"If" you have been foolish..........

For me, I would not say, "if", but yes, of course I have been, in fact, many times.

As I read in my devotions this morning, these verses stood out to me.

Proverbs 30:32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, Or if you have devised evil, put your hand to your mouth.

Proverbs 30:33 For as the churning of milk produces butter, And as wringing the nose produces blood, So the forcing of wrath produces strife.

We tend to exalt ourselves, it comes naturally, it's really the problem of the "pride of life" Jesus talked about it so often, and we have so many examples of it in the Old Testament.

And, if we have devised or thought evil, yes, of course we have, then here is what we ought to do, and why.

We should put our hand on our mouths, that is, stop it. That's the simple instruction the Lord gives us here. If it's coming out of your mouth, put your hand on your mouth and stop it.

Then, the reason.........just like the churning of milk produces butter, if we do not exercise self control, and we are tempted to anger, and do not exercise self-control, it will produce wrath.

Self control, is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He lives in us, to help us in so many ways. This is a big area where He can help. Self control, is when He helps us to master ourselves, and to restrain ourselves, to have control of ourselves.

The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit is our Helper, not the one who condemns us. He has come into our lives, to come alongside of us and to take our hearts as it were by His hand, to lead us and to guide us.

One of the main ways the Holy Spirit guides us, is to lead us to the forgiveness of God. The Bibles says in 1st John 1:7, But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

So, may the Lord be our helper today. We all have done foolishly, more times then we care to think about. But, the Lord has not given up on you, and will never give up on you. One thing He will do for you, for sure, is to help you.

Lord, thank You for having the Holy Spirit live inside of us, and for being our Helper. We confess our sins to You, and ask for cleansing, and strength. May we walk in that self control that You give to us. In Jesus name, amen..........

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Practical Application and promises from God.

1. Remember, God does not condemn you.

2. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

3. Take God's hand as it were, and let Him lead you today.

4. God is going to finish what He started in your life.

5. Be merciful to others, they may need more help then you do.

6. Jesus came to save, not condemn, let's try and act just like Him.

IMG_0226

IMG_0226, a photo by pastorbobgrenier on Flickr.

pastorbobgrenier's photostream

pastorbobgrenier's photostream on Flickr.

When you don’t want to do God’s will for your life.

If your feeling this way, you are not alone. Even our Lord Jesus Christ experienced this very thing in His own life.

As you can see from Mark 14:36 it says, “And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will”

When Jesus was facing the cross, in one sense He did not want to go through with it. It’s a mystery to us, because in other places in the Bible its speaks of Jesus coming into the world to do just that thing, to go to the cross to die for our sins and bring us salvation. But, in another sense, it’s clear that He did not want to go through with it. So, your not alone. But, please notice what He did. He said nevertheless, which means, yet, or notwithstanding, and rather. It’s a word of transition.

It means, I don’t want to do one thing, but let me move to another thought. And that thought is, regardless of what I want, I will do what You want me to do. And that is my supreme desire, it’s to carry out Your will.

So, the next time you are conflicted about doing the will of God, may God help you to follow the example of Jesus Christ. Don’t focus on what you don’t want to do, but rather on what God wants you to do. Ask God to help you. He will give you the grace in that moment.

Father, many things are easier said then done. And, this may be one of them. But, we know Lord, that when You call us to something, we are able to do it. Not by our strength, but by Yours.

In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Applicational thoughts

1. God’s grace is sufficient to help us.

2. When we are at the end of our rope, there is no where to turn but to God.

3. Be encouraged, remember times in the past when God has delivered you.

4. Don’t be condemned, many others have had the same experience.

5. Remember, there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus

6. God is Your helper, be patient, He will help you.

Don't do what you want to do.....

Pr 20:22 Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

Pr 24:29* Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

Many times in the Bible the Lord ( for our own good, and to give us His wisdom ) tells us what not to do, or what not to say. In the case of these two verses, that's what's being said to us. "Do not say etc, etc."

Both of these verses have to do with what we might tend to say, or tend to do, when someone has done something evil to us.

In Pro 20:22 We are told, "Do not say I will recompense evil"......Or don't say, I'm going to pay that person back. But rather "Wait for the Lord, and He will save you" To wait here means, to wait expectantly, and the Lord will rescue you.

In Pro 24:29, is pretty much a repetition. It's telling us in no uncertain terms to "Not to do to the other person what they have done to you"

Back to the Lord for a moment. He promises to save or rescue you in situations like what's described above. God has a plan, and He will come through in His plan, in His time, and in the meantime, it's best to follow His guidance and instruction. Don’t say or do what you might want to say or do.

In the NT, we are also told that "Vengeance belongs to the Lord"......It's not our responsiblity to pay people back for what they have done to us. We are to leave that with the Lord, that is His business.

Ro 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

We are beloved by the Lord, though not by others. Don’t avenge, ( to exact penalty from another ), but rather give place to wrath...It’s the Lord’s business.....He will repay.

Father, thank You for Your Word, it fits to our lives so well, and deals with the needs that we have from day to day. We love you, In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Practical Applicational thoughts

1. It's best sometimes to not say what you want to say to someone.

2. We don't have to follow the world's example of dealing with evil and offense.

3. The Lord has allowed your situation, and He will rescue you in due time.

4. Be patient when in a trial, God is faithful, He will help you.

5. By obeying the Lord, you will not make the situation worse then it already is.

Which heart is yours?

Proverbs 28:25 says, "He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered."

Which of the two do you want to be? Which one might you be today? Which one could you be as the day rolls on?

There are two kinds of hearts mentioned here, one that is proud and stirs up strife, and one that trusts in the LORD and finds itself being prospered. Let's take a closer look at them.

He who is of a proud heart.....meaning, (a greedy spirit, , a wide heart, an enlarged heart ) this person stirs up, or meddles, is contentious, and the bring about strife, or discord, quarrels. Meddling is of course when we are involved in something that is not really our business, and contention is causing trouble.

But, he who is trusting in the LORD, finds prosperity. To trust is have confidence in the LORD, that is, in Jehovah, or "the existing one"

That trusting heart is going to find the LORD bringing prosperity into their lives. One of the meanings of prosperity is "to take away ashes" and "to anoint" It really means, to be enriched and blessed. Ashes are a picture for us of something that has been ruined through fire. When a fire has taken place, there is normally a clean-up that takes place.

The LORD is the one who will take away the ashes of the ruin of our lives or circumstances. And, He will anoint our lives with His forgiveness, and cleansing.

The Lord is the one who alone excels in cleaning up a ruined life. So, if by some chance you have been brought to some ruin, and there is nothing but ashes to show for what has happened, know that the LORD today, can come and make your life new, and bless your life, and enrich your life.

All you need to do, is to come to Him, and to ask Him for His Grace and His mercy, and He will freely give it to you. Remember, He loves you more then you know.

Father, thank You for who You are, and for what You do in our lives. We can make such a mess of things, but You can bless what we have broken.

In Jesus name amen.

Bob Grenier

Pastor Calvary Chapel Visalia

Applicational thoughts.

1. You can be different.

2. God changes lives.

3. You can go from ashes to blessings.

4. Have faith in God today.

5. God is the God of forgiveness and restoration.

6. Let Him work in you today. Just believe Him, and act upon His Word.

What will happen tomorrow?

We don't really know.

Proverbs 27:1 says, "Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Here we are being given wisdom from God. Don't boast about tomorrow etc. What does that mean? Boast is also translated, foolish, and can mean to make into a fool.

The simple reason that we ought not to boast about what may happen tomorrow, is that we don't know. No one knows that will happen even a second from now.

Much is said about this same issue in the NT, in James 4:13-17, but to summarize here, what we ought to say is, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that".

In other words, it's normal and needful to make our plans, and to even have our desires about tomorrow, but it's God's way for us to always remember, that He is in control, He is guiding, He has plans for us for the next day, He is leading our lives. So, to live with the Lord's will in mind is how consider what will happen tomorrow.

Father, we love You, and we thank You that we find comfort in knowing that You are in control of our lives, and You have a plan for tomorrow, and for the rest of this day, and for the rest of our lives. Help us to live with You as the priority in our lives. Putting You first in all that we do. In Jesus name,

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S Here are 6 Applicational thoughts.

God is also working all things that happen today and tomorrow for our good.

God's plan and ways are much better then anything we can come up with.

God's ways and plans may not be easy for us to accept, but He will help us along.

God knows what is best for us.

God has the power to bring about His will in our lives today and tomorrow.

Trusting the Lord is the way to go. He promises to direct our paths.

Jesus does not give up on you, even when you trip up and stumble

Mark 14:27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.’

Mark 14: 28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Jesus knew ahead of time that virtually all of those whom He had chosen would stumble and be scattered in one of His own darkest moments. But, He chose them anyways. ( perhaps it's because He has no perfect people to choose from )

He knew they would be tripped up during this incident of His being arrested, because it was written ahead of time, God said it would happen.

When we trip up, we can falsely think, "the Lord is through with me, He will never use me again" The guilt and sense of failure because of our sin can be overwhelming.

But, the Lord does not give up on you, just because you may have given up on Him. Please notice what is said in Mark 14:28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Jesus was letting them know that He had plans to meet up with them after He was raised from the dead. He would meet them again. And meet them He did. In fact, one of the stories is about Peter in particular, and of how the Lord restored him back to fellowship and ministry.

So, if you have tripped up, if you have stumbled, if you have strayed away from the Lord, please know of His unchanging love for you, and of His desire for you to be back in fellowship with Him.

The Bible says that if we confess our sins, He if faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1st John 1:9

"Lord, we pray for any and all who may be reading these words today, and ask that You would pour into our lives, and into theirs a renewed sense of Your grace and Your love for them. And, of Your desire for fellowship and usefulness in each life. We thank You for cleansing us of our sins, and ask that You keep us and give us strength today. In Jesus name, amen"

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S Some applicational thoughts

1. Focus on the the Lord not your sin and failures.

2. Jesus knew when He picked you, that you would fail.

3. The Lord forgives us when we confess our sins.

4. Forget what is behind you and look to Jesus

5. Remember God is faithful, even when we are not.

When Jesus sang...

He was signing from Psalms 113-118. This is what Jews did following their celebration of the Passover meal.

Mark 14:26 says, "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives"

These Hymns, or Psalms are primarily about one thing. They are about the Mercies of God. Can you imagine Jesus singing there with the disciples about Mercy.

What is mercy? It can be explained by comparing it with some other attributes or characteristics of God.

Justice is when we receive what we deserve.

Grace is when we get what we don't deserve.

Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

God is merciful and He has been merciful to us, and He will continue to be merciful to us forever and forever.

Jesus said, blessed are the merciful for they will obtain mercy. Matt 5.

May today be a day where we are reminded of God's mercy towards us, and may we extend that same mercy to others. In fact, may it be a day where we at some point can sing like Jesus did about the mercy of God.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S Some applicational thoughts.

1. Being merciful to others is a sure way to receive mercy ourselves.

2. Showing mercy to others is what we would want shown to us.

3 God is pleased when we are merciful to others.

4. Being merciful is being Christ like.

5 We can pray for and receive God's mercy today in our lives.

Have you stumbled?

The apostle Peter sure did. Jesus told the apostles that they all would be made to stumble that night recorded for us in Mark 14:27. Peter's response was , "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be" Mark 14:29

Jesus then told Peter he would wind up denying Him 3 times before morning came. Peter then responded with, "If I have to die with you, I will not deny You!"

The word stumble as it's used here means, to trip up and to offend. And, to desert one whom he ought to trust and obey.

Well, that's what happened to Peter, he stumbled.

But.........that's not the end of the story, and it's not the end of the story if you have in some way stumbled. Look what happened to Peter after his stumbling. ( It's a picture of grace, and of how the Lord helps His own who have stumbled, so take heart if you have stumbled, the Lord is not through with you yet.

Here is what Jesus did with the apostle Peter

Jesus continued to love Peter.

Jesus appeared to Peter after He rose from the dead.

Jesus breathed on Peter giving him the Holy Spirit

Jesus restored Peter to fellowship with Himself

Jesus filled Peter with the Holy Spirit

Jesus used Peter to preach the first message in the Book of Acts ( 3000 were saved )

Jesus continued to use Peter throughout the book of Acts.

Jesus used Peter to write two letters found in the New Testament today.

While we are not the apostle Peter, we are nonetheless treated in a very similar manner by the Lord Jesus ( when we stumble )

Jesus restores, Jesus forgives us, Jesus blesses, Jesus uses us, etc, etc, etc.

Lord, we want to say thank You for Your grace in our lives.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Senior Pastor

Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S.....a few more applicational thoughts for those who have messed up ( sinned and stumbled )

1. Don't give up

2 Look up.

3. Receive God's forgiveness.

4. Believe God's promises. ( He can't lie )

5. Be patient, God's plans don't just happen overnight.

6. Thank God in advance, because He is faithful, He will pick you up and bless you.

Rejoice in hope .....

Ro 5:2* through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5 tells us of many of the blessings we have in Jesus Christ. Not only have we been justified, ( made just in His sight ) but we also have access into the grace of God, and we are actually standing firm in that grace.

But, please notice something else as stated in Rom 5:2. Not just access, not just standing, but also a rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.

Rejoice means to to glory in, or to glory on account of, to boast in. We can rejoice in the glory of God. That is, we have a future and a hope.

Jesus will come back for us one day, and we will be taken with Him to heaven. Our bodies will be glorified together with Him. He will also bring us back in our glorified bodies, and we will reign and rule with him on the earth for 1000 years in His Kingdom.

The entire earth will be filled with the glory of God.

What a future we have, what a hope we have. It's sure, it's stedfast, it's not going to change, there is nothing that can separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus, and no one can take us out of His hand.

We truly can look forward to the future. And the 1000 year reign is just the start. God will forever be revealing to us the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus. On and on it will go, with no end. Eternity with our Lord, grace, upon grace, upon grace.

Father, thank You for the living hope we have in Christ. And, today, would You please help us to have our hope in mind, and would You help us to really rejoice today in what You have in store for us. In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier.

Senior Pastor

CCVisalia.com

Practical applicational thoughts..

1. Rejoicing is for you if you are a born again Christian

2. The Holy Spirit gives us joy.

3. You can set your mind on the Lord, and think about the hope you have in Him.

4. Joy is a real blessing to our souls and to other people as well.

5. Joy can be found even when we are in difficult times.

6. Remember where you have come from, and where you are going.

7. The Lord has promised to finish the good work He has started in you.

Giving brings blessing to the giver.

Proverbs 22:9 He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

For the person who has a bountiful eye, or who is a generous giver, there is a promise. It's the promise of being blessed. The scripture goes on to say, "for he gives of his bread to the poor"

God has built into life this principle, that it is more blessed to give then it is to receive.

Ac 20:35* “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Someone else has said, "You can never out-give the Lord"

What are the blessings of being a giver?

1. A personal joy in your own heart.

2. A renewed perspective on the use of our funds and material possessions.

3. A realization that others have needs that we may have once had.

4. A sense that the Lord is pleased with our giving.

5. A real act that is in keeping with how the Lord acted when on earth.

6. A knowledge that treasures are being stored up in heaven.

7. A desire to do more of the same. Be a consistent giver.

I'm sure you could add to the above list.

May God bless us today, and in the days ahead to take His Word to heart, and be generous givers.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

3 things we can find today............

Proverbs 21:21 says, "He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness and honor.

The fact is stated here, that He who follows these 2 things, righteousness and mercy....will find 3 things. To follow, is to pursue, to chase, to be behind, to run after, and to attend closely upon. And, can mean to aim eagerly to secure.

In other words, we can aim diligently today, to run after 2 things, ( and the result will be, we will find 3 things in our lives )

To pursue righteousness, is to pursue what is right and just. To follow after what is ethically right. And, of course to pursue mercy, is to follow after kindness, and goodness.

If we are following righteousness and mercy, then we are promised to find, life, righteousness and honor. We will find ourselves with spiritual prosperity, going in the right way, and enjoying honor.

God has built into our lives certain laws, that we may not be able to explain, or even understand, ( like gravity, electricity etc, ) but we experience them everyday. They work.

So do these laws of life.

Lord, Today, would You help us to pursue these things in our lives, and we want to thank You in advance for what You will bring into our lives.

Thank You for giving us the best way to live down here, while we wait for you to come from heaven. We love You. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S........a few applicational thoughts.

Deciding what to do, is up to us.

Believing in God, and His Word is possible through faith.

God never lies, and He blesses those who follow His Word.

Let's forget what's behind, and look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

If we pursue God's ways, we will find God's ways more and more in our lives.

FINALLY...........

Jesus is all of the things listed above.........He is Righteousness, He is mercy.........so, to follow Jesus is to follow those things............

What can separate good friends?

Proverbs 17:9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

We looked at this verse on Wed, in our through the Bible Study.

It talks about 2 kinds of people, or 2 kinds of actions, with 2 kinds of results. It speaks of love and it speaks of separation. It speaks of transgression, and it speaks of what might be done with that transgression, that is to cover it.

The wisdom of God here, tells us that the person who covers a transgression, is seeking love. To cover, means to hid, to conceal, to clothe, to spread over. Transgression, means sin, or rebellion, either against God or against people.

So, if someone sins, we don't have to go and tell anyone about it, but, we can cover it, we can conceal it, we can keep it to ourselves. And by doing so, we are seeking love. Being loving towards someone in their transgression, is exactly how the Lord is towards us. He seeks to bring His love into our lives when we have sinned. He does everything He can to cover it, to forgive it etc, etc.

On the other hand, if a person becomes aware of someone else's sin, and they repeat it, or "do it again" that is to tell it to someone else, can wind up separating the best of friends.

The meaning could also be, that if you sin, and your friend is gracious towards you, and seeks to cover your sin in love, but you continually take advantage of their graciousness, that you could lose that friendship. That's one way to separate the best of friends, by taking advantage of their love.

But, surely, the other meaning is something we see all the time in life, that someones sin gets spread around by word of mouth, and it gets back to someone, and a friendship is lost. Good friends are separated.

Lord, help us to be like You are towards sin, and towards sinners. Help us to be towards others the way that You are towards us. Full of Grace, Full of Mercy, and Full of Forgiving Love. May we make friends and not separate friends.

In Jesus name ....amen

Bob Grenier

Senior Pastor Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S.......some practical applicational thoughts.

God has plenty of love to give us to give to others.

Others need the love of God just as much as we do.

Friends are a blessing, let's bless them, and help them be better friends.

Covering someone's transgression, can be done by just bringing it to the Lord and asking for His help.

Let's leave others transgression with the Lord, He will take care of it, and of them.

Where can you run to be safe?

Proverbs 18:10* ¶ The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.

So, what the Lord tells us in this verse, is that "the name of the LORD is a strong tower" and, that "the righteous run to it and are safe".

When the Proverbs were written, most cities had a wall around them, and that wall included at various points a tower. Those inside the city, would run up into those towers during times of attack, because, the tower gave them a place of safety against their enemies. The mere height of the tower was helpful, it made it all the more difficult for the enemy to shoot arrows higher then normal, and to throw spears that high also. The height gave the advantage, and thus protection, they were safe.

When the Bible says the "Name" it means the Lord Himself. And, here we are told that the Lord is a strong tower. Not just a tower, but a strong tower.

The Lord is strong, or powerful, mighty....He is in Himself these things, and He is all of these things for us. In fact, the Bible teaches us to find our strength in Him, to be made strong by Him, to trust in Him, not ourselves. So, the Lord is strong, and He becomes our strength.

We can run to Him and be safe. Running is different from walking. When you run, you are making a specific effort to go somewhere in a faster fashion then normal. in this case, the word run can be translated, guard, speedily, run swiftly, to dart....to hurry, and to move quickly.

And, once we run to the Lord, ( who is our strong tower ) we are then safe, or, inaccessibly high, we are too high for capture, we are safely set on high, we are secure.

By the way, not only is it a place of safety, but it makes you more effective in the battle against the enemy.

Some practical applicational thoughts.......

God simply is our tower.

God invites us to come to Him.

God will protect you.

God will receive you today.

God will give you strength.

God will give you safety.

You can run to Him today.

You don't have to go it alone.

You are righteous in His sight ( In Christ )

You will find Him always there night and day.

Thank You Lord for what You are to us. We do go through times of battle, and what a comfort it is to have a place to go for safety in the battle. Thank You for always accepting us, and never abandoning us. Give us strength today, in the name of Jesus Christ . Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Senior Pastor

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Getting both sides of a story. Pastor Bob Grenier

When someone comes to you, and tells you something about someone else, or about an incident, we can easily, ( and unfortunately often do ) believe what we just heard, without ever hearing the other side of the story. We then make conclusions about it, and might even pass on as fact what we have concluded, ( which is based on only hearing one side of the story )

Proverbs 18:17 The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him.

The Lord gives us this wisdom in the Book of Proverbs, and this verse does describe what it seems like to us when someone comes and tells us a story about someone else. It just seems right. The person telling us the story, ( or in the modern digital age, reading it in an email, or on a blog, etc, etc, ) seems justified, appears to have a just cause or complaint, they just seem to be in the right.

The first one to speak up seems right, until the neighbor, or the other party comes and brings the other side of the story to light. And, at that point the whole incident may be found to be very different then was first reported.

When we have both sides of a story, then we are in a position to make a sound judgement about the matter at hand.

How many times over the years, I've made this mistake. And, I guess as mentioned above, it's really more then one mistake. Not only drawing a conclusion without having the other side of the story, but then passing it on to others as a true fact.

Father, Thank You for giving us Your wisdom in the Bible, and in particular, Your wisdom in the book of Proverbs. How we need it. Would you please help this verse, Pro 18:17 to really stick with us, to be in our minds and our hearts in a deep and meaningful way. We live Lord in a time when so many say so much about others, and we hear it, we read it and we have to deal with it. Please help us to walk in Your wisdom, in Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier

Senior Pastor

Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S.......a few practical applicational thoughts..

Try not to listen if it's not your business.

Recognize our tendency to listen to gossip and slander.

Don't pass it on if you have no reason to.

Pray for the person who you have heard something about.

Have the courage to stop someone who is passing on gossip and slander to you.

Try and spend your time thinking about the Lord instead of someone else, and their supposed sin.

Tell others about the Lord and the love and grace and mercy that He has for people.

And to each his own work.....

In Mark 13, Jesus was answering questions about the future, that is the future from the time of the apostles. They wanted to know what the signs would be for His coming back to the world, and the end of the world.

Jesus gave five specific signs, and then also made this statement to them.

Mark 13:34“It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

Can I draw your attention to the part of the verse that says, "and to each his work"........in other words, Jesus was explaining that in His going to heaven, ( the far country ), that He left His church here, giving them power and a work for each one to do.

Simply put, you and I have a work that God wants us to do. Perhaps it's more exacting to say, God has a work that He wants to do in and through each one of us.

Concerning that work, it's to be done by God's power, not our own, and it's to be done by our using the spiritual gifts He has given to us.

Jesus came to do the work that His father had for Him to do. And, that work was primarily to go to the cross and die for our sins, and then to be raised from the dead, and become salvation to all who would call upon Him.

And, just like the Father had a work for Jesus to do, the Father has a work to do through you and I.

A few thoughts about God's work through each of us.

Our work helps other people either walk with Christ, or come to know Christ.

Our work is to be done in God's love, with God's glory in mind, not our own glory.

Our work is to be done the way God shows us to do it, not in our trying to copy someone else.

Our work will be rewarded someday, if not here on earth, certainly in heaven.

Our work can be difficult to do sometimes, but God always helps us to get through.

Our work will almost always be challenged by the enemy, whose work it is, is to oppose God's work.

Father, thank You for working on our behalf, and we count it a blessing to be vessels in Your hands, vessels, or instruments that You desire to use, to accomplish Your will.

We yield ourselves to You in a fresh way today. Work through each of Lord.

In Jesus name....Amen....

Pastor Bob Grenier.....

How to find good and be happy

The answer to the statement is found right here in the verse below.

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

It has to do with the Word of God and the Lord.

First of all, we are told that the person who heeds the Word wisely, will find good. To heed the Word wisely, means, "those who listen to instruction" God gives us instruction through His Word, and we can listen to it by simply reading it, being in the Word regularly, etc, etc. Wisely, means, to give attention to, to consider and to ponder. The net result is that we find good in our lives. Or you will find what is pleasant, agreeable, beautiful, and prosperity. Those are all good things by definition.

Secondly, we are told that whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. I'm glad it says "whoever" because that opens the door for me, for you, and in truth for anyone, there is no one who cannot trust in the LORD. Because we all have a measure of faith.

LORD, is Jehovah, which means "the existing one" We can trust Him, we can have confidence in Him, we can hope in Him. And, what happens as a by-product of that trust, is that we find ourselves being happy, or blessed. Interestingly enough the word happy here, comes from a word meaning "to be straight, to be level, right, to go forward, relieve" Again, those all resonate with my soul. I enjoy being happy.

Lord, we thank You for your Word. May we take heed to Your Word, and receive Your instruction into our hearts and lives. And, thank You that we can rely upon You, we don't have to go it alone down here, trusting in ourselves, but we can put our confidence in You. Bring that happiness into our lives today, we enjoy the blessings that You bring.

In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

What has Jesus left you with? Mark 13:34-37

In these Scriptures, Mark 13:34-37, Jesus is explaining what His leaving for heaven, and His plan to return are like. But, the main emphasis here, is on what He has left us with...There are four things ...

He is like a man who went to a far country....but, when He left, He gave us four things.

1. He has given us authority, or power....that's what the word means. So, right off the bat, we know that while we wait for Him to return, we have power from Him, that is the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is within each of us as believers in Jesus Christ, and He also wants to overflow our lives with Himself, that is, empowering us, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. ( There are many other things that the Holy Spirit does ) But, here, in this passage, we see that He has left us power......

2. He regards us as His servants. A servant in the New Testament, is someone who lives to do the will of their master. They exist to carry out His will, His plans, and His desires. That's what the Bible calls doing the will of God. So, we are servants who have power.

3. He has given us a specific work to do as His servants. In fact, He has outfitted each of us with the needed gifts to do His will. For example, if He has called you to work in His kingdom as a teacher, then He has given you the gift of teaching, etc, etc. You have a gift(s) to serve Him with.

4. He has called us to watch and wait for His coming. Watch, means to be awake, and to be alert, and to not be sleeping. As you can see from verse 36-37, He says, "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping" We can get so tired, and find ourselves spiritually sleeping. Especially if we have been awake a long time, and working a long time. But, He wants us to be awake and alert.

Mark 13:34-37

34 “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

35 “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning--

36 “lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.

37 “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

Lord, thank You for Your Word. It's so clear, and it's layed out for us in an easy to understand way. We want to walk in Your ways, and we pray today for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, a renewed attitude of service for You by the use of our spiritual gifts. Help us to wake up if we are sleeping, and keep us alert and waiting for your return.....

In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Strife, it's cause and how to avoid it.

Pro 13:10 By Pride comes nothing but strife. But with the well -advised is wisdom.

The book of Proverbs has much to say about this subject, i.e strife, or contention. And here in 13:10, we are told it's cause, and we are told how to walk in wisdom, or not to have strife.

The cause of strife is pride. Pride means, arrogance, and presumption. So, the it's arrogance that brings about strife.

Arrogance, as defined Biblically, means, pomp, swelling, or proud. It's to have an attitude of self importance. That's how the dictionary defines it to. "having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities. It's to be puffed up with conceit.

Self admiration, egotism, self-regard, smugness, big-headedness, vain glory.

It's the opposite of humility. That is pride is the direct opposite of humility.

But, with the well advised is wisdom. Or "those who receive counsel" is wisdom.

We do not naturally have God's wisdom. It must be given to us, and we must receive it.

And, if we are the kind of people who can receive counsel, it will help us not to walk in pride, and it will help us not to cause strife and contention.

So, Lord, here we are. People who need counsel, people who would want to receive counsel. Your counsel. Will You help us this day to be humble, to be receptive to You, and to have Your wisdom, and avoid being the cause of strife and contention.

We truly do love You, and we need You more then we know. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

3 things that can come into our lives

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.

This verse tells us of several things that can come into our lives.

It might be more appropriate to say that there are a total of four things that are mentioned in this verse.

Let's count them.........pride, shame, humility, and wisdom.

Two of these are really from within us, and they serve as the basis for what will happen to us as the result.

First of all......Pride.....it comes from within, and when it comes, it brings shame.

Pride means insolence, or presumptuousness, also translated, arrogance......If we are walking in this, we will then have shame....it comes with pride, or from pride.....Shame means disgrace, and dishonor.

So, pride and shame go together.

Then, we have humility and wisdom. To walk in humility, means that we walk in a lowly way, or a modest way. Sometimes it's defined as having an accurate view of oneself. We are just earthen vessels.

But, if we are humble, then we will have wisdom. Meaning, the skillful man, to have our wits about us.

Well, Lord, help us to be humble and avoid shame, and have wisdom.

We love you, in Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Blessed is the man.........

Hello, and blessings to you today.

The following verse actually tells us, or describes for us a "Blessed Man"

Blessed means to be happy, and it comes from a word meaning to go straight, to make progress, to advance.

And, it simply means to be happy.

It is clear from reading the Bible that people often pursue being happy, but come up empty. But, on the other hand, many people find themselves happy because they have simply followed the Lord and find that happiness is a by-product of that relationship. It's an actual promise from God that if a man lives a certain way, he will find happiness in his life.

So, here's one of the scriptures that lays it out for us.

Proverbs 9:34

"Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors"

Three things are said here about this happy man. He listens to God, He Watches, and He Waits.

The happy man Listens. This means to hear and it means to obey. So, hearing the Lord, and obeying Him are part of our being happy.

The happy man also Watches. This means to be alert, to be awake, to keep watch. Jesus often talked about this attitude of mind and heart. So did the apostles.

The happy man Waits. This means to keep, guard, observe, give heed.

So, one of God's simple but effective and true prescriptions for happiness. To Watch, Listen and Wait.

Lord, we desire Your blessings in our lives, they are the best experiences of our lives down here on earth. Would you please fill us with Your wisdom, and help us to Watch, Listen and Wait upon You.

In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier

A thought about overcoming.

Ro 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

What a blessing here in Romans, how the Lord teaches us about overcoming evil.

As you can see, first of all He tells us "Do not be overcome by evil"

This would mean then, that it's entirely possible for us to not be overcome by evil. The Lord would never instruct us, and teach us to do something if it was not possible to do.

The word overcome means, to conquer, to get the victory.....So, we are not to be conquered by evil. ( Evil by the way, means, to hurt, destroy, harm.

Going on in this verse, we are to then conquer evil by or with good. Or that which is good. Good also means benefit, useful, pleasant, agreeable, happy, upright and honorable.

So, those are the ways by which we can conquer evil, it's by good.

A prayer..... Lord, thank You for Your Word. Would You please guide each of us to walk in the ways that are good, pleasant, upright, happy, and beneficial to others, May we personally experience overcoming evil in our own lives, and may we be tools in Your hands to bring that victory to the people we are in contact with.

Thank You again Lord...

Pastor Bob Grenier

God's way to keep us from adultery

Hello, and good morning to you. In reading my daily reading today, I was in Proverbs 7, and while it's something I read at least once a month, ( I try to read a chapter of Proverbs everyday ) I was struck by the first few verses.

I saw this as God giving us His prescription, to keep us from adultery. ( which of course is so prevalent today, and is so destructive, as the later portion of the chapter spells out )

First of all........Realize who you are. You are God's Child, ( my son ) you have a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ the Son. You are not your own, but you have been bought with a price, and you belong to God. You are part of His family, You are His child.

Second......and, these all have to do with our Father's Word, the Word of God ( Jesus is the Living Word of God having come in the flesh ) But, here's what's said about how we are to relate to the Word of God.

Keep My Words

Treasure My Commands within you

Keep my Commands and live

And my law as the apple of your eye

Bind them on your fingers.

Write them on the tablet of your heart

Say to wisdom, you are my sister

And call understanding your nearest kin

There are 8 things said there. All of them having to do with God's Word.

I find it helpful to take each of those exhortations, and to really think about what they mean.

They are all directing us to a very personal intimate association with the Word of God.

There is alot more to say about these exhortations, but I've got to run.

Last thing is, that there is a promise from the Lord that if we keep His Word as mentioned above, that His Word will keep us from the immoral woman, and from the seductress who flatters with her lips.

Finally, the rest of chapter 7, is an explanation of what happens to the man or person who is not kept from immorality and adultery, and it explains in depth what happens

I hope this has been helpful to you.

Pastor Bob Grenier

One thing can lead to another

Prayer for Gods will is heard, and answered..,we have vision for on/going work in Japan. Stepping out in faith, taking a venture of faith, will no doubt generally lead to something fruitful for the honor and glory of God. I think that has happened on this trip. And, as we step forward into those things, the process will repeat itself again. Truly one thing can lead to another. So, Lord, lead and guide, and bless abundantly.

Pastor Bob Grenier


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Location:In the air, heading to LAX

Leaving Japan

Well, we have had quite a week. First we visited an area that was completely devastated by the 2 events, the earthquake, followed by the Tsunami. There met people who in one case had a family business that had been in operation for over 100 years......they lost everything, but they survived by going up to the top floor of their home. In fact, they called out to their neighbors to come and join them in their house, but they said no, and wound up being swept away before their eyes.

The purpose of our visit to the devastated area was to see how the Lord may be leading us to help with relief efforts in the months ahead. That plan seems to be coming together.

We also participated in a 2 day Annual Pastor's Conference, with about 200 in attendance. It was a blessing, and through all of the times of sharing and prayer, there was a constant theme of trusting in the Lord in the face of difficulty.

Some of you who may be reading this blog, may have experienced or be experiencing your own personal earthquakes and Tsunami's. Here in Japan, they have had over 1200 aftershocks.....And, you may also be experiencing the on-going effects or additional incidents and difficulties in your own life as well.

It's my prayer for you today, that God in His being the God of all Comfort, may give that to you today.

God is with you, and He will not forsake you, that is what the Bible says.

Also, the Bible teaches us that God is always working out a plan in and through the circumstances we find ourselves in.

May God help you to simply believe Him. He is faithful.

Blessings of His grace and peace be upon and in your life.

Pastor Bob Grenier