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

Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (see notes below).

Arw27

bible.com/bible/100/jas.1.22-24.NASB1995

Matthew 7
13“aEnter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.†‡ 
14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.†
15“Beware of the afalse prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are bravenous wolves.† 
16“You will a1know them by their fruits. 2Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?† 
17“So aevery good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 
18“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 
19“aEvery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 
20“So then, you will 1know them aby their fruits. 
21“aNot everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.† 
22“aMany will say to Me on bthat day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many 1miracles?’† 
23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; aDEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’†
Interpretation
7:13, 14 Both the narrow gate and the wide gate are assumed to provide the entrance to God’s kingdom. Two ways are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith, only through Christ, constricted and precise. It represents true salvation in God’s way that leads to life eternal. The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteousness, with no single way (cf. Ac 4:12), but it leads to hell, not heaven. † 
7:14 way is narrow. Christ continually emphasized the difficulty of following Him (10:38; 16:24, 25; Jn 15:18, 19; 16:1–3; cf. Ac 14:22). Salvation is by grace alone, but is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word. See notes on 19:16–28. † 
7:15 false prophets. These deceive not by disguising themselves as sheep, but by impersonating true shepherds. They promote the wide gate and the wide way. sheep’s clothing. This may refer to the woolen attire that was the characteristic garb of a shepherd. † 
7:16 You will know them by their fruits. See note on 3:8. False doctrine cannot restrain the flesh, so false prophets manifest wickedness. Cf. 2Pe 2:12–22. † 7:21 Not everyone who says … but he who does. The barrenness of this sort of faith demonstrates its real character (cf. v. 20)—the faith that says but does not do is really unbelief. Jesus was not suggesting that works are meritorious for salvation, but that true faith will not fail to produce the fruit of good works. This is precisely the point of Jas 1:22–25; 2:26.

Christian Virtues to Strive For.

Arw27

bible.com/bible/100/1th.5.15.NASB1995

John MacArthur Study Bible

We urge you. Paul has discussed how the pastors are to serve the people and how the people are to respond to the pastors (vv. 12, 13). In these verses, he presents how the people are to treat each other in the fellowship of the church. The “unruly,” those out of line, must be warned and taught to get back in line. The “fainthearted,” those in fear and doubt, must be encouraged and made bold. The “weak,” those without spiritual and moral strength, must be held up firmly. Patience, forgiveness, and acts of goodness must prevail among all the people. † 5:16–22 Paul gave a summary of the Christian’s virtues. These verses provide the foundational principles for a sound spiritual life in brief, staccato statements that, in spite of their brevity, give believers the priorities for successful Christian living.

We’ve been rescued, from Darkness and Deception, (Satan’s Dominion), to life, (God’s Kingdom), both in the here and now, but for All of Eternity, for those who believe in faith.

Arw27

bible.com/bible/100/col.1.13-14.NASB1995

Reference John MacArthur Study Bible

† 1:13 rescued us. The Gr. term means “to draw to oneself” or “to deliver,” and refers to the believer’s spiritual liberation by God from Satan’s kingdom, which, in contrast to the realm of light with truth and purity, is the realm of darkness (cf. Lk 22:53) with only deception and wickedness (1Jn 2:9, 11). See note on Ac 26:18. kingdom. In its basic sense, a group of people ruled by a king. More than just the future, earthly millennial kingdom, this everlasting kingdom (2Pe 1:11) speaks of the realm of salvation in which all believers live in current and eternal spiritual relationship with God under the care and authority of Jesus Christ (see note on Mt 3:2). His beloved Son. Cf. Mt 3:17; 12:18; 17:5; Mk 1:11; 9:7; Lk 3:22; 9:35; Eph 1:6; 2Pe 1:17; see notes on Jn 17:23–26. The Father gave this kingdom to the Son He loves, as an expression of eternal love. That means that every person the Father calls and justifies is a love gift from Him to the Son. See notes on Jn 6:37, 44.

What a Great Promise. May We do This, Regularly, that our Sins Might not be Hindered.

Arw27

bible.com/bible/100/jas.5.16.NASB1995

Imperfect People Used to Accomplish God’s Perfect Plan. (Taken from Events Devotion in YOUVERSION Bible App)

Arw27

This chapter makes it clear that Abram was not chosen because he was a tremendously virtuous person. He actually has some pretty major faults. Not only is he a liar, but also Joshua 24:2 implies Abram wasn’t even worshiping God before God talked to him. Essentially, the rest of the Bible will show how God blesses Abram, his descendants, and all of humanity through these people. The people we call Jews today are Abram’s descendants. The Bible you are reading was written almost entirely by Jews and Jesus was a Jew. God took someone who didn’t deserve to be blessed and blessed him so that people like you and me, who also don’t deserve to be blessed, could be blessed too!

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.” It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels. But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.” Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-‭20‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.12.1-20.NASB1995

Who am I or you, to question whether life is unfair or not? Job 38 from the “Word of God”

Arw27

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? “Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors, And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop’? “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? It is changed like clay under the seal; And they stand forth like a garment. “Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. That you may take it to its territory And that you may discern the paths to its home? You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great! Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of war and battle? Where is the way that the light is divided, Or the east wind scattered on the earth? “Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt, To bring rain on a land without people, On a desert without a man in it, To satisfy the waste and desolate land And to make the seeds of grass to sprout? Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb has come the ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth? Water becomes hard like stone, And the surface of the deep is imprisoned. “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her satellites? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you? Can you send forth lightnings that they may go And say to you, ‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the innermost being Or given understanding to the mind? Who can count the clouds by wisdom, Or tip the water jars of the heavens, When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together? When they crouch in their dens And lie in wait in their lair? Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food?”
‭‭Job‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭14‬, ‭16‬-‭18‬, ‭20‬-‭38‬, ‭40‬-‭41‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/100/job.38.41.NASB1995

A Living Sacrifice….

Arw27

bible.com/bible/100/rom.12.1.NASB1995

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/rom.12.2-3.NASB1995

Took a drive in the Jeep, after coming back from a trip to California. It was like God saying, welcome back to Tennessee. I am still struck, by the whispering of God’s magnificence of his creation, and this beautiful place, we get to call home. I am always reminded of Psalm 19, “The heavens cry out, to God in his Majesty and Glory” (Alan’s translation) 😳

Arw27

God is Closer than you Think

Arw27
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up.

“God appeared to Solomon that very night and said, “I accept your prayer; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I’m alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place. Believe me, I’ve chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.’”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬-‭18‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/2ch.7.12-18.MSG