A Do-Gooder

Salt & Light

Acts 10:36-41 NKJV 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ-----He is Lord of all----- 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

Ever hear of someone speaking of maybe a friend, family member or themselves as being "a do-gooder".
But scripture tells us that the person who does good is one who is baptized, anointed by the Holy Spirit and who goes about like Jesus did, healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
Simple, right?
God is with us when we receive Jesus as Lord of our lives. Confessing Him with our mouths, that is by repenting of sins, repenting of the past life and by faith receive the new life or the new man in Him!

Still though, I hear from new broadcasts to the on-line sector video news to heralding a " do-gooder" dying suddenly, or in regard to some freakish event.
Jesus was the Word of God! John 1:14-18 NKJV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out saying, "This was He of whom I said, He who comes after is preferred before m,e for He was before me." 16 and of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Jesus came to bring the love of the Father. He declared Him. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God which had come. It was seen as preaching peace. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with Him.

So it would be easy to see when God is not with someone, right? God is love, but Jesus told us in John 14:6 ...."no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Jesus told us this in John 15:15-17 .....No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

This is what the "do-gooder" looks like: they sound like Jesus, their lives imitate His life and they declare the Father. Our lives should have fruit that is to have more life, more fruit produced living our life that points to the Father, the Creator of the Heavens and Earth!

Heard on a teaching today by Kenneth Copeland. He was speaking of the time when the Queen Mary was to be raised out of the ocean water in Long Beach, California and place on land where it was going to be built into a hotel. He spoke they had a Believer's Convention about the time it started some years ago and he said, "the men meticulously removed the first smoke stack from its position, and placed it on the deck with no one touching it.

He said it was suddenly that the enormous smoke stack that looked so beautiful with the fine paint instantly crumbled to the floor of the dock. In awe, people ran to look at "what just happened in an instant"! He said that what was revealed was nothing but layers of paint for the salt air had corroded the very metal of the smoke stack. It was only the the outside the facade!

Yes, that salt water air had corroded the metal on that smoke stack! It was the metal that held the shape, but paint remained only when the metal was gone. So too, we must remember that being saved, we are moved into that which should have no pathways for sin to run rampant. The Father loves us and staying close to Him through Jesus connects us to truth and to light. Outside of that it is just a facade.

People who remain in Jesus should do what Jesus did without going to the Cross, but nailing the flesh creature must be applied. Our emotions should not lead us into sin. Scripture tells us the if our eye or hand offends remove it.
Matthew 5:27-30 NKJV You have heard that is was said to those of old, "You shall not commit adultery. " 28 But I say to you, that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut if off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than your whole body to be cast into hell.

We cannot just appear good like the smoke stack, we are to have hearts connected to the Him who has key of life in Him. Just quoting some scripture does not make us a "do-gooder" in God. It is not enough to just walk through life without making the commitment to Him.
When a man and woman get married, it is to be for life through the continual communication and covenant between them. So many lose that connection and divorce usually finding out too late that freedom truly was in the connection they had at the first in their relationship!
Those who truly understand that the "salt" maintains the effectiveness in adhering to the kingdom that had come. The norm is for us to be salt and light. In that regard as the disciple of Jesus we are to act as the preservative in a world by conforming to kingdom reality or truths. Adhering to His words of truth we remain the strong strengthened in Him. Without Him, then we would appear as the smokestack from the ship Queen Mary cruise-liner!
Surely salt will stall the decay of the meat....and for us it will do the same. Oh, it so vital to stay connected to the Lord, and to know we have the Holy Spirit, we have the open communication to continue in the life-giving grace that has come from the Father of lights and in whom there is no changing ....He never changes His mind toward us.
We must not change our minds either, for to do so well, we would end up looking that beautiful smoke stack for awhile to only end up a heap on the dock of some port. No! We should want to remain in Him for life. Amen!

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Danger at the Doorstep

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Speech

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Is That Door Locked?

Voice of Prayer

Saw this movie the other night. One scene was three people trying to get a door to open, but the door was almost frozen shut. It took two of the three people to open the frozen door. One of the younger men mentioned putting the oil to it.
Now this specific story-line is from the early 1950's and was located within a church with a priest. Yes, I must admit it is one of mystery and intrigue and that night it had a very squeaky door without oil to make it turn on its hinges easily. Of course, the door could make some scary noises in the mid-night hour, but the funny thing from this story timeline, they mentioned the oil can and to get it to oil those hinges!
 Now many probably turning fifty today would not know what an oil can is for, well, except for our son-in-law......he probably would know.
And anyone watching the Wizard of Oz, from the 1930's would know by relating to the character of the tin man. But anyone else might not have an idea of the need for an oil can. Of course, today, we like WD-40. I mean, it will remove grease from laminated floors with one quick spray!.
But then hydrogen peroxide will remove grease from new carpeting as well. ( and I mean a real chunk of black greasy, grease on soft pastel orange carpet)

There are many doors. They open up areas to be visited, like in a movie theater or to a church! Doors can be old, new, fairly new, molded out of wood products, made from plastic, can be metal, glass or just plain wood. You could paint some, remove some, and even replace the really used doors, but what about a door that is " not used"?

I saw this movie the other night, and it was made in the early 1950's and one door was boarded up     (on the inside of the upstairs room), not to be used at all, yet the covering was just a few boards, and the covering was made with hinges to swing open. Odd I thought, when the thought was to board it up and not be used at all. Yet some clever one made it real work to create a door that could swing open using actual hinges and those pieces of plain wood just nailed together was to cover another actual door!

Proverbs 26:14 Amplified Bible
14 As the door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man [ move not from his place] upon his bed.
Now in the Middle East, a door made thousands of years ago was not made with hinges but rather with pivots. Of course, too, the doors were made of stone (slabs of stone) which made for a very weighty ( and very serious) door to handle.



I wonder sometimes about folks who never leave the place they were born to visit another place: like another state, or another country. You know those are doorways too!
I wonder sometimes why so many stay pretty close to their childhood start. I also wonder why many will not try doors they might otherwise overlook while passing by on a walk or driving by while looking for a gas station. I remember us going to an art museum and a rather small science museum, and also a wild west museum. All were so different, with so many different names who either painted, collected the artifacts of bones, pottery and glass sifted out for all to see or made history while the west was being populated by vast numbers of many different people who all had one purpose. That purpose was to know God who created heaven and earth and create something out of nothing in the 'ole west!

Many doors were open to those who painted great works of art. Many doors were opened to those who searched by sifting through sand and dust that covered great works of the pyramids and the pharaohs, yes those buried deep beneath the surface of the ground.......forever covered in mysteries, darkness and dirt!
I think of those places we have visited and although all were fun and done in different periods of my life, yet the only door that remains is the one I think people, yes many people overlook. I believe many miss the DOOR! They will miss the DOOR that counts.
I see people standing in line to get to be 1st at a new casino. I see them standing to buy that lottery ticket. I see them standing in line to get................!(something, anything)

Jesus said this and was recorded for our benefit. Found in John 10:9 I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely] and will find pasture.

Entering through Jesus we have a fresh life! In Him we gain to move freely by His wisdom, power and love. Without Him we can do nothing.
If we enter by Him, we are saved. we find pasture to lie down in, be refreshed by residing by still waters to walk in paths of righteousness for His name sake.

In that DOOR, we find the Bread of Life! John 6:35 and Jesus said to them, " I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. ( see also John 6:48)
When we enter that DOOR, we find the Chief Shepherd. 1 Peter 5:4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
Entering that DOOR, we come face to face with the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
We encounter the Lord of All (Acts 10:36-39) 36 the word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ---He is Lord of All---37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached; 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
We encounter the Lord of Glory ( 1 Corinthians 2:7-9) 7 but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor hear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

Yes, some folks thousands of years ago encountered doors made of slabs of stone. Whatever their thought of or way of life, they encountered doors of stone only to be put behind one when they died. To return back to the dust, gather their bones up  about a year later by loved ones who remained and carry said bones to a family burial plot.

Is that Door locked? Have you tried to enter?

Have you pushed hard to open....? Have you mentioned the Door Keeper.........Jesus? For it is in Him we find the Bread of Life, the Chief Shepherd, the Lord of All, the Lord of Glory. Oh we find so much more when we open that door and take steps forward in him.

Proverbs 10:29 Amplified Bible teaches us that the way of the Lord is strength and a stronghold to the upright, but it is destruction to the workers of iniquity.

And Proverbs 10:20 mentions this: 20 that the tongues of those who are upright and in right standing with God are as choice silver; the minds of those who are wicked and out of harmony with God are of little value.

YIKES!

Opening up to Jesus, and make our way with Him we have strength. He becomes our Stronghold in time of trouble. But the main thing, He is our salvation.

Will we see Him, see His ways and act to move through or be satisfied where we began? That bed is no place to stay. Some rest at night to be refreshed is good, but to lay down and remain is not healthy for anyone! Remaining to stay within the confines that is only for comfort is sad indeed when we can touch other people's lives and maybe visit some odd type museums. We must go through some doors to experience life. There are doors opened to attend school and be educated to write and read. Doors are open to attend high schools and colleges and yes even jobs. Doors are open to marriage, children and grand-children. Doors are open, but the one that really matters will count in the long-haul.
There is a Door talked about in Revelation 3:8 and this one is mentioned in the letter to the church in Sardis. 8 I know your [record of] works and what you are doing. See! I have set before you a door wide open which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My Word and guarded My Message and have not renounced or denied My name. 11 I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown.

Yes Jesus is returning! He returns for His believers, who trust in Him, have sought His face and to hear Him speak. Those who have entered will have a safe place,  a victorious place....He is the faithful and true Witness...He is the origin and Beginning and Author of all of God's creation.

Unlock that door.......and speak His name..........He will be found!

Notice: 

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Demonstrating the Glory of God

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Pedal To the Metal

In those good 'ole days back in the mid 20th century, the vehicles were made out of metal. There was no thought of having a head-on crash with anyone, for one had some real metal guarding that 409.......yes, those were the days!
The best thing that could be said at that time, was you could put the pedal to the metal.........that was pressing down on that gas pedal and leave some rubber from those tires on the roadway. Not smart at all, yet was fun at least to do once or twice. Yes, that gas pedal could be pushed down and it would meet the metal in that floorboard of pick-up or car.
Then the era came for the test dummies and those fastened in seat belts. What seat belts? It was never really implemented as to the importance of said seat-belt, even though they could be found in some cars, trucks and pick-ups but not on school buses. Then vehicles were starting to be made out of I guess generic stuff and not that which would hold resistance to another vehicle. Today, you can see what happens to a vehicle made out of fiberglass hit by a semi-truck. Not good at all especially if you are the one riding in the fiberglass, sports job type vehicle.
I remember of the one year living in the city of Northglenn, Colorado made me want to be in the country....for good. There was a song by John Denver......and it went.......something like this, "take me home, country road". It is one our daughter's favorite songs, yes that country road with no sight of car or bus for many, many miles. A young, newly married,woman was on her way home from work on a weekday. She had got off the exit for Northglenn and was stopped at the light to turn onto the main road for the city there. But the semi coming up behind her could not brake........yes, the brakes failed and that "big" semi went through that intersection with no way to stop. She was driving in one of those MG sport cars with the top off. All they found was her wedding ring.
I cried for days. I saw the pictures on T.V. and prayed. And every April I revisit that scene in my thoughts. All though these many decades have passed, I wonder if she was saved (if she really knew Jesus)

Yes, that pedal to the metal........sounds awesome........and to get the speed up to go faster. Even the term, like "throttle Up" can excite those who want to go into space. Yeah all that rocket fuel bursting forth into energy just behind your rear parts to propel you into space and to view what? Yes, that would be exciting and scary!

But so many things can occur at once when we start moving quickly, like making decisions that probably need some prayer time over before speaking or signing anything that might be costly to us or to our children.

In the new year that is upon us, I pray that we ponder the amazing works of the Lord in our lives. I pray that we would consider all the avenues that He has opened for us to journey through watching all the while that He is with us. I also pray that we would continually be open to seeing His paths before us.

Proverbs 3:5-7
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize and acknowledge Him and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil. Amplified

Proverbs 8:13-14
The reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate. 14 I have counsel and sound knowledge, I have understanding, I have might and power.

Proverbs 6:20-23
My son, keep your father's [God -given] commandments and forsake not the law of [God] your mother [taught] you. 21 Bind them continually upon your heart and tie them about your neck [Proverbs 3:3; Proverbs 7:3]
22 When you go, they [the words of your parent's God] shall lead you; when you sleep, they shall keep you; and when you awaken, they shall talk with you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the whole teaching [of the law] is light, and reproofs of discipline are the way of life. [Psalm 19:8] [Psalm 119:105]

That reproof, that discipline is life and it is from the Lord. When it is time for our lives to make a difference in this world, it is when we lean not to that which was taught by man and his wisdom, but by God alone. Our parents, if they attended to hearing God's Word is to teach us in the way of wisdom. In all our ways we are to recognize, yes recognize the Lord's leading..............ACKNOWLEDGE HIS LEADING...so we see the plan before us. For in recognizing Him, we are then receiving His counsel that is wise and sound. It is not loud, boisterous, hasty or against His Word.  It is that which gives us power and might of His Spirit to move through this journey, not just by giving people the 'message' in less than 25 minutes, but that the 'message' is not bound up in agenda's like making sure the offering message is given and that the music is going to move those "young folks, like those teens". It is not by any agenda's..........!!!
No, those who know God can move through making a difference to the young as well as to the elderly. They speak in peace and justice. They do not demand their own agendas or their own rights, they speak that which brings glory back to God..........and that place is a place of peace and justice.
In our lives, that putting the pedal to the metal, is knowing God is with us, in us and leading us. Amen.  It is His Word that causes us to lie down in green pastures. It is a place we rest at night, not concerned about 75 mile an hour winds, but that God has sent His ministering spirits to minister to us who are His children, His beloved.
God's word awakens us day by day.......to hear and to obey. Still in our choosing, but oh life is so much sweeter and more peace added with justice that delights our God and looks like us possessing the land He desires us to have. It is getting in that vehicle made with whatever man devised, but knowing God has set His angels around us, to guard us, and to keep us.
In being disciplined by His Word, we obey, we are the protected, out of harm's way and living life abundantly to tell others what God has done for us...........from healings, to restored marriages, restored families, and the birth of new ministries and new businesses!
Truly God is good..........and He is love!
In that place, there is no evil, no twisted speech, no hatred, but love. Loving God is hating that which is of the evil, the pride and the arrogance.


In writing this today, I reflect on some of the games(football) played over the weekend and how they seem to be played everyday of the week nowadays. I saw the Cincinnati team being talked about.........seeing and hearing them called only "Cinci"..........wow, nicknames for a team...........!
But one thing caught my eye, and it was this. A young man runs with football into end zone. At some point the football is either thrown down or given to the official who is nearby...........the player then....because of the "touchdown"....does this gesture............of taking his "maybe the pointer fingers"  and middle fingers of both hands ...bringing together and....kissing them...... then pointing upward to the sky..........!
Of course, my thought process was........"what"........was he thanking God ....for the touchdown...!
Not sure.

And only God can tell you the truth on that one. For most of us are not of this young man's team or one of his family members.......but I am certain they could say....something about it...........but in truth God will know if the young man is a true worshiper of God or not.

In the blog: High Risk! I wrote about having that one-to-one with God and how in a very difficult life or death situation who and what we believe will determine our end!
But on writing this today, I also was made to  think on my own life. 
I think of the place I was in that eventful night of March 17.........and with low hemoglobin and no matching blood because of warm antibodies, well it was not one I had planned for other than.........in all my days with the Lord, I was believing and declaring His Word over my life. In that eventful night and time, I was till told HIGH RISK! and the Admitting Dr. thought I should change my mind on whole matter. But in that 3 am hour, with lights turned off and I alone with God and my thoughts of what had just transpired..........I confessed His Word again...........that I would face the unknown of what was before knowing God had me and that was it. In the intimacy of that faithful moment, I reconciled myself to God and His plan and not to man or any kind of sickness or disease any devil could bring. I came to the place that God was more important to me than my life..........and was willing to go on to be with Him, but I believed I had much more to give to others, to encourage others and show others the way to God and His heart!
And in reflecting on what I had seen in that "end zone"........I was saddened for my alone times with God are so important to me, I will not share them with another ever!
And I did ask myself, if there is somewhere in my life am I acting in some manner that would not be of a reverential awe of God? Am I doing something that will not bring glory to God?

In the previous blog: HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE, are we just gossiping about what we have heard others say about God? And how about what we do or say, when other people's names are mentioned?
In speaking about God: are we really the ones with the close relationship to Him or we just exhibiting that we might know Him.........or are we just another who passes His name around but does not really know anything about Him? Are we the name-dropper?
ARE we those who are found with God and filled by His Spirit? Are we, those who operate in HIS power and might? Are we participating in life?  Are we those disciplined to recognize God in our lives, but also recognize Him in the lives of others? Is the total amount that is given to God..equal to all the texting and Facebook that I do? Or is there more time given to posting those pics and seeing what was texted back to me?
Do we give that comforting word that God is here, in this moment that satisfies and heals the broken? 

In that Pedal to the Metal.....it is action time.........but it comes by knowing Him!
 Of which family do we belong? Are we those who are the fortified to go......are the other....?

In closing: think on a moment when you saw a beautiful serene picture. Think of the tranquility of that scene. I think on this picture taken by a photographer over the holidays. It was of this place close to Mt. Hood and the snow was falling. And in it ........he captured..........the sound of "silence" of that snow..........of that scene. How beautiful.............how awe inspiring!
Today, think on your life in that beautiful serene picture. Think of you basking in all that beauty and all the peace. For that is what Your Father in heaven sees for you and for me. It is in that beauty of Him we behold His glory and His great love! And in that love, we find ourselves......yes, we each find our inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of a great worth in God's sight.(1 Peter 3:4)



Father, we are told in Psalm 9:9..."The Lord also will be a refuge and a high tower for the oppressed, a refuge and "stronghold" in times of trouble (high cost, destitution and desperation)" Father we understand that it is about relationship .......and that is with Jesus as our Savior. We are thankful for Jesus, the Lord and King, our Deliverer, Who is our "stronghold".
In all our getting of Your wisdom, we pray and believe that we know seeking to obey Your instructions is paramount for us to live life fully in the good You planned for us. Today, we give worship in praise with our lips that God is an awesome God.
In reading even further in Psalm 9:10 Father, we find this: And they who know YOUR name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for ) You [on the authority of God's Word and the right of their necessity]. Amplified
Our desire heavenly Father is to experience You daily. to intimately know and recognize You when You speak, when You act, when You are pleased with us. For we know that honoring YOU and putting YOU first, in our lives, our enemies are turned back from causing us harm. It is YOU Who delivers us..........and we give thanks.
I cannot speak for all who pray this today, but for me........and my house......we will serve the Lord.
Jesus predicted the time of the end. It is where we find we live and exist. And Jesus said, "but as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. "(Matthew 24:37)
Despite all the serious things going on today, people are still going about those "normal routines". Without considering what is on the horizon coming toward them, they take not a moment to think or ponder on major events and those which will affect them on a personal basis. We pray to not be those easily distracted by noise, by hype, by something given on Facebook, but actually know Your words and thoughts concerning these days and how short time is right now. For we know technology is awesome. To have an outreach like Facebook certainly reaches many lives and may those who do it for life prosper in life to see that which benefits another. Today Holy Spirit help us that as we read the Holy Word, pray for those around us.......to pray for those worldwide who are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Help us join as that "spiritual" team that will pray and see the best days for those WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS, THE LORD, MESSIAH AND OUR COMING KING! Amen.



You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV