Take a fruit break today (and every day).

Galatians 5:22-23

King James Version (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

John 14

King James Version (KJV)

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-9

King James Version (KJV)

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

We live in a truly messed up world. We live at a very fast pace. We're going to work, to the store, to the doctors, and to kids concerts and practices. We have to fix our cars, our hair, our families, and our lives. We're always going and going. 

Is it any wonder that our stress levels are up, our families are in turmoil, and and our hearts are under tremendous pressure? We worry about everything and have peace about almost nothing. As a result, we scream at our families, rather than talk to them. 

Our lives seem to be built around overcoming one obstacle after another. It's crazy. What's a Christian to do in this overwhelming world?

First, take a cue from Jesus. Every time he started his day (and many times during the day and at the end if his day), Jesus prayed. Yes, Jesus was (and is) God in human flesh. But his flesh was still human. In order to make it through the day, perform the ministry he had to do, and overcome the enormous obstacles that were set before him, he had to pray.

The scriptures say that "(we) can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth (us)." (Philippians 4:13) The flesh of Jesus knew he had monumental tasks ahead so he started each day in communion with the spirit of God. We should to. If we are to make it through the many challenges that beset us each day, we need to stay in close contact with the spirit of God.

In fact, we need to do as Paul wrote and "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thes. 5:17) Whatever may come our way, we need to pray before, during, and after. If we don't, we will inevitably fail.

Jesus also tells us to "let not (our) hearts be troubled." In other words, it's a choice. We can either worry ourselves to death trying to figure out how to fix the problems we face, or we can remember that Jesus is in control.

"In everything by prayer and supplications...let your requests be made known to God," is what we need to do. We need to ask him for direction and then follow through with the actions that are required for us to do to play our part. 

Finally, we need to keep our mind and hearts focused on "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

The more we keep our minds and hearts on God and good things, the less stress we will have in our lives. When we dive off into ungodly entertainment and activities, then we are much more easily discouraged and stressed. It then becomes a viscous and counterproductive circle.

The more we worry, the more stress we have. The more stress we have, the more we dive off into entertainment (be it books, movies, games, websites, alcohol, etc) to escape our troubles. The more we try and escape and don't face the problems, the worse the problems become. The worse the problems become, the more we worry- and the process begins all over again.

Let us stop the rat race, get off the wheel, and seek God and his righteousness. If we will, then "the God of peace shall be with (us)." Then, it won't be so hard to deal with life. And we will develop part of the fruit of the spirit that he so wants to develop in us- HIS peace.

May the Lord help us ALL follow this advice in our lives. In Jesus name!  

Marc Royce 3.0- Called to be weak?

1 Timothy 6:11-12

King James Version (KJV)

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

If you (like me) are a fan of Davis Bunn's action character, Marc Royce, then get ready for a treat. What started in Lion of Babylon and it's sequel, Rare Earth, continues in Bunn's latest novel, Straight of Hormuz, due out November 5, 2013.  

Part three has more action, more plot twists, and even more problems to overcome. Seemingly isolated from his government, in conflict in his personal relationships, and facing a foe that is both intelligent and tricky, what's a spy to do?

However, for me personally, the true resolution of the book doesn't come at the very satisfying ending that leaves the possibility of another sequel (please?). It comes on pages 201 and 202 out of 332 pages. Marc Royce teaches us all a much needed lesson:

"I have spent my entire adult life training to be a warrior. To analyze and fight and succeed. To control risk and battle danger. And yet there comes a moment when I must go against my training. When I must accept that events are not to be fought against, but rather accepted in prayer. That at such times I cannot retreat into the safety of coldness and anger and still remain a faithful servant. There is NO (emphasis mine) harder lesson for me to learn than to recognize the moment when I am called to be weak."

Wow! What a lesson!

I can hear Paul (I believe) saying: 32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Hebrews 11:32-34).

I can hear 2 Chronicles 20:15 : And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

We humans, especially men, seem to go through life trying to "defeat our enemies." Every situation we find ourselves in must be analyzed, strategized, and conquered.  We pat ourselves on the back for our ingenuity. Yet, sometimes, our Lord has to allow the situation to get so bad that we have no choice but to look up and ask for his divine help. That's usually when he moves his sovereign hand and brings victory- after we have submitted to him.

This is why I enjoy these books so much. Though Marc is an amazing character in literature, he is not presented as a superman. He is presented as well trained, intelligent, and dedicated, but as a real human being. He suffers the same doubts, fears, and weaknesses that we do.

Most importantly, he has to rely on God's help to bring the victory, just as we do.

If you want to read a good book just for enjoyments sake, Straight of Hormuz is an excellent choice. However, if you want to get more out of it than an afternoon or two's entertainment, then dig a little deeper.

This action book should come with a Christian study guide. It covers themes of relationships with the opposite sex (keeping ourselves pure), standing for truth (even when our superiors are against us), relationships with other believers, and much more.

Want to taste before you buy? Here's a link to the first 3 chapters:  (http://statictab.com/j4s7yd8). 

Good stuff, Davis Bunn. When's the next one coming out?

When the Lord refuses a sacrifice.

15 Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.

² Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
³ Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
⁴ And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
⁵ And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
⁶ And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
⁷ And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
⁸ And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
¹⁰ Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,
¹¹ It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.
¹² And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
¹³ And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.
¹⁴ And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
¹⁵ And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
¹⁶ Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
¹⁷ And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?
¹⁸ And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
¹⁹ Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?
²⁰ And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
²² And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
²⁴ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
²⁵ Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.
²⁶ And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
²⁷ And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
²⁸ And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
²⁹ And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
³⁰ Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.
³¹ So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the Lord.
³² Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
³³ And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
³⁵ And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.


Saul was given great position, blessings, honor, and responsibility. He loved the position, blessings, and honor. But, he tried to circumvent the responsibility. Therefore, he lost out with God.

Popular teaching today says that "God always honors our sacrifices." Really? He rejected Saul's. He rejected Cain's. Why? He rejects all sacrifices that are contrary to his word and ways of doing things.

When God's word says for us to live one way, but we reject that and live another, how can we expect God to bless what we try to do for him?

We buy into the popular theologies of the day that tell us of God's love for us, his desire for us to prosper, and all the blessings he wishes to give us. But, a half truth is a whole lie. These "doctrines" don't give the whole picture.

Samuel told Saul, "to obey is better than sacrifice..." The Lord is looking for a people that will submit and obey him. Many are the people who try, like Saul and Cain, to reach God their own way- without following the whole counsel of God.

Jesus' response to this attitude rings loud and clear: "narrow is the gate that leadeth to life, and few there be that FIND it.."

God's not gonna force us to live for him. He died for us. He'll help us to live for him and make heaven. But, he won't force us to obey. That choice is ours to make. We can give all we own to the needy, and still not make it. We can sing or preach to thousands, but be lost in the end.

We MUST obey him. The christian life is simple, really. It's a walk of faithful obedience to God. No matter what come our way or who comes against us, we must stay the path. If we will choose to obey him in all we do, we will barely make it in. Peter said, "If the righteous SCARCELY be saved..."

So, what is our choice? To obey, or not to obey? That is the question. (Sorry Shakespeare) Do we try Saul's way and go through the motions but cut corners off that we don't like? Or, do we pray and study and follow what we find there?

Time will tell. "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord."

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