent for Jesus to come to heal the servant. We under estimate the importance of testimony. People won’t find out about Jesus, or your church, no mater how wonderful it is, unless we begin to speak up.

Now in verse 6 and 7 we read…

6. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof; 7. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

No one is worthy of God’s love, but he gives his love freely to those who come to him. The centurion humbled himself greatly, and showed Jesus, a Jew, great respect. By tradition, the Jews couldn’t enter the house of a non Jew because they would be considered unclean.

And at the same time, the centurion exhibited great faith, when he sent his servant out from the house, and said to Jesus, just say in a word, and my servant will be healed.

Humility and faith; what a wonderful mixture!

Now in verse 8-9-10 we read on…

8. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

9. When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel.

10. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

This is what the centurion meant by this; When I speak, people obey. When you speak, Jesus, sicknesses obey. Period! There is no two ways about it. Jesus was amazed by this kind of faith. And, frankly, so am I. I don’t really see this kind of faith. We seem to have a timid faith anymore. And that also is what Jesus was seeing among the Jews. They weren’t sure if God would hear their prayers or not. Jesus was moved by the attitude of humility and faith shown by the centurion. And his servant was healed that very hour. Jesus never did touch or even see the servant; truly performing a long distance miracle.

Do you sometimes feel like Jesus is too far away to hear your prayers? Or do you feel too far away from him? As we learn in this miracle, we are never too far from Jesus. If you are too ashamed because of your sins; I ask you to pray. He is really closer than you think. He wants to hear from you; and when you ask him to forgive your sins, remember, he is the one who has the authority to forgive and cast away sin and sickness. O, Praise God.

This miracle is really exciting to me, so much to learn about Jesus.

…..God bless you now, and make you a blessing….

The carpenter

Desperate Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Justacarpenter) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:12:00 +0000

When was the last time you fell on your face to talk to God? You would think to talk to God that you would have to look up to heaven. In this story we find a man talking to Jesus while his face was to the ground. Let’s read about it now in the book of Luke 5: 12-13.

..And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

..And he put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

Leprosy was a dreadful disease in bible times, from which there was no cure. Moses wrote much in the law about regulating a person with leprosy. Read in Leviticus, chapter 13 and 14. I read that a leper had to stay away from people and cry out “unclean” if someone approached. I shutter to think of the pain these people went through, both physically and mentally.

Recently, I needed, desperately, a prayer answered. And as I was reading in the old testament, I found that many times the old prophets would get down and put there face to the ground and pray to the Lord. I don’t usually pray like this. Mostly I sit while holding my bible, or kneel, or stand and move around. I guess there are a lot of ways that we can pray. But I wasn’t getting through to God, so I decided to do as the prophets do, and I got down and put my face on the floor. I cried out to the Lord, and soon the Holy Spirit came, and in that soft whisper he spoke to me. And I had my answer. And what he said at the end was very special to me. He said,” Know that I love you. Isn’t that enough?” And at that moment I knew that, YES! He is enough, more than enough. And my worry was lifted from me, and I had all confidence in his love. My God is good to me. Praise his holy name.

After church on Sunday I sensed the Lord speaking to me through a song. It goes something like this, yesterday’s gone, and tomorrow may never be mine, one day at a time. The leper, sitting by the side of the road needed, desperately, to get the attention of Jesus now. His yesterdays were sickness and despair; his tomorrow may never come; all he had was right now. So he throws himself, face to the ground, and cries out to Jesus. You see, he gets the attention of Jesus by being on his face. And Jesus responds by reaching down, and immediately healing him of the leprosy.

Sometimes we need to pray in a desperate way. If you are in need of prayer; yesterday is gone and we are not promised tomorrow; so pray now! Don’t wait. I’ll pray for you right now. Dear Lord, please look on your people. If there is a sickness that needs healing, please touch that person with your gentle touch. If sin has been eating away at someone, like leprosy, I ask that you cause that person to pray to you for forgiveness. Dear Lord, I bring these requests to you now, and I know that you hear our prayers. ……. I love you Jesus……. Amen.

….May God bless you richly.

……the carpenter…..

His Word

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Worth The Wait - Jacob and Rachel

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:51:00 +0000

Years ago my wife and I took a scenic day train ride through the country with a friend and his wife. After the train ride, I sat in the front passenger seat of my friend's car, my wife sat behind me, and his wife behind him. As we were leaving the parking lot a couple of girls were crossing the street. I reached over and tooted the horn, then looked at my friend, and said his name reproachfully. His wife thought he honked the horn at the girls and smacked the back of his head. What can I say, every once in a while I give into the dark side.

In Gen 29 we find Jacob, who had fled from the wrath of his brother, meeting up with his mother's family. He met Rachel, who was the younger of Laban's two daughters, as she brought her sheep to a well for water. Rachel must have been one good looking girl with a lot of good qualities, because Jacob decided he wanted to marry her after having known her only one month. Jacob agreed to work for Laban for seven years in order to marry Rachel. After the seven years were finished a wedding took place. However, when Jacob woke up he was laying next to Leah. Imagine his surprise and great disappointment.

Now two questions come to my mind as I read this story. Why would Laban do such a thing? And , how could Jacob not know that it wasn't Rachel in bed with him?

From what I read about Laban, the couple of times that he appears in scripture, I see him as a shyster business man. When Abraham's servant came looking for a bride for Issac, Laban's attention focused on the dowry. Now we see him focusing on the potential of free labor from Jacob. Even when Jacob eventually fled, and Laban caught up to him, Jacob accused him of constantly changing his wages. On the other hand I also see a father who wants to make sure that his daughters are well taken care of. He knew that Jacob came from a wealthy family. The bible tells us that Leah was weak-eyed, which tells me she probably didn't have a lot of suitors breaking down the door to marry her. Laban saw this as an opportunity to marry her off. Not to mention the fact that he gets seven more years of labor out of Jacob for the hand of Rachel.

How could Jacob not know who was in the wedding bed with him? I think that Laban probably got him drunk during the wedding celebration, and Leah made sure that it was real dark when he finally came to bed. Also, the fact that she and Rachel were sisters probably meant that they had very similar features. If he was drunk, which I think makes sense, he woke up with more headaches than he realized. I can only imagine how crushed Rachel must have been when her father told her that she was not be married to Jacob that night.

If you were to ask me who ended up with the best deal in this story, I would have to say that, in the end, nobody came away as the clear winner. In the end Laban lost his wealth, his sons lost the best part of their inheritance, Rachel had to share her true love with her sister, Leah had to live with a man who didn't love her, Jacob gets a dysfunctional family that is always in turmoil, and two handmaids are used as weapons in a cat fight between two sisters.

Jacob waited and labored for fourteen years to get the love of his life. Now that is commitment. Obviously he loved her so much that he considered her worth the effort and wait. Today it seems people have very little commitment, and do everything backwards. They live together, have children, buy a house, and then think about getting married. I have read statistics that show that people who live together before getting married are twice as likely to end up divorced. In my humble opinion, I don't think some women place a high enough value on themselves. If a guy truly loves you, you are worth the wait. If he won't wait then you are too good for the guy, move on, there is someone better out there.

Trinity

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:59:00 +0000

Hello World

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 04:02:00 +0000

Vanity of Vanities

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:35:00 +0000

Romans 1:18-32

I remember years ago that there were predictions that people would have more leisure time as automation took over and machines did more of the work of people. It was supposed to be a society much like that of the Star Trek shows. We were heading for some sort of utopian society of world peace, and discovery. None of those dreams ever materialized. In fact, we seem to be heading in the opposite direction. People are working less hours on any one job, but they need three jobs to keep their heads above water, or they are doing more work for less pay. One may ask how that can be?

I believe that our Scripture reading gives us a good indication of the answer. Because of the sin nature in humanity, we will always sink to our lowest level, apart from God. I firmly believe that the human condition that we are experiencing today is the result of what the world braggingly calls the post-Christian Era. If you keep up with world news it is abundantly evident that the world is coming unglued. Governments have become dysfunctional and financially unstable. In fact, whole regions of the world are struggling. Greed and corruptions are common practice. You say that it has always been that way, and I will reply that that is my point! Humanity can not fix itself! The more it tries, the worst things get.

Parents, how many times have you tried to help a child make good life decisions only to be told, by them, that they don't need your help? I like what Ken Davis, a Christian comedian, once said.

"Teenagers are God's revenge on humanity. God said, 'Let's see how you like creating something in your image that denies your existence!'"

In verse 18 we read that man suppressed the truth by their wickedness, and as a result, God cut them loose to be captivated by their sinful desires. He allowed them to be free to serve the desires of their own hearts. I can't help thinking about young sports figures, and movie stars who gain rapid wealth and fame with the talents that God has given them. Too many time they end up in the news because they have been arrested, or made a spectacle of themselves due to alcohol or drugs. In short, because they have no moral anchor, they self-destruct. There is a perfect example of this in the Bible with the story of Solomon. God gave him unlimited wealth and knowledge. Solomon soon left God out of the equation of his life and entered into abandon. Read the book of Ecclesiastes and you will learn what Solomon learned.

The utopia that the world is dreaming of will one day come to pass. However, it won't come through man's effort. It will happen in the perfect age after the Lord has put down all rebellion, and all sin has been finally dealt with. All of humanity has been invited to participate in that society. The invitation was extended through Jesus Christ. The decision of making Christ Lord of our lives, is the factor that determines our citizenship in that future society.

The "R" Word Repentance

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:50:00 +0000

A Faith Reported Around The World

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Romans 1:1-17

I never was much of a letter writer. When I was in the military I would rather call home on the phone than write a letter. I don’t even like talking that much on the phone. I tend to be a short and to the point kind of person. Even my sermons rarely run over a half an hour. I espouse the “Stand up, Speak up, Shut up, sit down philosophy of preaching. Paul, however, was a letter writer. Ninety five percent of the New Testament is letters written to churches, or people who were leaders of churches, and Paul wrote most of them.

I have always loved ancient history. Years ago I was able to spend a year in Greece. I was able to walk around some of the places where Paul walked, such as Corinth and Athens. Another place that I would love to visit is Egypt. I tried once when I was in Germany, to take a plane there, but things got in the way and I was unable to go. That was a disappointing moment. I would love to visit the pyramids, the valley of the kings, and the Cairo Museum. In the opening of Paul’s letter to the Romans he tells them that he had been desiring to see them for some time, but for one reason or another he was unable to, even though he had tried many times. You can sense the anticipation in his words as he considers the possibility of finally meeting the Roman church.

I can understand why Paul was so anxious to meet the Roman church. Rome was the capital of the world at that time. It was also one of the most corrupt and debauched places in the world. It was the devil’s playground. Yet, in the midst of all that hedonism, a body of believers held so strongly to their faith that they were known around the world. I am sure that many of the reports that went around were not flattering. You see to be a true Christian of faith means that the world will make fun of you and mock you at times. I can remember when Pentecostal Christians were called holy rollers.

I wonder if the church today hasn’t conformed too much to the world? For instance, if you were ask a congregation, any congregation, how many of them shared their faith with a non-christian in the last year the answer would shock you. If you were to ask that same congregation how many of them actually helped someone come to faith in Jesus Christ by leading them through a sinner’s prayer or such, the number would be even smaller. They will tell you the reason they don’t is because they don’t want to offend anyone. Can I tell you that that attitude is why Europe, once the cradle of Christianity, is now only less than 2% Christian?

Here’s a quick question for introspection, if Paul were to write a letter about your church, or even your household, what would it be known for? I say household because the family was the first church. The father was the priest of the home. He was responsible for teaching the family about God. Sadly, most fathers have ceased to be the spiritual head of the home.

Paul wanted the Romans to know that he was thanking the Lord for their great faith. He wanted them to know that they were constantly in his prayers, and that he hoped to be able to visit them soon. In verse ten Paul says that one of his reasons for visiting them was to impart some spiritual gift to them. For years I have read this portion of scripture, and maybe it is my pentecostal perspective, but I thought he was going to impart one of the nine prophetic gifts, like working of miracles, or prophecy, or discerning of spirits. But Paul uses the phrase, “that is,” in verse 12 to clarify his statement. He hoped that they might mutually encourage and strengthen one another. His desire was for them to get together and share their mutual faith, share with each other the great things the Lord has done for them, pray for one another that they might all have the strength to overcome the temptations of this world.

I have had people tell me that they don’t need church to be a Christian, and that is true. I have thought that a time or two myself, in my life time. However, there is strength in numbers, and we can do far more together than we ever can apart. I have never known anyone who worshiped the Lord alone at home to ever accomplish anything of any significance for the Lord. Some of that attitude is just rebellion against spiritual authority, but some of it is because these people have been hurt by abusive pastors and churches. The Lord can heal those hurts and help them find a healthy body to worship in, if they’ll let Him. Having said that, let me say that I am not talking about shut-ins. Shut-ins are people, mostly elderly, who would be in church if they could. I am talking about people who could be in church but won’t. I am on the planning committee of an organization called R.I.O.T. On The River. It is an organization that gives local Christian youth bands an opportunity to minister to the youth once a year at a concert event. We don’t allow groups to participate if they don’t have the covering of a home church. We contact the church and talk to the Pastor about the youth band as part of our screening process.

Paul's life calling was to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Greeks and non-Greeks. to the Gentiles, to the wise and to the foolish. Paul felt an obligation to declare God's word to all Gentiles. His passion was to see that they all had an opportunity to receive Christ. The driving force of that passion was the belief that the gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to all who believe.

Has the Lord given you a passion? What is your calling? Comment and tell us so we can pray together with you for your success.

On Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 22:56:00 +0000

Reflecting on all that we accomplished this last year, I have to say that it has been the best year since we started this blog back in 2006. I want to thank all of our readers from the 58 countries and 46 States of the USA for giving us the opportunity to share the love of the Lord with you. We continue to strive to adhere to our mission statement of sharing with you the "Discovery new things in God's Word about faith and life." I would also like to say thank you to all of you who took the time to go into our guest book and sign it with words of encouragement.

I am looking forward to 2011 with great anticipation of all that the Lord is going to do. We ended 2010 with a new outreach that we are hoping will grow into a church. The Lord has opened the door for us to minister at our local homeless shelter twice a month. He has also opened the door for us to minister in the local jail on a monthly basis. We were able to visit a local nursing home to share the love of Jesus in a short worship service, followed by caroling in the halls.

I believe with all my heart that the coming of the Lord is imminent. He has given me a vision to reach the lost before it is too late. We named our ministry Harvest Field Family to remind us that we need to be laborers in the harvest field, working for the Lord. He didn't call us to just sit on pews, pay tithes, and take good notes. No! He called us to go into the highways and byways and compel all who will to come to him. My model is the Samaritan woman at the well. When Jesus touched her heart she didn't just sit by the well saying "Jesus bring people to the well to hear your word." She ran into the city and told all she met:

John 4:28-30 (New International Version, ©2010)
²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” ³⁰ They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

Too many Christians are sitting in the pew praying that the Lord would bring people to church, when they need to go and tell everyone they meet to, "Come see a man who can change your life! His name is Jesus!" What would happen if everyone told one? If every Christian in the world told just one person about Jesus we could almost evangelize the world in a day. Wouldn't that be something?

Expect The Unexpected In 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Justacarpenter) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 16:43:00 +0000

I am not a fisherman, but I can imagine spending my whole night trying to catch fish, and going home without breakfast. Bummer! Well, this miracle of Jesus is about just such a story, but with an unexpected ending. Let’s continue reading in the book of Luke, 5:4-8.

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a drought.

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Have you ever had a plan and that plan didn’t work out. I have experienced such things in my life, and I’m sure you have as well. I also know that God’s plan is more important than anything else.

A wonderful thing just happened to me as I was thinking on what to write next. The Holy Spirit came on me, even to tears, and a song came to my mind. Maybe you know it, if so try to sing it.

God can do anything, anything, anything.

God can do anything but fail.

He’s the alpha and omega,

The beginning and the end.

He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

(sing again and again)

No matter what happened in the past, God can do anything, and it will be all right in the end. Simon Peter was a failure the night before, when he didn’t catch any fish. Gods’ plan for Simon was for him to catch many fish; even if it was in the heat of the day, and the other fishermen were laughing at him for wasting his time. God can do anything, and Simon caught so many fish, that there was enough to fill the other boat also.

Let’s read Luke 5: 10, the last part.

..And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

Gods’ holy plan for Simon Peter was to become a great fisher of men. Peter never would have expected that his fishing trip would end the way it did, and he never expected that the rest of his life would be changed so dramatically. Jesus told Peter not to be afraid and expect the unexpected.

I don’t know about you, but this is good stuff. And I’m going on in the strength of the Lord, anticipating the unexpected. O, praise God!

The New Year is only a couple hours away, and I will be praying for many unexpected blessings for you and yours in the coming year.

Happy New Year.

God bless you, God bless you, and God bless you!

…..the carpenter

A little and a lot

noreply@blogger.com (Justacarpenter) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:41:00 +0000

We are continuing with our study of the Miracle of the great catch of fish. We talked about Jesus pushing out a little from the land. Today let us study a launching out into the deep. Beginning in Luke 5:4-6.

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a drought. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and there nets brake.

When we left off in the last article, Jesus had entered Simon's boat and asked him to push out a little from the land. Simon let him get into the boat and Jesus taught many people. Simon watched and listened to the words of Jesus, and was, no doubt, affected by them. When Jesus was finished speaking to the people, he turned to Simon and said, launch out into the deep.

When I was a new Christian, I sat in church and listened, but I didn't participate. After a while, I felt I needed to be doing something. I was willing to volunteer my talents that I had, like carpentry or any hard work. No doors opened for me. But then someone asked me if I would be willing to be a teacher. Carpentry was a no brainer for me, and a no faither. For this I needed a lot of faith; I needed to go deep. It wasn't difficult for Simon to push out a little. He had little faith at this time, but he was willing to use what faith that he had. After hearing the words of Jesus, his faith grew. Now he was being asked to use a lot of faith. Simon did use a lot of faith and went into the deep water; and the rewards were great. I used a lot of faith, and became a teacher, and the rewards have been abundant.

Are you a new Christian or an older, more experienced one? Use what faith God has for you and the rewards will be great. In the book of Hebrews, 11:6 we read; But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

I titled this article, A little and a lot, because both are important. We all have a little faith at first, than as we grow, we have a lot. What's
important is that we obey God and use what faith we have.

God bless you a lot!

...the carpenter

Backed Up To The Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Justacarpenter) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:48:00 +0000

Have you ever felt as if you are backed up to a wall, and have nowhere to go? Well, Jesus was in such a tight spot once, and he found a way to make it work. Let’s start by reading in Luke 5:1-3.

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

There were many people coming to Jesus to hear him teach the word of God. He must have been a wonderful speaker. I would like to have been there. Also, the Holy Spirit drew the people to him wherever he went. But that day there were so many people, they ended up almost pushing him into the lake. Only a small number of people were hearing him anyway. He saw a boat standing idle, and he asked the owner of the boat if he could get into it. It seemed to be the only thing he could do, besides getting wet. This worked out really well for him, because he was able to stay dry, and he was able to speak to all the people, and not just those who were in front.

I’d like to point out a couple of things that touched me about this part of the story. First, notice the hunger that the people had for the word of God. They were desperate to hear every word that Jesus had to say. This made me think back to a mission trip to Africa, where a man showed me a tract with scripture on it. This was his only bible. It was old and worn; he had carried it with him for years. You would have thought he was holding a thousand dollars. Another man I gave a bible to, stood clutching it and cried as I walked away, saying, Please don’t forget me, keep praying for me. His name is Yaw Bofa, from Kumasi. I haven’t forgotten. I don’t think I have witnessed this desperate love for the word of God since. I pray that we desire the word as much as those who don’t have it.

The other point is what Jesus did, and how we can learn from it. Jesus was being pushed against a wall, so to speak, but he had a goal. He overcame the difficulty by just stepping back into a boat. If he had stayed where he was, and talked to the few which were in front of him, that would be all that would hear. But he stepped back and thrust out a little from land, and all of a sudden, many were able to hear him speaking.

I think we look at our problems as if there is no solution. But all we really need to do is step back, and we see the problem from a different perspective. Many times the problem that is right in front of our face is hindering us from achieving the promise that is beyond the problem. What I’m trying to say is, to look past our difficulties and hindrances, to see clearly the promises. And if it takes stepping back a little, than do it in faith, and you will see clear what God has provided for you.

I’ll stop now. I have discovered so much inspiration in this miracle of Jesus, there is so much more to write. Another time.

God Bless you.

..the carpenter

Vengeance

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:59:00 +0000

There is an old chorus that we used to sing at church. I still like to sing when I get alone with the Lord. I say I sing it alone with the Lord because my singing is so bad, that when I lay on the bed and begin to praise the Lord with song, even the cat gets up and walks out of the room. Anyway, the song goes like this:

Victory, victory will be mine.
Victory, victory will be mine.
If I hold my peace and let the Lord fight my battles,
Victory, victory will be mine.

I believe that if David knew this song he would be humming it at some point in 1 Samuel 24. At the very least, he understood the spirit of this song. David was a song writer. Much of the Psalms were written by him. So I can picture him as a man that kept a journal. I imagine that his journal entry for this day went something like,

"Today, while running from the king, me and my men decided to hide in a cave, in the region of En Gedi. We had to hide in the shadows of the back of a cave, because King Saul suddenly came into the cave to relieve himself. My men urged me to kill the King and put an end to this relentless chase. They believed that God had delivered him into our hands. I snuck up behind the King, but could not bring myself to lift my hand against the Lord's anointed. I cut off the corner of his robe to prove to him that I could have killed him if I chose, but even this act against God's chosen troubled my heart. After the King left, I went out and called after him to tell him what I had done. I asked him why he was pursuing a flea. He saw the genuineness of my heart and left."

David didn't refrain from taking Saul's life because he was afraid of Saul, or that he felt sorry for the King, or even because he respected Saul, because he didn't. David respected the position that Saul held, and understood that it was God appointed. David felt that it wasn't his right to take vengeance on Saul. That responsibility belonged to God alone.

I believe that after David confronted the King, and Saul realized that his life could have ended there, his apology to David was sincere at that moment. Some might not agree with me. However, even when we are bound with sin, we can have moments of elucidation, and I believe that this was a lucid moment for Saul. Though, maybe his rage was subdued by the fear of what might have happened if David had decided to kill him. Regardless, he withdrew his troops and went home, leaving David alone for a while. But, because of the grip that the devil had on him, his change of heart was short lived. Actually you could probably say that he had a change of mind. His heart was as hard as ever. Once he was back at the palace the evil spirits began to whisper in his ear again, and once again he set out to destroy David. King Saul would be a perfect example of seed cast on the wayside. The reason so many today seem to come to the Lord, stay a short time, then go right back out into the world, is because they have a change of mind, but they never really surrender their hearts to the Lord.

No one should stay in abusive situations whether it is physical, emotional, or even spiritual. Even David fled from the castle to keep Saul from running him through with a spear. Sometimes it is a matter of leaving the situation, but sometimes when we leave the situation, but the situation won't leave us. That is when we need the authorities to step in and take control of the issue. David's situation is somewhat extreme because Saul was the final civil authority, so David had to turn him over to God, who is the ultimate authority. God finally did deal with Saul. He and Jonathan, his son, died in battle. David, however, had a clean conscience with regard to the death of Saul.

It is more for our sake, that we should leave vengeance to the Lord, than for the sake of the person who harmed us. As long as we are looking for revenge we are looking backwards in malice, and bitterness eats our spirit like a cancer.Our lives can not go forward with God's love and grace. I don't know about you, but I am not going to let someone rob me of the happiness and purpose that God has for my life.

How can we pray for you?

Merry Christimas To All of Our Serendipitousme Readers

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:52:00 +0000

God's Gentle Whisper

noreply@blogger.com (BishopLonnie) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

In 1 Kings 19:1-18 we find Elijah running into the desert after his battle with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah. In the wilderness he found a tree, sat down under it, and prayed to die. Why would a man with such a great anointing and connection to God be praying to die? When we look at people like Elijah in the Old Testament they tend to seem larger than life. However, in reality they were just ordinary men and women that God used to do extra-ordinary things. Elijah, being just as human as any of us, prayed to die because he was emotionally and spiritually drained ofter his battle with Jezebel's false prophets.

I once saw a documentary on TV about combat soldiers. The program made the point that soldiers could only stay on the front line for somewhere around one hundred and twenty days (if I got that number wrong feel free to comment and correct me. It was awhile ago that I saw that show) before they were in danger of being overtaken by battle fatigue. The carnage of war takes such a tole on the human psyche. Spiritual warfare can be the same. It can take a toll on us physically and emotionally. Elijah was doing front line battle with the devil and all of hell. He was one man against, not only 850 false prophets and the government of Ahab and Jezebel, but also the vast majority of Israel. The Lord said in verse 18 that there were only 7,000 who had not bowed to the idols, and they were in hiding. The expense of spiritual and emotional energy left him empty, which opened the door for depression, fear, and loneliness. He felt he had no support as he battled the enemies of God. I have had moments like that in my life, and I am sure that you have too.

What Elijah needed the most was the same thing that combat soldiers need today to recover. He needed to come off the front lines for a time of rest and relaxation. A time to decompress and process all that has happened. Many people criticize Elijah for telling God that he had had enough, and that he wanted to die. I think it was OK. He was being honest with God about his emotions. So many people won't be honest with their emotions, keeping them buried until they fester and eat the life out of them. Talking about his experience, and how he felt about it, started the recovery process for the prophet. Once he got it off his chest he was able to relax and sleep. Getting the physical rest he needed in a quiet place also helped in healing his raw emotions. Finally, an Angel appeared and provided Elijah with food and water to strengthen him for the journey that lay ahead.

We next see Elijah hiding in the the cleft of a rock waiting for God to pass by. The earth shook, there was thunder and lightning, but God was not in either of these. Then Elijah heard a still small voice and he went out to talk to God. God asked Elijah a simple question, "What are you doing here Elijah?" I don't know about you, but I don't see this as a rebuke. It gave Elijah another opportunity to cast the burden that was on his heart to the Lord. Talking to the Lord, or a good friend, about what we have been through can be cathartic. However, if we are not careful, and allow it to go on too long without resolution, it can lead to bitterness. Bitterness will poison our spirits. God helped Elijah bring his struggle to resolution by helping him to understand some things. By giving Elijah assignments God was letting him know that he was not a failure. He was still God's messenger. He also let the prophet know that he wasn't as alone as he thought he was. God informed him of the seven thousand faithful.

What message is there in this lesson for you?

I need to be quiet so I can hear God
Sometimes God speaks in a gentle whisper
I may feel alone, but I'm not
God will refresh and sustain me
Things aren't as bad as they seem.

How can we pray for you?