DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Wise and Simple

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WISE AND SIMPLE
Romans 16:19-20, 25a, 27
 
"For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good and simple [innocent] concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. .... Now to Him who is able to establish you ... – to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen."
 
The wisdom to know what is good does not come from my own understanding, but from the only wise God. Proverbs says to not be wise in my own eyes, but to fear the Lord and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:7), because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One (God) is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). Paul also says not to be wise in my own opinion (Romans 12:16). There are some things that I don't need to be a rocket scientist to know are evil. I'm glad that I am simple about drunkenness, prostitution, robbery, murder and many other things that are blatantly wrong. I know they are bad even though I have not experienced them. But other things take God's wisdom to discern, because they look and sound so pleasant and alluring; but they are a trap set by Satan to bring me into bondage. I want to major in what is good and flunk the rest. God is able to establish my life in what is good until Satan is crushed for good.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God's wisdom helps us stay simple in regard to evil.
 
Have a wise and simple day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Useless and Unprofitable Arguments

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Useless and Unprofitable Arguments
Romans 16:17-18
 
"Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them. For there are such who do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple."
 
Some people just like to argue about things that are inconsequential – foolish disputes, genealogies, and strivings about the law which are unprofitable and useless (Titus 3:9). They do not serve the Lord Jesus by their arguments, but their own egos as they try to persuade people to follow their teachings. By their smooth talk they cause people who don't know the Scriptures very well to be caught up in their deception. The best way to handle them is to avoid them. Debating with them is useless because they do not want the truth of the Scriptures. This does not mean that I automatically dismiss everything that does not agree with my beliefs. It does mean that I must reject everything that does not conform to the Authority – Holy Scripture. All else is unprofitable and useless and only causes division in the Church.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Beware of people who like to argue about doctrines that are not based in the Holy Scriptures.
 
Have a profitable day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Enigma of Prayer

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Enigma of Prayer
Romans 15:30-32a

"Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to God for the saints, that I may come to you ...."

Prayer is an enigma. We pray, but God does what He want to do, regardless of our prayers. Sometimes the prayers of the Church are answered dramatically, as when the Church had a prayer meeting while Peter was in prison, and he was miraculously delivered by an angel (Acts 12:5-19). In Paul's case, the Church prayed and Paul was indeed delivered from the Jews and he did go to Rome, but as a prisoner. I'm sure that was not the answer Paul expected when he asked for prayer. So why pray, if God is going to do what He wants to do anyway? The short answer is, "God told us to pray for one another." We pray in obedience and trust God to answer our prayers in the best way, and then accept the answer as a product of His great love and wisdom. The effective, powerful prayer of the righteous avails much (James 5:16b), but we still have to let God be God.

TODAY'S THOUGHT: God calls the Church to pray and then leave the results to Him.

Have a prayerful day. Love you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

                            MERRY CHRISTMAS

"That's what it's all about."

 
How often I hear this phrase, especially at Christmas time. It is usually about doing a kind deed – giving to the poor, helping a neighbor, or a touching story about a family which was reunited after a long separation. We often think of Christmas as a celebration of family gatherings, shopping, giving gifts, fudge, snow and sleigh bells, and seasonal music. And often the ending line is, "That's what it's all about."
　
These are all good but they are not what Christmas is all about.
 
Christmas is about God coming down to earth in the form of a baby, born in a manger to a couple of newlyweds. It is about the birth of a child that would grow up to die on a rugged cross in great pain and suffering to be the Savior of mankind. It is about an act of love that brought humans into relationship with the God of the Universe.
 
So when you hear the tag-line, "That's what it's all about," remember Paul Harvey's famous saying, "Now for the rest of the story."
　
                        Have a Wonderful Christmas
                               Love
                               Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Giving With Pleasure

DAD'S RAMBLING – Giving With Pleasure
Romans 15:26-27
 
"For it pleased those from Macedonia and Arcaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things."
 
Christmas is a time of giving because God gave His Son to us wrapped in a baby blanket. The churches in Macedonia, especially the saints in Philippi (Philippians 4:10-15), caught the spirit of giving, even though they were in great poverty (I Corinthians 8:2). They not only gave to other Christians who were poor, but supported Paul in his missionary journeys (II Corinthians 8:1-5). The saints at Jerusalem gave spiritual leadership and Paul gave them the truth of the Gospel. It is a principle in God's kingdom that those who sow spiritual things should reap material things (I Corinthians 9:11). And even though Paul said it is a "duty," we give without grudging because God loves a cheerful giver (II Corinthians 9:7).
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: We have a duty to cheerfully support those who minister spiritual things to us.
 
Have a cheerful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Deferred Dreams

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Deferred Dreams
Romans 15:22-25, 28, 32
 
"For this reason [missionary work] I also have been hindered from coming to you. But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey .... But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints .... Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain ... that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you."
 
Paul had a great desire to go to Rome and then on to Spain, but there were other things he needed to do first. As I come to the New Year, I think of the things I would like to do in 2014. As good as it is to have goals and dreams for the future, they can't keep me from doing what I need to do right now where God has placed me. Daydreaming may be a part of life, but reality is where I live, and there are pressing needs I have to attend to. I can't live in some hazy vision for the future; I have to live in the now. As far as I know, Paul never did make it to Spain, but he did get to Rome by a different route than he had planned – as a prisoner. God's plans are different than my plans, and my job is to yield to His plans. My goals must always defer to the "will of God."
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Life is not lived in the dreams of the future; it is lived today, a day at a time.
 
Have a "today" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Driven!

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Driven!
Romans 15:20-22
 
"And I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation, but as it is written: 'To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.' For this reason, I have been much hindered from coming to you."
 
Paul's driving passion in life was to take the Gospel to new lands where the message had not yet been proclaimed. He was not content to rest on his past ministries which were "in mighty signs and wonders" (vs. 19). It is so easy to let up and rest on past accomplishments, and say, "Look what I've accomplished for Christ and His Kingdom. It's time to take it easy." But there is still a world out there that is going to hell without Christ. Oh Jesus, renew my fire and desire to spread the good news to those who have never heard that You came to save, so they will know and understand Your great love.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The mission to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom will never cease until Jesus returns.
 
Have a driven day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Trap Of Self-Sufficiency

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Trap of Self-sufficiency
Romans 15:14-15
 
"Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God."
 
Paul expressed his confidence in the Roman believers of their righteousness, knowledge, and ability to teach. But he also recognized that no matter how mature they were, his position as an apostle gave him authority to continue to exhort and teach them, and they needed to listen. God has put godly men in the Church to remind and teach me. I am over 70 years old, have been saved over 60, have studied God's Word for over 50 years, and have seminary training. I think I have some insight into God's truth and am able to teach it. But woe is me if I ever so proud and self-sufficient that I think I know it all and don't need to be instructed and reminded by godly ministers. There is still much I need to learn from God's messengers.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: No matter how much a person knows, he never outgrows his need to receive instruction of God's truth from God's messengers.
 
Have a "reminding" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Power Of Hope

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Power Of Hope
Romans 15:13
 
"Now may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
 
There is one thing that keeps a person pressing on: hope. I've experience the depression that comes when it seems that things will never change. It is a dark and joyless place. Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel that says that my problems will pass and I will come into sunshine. Without that light, life is a dark and depressing pit – hopeless. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined" (Isaiah 9:2). Jesus came as that light to give hope that there will be a better day. That is the power of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. He came into this dark world as light to give hope and peace that thing will get better. There is a better day ahead!
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Belief in Jesus brings joy and peace because of the hope that there is a better day ahead.
 
Have a hopeful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Christmas Is For Everyone

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Christmas Is For Everyone
Romans 15:8-9a
 
"Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant [minister] to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God...."
 
Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a Jewish family, was circumcised as a Jew, and ministered to the Jews as a Jew. Yet, He did not come only for the Jews, but for all mankind, as the prophecies Paul quotes clearly demonstrate (vss. 9b-12). On the night Jesus was born, an angel appeared to the Shepherds tending their flocks announcing the tiding of great joy that a Savior was born "to all the people" (Luke 2:9-14). And when Jesus was presented in the temple, Simeon blessed the babe saying that He would be a light to the Gentiles (Luke 2:32). Even though Jesus was born as a Jew to the Jews, Christmas is celebrated mainly by the Gentiles. We were not left out of God's great plan of redemption, and we bring glory to God by receiving His Son. Without this great "truth of God," we would be eternally lost. "To as many as received Him, He gave them the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12). Praise God that Christmas is for everyone.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Even though Jesus was born as a Jew, He came for everyone that all people might be saved.
 
Have a rejoicing day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Warts and All

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Warts and All
Romans 15:7
 
"Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
 
The Lord Jesus accepts and loves us – warts and all! We don't have to measure up to some standard of perfection.  After all,   He chose to include the Gentiles in His great plan even though they were not of the chose race of Abraham (vss. 8-12). In this, God is glorified because it demonstrates His mercy and grace. We also glorify God by extending mercy and grace to others who do not meet our standard of doctrine or holiness. If they have come to faith in Christ, God accepts them, and so should I.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: We can love others – warts and all, because Jesus loves us – warts and all.
 
Have a "receiving" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Patience With Idiosyncracies

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Patience With Idiosyncracies
Romans 15:5-6
 
"Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to [in the same manner as] Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
 
Not only do we receive patience and comfort from God's word (vs. 4), but just think of the patience and comfort that God Himself has shown to us by the Lord Jesus.   I need to remember how patiently God deals with me. He puts up with a lot of my foolishness. He calls me to accept other people and their idiosyncracies in the same manner that He puts up with me. When we have that attitude toward each other, the Church can be in unity, and that kind of unity brings glory to our Father as we praise Him together in the harmony of one mind and mouth.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Just as God puts up with our idiosyncracies, we should have patience with other peoples' idiosyncracies.
 
Have a patient day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- God's Written Word

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – God's Written Word
Romans 15:4
 
"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
 
I know that all Scripture is given by God for doctrine, correction, reproof and instruction in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16). But it is also the basis for my faith. Without the written text, my hope of salvation would only be an unfounded, unproven theory – much like the theory of evolution. My faith would be based on whatever my mind conceived to be true. I have a more sure word (II Peter 1:19) – a patient (steadfast, constant) word that brings comfort (paraklesis – help, comfort, encouragement), a word that is a solid basis for faith. I am so thankful for God's written Word.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT – God's  written Word is a solid basis for faith.
 
Have a "patience and comfort" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Falderal

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Falderal
Romans 15:1-3
 
"We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.' "
 
One mark of maturity is the ability to put up with the weaknesses of other people. I can either criticize and put them down, or I can come underneath and encourage them. I can put my finger on them and press down, or I can put my arms under them and lift them. I don't have to condone their actions nor embrace their beliefs to help them in their walk with Jesus. (Note: this is in regard to "doubtful things," and does not apply to blatant sin or heretical doctrine.) Oh, how much falderal (yes, it is a word; look it up!) Jesus puts up with in my life. It is called "love."
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Love makes room for other people's weaknesses.
 
Have a loving day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Personal Faith

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Personal Faith
Romans 14:22-23
 
"Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."
 
There is a "common faith" (Titus 1:4; Jude 1:3) that all true Christians affirm: that Jesus died and rose again for our salvation. This cannot be compromised and needs to be proclaimed to the world. But there are other areas of faith – "doubtful things" – that are not basic Christian doctrine because they are not explicity commanded in the Bible. They are individual and personal and should not be imposed on other believers. If I violate my personal faith by participating in and giving approval to things that I consider wrong, it becomes sin to me. I feel condemned and lose my peace. The happy Christian lives according to his personal faith, and does not try to live according to someone else's personal faith when it comes to areas that are not essential Christian doctrine.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The happy Christian does not violate his personal faith by doing what he feels by conviction is wrong.
 
Have a happy day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Work Of God

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Work Of God
Romans 14:20-21
 
"Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things are indeed pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor to drink wine nor do any thing by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."
 
What is the value of something I consider good but another considers sin? Is my liberty worth destroying God's work in other peoples' lives, causing them to stumble or lose their faith? I cannot think of anything that is more precious than another person's faith for salvation – certainly not any pleasure I might enjoy in this world.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Following Jesus requires that I deny myself – even good things – for the sake of the work of God and His Kingdom.
 
Have a following Jesus day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Offenses

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Offenses
Romans 14:16-19
 
"Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue ;the things which make for peace and the things by which we may edify another."
 
Offenses are a normal part of life. I will offend someone unwittingly. But if I knowingly offend someone intentionally just to express my rights, then I am wrong, even if what I do is good and acceptable to God. Jesus said, "It is impossible that no offenses should come [a double negative], but woe to him through whom they do come. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones" (Luke 17:1-2). The greater goal is not to exert my liberty in Christ for personal gratification, but to pursue peace and edification of my fellow-believer. The Kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit – not satisfying my own desires at the expense of another person's conscience.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The goal of the Kingdom living is not self-gratification but encouraging other people in their faith and walk with God.
 
Have a peace-filled and edifying day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Sacrificial Love

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Sacrificial Love
Romans 14:15
 
"Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died."
 
Love gives up rights and liberties for the good of someone else. Jesus taught the ultimate expression of love: "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13). Then He put his money where His mouth was and gave up His own rights to die on a rugged cross. If Christ died for me and for my brother because of His great love for us, shouldn't I also be willing to deny myself some pleasure that is offensive to a brother? I will if I truly love him and care about his eternal salvation.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Just as Christ sacrificed His rights because He loved us, so we should we willing to give up our rights for others.
 
Have a "sacrificial" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A Matter Of Faith

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A Matter Of Faith
Romans 14:14, 23
 
"I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything unclean, to him it unclean .... But he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he does not eat from faith: for whatever is not from faith is sin."
 
Paul was particularly addressing an issue in the early church between Jewish and non-Jewish believers – the eating of certain foods. This is not much of an issue for us today, but the principles laid out in this passage of Scripture apply to other "doubtful" things. One believer may consider something wrong and another believer may not see anything wrong with it. For example, there is nothing inherently evil about motion pictures. But I cannot watch some movies because the vulgar content or ungodly philosophy makes them unclean to me. If I watched those types of movies, I would be sinning because I would violate my faith. Another believer may not have that view and can watch without conviction. I need to be careful not to impose my faith on another believer when there is no specific biblical basis for my judgment. I can share my convictions about doubtful things, but if the Holy Spirit is not convicting the other person, then I should not impose my conviction on him or her and make it a litmus test for fellowship.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Personal convictions about doubtful things is a matter of personal faith and should not be imposed on other believers.
 
Have a "faith" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Stumbling Blocks

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Stumbling Blocks
Romans 14:13, 21
 
"Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way .... It is good neither to eat meat or drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."
 
Am I my brother's keeper? I am to the extent that I should not do anything to make him stumble in his faith. Paul addresses two ways that Christians cause other Christians to falter: Judging, and by my condemnation cause a brother to lose heart and become discouraged; and Flaunting My Freedom in front of a weaker brother that would encourage him to sin against what he believes is wrong.   In both cases, my goal is to encourage others in their walk with Christ instead of putting obstacles in their paths that would cause them to trip.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: I can either encourage other Christians in their faith or I can cause them to stumble by my words and my actions.
 
Have an encouraging day. Love you.
 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

                                     HAPPY THANKSGIVING

"I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers....

that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of

every good thing which in you in Christ Jesus."

Philemon 4, 6

As people pause to celebrate a day of thanks, most will focus on the good things that they enjoy in life – family, a roof over their heads, food to eat, and all the other material things we appreciate. But there is another area that is neglected:  the spiritual work that Jesus has done in us – cleansing from sin and guilt, peace with God, a Friend we can take our problems and cares to, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, a life-purpose of living God's plan, and the assurance of a home in heaven, plus many other spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14).
 
Today, let's be thankful not only for what God has provided for us materially (which is a lot), but also for what He has done, and is still doing, in us.
 
Have a wonderful day. Love you all.
 
Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Jesus Is Lord

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Jesus Is Lord
Romans 14:7-8
 
"For none of us lives to himself and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."
 
Jesus is Lord and Master and I am His servant (verse 4). I belong to Him. So whatever I do should reflect His Lordship. I do not live or die for my own pleasure, or even for the pleasure of other people, but for the One who purchased me with His own precious blood. "Now I belong to Jesus, and Jesus belongs to me, not for the years of time alone, but for eternity." "You were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Corinthians 6:20).
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: In life or in death, Jesus is Lord.
 
Have a "living" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Christian Living

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Christian Living
Romans 13:6
 
"He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks, and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks."
 
This is a rather convoluted verse. Simply put, living for Jesus is not a matter of keeping rules about doubtful things, like Sabbatarianism or vegetarianism. It is a matter of the heart and faith. I am not a better or lesser Christian by observing or not observing these kinds of rules. The Lord Jesus is my focus – not keeping rules. As long as my heart is centered on Jesus, I can live in thankfulness to God either way because my salvation is based on Jesus' work on the cross and not my religious efforts to live by rules.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God is more interested in my heart than my observance of rules.
 
Have a thankful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Who's Servant Am I?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Who's Servant Am I?
Romans 14:3-4
 
"Let not him who eats [meats or vegetables] despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."
 
Did I miss one of the office-gifts God placed in the Church? He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). But I don't see judges listed. Judgeship was an Old Testament office. So what gives anyone authority to judge other believers about "doubtful things" (verse 1). Verse 12 sums up Paul's argument: "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." God is our master and we are His servants. He will take care of the judging. The person who serves his Master in faith will answer to God, not to another believer. If I live by faith before God, He will keep me from falling.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Every believer will answer his Master for the life he lives in this world – not to other believers.
 
Have a "living by faith" before God day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Doubtful Things

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Doubtful Things
Romans 14:1-2
 
"Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables."
 
Doubtful things are personal beliefs that have no clear injunction in Scriptures – like vegetarianism. Where the Bible is firm, I need to be firm. But where the Bible is not explicit, I need to allow for personal belief, as long as it does not contradict Scripture. The basis of fellowship with other believers is not personal belief or even minor points of doctrine (like keeping the Sabbath). Unity in Christ is based in the Salvation provided through His sacrificial death and resurrection, and our faith in Him as Savior. Disagreement about minor things should not become a source of friction between believers that disrupts fellowship.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Christians should not get into disputes with other Christians about minor things but rejoice in their common salvation.
 
Have a "receiving" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Choosing My Path

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Choosing My Path
Romans 13:13-14
 
"Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkennness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts."
 
I choose the path I walk. When I know there are dangerous situations on a particular street – such as biting dogs – then I will take a different route. The word "provision" implies planning ahead. If I know that there are things or people that appeal to my fleshly desires and that incite lust, lewdness, strife or envy, then I need to take a different way and avoid them. It may mean walking down a different aisle in the grocery store to avoid pornographic magazine displays. It may mean avoiding certain people who cause strife.  Since I have put on the Lord Jesus, I want to choose the paths He would walk.  
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The path I choose can encourage a godly walk.
 
Have a "choice" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Discerning The Times

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Discerning The Times
Romans 13:11-12
 
"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent; the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."
 
The rhythm of life – getting up, going to work, going to bed – has a way of lulling me to sleep, thinking that life will go on like this, so I don't live in the anticipation that Jesus could come today. Each day I live is one day closer to His return. Living in expectancy of His coming will affect the way I live. May I be like the sons of Issachar, "who had understanding of the times" (I Chronicles 12:32).
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Each day the sun comes up is one day closer to Jesus' return.
 
Have an "awake" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLING -- Pay What You Owe

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Pay What You Owe
Romans 13:8, 10
 
"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves has fulfilled the law .... Love does no harm to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
 
The essence of the law is to love God and others.  Love does nothing harmful to other people.  If I love,  I will not steal, lie, or covet their things (vs. 9). So if I treat other people well, I have obeyed the law of God. I really owe them only one thing – to love them.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The only indebtedness I should have is to love.
 
Have a loving day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Paying Taxes

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Paying Taxes
Romans 13:5-7
 
"Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor."
 
I don't like paying taxes any more than anyone else, and certainly they seem too high. When I go to the store and pay over 10% for state and local taxes (not to mention income tax to the state and Fed, property tax, gasoline tax, phone and utility tax) – it all seems excessive. Yet I understand that government provides services that I could not provide for myself such as police, education, roads, national security, etc. I can grumble about it or be thankful for their ministry. Peter wrote, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God....Honor all people...Fear God. Honor the king" (I Peter 2:13-17). By honoring the civil authorities, I am honoring God who ordained them.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: A good conscience toward civil authorities honors God.
 
Have a "taxing" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- God's Ministers

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – God's Ministers
Romans 13:3-4
 
"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. If you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minster, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil."
 
I do not often think of ruling authorities as God's minister to me. But they are because they help keep evil from taking control, unless they themselves are corrupt. I can sleep easier at night knowing that there are police to help keep me from harm. If there are no police, looting and other evils run rampant. We live in peace when we know that God's ministers are there to control the bad guys.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The authorities are God's ministers to help keep us safe so we can live in peace.
 
Have a thankful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A Rebellious Spirit

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A Rebellious Spirit
Romans 13:2
 
"Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."
 
How does this jibe with the fact that Christians through the ages have been martyred because they resisted the demands of rulers over them? I think Paul was writing about a rebellious spirit that is the fruit of pride. God hates rebellion which says, "You can't tell me what to do!" That's what God Satan into trouble. Samuel told Saul, "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness as the iniquity of idolatry" (I Samuel 15:23). Whether it is a rebellious child, a rebellious employee, or a rebellious parishioner, they all bring judgment on themselves – a spanking, getting fired, or excommunicated. Even if a person resists unjust laws with a humble spirit for conscience sake, there will still be a price to pay. Resisting authority is a serious thing. If it is necessary to disobey authority for conscience sake, it must be with a humble attitude.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: A rebellious and stubborn spirit is the fruit of pride.
 
Have a careful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- God's Gift of Government

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – God's Gift Of Government
Romans 13:1
 
"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
 
Leadership – whether in the church, in the home, in the nation, or in the workplace – is a gift from God (Romans 12:8; I Corinthians 12:28, "administration") and is not to be despised. God has established these governing authorities on earth because He is a God of peace and order, not of confusion (I Corinthians 14:13). Even in the spirit world, there are ranks of angels (principalities and powers (Ephesians 3:10, Colossians 1:16) ), and order can be seen in the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). To be sure, there are those who abuse their positions of authority, but unless they require us to disobey God, we are called to submit to them. Without government, everyone would do what is right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25) and there would be chaos. So even if I don't agree with the authority, I need to submit to it in order to honor God.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Government is God's gift to bring order out of confusion.
 
Have a "subject" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Overcome or Overcomers?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Overcome or Overcomers
Romans 12:21
 
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
 
Sometimes it seems that Satan's works are so strong and overwhelming that I may as well quit fighting. Are the spiritual and cultural battles worth the effort? I need to remember that I am on the winning team, and even though I may loose a skirmish or two, I cannot give up and quit. The Lord victorious reigns. "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19). "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" (Revelation 12:11). I am not overcome. I am an overcomer through the Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: We can be overcome by evil or we can be overcomers.
 
Have an overcoming day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Living In Peace

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Living In Peace
Romans 12:18
 
"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."
 
Jesus said, "Blessed is the peacemaker" (Matthew 5:9). Jesus was a peacemaker, but He still had confrontations. Paul understood that in some situations it is not possible to live peaceably with people because all they want to do is fight. If that is the case, it is best to avoid such people in order to maintain peace. But sometimes confrontation is necessary when justice, morality, truth, and righteousness are at stake. Neville Chamberlain responded to Hitler's aggression before World War II with appeasement – "Peace at any cost." Appeasement did not stop Hitler's aggression, and it does not work with people who are determined to fight. It only encourages their aggression and they need to be stopped. Still, if my integrity and convictions are not an issue, then the best approach is walk away from the confrontation.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: If possible, it is best not to fight back unless truth and justice are at stake.
 
Have a peaceable day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Getting Even

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Getting Even
ROMANS 12:17, 19
 
"Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men .... Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, ' "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.' "
 
I have a friend who carries anger because he was given a raw deal by brothers in a church. Now all he can think about is making them pay. His mind is full of poison. If I permit it, anger caused by mistreatment and injustice will cause me to be a bitter person and rob me of my joy. The desire for revenge makes me a negative person that sees nothing positive, saps my energy for doing good, and makes people want to avoid me. It is much better to commit it to God and let Him repay. That way I can concentrate my life on what is good and beautiful.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The desire for revenge will so fog my vision that I cannot see all the good things in life.
 
Have a "committed" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Same Mind

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Same Mind
Romans 12:16
 
"Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, bur associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."
 
A lot of relationship problems could be solved if we had the same mind toward one another. Being of the same mind does not mean we are cookie-cutter Christians, all thinking the same way. It does mean that we all think like Christ. In a parallel passage, Paul expands on what this mind is when he said, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" who "made Himself of no reputation," but "humbled Himself" (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus' mind was "not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). Many if not all contentions could be eliminated if I had this mind, instead of trying to exalt myself to build my own ego and reputation.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: To think like Jesus is to be humble and associate with the humble.
 
Have a "same mind" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A Tender Spirit

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A Tender Spirit
Romans 12:15
 
"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
 
A sensitive spirit that discerns other peoples' frames of mind is a gift to be desired and appreciated. It is especially valuable to sense when a brother is hurting and identify with his sorrow so I don't run rough-shod over his pain. Sometimes I am so engrossed in my own joy or pain that I fail to notice those around me who are suffering. Lord Jesus, tenderize my spirit.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: A tender spirit empathizes with other peoples' needs.
 
Have a tender day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Looking Beyond The Pain

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Looking Beyond The Pain
Romans 12:14
 
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
 
This seems like a hard verse. Even David, a man after God's own heart, cried out to God to bring retribution on his enemies. I am currently reading the auto-biography of Bob Fu who was tortured in a Chinese prison for his faith in Christ. How can a person endure such pain without resentment? I think the only way must be to look beyond the pain to the reward. A marathon runner has to keep his mind on the reward at the  finish line  in order to get past the pain. Looking beyond the pain, we see how much Jesus suffered for us. That was Paul's perspective. "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ...." (Colossians 1:24). He also said, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Peter urged his readers to "rejoice to the extent of Christ's sufferings" (I Peter 4:13). And the Lord Jesus taught us to "rejoice and be exceeding glad [in persecution] for great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12). "Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:12). So the secret is to look beyond the current pain to the reward.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Suffering for Christ brings eternal reward.
 
Have a "blessing" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Meeting the Needs of Others

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Meeting the Needs of Others
Romans 12:13
 
"...distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality."
 
This is the Body of Christ at work – meeting the physical and emotional needs of others. There are times when other believers need material help, due to unfortunate economic stresses, and if we have the resources, we need to be available to help them in their times of needs. But everyone needs to feel loved and accepted in friendship. Hospitality is the art of making people – even strangers – feel welcomed and comfortable (as in "hospital"). Churches should be that place of hospitality, comfort, and acceptance. On a personal level, it seems society has lost that. We have our close friends, but we no longer invite people to our homes for lunch after church as we did when I was a kid, perhaps because we are ashamed of our cooking or the presentation of our homes. Instead, we go to a sterile restaurant without really inviting people into our lives. People don't feel comfortable just dropping by our house. I think we could relearn the art of hospitality by opening our hearts and our homes instead of standing aloof as independent Christians.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Meeting other people's material and emotional needs should be a part of a healthy church.
 
Have a open-hearted day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Hope, Patience, and Prayer

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Hope, Patience, and Prayer
Romans 12:12
 
"... rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer."
Hope, patience, and prayer are the three legs of the stool that my soul rests on. One of the most encouraging passages of Scriptures in times of trial is, "and it came to pass." When life sucks, I know it will not always be this way – I will get through this, even if the only ultimate answer is heaven. Hope produces the patience to endure while I seek God's help in prayer. I live in hope which is really faith in God.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Hope, patience, and prayer give strength to get through life's problems.
 
Have a hopefully patient day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Fervent In Spirit

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Fervent Service
Romans 12:11
 
"... not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."
 
We had a horse named Dusty. Dusty had a mind of his own and was a bit lazy. If I wanted him to gallop and he didn't want to, he just lolled along, and I had to spur him hard by kicking him in the ribs. People are the same way. If they don't have a heart to do something, they hold back and have to be continually prodded and spurred. But if there is a fervent spirit, they do it with gusto. Paul had been talking about using our gifts. I want to be zealous and hot in my commitment to serve the Lord – diligent to do what He has given me to do – so I don't need to be dragged, pushed, prodded, or spurred along to do them. One translation says, "Do not be slothful in zeal, but be burning in spirit, serving the Lord" (Recovery Version).
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: A person who is fervent in spirit will exercise his gifts with zeal.
 
Have a "burning" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Philadelphia Love

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Philadelphia Love
Romans 12:10
 
"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another."
 
Most often in Scripture we are called to love with agape love – the God-kind of love that gives without expecting anything in return (as in I Corinthians 13). But here, Paul urges us to love people with affection – tenderly cherishing one another, with phileo or human brotherly love. In some ways philadelphia love is more difficult to express than agape love because we have so many conflicting differences when we rub shoulder with people all the time. It seems like sometimes we can agape people without liking them very much. Paul shows what phildelphia love looks like. We tenderly cherish other people by honoring them with deference to them without demanding our own way. That goes against my fleshly desire to be right, but it is the way to develop affectionate relationships. People respond to this kind of love.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Affectionate relationships develop as we honor people by giving preference to one another.
 
Have an affectionate day.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Hating What God Hates

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Hating What God Hates
Romans 12:9b
 
"Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."
 
Abhor is a strong word. God calls me to abhor – have a horror of – what He calls evil. God hates pride and rebellion, and so should I. Instead, I find myself tolerating and excusing things in my life that I should abhor. Like Paul, I find myself doing what I hate (Romans 7:15). I need to grab hold of what is good and right and not let go. I need to love what God loves – humility, righteousness, cheerful giving, and people. Lord God, help me to hate what you hate and love what you love.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God calls His people to hate sin and love righteousness.
 
Have a "hate/love" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- True Love

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – True Love
Romans 12:9
 
"Let love be without hypocrisy."
 
Let love be real – not fake. In the context of exercising spiritual gifts, if they do not flow out of genuine love they become as clanging cymbals (I Corinthians 13:1). Ministries that are done out of false motives – grudging obligation, pride, or personal gain – are just noise, but service that is done with true love is beautiful music, and brings joy to the spirit of both the doer and the receiver. To use another analogy, true love emits a wonderful aroma, but fake love stinks.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Ministration of gifts needs to be exercised out of a heart of true love.
 
Have a "true love" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- What Is My Gift?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – What Is My Gift?
Romans 12:6-8
 
"Having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
 
The question is often asked, "What is my gift?" I think it is whatever a person enjoys doing – what he is comfortable doing, and what fits his personality. We are all created differently to fill a particular niche in our world, and we need the various abilities to cover all the bases. So if I have a fire in my belly to preach, I should preach. If I am a natural teacher, I should teach and not try to preach. If I find fulfillment in serving (ministry), then I should be content with that role. If I have leadership or organizational and management abilities, then I should use them to the glory of God. If I naturally feel other peoples' pain, then I should sympathize with joy in my heart. There are other natural gifts that are not listed, but are important. For example, some people are visionaries (entrepreneurs) while others are down to earth pragmatics. We need both because the pragmatics get done what the visionaries dream. The church needs everyone to function in their gifts whether preaching, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, or empathizing so the church can be healthy and whole.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Every member of the body is important because each member fills a niche to make the body complete.
 
Have a "gifted" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Healthy Church

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Healthy Church
Romans 12:4-6a
 
"For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: ...."
 
Paul used the metaphor of the natural body to illustrate the life of the spiritual body, the Church. In his extended teaching on the Body of Christ (see I Corinthians 12), he makes the case that in a healthy body, every part is unique and important. When any part of the body does not function properly or is missing, the entire body suffers and in some cases dies. In a sick church, the members of that church are either not filling their places or have an overinflated opinion of their gifts and are proud (Romans 12:3). In either case, the church is sick and needs healing. Using the gifts God has entrusted to me in humility will help the church be healthy.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: In a healthy church, each member exercises his gift in humility.
 
Have a healthy day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Self-Image

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Self-Image
Romans 12:3
 
"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."
 
Having a healthy self-image is a struggle. On the one hand are those who have inferiority complexes and think they are worth less than dirt. Other people think they are the best thing that ever happened on God's green earth. Paul strikes a proper balance between these two. He tells me to not have a higher opinion than I should while recognizing that I do have value. Proper self-image comes from understanding God's opinion of me. I am valuable to Him – I am His child and am created in His image with the Holy Spirit living within me. Any value I have comes from the giftings that He has entrusted me with, so all the glory for anything I do or am belongs to Him – not me. Realizing that God has gifted me in certain areas need not end in pride, but can lead to a healthy self-concept.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: A healthy self-image is based in God's giftings in my life, and that leaves no room for pride.
 
Have a healthy day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Renewed Mind

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Renewed Mind
Romans 12:2
 
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
 
It is so easy to let my thinking be swayed by the paradigm of the world rather than by Kingdom principles. What seems logical to the worldly mind is often contrary to God's thoughts. In fact, the secular person often thinks the person who lives by God's paradigm is ignorant or stupid. The only way to stay focused on God's perfect world-view is to continually immerse myself in God's Word. A godly world-view cannot be shaped by a steady diet of the secular media – whether CNN, MSNBC, or even Fox News or conservative talk radio. They all present life through a secular lens, which is man-centered rather than God-centered.  If that is my main input, my mind will gradually conform to their worldly thinking.   I need to renew my mind daily with God's thoughts.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The God-centered mind is often at odds with the worldly mind.
 
Have a renewed day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A Reasonable Sacrifice

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A Reasonable Sacrifice
Romans 12:1
 
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
 
I have a choice of what I will give my life for. I could sacrifice my life on the altar of pleasure, or for some cause, or fame, or success, or money, or popularity and acceptance, or self-fulfillment. In view of the greatness of God (Romans 11:33-36) and eternity, the only sacrifice that is worthwhile is giving myself to God. And in light of what He has done for me, it is the most reasonable.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Giving my life in sacrifice to God is the most reasonable offering  I can make.
 
Have a "sacrificial" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Greatness of God

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – How Great Is God!!
Romans 11:33-36
 
"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
 
When Paul considered God's great plan of salvation, he was so overwhelmed with the awesomeness of God that he broke out in this great paean of praise. God is so great that the human mind cannot begin to fathom Him or His works, except what He has chosen to reveal. The well of His wisdom is so deep I cannot begin to plumb the depths. His riches of His love and mercy are beyond my comprehension. He does not owe me anything – not one red cent. He is all in all, from first to last, and He deserves all the praise and obedience I could ever possibly give Him. O God, how great You are!   I worship You!
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God is too great for my puny brain to comprehend; I can only worship Him.
 
Have a praising day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- God's Irrevocable Plan

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – God's Irrevocable Plan
Romans 11:25-26a, 29
 
"For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved .... For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."
 
God has a plan and that plan is irrevocable. God never says, "Oops, I made a mistake." "God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19). According to God's plan, Israel rejected the Messiah so that the Gentiles could be saved. But He will again deal with the nation of Israel when the "time of the Gentiles" is completed. It will happen just as He has purposed. To think that I have a better plan is to be wise in my own estimation.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God's plan for the future will happen exactly as He has said.
 
Have a trusting day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Humility and Faith

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Humility and Faith
Romans 11:20b-22
 
"Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches [Israel], He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God; on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off."
 
This is a sobering passage – to consider that I could be "cut off." Salvation requires two things on my part: humility and faith. Humility to acknowledge that I am a sinner who has violated God's standards; and faith that Jesus died for my sins. ("What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8).) If Israel failed on both counts – humility and faith – and was cut off, what makes me think that I am any different or better? Continuing in humility and in God's goodness (grace) assures my salvation. If I ever abandon humility and faith to trust in my own good works and righteousness, the consequence be the severity of God's judgment. "He who stands, take heed lest he fall" (I Corinthians 10:12).
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Humility and faith are essential for salvation.
 
Have a humble and faithful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- God's People

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – God's People
Romans 11:1-2a
 
"I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew...."
 
There are some groups who believe that the Church has replaced Israel, and that the nation of Israel has no special place in God's plan for the future of this world. This doctrine requires that the Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel be either denied or allegorized. Paul argues that the root is still there. Because of unbelief, some of the branches have been broken off and new branches of believing Jews and Gentiles have been grafted in through faith in Christ (see verses 17-20). It is true that believing Gentiles have become children of Abraham and receive His blessings. But that does not mean that God is finished with Israel. John's Revelation confirms that God will still deal with Israel after the rapture of the Church. In the meantime, Christians are a part of the elect whom God calls His people.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God has not forsaken His people, but He has opened a way for non-Jews to be branches of the root.
 
Have a "grafted in" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Hearing and Believing

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Hearing and Believing
Romans 10:16-17, 21
 
"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?' So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: 'Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" .....But to Israel he says: 'All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.' "
 
Hearing is requisite to faith. The issue, though, is not the hearing of God's word, but the believing. It is one thing to hear the boss' order to do something; it is quite another to believe it and act in faith to do it. Everyone has heard God speak through creation and conscience, but not all have responded to that word to produce obedience. We are "a disobedient and contrary people" who want to do things our own way. I need to be careful to respond to God's word in believe and faith that produces obedience.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Hearing precedes belief and faith that produces obedience.
 
Have a hearing day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Beautiful Feet

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Beautiful Feet
Romans 10:14-15
 
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tiding of good things!' "
 
Paul's driving passion was to preach the gospel "to the regions beyond" (II Corinthians 10:16). I think that is God's heart – that everyone would hear the good news of the gospel of peace. Jesus was sent by the Father to a foreign land – Earth. If I truly have God's heart, I will support missionaries and their beautiful feet as they go. I may not be able to go, but I can help send.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Missionaries have beautiful feet.
 
Have a "sending" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Whoever

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Whoever
Romans 10:11-13
 
"For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "
 
The old Gospel song says, "Whosoever Meaneth Me." My name is "Whosoever." God has truly lavished the riches of His grace on me (Ephesians 1:7-8). I am truly blessed.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God saves by His abundant grace any and all who call on Him in faith.
 
Have a blessed day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Belief and Conduct

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Belief and Conduct
Romans 10:8-10
 
"But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
 
Belief and Confession – they go hand in hand with each other. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). What is inside will come out. The goal is that my speech would give evidence to what I believe.  But I think the broader meaning is more than what I say.  The Greek word translated "conversation" in the KJV is translated "conduct" in the NKJV. (Compare Philippians 1:27 in both translations: "Only let your conversation [conduct] be worthy of the gospel of Christ....") Interestingly, the Greek word for conversation/conduct is where we get the word "politics." It refers to our citizenship; "to conduct one's self as pledged to some law of life" (Thayers Greek Lexicon). My language, to a limited extent, is evidence of my nationality. In the USA, English is the native language. I want my language and my "politic" or life-style to be public expression of the fact that I believe in the Lord Jesus am a citizen of his kingdom.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The conduct and speech of the Christian should give evidence of faith in the Lord Jesus.
 
Have a "Jesus-politic" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Just Do It!

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Just Do It!
Romans 10:5
 
"For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, 'The man who does those things shall live by them."
 
Paul's argument is based in Moses sermon to the Israelites recorded in Deuteronomy 30:11-16. There Moses tells the people, "The command which I command you today is not too mysterious for you nor is it far off" (vs. 11). In other words, it is not rocket science. It doesn't take some special spiritual knowledge that you have to go into heaven for, or visit some guru across the ocean (vss. 12-13). "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it" (vs. 14). It is a matter of doing what I know in my heart is right (vs. 16). I just need to live it. Making my actions match what I say and what I believe is called integrity. This is easier said than done, but it is a simple matter of obedience. As the Nike ad would say, "Just do it!"
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Living according to God's righteousness is not complicated but it is not always easy.
 
Have a simple day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A No-Brainer

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A No-Brainer
Romans 10:3-4
 
"For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end [completion, fulfillment or perfection] of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
 
I am ignorant of God's righteousness if I think, in my zeal for God (see vs. 2), that I can attain His righteousness by keeping a bunch of rules. I cannot live a perfect life, no matter how hard I try. But Jesus did. He fulfilled God's righteousness perfectly, both in His life and in His sacrificial death for atonement for sin. My only hope of attaining God's righteousness is not by external observance of the law, but by internal faith in Christ. Paul goes on to say, "With the heart one believes unto righteousness" (vs. 10), and "whoever believes on Him shall not be put to shame" (vs. 11). So I can strive to be righteous by my own works, or I can rest in Christ's perfect work. This is a no-brainer.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God's righteousness is attained only through faith in Christ's perfect fulfillment of the law.
 
Have a faith day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Sincerely Wrong

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Sincerely Wrong

Romans 10:1-2

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge."

How sad to have zeal – to be sincere – but be sincerely wrong.  There are people who are very sincere in what they believe.  There are Muslims who will die for their faith.  There are Buddhists and Hindus that devote their lives to being monks.  There are people in America who attend church every Sunday and are involved in the work of the church who sincerely think that their works will save them – like the Jews.  But it is not enough to be sincere.  God does look at the heart, but when we do not follow God's plan of salvation, sincerity of heart does not meet God's requirement of faith in His Son.  I want to be sincerely right.

TODAY'S THOUGHT: It is not enough to be sincere; following God's plan with a sincere heart is what pleases God.

Have a sincere day.   Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Vessels of Mercy

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Vessels of Mercy
Romans 9:22-24
 
"What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"
 
This is a difficult Scripture to digest. That God would prepare some people for destruction and some for mercy does not fit well with my understanding of the love of God. But here's the deal. Opposites are necessary. Hot is only understood when compared to cold. Love is only understood in relation to hate. There would be no righteousness without evil. And so it goes: good/bad; beauty/ugliness; rich/poor; mean/kind; peace/turmoil. Mercy itself would have no meaning apart from the judgment of God's wrath. Vessels of wrath fulfill God's purpose to demonstrate His glory on the vessels of mercy. There could be no heaven if there was no hell. I am humbly grateful that God has chosen me to be a recipient of His mercy. Praise You, Jesus.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God created vessels of wrath to demonstrate His glory on the vessels of mercy.
 
Have a grateful day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Potter

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Potter
Romans 9:19-21
 
"You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?' But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one a vessel for honor and another for dishonor?"
 
It is a mystery to me why some people have a desire to love and serve God while others could not care less about God. God has His purpose for every individual and He creates them to fulfill this purpose – some for honor and some for dishonor. Some He called for special ministry before they were born, as Isaiah and John the Baptist. It is a wonder to me that God has place in my heart a desire to love and honor Him. Even so, at times I cry out in frustration, "God, why have you made me like this?" It seems my brain works so differently than anyone else, plus I am such a klutz. But I accept that I am who I am by God's design. The Potter has made me according to His purpose. I do want to be a vessel of honor, even though it seems to my eye I have so many weaknesses. God's strength is made perfect through my weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). He reveals His power through man's frailty. May God be honored through my weakness.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God has created each person according to His design and plan.
 
Have a God-honoring day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Hardened Heart

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Hardened Heart
Romans 9:17-18
 
"For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.' Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens."
 
This has always been perplexing to me – that God would harden a person's heart. That's what the Bible says: "I will harden Pharaoh's heart" (Exodus. 4:21; 7:3; 14:4; see also 7:13 9:12, 34; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8). But the Bible also says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15, 32). "When Pharaoh saw the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more and hardened his heart" (Exodus 9:34). So it seems that even though God hardened Pharaoh's heart, Pharaoh himself was a part of the process by his own sin. Why would God harden a person's heart? To demonstrate His power and accomplish His purpose. It is like Judas, who was eye-witness to the glory and power of God in Christ's ministry, and yet his heart was hardened so that God's plan of salvation could be finished. "Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas" (Acts 1:16). And Peter declared that Jesus was "delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23). God foreknew that the heart of Judas would be hard against Jesus. We are not just pawns in God's capricious chess game, with no part in the matter. If we had no choice, we would not be accountable. The admonition of the Psalmist is appropriate and needs to be heeded: "Do not harden your heart, as in the day of rebellion" (Psalm 95:8). I need to consciously keep a soft and pliable heart before my God.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God hardens the hearts of those who rebel against Him so that they sin even more in order to manifest His power, glory, and mercy.
 
Have a "soft-hearted" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Mercy and Compassion

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Mercy and Compassion
Romans 9:14-16
 
"What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.' So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy."
 
Mercy is completely God's gift. There is nothing I could ever do to earn or merit or force Him to extend His mercy. Mercy flows entirely from His great love and compassion. I deserve only judgment for my sin. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us ... made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-6). I have nothing to brag about. Only His compassion stands between me and hell.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God's compassion is the fountain from which His mercy flows.
 
Have a mercy-filled day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Love and Hate

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Love and Hate
Romans 9:9-13
 
"For this is the word of promise: 'At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.' And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, 'The older shall serve the younger.' As it is written, 'Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.' "
 
Verse 13 can be a troubling verse because it seems to indicate that God arbitrarily chose to love Jacob and hate Esau. There is a continuum between love and hate. I can truly love something and truly hate, abhor, and detest another thing, but in between there are things that I love less. In this sense, if I love something less that true love, it is toward the hate end of the continuum. For example, I love to eat ice cream. I truly abhor liver. But there are many foods (like broccoli) that are in the middle. I don't like them as well as ice cream, but I don't abhor them like liver. This is the sense of what Jesus said in Luke 14:26 when he said we could not be His disciple if we do not hate our family. It simply means that we love them less than we love Jesus. Thayer, speaking of Romans 9:13, says the meaning of hate here is to "love less." In God's infinite wisdom and love chose Abram over Nahor and Haran (Genesis 11:26), Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, David over his brother, and Mary over thousands of other maidens to be the lineage of His Son, Jesus, and thus fulfill His promise. God's election is always right and just. I may not understand it all, but I am so glad that God loved my father and chose him out of a heathen family. I receive the blessings of that election.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God's righteous election to fulfill His plan is based on His love.
 
Have a loving day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Children of God, Reprise

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Children of God, Reprise
 
Paul states his thesis even more succinctly in his letter to the Galatians.
 
"Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham .... For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ" (Galatians 3:7-9, 26).
 
Rejoice in your position in God's family as His child.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Children of Promise

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Children of Promise
Romans 9:6-8
 
"But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called.' That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed."
 
I am a child of God, not by natural birth or lineage, but by spiritual birth (John 3:5-7). I am born into God's family by the Holy Spirit. God said to Abraham, "In you all the families of the earths shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3), looking forward to Christ. This is the promise that makes room for me, a Gentile, to be a child of God. I am a child of the promise through Jesus.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: It is spiritual birth, not physical birth or lineage, that makes one a child of God.
 
Have a promise day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- God, Save My Family

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – God, Save My Family
Romans 9:1-3
 
"I tell you the truth in Christ .... that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen (margin: relatives; related by blood) according to the flesh."
 
What a tremendous heart Paul had for his own people Israel – his blood relatives. If he could have, he would have become anathema to Christ for them. It reminds me of Moses who volunteered to have his own name blotted out of God's book in order to atone for Israel's sin (Exodus 32:32). Jesus had sorrow for His own people who rejected Him (see Matthew 23:37 and John 1:11), and He indeed became accursed to make atonement for them. I confess that, even though I have great sorrow and grief because there are those in my family that have rejected Jesus, I do not have that same passion that I would be willing to be cursed by God for them. O God, work in my heart. Lord Jesus, save my family!!!!
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Unsaved family should cause great grief and sorrow.
 
Have a "passion for family" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- God's Unfailing Love

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – God's Unfailing Love
Romans 8:35, 37-39
 
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? .... Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
 
At times, I have gone through hard times when God didn't answer my prayers. It seemed that God was far removed from me, and in my pain I cried out, "God, where are You? Don't You love me?" The struggles I go through are not a barometer to measure God's love. His love never changes. Even in my desperate times when I seem to battle hell itself, God still loves me. I may not feel His love when I am being "accounted as sheep for slaughter" (vs. 8). But my feeling do not alter the fact of God's love. He demonstrated His love through Jesus on the cross, and that will never change.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Hard times in life do not change God's love.
 
Have an unfailing love day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Source Of Condemnation

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Source Of Condemnation
Romans 8:33-34
 
"Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."
 
This chapter began with the grand declaration that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). So why do I sometimes feel condemned about the past? Where does that come from? I know that is it not from God because Jesus said that He did not come to condemn but to save (John 3:17). Condemnation comes from Satan, who is continually accusing me before God (Revelation 12:10). But Jesus is also there, interceding for me. I can imagine Him rebut Satan's charges, saying, "Father, I died for John's sins. He is no longer under judgment because they are covered by My blood." Praise God, I don't have to live under condemnation for past sins. Jesus is taking care of that.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Even though Satan condemns me, Jesus is interceding for me.
 
Have a guilt-free day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- The Great Investment

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – The Great Investment
Romans 8:32
 
"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?"
 
The more I have invested in something, the better I take care of it. If I have put my money, time, or emotional energy into something – whether material things, a project, or a relationship – I have some ownership, and I care if it is lost or damaged. Something that cost me $1.00 is not nearly as important to me as something that I paid $1,000.00 for. God has invested in me. He paid a great price to purchase me – His very own Son. I am valuable to Him and He will take care of me.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: God has invested a great deal in His children and He will take care of them.
 
Have an "invested" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- God On My Side

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – God On My Side

Romans 8:31

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

In a war, I would want to be backed up by the best Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine support there is. The Psalmist said, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me ....." (Psalm 118:6-7a). But, as President Lincoln answered when asked if he thought God was on the side of the Union, he said, "The question is not if God is on my side but if I am on His."

TODAY'S THOUGHT: God is on the side of those who trust Him.

Have a good support day. Love you.