Month: August 2020

August 2020 – Blessed Is The Man or Woman

Please begin this months message by watching my video introduction here:

Vida4U “Blessed is the man (or woman)…”

Psalms 1

Blessed is the man (or woman) who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his/her delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates (to ponder, take to heart, to change one’s behavior) day and night.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalms is a book for all the ages, and for all of life as we follow King David through his life. We see his low points, points of fear and uncertainty, and we see his high points where he truly learns that with God’s presence and help, regardless of the odds, victory was theirs. David fought numerous battles, but one battle in particular the writer wrote that Israel looked like a tiny flock of lambs against the encampment of the Philistines. What went through David’s head, what went through his men heads? Well, through the study of selected Psalms we will learn about the man who God said had a heart after His own, which is a huge statement. 

Psalm 1 is the clearest example of actions taken and results given. David uses a fruit tree as his example of a righteous life. Abundant water and abundant fruit (as opposed to the dryness of chaff – the outer part of the wheat germ – the “husk”) which has no value. To separate the germ (which was heavier than the husk) was to cast the crushed wheat into the air and the wheat germ (being heavier) would fall back down onto the sifter with the chaff being blown away, symbolic of it’s uselessness. 

Now according to the Psalm the chaff is the unbeliever. Yet there have been many good and useful causes started by people who were not necessarily believers. So why does the scriptures call their actions chaff? If we recall I Corinthians 13 it approaches the question of usefulness, talents, effort and sacrifice from a very different prospective. Again the Bible gives us great insight into God’s thoughts and views. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

The Greatest Gift

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing (chaff). And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love (Agape, God’s Love), it profits me nothing.

Others will recognize your actions and you will be praised by them, but God who is the ultimate rewarder and or judge of one’s soul will render the final verdict. How will He judge your life, and how will He judge mine?

As always God’s view of life is very different than ours. We see that God has a specific standard and if we pull back the layers of reasons and motives for the good deeds that we do what truly are the motives? Because that is what God sees and weighs. Next, in general there are two types of people. There are people who live by their golden rule, take care of number one, and others who are more philanthropic. Those who live by their golden rule are the Takers in life. They can be very nice people and even do a specific measured amount of good deeds, but they never violate their rule. As long as what they are doing benefits them, their in. Once the marriage involves too much sacrifice or becomes increasingly demanding they’re gone; or when the friendship becomes too draining where they have to start sacrificing their wants and pleasures, they’re gone. These are the Takers. 

There is another type of individual who seeks to be and to prove by their actions that they are good. There is a need in them to do good and to be viewed by others as being good. Without Christ teaching me what being “good” really is, this person would be me. This is my own “natural DNA.” These people in general are the Givers. However, what is unknown to them is why do they want to do good? What is the motive and who do they ultimately seek to be good for? I know I was not aware, and unfortunately the answer always comes back less than altruistic. It’s nice to do good for others, it has its benefits but ultimately it makes me feel good about me. I did it more for me than for the person receiving the benefit.

It was shocking to see that masked within the kindness was self-interest. And even deeper than that was the thought that by doing good God would accept me into Heaven. He absolutely does not and unfortunately, He literally cannot. Doing the right thing is the right thing to do, but it does not make me righteous. Doing right and being righteous are not even on the same planet! That’s just like saying because I know first aid, I can now perform brain surgery. To say I have lived a good life and that the Holy God of Heaven should receive me into His Eternity is akin to that. It is both massively ignorant of God’s Holiness and beyond arrogant. 

The fear of the Lord leads a man to repentance. Another way to say that is when we truly see God as Creator of all, we comprehend His omnipotence and might, to view His fathomless love as He willingly hung on the Cross for us would be then to hate sin, both the sin in the world and the sin in me and hence my only correct response is to bow before Him as I cling to the Cross. The Cross that gives me my only hope of redemption and hence my only response would be to stay as far away from sin as my mind and heart can keep me. This then is to Fear God. 

Now, the Takers are too self-centered to care about Eternity. He or she is just living for today, making sure that they receive their fair share of the pie…, and more if possible. They have no concern or care for anything beyond that. They only become “open” to God when a crisis arises. They will either seek God or blame God for the events in their life. Which the later I find strange. If all my life I have been my own god and then sickness, crisis, or a tragedy occurs, do I then blame God? If He was never in the picture before, why is He all of a sudden in the picture now? Did I ever ask Him to lead my life, or to watch over my family, or help me with my job? If not, then why is He to blame for the pain that is now in my life? 

Now let’s talk about Givers. Though spiritually in error, they are generally good people. They would “give you the shirt off their back,” as the saying goes. You want a handful of these people in your circle of friends. So in between Givers on one end and Takers on the other end exists the human race – us. 

Therefore given these examples and parameters, how did David become God’s man in-spite of some terrible sins he committed? And interesting enough, before David ever became King God called him out. 

1 Samuel 13:13-14k

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” 

Why is disobeying or rationalizing God’s commands such a terrible thing? King Saul was an expert in it and it eventually cost him his throne, his life and the life of his sons. Sin goes deep, it does not just affect the person but also those who are close. What are the commands that we routinely rationalize given the day and age we live in. Even in “Christian” circles these commands are violated. Example, no sex before marriage. In our culture this command, and make no mistake it is a command, is justified by several excuses. We are going to get married; we love each other and what is a piece of paper are some. Also, no sex except for your spouse, so the woman we could not wait till marriage to have sex with is now the one whose being cheated on? Without obedience to God’s Word we are like a boat that drifts soon to become shipwrecked, hurting many people in the process all because of our selfishness. Also, to ignore these other commands, no lusting, lying or cheating etc., is to lay the groundwork for defeat. I worked with someone who frequently eyed women and when I called him on it he simply said that his wife said that he can look but can’t touch. Within a few years his wife divorced him because he “touched.” To rationalize God’s commands so that you can break them is to put yourself above God, a most stupid thing to do. In essence, you just became your own god. As Samuel said to Saul, “you have done foolishly,” or you have played the fool and will now receive a fool’s reward. 

Acts 13:22

And when He had removed him (Saul) He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

**

The following words are being copied from an introduction of a book…

Next to Jesus, the Scriptures cover more of David’s life than any other man. David, Israel’s greatest king, is one of the most amazing men who ever lived. He is known as being a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) yet his life is filled with similar ups and downs as those faced by most men today.

It doesn’t seem that if your God’s man you would be committing such grievous sins, and sadly pastors and men in general have also been guilty of sexual sin.  However, David was a man who was not born again, though he enjoyed the over shadowing of the Holy Spirit. There were others who were thus anointed. Samson, though called of God from birth and gifted with superhuman strength was a Taker, being extremely heathen until his final days. And then there’s Solomon, the wisest man to ever live. God gave him wisdom beyond any man. He started out good but ended terribly. Too much into his intellect, he soon justified his actions and in time rejected the commands of God as he led Israel into idol worship; a most grievous sin. In just briefly mentioning these few men we can almost make the conclusion that God‘s appointee and gifting is given period, what the individual does with it is what they will be judged by in the end. In his process of repentance, we know that David said, “take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” His sin was separating him from his intimacy with God and he felt it (read Psalm 51). In short, when God moves out, it’s because sin has moved in.

So, let’s start with our first question, what are the characteristics that make a person after God’s own heart? 

Let’s look at our text.

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

These are our Don’t commands, and for good reason. Bad company spoils good intentions and ultimately even one’s life. So, who do we get our advice from? Daily we are bombarded by opinions, news outlets, comments from others etc., and what we actually digest and act upon is critical. To walk indicates a direction and that direction comes from applying a specific set of counsel, be it the news, a friend’s advice or God’s Word. What “truth” you decide to “walk in” will define your life and advice void of Godly counsel, which is 95% of what is out there, fails to meet the mark of God’s Word. Why is Godly counsel or counsel that acknowledges God so important? Without that all counsel, as heart felt as it might be, is void of the reality of a God who loves, who cares, who gives hope and who has a very specific way that we are to live and who is Greater than any problem and gives hope far beyond this life. To take godless counsel is parallel to accepting fifty cents when you could bank a million dollars.

To stand is to congregate, who are your friends? As the younger generation says, “who do you hang with?” Whoever they are, they are an influence either for good or for bad and lastly, we have the scornful. These are the mockers. No one reading Vida should be in this very compromised position. To sit in the seat of the scornful is to have lost the battle. Not only are you “walking” in their direction, “hanging with them,” but now you have taken a seat among them. These now have become “your people.” There no longer exists a distinction between you and them. You have now come under God’s judgement. So these next verses I am quoting are for you and bear in mind these are the nicer ones. 

Revelation 3:14-19

The Lukewarm Church

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’( our view) —and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked ( God’s view) – I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire His Truths) , that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”

Just as there are prohibitions, actions that bring harm to our life, there are actions that bring strength, joy and peace. Steps that not only protect our relationship but grow our relationship with the Lord. 

Psalm 1:2 

“But his delight (joy) is in the law of the LORD, 

And in His law he meditates day and night.” (Do we look forward to our time in the scriptures, I know I do. It’s the highlight of each day).

Psalms 86:11-12

Teach me Your way, O LORD;I will walk in Your truth;

Unite my heart to fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,

And I will glorify Your name forevermore (these verses make a great prayer and great verses for memorization).

3 John 1:3-4

For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (how cool it is to bring God joy). 

Galatians 5:16-17 (The Unseen Battle). 

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Since the sin nature “the Taker” exists in all of us and the Life Giver, the Holy Spirit exists in all those who are born again, the point Paul is making is there is a battle that is spiritual in nature, and to win it must be fought supernaturally. The Spirit seeks for His nature “The Giver” to dominate, and the flesh seeks to Take, who will win is the question? I use to watch wrestling because my friend was so good. In the beginning both contestants seemed equally paired but as the wrestling continued I could see my friend beginning to gain the upper hand as he incessantly grappled with his opponent not seeking to pin him but to tire him out, and soon, tired enough and having no more strength to resist, my friend pinned his opponent. My friend in practice wrestled with teammates 50 lbs. heavier (a big deal in wrestling) than him and by virtue of their weight many were stronger. A few he pinned, but most pinned him. He always gave a good fight. Wrestling was his passion and he overt-trained to win. 

And Paul would say that my friend trained to win an earthly crown, we train to win a heavenly crown. 

1 Corinthians 9:25-27

And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (the believers action must be purposeful, each step away from sin and towards righteousness, each punch a direct blow or a counter punch to the flesh and its ways). 

What about us, do we even train, let alone over train? To train as a believer would be to keep your daily prayer times with the Lord, your daily Bible study and in your car or bathroom or on your smart phone note verses that speak to you and read them frequently throughout the day. Listen to Christian messages and Godly music that worships the Lord. Be diligent to make the most of the time you have to hear and read God’s Word, and rule over the flesh. If you struggle in a specific area find out what God’s Word says about that and memorize those verses. These verses will become your sword and shield.

And make time to exercise. I find when I exercise, I stay more alert, more on point as I read God’s Word and live out my Christian faith. Also eating right, exercising discipline overeating habits; not eating sweets and breads that temp the appetite and are not healthy. Saying no to these helps me maintain that “soldier” attitude which is critical for anyone wanting to progress in their Christian faith. There’s a great verse in Ecclesiastic’s about eating.

Ecclesiastes 10:17

Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,

And your princes feast (eat) at the proper time (not gluttons) 

And eat for strength and not for drunkenness!

A son or a daughter of a King, which all those born again are, you should select and eat your food based on the strength it gives you. I know taste in our culture is a big deal but it’s overrated. Eating for strength is how we should determine what we eat or don’t eat. When you look at food with this in mind it becomes a disciplined look, a controlled look that will keep us more fit for God’s work. What are the foods that will make me and keep me healthy and strong, those are the foods I eat. For one to discipline his or her eating habits to this level is such a great victory, so few of us do it. I personally believe that the lack of discipline with our eating habits comes back and hurts us in other areas of our life. 

And, proper sleep. I have neglected it in my younger years but now find it a must. Since we are body, mind, and soul keeping these areas “tuned up,” helps the Spirit to grow himself in us. These are practical things we can do. As long as we are in our body we are in a battle and those of us who take the walk of faith seriously understand the importance of what I am sharing.

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Zechariah 4:6

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

The point the Spirit is making is our battles are spiritual in nature, they must be fought spiritually. As the prophet Zechariah told Zerubbabel that it was the Lord who would build the Temple. It was not for him to build the temple, but it was for him to seek the Lord for guidance. Just as we must seek the Lord for Him to build His Temple in us. Our Temple is not built by brick and mortar, or flesh and blood, but by His Spirit and His implanted Word. Amen

Hebrews 12:11

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained (disciplined or exercised) by it.

Father God, 

You are the Master Architect of our soul. You know how to tear down attitudes of defeat, low self-esteem, bitterness, lust, pride, anger, loneliness and the like. In tearing them down we feel vulnerable and don’t like it but afterwards You rebuild us with Truth that will ransom our soul from Hell and deliver us into Your Eternal Kingdom, yielding the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Amen

Go in Peace and Grace – Arthur

Personal Note: Life could get tough in the coming months with all that is happening in the political arena. As believers we must support and pray for our candidates that stand for God’s principles. The right to assemble for worship, the right of the unborn and the dignity of life in general and the social structure that the Ten Commandments give which are being torn from our society, without a fight. Pray, and pray frequently that Truth and Righteousness will prevail. At the same time prepare….

1 Peter 3:13-15

And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ( if days become hard your testimony will be critical, if you are on the fence in your faith get off, get off now and start to grow your faith. Your salvation and the ability to have a living faith cost the Life of our Savior, please do not take it for granted). 

Until next time – Arthur Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

July 2020 – Sold Out Part III

Start with my video introduction here:

These verses are repeated for memorization. These and others are the backbone of the Christian Faith. I would encourage you to commit them to memory.

Romans 1:16-17

The Just Live by Faith

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Philippians 1:20-21

According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:27-29

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together (as opposed to against each other) for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of (their) perdition, but to you of (your) salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

There are some incredible verses in the scriptures. A lot of times they are just one-liners taking but a second to read. However, if we do not pause to consider what we just read, its importance just slips by us. Let us examine a few stories and then make application. The first one is in 1 Samuel 14. 

1 Samuel 14:4-7

Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.

Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.”

So his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart (what a great armor-bearer).”

There is a reason why Samuel spent time describing the terrain. It was not an easy hike for them to get to the Philistine garrison, it took effort. We will read in a bit that it was so steep that they had to climb on their hands and knees. Not a great position to be in when going to face your enemy. It would have been very easy to say, “why go to them, by the time we get there we will be too tired to fight.” As believers God asks us to do things, how many times do we say that it takes too much effort. Drive down the block and share Christ with a friend, or a classmate or co-worker, or volunteer for any of the needs of the church. The church relies on volunteers. There is a saying that 20% percent of the people do 80% percent of the work in the church. This should not be. That’s how burn out happens and it’s a bad testimony for the church. 

Now let’s look at Johnathan’s statement. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few. Where does this kind of faith come from? He definitely did not get it from his cowardly, self-consumed father the King. Let’s put Johnathan’s statement in our language. The game of football is a 11 man sport. Imagine that today we are playing for the Western Division Championship and all the opposing team shows up but only 2 of your teammates show up and neither of you are the quarterback. Johnathan would say, let’s play ball. We would say, “Johnathan I don’t think you understand the situation we are in. We don’t have enough players to play all the positions, we will get slaughtered.” Johnathan would look back and smile and say, “what is it to God whether we have a full team or not? He can win the game by many or by few, so let’s play.”

Two critical points here. For this kind of faith to work you must make sure your on the right team. There is the team for self and then there is the team for God and sometimes we think we are on God’s team but in reality it’s for ourselves. It takes the Holy Spirit to reveal the true motive of our hearts. It makes all the difference. The saying happy wife happy life, a similar thing could be said about the Lord, “right with God equals right in life.” Being on “Team Self” equals frustration and defeat. 

Next lesson, God becomes the God of your faith. If you believe that God will do it, then He will. Johnathan believed that God could bring victory though it was approximately an eighteen to two proposal. The term uncircumcised means one thing to us, but it meant something much more to Johnathan and it was at the core of his faith. The male Jew was circumcised as a baby because of a Convenant God made with the Jewish people. These Philistines were outside the Convenant of God therefore they could be defeated. Though Johnathan and his armor bearer were only two, being under the Convenant meant that the full power of God was on their side and numbers didn’t matter and sure enough they were defeated. 

Another example of extreme faith was the women that had the issue of blood. 

Luke 8:42-45

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

The word touch is haptomai in the Greek meaning, “ to apply oneself to, or the handling of an object as to exert a modifying influence upon it or upon oneself.” Though many touched Him only one touched Him with desperate faith. In other words when we approach God our Father with this kind of faith His virtue is released. That is what this story teaches. Christ healing power was released even without Christ commissioning it so. He didn’t say “I will, be healed,” she was just healed for she “met” the criteria. 

Hebrews 11:6

For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 

This woman was desperate beyond measure. She had no more money, she had spent it all with the doctors and was no better. Something about Jesus gave her hope. Maybe she saw him heal others, or maybe her friends spoke of his kindness and love, we don’t know. We only know that she knew that if she could just fight her way through the crowd and touch the hem of his robe that’s all she needed to be healed, she didn’t even need to speak with him. That “touch” as the English puts it was so much more than a touch. It represented her desperation, her hope, and a new life and it released Christ healing virtue.

Luke 8:46-48k

But Jesus said, “Somebody touched (hapsomai) Me, for I perceive that power (dunamai – achieving power) left my body. Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling (to dread, to be terrified); and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has madeyou well. Go in peace.” Jesus obviously saw and felt her fear and wanted her to be happy and rejoice. She seemed by nature timid and shy and confronting Jesus directly for her healing with the crowd around him would have made too much of a scene, especially since her ailment was personal. Another point, had it not been for her faith and persistence to get to Jesus, she would not have been healed. Application, Jesus is present, He’s not hidden, but how willing and to what lengths are we willing to seek Him out, are we desperate? If we saw our condition from Christ’s perspective we would be, and we would do everything in our power to not miss a day of fellowship and study with Him. It would be the high point of each day.

This kind of faith represents the fullness of confidence, not even a shadow of doubt. We were on a mission trip in Mexico and had just completed the final touches on a new church for the first ever evening service happening that night. We had gone out into the community earlier to invite everyone to come. It was around 5 o’clock, we were going to eat, shower and dress for church that was starting at 7. I had noticed earlier that the wind was picking up which concerned me, that maybe rain was coming. Sure enough by 6 I knew that rain was coming.

We had worked so hard to get the church ready for tonight’s service that I saw this as a ploy of the enemy and I was mad. There was no way that Satan was going to win, no way!! So I stepped out of the dinner room and walked up a small hill where I could see the storm coming. I rebuked the storm and Satan and told them that this was Jesus’s night and in the name of Jesus it was not going to rain on God’s night. It was not happening! There was not a shadow of doubt in me, all I felt was anger and authority. You might call it righteous anger for I was contending for my Father. It was a total of about 3 minutes, I came back down the hill and back to dinner. My wife asked me what I was doing pointing my arms at the clouds and shouting who knows what. I told her I was rebuking Satan and the storm, she gave me this look like what did you just say? Her eyes said everything. She just simply said that after the service I needed to go right to bed and not stay up to talk. As she walked out she said “I told you that you were working too hard today”. I felt a little silly afterwards, but it didn’t last long, we needed to get ready.

That evening the church was full. I introduced our group and spoke a little bit about us – where we were from and what our purpose for coming was (being bilingual helps) but then I turned the service over to the pastor with whom we were staying. By God’s Grace he did a great job. The new pastor for the church was suppose to speak this night but at the last minute he could not come, so in a moments notice our host pastor had to speak. After the service we said our good byes to the people and hopped on the bus to head back to the pastor’s church. There was about ten of us. 

 I had all but forgotten about what I had done earlier, I was so happy about the service. However as we got about 10 minutes out from the church I saw wet roads, then I heard the rain hitting the bus and then the windshield wipers started going full speed. Then it hit me, that we truly did rebuke a storm in Jesus name, just like Peter truly walked on water. We know of these stories in the scriptures but the reality of them and what they teach we seldom take seriously. We regulate the stories both Old and New to folklore or cute stories to teach to children but seldom seek to apply them to ourselves. However, to the people involved in the stories, these events were life and death situations where God came through for them. And as He came through for them, TODAY He will come through for us. These stories are factual as God is real and they are meant to strengthen our faith; especially in “impossible” situations. As long as Peters eyes were on Christ he did the impossible, and so can we. 

That night Satan lost and God won all because God listened to a man willing to be His fool and a pastor who took seriously God’s command to “be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2).” Here’s one take away from this story; how many times do we under achieve in our Christian walk because we are too worried of what others will think of us? I would rather be God’s fool and see miracles than appear wise in the eyes of man any day. 

Now let me regress a bit and come back to the woman with the issue of blood. Which is the greater healing, to be healed of an infirmity, or to continue to worship and maintain a thankful disposition in our infirmity? Which is the greater testimony? Here’s another question. If Jesus didn’t answer a single prayer you prayed but promised you Eternity with Him, would that be enough of a “healing,” or would you need more? Is it right to seek the healer just for the healing? I am benefitted much by the healing but I am benefitted the more by learning to praise Him through my suffering. 

Going to Heaven is my greatest healing, changing my sinful nature over into robes of righteousness far outstrips anything that could happen to me here, would you not agree? And my testimony of His faithfulness in my suffering touches and encourages more people than a healing. Testimonies of healing are great, they give hope, but they are also soon forgotten. However testimonies of God’s consistent ongoing presence through our struggles are even greater. 

To be able to say I went through that, just like the Psalmist says “even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil,” is a great testimony for people in the valley. Also we are not suppose to “camp” in the valley. We are meant to learn the lessons of the valley, being made the better through our struggle and go on our way. Unfortunately there are Christians who camp in the valley. They fail to yield to the lessons, just like the Israelites took forty years to travel a months journey because of their continued complaining and worshiping of idols. We can waste so much of our life in the valleys just because we continually substitute worry, fret, lust for this world, idols etc., for trusting the true and living God.

 A great prayer, “ Father I am yours, make me completely yours and do with me as that which brings You the greatest honor and testimony of Your faithfulness and love. Cultivate in me a love for your Word and prayer.” 

Thank you for this study and Amen,

Move Forward in His Grace – ArthurArthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

June 2020 – Sold Out Part II

Start with my video introduction here:

Vida4U “Sold Out” Part II

Romans 1:16-17

The Just Live by Faith

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Philippians 1:20-21

According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:27-29

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together (as opposed to against each other) for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of (their) perdition, but to you of (your) salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

What does being sold out look like? The best examples I find are sports. When I ran Cross Country in High School, we would arrive at the gym at 6:30 in the morning, suit up and then run 5 to 6 miles, shower, and get ready for class. We all liked the morning run. It was relaxed and easy. However, the afternoon run was a different story. We would run 16 miles on Monday, close to the same on Tuesday and Wednesday’s 12 miles. By the end of the afternoon runs, we were tired. Thursday was only the morning run because we had our track met that afternoon. Friday, we got to sleep in and only ran 8 to 10 miles in the afternoon. Weekends we were on our own. Living only 15 minutes from the beach, I would drive down and do beach workouts. The beach I went to had a steep hill, so I made a loop that included the neighborhood, the beach (both wet and dry sand), and then finished it off on the hill. I took a breather and did it several more times. My legs burned after each set. 

If we didn’t run at least 5 to 6 miles each day on the weekend on Monday, the coach would make us all run sprints after the afternoon run. Nobody wanted that, and nobody wanted to be the one that made the team have to run sprints. You’d catch it from the others in the locker room. So we were all pretty good about getting our runs in.

Our team consistently placed number one or two in our league, our only real competitor was Corona Del Mar High. They ran more hills because of the school’s location and were a tough rival. At the end of the season, some of our better runners went to state to compete. The two years that I ran, my sophomore and junior years, were hard years. Everything that I did was focused on improving my run. It was 24-7. If I didn’t do something, it was because it didn’t help my running, if I did do something it was because it would help my running. From the food, I ate or didn’t eat, even going out with my friends. I needed to be home early so I could get to bed on time. 

Every choice and decision I made was seen through that window. I didn’t like running but knew God was using it to teach me toughness and endurance, and I was definitely getting that daily. I was so relieved when I felt God releasing me from running. That senior year I was elected to be Student Body President and had a lot more school duties, so sports ended up taking a back seat. God has a sense of humor, as much as running stressed me out, having to badged my shins because I was constantly dealing with the pain of shin splints, to this day the only sport I continue to do from my school years is running and weight lifting ( weight lifting came from football). 

When Paul says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” cross-country would be my example of a 110% devotion. And so because of that experience, I understand what Paul means. It’s “I’m all in,” and there is no plan B. If plan A doesn’t work, then I go down with the ship. Fortunately, our hope is not in a man, but in God who can never be defeated and who never fails. So cross-country taught me to resolve, and Jesus has taught me and continues to teach me purpose.

Several other verses speak to this 110%devotion.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Striving for a Crown

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I should become disqualified (the literal translation to “discipline my body” means to give myself a black eye. If my eyes cause me to sin I punch them to keep that from happening). True Christianity is you are either all in, or you’re not in at all. There is no “American Christianity” where you can have your indulgences and Christ, no it’s just Christ, He’s our life. However, having said that there is maturing in Christ. What I knew and how I lived for Christ 5 years ago to how I live for Him now is not the same. The challenges and difficulties of the last 5 years have given me the opportunity to say no to more of the worldly desires that existed in my soul and to repent of them.

And 2 Timothy 2:3-4

“You, therefore, must endure (sustain, under go)

 hardship (pain, evil, affliction) as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles( engages) himself or herself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” ( our calling)

How many of us are so involved in this life that we don’t know what it’s like to be solely devoted to Christ? That truth, unfortunately, is the single biggest reason why our society has become more tolerant and accepting of behaviors that we were not 10 to 15 years ago. We have been too busy doing our own thing, we have ceased being salt in the sense of a being a preserving agent against the decay of immortality and licentious behaviors. And we are called to be light, and by our life live The Way so others can see it ( Christianity was termed The Way in the early church by non-believers). 

There has not been a flashlight big or small that has ever failed to chase away the darkness. It could be pitch black, and the light always pierces through the darkness and shows me the way. Are we doing that, can others see the life of Christ in us, especially in these times. I hope so, for this is when it counts. Confusion, fear and doubt all lessen when we are still and hear God speak to us through His Word.

Being a Christian requires enduring faith. It’s not for the faint of heart. The heart that is seeking its gain, it’s own recognition should not be a Christian. This is where people become disappointed with Christianity, God does not play by our rules. Jesus said some hard things, statements that turned people away. These hearers wanted something easy, something they could add to their daily agendas without much effort and still be guaranteed a spot in Heaven. Living faith does not work that way.

Matthew 10:37-39

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it ( sober words).

If I pastored a church I would rather have a 100 members whose lives were solidly committed to Christ words than a 900 who were not. Unfortunately, this is a good definition of the American church. It’s the 900 hundred that make the pastors job hard. 

Matthew 10:32-33

(Luke 12:8, 9)

“Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven ( you don’t want to do that regardless of the consequences, and the consequences can be ugly).

Matthew 10:16-20

Persecutions Are Coming

(Mark 13:9–13; Luke 21:12–17)

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you( Amen, never ever left alone).

These are tough verses and we are not as yet experiencing persecution and we may never become like China, however with a change of leadership there are many underlining forces in our country that could easily pull us in that direction. Take advantage of this current time, grow your faith and pray that we start getting back to meeting as a church. 

Our company supports various organizations, one is the Voice of Martyrs. They send out a monthly magazine that updates believers of areas of persecution around the world. There is an article about China almost every month. Here are some quotes from this month’s magazine, our brothers in Christ. 

“This new era of persecution may be a period of refinement for the maturing church. Some have left the faith because of the persecution but many more are firmly committed to following Christ despite the persecution. ‘ Persecution itself is evil to the people of God,’ Ben Chen said,’ but we rejoice that the gospel can be spread. We don’t simply believe that persecution itself can make the gospel spread, but God uses the persecution to make His people realize that there is a treasure (Christ) in the clay (us).” So as the church cherishes more holding the gospel dear, so they grow and the gospel is spread.”

Another attitude foreign to us is the attitude towards interrogations. What we are reading is the fruit of suffering, purified( free of self) and hence It becomes unstoppable faith. This kind of faith never sees defeat, because it turns conflict into opportunity. “When we are interrogated and or beaten for our faith, and I’m quoting, “‘ Try… to turn the event into a new meeting place for the church.” Some church members report seeing jailers come to Christ or policemen soften toward the gospel after witnessing the testimony of believers lives.’ These quotes come from leaders in The Early Rain church( let us pray for them). 

And lastly a quote from Wang Yi the senior pastor, “ If God uses persecution of the church to lead others through a period of disillusionment with their life so that they can come to true faith then I am joyfully willing to submit to God’s plans, for His plans are always benevolent and good.”I definitely know that I have brothers and sisters from other mothers; their words resonate within my soul. Faith can only be developed through hard times and it can only be stopped if we sell out. If we stop being sons and daughters of our loving Father and Dad, and trade our relationship with Him for the rituals of religion, we will stop being the church.

 As of 5/23, President Trump ordered that churches had to be opened, that they were essential. Whatever your opinion is of President Trump he has been an advocate for the unborn and for the church more than any President in this century. That should count, it does with me and we should be praying for him. It’s not just the right thing to do as believers but we are commanded to.

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Pray for All Men

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Unstoppable Faith, how do we measure up? What would you do? 

Acts 16:16-23

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days.

But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laidmany stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.

Now ask yourself, what would be your attitude at this moment, why me God? I was just doing what you told me to do? Unfortunately, most of us would probably think this. What is Paul and Silas attitude, do they demonstrate unstoppable faith in an unstoppable God? Was God faithful to them, you decide. 

Acts 16:25-30

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns( not crying or complaining) to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Why did this harden jailer want to know of Christ? He’s heard many a man’s story proclaiming their innocents. How was Paul and Silas so different? Can it be….

James 1:2-5

Profiting from Trials

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

“count it all joy when” literally means to mentally consider or chose joy when the natural response is just the opposite. Habakkuk, was a prophet of God, and God was telling him that famine and war was coming. That God was using the Persian army to judge Israel for her idolatry, something that we are so guilty of. We may not worship idols of stone, but we definitely have our idols. The prophet faced the same choice as Paul and Silas. In the face of terrible news how did he respond? How have we done during this time of Covid? 

Habakkuk 3:17-19

A Hymn of Faith

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls—

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The LORD GOD is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer’s feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To rejoice literally means to jump up and spin around with joy. As if your favorite team just won the Super Bowl. Sold Out Faith is invincible because it believes in a God who is all able, loving, personal and caring. He is all powerful and above any circumstance. And if He doesn’t change the narrative of our life, it is not because He doesn’t care, but it is because He does care and He is teaching us to become victorious IN the suffering. To loosen our white knuckle grip on the possessions and cares of this world and how we think our life should be and to fully trust Him so as to gain a greater treasure. Paul and Silas did not sing praises in spite of the suffering but because of the suffering because they were counted worthy to suffer as their Lord. Next time sickness, illness, unfair treatment or rebuke cultivate a thankful heart that we are being given an opportunity to live out our faith and as you rejoice know that your testimony of Christ shines. 

This world fills our bags with useless stuff that we can’t take with us. These things do not give us lasting joy or peace, what they give is a counterfeit joy and peace. We need to empty our bags so the Lord can fill them with His possessions, possessions of joy, life, peace, wisdom, fulfillment that endures into eternity. Amen 

Lastly, remember the most dangerous prison is the one we don’t see. Compromising holiness and purity for the things of the world dilutes and quenches our faith and builds a wall between me and a loving, but a most Holy God. This prison is unseen because it caters to our flesh, and unless we are careful will lessen our earnestness toward our faith and make us comfortable with this life. 

Father God, 

Use these unsettling times to grow our faith. Pandemics are nothing new to You, you have been with many a believer through them, be with us now. Covid and/or the agenda behind it will potentially change our way of life. However, if our way of life is hid in You, then though the external things may change, our life with You only gets better. Your people and saints in the past have also been faced with difficulties and struggles. Help us as our brother said to value the treasure that is in the clay and allow whatever buffeting that may come to purify us as gold is purified. Thank you for this study and Amen.

Go in Grace and in the Power of the Holy Spirit. – ArthurArthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

May 2020 – Our Constant Hope

Vida4U Our Constant Hope

Dear Readers,

I have purposefully kept this Vida short. I want you to be able to keep it under notes on your phone and be able to review it while you wait in line or on hold etc. Times of stress do come and go; however, when they go, have we been made stronger by them or weaker? Much like the waves at the ocean. Before I knew how to body-surf, they tumbled me, almost drowned me once, but once I learned how to ride them, they brought me to shore with much joy and pleasure. God’s Word stored in us and repeated in these times of testing and trial will allow the same situation that defeated us before to deepen our faith and bring us closer to Christ. 

1 John 4:4

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in IN YOU IS GREATER than he who is in the world.

Deuteronomy 31:8, “He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” 

Isaiah 43:1, “Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.” 

1 John 4:18, “Perfect Love(His love in us) Casts Out All Fear.”

Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.”  

Proverbs 3:5-8

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear (respect) the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones (evil deals with fear, anxiety, strife, etc. and the actions that result from them).”

Meditate upon these truths until they become part of the spiritual fiber of your soul. So when fear comes knocking, and it well, you are prepared. Repeating these verses in your mind with your heart, giving testimony is how we fight these spiritual battles. These verses are our armor and defense, and these are just a few. Google Promises from God and allow a daily time that you spend just with Him in study of His Word and prayer. I like to write out and date my requests, it builds my faith when I see them answered, and it challenges my faith when they are not. Many times behind an unanswered prayer is a motive that was just for me, to make me look good rather than making God look good. Here are two examples of Paul living a life completely in God’s Grace.

Philippians 1:19-25 – To Live Is Christ

“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith.”

Another time was when Paul was in Phillips’s house in Cesarea. 

Acts 21:10-14

“And as we stayed many days (in Phillips house), a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”

Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”

There is no knowing the future, and we have never been able to. However, since our life, in general, has been fairly free of outside threats living with this uncertainty right now is tough. However, it has always been an illusion that the future was stable. Because it has been, we believe it will continue to be. So we have become comfortable rooting into this world when all the while, this “illusion” has been a hindrance to our growth in Christ.

Imagine if our lives were in communist China where at any moment, night or day, the police could break into our home, take our children, putting them into re-education camps, and put us into forced labor. How would we live, would we denounce Christ? Unfortunately, I believe some of us would. We are way too rooted into this life, when we should be deeply rooted into Christ. Paul was building his home in Heaven; he had no stocks, investments, etc., in this world, financially or emotionally. Our wealth is each other, our friendships because of Christ. Money can’t buy that. Whatever the future holds, we do not know, but Christ holds us, and the future does not threaten Him.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

1 Peter 1:3-5 – A Heavenly Inheritance

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Are we emotionally and spiritually prepared to face hardship, Paul was. The key to his readiness was he was sold entirely to Christ. He fully acknowledged that he belonged to Christ, and though no other disciple suffered as he did, it was accepted by him knowing that God would see him through. Do we have this confidence? 

In ancient times, in times of war, there were two swords the soldier used. One was for at a distance, and the other was in close; for hand to hand combat, it was the dagger. The dagger was short, precise, and sharp. It did the job of successfully killing the foe. If you remember nothing else I leave you with these daggers, use them well.

2Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Joshua 1:7-9

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

In this time, whatever comes can be used to deepen our faith or to stumble us from our faith. The choice will be ours as our faith will be sifted, either unto purer and refined gold, or will be shown to be chaff that the winds of hardship blow away. I pray that this Vida, especially the verses, will be taken with great seriousness. 

Amen

Father God,

This is a lot to consider. I mostly pray for my brothers and sisters who have had a belief in you but have been busy with their earthly lives here, ignoring their true life with You. This period will be like a spiritual boot camp for them. Help them to completely surrender themselves to you so that peace, confidence, hope, and joy can be theirs. Bring your wayward children home, Father, under Your care and protection. 

Final Thoughts… Psalms 23:1-5

The LORD the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Questions or concerns send to Arthur@Vida4U.com. Give me a couple days to answer you.

Be strong, be smart, be in prayer and on the practical side of things grow a garden. Being a little self sufficient can never hurt.

In parting, instead of saying be safe, which is still true I want to part by giving you a strong spiritual rope (ropes are made up of three strands). 

Let His forgiveness be your peace, Let His Grace be your joy and let His Love be your strength – Amen

Until next time – Arthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

April 2020 – In Times of Uncertainty Part II

Part II
In times of uncertainty…
With the Corona Virus “looming” in every news broadcast, life right now feels uncertain and threatening. This time however is not unique, we have had periods as such. During the Cold War where Russia seemed as a looming threat I remember going to bed as a child wondering if the next day we would be bombed, or if there would even be a next day. Then there was Y2K, the computers where going to crash, then we had the Anthrax scare in 2001 and in 2002 we feared the spread of the West Nile Virus followed by SARS in 2003 and then seemingly we had peace until in 2005 when the Bird Flu broke out, then E.Coli in 2006 and then stocks crashed in 2008 and in 2009 the Swine Flu and on it goes with almost each year having an event and one we all remember is 9-11. Now we have the Corona Virus.
 These events were major events, people got hurt, people lost their jobs and people died, so the point and the question, especially knowing how our human nature wants things safe and predictable is how should we live in these uncertain times? And the ironicalness of this is as a nation we have printed on our money “In God We Trust.” We should always be living like that, keeping a “light touch,” on everything; even our pass teaches that. Yet in reality we white knuckle everything. 
 We are like trees rooted deep into the soil of what we perceive will not change. So given the uncertainty of this life, and I’ll repeat the question, how should we live? In the Biblical book of Ezekiel Israel had gone into exile because of their idol worship ( an idol is anything that we put before God. It can be finances, people, passions, a job etc.). While they were in exile they asked God the same question, and God’s answer was one of repentance and seeking Him, putting Him first in their daily lives and decisions.
Ezekiel 33:10-11pp“Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we die away because of them how can we continue to live?” ’ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, I have no joy in the sufferings of the unrepentant but that they turn from his/her way and seek Me. Turn, turn from your self seeking ways and follow me! For why should your future be in peril O house of Israel?’ Remember God’s concept of future is not limited to 80 or 90 years. 
The message of repentance is never well received.
Ezekiel 33:30-31Hearing and Not Doing“As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you…, and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.
So the very first step of dealing with the Corona Virus or any uncertainty is first, are you right with God? Is He the priority in your life, or is He second, third, or fourth to other pursuits? If so, this needs to change. It can never be God and something else, that never works. Its all God, or not God at all; He’ll never be second. Here’s how to make Him first.
John 3:16-17For God so loved the world ( you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes (trusts) in Him should not be lost but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to CONDEMN the world, but that the world through Him might be SAVED.The Cross, which some people find offensive, I find comfort and security in. When anyone sacrifices their very life for you that is someone you can trust; completely. 
Jesus lead by example and taught a whole new way to live. It’s found in Matthew 5. It’s titled the Be Attitudes, or the Attitudes To Be. When one entrust their life into God’s  care He will not handle our life as we would. We seek residency here, He seeks our residency with Him while we live out our lives here. Can you see the conflict in that? We are like barnacles, once we latch on to our earthly identity and security it’s hard for us to let go. In fact we don’t unless something major happens, like what we are experiencing now. We need something to occur that forces us to reevaluate our goals and decisions. Through hard times we learn that nothing here is permanent. Anything founded here can and does change. When times are good we tend to put God in the back seat, or maybe we even leave Him hitchhiking? Not good. A sense of permanence or true security can only be found in knowing The Lord. Read this next verse, a promise that Jesus makes. 
John 14:26-27But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name (Jesus) He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives ( gives and takes back) do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
We can have peace despite all the uncertainties, why? Because our Eternal Foundation does not change, for its not based here. It’s not reliant on man but on God and His promises. However our goals must become God’s goals, otherwise peace will be hard to find. Remember our life here is passing, maybe eighty to ninety years give or take.  However what is that compared to Eternity, but a dot on a continuum that goes on forever. He seeks that are residency to be with Him. That our ambitions, goals and desires line up with His. By spending time in prayer and the scriptures we start becoming more heavenly minded and we start to change. Things here become less important to us. 
These changes can be painful, but afterwards they yield to a greater understanding of God, and a greater freedom from the fears and insecurities that plague us. We gain the ability to have peace in the midst of the chaos. Just think, to not be controlled by fear or insecurity, or by anger or lust (etc.) To “manage” these feelings rather than being managed by them is such a relief ! No longer puppets on the string of human emotions, but sons and daughters of a Grace so rich that despite what happens here we can never be separated from Him or His love.
Romans 8:18From Suffering to GloryFor I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:38-39For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Aside from the freedom that the hope of Eternal life brings us, being in relationship with the Lord gives peace and promise. There are many promises in the scriptures that bring strength, comfort, protection, and assurance, especially for such a time as this. 
Philippians 4:6-7 ( for times of anxiety) Be anxious (or worried) for nothing, but in everything by prayer with request and WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  ( out of your hands and into His).”
Becoming His son or daughter is the starting point. And just like any relationship, the more time we spend with someone the better we get to know them. It is no different with the Lord. It’s hard to trust a stranger, but a good friend can be trusted. The more we spend time with Him through prayer and Bible study we will find that our anxieties will lessen and our faith will grow. As we mature in our faith, it will become easier to trust Him. ****
Part III Controlling the negative emotions.
There is a way we deal with anxiety, fear, insecurity, lust etc., we have “armor” that is made up of God’s promises. In Ephesians 6 we have a word picture of the armor of the Christian. I am only sharing two verses of the Christian armor the rest continues in verses 13 and on (I would encourage you to read it).
Ephesians 6:10-12 “ Our Battle “
The Whole Armor of GodFinally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of evil in the heavenly places…..”
If this is the first time you have read this verse it’s a little scary. Wrestling with the Devil is not my idea of fun. However, since the beginning of time man has had conflict with the Devil. In the Garden of Eden, the master of lies and deception appears as a serpent challenging God’s Word saying “did God say?” And he does the same thing today. In every faucet of life that the Bible addresses Satan says, “ Did God say?” 
Genesis 3:1-5iThe Temptation and Fall of ManNow the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The “serpent’s”  job has always been to slander and discredit God making Him out to be liar, but let’s see who the real liar is. 
Genesis 3:8-10And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Here are words Adam never used before till now; hid, afraid, and naked. Where as prior to this Adam and Eve looked forward to God’s visits, being naked never bothered them, and fear, what fear? How tragic is that? 
Genesis 2:25( prior to sin) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Now with their eyes “opened” shame, fear, blame, distance from God and insecurity come and Adan even blames God and Eve for his sin…
Genesis 3:11-12And God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.
From God being his best friend to God becoming adversarial. So much for this “new freedom,” and it’s always like this and what died was two fold. The intimacy shared between God and man died and was replaced by fear and insecurity and that division extended unto eternal life where now God had to provide a means to redeem man – The Cross. The whole message of Easter is about Redemption, because God so loved that He gave… However from this one act of disobedience sin entered into man and God’s Holy Spirit which clothed man in His Glory left, therefore they truly were naked. They saw themselves in such shame compared to the glory of God that prior clothed them that they hid themselves. Physically though they lived and the devil fully knew what death would occur but he lied ( what a surprise?)  Jesus rightly called him the father of lies in John…
John 8:44You are of your father the devil ( speaking to the Pharisees ) and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of it.
The greatest freedom a person could ever have is being in a love relationship with God. There is no greater freedom on planet earth. Not a legalistic relationship based on obeying a set of rules but a relationship were we allow Him the freedom to change us. It’s from love that God has asks us to follow Him. As long as we are trying to earn God’s favor by obeying a set of rules we are on a religious platform. Once we understand that it is impossible to earn His favor, that we already have it because of what Christ did on the Cross, then we become free to really grow in Christ. We become recipients of what Christ did when we believe and receive the gift of salvation. Understanding that His Grace is impossible to earn, that no one is perfect enough to earn it from a Holy God is liberating. Accepting this truth becomes the bridge to our freedom were we can start learning to walk in the Spirit of Grace and not in the letter of the law which is legalism, or a life that follows all the rules but void of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Years ago that use to be me.
In ending I leave you with some instruction 
Philippians 4:6-8Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.….and the God of peace will keep your hearts in Christ Jesus our Lord (Philip. 4:7)
God Be with you and may you have a Blessed Easter – ArthurArthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

February 2020 – A Blessed Life Part II

A Blessed Life, Part 2

Joshua 1:1-9

God’s Commission to Joshua

After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. 

¨It came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun (scripture says that the Lord spoke to Moses as a man speaks to another man, so cool. Now it was Joshua’s turn) Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you, do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (is it not worth being in the scriptures so we too can experience this relationship with the Lord which He defines as prosperity? We limit prosperity to wealth, yet wealth does not buy security, peace, courage, hope, love, or salvation). 

The language in these verses is powerful. God wanted Joshua to know that He, God, IS WITH HIM and promises that as He has been with Moses, He will be with Joshua. Do you believe that this promise was only for Joshua, or do you think it is for all believers that follow Him? I know that it is for all believers, but most of us read it as if it was just for Joshua. Joshua was special, but so are we. I discuss this question in a bit; however, for now, let’s consider what Joshua was going to face. They faced armies so large that they made Israel look like a junior high school flag football team, yet Israel conquered them. The scriptures say that the beast of the field killed more enemy soldiers than were killed by the sword. Another battle God rained down large hail and destroyed them. Another battle the Philistines and the Moabites turned on themselves. When it came to fighting and defending Israel, God was very creative, out of the box kind of stuff. Hopefully, I am not confusing Joshua’s battles with David’s. In either case, all the battles except one, where they disobeyed and were defeated, were miracles. 

Joshua’s assignment was to conquer the land and give each tribe their inheritance. Our role as parents is to do the same for our children. To model a life of faith in such a tangible, transparent way that they see the value of living life with The Lord. And when they have struggles, which they will, they’ve learned not to fear. They have learned by our example that they are not alone, but Christ is alongside them. This is such a critical lesson and the foundation of being a person of confidence. I hate it when faith becomes a religion, regulated to a list of do’s and don’t. Faith is not a religion. It’s a relationship with the true and living God. A way of living life that brings joy, peace, courage, love, and strength, even in times of crisis. 

Towards the end of Joshua’s battling years, most, but not all, the land was conquered. Joshua gave the final responsibility to the leaders of each of the tribes who the land was appointed to. They compromised and did not follow through, and consequently, they intermarried (which was forbidden) and forsook their God for idol worship. It is a good lesson for us. It’s either 110% God, or more compromise is on the horizon. 

As a believer, you must always be growing in your faith. The compromises that exist in all of us should be lessening and lessening as we follow Christ. If six months from now, you do not know The Lord better, something is wrong. You are at an impasse because God is asking you to give up something or do something (maybe forgive?), and that is hindering you from getting closer to Him. We are either not willing or still struggling with it. When life is tough, faith needs to be tougher. The Lord is building fortitude in us. This word means strength in times of adversity. It reminds of the old Rocky Balboa boxing movies. He depicted fortitude. David also, in Psalm 23 saying, “even if I go through the valley of the shadow of death thou art still with me.” David would not have had this confidence had it not been for difficult times, same with us. 

There are times of appointed rest where we take inventory of all God has done, enjoy the view, so to say, but then move onward. To rest beyond the appointed time is to risk temptation and compromise. Samson flirted way too long with Delilah. He should not have even been with her. He was a Jew. She was a Philistine, and he was violating a command of God. It was just a matter of time before he would compromise his relationship with God. Sure enough, he did, and it cost him his sight and strength. He was reduced to a beast of burden grinding out grain for Israel’s enemy. He was made to be ruler and judge over Israel; however, because he could not rule over his passions, he became a slave. How many of us are slaves to secret passions, addictions, or patterns of behavior such as fear, worry, insecurity, lust, be it materialistic or physical. These are all valley events, difficult times, the shadow of death if you would, that we all need to pass through, not set up camp as some of us do. This would be a collision course with failure. I heard a statistic several years ago that the number of divorces in the church was about the same as out of the church. If that is not a failure, I don’t know what is. 

Joshua was God’s soldier. His passion was for his Lord, and His sole honor was to obey The Lord. 

Joshua 5:13-15

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for our adversaries or us?” (As if to say “answer correctly or die.”) So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come.” 

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. 

Joshua demonstrated robust courage, it didn’t matter the size of his opponent, and to the same degree, he showed humility. He was a real soldier and a great role model for any believer who is serious about their faith. It’s worth noting that when we take steps toward obedience, it is met with blessings. It doesn’t mean that obedience is easy, or that it does not come with opposition and sacrifice, but in God’s Eternal Book, there is not one act of obedience that is not noted. Joshua’s obedience was met with victory, but they still had to fight for it. 

Many believe that this angel was a theophany (appearance of Jesus) by the fact the Commander tells Joshua to take his shoes off. In no other encounter with angels was this said, (e,g. Mary and Martha encountering the angels at the tomb, or the angel announcing the birth of Jesus, or the birth of John the Baptist, etc.) Also, as mentioned, some believe that these verses (promises) are for a particular period and that Joshua was being groomed to do this, and you would be right. However, I’ve come to believe that these promises are for all who would be God’s Joshua. We all have “land” that needs to be conquered, both inside of us and outside of us. We know people (family, friends, co-workers) that need to enter into the promised land of faith, to know Jesus as their Savior; and there are definitely forces that seek to stop us from seeking Jesus and telling others about him. It takes some maturity to be able to see the “war” between good and evil, but if we continue to grow in faith, we will become sensitive to it. 

Romans 7:21-25

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Therefore since this is true…

Ephesians 6:10-12 The Whole Armor of God

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places ( since the battle is not against flesh and blood but spiritual, the only way to put on the armor is through faith, and faith comes by hearing/ reading God’s Word. There comes a time in a believer’s life that God’s promises become a reality, and what is seen or interpreted as fact is the illusion. 

***A great prayer is, “Lord open my eyes to see the battle, both in me and around me and daily help me to be your soldier.

Now let’s discuss some specific verses.

“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. “

This is such a great description of faith. In one of the episodes of Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford exits a cave, and before him is a huge drop. He was at the edge of a cliff. He repeatedly recited a Bible verse, and with that took his first step into what seemed to be sure death, but as he stepped in faith, a bridge appeared, and with each step, the bridge continued to grow. It was a great example of the walk of faith. When the Israelites drew battle lines against the inhabitants of the land, this was their promise. They could claim this promise and step into battle or become fearful because of being outnumbered and run, which would have been a sure defeat.

Worthy to note that the armor for the believer is forward-facing, there is no armor for one’s back, running from the battle is sure death. Our Father’s promises are for us today even though the challenges are unknown, he knows them. He is more than able to strengthen us. So it’s our choice, we can walk in confidence or fear. However let me explain the walk of faith, less I mislead you. I still get nervous even though I know all the stories. The challenges of running a business, keeping up with the demand, and keeping work coming in, etc., are plentiful, so I stand on God’s promises. I recite them and they take me through the day. Yet my flesh gets nervous, I feel it in my stomach, and it’s a strange feeling to be trusting and be nervous at the same time. Maybe that will change? 

In ending, I leave you with the verse that has become my breastplate.

Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

One of my favorite promises. I have claimed this promise so many times. I can’t even tell you. It’s such a courage and hope builder. Sometimes the situations we find ourselves in are our own doing, not God’s. Yet if at that moment we acknowledge our error and repent, God will take us through the repercussions of our disobedience and use it for our good and for His glory. Only He can do that. And the more time we spend with Him in prayer and The Word, the easier it will be to stay on course. No one trusts a stranger, but a close friend is easy to believe. 

So the truth is laid out for us, and it is a choice we make. To become Jesus’s soldiers or to follow Samson and reap his failure. The result of each is clear, and it’s a choice that has been since the time of man. Choose wisely, for not only does your life depend on it, but the lives of many others are watching.

Father God, 

The lives of many are a weighty concern, for I am human. However, if I just ask You each day to help me be a faithful son or daughter to You and focus on that, everything else will fall into place. You are always my answer, and help others to see that You are their answer as well because of how You manifest Yourself through me. Amen

Move Forward In Grace – Arthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

January 2020 – His Workmanship Part II

Ephesians 3:16-19 

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in (His) love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height (of His love) — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

There have always been only two kinds of riches; what can be found here in the world and what the Father offers. At times one has both, yet there are few that can handle the world’s wealth and keep their passion for God. Not impossible by any means, yet sadly it is just not seen. Why, because we tend to value our outward comfort over “the inner man.” Yet it is the state of the inner man that determines our quality of life, not wealth. There are plenty of rich people in the world that are miserable, there’s no shortage of them. The “state of desperation or need,” which wealth so falsely hides, hinders one’s growth. Need/desperation fosters greatly the inner man as he or she presses into God. Taking away desperation or need diminishes one’s hunger for Christ. It’s true what Jeremiah said about the state of man’s heart. 

Jeremiah 17:9.  

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked;

Who can know it?”

At face value this is a hard verse to agree with, yet as one travels life with Christ one gets to know his or her own heart and finds it true. I’ve prayed for years against the attitude in my heart that when things go well I lessen my grip on the Lord, and when trials come it’s like, “I’m back God, help me now…. please.” This yo-yo effect of our Christianity is pathetic. Whether things are going well or not I am ALWAYS in need of Him. He is LIFE, I represent the carnal man, sin, and death and without Him I am lost and so much of a lesser person.

A simple example. I like my work shirts freshly ironed, so every morning I plug the iron in and while I’m stretching it’s getting hot. I then pick the shirt for the day and iron it. Once done, I unplug it. If I see a missed wrinkle I need to plug it in again, because there is no “life or use” of the iron without it being plugged in. We are at best nice looking irons, but absolutely helpless when it comes to ironing out our own wrinkles; we absolutely need Him. 

Also, and not to toot my own horn, but there are landscapers and there are landscapers. I will get called on an appointment to see a client’s yard. The prior company may have landscaped for a living, but they were not landscapers. There is no design, plant choices are mundane and there absolutely is no invitation to come out to enjoy the yard. 

So then maybe we can “do life,” as those landscapers can “do landscape,” but it is a far cry from what the AUTHOR OF LIFE can do in us and through us. He is the BEST in the business at giving us new hearts, and granting us life.

Now back to our main verse. If one was to step back and really examine this verse it is the quintessential essence of a successful, fulfilling Christian life. Noticed I said “ fulfilling” not happy. Happy reminds me of the man who built his house upon the sand. He was very happy when he was all done, especially seeing his neighbor struggling with building his house on rock. However that changed one day as the rain continued and the river rose until it reached his beloved “happy home” and then things were not so happy. He probably had to eat some humble pie as he hiked up the rock to ask his neighbor for shelter from the storm. Happy is a temporal state, it’s not permanent.

My dad divorced my mom because “he was not happy.” I liken happiness to the emotional opioid we all seek, but we are mistaken. We are really seeking meaning, purpose and fulfillment and we confuse happiness with that. Internally we want to know that what we do matters, that who we are as individuals makes a positive difference. Especially for those closest to us. Those who seek just to fulfill themselves are the most shallow and the most miserable. The more we focus on just ourselves and our issues the more “me” looks messed up. Just look at the Kardashians. Yet interesting enough our issues tend to work themselves out as “we love God and love our neighbor.” Imagine that, that loving God and loving our neighbor, the first two commands that Jesus gave us are the keys to a fulfilling life. We are at our best when we “exercise our will” according to Christ’s words; we become conduits and beneficiaries of God’s Grace which is what we were designed for.

These verses give us the “richness” that our souls need, our daily manna. To be able to have something substantial within that not only benefits us but to give and share that will genuinely strengthen and give hope to others is great. To know that you absolutely have the answer to any problem is a great confidence builder. That with The Lord in one’s life things will work out, not easy because it is through the struggle that the Lord builds His foundation in us, but victory is sure to come. To be able to bring a testimony of hope and promise of God’s deliverance to others, there is no better gift to give to a struggling heart. 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/the-promises-of-god-10-powerful-bible-verses-1/#

Let’s go to our study verse and break it down.

that He would grant you, – First, recognize who is the source. We initially come to Christ because of a crisis. The crisis lessens, things get better and we go back to the business of doing our own thing, the very things we did that got us into the crisis to begin with; manning our own ship, calling our own shots. Proverbs 3 says 

Proverbs 3:5-8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own

understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones (this is my absolute favorite verse to go to for all of life). 

Question, do you believe this and do you believe God answers prayers? I do. Trust is pivotal to seeing God work and learning how to pray so that God will answer is critical. My early prayers were focused on me, to make me look good, to make me happy, to have things, to have a great job that paid well etc. Later the prayers changed to “God change me to make You look good and to make You happy with my life, and thank you for providing for my needs.” There was about 8 years of hard trails and struggles between those two prayers but God eventually got His way, and I’m so glad He did. 

according to the riches of His glory, The really cool thing about God is everything He gives ALWAYS comes from His riches in glory. He is never scrapping the bottom or giving from leftovers. He can never be outsourced, outdone, or come up short. His amounts are just right even if they “feel” short. Once we lose our love for the world and understand that all that the world has to offer are idols and false promises of contentment, that it is solely God’s love for you that brings life and lasting peace you will be surprised by how little else you need. Content in Christ there’s not much more we need and there’s much we can put up with when internally we’re sound. 

Our main problem is we live life from the outside. We want the nice things, prestigious job, nice home, because we falsely believe that will make us happy; but when you feel good on the inside because of your relationship to Christ then all those other things matter little. Other than needing the basics in life, our desire becomes sanctification, to grow in Christ. My absolute greatest desire is to be pleasing to Him. No other passion or motive even comes close. It is to my glory and honor (and yours as well) to be His son by Grace (or His daughter). To earnestly seek His will above all else is to live the life of a wealthy man or woman internally. The inner man or woman is full and overflowing, something so foreign to the carnal man that there is no meeting half way, the carnal man/woman must die. 

Luke 6:38

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Romans 7:18

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”

Continuing; 

to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, Why are we so lacking in this? We fall at the least temptations, become trapped in carnal vices and then wonder where is God? God also wonders were have you been? Obviously not drinking from His wells that He freely gives. Strengthen; to be fortified or infused with supernatural strength that’s founded on truth.  The picture that comes to mind is that of a hotel which represents our heart and the Holy Spirit going into each room and removing, self, pride, idols, etc., touching and bringing His life to all parts of the room, making that room holy. Then He goes to the next and the next, as long as we give Him permission. He will not force Himself, though at times I wish He would. This is what the Bible calls sanctification and why is this important? Because without holiness we cannot please God. Sanctification means we are now focused on Him, seeking His will for us. Our attention is no longer on this world or our wants, but on His will and the Life to come. When that happens it’s one of the biggest victories we can have. Amen 

***that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

Faith is the currency of Heaven, victories are won through faith, Goliath was slayed because of David’s faith in God. Faith is the Heavenly Armor we wear, the power of God against any and all Goliath’s that oppose us. It is the end of fear, insecurity, and the beginning of unstoppable power and victory. It’s the Godly force that brings light to the darkness, fear to every demon and the unarguable answer to every lie. Faith is the key to Heaven riches, the Sword of the Spirit that brings every force to its knees, the key to Heavens riches. To live by faith is to master life itself and to step into to the realm of the Spirit. To bring Heaven to earth, day by day. So help me God, Amen. 

“that you, being rooted and grounded in (His) love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height (of His love).”

As a tree grows, sending it’s roots deep into the earth we to grow in Christ and become strong in the love of our Father. As we “root” into Him via faith and His Word we bare fruits of righteousness. Ultimately….

— to know (experience, engage in, be part of, share) the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (from now unto eternity, forever filled to overflowing in and with His love).”

Father God, 

As we walk this life may Your desire for us become paramount in us, to daily walk in humility and in harmony with your Spirit. We are in weak tents of flesh that challenge us and seek to hinder us in You but it is these very tents like the winds contrary to the eagle that make the eagle to soar upward. Make us masters at subduing our flesh and using these very cross winds to bring You glory because of the unsurpassable blessing of knowing You.

Amen and Amen

Move forward in His Grace – ArthurArthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

January 2020 – His Workmanship

Vida4U “His Workmanship” 

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:14-16

Christ Our Peace

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Ephesians 3:16-19

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

We are now in a New Year (2020) and the well used saying of “Happy New Year” invites hope of change and for some maybe a new beginning. However, and not meaning to pop anyone’s bubble, if nothing has changed what is this hope based on? How or what will cause this change? It will be a new year, but are we bringing the same old luggage into it?  

It would be nice if our hope for a New Year would be based on something solid, not just hope for the sake of hoping; 

The verses above give us this solid type of hope. We just finished our series on “Who I Am,” which is packed full with hope. As we change our identities to what our Lord says we are, (through hearing and reading the Word), we are being transformed into beings of righteousness (we get new luggage). This may sound a little “churchie” but it is exactly the goal of the Holy Spirit within us… To deliver us from our carnal nature and bring Christ nature. As this happens we are becoming beings of righteousness. 

We just had Christmas and there were gifts exchanged. Gifts that were not earned but given in love. Salvation is a gift given in love and not based on our actions. It is so hard for us to understand this. We are so use to earning our way. We have talked about this many times, and it has taken me hearing it many times as a young man for it to finally sink in. It became so freeing when it did. 

Let’s do a test and see how many of us still struggle with Unmerited Grace. Here’s the storyline, I am (you are) planning on having a Bible study at lunch (my normal time) and it’s ten o’clock right now. However I have had a stressful morning so far with one more meeting to go to. In the meeting something’s are said to me and I lose my cool and say things I should not have said. Meeting adjourns and I’m feeling pretty bad for losing my cool, but to make things worse a co-worker that I have been witnessing to walks up to me and says, “I thought you said you were a Christian and you trusted God. I sure didn’t see that in the meeting,” and then walks away, now it’s lunch. I have two choices; I can come to God, or I can stay away. 

If I stay away it’s telling, if I come to Him it’s telling; what would you do? If you stay away you are basically saying you do not feel worthy to go to God, and your right, your not. If you go to Him you go knowing already that you are not worthy, but that’s why He died, to cover our sins (none are worthy). The Worthy for the unworthy and in gratefulness for His unmerited love and grace, we come. Humbled and ashamed yes, but we come because He is our only hope for change. Now pause and think, if this really happened what would you do? 

I find that that people, generally speaking, who had good relationships with their parents are more apt to go to Him than those of us that did not. It’s much easier to accept God’s love when we have been unconditionally loved by our earthly parents. It’s much, much easier to say, “I know I’m not worthy, but His Grace and His Love covers me and I am so ever grateful for it. His Holy Spirit in me is His guarantee that He has bought me AS IS. However His Holy Spirit and His conviction in me is His notice that He is not going to leave me as I came.  

With a demanding, strict, or absent dad we grow up oftentimes feeling that we were never loved. We may not even know we feel this way. Subconsciously or consciously we feel that we had to earn our parents love. Now as adults, we struggle with approaching the Lord. Subconsciously we transfer these same emotions to our Heavenly Father and He is nothing like our earthy parents. We consciously must take control of these thoughts and emotions, or we will live our whole life feeling like an orphaned child (which could not be farther from the truth.)

Typically what happens is when we are doing good it’s easy to believe God loves us, but forget it when life goes south. We get upset or angry, say a few choice words, lose our cool with our child etc., and now we feel unworthy. It is so hard to approach God when we are merit based believers. I know people who for years have struggled with this. Reading God’s Word is a huge struggle for them. Everytime they attempt to read, to approach God, some stressful situation occurs and they lose it. Their thinking is “why would God want me? It’s a terrible treadmill and stronghold that the enemy has on them. 

The bigger question is why does God want any of us? I have been a believer for forty years and still do not have the answer to that question, if the answer has to be based on our merit. The only true and lasting answer is the one He gives us in John 3:16, and we all know it “ For God so loved the world (us) that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would do good works, pray 10 times a day, and read a chapter a day and of course believe on His Son would not perish but have ever lasting life.” Is that what it says? No, of course not! However based on our actions that’s how we read it. What the scripture really says….,

“ For God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life,” that’s what He says, and Amen to that. Christmas started with Him first. 

The real question is will we humble ourselves before Him and accept His love based on no merit, or effort, or good deeds on our end. We can bring nothing to the table, our good deeds are like dirty rags to an utterly Holy God.  He brings it all, Love, Forgiveness, Righteousness, Eternal Life, Wisdom, Joy, Peace, Grace etc., and seeks to give it to us. Will you receive His Gifts? If you say yes, that is faith,( that is the only thing we bring) and you are now Born Again, welcome to the Eternal Family of God. Praise God!! We are all a bunch of misfits, with broken pieces but we are His misfits and He specializes in misfit repairs. 🙂

Isaiah 64:6

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away ( but not now, we have Jesus!) 

If you know any one who struggles with unworthiness, just love them and pray for them. They are believers, they are just working with more broken tools than the rest of us. Encourage them forward. We don’t need to tell them what they should do, they probably already know. Also keep in mind that they probably feel like something is wrong with them because everybody else they know has no problem reading their Bible or approaching God (the influence of good parents is paramount to raising kids that will seek the Lord). Speak a few words as lead by the Holy Spirit to these individuals, words of encouragement and support, and from time to time have them repeat what you said. Most of the time your kind words won’t sink in (at their core they are unable to believe), or it gets reinterpreted. They may never be completely healed on this side of Heaven, but they will be beautiful on that side. 

What’s not being understood is that we are never “worthy enough” to approach an utterly Holy God on our own merits. This lie of needing to be worthy is such a stronghold. There is no amount of goodness or sacrificial deeds, even dying for our fellow man could ever be equivalent to the Holiness of God or the powerful Redemption offered to us from the Cross. Being able to atone for mankind’s sins and redeem us from ours can only be a God thing. It is so far beyond human measure or means and it is so costly that it must be given as a GIFT, for none of us could receive it otherwise.

Anything else I feel that I must do for my salvation other than faith in Christ is our ignorance. We are completely unaware of the complexity and completion of the Cross. To ever think that I could have God love me, or accept me more after He has given His life for me is simply a deception that needs to be destroyed. My Wealth Is The Cross, it’s gift to me is what makes me a wealthy man, making me a son of the Great King and Savior Eternal. What more could anyone want? 

Through the hassles of the day and life in general we lose sight of this great truth that through the promises and blood of Christ we have Heaven as our hope and future. In the worst and darkness nights I have kept this truth and the hope it brings has never failed to encourage me and given me strength to see my trials to their end. 

The most important part of salvation is that it’s a gift, as stated. His atonement for us covers our past, present and future life. This gift is set, it will not be taken back. Separation anxiety is a fear that occurs when the person paramount in your life keeps going and coming in and out of your life.  That will never happen to one who puts their trust in Jesus. In fact, since the Holy Spirit comes to take up residence inside you, wherever you go He goes and whatever hardships or times of jubilation you experience He’s there. He’s the best parent and friend ever. Get to know Him.

“it is the gift of God (Salvation), not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are HIS handiwork “being” created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Amen.

Father God,

Such a rich Grace You have bestowed on us. Help us to press into You and not be lead astray or fooled by the trinkets of this world or the methodology of this world – the earn and pay system. Let us be children of Grace, in love with You far above anything else. Be with those we love who are not walking with You, save them Father. In Christ name, Amen.Go Forward In His Grace and truly because of Him it can be a Happy New Year – Arthur 
Arthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

August – Time: The Proof of a Successful Design

Welcome to our August issue. Last month’s article featured a video, I hope you took advantage of watching it. It was a treat for me to show you the landscape in “real time.” This month the article will again include a video. It should be a huge treat. Technology brings some cool things to the table. For me to be able to film and share my comments of the landscape as I am shooting the footage is super cool. Pictures are still very necessary to capture a specific angle, but they are limited. They do not show the full scope of the job, and do not give the feeling of being there. The sound of the water in this video makes you want to take your shoes off and relax. I will continue to film our landscapes, especially our mature ones. 

 This landscape was completed fifteen years ago in March of 2005. I am so pleased with how it has matured, and with how my client Diane has maintained it. Maintaining the landscape is important. We can install a beautiful landscape, but if it is not properly maintained, it will not develop well. We help with this by offering quarterly maintenance, as well as email updates that include watering instructions. This helps take the guess work out of proper watering, which is the single most important thing in regards to maintenance. We seek to make caring for your landscape enjoyable and non-stressful. We do the hard stuff such as checking drip irrigation yearly and upsizing the emitters after two or three years of growth. We also apply preemergent for weeds, fertilizer for growth and do pruning as needed. Basically, we service everything we install, from drip irrigation to low voltage lighting and everything in between. These are the ways we seek to help our customers.  

Diane had just retired from AT&T and moved to Sun City when she called us. She wanted her yard to be her oasis. I had a friend help me with the waterfall/pond because that was his specialty. We supplied the labor. I think the waterfall and pond add a very tranquil influence to the yard. Be mindful that there is maintenance with waterfall/ponds as well. Once the water feature was installed, my friend left, and I turned my attention to putting the backyard back together (it got torn up installing the pond). I also started prepping for the landscape.  We used 24” box trees for a more mature look, and upon completing the landscape, we built our first ever mist system under her patio. It was fairly simple because it was much like a drip system. Instead of drip tubing, we used PVC, and instead of emitters, we installed misters. From start to finish the whole job took 5 weeks. 

 This landscape has many faces to it. In the early spring, the Weeping Cherry and Star Magnolia come into bloom. Their white blooms, along with the Azaleas, are beautiful. In the summer, the shade from the Redwoods and Cedar are nice, and the accent that the Atlas Cedar brings definitely emphasizes the Asian/Northern California theme. In the fall, the Acer Sieryu is in fall color. If you google fall color Acer Sieryu, you will see it is one of the most beautiful trees for fall color period. In the winter, we have the Camellias in bloom so regardless of the season, there is always something to appreciate, and coupled with the sound of the water, there is never not a time for one to come out and enjoy the yard. 

We also did Diane’s front yard. We took video of this as well. The front has a beautiful Atlas Cedar, as well as some other specialty plants. The Birch is one of my favorite trees with its beautiful white bark, but it does not like the heat. There is only one variety that I like, which is the Heritage Birch. This variety does not have all the pitfalls of other varieties, but like all Birch, the Spring seed pods make it messy. If you enjoy the Birch as well, just make sure to plant it away from a pool or else the seeds pods will get blown into it, and be an issue for your pool filter. There are two more interesting plants. Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick is to the right of the front door. It is an interesting plant, especially in the winter. Without leaves, its crookedness becomes its charm, and it is more crooked than any other plant (google it). It is an amazing plant! The other plant is Juniper Green Mound which was trained upright. Its normal growth pattern is as a ground cover, so this is an interesting use of a ground cover. The next thing that is most beautiful, especially since it blooms in early spring when it and the Birch have no leaves, is the Tulip Magnolia (Magnolia soul purpurea). With its large purplish blooms, and its size it is simply stunning.

Overall, there is nothing I would have done differently. Everything was planted for a reason and I still agree with my choices. Honestly, after fifteen years of experience, it is nice to know that I gave Diane, as well as  all of my other clients since then, my best shot. My experience with growing plants in the wholesale nursery field prior to landscaping has really paid off. The only changes I have really dealt with as a landscaper are new plant varieties not growing as described. I like to try different plants so I can learn and expand the selection of plants that we can offer our clients. There have been some new varieties that we have had to replace because they did not perform as stated. This was especially true several years ago with a plant named Guara. Guara is a beautiful free-growing plant friendly to butterflies, and it was supposed to  not exceed 18” inches. After six months of being in the ground, it grew 3’ft. by 3’ft. That is a huge difference from 18”! Though I love the gracefulness and butterfly friendly look of Gaura, I did not love its uncontrolled growth. We replaced numerous plants at our cost, which I think is only fair to do. 

Gardeners, we are entering the home stretch for our summer gardens. It is time for another application of fertilizer to keep them producing into mid-September. By then, I like to pull the vegetables and leave the ground fallow for a couple weeks. This gives the microbiology a break before introducing the fall/winter plants in October. For now, watch for tomato worms. I always see them in early August. They can do some serious damage if they go undetected for several days, look for stems with no leaves. Until next time – Good gardening. 

July – Time and Proper Placement

Welcome to July’s article. It has been a crazy several months with all that has been happening. At the time ofthis writing (6/25/2020), we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Businesses are opening, and restaurants can now seat patrons. Some businesses saw an increase in their business during this time, mostly those dealing with home improvement and/or repair.  Landscaping has done well due to people being home and wanting to improve their surroundings, but it’s hard to be happy when it comes at the expense of others. I hope your employment has stayed steady, and you and your family are well. While travelling throughPlacer, Sacramento, and El Dorado County,  I have found that the COVID concern has been minimal. For those of you that have been working from home and have not ventured out more than to the grocery store, I hope this comment brings some much-needed good news. 

For this month, I want to view a yard/landscape we featured 5 years ago in 2015. It was a fun job. Lynda was a great client and is still a good friend. We did her job during the drought. Her front yard prior was all sod. By removing her lawn and installing plants with drip irrigation, we cut her watering needs down to 1/3^rd of what she was using. Though her front yard is sizable with many plants, the water savings is still way under what lawn would be. Lawn nozzles put out approximately 2.62 gallons of water a minute, and she had 60 sprinklers, which would be 157 gallons of water a minute times 10 minutes. This equals 1570 gallons per each watering. Three days of water equals 4710 gallons of water a week! Even if you have 400 drip emitters (which is 200 plants), it only equals 400 gallons of water (gph). When you do the math, drip irrigation is the best way to  go for water conservation. Also, since “green” is a color we are accustomed to having in our yards, we incorporated Kurapia as a lawn alternative. Kurapia does attract bees, so it might not be your solution for green, however it is also wise to not over install lawn. Gone are the days of large lawns and small planters. I hope through my writings I have given you enough reason to reverse that mindset. Install the amount of lawn you need to entertain with or raise kids on, but let’s be creative with the rest of the yard. 

 Lynda’s front yard is the largest residential front yard we have landscaped (last month’s featured landscape is the largest custom front yard landscape we have completed). Because Lynda’s front yard was sizable, one of the obvious goals was low maintenance. The last time it was pruned was this past January, and now six months later it is still looking pretty good with only the Chinese Fringe Flower (purple ones) being  recently pruned. So, it is possible to select plants that require minimal care, but you must know your plants. It is way too complicated to explain what plants I put next to others and why, but I can explain the general placement of plants from the house out to the street. As you have seen in other featured articles, we have completed much steeper yards than this one, and the steeper the yard, the more of what I am about to say is true. We all know that water travels downhill, so my general placement and selection of plants is determined by this factor. The plants at the top are one group; they are the more drought tolerate ones. The ones in the middle have average water needs, and the ones by the street do not mind having damper soil. Most landscapers do not even consider this, or even know to consider this. The slope/grade here is very gentle except for the last five feet. The divide for this yard really occurs at the stream bed.  

 The same principles of plant placement apply to drip irrigation. We will add drip irrigation according to the shade/sun exposure as well as the slope. For example, if the sun exposure is the same throughout the yard, we will have a valve control the lowest 8’ ft. portion – one valve to water the middle and one valve to water the upper section. At times, the yard is not sloped enough or wide enough to have three divisions, so we divide it into two irrigation water zones. Each water zone can use several valves or just one, depending upon the size of the yard. If the yard has a shadier portion, we divide that section and give it a separate valve. For Lynda, the landscape to the left of the driveway receives more shade than the rest of the landscape, so that section was parted out and given its own valve. This type of division, as opposed to just adding one valve per every 30  plants regardless of sun, shade or slope makes the job easier and faster, but it affects the overall health and longevity of the landscape. Because of how we install the irrigation and divide out the plants, our prices tend to be more, however proper watering and plant placement  is everything to the health of the landscape and is directly connected to your enjoyment of the yard. No one likes to look at sick plants, and considering the number of plants we have here, I only saw one that was yellow. 

 Everything with this yard is on the large size. Some of the boulders are 800 to 900 pounds and the dry stream is close to 4’ wide. The boulders had to be placed with a forklift. Underneath the stream bed we added a perforated drain line or leach line. Before the drain line enters the stream bed, the drain lines are solid (non- leach) and they are connected to the downspouts of the house. During the installation of this yard, we were in the drought. We did many such stream beds with perforated drains underneath them. It is important to remember that our largest “water footprint” for capturing water is our roofs. We capture and discharge more water from our roofs than any other aspect of a residential home.  Our goal in doing this therefore, was to keep the water on the property, deep watering the trees and shrubs and hopefully recharging our ground water. During this time, we had much support from our clients, but now not so much. It cost a bit more, but I believe it is worth doing. We can go into a dry cycle at any time, but I must respect my clients wishes if they choose not to. Finally, because of the size of this yard I have included a video – enjoy. 

Gardeners – we are well into the summer growing season. Pay attention to your watering. No one likes watery tasting tomatoes. Let the soil dry out a bit,  and then water. On hot days, the sun can scorch the tomatoes, as well as bell peppers, some chiles and other vegetables, so be prepared to cover them. Until next time, good gardening.

Arthur