Fun Glimpses

Article 20 – June 18, 2018

Fellowship Is the Key

1 John 1:3 tells us: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” It wasn’t until I’d been a student of the scriptures for a long time, that I began to understand how important our fellowship with God is. I think we understand that to get along in life with people, you have to be pleasant with them, to get along and be nice as it’s called. That’s fine with other people. The fellowship that God desires with His people goes way beyond that.

Webster defines fellowship simply as “the quality or state of being comradely – meaningful communication for building trust and fellowship.” In the physical world this is very easy to understand because we build fellowship with others from the toddler stage. However, to build fellowship with God, we need to keep in mind that God is Spirit (John 4:24) and to build fellowship with God we have to enter into the spiritual realm, which is what God intends for us to do. Having fellowship with God is very simple if we allow it to be. Simply read God’s Word often, pray or talk to God often, pray in the spirit, which is speaking in tongues often and practice the presence of God. Do these things as much as possible and you will find life to be a real joy.

On the other side of the coin, there are lots of people who think that fellowship with God requires a lot of work to get saved and to stay saved. That is wrong teaching. Ephesians 2:8,9 tell us “For by grace are ye saved…Not of works, lest any man should boast.” And man does like to boast.

In 1 Timothy 2:4, we see that God would like to see everybody saved. God also knows that that isn’t going to happen because man is born into a carnal world and it’s very easy for man to fall in love with the things of this world, which are not the things of God. They are talked about in Galatians 5:19-21, and they are not pretty.

So why is fellowship so important to God, and why should it be important to those of us who love God? Very simple! It leads to the more abundant life that Jesus Christ spoke about in John 10:10: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” This breaks down, in one verse, the whole purpose for Jesus Christ’s ministry. It refers to the thief, who is the devil, whose sole purpose is to mess up our lives and to keep us from God’s Word if he can. It tells us that Jesus Christ came to destroy the power that the devil has over us at the moment. This means that we still have to deal with the pressures of this life. However, our abundant life is spiritual and it includes the power we have as sons of God on a daily basis, culminating someday with the return of Christ, and all that is involved with that.

For us to enjoy that abundant life daily, that is all day, every day, we need to understand how important it is for us to have fellowship with God. Having fellowship with God is highly contingent on our controlling the mind and keeping it God oriented and that is discussed in Romans 12:1,2, which tells us “…but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” We cannot prove the perfect will of God without controlling the mind. If we do not control the mind, the adversary will control it for us. Too many Christians, mind you, take this very lightly and as a result, get sucker-punched, so to speak and frustrated. Wrong teaching concerning the things of God will do that and it’s very sad but it happens every day.

Jesus Christ knew this very well. He knew he had to control his mind and that his sole source of everything was God. In John 5:30, he says, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” He knew he had to have the most intimate fellowship with his Father to do what he had to do to redeem mankind. He knew it at an early age, actually before he was a teenager, it tells us in Luke 2:42. He didn’t know everything at that point, but he did know his calling was special.

Our calling is special as well, as we are called to do the works that Christ did. Our problem is getting our believing up and it’s different for everybody. I know I don’t see a fraction of what’s available in my life spiritually, but I continue to work on it because I know I should and because I find it to be fun. Too many people I’ve come into contact with do not think it to be true because it requires working the mind to have fellowship with God. As Bob Dylan once said:

“You’re gonna have to serve somebody – Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody. ”

Too many people do not think this is true. They think you can spin off in life without serving either and think it’s not a big deal. That is not true. You will always be serving one or the other, either directly or indirectly. So often it’s the wondrous things of the world that attract and dissuade. 2 Corinthians 2:14,15 say it very plainly, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” Pretty revealing, huh?

Without a doubt we will all be serving, the question is who are we serving. We can either have fellowship with the works of this world and take the consequences or have fellowship with our Heavenly Father and reap the blessings. I’ll take the blessings and I hope you will too.

Funglimpses and all! Thanks for reading. Respectfully submitted. Will Grove

 

Article 19 – May 22, 2018 – It’s Good To Do It Again

These thoughts are for anybody but especially for those of us who have had the opportunity to listen to the teachings of the Power for Abundant Living series over the years. I was working on a series of review studies from that class called Home Studies, and when I was finished I was very blessed to have gone over them. As I got into the studies I re-developed an appreciation for the work that went into the Foundational and Intermediate Classes, and it blessed me.

We live in a time when there are a gazillion different takes on the Bible available around every corner. It can be very confusing at times. I recently listened online to a portion of a teaching from a preacher who has one of the largest, if not the largest TV audiences in the country. I listened to him for perhaps in excess of 10 minutes and not once did he open the Bible. He did quote some verses, but he never took his audience into the Word. I’ve seen him do that more than once. And he’s not alone! I bring this up because Romans 10:17 tells us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

People need to be taught how to read the Bible. In John 14:6, we read, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” This isn’t stated anywhere, other than in God’s Word. Jesus said it very plainly. If you want to know about God, you need to know who Jesus Christ is and what his life meant, and that’s found only in the Bible. If you don’t know how to read that truth and understand it, you’ll never be able to understand spiritual matters.

Power for Abundant Living teaches a person how to read the Bible and how to learn about, understand and appreciate spiritual things. It’s the greatest thing a person can do in this life: to learn about the heart of our wonderful Father God, Who put the world in its place. The irony is that it’s not for everybody. It does say in 1 Timothy 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” That’s God’s heartfelt desire for mankind, because God is love. But God knows and we know that not everybody is going to want God’s Word, as it tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

This is a truth that people wrestle with a lot because they so want their friends and family to be believers, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Lots of us know that from personal experience. It’s a spiritual truth in life and one that is learned if you know how to read the Bible and understand the keys of how it interprets itself.

It’s a wonderful thing for men and women to be able to come to the place in their lives that they know their seeking is over. To realize that you are a son of God and that you don’t have to work over and over again to stay a son of God. That is a delivering truth to a lot of people and it’s stated very clearly in His Word. I John 3:1 tells us, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…”

Ephesians 2:8,9 tell us that we are saved by grace, not of works, lest any man should boast. This is a wonderful truth and so obvious, but it’s also a hidden truth because the modern Church is embedded in works, and the Devil does not want the average Christian to understand the grace that is for him. And so we move on, turn our backs on the Devil and his devices and concentrate on the love of God. What amazes me is that I am just as excited about God’s Word as I was in March of 1974 when I first started hearing it. At first it was youthful enthusiasm and now it’s more a mellow appreciation.

One thing that has always stayed with me is the excitement in my heart of knowing that when I speak in tongues, it’s proof to myself that I’m born again. This has been a great eye opener to a lot of people over the years as they’ve seen first-hand the new birth rather than just wondering if maybe they are born again. And why not? Why would a loving heavenly Father leave his children “out in the wind,” so to speak? Of course not! He wants us to know that we are His kids. Romans 8:16: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

Yes, it is a wonderful time to be alive: to live in a country where we are free to live as we do and read and work God’s Word as we wish. There are lots of places in the world where that is not available. There are oodles of other beliefs. That’s ok, because there are thousands like us around the country who love God as we do, understand much of the depth of His Word and are speaking in tongues with joyful anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ. I would like to close this sharing with Acts 2:44-47 because I believe this shows the heart of what Power For Abundant Living is really about.

“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

What a wonderful time that must have been. The church in the home, the fellowship, is where it’s at. After all, it’s God’s idea and He had it written. So let’s enjoy our fellowship, one with another, and see how God adds to His Church, such as are being saved.

Funglimpses and all! Thanks for reading. Respectfully submitted! Will Grove

Article 18 – April 30, 2018

Waiting For The Big One

 

I was inspired to write about the above topic because recently I had a medical procedure done on my elbow and in the process of going through the preliminaries, I was engrossed in much paperwork. This paperwork primarily released the doctor and the facility from legal prosecution by me should I feel that things didn’t go well. I was saddened by all of this because it reminded me that our culture has come to the position of being so ‘law suit oriented’ in what I refer to as the ”lottery mentality”. People, even well educated ones, are so often looking for what I also refer to as ”waiting for the big one”, the financial payoff that will keep them from ever having to work again.

This is a very sad outlook, but it is true. For those of us who love God and His Word and are working very hard to look to Him for our sufficiency, Philippians 4:19 reads: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” This should ring loud and true to those of us who are serious about making God’s Will dominate in our lives. Jesus said in Matthew 6:27-33: “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith. Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

This is a very humbling and challenging section of scripture. It is humbling because God tells us that we can do nothing of ourselves, regardless of being a believer or unbeliever. We just think we can. It is challenging because God tells us that it is He that has put life upon the earth, and if He can do that, what can He not do for us? So why not allow Him to do His job in our lives. Outside the realm of God’s Word, this is practically impossible to comprehend. The truth that God actually will take care of our needs: that we don’t need slot machines, lottery tickets, roulette wheels and LUCK (there is really no such thing) to get by financially each day. God really did say in Philippians 4:19 that He would supply all our need, and He really meant it.

I can understand the excitement of receiving an unexpected bundle of money, but why would you want to be ”set” for the rest of your life without putting out a certain amount of work? That is devilish thinking and it’s not God’s Will for our lives. Genesis 2:15 tells us, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” What that’s saying is that Adam was to work and God was going to take care of him. God did not tell him to lie around and to do whatever he wanted to do. He was to work. It would have been joyful work and he had spirit at that time. He had it made, until he sinned and then things got really messy. (Genesis 3:6,7)

And so it is with us. God promises us an abundant life in John 10:10. That abundance is in the spiritual, physical and mental realms. We are expected to take care of our physical responsibilities and that doesn’t include to prey on the misfortunes of others. I’m sure most of us don’t do that, but the adversary would like to distract us with all the nonsense that he’s set up that’s intended to make us rich quick (”One Call! That’s All!”) That is not all! God’s Word tells us in Matthew 6:33, “ But seek ye first the kingdom of God…”. That means to endeavor to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, as best we can.

Man seems to have a problem with seeking first the kingdom of God, because he thinks the kingdom of God is as seen in the religious world today. Then he goes about making things up as it suits him. Man has been making things up regarding God’s Word for a long time and he’s wrong on all counts. 2 Timothy 3:16,17 tells us “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” This means that God gave us His Word by working with men and women of God who spoke it and wrote it down. And it’s profitable for the abundant life spoken about in John 10:10. It’s God’s Word that gives us health. It’s written throughout God’s Word but especially in the Psalms and Proverbs. If you’ve got God’s Word hidden in your heart, you’re already prosperous. You don’t have to wait for ”the big one”. If you get but one person born again of God’s spirit and speaking in tongues, you’ve saved their life and you’ve done the works that Jesus Christ said you could do. Not bad! So who needs the lottery? God gave His Son for us, and that’s far greater than any form of gambling or chance.

Funglimpses and all that! Thanks for reading. Respectfully submitted. Will Grove

 

 

Article 17 – March 28, 2018

The Love of God

 

In the previous article, “ ’The Integrity of God’s Word’,” I began with the scripture, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This verse has been a very popularly quoted verse among the Christian world and it’s not uncommon to see it on a placard between the goal posts of any given NFL game. So much has been written about the love of God, that I could not seek to improve or present anything new on that topic. It has been handled lately in our local group of believers and I’ve been inspired and blessed by the several sharings I’ve heard on the subject. God’s love is wonderful and broad and unique and it is that love that put together the world that we read about in the first few chapters of Genesis.

God had to love to create man in His own image, as it tells us in Genesis 1:27. Verse 28 tells us further, “And God blessed them [referring to Adam and Eve], and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…” This is God’s love for mankind in the beginning to have given him this blessing: to replenish, to be fruitful and then to have dominion. Man, in his carnal state, without spirit, has forgotten much of this initial blessing from God. Adam and Eve then went on to make the mistakes that cost them their spirit life and dominion over the earth.

God, however, understood that this was going to happen and then adjusted His rules to accommodate the coming of the savior that would get man out of his bind. Everything that God has done from the beginning of time as we know it to the present is because of His love, grace and mercy. 1 John 4:8 tells us, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” Because of God’s great love for us, we should love Him back and desire to know and understand that wonderful reality that is called ‘the love of God.’

Deuteronomy 30:20 tells us, “That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life and the length of thy days…” This is a charge to love God so that He in turn can bless us to the fullest. He was willing to do it back in the Law Administration. Certainly He would do as much for us in this Administration of Grace that we live in today, as sons of God!

John 13:34: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” The love of God is not a conditional love. Because of the nature of our cultures, it is very common to see conditional love. However, we are to love with the love of God. We should just want to in the first place and especially because God wants us to, and because He first loved us.

The concept of love is not new to anyone. Any small child will usually have its mother and father constantly telling it how much they love him or her. In a normal household it would be a common thing between children and parents. God developed the emotion of love and compassion and it’s the right thing to have in your life. To love with the love of God is taking it a step further.

Jesus Christ was the greatest example to mankind of how to walk in love. He was daily operating manifestations of the spirit. It takes the love of God and believing to do that. In Matthew 10:8, as he was sending out the twelve on an itinerary, he told them, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” He was commissioning them to do what he had been doing and that required the love of God.

In our time, the Administration of the Age of Grace, we are commissioned to do the works that Christ did, plus we can speak in tongues and interpret. In Acts 1:8, in Jesus’ final instructions to his apostles, he tells them, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Where we live we have our Jerusalem’s and our Judaea’s and our Samaria’s to go to. And it takes the love of God, the desire, the strength and endurance to minister God’s power. You have to believe you can do it and be ready to work past the discouragements that will come along.

The devil does not want us to live with the love of God and to speak in the name of Jesus Christ which is our commission. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be sober, be viligant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”   He would love to devour you and me. He wants his pound of flesh. But we have too much to do to allow him his moment with us.

At the end of 1 Corinthians 13:13, it tells us, ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” That means that we can do what we think might be the works of God, but if our works are begrudging and done with less than a sincere heart, all we do is blow smoke. It will not be pleasing to God. When we work God’s love in our heart, we will find out it’s a lot easier and a lot more fun than doing the works of the flesh that are found in Galatians 5:19-21. I’m not going to list them, but they lead to a very unfruitful and depressing life.

Let’s work on doing what Jesus said in John 13:34 “…that ye love one another, as I have loved you…”   See you the next time! Funglimpses and all that. Thanks for reading! Respectfully submitted, Will Grove

 

Article 16 – March 8, 2018

Jesus Christ…The Only Way

 

John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

In John 14:6 we read, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

When reading these two verses, one should see the importance in the name of Jesus Christ and in what he accomplished by his life and ministry. Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of human history, with a name that has prevailed through the ages and he was God’s problem solver and mankind’s hope until this present time. God’s Word tells us in Genesis 3 that the world was in dire need of saving. By the middle of that chapter, man had lost his communication with God, which was spirit. Jesus Christ was the answer to that problem.

We see in John 3:17: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” The importance of Jesus Christ’s ministry, his works and all that he did to accomplish mankind’s complete redemption and salvation is almost unbelievable. And yet what is unbelievable is that the Christian world, to this day, still does not know what to do with Jesus Christ. The devil has so confused the truths’ of our wonderful lord and savior’s responsibility, that the Christian world has even gone so far as to allow his wonderful name to be dragged through the mud and become one of the primary derogatory words used in our culture. They have no idea what they’ve allowed to happen.

Philippians 2:10 tells us, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” Does that sound like a name that should be used in vain? It’s a lack of knowledge that leads to a lack of respect that brings things like that to pass. Hosea 4:6 tells us, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” I might even go so far as to say that even when people do have accurate knowledge they often allow themselves to get tricked into becoming indifferent or bored with it, and therefore lose the blessings that God has in store for them.

Jesus said in Luke 4:18, 19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” As it was Jesus Christ’s responsibility to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, it is also the responsibility for each born again man and woman to preach Christ and the new birth that he came to bring with the Day of Pentecost.

Why has it been so difficult for the Christian world through the centuries to recognize and understand the realities behind Christ’s accomplishments? The scriptures have been available. God’s Word was first written in the stars, then it was spoken and then it was written down. The prophets of old declared it boldly and so often came up against tremendous resistance to God’s Word. The answer is very simple. The devil, who the Scriptures tell us in Corinthians is “…the god of this world,” desires worship and since he was given the dominion, for the time being, over this world, it has been his primary goal to intercept the worship which should be intended for the true God. He does this with subtlety and with his devices.

1 Peter 5:8 tells us: “Be sober, be viligant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” And one of his great devices is in the form of distractions, quite often in the form of things that interest us, that divert us from giving our full attention to the things of God.

One of the things of God is praying in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:14: “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” This is a great key to prayer. Paul used the name of Jesus Christ in a different situation in Acts 16:18: “And this did she many days. [ a devil spirit was harassing Paul] But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”

We see from these two uses of the name of Jesus Christ that there is power in that name when it is believed. We can use it in prayer and we can use it to handle difficult situations. As we have discussed, the devil does not want us to understand and use these truths in our lives. In John 4:4, we see, “Ye are God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” The “he that is in you” is referring to the Christ in you, which is in every born again believer. The “he that is in the world” is referring to the devil and the dominion that he has. In Luke 4:6, the devil tells Jesus Christ, “And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” We have brought attention to the passages in John 4:4 and Luke 4:6 to show why it is so important to the devil to spread distractions throughout our lives if he can.

He knows the importance of the name of Jesus Christ. He knows it is more powerful than he is and he knows if we use that name, with believing, that we can do “…exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” it tells us in Ephesians 3:20. Let’s try to rely on the Christ in us. Let’s glorify God by speaking in tongues more and by doing these things we should be encouraged that we can work the Christ  in us in all the things that we do.

Funglimpses and much more. Thanks for reading. Respectfully submitted! Will Grove

 

 

 

 

Man, when he is born, is born with five senses having only body and soul, and so he will be subject to all the problems that naturally come in the senses world. Man is born into this world with just his senses to guide him; however, man’s mind was originally made to be God-minded. In Genesis 1:27, it says that God made Adam and Eve in His own image, and that is spirit. (John 4:24 – “God is a spirit”).

Man was made to communicate with God and to fellowship with Him, but over the years, as men have interpreted the Bible in so many different ways, that truth has become muddied. And so it’s become very easy for man to doubt that the answers to life abide in the Bible. Man has also compounded the problem for years by making up things as he sees fit when it comes to the things of God.

It’s been very easy to adopt the opinion that the Bible was written by many different people, and that they had “free reign” to just write whatever they wished. The problem is that man has no issue acknowledging the existence of the Bible, but he has a major problem with it being written by holy men of God as they were “moved by the holy spirit.” This is the position that man, in general, has held for a long time and it has really held him back in all aspects of life, regardless of how financially prosperous he might be.

It has been suggested that the greatest of man’s problems is in not acknowledging the integrity of God’s Word. 2 Peter 1:20,21 tells us: “Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

For those of us who love God and love His Word, we do not want the integrity of God’s Word to be a great problem for us. 2 Peter 1:20,21 explains it very clearly. God did then and can today, work with His spirit in any born again believer to proclaim His word. He put spirit on some people in the Old Testament times, and we’ve got spirit within us with the new birth spoken of in Acts 2:1ff and in Romans 10:9, 10.

The man of the senses, called the “natural man” in 1 Corinthians 2:14, has always had a problem with God, because it is not within him to receive God’s Word. He knows there’s something out there but he can’t come to grips with the truth of God, the Creator. The man of the senses will always have a problem with any aspect of the working of the Spirit of God within a believer: especially when it comes to rightly dividing God’s Word. 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” This is pretty simple: It’s always been this way and it will be this way until the return of Christ.

In Matthew 4:4, Jesus told the Devil, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Spoken very clearly and wonderfully after forty days of physical deprivation, Jesus spoke forth the truth that man cannot make it truly happen in his life without God’s Word living and real for him.

In Deuteronomy 6:5, God tells Moses: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” What a wonderful statement! Jesus follows it up in Matthew 22:37, 38: “And Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

How simple! Nothing has changed since the days of Adam and Eve. It was God’s desire for Adam to love Him with all his heart, soul and mind. Adam must have loved God that way, but eventually doubt crept in. The doubt that crept into Adam in Genesis 3:7 and preceding was the questioning of the integrity of God’s Word. What a terrible time in his life! At that point it was all over, and all anybody could do from that time on, was wait until the coming of the Christ, and the culmination of Christ’s work in Acts 2:1ff. But it was worth waiting for, because now we have seed in us, irrevocable, and we can speak in tongues. What a work!

Jesus Christ believed that the Word of God was the will of God. In one of the prayers to his Father in John 17:14 he says “I have given them thy word …” referring to his disciples and apostles. Again, in verse 17, he says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” The Bible is the revealed Word and will of God. If you want to live a life that’s more than abundant: physically, mentally and spiritually, you will really have to take the first commandment seriously: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” This is my goal because I want God’s Word to be the pinnacle in my life and I’m sure you do too.

Funglimpses and all that… Thanks for reading. Respectfully submitted, Will Grove

 

 

Article 14 – January 3, 2018

It’s a Brand New Year

It is a brand new year for those of us who keep a calendar, but since God is the originator of time, as we know it, I don’t know that He keeps a calendar. But all the same, lots of people around the world, at this time, are trying to figure out how to improve their lives. Some are trying this, and some are trying that. Diets and physical health and trying to improve our bodies are very popular right now.

For those of us who are concerned with the accuracy and integrity of God’s Word, the scriptures hold a high priority with us and we should want to build those up in our minds. 3 John 2 tells us, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” God wants us to prosper in the physical realm, part of which means not being overcome with the burdens of financial stress. God wants us to be in health, which means physically and mentally.

Proverbs 3:5-8 tell us: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direst thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear [respect, reverence] the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel and marrow to thy bones.” This is literal for as we put God’s Word on in our hearts it will greatly increase our mental health, which will in turn help to strengthen our physical health.

Colossians 3:15 tells us: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” When the peace of God truly lives in your heart you will not be a candidate for the barrage of medicines that are supposed to keep you peaceful and certainly not a candidate for counselors and meditation.

God created our bodies to be healthy and to be peaceful. Because the devil rules this world for the moment, we will have to deal with the curse of the ground mentioned in Genesis 1:15ff, however, as Romans 8:37 tells us: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” It’s amazing the positive changes that you can make in your life by just choosing God’s way. And the only way that you can know God’s way is by knowing His Word. His Word is His will, and if you want to try to get around that and go the secular way insofar as your lifestyle is concerned, then, by all means, go for it and enjoy the consequences. There will be consequences and they will not be pleasant. There is a heavy truth in this life and that is that life is spiritual and the negative things of our environment are caused by the devil, either directly or indirectly. He can try to burn you out in the summer and freeze you out in the winter and everything in between.

Unfortunately, far too many people do not want to accept the truths of God’s Word which explain all of this, and so, they get frustrated with the consequences. That’s not God’s fault: it’s our own unbelief that gets the better of us so often. The only thing that could possibly keep a person from going God’s way, especially after they’ve heard His Word, is fear! And someone once said that, ‘fear is sand in the machinery of life’, so don’t let it get into your machinery. It’s so simple and so easy to go to God’s Word and see that His love for us is far beyond our understanding.

Ephesians 1:19 tells us: “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” This verse means that God is simply greater than the devil and his devices. Why allow ourselves to have such a hard time with this. We saw in 3 John 2 that God wants us to prosper and be in health, so why would we want to argue with that? What a great promise and what a great God who promised it!

Psalm 1 is a wonderful Psalm that sums up so much of how simple and how wonderful the lifestyle is that God wishes for us. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

What a wonderful section from God’s wonderful, matchless Word. So, if you really want to make changes in 2018, it’s ok to do the resolutions and all that, but to put God’s Word on more deeply in your heart will be the greatest change you can make. If you try it seriously for just three weeks, you won’t know yourself and it will be great.

I’m going to try it and I know it’ll help me to have funglimpses. Thanks for reading. Respectfully submitted!   Will Grove

 

Article 13 –

December 14, 2017

‘To Be Encouraged’

Don’t we all need to be encouraged at times? I was thinking about how important it is to be encouraged, both when things are going poorly and when things are going well. Others can encourage us and we can also encourage ourselves: but, to be encouraged in the Lord is a very fruitful and righteous endeavor.

1 Samuel 30:6 tells us, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” David was in dire straits through no fault of his own, and circumstances had greatly discouraged the people around him and they blamed him because he was the king.

How often we find ourselves also in dire straits and lousy predicaments which may or may not be of our own doing. They affect us and we have to deal with negative situations more than we care for because they are caused by devilish influence and the devil is a professional trouble maker.

1 Peter 5:8 says, ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” The devil was walking about in the days of Adam, in the days of David, and no less today, we see him seeking. So when he does endeavor to devour our mind and body, we need to be prepared to encourage ourselves in the Lord as David did.

We are sons of God in this day and time, with Christ in us, the hope of glory: Colossians 1:27b. The elements of this world are never going to encourage us in the truth that we are sons of God, so we have to go to God’s Word and encourage ourselves. Once we have made it a part of our life to encourage ourselves, we can certainly encourage others. This is part of our responsibility to God and to His household of believers. It’s important that we see this big enough that we would want to build God’s Word in our lives.

It’s very easy to be distracted with things and stuff and situations. And it’s very easy for the adversary to distract us with things and stuff and situations: but our position and responsibility as sons of God far outweigh all those situations that can turn us away from the things of God.

Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus Christ needed lots of encouragement at times, and he got it from his heavenly Father. We get our encouragement from God in the way of His written Word; by way of the manifestations of holy spirit, especially speaking in tongues. In Jude 20 we read, “But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” This verse is referring to speaking in tongues, which builds up the spirit of God within.

Psalm 1:1-3 is a very encouraging passage of scripture for any time or occasion. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate both day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

If we keep our heads in the law of the Lord during the course of our days, we will be uplifted and encouraged and the things we do will be a blessing to ourselves and others. The devil will not be able to seek us out and devour us. However, you can’t afford to mess around and seek God part time or when it’s convenient. If you don’t take the things of God seriously enough to seek Him out regularly, you will never see the blessings and encouragement that we’re talking about.

Remember, God wants us to be encouraged and blessed, not casualties of the spiritual battle, which is 24/7.

I would like to close with a section of scripture from Ephesians 3:16-21, which is one of the great sections in God’s Word written specifically to the Church of the Body of Christ, which is us today: “That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Can you imagine being able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”? That sounds great to me, that’s for sure! But, in the meantime, I’ll continue to try to have funglimpses! Thanks for reading! Respectfully submitted! Will Grove

 

Blog 12

Nov 6, 2017

 

Our Wonderful Lord and Savior

I felt inspired to write some thoughts about our lord and savior Jesus Christ. I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church and attended Catholic School during the 1950’s and early ‘60’s. I cannot, to this day remember anything that was taught in their Catechism book and it was part of the daily curriculum.

As part of my upbringing, I was taught that Jesus was God and that Mary was the mother of God and you just didn’t question that. That should be no surprise as the great majority of the Christian world today expresses as its belief that Jesus Christ is God. During those early years I didn’t question it, neither did I care.

It wasn’t until I took a class on the Bible called ‘Power for Abundant Living’ in 1974 that I began to see the truths regarding Jesus Christ from the Scriptures. I learned that Jesus Christ is the subject of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and thus it behooves Christians to pursue an accurate understanding of his life and ministry. Unfortunately, the devil has been inspiring the religious community since the fourth century to make up its own doctrine, unsubstantiated by Scripture, regarding who Jesus Christ is. This has not been difficult for him to do as shown by the vast number of different religions practiced in the world today.

I later read a book in 1974 called ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ which caused a lot of controversy at that time in the Christian world as it shows how the history of the Trinity came to be and how the scriptures clearly show that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and not God.

As the years have moved on, and I’ve grown a bit in my understanding of my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, I am ever so thankful for what he did by his freedom of will and what his life and accomplishments mean to my life as a Christian.

John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’

Anybody with eyes to see and ears to hear will understand that God gave His only begotten Son and not Himself. The devil has tricked the leaders of the Christian world for a long time in propounding the teaching that Jesus Christ is God. The devil spirit influence from this teaching carries so heavily that for millions of people around the world, it seems to makes sense.

The original Patriarchs: Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob were not looking for God to literally come in the form of man. They were looking forward to the Christ, the Son of the Highest, who would come in the fullness of time and redeem man from his sinful state. There was a devout man in Luke 2:25-35 named Simeon who came into the temple to see the Child Jesus, and in verses 30-32 it says: ‘For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all the people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

Simeon knew that the Child Jesus was the Son of God and not God.

John 4:34, reads: “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” That work was the full redemption of mankind, and only a man could do it.

John 5:30 reads: “I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” Jesus Christ was very open and honest about his position as the Son of God.

1 Timothy 2:5 reads: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’

There are dozens and dozens of verses in the Scriptures that show Jesus Christ’s position and responsibility as the Son of God. He was the man, man’s redeemer who had to experience what we experience on the level of the senses to be the complete savior.

Hebrews 4:15 reads: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

The scriptures tell us in John 4:24 that “God is Spirit…” and Jesus Christ Himself said in Luke 24:39 “…for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

At this point we’ve looked at a number of records in God’s Word that state that Jesus Christ was a man and not God Himself and I think I’m good with that. I think this sharing will culminate with some verses from Romans 5:17 “For if by one man’s offense [Adam] death reigned by one [Adam]; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign on life by one, Jesus Christ.”

Verse 19 “For as by one man’s [Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One [Jesus Christ] shall many be made righteous.”

I want to share an article presented many years ago by Dr. James A Francis, edited later by Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille:

One Solitary Life

A man was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter’s shop until he was thirty. And then for a short period of time, he was an itinerant preacher.

He never went to college. He never had a family. He never owned a home. He never held an office. He never wrote a book. He never traveled 200 miles from the place where he was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself.

While still a young man, the tide of popular religious opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him, another betrayed him. He was turned over to his religious enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross in the midst of two malefactors and two robbers. While he was dying his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, his seamless robe. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of all columns of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that of all the armies that ever marched, all the navies ever built, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned and all the presidents that ever ruled, plus all the men and women of power who ever lived, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the man of Galilee.

Wasn’t that wonderful? Let’s try to continue to have funglimpses. Thanks for reading! Respectfully submitted! Will Grove

 

September 21, 2017

 

Being a Thankful Ambassador

A wonderful man of God, who I knew personally back in 1980 and 1981 once told me that a mature Christian should have three ‘hot’ teachings ready on the top of his head at all times. What he meant by ‘mature ‘ was one who was not only born again of God’s spirit, but who also understood the working of the gift of holy spirit. That would include the new birth from Romans 10:9 and 10, the manifestations of the spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, and an understanding of the hope of Christ’s return as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:52-54.

There is so much more, but if you understand these three areas, you will be equipped to be a wonderful representative of God’s Word!

In 2 Corinthians 5:19 and 20 we are told, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

This tells us that we’ve been given the word of reconciliation and as such, we are to be ambassadors (representatives) for Christ! God would never have had this written if we were not able to do it. Once you are born again, with Christ in you, you should want more than anything in the world to be able to share it with others, so that they in turn, can have the same deliverance that you’ve enjoyed.

The world gets very wrapped up in trying to accomplish things. It’s ok to accomplish things, to be productive, but to what end? What is the profit?

In Acts 10, there was a certain man named Cornelius, who was a military leader and had a lot of influence in the area in which he served. Verse 2, tells us that he was a devout man who feared God with all his house. He had a lot of worldly things going for him, and yet he loved God and so did his household.

God sent the Apostle Peter into his life later in the chapter to witness to him and to share with him the word of reconciliation. Peter was an equipped believer and he could have been lazy with God’s revelation to him, but God usually doesn’t give revelation to lazy people. Peter acted and went, and in verse 33, Cornelius tells him, “Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.”   What a wonderful, humble man!   He must have been very thankful for the things that God had done for him and how He had blessed his life and household.

You ask to what end? Look at Verses 44-46: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them all which heard the word [the word of reconciliation].  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.”

Peter first spoke in tongues on the Day of Pentecost and here were these believers of Cornelius’ household speaking in tongues and magnifying God. This means believers should speak in tongues! It is God’s will! And make no mistake, the Devil will go out of his way to talk you out of that. He hates it when people magnify God, because then he’s not getting their attention. And the one thing the Devil wants above all else is your attention and to neglect the things of God.

In Acts 3 there is a record of a man who was born crippled and he was healed by God’s Word spoken by Peter and John. As a result of this miraculous healing, word spread throughout that area and Peter and John were apprehended by the religious leaders who didn’t want God’s Word being spoken.

In Acts 4:8-12, Peter speaks out and tells them about Jesus Christ and the power of God: and in verse 11, we see, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

What a statement! It takes great love and commitment to speak God’s Word like that in a pressure situation. Peter was obviously very thankful for the Word of God that he had in his heart. He knew a lot of God’s Word; he had prepared himself. And yet, he didn’t have access to the Church Epistles as we do today, because they hadn’t been written yet.

Most of our situations to speak God’s Word are probably not as pressurized as that which we just read. We have all that anybody in this day and time is going to need to have to be a ‘prepared’ Christian. We have much to be thankful for. We can speak in tongues and lead people into the new birth, which Jesus Christ could not do because it was not yet available.

Colossians 3:15 and 17 tell us: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be ye thankful.And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”

The world is never going to speak God’s Word to us. You won’t hear the wonderful things of God spoken about in the media. The Adversary runs the media and he does not want us to hear the things of God. It’s up to us, Christians strong and wise, who speak because we love Christ and believe in the Father’s call to speak the Words of life. It’s a wonderful thing to do, and I love to do it and until I can’t do it, I’m going to continue to have funglimpses! Thanks for reading!

 

Respectfully submitted! Will Grove