What If God Told You To Do Something?

What if God told you to do something? I'm talking about the God who created everything that was created. The God who has the final say in everything. If that God told you to do something, what would your response be?

Would you tell the almighty God, no I won't do what you've told me to do because I don't feel like doing it. Maybe another time, God, but not right now.

Would you tell God that you have better things to do than obey Him. Or that you have more important things to do than pay attention to what He wants you to do?

Try that sort of response with you boss when you're at work. Tell your boss that you can't be bothered doing what he or she wants you to do. See what sort of consequences you face if you try that with your employer.

Well, God has told us to do some things. For centuries He did the telling through people like Moses and the prophets. Then He came in the flesh, being born as a human being, Jesus Christ. As Jesus one of the incredible things He did was to suffer and die on the cross on our behalf, the sinless one dying for our sins. Another awesome thing that He did is speak to us and tell us directly what we need to be told.

Jesus told His disciples what to do. What He told them wasn't optional. What He told them weren't suggestions for them to consider whether or not to obey. He was God in the flesh. He knew exactly what was best for everything and everyone in the creation He had made.

One of the things Jesus said to His disciples was this in John 15:12-14  "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." ESV

Commands from God are not simply things we find in the Old Testament. God is still God and He is still the Lord. He's still the boss. We're still to obey Him with no excuses for not obeying.

To make it clear that His commands were not just for the disciples Jesus chose to follow Him while He was here in the flesh, He told them before He ascended back to heaven, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) ESV

So we are to be taught to observe all that Jesus commanded His disciples. We're to look to what is written in the Bible and learn what God commands us to do and how to do it.

For example, when it comes to His command to love one another, we can learn more of what that means in John's first letter:  1 John 3:16-18  By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? ESV



There are times when my wife and I have been in need, and we're thankful that those in our church and others came to our need. She and are both disabled, but we know we're not exempt from obeying God's commands. Each week at church we do our share in contributing financially to the needs our church helps meet.

I'm pleased that those in our church helped form a group that provides groceries and other basic necessities to families facing hard times in our area. I'm also pleased that our church supports missionaries who help people in poor communities and nations with both their physical and spiritual needs.


Before I close this blog post I should add that I'm not suggesting that we can earn salvation by doing good works in obedience to what God commands us to do. The sacrifice of Jesus as the only sinless offering is the only basis for our salvation. But in God saving us, He has a purpose for the rest of our lives and all eternity. God has things for us to do.  Eph 2:8-10  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ESV

God has told us to do things. The things He commands us to do are written in the Bible. Let's not make excuses. Lets discover what is in the Bible and do what God wants us to do.

Grace is Amazing

Click the image above to hear about the grace of God.

The grace of God is amazing. He has provided sinners a perfectly just way for sinners like me (and you) to spend eternity with Him and have joy that is so good that we can't even imagine how good it will be.

We are all sinners because none of us obey even the basic commands of God which are to love Him with all our mind, soul, heart and strength and also love our neighbor as ourselves. Yet God has made provision for our forgiveness because His Son, Jesus Christ, suffered and died in our place.

God treated Jesus as if He had sinned our sins. When we trust in that work of Jesus, and come to Father God on the merits of what His Son did for us, then we can be treated as Jesus alone deserves to be treated. We can look forward to an eternity with the Father and Son.

It is amazing. It is grace, unmerited favor. We don't deserve such grace. It is a grace worth thinking about and praising God for.

At Church We Learn and are Reminded of Things

Heb 10:24-25  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ESV

My wife and are both disabled and use power wheelchairs to get around. In the morning we need help to up to get up and ready for the day. On Sundays we need to have people come early in order to be ready in time for the paratransit van to take us to church. There are times due to circumstances such as sickness or severe weather when we can't go, but whenever possible we do go.

There are Sunday mornings when we're tired and not feeling the best that we would like to take it easy and stay home. There are also times when my wife knows it will be quite likely that she'll get a migraine headache by mid day if she goes off to church, but she doesn't let that stop her from going. We know that it is important to attend church Sunday school and worship services if at all possible. We get encouraged by others when we're at church, and we can encourage them as well.

Today my wife and I arrived in church in time for most of one of the adult Sunday school classes which was about the pilgrims who settled in Plymouth in 1620. One of the fascinating things we learned was that there is a National Monument to the Forefathers that I'd never heard of before, even though I've been to Plymouth, Mass., several times.

The monument was dedicated in 1889 and is the largest solid granite monument in the United States, standing 81 feet in height. The monument honors the pilgrims and what they held as important in life. The tallest figure at the top represents Faith. Other images portray Law, Morality, Prophecy, Evangelism, Justice, Mercy, Education, and Liberty.

I'm hoping that my wife and I will be able to visit that monument some day. I'm glad we were at Sunday school today to learn about it. We also got to praise our God, hear a good sermon, and have fellowship with our friends. Yes, my wife got a migraine, but she believes it was worth it.

There are Christians in parts of the world who risk their lives when they gather to worship and learn more about Jesus Christ. They sacrifice far more than we do to meet together as a church. But they do so because they know from Scripture that God wants them to gather together. Let's all take heed to the Word of God and spend time in church on a regular basis whenever we are able to do so.

Anybody Have No Sin?

Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  ESV

1Jn 1:8-10  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. ESV

These passages in the third chapter of Romans and the first chapter of the first letter of John say that we have sinned and that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. God is the one who knows what sin is. If we want we can disagree with Him regarding what we call sin, but our opinion on the matter doesn't really count. We're not the ones who determines the final consequences of our sinning. We have no ability whatsoever to override God.

Anyone who takes the time to read the Bible will find that none of us complies with what God commands us to do. None of us loves God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, as we're commanded to do. By our words and actions every day we reject God as our Lord. Again and again we choose to do what we want when want. In other words, we sin against God. Therefore God, being just, is right in rejecting us.

Nevertheless, God has made provision for us to be forgiven. Even though we all deserve to be totally cut off from God, He sent His Son to take our judgment for us. Jesus was rejected by men, and condemned to death on the cross. His blood was shed while He suffered the rejection of His Father in heaven, being treated as we deserve to be treated for our sins against God. That sacrifice by Jesus is the basis for our being redeemed and forgiven. As it says in Ephesians 1:7 "In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace," ESV

By God's standards, we are all sinners. If we claim we are not, then we're saying that God is a liar. I'd rather agree with God, confess my sins, and trust the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to be the basis for God forgiving me. I hope you will do the same.

How Should Husbands Love Their Wives?

Eph 5:28-30  In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ESV

This passage of Scripture is important to me because I am a husband, and I should know how God wants me to relate to my wife. We husbands don't always do a good job of expressing love to our wives. So God inspired this portion of the Bible so that we might have a better idea of what should be involved in loving our wives.

I'm to love my wife as my own body. When it comes to my body I want it to feel good. If my body is hungry I want to eat something that will satisfy that hunger. If at all possible I want that food to taste good to me. Not what somebody else says is tasty, but what tastes good to me.

Therefore, when it comes to loving my wife I should strive to discover what will satisfy her hunger and appeal to her tastes. That should be true in regards to food and everything else in her life

 Today my wife and I were at a mall to do some shopping and have lunch. We took our time to browse and purchase some clothing items, a jar of preserves, and have lunch together at a restaurant we both like. In one store we saw a Kinkade calendar for next year that included one of his pictures that used to be displayed in a gallery at a mall she frequently visited when she lived in California. She loved that picture and so instead of getting a Spider Man calendar (that was also in the store today) I bought the Kinkade calendar.

Buying the calendar for my wife was not a big thing. But the more I learn about what pleases my wife, and the better I get at doing that, the happier she will be. And the happier she becomes, the happier I become. Indeed, he who loves his wife, loves himself.

Want to Know What Eternal Life Is?

Joh 17:3  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  ESV

1Jn 5:20  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. ESV

Have you given any thought to eternal life? Do you think it means living in heaven forever? Jesus has something to say on the matter. He referred to eternal life in the prayer that is recorded in the 17th chapter of the book of John.

The apostle John also wrote about eternal life near the end of the 5th chapter of his first letter. Neither place does it mention Heaven. Nor do these passages refer simply to living forever. If we want to understand what eternal life really is we ought to consider what God has to say about it in Scripture.

Take a look at what Jesus said. This is eternal life. That they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)

Eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ whom God sent. Notice that it doesn't just say that eternal life is to know God. It says it is to know God and Jesus Christ whom God sent. I believe Jesus worded it that way because God is spirit and we are incapable to truly knowing God on our own. God had to come in the flesh as both the Son of God and Son of Man so He could be observed and heard and clearly written about for following generations of people like you and me.

Consider this other thing that Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:;6 (ESV)

 Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the life. To have the life that is eternal we have to have Jesus. To know what eternal life is we have to know Jesus. To truly know Jesus, He has to make Himself known to us and the principle way He does that is through what is written in Scripture.

Do you want eternal life? You can't have it apart from knowing Jesus Christ. So if you do want eternal life then look to the Bible to see what God has to say about Himself and His Son who is God in the flesh. Keep in mind that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus. We may not like that to be true but we're not the one who decides what is true or fair. We're not perfect. God is.

How Well Do We Use Our Gifts?

Rom 12:6-8  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. NIV

In the letter Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, which is now read by Christians everywhere, he told them that we have different gifts. Not everybody has the same gift or collection of gifts. But we all do have gifts. Whatever gift or gifts we have been given, we are expected to use them.

My wife gave me a Kindle electronic book reader this year, and I enjoy using it to read the Bible and other books. If I had taken the Kindle, put it on a bookshelf, and let it collect dust, my wife would have been disappointed. It would show I didn't care much for the gift she'd given me.

Using a gift demonstrates that we appreciate what was given and the person who gave it to us. If God has given us gifts, then neglecting them must surely grieve Him.

Nobody knows us as well as God. Unlike some friends or family members, He knows exactly what gifts are right for us. He doesn't make mistakes when if comes to gift giving.

Therefore let us, you and me, use the gifts God gives us. Let us use them wholeheartedly. Let us use the gifts generously, diligently, and cheerfully.

Whom to Serve? God or Money?

Mat 6:24  "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. NIV

The Bible has a lot to say about money. It does not say that money is evil, but it does say the the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:10). If we love money we are apt to focus on accumulating and hoarding it, rather than using it to do worthwhile things.

Even though I've been in a wheelchair since childhood due to polio, with limited breathing, strength, and stamina, I've worked as much as I could. This year colon cancer, a heart attack, and other health problems have further limited my ability to work.

 Nevertheless, I still spend much of my time online seeking to earn modest sums of money. It wasn't amounting to much, but it was taking up quite a bit of the time when I used my computer to be online. I was attempting to find a way to earn the kind of income I had when I was able to serve customers around town as an AVON representative.

  Am I spending the time I have appropriately? Which would serve God better: my earning small amounts of money online and sharing it with my church, or using my writing and teaching abilities to share with others what I learn from Scripture?

 My health problems have landed me in the hospital repeatedly this year, and may continue to do so. I just turned 63, and it's unlikely I'll ever be able to hold a well paying job that involves a significant amount of work time. So how should I spend the time God gives me that I can be on the computer?

 I'm thinking that I should blog more. Still spend some time seeking to earn money online, but do more blogging about things that involve growing in understanding about what God has to say to us in the Bible.

God is more important than money. Money is useful and can help us do some things. But God is everlasting. I think I should seek to serve Him the best I can rather than just spending a lot of time trying to earn a bit more money.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post.

Does Jesus Want Me to Blog?

I believe that is a good question to ask myself. It's been well over a year since I've made a post on this blog. I have some excuses why I've neglected adding to this blog, but most of them are indeed excuses. I've excused myself from being diligent about sharing thoughts about Biblically Speaking - Who's the Boss?

I need to stop making excuses and determine if I should put as best an effort as I can into blogging here. If Jesus is indeed the one who made all things that are made, and is indeed Lord, then He deserves whatever I can do to give Him the attention of which He is worthy.

If you are reading this post, I would ask that you pray that I will be faithful to whatever God calls me to, and enables me to do, for as long as He enables me to do those things.

I thank you for reading this post, and thank you to all those who may pray for me. If Jesus wants me to blog I want to do so wholeheartedly.