Cable Butler

Anyone like a good movie to watch on a cloudy and rainy afternoon?
What about a good mystery of "who done it" type involving about ten people and they all seem like the "bad guy"?
What about a movie of someone dealing with an illness? No! Well, how about the "Avengers"? Too much action for you, well, how about a movie for the younger generation like something called "Ice Age"?
No, can't do the animation type thing?

How about grabbing the "cable butler" and let him lead you over the channels available to you from the service you pay for?
If you do that for very long, frustration can set in! You can find the channel finder exposing what the world sees as entertainment. How about ghosts today or some zombie flick? NO! How about another shark movie? How about another "mummy type" movie? NO!
What else is on? Well, the history channel sometimes has some informative things of the past generations, we could look at that for awhile. There is something about UFO's on as well!
What about the news channel? What about the Travel Channel? Have you seen that channel, you know, the one on all those fancy pools being built? Was wondering if any were being built in California. A thought of pools and all that water needed to fill a pool and with a water shortage going right now in California would seem just wrong, would it not?

Yes, the Cable Butler is there to guide you into T.V. paradise, mummies and all! Looking for the packages of the Youth, or those packaged for R. , the Cable Butler, that handy little remote control, will take you where you desire to go visit!

aah, but .....we have apps for free T. V. and movies. Wow! Awesome. You will get there even faster.  Is it possible that Cable Butler can get us into trouble or even those free apps for phone users wanting to catch a  T. V. series and movies?
Yes, gazing for hours into that "wide screen" or your little phone screen, can certainly make you feel at home away from the theaters.

Yes, we have cruise control in that handy Cable Butler!
But what moments are we missing by gazing at the "wide screen"? Is it possible that which we are viewing could change our course forever, or even for some time? What are we allowing to broadcast into our homes and into our hearts that might stop our walk with God? This is just a question, okay?

We are told that a "table is prepared" for each of us in the presence of our enemies. That means the adversary knows what is ahead on the path for each of us. He has spent thousands of years getting to understand the "human" and see how he operates. We saw what happened when he went to Eve and that all transpired to living out of the garden of Eden to working for a living, tilling the ground, and ultimately see that we needed a Savior.


Psalm 23:5........5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.  NKJV

enemies: tsarar pronounced- (tsaw-rar'.....meaning to cramp. 
Other meanings: to shut up, to distress, to bind up, trouble

Have you ever tried running as your form of exercise? It can take some time, and you start out slow. You can ask my daughter about that one. When she was in Jr. High and High School, I ran some for exercise. I had started out slow, and she would go with me. She would ride her bike and make some blocks and come back to check on me. Sometimes she would stay with me and we would talk, but mostly she liked the hills and loved riding as fast and furious as she could on those high hills that surrounded our neighborhood.

Once in awhile, when running, I would notice a cramp in my calf muscle.  I would find my warm -ups needed to be lengthened before walking out the front door. So I found relief from the cramp thing by spending more time warming up and stretching. Then after more weeks passing, the cramp returned, but now was at night. So looking for more relief, vitamin E came to the rescue.
The thought here is that running the race, we require a need for some space, some equipping in good running shoes, some preparation like stretching, and of course, some right eating as in a good diet with all the good vegetables and wholesome meats like chicken and fish as part of that preparation for a race.
Remember what Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 .....................24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.      NKJV

People watch us daily. We have opportunity to minister life to them. Just like Paul spoke about, we have to discipline this body as to not become disqualified for that which God called us. And everyone is called to something specific as the Body of Christ!  It takes discipline to prepare to do something God has for us to do. So am I taking in the right things to minister the life that Jesus gave His life for to see us with Him forever? What am I allowing to 'broadcast' into my heart that should not have an opening ever into my heart?

In 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 25, we are told to run in such a way that is temperate in all things. Hummm......temperate. What has being temperate have to do with running a race? 

temperate:egkarateuomai and is pronounced (eng-krat-yoo'-om-ahee) to exercise in being self-restrained and in chastity.

When we look that word chastity up, it brings up both marriage and crimes. 

Interesting that Paul talked about running as one being self-controlled and chaste. In looking up chaste, we find,  morally pure in conduct and thought. So running a race, of which God has placed for us, involves being morally pure in both conduct and thought. Reasonable and discreet also sum up being temperate or self-controlled.

Titus 2...............2:1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 6 Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. 9 Exhort bond servants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.    11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. NKJV

Yes, we find that word temperate and chaste found in verses 2 and 5 of this passage of scripture.

2 Timothy 4:1-8................4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.   NKJV

What we remember about Paul before his name change, was that he harassed Christians. He spoke threats against them and then chased them down!  Reading about him in the book of Acts and chapter 9, we find him getting letters from the high priest to officials in the synagogues. He wanted to bring those following Jesus bound to Jerusalem. But what stopped Saul in his tracks against someone else?

Acts 9:1-10............9:1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" And the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.   NKJV

Now Saul who became Paul, was raised as a Pharisee. He was in memorization of the LAW some eight hours a day when he was some 3-4 years old. He knew how to be a Pharisee and to operate there. They took of what was from the Word we know as the first 5 books, The Law!

But Jesus desired Saul to move into a place to minister and that was TO those outside, those Gentiles, yes, it was the rest of the world!

Paul tells us of his soon departure. He had fought a good fight of faith. He told us that he had finished his race .....(2 Timothy 4:7)... 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 

Paul had to contend against an adversary who wanted his attention somewhere else. Paul had to labor fervently to finish what he knew God had given him to do in this life.
The enemy certainly put a "cramp" in that which Paul was doing before Jesus came and spoke to him on the road to Damascus.

Did Paul know a lot about the books of the Law? He surely did! Do we think we know all that we need to run the race set before us? Paul told us he had to keep the faith he had for what he believed. He told us that he kept the faith and it is that which he had to watch and guard!

have kept: tereo (tay-reh'-o) to watch, to guard from loss

Titus 2:8 mentions that shame should come on the opponent, the one who opposes us. So in all this, we are to run like Paul ran when he got the "right course" set for him to run. We are to keep the faith by keeping guard of it, and as we keep watch of that faith, we move toward the victory line, that prize as those who are self-controlled and chaste.

As in preparing to "take a run" for exercise, we should also consider how we are running this race before us. Are we on the right path? Are we staying within the parameters that God has set for us? Are we taking up other things like the "Cable Butler" and feeding our hearts with too much other stuff of the world? We should consider what and how much do we take in on a regular basis. God surely wants us to enjoy life, but not give our souls into hell while enjoying too much of a good thing, we think we deserve.

Father, thank You for the examples of those who ran their race for You and have received their crowns of righteousness. Truly those who have gone ahead of us and stayed their course have their victor's crown. We pray for the patience and the courage to keep running the course You have set for each of us. We pray over decision-making as to what we put before our eye-gate. We know there are probably hundreds of choices that are not life-altering. But some may be life-altering to the plan You have set for us to run. Today, we stand on the Word that You will teach us in the way we should go; and that You will counsel us with Your eye upon us. (Psalm 32:8) We are thankful for Your wisdom today and it will guide us in decision making for this day. Today we expect to have those hearts that are counseled by You in our time together. Father, we pray to be those who will display Your goodness, mercy and transforming power to others. We pray to be obedient at every spoken word You give to us. Help us when we feel like the going is hard. Help us know Your truth concerning YOUR will for our lives. We know You have good things for us.....help us, build within us that fire that never goes out, but will accomplish what YOU destined us to do for YOU in this life. In Jesus' name we pray and believe our best days are ahead for victory in YOU. Amen.

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

No Appetite, No Presence of God

Proverbs 16:20......20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. NKJV

Proverbs 19:8.........8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;

He who keeps understanding will find good. NKJV

Ever met someone, or worked with someone who had this statement of "I am not happy." Then the "someone" will state why they think they are not happy. It is either due to their job, their spouse, their children, the parent's that raised them or where they live.

But being happy has nothing to do with the other people in our lives or where we live, but has everything to do with our heart issues. We can always go look for "greener grass" but take the some 'ole heart issues with us.

Yes, many chase the proverbial, "greener grass" thing, sometimes by ending up divorced, separated from their offspring, changing jobs and finding more trouble than they believed they could ever possibly get into in their entire life.

We are told in 1 Peter to have one mind, compassion for one another, to be tenderhearted and courteous...........

1 Peter 3:8-12.....8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For 

"He who would love life 

And see good days,

Let him refrain his tongue from evil,

And his lips from speaking deceit.  

11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;

Let him seek peace and pursue it.  

12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their prayers;

But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."  NKJV

Imagine the world having one mind. Imagine a world where everyone had compassion for their neighbor and not trying to outdo that neighbor. And you know what I mean! Yeah, let's get that new car, move into that new home, but the old car is barely two years old and the old house is not even ten years old yet.

Yes, it is heart issues and what we think is "happy". It is all that "stuff" from the past that clutters and adds chaos to our thinking.

Imagine people who are tender-hearted toward one another, who will bless you no matter what! He who would love life and see good days is to refrain his tongue from speaking evil of anyone.

No lying here!  No conjuring up a lie to tell someone. You know like when you were in school and the "kid" said, "the dog ate his homework." My dog did not like eating paper. She preferred biscuits and gravy, thank you very much!

But honestly, being happy to me lines up with those beatitudes from the book of Matthew 5:3-12. Every believer should have these as the evidence they are saved and look out for others ........

Matthew 5:3-12..........3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted. 

5 Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth. 

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled. 

7 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy. 

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God. 

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God. 

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. NKJV

ENCOUNTERS:These are encounters with God. They are those God-kind of things that cause us to look different, sound different and to act different than other people act in similar situations!

Nope, not making God to my image, I am the one who will fear the Lord! I will keep my focus on a  "Big God" and not little me! Whatever the chaos that may be taking on the world, our feet should be established knowing God is bigger and is greater than any major earthquake, bird flu virus, measles, mumps and rubella.

 OUR God wants us to operate in His wisdom and not bury our heads in some sand dune somewhere and "pretend".  (well, let's pretend this is not real)

It is our duty to mourn after God and to lament. For truly we are seeing today what sin does to a nation! We should not be looking for the way out, to run away from that which troubles our world, our nation, and community. Ours is to represent a great God and mourn. When others are looking for a way out, we should be looking for the "doorway in" to helping those who do not know Jesus. The only "happy" found here is looking to God who is our sufficiency. He has given us some very solid promises of what He wants for us if we are willing to go after them.

Today, it seems easy for some to lie, to cast the blame, and gather those who would slander and harm another, but our comfort, peace and life eternal is from the God who expressed His love to us through His Son..............

Hungering for God .......to be saturated with His Word, His Presence, and His glory. Is it not time to see all that come to pass for us?

I always hear people say, "well, you don't have to read the Bible everyday" and I am appalled.

I always think of the fireplace and those pieces of coal that were placed there hours ago and lit to heat a room. I know that when you take one of those lumps of fire-hot coals out, they will burn bright for a few minutes but in less than about 15 minutes they start to turn cold. But inserting the piece of coal back into the fire will cause it to burn brightly again.  So when we insert ourselves into His Word and His way of doing, we become saturated with Who He is.

Then we walk out into the world for a job that may be less than what we expected, a visit to a hospital to see someone who might need prayer and an encouraging word. We can walk out from the Word of God and prayer to call someone to let them know we are thinking about them. We could find something good to say to our children and grand-children or for someone else's grand-children. We become those peacemakers who choose not to lie, not be addicted to lying but on the contrary to make peace. Yes, it is an on-going study to find that place to stay in His peace. Not by my works but truly serving my family and others through a peace that came through Jesus Christ.

Psalm 23:5-6............
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over. 
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever. NKJV

A hungering for God is coming to the table that He has prepared for us to dine at!  He has prepared it for us, and do we sit at that table or hunger after the table set by the world. Do we hunger for "more fun", "more things for me", "more everything for me" or are we hungering to see the dead raised, the cancer victim carry cancer no more, to see a child healed of leukemia or senior citizen healed of alzheimer's.  For these are all names under the feet of Jesus and if we fill up with Him, then who or what can stand against?

I think of this family who live close by out here in the gorge. I am always reminded of their generous spirit to help foster small children. Most of those small ones come from broken homes and from parents who abuse some kind of substance. Some of these little ones were babies and I saw this couple take these "little ones" into their home to be loved and comforted in their pain. To me, their sacrifice has been to bring peace into these "little ones " lives. Can we do as much?

Closing: we choose to be happy because of the God Who gave so much. We choose this "green grass" here and know God has a life of happiness for us when we follow His lead and dine at His table!

I pray that people everywhere will make Jesus the Shepherd of their lives.

Father, today I think of all those who follow that pigskin and this is their big day today. In watching all that activity and ball throwing, I pray for people not to be taken in by all the ads they see and hear on  T.V. Today I pray for those to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and not follow the voice of the stranger. Lord, when we commit our ways to You, YOU cause our thoughts to become agreeable to YOUR will and our plans will be established and succeed. I pray for all who have opportunity to read this to Know without a DOUBT, that they are of more value than any football game that lasts for four hours. I pray that they would find the table prepared by a good God and has called us to His kingdom of God for such a time as this.

Lord, for those who hunger, saturate them with Your Word and and lead them in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. It is You that Restores Us! Restore us Lord, and make us into the man and woman You destined us to be and may it be to Your glory. We give You thanks for the good things You have for us and we do not have to chase after them or even after money. You are the Provider Who provides for our every need. Keep watch over Your children Lord and I will watch and pray for them as well. May they rise up IN YOU and SEE THEIR ENEMIES SCATTERED IN JESUS' NAME. Amen.

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