Larry M Lawrence- Mysteries

031305 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

Hosea 10:7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off
Like a twig on the water.
⁸ Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
Shall be destroyed.
The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars;
They shall say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
And to the hills, “Fall on us!”

            I can’t understand why it is that at every level of life it seems that the people who ascend to critical positions of leadership (and I shamefully must include myself among that lot) are all too often wholly unqualified to assume those roles. Throughout Scripture both Old and New Testament the testing of leaders has shown them everyone unable to follow the commands and will of God, choosing instead to pander to the moaning and groaning of the people and forming alliances which do not benefit in the long run but may perhaps provide a scapegoat when everything comes crashing down.

            The prophecy of Hosea can be quite daunting. Everyone I’ve ever heard preach from that writing has looked at the man and wrestled with the oddity of his life. However, if you took the time to learn what God was talking about you would learn of the imminent demise of the so-called Northern Kingdom and the idolatry of the golden calf, and the weakness of their appointed king Jeroboam. The place and tribe names can be confusing without study of the whole of Scripture, but since we have a lifetime to learn wouldn’t it be wise to invest ourselves in such a strong foundation of truth?

            It would be quite easy to despair at this point and agree with many that humanity is a failed experiment and the sooner we’re gone the better. But, before you go there; there was one man, and following Him there were twelve, and after them another who, visited by the Holy Spirit began the transformation of the world. “What’s the difference?” you ask. Perhaps the answer can be found in the book of James. He writes, James 1:¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  

Wishing everyone a blessed, safe and fulfilling Thanksgiving.

031304 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

            Colossians 3:15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

            God will not force you to be thankful. It is, as with most things, a choice, an act settled within your own heart. Oftentimes, particularly at this time of year in the United States we are exhorted to count our blessings. Like spoiled children a lot of people secretly rebel against this idea. “Why should I thank God?” they say. “Did he get up every morning and go out to work? Did he wrestle every day with finances, children, time to finish anything?” It would be very easy here to rip those arguments to shreds, but the truth is, I think every one of us has felt that way at one time or another. So, how would God change the face of our grumpy spoiled little girl? (above)

            Certainly, it is not about the multitude of our possessions. Just as certainly, it is not about our health. Why? I guess I would say that the argument or statement that says, “There but for the grace of God…” cannot apply here. God’s blessings are to all. Whether we are rich or poor, healthy, or sick, safe, or in danger. So, just what are we to be thankful for? The Pilgrim band at the first American Thanksgiving were thankful for the very fact that they were alive, that they had survived the rigors of the journey to be there to celebrate that survival and thank God for the freedom that his lovingkindness had given them by the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus the Christ of God.

            Imagine for just a moment that you were persecuted on every side, that you were restricted in your movements and required to pay homage to a person or government that was wholly given over to evil. To find yourself suddenly free from that sort of mental, emotional, and spiritual bondage would seem the most amazing experience of your life. In Jesus, our Christ, the king of kings that is what we find. Even though we may find ourselves incarcerated for His Name’s sake our hearts can rise to apprehend the kind of freedom those first Anglo-Americans felt. Beyond all of the “yes, but” questions that may arise out of the actions of those people the first thanksgiving was a moment to celebrate the joy of being alive in Christ.

Check out all five books in the Whitney Chronicles series now available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books a million, Apple Books, CBM, Christian Book Marketing. If you have any trouble finding them or would like to receive an author signed copy of any or all, please contact me at e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlarence.com

031303 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

James 1:² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces ^[a]patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

            Fishing can be a great teacher of the virtue of patience. The attitude with which we take up our rod and reel will say much about our capacity to learn and understand our quarry. Truth be known, sometimes it’s juts as important to just go whether or not we are particularly engaged in the sport. It can also be a great time to just listen as God speaks. This sort of patience and listening may be the key to understanding Jesus’ call to Peter, James, and John. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

             There are multiple occurrences of the word “patience” in the New Testament, but a similar theme runs through them all. Patience seems to be a training and discipline as well as an act of will. In the final analysis is a virtue of the saints and a characteristic of a mature Christian. What we endure for the sake of learning patience will make us strong to withstand the worst the world, the flesh, and the Devil may throw at us.

031321 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

                Philippians 2: ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

⁵ Let your ^[b]gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I must apologize for the whiny sound of the last few posts in this blog. I have been so consumed by pain and too much “rest” (stillness in pain is not very restful) that I have focused on me rather than Jesus. Please forgive me. The illustration above, both the picture and the Scripture must become for all of us a certainty that we live by.

            I am reminded of the old television series “Kung Fu”. In those programs a lone shaolin monk wandered through the old West confronting everything from real bad guys to systemic prejudice. It was supposed that something in his training caused him to live think and act above and apart from all of the other actors in the stories. He was portrayed as being at peace in every situation and circumstance. For all of that he was not a unique character in popular fiction.

            I would cite to you several characters from story and film who, again were portrayed as having that same kind of peace and determination. For example, the priest character in Les Miserables (Victor Hugo 1862), John Wesley, after his experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit when at a prayer meeting in Aldersgate Street in London in 1738. Most importantly the difference between a mental assent to the life and teachings of Jesus in no way approach the need to comprehend the love of Christ until we offer him everything including our future. This is called “entire sanctification”. It is a moment that begins a lifetime of entering into His peace each and every moment of every day. That it is necessary to come to this point usually happens for most of us because we are weak vessels and need to be “revived” on a regular basis.

031301 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

Psalm 1:1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

      From the “attitude” face of young people to the disdainful expressions of the old it is the lot of Christians to weather the blistering scorn of every enemy of Christ whether or not we like it. Jesus said we “are blessed” to endure the same sort of scorn that he did. I don’t really know if I am ready each new day to encounter that sort of rejection and unfortunately, even though I have every Biblical example always before me, far too often I shrink back from living Christ before everyone I encounter. That may begin even toward the person who wakes up next to you in the morning.

            Because of a difficult physical situation, I have had to rely on my wife to assist me in the most difficult and embarrassing necessities of life. All to frequently I have found myself taking her for granted and asking things of her that I never would have thought of even a few months ago. So; Why am I prattling on like this?

            The answer is that we in danger every day. We awaken to God’s grace with a choice. Will I follow Jesus in all things, or will I shrink back into my own fear and pain and imitate the world? Will I act as Jesus did?

031207 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

            It seems almost impossible today to pick up a headline or news story where someone isn’t “outraged” or accused of intolerance or threatened with the dire consequences of some nebulous sort of “social disapproval. For two millennia Christians have worn the label of intolerance whenever they were to make some sort of stand for the righteousness of God. That there have been far too many excesses on the part of people who were more about the power of the Church than faith in the abiding strength of Christ through His Holy Spirit is sadly true. I would venture to say that institutions notwithstanding the perpetrators of those outrages had strayed so far from Christ as to have cut themselves off from the promises of God. Thankfully, that is not my call but rests in the hands of God the Father. I have learned one thing from my time following Christ. I cannot apologize for the sins of other people whom I have never known, and I cannot wipe away the stain of what they may or may not have done.             If I were to be granted one prayer it would be that the supposed “wise”, the supposed “academicians”, the teachers of the culture would be brought to heel in their exaggerations of Christin intolerance. I have never witnessed intolerance among people whom I believe to be truly Christian. However, for every one “true’ Christian I have known I have known a thousand nominal Christians. Sounds a bit too harsh? Consider; the life of Jesus measured over and against the actions of the Church. Perhaps it would be well to take another look at the true Church Jesus is building and the human organization which seeks power and wealth

031206 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

Proverbs 29:5 A man that speaketh to his friend with flattering and dissembling words, spreadeth a net for his feet.

Matthew 5:37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

      How many times has it happened to you? You listen to what someone says and a  moment later they are saying the exact opposite of what they just told you. Even the post Pentecost apostle Peter struggled with  the pressure of “going along to get along” -Galatians 2: ¹¹ When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. ¹³ The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

            This seems to be a huge problem for people who call themselves Christian but retreat in the face of the first wailing outcry from those living today who have chosen the road that leads anywhere but toward God or His holiness. It would be well to temper our love and faith with a desire for the strength to resist this terrible form of temptation. To step back from the truth is to step that much closer to Hell

031205 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

Jude 1:3 Contend for the Faith

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

In the original language the word we translate her as “contend” is the Greek epagognizomai. From this as quite clear we also derive our English word “agony”. How then does this impact the idea of contending for the faith?

Our earnestness must have more to do with our “agonizing” in prayer and action to express not only the doctrines of our faith, but to demonstrate clearly the substance of that faith the greatest part of which is our trust in our heavenly Father and the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide our actions and words. When earnest zeal is perverted by the lust for power and mastery whether over individuals or whole nations we depart from the will of God and pander to the schemes of the devil. Is there ever a time to meet violence and death with the same violence and death? That is a question I have yet to ever face, although I have been threatened and mildly assaulted before.

I would like to think that should death ever come knocking that I would have the courage to face it as the apostle Paul. “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) Consequently there is no fear in death, for death is swallowed up in victory.

031204 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

Psalm 119:143 (NKJV) Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights.

            How easy it is to grumble and complain. I have noticed in myself and others whenever we enter into casual conversation the first place we seem to go is into a litany of complaints, whether of illnesses or inconveniences, or perceived injustices. Let’s face it. We are born into a world of trouble and hurt. We spend a lot of time and effort trying to forestall all of that for ourselves and those we love, but seldom do we look to he Word of God to hear what he has commanded regarding many of the ills and misfortunes we experience. For most, we rarely if ever look beyond the “Thou shalt, and Thou shalt nots” to try to understand the heart that is behind what is said and comprehend the potential consequences of disobedience.

            King David at his best was devoted to God and truly did love and delight in the commands found in the scriptures. Even though he had his moments and was the victim of his own impulsiveness and the jealousies of others he always seemed to find his comfort and hope in God.

031203 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr

Isaiah 53:4Surely He has borne our ^[g]griefs
And carried our ^[h]sorrows;
Yet we ^[i]esteemed Him stricken,
^[j]Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But He was wounded^[k] for our transgressions,
He was ^[l]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes^[m] we are healed.

Every horrific picture fades in comparison to this, knowing that what Christ suffered at the hands of those He came to save was so monumentally terrible when considered against  the power that emanated from His Spirit that made that suffering sufficient in degree to pay the blood debt to God for the sins of the world for all time. Whew!

But let’s just for a moment bring it down to the personal level. Every violation of His physical person, from the beating to the scourging with the whip, to the crown of thorns cruelly pressed down upon His head, to the nails driven into His hands and feet, to the final spear thrust into His side, every bit of it was in some way connected to my own sin diseased heart, and my willful rebellious acts, and my callous indifference to everyone around me. I have long been enthralled by the idea that the disciples saw Him face to face, eye to eye, and have wondered what they saw in His gaze. Pilate’s comment, Ecce home (Behold the man) just what did they all see? Did they see love, could they comprehend the grace of God? Can we?