The Weblog of Timothy B. Gowens

1 Peter 4:19

Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

This morning, I found out that a person and the leadership at a specific dealership – who had treated me wrongly about a year ago now needs my assistance.

Hmmm… Well – now! Isn’t that interesting? This is a test from the Lord on how I will react. I could act naturally and go tell them to jump off the nearest high building… (haha) or I could follow what the Lord says and do good to them. Forgiveness is the foundation of all that the Lord has for me in righteousness. Without it, I am forgoing the Lord’s possible blessings in my life. I must put aside my personal hurt and mistreatment and give. Love those who hurt you and are evil-speaking toward you! “For Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

I will assist them and him – and I will obey what the Lord has for me to do leaving the results up to the Lord.

Love you Lord and thank you for this opportunity.

Your Son

Tim Gowens

1 Peter 3:1-2

Wives likewise be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word; may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. (verse 7) Husbands likewise…

Here is God’s instruction on how to deal with a spouse that isn’t saved or isn’t walking with the Lord in obedience – but more importantly – it is instructions to all of us on how we should behave generally and the reasons why.

Prior to this passage, Peter is instructing us to obey the laws and our Masters (bosses), etc… and here he says the word “likewise”. Just like we would obey some specific law, we are to obey his instructions here. We are to “Submit” to the laws even if we don’t agree with them or we think it is ridiculous.

Without a word – meaning that a wife or husband can never “Nag” their spouse into the kingdom. We cannot change anyone at all –  including our closest family. We can, however, show our conduct in such a way that it illicit a call to obedience in those that are closest to us. The reason or purpose behind our behavior isn’t the change we are seeking in and of itself – but notice the word “fear” at the end of the verse. We RESPECT God’s presence so much that it directly influences us personally to obedience. We are seeking to honor the Holy Spirit that lives through you and sees everything you see  – and is a part of everything you do – or don’t do. He instantly knows your thoughts and the motives behind those thoughts.

I believe that too many folks have the change that they see that is needed in their spouse – as their focus – rather than loving and honoring the presence of the Living God in them. If we were more focused on our own behavior, and the Honor that is due to His presence, we would catch the attention of those closest to us. We would perhaps see “changes” in those around us. But God never honors wrong motives, even if they are perceived as being righteous by man. Even if I think it is a righteous and good thing for them to change!

Motives that are geared toward removing the pain that living with sinful people can cause is not what we are to be focused on. I understand –  wanting to get away from abuse – and that is not what I am talking about here. I am simply pointing to motives. What is driving me to want a “change” in someone else? Is it Love? Is it selfishness on my part – wanting to be free from whatever is causing me personal pain? (This could even be a Holy Righteous pain and longing for their freedom from their sin) BUT- remember that is not the first place motive! The First place motive is – Honoring the Lord’s presence in your life with fear, and letting the Lord use that to motivate and call someone else from their sin and “being dead in their trespasses and sin”.

True change is only from the Lord. Why? Because He doesn’t share His glory with anyone! You and I can only be the example of that glorious work of true salvation. Remember – you are not the Holy Spirit. Let the Lord be that in you through your conduct – word – attitudes – actions – restraints, etc…

Without a word – Hmmm… Perhaps I need to focus more on shutting my mouth and living it out with respect to His marvelous presence in my life.

1 Peter 1:6

In this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold…

1 Peter 2:11, 28

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war again the soul, For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

I was thinking this morning about my soul. My souls – the real me inside, is ready to meet the Lord. However, there was a time when my soul was NOT ready. I had to be taught by the various trials that the Overseer of my soul, had in store for me to go through. If it were not for the Lord and His choice of me, I would have followed the same and or similar path that my –  family in their sin – followed. But because of His choice of me (why I do not know) and because He loved me before He ever created me(why I do not know) he allowed me at an early age to come to faith with many trials to go through.

My trials:

• An alcoholic abusive father
• Horrible divorce
• Left alone because of the divorce – latch-key child – because there was no support from my father – my mom had to work 3 jobs
• A severe motorcycle accident that almost killed me
• Me – going through a divorce myself
• 30 years of starting and running my own company

My Result

• Saved at 11
• At age 16 – I began to pursue the Lord and grow from the milk of His word.                       (1 Peter2:2)
• Growing in maturity in Christ
• Teacher of an incredible group of men  https://www.facebook.com/upperroomacworth/

Anyway – These verses spoke to me in that it says “If need be.” I do not want to “have to have” any more pain and pounding in my life because of my sin. I want to be right with the Lord walking in the Spirit obeying Him. I want to lead a quiet and simple life waiting on His return.  However, I am comforted that He is the overseer of my soul and that He fully knows what I need – and when I need it.

I know that the primary reason for more pounding is lusting after something that the Lord has not given me. I want to lay aside anything or anybody that competes with 1st place. He is to be the supreme 1st place in my life, not something or somebody else. People and things are never to be the supreme pursuit of a true child of God. There is nothing wrong with things or important people in our lives, but they are NOT to be the reason why we get up in the morning. God wants that role.

Lord – thank you for your faithfulness and watching over my soul. You know what I need, and I hope to enter into your kingdom with great reward and praise because of how you brought me to it in faithfulness and sovereign providence.

1 Peter 1:24-25

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,  but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

I used to be considered strong and many would say how “Good looking” I was. I am now almost 52 and many would say and have  – I am fat – and old looking. I had 2 people tell me that. Humm… That made me feel somewhat upset. I am a little overweight and I do have grey hair. I had someone tell me that my hair used to be darker. Humm… Well, it was. Then I read this verse this morning. It is true. When we were young and had strength, we felt like we could conquer the world. Well, that is not true anymore. As a matter of fact, as I write this, my back is out! I am sitting here in pain, as I suffer through a bad summertime chest cold and nasal issues. I am coughing and hacking onto the computer screen.

For those whose focus is only this life and the things in it, life will eventually come up short and discouraging no matter how much a person achieves in this life. I recently saw a 58-year-old dude on youtube who “got shredded” muscularly and was offering a class on how to look like him. WELL – that is temporary. I am sure that given another few years, and perhaps a bad circumstance – his glory will certainly fade away because it does for everyone – no matter what he struggles to look like. Most men want to look like they did when they were 25 because their “looks” are the foundation of what they think is most important in this life. Really what they value is what others think of them. Boy – that is a one way street to discouragement. I remember feeling good when someone would make a comment about my height and good looks or whatever. I was then tempted to try to improve that so that I could get more compliments etc…

Now – I am not saying give up and don’t care about it. This body is the temple of the Lord and He expects us to take care of His temple. Being fat can say to others that you don’t care about what God has given you – that it is not a responsibility that you take seriously –  and that you just give up and quit. A lot of Christians have quit and are miserable in the body that they reside in. I do not want to be old and fat and miserable because I just quit!

But God tells us that this is a dead-end street. Your looks and body will turn old (for most) and you will automatically feel that you are a looser and quickly fading away into unimportance. Don’t make your foundation your looks – success- power – prestige, etc… but make it Jesus and Him crucified. He is Lord and wants to show you through his Word, how much you are loved and accepted, and what he has in store for you in your inheritance. Set your mind on things above and not on things of this earth. He will add all these “things” to you – but not if you are going to make them your trust and security.

Matthew 6:33-34

³³ But ^[a]seek first ^[b]His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be ^[c]added to you. ³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will ^[d]care for itself. ^[e]Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Lord help me live today with a sense of responsibility with my body  – but always keeping you and your kingdom in my sites. Lord thank you for  your truth.

1 Peter 1:22

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.

I have been considering my life and how I have lived over the past few years. I am now 51 years old – almost 52. I guess to some I am considered to be “old” and I guess I am. However, I still struggle with youthful sins. It seems that they are always at my door just waiting to run into my life – If I open the door.

Today, as I was doing my quiet time, the Lord spoke to me through this verse. It clearly teaches that if I obey the Lord as instructed in His word through the Spirit of God in me, then the result is more and more purity. I have found that I am less sinful than I used to be. The youthful sins that I still struggle with and war against my soul have become less and for this, I am so thankful. I have also found that I am more aware of those sins that are just outside the door. I can see them there if you will. They are like a pack of hungry wolves just waiting for me to open the door and let them in. What is the result of letting them in?

Result of letting them into my soul:

1. Destroys the Fellowship with the Lord – I sense only quietness!
2. Destroys the Joy and wonder of walking with the Lord daily.
3. Destroys the confidence and trust that I have in the Lord! Which then according to verse 4 of this same chapter where it says “if need be” I will be visited by various trials and difficulties so that I stop letting them in!
4. I become Guilty! I hate the feeling of guilt! I know better! I say to myself, “Why did I let them in?”
5. I become despondent for days and I thus irritate the Lord by saying over and over again “Please forgive me” when I know that moment I ask, that he has already forgiven me. I know that I have irritated God by me asking over and over and over again to please forgive me. He expects me to accept His forgiveness and move on in obedience.
6. Then of course – there is the memory of the sin itself that I have to deal with. It is a new place for my sinful mind to go back to and sin all over again in my thoughts. David said in Ps. 51:10  ^“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” and I sure do relate to this prayer. I do need God to renew a right spirit within me. How does he do this? Well, this verse is how He does it. Through my obedience.

So many Christians remain in the above scenario. They never seem to get out of the above cycle for very long because they never stop sinning to one degree or another for very long. Sin is the pattern of their lives – not obedience. Hmmm… I wonder if Matthew 7:23 would relate here? “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Unfortunately many will hear this come from the mouth of the Lord – directed at them! I NEVER want to be in that Group!

So how do I make sure that I am not? I must obey and allow the Lord to purify my soul over years of obedience and the turning away from my old sins.

The result

1. More joy.
2. More trust and confidence.
3. Deeper peace.
4. A guilt-free life with no regrets or skeletons in my closet that haven’t been dealt with.
5. I enjoy having a good time in life and laughing with my friends. A soul that is free can laugh and have a good time with his brother and sisters!
6. I can be warmed with the thought of heaven and the Grace that is to be revealed to me when He returns to get me!

Thank you, Lord! Help me to love you and others more and more!

Tim Gowens

7-26-19

I have been spending a good amount of time in Ps. 19:7-14 and thought it would be a good time to share my thoughts about this most wonderful part of God’s Word.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

I came from a very broken family, and as a result I was – as a child and young adult –  very broken and messed up. As a child, I had many struggles with deep insecurities and fears of abonnement and so forth. But God chose me to come to understand the Gospel and I was saved at 11 years old. I began to grow in my understanding of God and His law and the structure it brought into my life as a young teenager did revive me. It was somehow soothing to understand that God does have a blue print for how to live life and that if we will follow His plan that is so clear – that Blessings will come. NO – not necessarily in the form of comfort or riches (although that is not excluded) but in the form of a soul that is quietly confident in the God who directs my life. The laws of God do comfort me and provided structure to my life and that is very refreshing. I know that I cannot keep the law in any way apart from God’s Spirit in me. However – with the Spirit filled life – and the understanding of the Gospel, I am free and am at peace. Thank you Lord for your structure of the Law, and that Christ fully fulfills that Law – completely. I am in Christ – and I stand complete! (Col.1:8)

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

I am truly a simple man. I have been raised in Georgia (in the USA) and here in Georgia, there are a lot of southern boys who are just simple guys who don’t really live extraordinary lives. Nothing special here – it is just that the culture can be perceived as simple depending on where you live.
I am simple –  and didn’t have an environment that was necessarily going to produce excellence – meaning that my father was a brain surgeon or my mother was a high powered lawyer etc… and the expectation was set very high for me.

When I came to know about what the Bible was and the things that God has to say about every aspect of living, I began to become wise. Not – perfect – but wise. As a result of personal study for over 40 years, God has made me wise, and for that I am so thankful. I could have been left to my natural circumstances and I would have lived a typical life. But God has made me wise and it has produced very good results in this simple man. Thank you Lord for the gift of wisdom. (Proverbs 2:6-10 – James 1:5)

Faith in God – is given for true Salvation

Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

This passage is in context to when God showed Peter a vision of unclean animals coming down to him in a sheet… and God told him to kill and eat. Peter, who had never tasted something that was “unclean” initially did not want to obey the voice of the Lord. But God said in vs. 9 that, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”

The Gentiles were unholy in a jews mind. They considered themselves superior to any Gentile. But notice something in these verses…

Notice the phrase “God has granted” in vs. 18  – and “What God has cleansed” in vs. 9  clearly shows that real Salvation is the work of God. Clearly, in other portions of Scripture the responsibility of that choice is on the man but consider this… It is God who grants it and causes this action to occur. This is the GREAT mystery of Christ. How can a man be held responsible for something that God did not choose for them? See Romans 9:14-33 for that answer.

I had the thought this morning that God only “Grants” this and “Causes” this to occur only for the Bride of Christ.

Many put their “faith in God” as an action that they believe is acceptable – but they do not place their faith in the work of Christ alone. I have encountered many people who believe that God will not send them to Hell because they believe in Him and believe that God will never throw a good person into Hell. They have put their faith in themselves and their own goodness – rather than in Christ alone.

Acts 4:12 and James 2:14-20 clearly describe what real Salvation looks like.  It isn’t based on ANYTHING other than Jesus dying on the cross for my sins. The results are works that are generated from that real faith. These “works” can also be considered fruits. Gal. 5:22-24 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law, Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

God causes me to see – leading me to repentance. God grants me the faith to believe – and he causes the fruit of righteousness (just exactly like an apple tree doesn’t strain to bear apples – it just produces Apples because of its nature) to produce this list from Gal, 5:22-24. I will over time begin to grow into my God granted – and wonderfully favored – position of a child of God the true Bride of Christ. I will become less sinful and more at peace with God and man. YES, I still have fleshly desires that are contrary to my position – but God will do away with my sinful flesh soon thus allowing me to experience the full reward of true Salvation.

WOW – Thank you Lord for choosing me – for granting me faith to believe – and causing me to become more like Jesus. It is all your work and I praise you for it. Thank you, Lord!

2 Peter 1:8 says ” For if these things are yours and abound, they make yo to be not idle nor unfruitful

I have been most of my life a creature of habit. I get up at the same time, eat kinda the same things and so forth.

I even study my Bible at the same time and same way. I pray at the same kind of time and so forth. Well… I was reading Oswald Chambers this morning (5-12-18) and it occurred to me that Habits do not necessary please the Lord but WHAT BELONGS to me is what pleases Him.

What I mean to say is that IF I am doing something… even something like reading my Bible out of habit – just to say that I did it that day… is not pleasing to Him. BUT – if I read and pray because my heart desires it then this is what please Him because pleasing Him is in me and belongs to me! Habits that please the Lord are Habits that come from a heart that longs for GOD – not in accomplishing the deed.

Lord – Please forgive my Habits and remind me to live within the the wonder of what I posses – Which is Christ in me.

Lev. 19:1-2 and 1 Peter 1:16 give a very specific command to be Holy just as God is. This is the bond that unites us together. God – after receiving Jesus as my personal Lord and savior – has now been joined to me personally – in every way and in every thought and action. Oh my… that is terrifying.

WELL.. I am so glad that the Lord is referring to our position and not us being perfectly holy for -not one of us- is perfectly holy. We WILL be, when we see Him face to face, but for now it is our job to be seeking the Lord in such a way so as to always be striving for Holiness and righteousness in all we think, say, and do – always being ready to confess our shortcomings to Christ thanking HIM for his willingness to forgive us.

I must cultivate an attitude of CLINGING to the Lord that he might pour his holiness upon me and enable me to follow his call. God’s glory is such that he can have NO DEALINGS with sin or iniquity in any way. I must cling to Him and His word daily by prayer in order for this to increase in my life. God’s glory is to never be defiled by my sin as some filth in a horse stable.

My prayer is that He would increase within me and that I and my horse stable filth would decrease. I want His purposes to precede mine, and that I would life a life that accomplishes all that He would intend.