JustJeff

James 1:17 states that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,... To me this indicates that whether it is a talent to do a special thing or heal the sick it is from God. When you work for the Lord you will see that your talent for your profession will be greatly enhanced by your spiritual gifts as well. For example, you may be a health care professional with the gift of intercessory prayer. While caring for your patients as you are talented to do, you can be making intercessory prayer for their healing. I find that talents and spiritual gifts work dynamically together, not in opposition. To that end, both come from God for His glory so while one is natural (talents) and the other supernatural (spiritual) that would be the only difference.

God has blessed Abraham by making a difficult decision for him, assuring him that Ishmael will be fine. From the prophecy concerning Ishmael we know that he would become a rascal and quite probably a threat to Issac for supplanting him as heir. By being sent away a problem of choice for Abraham has been eliminated and Issac's future has been secured, a blessing for both. I have been rejected and sent away at times in my life. The result was that I became a born again Christian and Jesus is Lord of my life. So, I see where Yahweh has carefully orchestrated my path to bring me to where He wants me to be. He just made it possible for this hardhead to get there.

As we walk this walk each day we need to accept that we cannot do it alone. Each of us is one part of the whole and without one anothers love and care we cannot succeed. Everything that we do must include the thought of how that which we are engaged in effects the rest of the body. To do this, self must cease, pride must become humility and we must all agree to look to Christ for all things. Christ is the bond that brings peace by His Holy Spirit. Humility will kill arguing and dissension. It takes a person of God to know when to hold their tongue rather than debate right or wrong. In God's time the truth is always revealed.

Sarah seems to have an ought with Hagar stemming from the birth of Ishmael before she conceived Issac. The bitterness comes to a head when Ishmael mocks her son giving her occassion to have both expelled from the camp. I don't believe any attempt to cause pain and suffering to a person is righteous. God uses our unrighteousness for His good. Issac was the heir and Ishmaels presence would have complicated His divine plan as would have Esau's with Jacob. All ended up being blessed as only a loving Father can do to all of His children. I believe at times everyone is guilty of coercion and, has been the recipient of it. I am no different.

Without patience and humility there is anger and strife which cause discord and separation. As we are supposed to be Christlike in all that we are and do it is hypocritical when we are highminded, putting the Lord to open shame. To overcome we must be able to examine ourselves honestly and recognize faults in this area of our character. It doesn't happen overnight so we can learn patience and humility by working on self first and giving others to the Lord. A real test for sure.

Sarah first laughs for disbelief and then joy. Abraham laughs in skepticism. It just goes to show you that we are God's creation and a part of His emotional expression. Sandy Patty once sang a song about seeing God dance and hearing God sing. To hear Him laugh with joy and express Fatherly humor to His children...wow!

In everything that we do our character and nature should be a reflection of the Lord as we are to walk as He walked. Each person must give their all to fulfill and utilize the gifts that God has given whether it be a pastor, teacher, evangelist, etc. These are our vocations and what we are called to do as His disciples.

Sexual perversion is a doorway to hell. When we, as a society, accept one all others are sure to follow. In this manner hedonism becomes the object of social desire and the standard for human living. Idols are created by it and worshipped for it. Insofar as the flesh cannot attain satisfaction artificial means of fulfillment are sought after, in Lot's case, alcohol. Children are misguided, abused and are the forerunners of increased depravity, as they are taught. Faith is in the flesh, not the living God. All of which leads to the logical and only choice for a Christian, Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life and only by Him can we hope to salvage any part of this wicked world. Preaching, teaching and being faithful witnesses is what we must do. That is our faith.

"No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62. It doesn't seem to change. No matter how far behind our past is we always drift back into it. The farther along we get, the better the past seems. For Lot's wife, she didn't want to leave it and it destroyed her as will ours if we go back to it. The battle is to press forward with the Lord and forget those things which are behind. As a new creation we need to persevere, even when events seem to take us back.

We are often hesitant about change. Not being certain as to what lies ahead it is difficult to move out of our comfort zone. Lot may have been a righteous man but it was Abraham who had interceded on his behalf. It appears that Lot had doubt about his pending journey. The tug of the Spirit of God has always been present. Unfortunately, to my misfortune, I have only of late developed the habit of paying attention. As a result I've walked into danger of the spiritual kind often and of the bodily kind, too many times.

All sin is judged alike and while some sin may be more abhorrent than others, it is sin just the same. The point one should consider is that homosexuality is fornication, just as is sex between unmarried heterosexuals, which is a starting point in witnessing to gay people. Then one would address confusion, which God is not the author of. While the bible doesn't state who is, there are three areas to address; the world, the flesh and the devil. That comes from prayer and inner healing. All of this of course begins with the individual and that persons willingness to turn from homosexuality. That starts with abstinence. Good and faithful preaching is the catalyst. I believe that Sodom's great sin was that hedonism had become their god. What about the world today?

To be a righteous person, a just person, is to be a friend of God and as such a qualified person is treated by Yahweh as one would treat someone to whom they are close. We were created for this purpose, to walk in the garden in the cool of the day, enjoying a refreshing conversation with our Maker. Through His blood sacrifice He has cleansed us and by the Holy Spirit we enjoy that same friendship with Adonai today. And yes, intercessory prayer is a blessing to El Shaddai, as we demonstrate our love one for another in this manner and He is love. Abraham illustrates this, as did Moses, Hezekiah and the others.

I don't believe that doing what is right and just today is any different than in Abraham's time. After all, God is the same so His expectation of us would be the same. I also feel that everything is proportionate to the situation. Flesh is flesh and will always be tempted to what is available to it. We can make excuses for ourselves as to all the pleasures set before us today due to technology but the bottom line is what we choose to see and do. Adonai will not put anything on us that we cannot handle, without making a way for an escape. Shlomo (Solomon) wrote: "That thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9

The only way that this biblical marriage and family will work is if all parties agree going in and maintain Christian values and integrity throughout their lives. Christ must be the head, always. A very difficult chore in difficult times.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Miracles are a daily reality when one walks with the Lord. It is all a matter of perception based upon faith and willingness to believe. When eyes are opened to the Devine presence in this world then you will see the miracles, great and small. Adonai is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. He changes not, we change and our ability to accept Him and His miracles is depenedent upon our present day attitude toward Him. He is still in the miracle working business, never stopping, always continuing. We just need to believe in order to receive. I have authority in this area as I am a miracle, aren't you?

Circumcision is not obsolete for Christians. It was never intended for Gentiles in terms of a covenant with God. This was an agreement made between Abraham and Adonai for the Jewish people as His chosen ones and, as a seal for that covenant. Baptism on the other hand, is a willingness by a person to turn their hearts to the Lord. Thus it becomes a circumcision of the heart.

When one's heart is circumcised that person has truly excepted the Lord as sovereign, placing complete faith, trust in Him, submitting themself to His holy word, completely and utterly. Anything less than this, whether Jew or Gentile, is lip service and religious which El Shaddai rejects. Of course I have struggled with this. It takes lots of work to crucify the flesh and die to self, a lifetime perhaps.

Circumcision is the covenant that Adonai made with Abraham that he and his generations would father many nations, esp God's chosen people. Belief in God's word requires a response, that great leap of faith, to show the Lord that you are trusting in Him. By acting immediately Abraham confirmed his faith and his righteousness.

Adonai expects those who have committed themselves to Him to give Him their very best. He, who knows our hearts and minds, knows exactly what we are capable of. As with Abraham, we will make mistakes. We should, however, through the revelations of the Holy Spirit, be able to see and strive to eliminate them. Like Abraham, God requires that we do not live in sin, that we are blameless. When Jesus comes, them will we be perfected.

There are many times when it seems that it is not possible that God has anything to do with or sees the trouble or pain that I am in. And yet, He is always there. With Hagar, she was in bondage, abused, and needed a Holy visitation to see the need for her suffering, to be encouraged to go through the fire. Her story is a reminder that if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him.

Jesus later told that His eye is on the sparrow and that the very hairs on our head are numbered meaning our Heavenly Father is always watching over us. He never leaves our side which Hagar observed by naming Him El Roi. When we enter the valley we should remember that He is with us. When we lose sight of this and become depressed and hopeless it is we who have foresaken Him and we simply need to call upon Him for He is near. This is something that I am learning through experience.

The Lord, through His angel, was giving Hagar a chance to review and meditate on her erroneous decision. All too often we make hasty decisions as a result of fleshly motivations that take us out of God's will. Thanks be to God that He is merciful and will lead us back if we listen to the promptings of His Holy Spirit. As in Hagar's case, Yahweh had a plan for her and Ishmael which required her to be in Abraham's household. She needed to go through the fire. I have had many instances where I ran from God's purpose for me. Fortutunately, the same God who was merciful toward Hagar is equally merciful toward me and brings me back, and walks with me through the fire as He did with Hagar and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and you too as well.

The answer to all of the questions is pride which caused Sarah's humiliation, anger and retaliation. Abraham, by consenting to Sarah's whims fed the pride. He should have thought the situation out and dealt with it righteously, not by the laws of man. There are always problems of pride, jealousy and resentment in my family, which is quite large. Since my family is the family of God I am comforted by the knowledge that as we grow in Him together pride will decrease, humilty will increase, and there will be less rivalry as the days go by.

With God there can be no lies and He has demonstrated this to Abraham by a ritual that seems to be acceptable to a mere mortal. Abraham has shown great faith which Yah has counted as righteousness, accepting the trust that Abraham has placed in Him. There are a multitude of promises that Adonai has made to us that effect our path. To me, being born again has given me a new life with a new future with Jesus during which His Holy Spirit will enable me to do great things so that through Him, the Father will be glorified.

In all honesty I am always frustrated because of what I perceive to be a slow response from God concerning the fulfillment of a promise. I mean, we've waited two thousand years for His return and Christians have been pleading since day one. Then, I realize He is always on time. He doesn't come when I want, He comes when I need. I also begin to see, as He sees, afar off at a distant point, when that which I thought was urgent at the present time, was manifold desperate at a future time. So, I learn that He is the past, the present, the future, at all places at all times and my experience gives me patience, in the which I possess my soul.