Thought for the Day
Author: Arw27
Hi,
My name is Alan and I have been in ministry, for many years. I started out at Grace Community Church in their sports ministries, in Softball, Basketball and Semi Pro Baseball team, where I coached, led devotions, and shared my testimony on the baseball team with other teams we played. After leaving Grace, My wife Kathy and I were at Simi Valley Community Church, where we were lay pastors, and also got involved in Parenting classes called Growing Kids God's Way. The church ended up splitting and were part of the original people that helped start Cornerstone Community Church with Francis Chan and Ron Wilson. During that time, we continued in parenting classes, couples bible studies, and small groups. I became a non staff Pastor/Elder some years back and did it till I stepped down on December 31st, 2019. Nothing bad, just felt that the Lord was calling me to do something else, after 25 years at Cornerstone. Presently, I joined a band with our Homeless Ministry (PADS) and we just started a group on Friday nights, that ministers to professing believers who are going through some type of recovery. My desire, is that there will be some type of home/small church that I will lead, based on what the Lord seems to be calling me to. It is a really big step of faith, at 65 years old.
A couple other things to note. I was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa and left there when I was 20 years old. My passion was baseball, and my desire, was to play professionally. I gave my life to Jesus when I was a young teenager, but lack of a consistent fellowship and some family problems led me away. I also, started letting baseball be my God.
I moved to California when I was 20, and works for an offshore drilling company for about 2 and 1/2 years and then went back to school and Cal State University where I met my wonderful wife in Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). We were married in 1980 and Lord willing, look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary in August. We have 3 daughters that all live close by, until my middle daughter just moved to Tennessee.
My Career, had been since I got out of college, with a degree in finance, a combination of IT, consulting, Executive Vice President, RE Broker and Loan Broker, and a short time as a VP Senior Financial Analyst with Bank of America.
Well, I hope that gives you a little glimpse into my life, and where I think the Lord is leading. Please feel free to write.
God Bless
Alan
The LORD’S Glory and Man’s Dignity.
A Psalm of David.
- O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
- From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength, Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
- When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
- What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
- Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with cglory and majesty!
- You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
- All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,
- The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
- O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Joy, vs (Happiness or Sadness).
Father, help us,to not look at our circumstances, to feel Happiness or Sadness, but to find Joy, in walking through, through both the agony of defeat, and the thrill of victory. Help us to continuing, to fix our eyes on Jesus, who shows us the way, through both, and to ultimate Victory, in the midst of our circumstances.
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What does God require of Man? (See notes below Image)
3–5 This was the Lord’s appeal. With tenderness and emotion, the divine Plaintiff recalled His many gracious acts toward them, almost to the point of assuming the tone of a defendant. Noting their trek from bondage in Egypt to their own homeland, God had provided leadership (v. 4), reversed the attempts of Balaam to curse the people (v. 5a; cf. Nu 22–24), and miraculously parted the Jordan River (v. 5b) so they could cross over from Shittim, located E of the Jordan, to Gilgal on the W side near Jericho. God had faithfully kept all His promises to them. † 6:6, 7 Micah, as though speaking on behalf of the people, asked rhetorically how, in light of God’s faithfulness toward them, they could continue their hypocrisy by being outwardly religious but inwardly sinful. † 6:8 Micah’s terse response ( v. 8) indicated they should have known the answer to the rhetorical question. Spiritual blindness had led them to offer everything except the one thing He wanted—a spiritual commitment of the heart from which right behavior would ensue (cf. Dt 10:12–19; Mt 22:37–39). This theme is often represented in the OT (cf. 1Sa 15:22; Is 1:11–20; Jer 7:21–23; Hos 6:6; Am 5:15).
Wisdom, does not come from mere knowledge, but is given to those who know and revere God. Just because someone is smart, doesn’t mean that they are wise! (See notes below)
1:7 The fear of the LORD.
The overarching theme of this book and particularly the first 9 chapters is introduced—reverence for God (see v. 29; 2:5; 3:7; 8:13; 9:10; 14:26, 27; cf. also Job 28:28; Ps 34:11; Ac 9:31).
This reverential awe and admiring, submissive fear is foundational for all spiritual knowledge and wisdom (cf. 2:4–6; 9:10; 15:33; Job 28:28; Ps 111:10; Ecc 12:13).
While the unbeliever may make statements about life and truth, he does not have true or ultimate knowledge until he is in a redemptive relationship of reverential awe with God.
Note the progression here:
1) teaching about God;
2) learning about God;
3) fearing God;
4) knowing God; and
5) imitating God’s wisdom.
The fear of the Lord is a state of mind in which one’s own attitudes, will, feelings, deeds, and goals are exchanged for God’s (cf. Ps 42:1).
Wisdom Literature: From “The Bible Project”
There are three books in the Bible that are made up what is called the Wisdom literature. They are Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job. Love to hear what you think of this first part.
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!”Psalms 148:1 NASB1995
Father, forgive us, when the only thing we see, is what is wrong! Your Word, clearly states, we are to focus on the things that are right, below. Give us clear vision today!
How Can Discount Drug Apps Offer Such Big Savings on Prescription Medications?
This is a must read, if you are concerned about medication prices!
The difference in price for prescription medications at CVS and GoodRx can be stunning. How can some drug apps offer such big discounts?
— Read on clark.com/health-health-care/how-discount-drug-apps-offer-big-savings-on-prescriptions/
I Keep trying so hard, to please God, but seem to find myself falling short! Have you ever felt that you are not good enough? Listen to the song below, but then see comments. The says, there are Way, that is good enough for you,with the freedom to fail, knowing that you are enough.
ALL of us have failed, it says in the Bible, by trying to find our own way, yet that is not the end of the story for anyone who finds the right way. Coming to the reality, that we are not good enough, is the first, step, in finding freedom. God sent his son, Jesus, who was fully God, and fully Man, to help us get to the place we all want to be. That is right with God. Jesus, came and lived a perfect life, with no blemish of sin. He gave his life for our, that anyone who believes, would be made right with God, for this present life, but for all of eternity. Jesus said this, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, No Man, come to the Father, Except, through, Me! Very clear, that He is the only way. All you have to do is Repent (Turn, for your path you are trying to earn Gods favor, and believe in Faith, ( Trust Gods words are True, and you be saved from the fact that All who try to do it on their own, will face a final judgement. Isn’t it great, that God, provided a Way, that we can be freed from this burden, of our own self righteous selves, and be loved by a God, who care forever us deeply enough, to give his only son, to take our place of judgement? If you have questions, please feel free to ask someone around you, who you know and trust who is a follower of Jesus, or send a note on the message. Many here would be glad to give you guidance.
Living Waters 