Pastor Buddy’s Blog

Twelve Nuggets of Gold…

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Journal,

In my close to forty-four years as a minister of the gospel, there are certain guiding principles of faith that I’ve learned to apply to my walk with the Lord. I wanted to pass these on to my readers. Perhaps some or all of the principles will become a source of strength for your own life.

I’ll base these nuggets of gold on something that the sage wrote:

“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, or loathe His reproof, for whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights. How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver, and its gain than fine gold.

“She [wisdom from God] is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.” - Pro 3:11-18 nasb

Here are the twelve nuggets:

I – Remember that Jesus is the author & finisher of your faith 

The walk of faith is deeply personal so don’t compare yourself to others. There are a couple of issues to keep in mind. One is that the outwalking of our faith is always under the guiding hand of the Lord. Second is the test of faith. The test has to do with, ‘Am I this very moment trusting Jesus Christ for whatever my need may be’.  Cf. Phil2:12,13; 2Co13:5.

II – Learn to live daily from God’s renewing mercy and grace 

Jeremiah sorrowed over Jerusalem. Then he remembered something about the Lord. Listen -

“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.” - Lam 3:21-25

We need renewing grace each and every day. In the tabernacle the table of showbread was known as ‘the bread of the face,’ or, ‘the bread of His presence.’ It had to be fresh bread daily. So, where do we find the bread of His presence daily? Believers will always find renewing grace in God’s holy book, the Bible. Cf. Heb4:12,13; 2Co3:14-18.

III – Learn to strengthen your heart in faith

This is what ‘speak truth in your heart’ means.’ It means to speak in line with what God Himself has to say. But it also tells us to see to the condition of our heart. I like to call this, ‘the heart watch.’

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

“My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” - Pro 4:18-23 NASB

The Hebrew word for ’springs’ (to-ma-ah’) speaks of boundaries, or source, or outgoings. We actually live from our heart. This is why we must keep a heart watch. Out of our heart flows the directives of our life. So yes, we live from our heart.

IV – Refuse to compromise your faith

Satan’s attacks are always at disrupting our faith. This is a two-pronged area. As a beginning place don’t sin against your own conscience. (Where your faith speaks from.) And, secondly, don’t interpose on another believer’s faith. A good chapter to read for this truth is Romans 14.

This is also what can be called the ‘hold fast’ principle of the faith walk. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

V – Retake Lost ground 

Never underestimate blessing of repentance and reconsecration. All through the Scriptures, God’s blessings rest on the repentant one, always and without exception. Why is this? It is because of God’s love. The ancient people of God considered repentance to be a form of worship. To them it meant making continual adjustments in the path of righteousness. Listen:

“For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.’ But you [the nonbeliever and unrepentant] were not willing.” Isaiah 28:12 nasb

“‘For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,’ declares the LORD. ‘But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’” - Isa 66:2 nasb

VI – Remember where the Lord brought you from 

I like to call this principle ‘building memorial stones for my children to remember’ nugget. This is where fathers and mothers can pass their faith on to their children. 

When Israel cross the Jordan River, they were instructed to place a marker there. Listen to its purpose:

“Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, ‘When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, “What are these stones?” then you shall inform your children, saying, “Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.”

“For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” - Joshua 4:20-24 NASB

The reason God gave us a written record of His works throughout history is so that we would know the truth about Him and what He can do and has done through the ages. Cf. John 20:30,31. 

VII – Allow the Lord to choose for you

When we were young in faith we tended to tell the Lord how we wished Him to bless us. As we mature in our faith walk our attitude begins to change. A more mature level of the faith walk is when we ask the Lord to choose for us. This is the true Abrahamic attitude that believers are to acquire.

“The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.” - Psa 16:5-6 NASB

This principle can also be called the ‘Abba! Father!’ principle, where we say, “Lord, not my will, but Your will be done.’

VIII – Remember blessings come in unexpected ways

A true walk of faith always carries in it an anticipation of good things to come. Many times our blessings will come in strange packages, sometimes even in a heart ache. The issue at hand is to know that you are a ‘blessed one’ of the Lord. Listen again: 

“O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.” - Psa 34:8-10 NASB

IX – Prove to be a doer of the Word 

It is in the doing of God’s Word that we are blessed. This doing is called ‘the obedience of faith.’ But there is also a key here. The Lord looks at why we do what we do and not merely the doing itself.

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

“But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty [the gospel], and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” - Jas 1:22-25 NASB

The Greek word for ‘doer’ is very interesting. Poietes is where we get our word ‘poet.’ A poet works with words. Pioetes speaks of making something or to perform something, that is, a performer. In a similar sense the Lord has given us His Word to build our lives upon. It isn’t that we create life. Life has already been created for us. We discover our true life in Jesus in the doing of God’s Word.

X – Learn to put behind the old life

Whether its our past life before we met Jesus, or something that we have stumbled over in our walk with the Lord, these things are to be left behind. It is important to remember that the Lord saved us, is saving us, and will save us. Take to heart the new covenant promise: 

“‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says the Lord: ‘I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

“And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother, saying, “know the Lord,” for all will know Me, from the least to the greatest of the, For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.’” - Heb 8:10-12 NASB

XI – Live by your last instructions

The walk of faith has spiritual boundaries. When you lose your peace this means you have crossed a line. Paul said, 

“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” - Col 3:14-16 NASB

Sometimes when we lose our peace it is because we have gotten ahead of the Lord. This is where it is so important to go back to our last instructions, and remain with that instruction until He gives us a clear leading to do something else. 

We can metaphorically apply Psalm 147:14 to our spiritual walk; “He makes peace in your borders; He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.” 

XII – Acquire a sense of humor

 This is the one you may think doesn’t fit anywhere. You are quite wrong. Having a healthy sense of humor is crucial to a healthy faith walk. There is nothing the enemy hates more than for a believer to be able to laugh in difficult moments. 

The point is that every time God answers a prayer, or sends a blessings, or shows Himself awesome in some other way, He is creating laughter that belongs to faith. Listen:

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” - Pro 17:22 nasb

Do you recall the story of the birth of Isaac? See if you can find the faith connection with laughter:

“Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ And she said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’” - Gen 21:5-7 NASB

Has God ever made laughter for you? Think about it.

Well, there you have it. What a treasure these ‘twelve nuggets of gold.’ Perhaps you have some more nuggets that you could add to the collection. What about it?

Much love coming your way,

Buddy