Real Think Inc.

Almost 12 years ago I did my one and only marathon. Saying I did it almost seems to flippant. The truth? I woggled my way through all 26.2 miles of it. It was one of the hardest, but most fulfilling things I have done in my life.

The training is what gets you ready for the BIG DAY. Miles upon miles on your feet. Early morning runs, runs in the rain, runs in the the snow. No matter what.. you run. I had trained, but not enough. As often happens in life, I had experienced a few hiccups that kept many of the long runs at bay. But, I had gotten one 18 miler in and a few medium runs.. so I pressed on to the Chicago Marathon.

I stepped into the crowd of close to 40,000 runners – alone. The streets were already beginning to line with what would be close to 1 million spectators. It was amazing, scary and overwhelming all at once.

The first 5K was too fast. The early speed brought on a very early WALL at mile 9. The wall. It hits you like a brick, stops you. Every muscle in your being hurts and I had 17 more miles to go! Mentally I was already done. I couldn’t take one more step. Emotionally drained. I turned the corner and heard something familiar. Fist waving in the air, smiles as big as a bride on her wedding day …my parents. Cheering, believing, rooting me on. I looked at my mom and told her I couldn’t do it. I was too tired, too sore…. Mom looked at me and said “YES YOU CAN“. We will meet you at mile 14.”

I pressed on.

The next 5 miles were nothing like the first 9. They were easy and I felt good. When I saw my parents at mile 14 mom said I was like a different person. And I was.

Mile upon mile I jogged ahead. Along the way runners and spectators cheer you on and suddenly 26 miles later you see the finish line. With a push of spirit you move forward towards to finish.

For me the finish represents so much. My life the last few years has felt like the first part of my marathon. Only 9 miles in and 17.2 more to go. But, I have noticed something. Something amazing and wonderful. Just like during my marathon, there is encouragement along the way. Lots of encouragement.

Morning upon morning I open my Bible to be reminded that “he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:7). Reminders that “the God of all grace, who has called ME to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself complete and make you what you ought to be” (I Peter 5:10). And that while what I am going through may be hard, and seem to be taking forever to not be discourage and “expect God to get here soon.” (Psalms 31:24 MSG).

If I would stop to see and listen, my creator wants to encourage me along the way.

Life can be hard and you will probably “hit the wall” more than once. I used to hate the wall, but now I see it for what it was. A turning point. A place where I decide despite how hard this stuff called life is, I am going to finish the task set before me.

Watch for the cheerleaders that God has set out for you and listen to his encouragement as you press on.

Julie Cagwin Lammers

When Jesus had fasted – not eaten – for forty days, the Spirit of God drove Him into the wilderness. There Satan; knowing His need for nutrition; challenged Him to prove His legitimacy: “If Thou be the Son of God, command these stones be made bread,” he taunted.

Satan is ever taunting believers. This is the chapter from which Jesus quoted (Matthew 4:4 & Luke 4:4). “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

“He humbled you and allowed you to suffer.” Deuteronomy 8:3
Of course Deuteronomy was written by Moses. Jesus authenticated that his written word is God’s spoken word. That chapter in Deuteronomy focuses on heeding God-given information so that in a world where suffering is all to common, followers of God can possess a better life – a blessed life – the abundant life – here on earth.
But, why must there be suffering at all?

“As a man chastens his son, so the Lord thy God chastens us.” Why do we sometimes chasten our children except that we are meaning to better their lives?

The wisdom of God is not strange to common sense. God is not hard to figure. Freedom of will comes with crossroads in life. This cannot be otherwise as every parent sooner or later realizes. The creation of beings whose will can go the “Yes” of right living or the “No” of wrong living was to have definitely unintended consequences. Just as we suffer if our children go astray – and they more so – so it became God with our creation that Love would know long-suffering and that people might choose to make a Hell. A mess: literally.

Too, there will be a time when the Lord will separate forever – good from evil. His word to us says, “There will be no hurt in my holy mountain” – in eternity onward after the final judgment – the separation. It’s coming.

The inevitability that suffering would emerge on earth has not been blight on God’s wisdom. He used it and He uses it; for suffering should hasten us to cry out to Him for salvation.

Again, this reality is not foreign to our common sense because every decent parent uses the suffering of our children in the same manner.

Christian understanding is reasonable. We are obviously fooled and falsely informed when religious teachers make a religion out of Christianity. Because the religions of the world heap burdens on men, segregate them as needing their counsel else they cannot know rightly. It is the Holy Spirit, said Jesus, who will “lead us into all truth:” we must be God-taught; and His word is made understood to us by the Holy Spirit: we must, if we will truly live, by “every word which proceeds from the mouth of God.” He does speak and He has spoken. He will make himself know to any whom “Ask: Seek; and Knock.” In fact; “I stand at thy door (now) and knock.” said Jesus; and will come into any who will open the door of their being to me.” Who promised such amazing love comes —- Amazing grace!

Here is the simple answer to and for all suffering. We cannot live by bread alone. We cannot even live on our own. Life is being given us this very moment by God: “We live and move and have our being” because He is to us our sustenance. But He placed us in a world environment that is temporary knowing that some would reach out to Him for that which we all know is missing. “There has to be more to life than this,” we all feel this. And there is!

St Augustine confessed, “My heart found no rest until I found my rest in Thee,” And that is the testimony of all true believers — and it make sense to sound minds — and it alone makes sense of life — and this is “the hope that was set before Him” (Jesus) — and this was why the Lord produced a world out of which many would come to their senses and rush to the wounded side of He who gave His life for ours.

“He humbled you, and allowed you to suffer,” And if this message does not bring us to our Savior, we are lost.

The Father purposed that we would all be saved out from suffering and that suffering would assist us to “choose life and not death.” These are His very words to us. Common sense tells us that we cannot continue to live by bread alone. We pass cemeteries — and visit them on occasion — and the message is there for us to see. Life, life eternal, and the abundant life: is an offer — is a gift offered that must be received.

The Lord says, “I stand at the door – your hearts door and mine – and knock. Oh friends, is it not timely and is it not common sense to open our hearts to Him: to invite Him who invites Himself to us?

Buddy

So, ministers whose faith is not reinforced by Psalm 103 remind us that He did not unequivocally mean what he said. This is kind of like our present candidates flip-flop saying, “I commit that I will back him …. It’s becoming increasingly hard. I won’t —- or, “I’ve never lied. . .”

Next, having been told not to take God at his word – that He didn’t mean what he is supposed to have said; we hear a disclaimer similar too: “God may not answer you in your petition for healing, etc., the way you would like. “He’s doing it his way.”

So, we must surmise that his written word does not tell us what His real word to us is; as though we must endure rather than enjoy his way with us; as though clarity of his revelation to us is missing in the Bible. Yet we sing of his amazing love — past tense – – – future tense — not present tense??????????

Caleb was 80 years old when he said, “My strength is the same today” – as it had been 40 years earlier. “Well,” we might hear a preacher say, “Times were different back then.”
So when the Bible says, “He will restore MY youth as the eagle?” Will he heal me today? Will he take away my sin today? Will he “crown my life with loving-kindness? Save my life from destruction – – – today? The Word says He will.

If written. If not for today, was there no need for it being written?

Amazing in the negative context, is the church that has lost its saltiness, whose light has dimmed – – – whose lamp has withered, that is, who must explain why no miracles – or so scarcely as to make the Lord seem miserly. “Miserly” belongs to the miserable – Jesus came to give us life abundantly, poured down – fully pressed – running over – – – to prepare a table (feast of course) before our enemies – – – to make of us a nation who lends and borrows not – – – to crown our lives with loving-kindness and save us from destruction,

When Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70, Christians had already been urged by the Holy Spirit to remove to another city. When earth-dwellers have brought upon themselves similar but even worse destruction, the Lord will have descended in the air, gathered the living and the dead-in-Christ “in the air.” There will have been the martyred – Jesus the man included – Old Testament prophets too. Were they forsaken? They felt so for a while; not too long. Then we will see what Jesus saw as he viewed forward – “The joy that was set before Him.”

The stubborn ones, those who continue in unbelief, will not be there. Unbelief is believing a lie. Believing in God is credible, founded on the earnest of the Spirit – the “substance” which makes faith actually the only right decision.

We dare not stand on another ground – – – all else is sinking sand, and woe to the person who stubbornly stands in sinking sand trying to make it seem that he has any surety at all.

Buddy