HERE IN THE REAL WORLD

Today is the big day that I have waited for since last November: Baseball season begins. And, I say a big thanks to all the football players and basketball players for trying to keep us occupied until the big day got here. All over America in the baseball parks mangers are beginning to pencil in their starting line ups. They are looking over their teams and deciding who will be the best man for each position. Since the winter months the players have all been vying for the valued spot in the starting nine. Hopefully they have listened to the mangers and coaches and to the best of their abilities followed their directions. There is pressure on each player to get out there and get the job done. And, while the players look to their managers for guidance, our youth look to the players as role models. If God were to pencil in a starting line up where would you be, on the mound or under it?

Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda once said, “Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure it’s because you’ve started to think of failure.” In our world today we are bombarded with temptations everyday that are waiting to take us into failure and away from the victory we have in Jesus. But, we are not the only ones to ever have been tempted. Every person who has ever lived has been tempted in some way even the one who walked the earth in perfection: 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 (Hebrews 4:15). Matthew recorded that Jesus was tempted by Satan with the lust of the flesh (Matthew 4:3-4), tempted with pride (Matthew 4:5-7), and tempted with the lust of the eyes (Matthew 4:8-10). Each time though, Jesus was successful in overcoming the temptation not by thinking of the failure that would ensue if he gave in, but by turning to the word of God. We have that word preserved for us. We have a Savior that waits for us to cast our eyes upon Him and not follow temptation that leads to failure.

Former major leaguer turned broadcaster Bob Uecker once said, “The biggest thrill a ballplayer can have is when your son takes after you. That happened when my Bobby was in his championship Little League game. He really showed me something. Struck out three times. Made an error that lost the game. Parents were throwing things at our car and swearing at us as we drove off. Gosh, I was proud.” When Jesus fought off the temptations by Satan he gave us the tools to fight off every temptation we will ever face. He gave us an example of how to live. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Of course Paul didn’t mean that we were to worship him, but that we were to try and live as he lived as the example of how he lived was one of following Christ. Paul tried to walk as Christ walked and he urged others to do the same: Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample (Philippians 3:17).

We have the tools to fight off temptations and we have the examples that we are to follow. But, we have an even greater responsibility: we have to set examples for others to follow. Former Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson said, “Those of us lucky enough to be part of the game have a tremendous responsibility — we’re charged with giving back to the game all the good things the game has given us.” Those of us in Christ are not lucky, but blessed. And, with that blessing comes the responsibility of leading lives that bring others into the kingdom. In the great commission we are told, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). We are to teach and show others the good things we have and bring them into the Kingdom. We are to give back to the Kingdom.

In discussing the speed of one of his ballplayers, Tommy Lasorda once said, “He got in a race with a pregnant woman and finished third.” The key in what Lasorda said was that he “finished.” So many of us start out a decent speed and then just stop. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). We have to run the race not giving in to the sin that is waiting for us on a daily basis. Maybe we are not in front, or maybe not even to first base yet, but we are still running the bases. It is our best that we are to give. Famous White Sox player Shoeless Joe Jackson said, “God knows I gave my best in baseball at all times and no man on earth can truthfully judge me otherwise.”

Thankfully we don’t have a Lord that is going to pencil in nine names and be done with it. But, he does have a Lamb’s Book of Life to write down our names in. If today was opening day for that Book where would your name be penciled in? Would you be on the mound or under it?

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.

Don’t be a Casey!

Around the world of Blogdom today:

At least two of my brothers have opening day blogs,
Please visit Trey Morgan and Nick Gill. Richard Mansel might even have a opening day post; He also has a post that asks a good question.
Paula Harrington Wasting Time
Bobby Valentine has books piled on his desk and table
Greg England is revisiting nothing in particular

Until Next Time May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
North Carolina, USA
cohoon@earthlink.net

If anyone has ever had a green thumb, my grandmother has it. She just has a way with plants. One of her favorites is the “Coleus”: Which she calls an “Old Timey Coleus.” She spends time with each plant and has told me that though each plant is the same their needs may be quite different. One may be in dry dirt while the others is to moist. One may need more plant food, while the other might just need a good talking to. But, to each she looks after their needs. She is the same way with people. Though she ran a “rest” home, her work was not limited to those people who stayed there. She served the community around her by sending out meals to those who couldn’t cook for themselves. Or, by bring in to her home people who for what ever reason couldn’t stay in theirs. And, through all of the years of serving others, even now at the ripe young age of 93, I have yet to hear her complain. Sometimes I think she is an “Old Timey Coleus!” My favorite Psalm, 100, tells us something about the way we are to serve: Serve the LORD with gladness (Psalm 100:2).

We are to humble ourselves and serve the Lord. Maybe we can’t send God a plate of Sunday dinner, but we can do it for one of his that are here on earth. We are to put other’s needs in front of our own. Jesus humbled himself in that he became a servant. He came not to be served but to serve. And that is the attitude that we are to have.

Our service is to be directed towards the Lord. It would be all to easy to go out and serve with the attitude that we can brag about what we have done. But, we have to drop “self” and serve for Him. When we are giving service to someone else with the right attitude we are giving service to God. I asked my grandmother once why she was always doing so much for others, knowing that in most cases she never got anything in return (of course she never asked for anything in return). Her answer was because God wants us to help others. Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

The word serve also says that we are to be active in our faith. It is a verb of action not a passive word. We are to have an active faith not a dead faith. James wrote, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead (James 2:20)? We can talk faith all we want; everyone can talk the talk. But, it is when we stop talking and start walking that we put our faith in action. We have to start WALKING the TALK!

In the day and age we live in everyone seems to be pulled in a million different direction and we never seem to have time to help those around us. We need to make time to serve him by helping others. Maybe we need a few more “Old Timey Coleus” in this world!

Around the world of Blogdom today:

Trey Morgan Looks at opening day and Fresh Starts
Tim Waldrop looks at once saved always saved
Greg England looks at nothing in particular
Lisa Leichner Looks at Mr.s Noah
Neva Cooper has some New Fire
Paula Harrington looks at why God Runs
Bobby Valentine asks Do Roots Matter?

Until next time May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
North Carolina, USA
cohoon@earthlink.net

The signs are everywhere. Almost every business has at least one. It reads, “No Loitering.” They don’t want a lot of idle people hanging around their business. As soon as one starts hanging around, then there is another and another, until the employees stop working and start loitering on the clock. The working world is not the only place that has loiterers. Did you know that we can become spiritual loiterers? The first Psalm looks at spiritual loitering.Psalm 1:1 reads, “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.”

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. Many times Godly people begin to walk in the consel of the ungodly when they start listening to the opinions of the world. Maybe we start to rethink our opinion on premarital sex. Maybe we start to see abortion in a whole new light. Whatever the case, when we start to accept the “counsel” of the world as opposed to our Christian beliefs we start to walk in the “counsel of the ungodly” and start becoming spiritual loiterers.

Blessed is the man who does not stand in the way of sinners. We become spiritual loiters when we “stand in the way of sinners.” We give up the teachings we know to be true and start doing whatever. I have heard actual sermons preached that said, “Just accept Christ, you don’t have to change anything about your life.” When we know what we are to do and yet claim salvation while not doing it, we become spiritual loiterers. When we live like the world Monday through Saturday and show up for church one hour on Sunday (whether we need it or not) we are spiritual loiterers.

Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of the scornful. Some people get so comfortable walking and standing that their next step is just to sit down with those who are against the faith. They begin to stop associating with those who are brothers in the faith and begin to sit down and get comfortable with the world. They become spiritual loiterers. Their interests change just as their associates change. They ways of the world become their comfort zone. They have not only left the wise counsel of the Lord, but they have left their fellowship with the Body. They have become spiritual loiterers.

The progression is there. First, they start by accepting the counsel of the world. The next step is to start acting like the world and finally they blend in with the world. Blessed is the man who does not do this. Blessed is the man who becomes productive for Christ. You have seen the signs in all the stores and you have read then in the Word of God. Have you ever been guilty of loitering spiritually?

Around the world of Blogdom today:

Trey Morgan Tulia, Texas (The Movie)
Tim Waldrop asks is Church Discipline on the Rise?
John Dobbs looks at comfort in the presence of Judgment
Les Ferguson looks at Froggish People
Greg England This World is Not My Home (Response)
Lisa Leichner needs Help!
Neva Cooper has a Radical Response

Until next time May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
North Carolina, USA
cohoon@earthlink.net

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the days I am talking about. Those days that no matter what you do, or attempt to do, it goes wrong. One of those days that just when you begin to relax the phone rings and you have to rush out and help someone. One of those days that just when you think you have finished, you find out that you have only just begun? What about the days that you feel like a fire hydrant and the rest of the world is a dog? We all have them; sometimes it seems some of us have them more frequent than others, but we all have them. And though we don’t always have the cure for those days, we do have a way to make them easier.

The problem with those days is that they are always centered on this world. We get so caught up in the world around us that we overlook the next world which is the solution to this world. We start following this world and all its wants. David wrote, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). When we start following the Lord and letting Him be our shepherd “those days” fade away. Oh, sure the problems arise, but we handle them with His peace. We follow His lead and react to those days in the way that He would want us to react.

When the project is falling apart and we feel the need to throw the hammer across the room He has another plan. “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalms 23:3). When everyone is pulling us in 20 different directions and the whole world is coming down around us he is our peace: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over (Psalms 23:5).
While we are feeling that the whole world is against us, he is preparing us a table in the midst of our enemies.

We All have those days, and we are all going to continue to have those days. But, those days don’t have to be so bad. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Did you know it takes less energy to go God in prayer than to sling the hammer across the room? Did you know that the blood pressure lowers when talking to the Lord and following him than it does to get all worked up and argue with neighbors?

Next time you have one of those days and the skies get dark and gloomy in your life resolve it by following your Shepherd. Look what he can do for you during those grey skies and “those” days: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (Psalms 23:2). Following the Shepherd won’t make “Those Days” disappear, but it will make them more bearable and “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow [you] all the days of [your] life: and [you]will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Around the world of Blogdom today:
Trey Morgan gives ten signs that you might be a Pharisee
Tim Waldrop asks, “Do I Have Charity?”
Tim Archer is Breaking Bread in Acts
Greg England says this world is not my home, or is it?
Lisa Leichner says Picture this
Neva Cooper is Covered in CLouds
John Dobbs has a cloak of confusion

Until next time May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all!

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
North Carolina, USA
cohoon@earthlink.net

My mother lost all vision in one eye a few years back. So when I received the call from her that the vision in her other eye had gone I expected to find her totally devastated; what I found was a woman who had just gone totally blind trying to comfort those around her. When I met my parents at the hospital she was very calm as she put her hand on my arm for me to lead her into the building. She trusted the sound of my voice as I said “step, step, step” to lead her up the few steps. Fro two weeks she walked in darkness. She held an arm to get down the hall. She trusted that the right amount of insulin was drawn up. Gradually after that the vision started coming back in that one eye. Then it was small walks in the yard just to experience “brightness.” As the vision came back little by little those walks would include me taking her to a tree so she could feel the outline of a broad leaf and try and see it: One day she was able to make out the color green. The vision in that one eye is back as good as it will ever be. For two weeks though she walked in darkness; she walked by faith, not by sight.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). While it was my arm that my mother held, her faith was in God. Her faith was that God was going to lead her to where she needed to be. The arm that she held was the security that an unseen God was leading her.

The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). My mother hoped that her vision would return. Her prayers were that one day again she would see. Her trust was in God that the vision would return. It wasn’t in the fleshy arm that led her. Though she trusted in the doctors, her faith was in a much higher place. It would have been so easy for her to just sit down and give up and be waited on. But, she chose another path. She chose to walk by faith. She chose to carry on as best she could. She chose to continue with the operations of a household. Though blind she balanced the books (she walked me through her process). She cooked meals. She went to softball games. And, not one time did she ever suggest giving up. Her faith was that she was going to see, or God was going to give her the strength to function normally blind.

She used her faith in God and her strength to fully operate blind. And, little by little as the sight in that eye can back she continued to act on her faith in God. Today many people with 20/20 vision walk around blind because they don’t put their faith in God. She walked around blind and had 20/20 vision because of her faith. What’s your vision?

Around the world of Blogdom tonight:

Trey Morgan looks at God’s grace vs. our Crippledness
Tim Waldrop has some Brute Force
Richard Mansel asks Whose Needs Take Precedence?
Lisa Leichner has Spring on the Brain

Until Next time May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all!

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
North Carolina, USA
cohoon@earthlink.net

Every neighborhood has them. You know the ones that are proud of everything they have and everything the have is better than what ever anyone else has even if it is the exact same thing. Or the ones that have to rush out and buy something just a little better than what their neighbor just bout. I bet right now you are making a list in your mind about those people.

As Christians we know that pride can sink our ship. When we become proud we tend to give ourselves the credit and forget God. But, as Christians we are called on to be proud people. It’s where we put the pride that counts.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). There is nothing wrong with being proud, we have to simply adjust the object of our pride. We are to boast in the Cross of Jesus Christ. There is no event in our lives that can compare to this one event in the life of our Savior. We can boast of this or that but everything pales in comparison to the work of Christ on the cross.

Through this one event in History we have “the world is crucified to us and we to the world.” Our cares are no longer of this world where we are but aliens; our cares are now on Heavenly things. Through this one act we shift our focus onto eternal life. Our pride is in a blood stain cross. Our Pride is in a death; the type reserved for a hardened criminal. Our pride is in the horrendous, the macabre, the gory, the love of one man who submitted himself to death so that the likes of us may live.

Isaac Watts wrote,
“My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God.

It’s great to have a nice house. It’s great to have a good job and drive a good car. And, of course we are happy when our child makes it to being an honor student. But, when the roll is call up yonder we are going to be standing next to the man from the other side of the tracks who has a “C” student and drives a “Gremlin.” And, he is going to be just as proud of the Cross.

Around the world of Blogdom tonight:
Paula Harrington says it isn’t always easy
Neva Cooper wants to CELEBRATE
Mike Riley looks at Prayer

Until next time May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all!

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
North Carolina, USA
cohoon@earthlink.net

Fifty years is a long time to do anything. But, can you imagine living with the same person for 50 years? Well, my parents are celebrating that milestone right now. Nineteen and fifty seven was the year. And, it would be great if I could sit here and write that every minute of each year had just been “peachy” but we all know that isn’t the case with anyone. And, we don’t expect it to be. Among the vows that are taken is “for better or worse.” That should give a hint right there that things can get worse (and probably will).

Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” And shortly after their marriage both were baptized into the body of Christ and God began to build their house. IN the day and age we live in now divorces are issued for just about any reason. Even though the vows are taken “for better or worse” as soon as things start to slide today people bail out. Yet, through their 50 years when things got worse, they hung in and things got better. Their house was built by God.

In a world that has become all too eager to grant divorces they seem to forget the words or our Savior, “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6). Yet, over the past 50 years put asunder has become the battle cry of the generation. Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). When one falls is the time when things get worse; when the other lifts him/her up is when it gets better. Their vows said there would be the both of times.

In 50 years there is a place for both the better and the worse. But, when a couple has their focus on Christ the worse is only around for a little while as it melts away into the better.
Happy anniversary Mama and Daddy!

Around the world of Blogdom tonight:

Trey Morgan shares coffee with a homeless man
Glenn Ziegler has to new posts!

Until next time May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all

Bobby

cohoon@earthlink.net

Though I usually plant tomatoes every year, I will confess I am not much of a gardener. Now, a neighbor of mine on the other hand usually has about the prettiest plants you ever saw. I looked at his plants a few yeas ago and they were the biggest, sturdiest plants I believe I had ever seen. And, on top of that they were full of yellow flowers. I knew he was in for a bumper crop. A few weeks later I walked over to look at his plants and there was only one lone tomato plant left. I figured it was some plant virus or parasite that had been in his garden. I asked him what had happen. The he told me how all the plants had came up but only the one left had produced fruit. He had cut the others done so they would not take all the nutrients from the lone producer.

As Christians we are to produce fruit also: Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples (John 15:8). And while many go through the motions, some just never produce fruit. We become part of the true vine: Jesus Christ (John 15:1). My neighbor didn’t want to have a lot of plants just standing in the yard not bearing fruit, and God is the same way with us. Jesus said, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away” (John 15:2). There will come a time when those of us that do not bear fruit will no longer have the chance to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

For those of us who do bear fruit He works with us to bear more fruit: every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15:2). The more we follow Christ, the more the dead in us goes away and the “life” in us takes over. Where we started bearing some fruit, we begin to bear more and more fruit. The more that is pruned away from us the more the more fruit is allowed to be produced. Each time something that interferes with our producing fruit is pruned away our focus on Jesus becomes greater and we produce more fruit.

We cannot bear fruit on our own, we have to be connected to the vine. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:4-5).

We love these warm days when we can get outside and work in our gardens and pull up all the weeds that take nutrients from our plants that keep them from bearing fruit. We have a master gardener that is waiting to prune away all the weeds from our life so that we can bear fruit.

Around the world of Blogdom tonight:

Trey Morgan has 21 tips for a Happy Marriage
Tim Waldrop When Sight is Too Late
Richard Mansel looks at more immodesty
Lisa Leichner is all Heart To Heart
Neva Cooper asks how do you know?
Paula Harrington asks are you ready to be saved?
John Dobbs looks at Thursday in Tulsa
Greg England has lessons he MAY have learned
Bobby Valentine has Blessings
Matt Dabbs has the irony of the day

Until next time May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all!

Have a great weekend

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
North Carolina, USA
cohoon@earthlink.net

A few days ago I posted an article about abortion. Brother Greg England responded and one of his comments was, “what about women’s rights?” Of course it was made in jest, but his comment made me think what the Bible says about women’s rights in regard to children.

From the mother of Moses we learn that a mother has the right to do everything she can to protect the life of her child even when the it means jeopardizing her own life. Instead of trying to do away with the life, she held on to that precious baby as long as possible. And, even then let him go in way to secure his safety.

Mary could have faced death by the law for carrying the Christ child, yet, she carried the Baby. In the direst of situations she found a way to nurture the child in love: She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. Women have the right to teach their children. We can see by the example of Jesus in the temple as boy that he was well taught.

Paul wrote to Timothy that the women have the right to bear children: The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity (1 Timothy 5:14). Women have the right to teach these children as they mature: That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children (Titus 2:4). With abortion, they are not bearing children, much less teaching them. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness (Proverbs 31:26). My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother (Proverbs 1:8).

She has the right to be on call 24 hours a day: her candle goeth not out by night (Proverbs 31:18). And any of you that have children know that this happens all the time. There is never a time when they don’t need us. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy (Proverbs 18:20). There are none more needy than our youth.

The have the right to be cared for in their golden years: hen saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home (John 19:27).

These are just a few of the women’s rights that are found in our Holy Scriptures. Absent from this group, and from the entire Bible, is the right to murder their children, in the womb or out!

Around the world of Blogdom tonight:

Trey Morgan has adventures in missions
Tim Waldrop has reason why one might be spiritually challenged
Neva Cooper preserving perishables
Greg England has Long Beach part 2
Lisa Leichner has Spring BREAK

Until Next Time May the Good Lord BLes and Keep You: All Y’all

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
Cohoon@earthlink.net

It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how you play the game. If I only had a penny for every time I have heard that saying. We have now changed somewhat to a win at all cost type of people. Some people even adopt the “win if you can; lose if you must; but, always cheat” attitude. But what does being a Christian call for?

The Apostle John used the word “overcometh” eight times in the Revelation: Seven times in the letters to the churches and once in chapter 21. He tells each church what will happen if they overcome and then in Revelation 21:7 he tells everyone what will be the outcome if they overcome: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Overcoming is equated with our victory as Christians over the world. But, how do we overcome; how do we win?

Jesus said, “or whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25). In what sounds like a contradictory statement, Jesus says we win by loosing. We win when we totally give up our lives in favor of Jesus Christ. In the greatest sermon ever told, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). We are poor in spirit when we come to the realization that we cannot do it without Christ. The Greek word used here for poor is “ptochos” and it means a state in which there is nothing we can do to help ourselves. This is a state in which spiritually one is totally helpless without God. Spiritually we have lost without Christ.

Jesus went on to say, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). When we come to the realization that we have lost (spiritually) we will mourn. We will mourn the sin in our lives. This Beatitude builds on the previous one (Blessed are the poor in spirit). Where the one is poor in spirit recognizes that he needs God, those who mourn are mourning over the things that are separating them from God. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul talks about “Godly Sorrow.” And, it is this godly sorrow that is causing people to mourn. The 2 Cor. Verse also lets us know that all who mourn will not be comforted as godly sorrow works to repentance while WORLDY sorrow works to death. So, what we are to mourn over is sin, and we are to mourn with godly sorrow.

In these two Beatitudes we realize that we have lost. In the next Beatitude Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek.” And, while we always tend to lean towards the strong as being winners, Jesus turns that idea upside down and blesses the meek. But, the meek are strong. These meek have recognized that they are spiritually poor without Christ. They have begun to mourn over the sin in their lives. To secure the victory we become meek: we submit totally to God. God spoke a world into existence, yet as the Son he never raised a hand to defend himself as he was beaten, ridiculed and finally nailed to the cross. The strongest man ever became meek. He won victory over death, by loosing his life on earth. We overcome the world when we submit fully to God’s will.

Whoever said it’s not whether you win or loose but how you play the game must not have been a Bible scholar. It is HOW we play that game that counts: We must play to lose so that we might win!

Around the world of Blogdom tonight:

Trey Morgan has some funny moments at church
Tim Waldrop says Plant, Water, Trust
Neva Cooper has Today
Richard Mansel has Modesty and Bikinis
Larry Rouse talks about the Misleading of the Holy Spirit

Until Next time May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You: All Y’all!

Bobby

Bobby Cohoon
North Carolina, USA
cohoon@earthlink.net