Expected End

My topic to day is Male Enhancement. I have given this topic more thought than perhaps I should. As I get older,  I often look over my life: where I am now, and I see that  not only am I not the man I once was. Actually, I probably never was the man I once was. I often compared myself to certain public figures I admired: Muhammad Ali, Wilt Chamberlain, Jimi Hendrix.  Larger than life figures. By comparison to them, I always came up short.

But then I saw these Ads on TV and in the magazines Ads for “Male enhancement  pills.” You know the ones I mean. They promise to enlarge my appeal with women and my standing among men. A Chrysler 300M or an Escalade with 22 inch rims.  Fine homes, fine cars, fine clothing, big screen TV. Must haves for a player ( retired player I might add) A beautiful Beyonce-style trophy wife or girlfriend. A few  women on the side.  All this I needed to be a real man in this society. And it could all  be mine if I would just take that little pill. Read more »

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:16,17

That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:16:

If we are acceptable to God and sanctified – set apart, a thing of value and utility put aside to be used in the manner it is designed for – then let us live out the full meaning of this. The Just shall live by faith. The just shall live as if they believed every promise of God to be true and applicable to them – and especially them because they are accepted and sanctified.

If we truly believed something, we would act upon it. If I believe this chair can hold me, I won’t hesitate to sit down when I need to. I leave my house every day, confident that I can breathe the air. If my friend, Bill, says to me, “Anytime you need some money, let me know.”  I will not hesitate to go to him if I am in need.

If I go to the ATM and check my balance, if it says I have $50.00 and I need $40.00, I will go ahead withdraw my $40.00. Wait thought: what is some checks haven’t cleared yet, or my last gasoline purchase hasn’t gone through. Even though my ATM balance says I have $50.00, I may not have in fact have the $50.00. To be confident of this, I need to examine my receipts,  then reconcile my account. Only then will I know whether to proceed or not with the withdrawal.

Does this describe our faith in God’s promises? We know what the word says, but we think we have some transactions that haven’t cleared yet: sins we haven’t confessed or even sins we are not even aware of.

What if we knew that if we went to the ATM, saw our balance, withdrew the money we need based on that balance and we knew that the bank would not penalize us. In fact, the next day, someone from the bank would call us and alert us to the problem and give us an opportunity to put in more money. Or give us over-draft protection. With confidence, we would withdraw the money we need. Because we appreciate the banks policies – we know how it was at our old bank– we don’t take advantage of the overdraft protection and deliberately take out took much money. We respond in kind to the bank.

Likewise, in our Christian walk. We appreciate, we are thankful that God has cleansed us, justified us, sanctified, and still sanctifies us. We respond in kind. We accept God’s promises –Faith. We Boldly walk in them. In finances, in health, in family, in our spiritual family here at Latter Rain (my home church), what ever area of our life in which we have need. In every part of our life, We walk by faith (not by our sin account because we know that the Holy Spirit works in believers to correct). God has justified us, so we live by faith.

I am not there yet, but God is working in me and in all of us to take us from “faith to faith”. From a little faith to water walking faith: from “now I lay me down type faith” to believing God for your home, your future mate, your children, your business, the economy, your health, your finances, your ministry, your next meal. The Just (us) will live by faith.

God told Abraham that through his offspring all the nations would be blessed. God promised Abraham he would have a son, an heir through whom to pass his inheritance and blessing to future generations. But Abraham was 100 years old: his wife Sara was 90 years old and barren.

Sarah came up with a plan: through her hand maiden Hagar, Abraham would have his firstborn son. Abraham went along with the plan and Ishmael was born. But God told Abraham that his covenant would be with the Abraham’s son born to Sarah not Hagar.

What did Ishmael do wrong? Was he a man like Cain, bitter, disobedient, and full of hate? No God blessed Ishmael in Chapter 16,17, and 21. It says that God was with the lad. His presence, his provision, his protection, his guidance was with Ismael, but his covenant was through Isaac, the son of the promise. Read more »

Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Some believe that Cain and Abel were twins, Cain being the oldest. This is based this upon Genesis chapter 4:1 where it says that Eve conceived and bore Cain. In verse 2 Eve bore again his brother Abel but the word conceived is not used.

At any rate, Cain was the firstborn. Cain followed his father Adams profession and was a farmer. Brother Abel raised sheep. At a certain time, the boys presented their gifts to God. Abel offered the firstborn of his flock. Cain brought God an offering from the fruit of the soil. God respected – had regard for or looked with favor upon — Abel’s offering but not Cain’s.

Cain and Abel. Twin boys. Same parents. Same religious upbringing. They must have known what God expected as far as offerings were concerned. Cain brought the fruits of his labor, Abel brought his. Yet Abel’s was accepted, Cain’s wasn’t. Why? Read more »