Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Today's Walk With the Lord - Temptation, More Than We Think
My current read is 'The Spirituality of Jesus' by Leslie T. Hardin. In this book the author covers 9 different Spiritual Disciplines that Jesus exhibited during the years of his ministry.
One of the disciplines is avoiding temptation. While we know that Jesus was tempted by Satan after He was baptized and received the Holy Spirit, there were other temptations that He resisted.
Jesus was asked to stay in places he was popular and he chose not to. He also sent away the masses and His disciples so He could pray in solitude.
These actions were to keep Jesus away from the crowds trying to annoint him King and more importantly, to keep him focused on fulfilling his mission and the Father's will.
Temptation can come in more forms than just the lore of the flesh, and of money and material things. It can be for our time and our thoughts as well.
Something to think about.
Enjoy!
Sanford Berenberg
sanford@berenberg.net
www.berenberg.net
Friday, December 4, 2009
Today's Walk With The Lord - Everything Went Wrong - Just the Way The Lord Had Planned
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Today's Walk with the Lord - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Good Morning,
In my growing knowledge of Scripture and Christianity, I am putting together a puzzle in my mind of what it means to be a Christian and how to live a life which brings glory to God and pleases Him.
Many of the books I have read, you can review my Books Read list on my main website, www.berenberg.net, have given me bits and pieces of the life of a Christian who is faithful, humble and obedient to the Lord.
Like all things that we learn, it is not so much the knowledge which makes us successful or wise, but the application of the knowledge.
Doing the right thing, then, is the important part of walking with the Lord.
At first I found it hard to keep my mind off the lurid thoughts of my past and stop doing the things that the Lord finds displeasing. I had a growing sense of what was right and a growing prayer list of things I needed help with.
In each instance, I have noticed that my actions and thoughts have moved away from the sinful past and toward a more humble and obedient path, praising the Lord. My mind is full of songs I hear on my new favorite radio station, KLove and the words from sermons I hear tied to the daily reading of the Gospel have helped me put my money where my mouth is.
I have a long way to go to be where I need to be, but I am happy to say that I have traveled a long way from where I started.
The Lord is so good to us. The blessings keep coming and the fears of this world continue to subside, knowing that the Lord is looking out for his beloved children.
Enjoy!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Today's Walk: Knowing Joy
Good Morning,
I have been angry for most of my life, a family trait which I have focused and funneled into the activities I do. Many have marveled over how much work I can accomplish, but few understood where the energy came from.
Over the last few months I have found that I have a growing inner peace. This growing inner peace has increased with the amount of prayers I do every day, and the amount of Bible and Christian readings I do daily as well as listening to Christian music and sermons.
This morning, I was not feeling well and struggled to do my morning Bible readings.
When we are down, it is often harder to fight off the temptations which seem to never be too far away from us.
The temptations lost out, as the songs in my head are from my new favorite Radio station, KLOVE.
I could not get the name Jeremy Camp out of my head, and as I sat in front of the computer with my Google Home Page up, I sat for a few seconds wondering what to type into the search engine.
So, I put in ‘Jeremy Camp’ and have been listening to his songs for the last hour, and while waves of love and happiness swept over me and my tear-filled eyes, I knew I did the right thing. And I know something going on my Christmas list, Jeremy Camp CD’s!
My growing in the Lord, in understanding His Word and reading Systematic Theology, and listening to sermons and the Christian Music, have helped give me an inner happiness which has helped me face up to the dark times of my past and replacing anger and temptation with love.
Lord I thank you for Your Grace and Love because I am knowing more and more Joy every day.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Today's Walk With The Lord - Pray for Wisdom
I have been growing in my prayer life, where I spend increasing amounts of
time in prayer throughout the day. In the mornings, I walk my dog Bo, a 75
lb Pit Bull Terrier. Besides giving me a physical work out, I get a
spiritual one as well.
In my prayers I do the normal process of praising the Lord, thanking Him,
confessing my sins to Him and then I go into prayer requests for many
people, organizations and situations and end up with requests for myself.
These requests are generally for health, prosperity, guidance through a
tough time, healing, for people to find Jesus and supporting the efforts of
the organizations I am affiliated with.
In reading the book "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung, I found a bit more
direction for my prayers.
Kevin DeYoung suggested we should pray about more than these common: health,
wealth and happiness requests.
He suggests we pray for wisdom for ourselves and others. That we pray that
the Lord will help us open our eyes to see the bigger picture wherever we
are in life. Often it is our own myopic (small) view of the situations we
find ourselves in that cause us the most problems, and with the Lord's help,
we can step back and see more of what is going on.
Kevin DeYoung also suggests we pray for faith, understanding and giving us
the energy and confidence to get up and do something. That is, to take
action rather than wait for the right sign or message from the Lord of when
to act. Waiting for the right sign may months or years if it comes at all.
By praying for wisdom, faith and confidence in ourselves, we are able to
bring more glory to God through our actions.
It is a self perpetuating circle of events.
Pray for wisdom, faith, and understand, and we will see more of what the
Lord wants us to see and can act appropriately.
Enjoy!
Praise the Lord!!!
Sanford Berenberg
sanford@berenberg.net
www.berenberg.net
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Today's Walk With The Lord - God is the BEST Realtor!
Good Morning,
As some of you may know, my family and I recently bought a new house, moved into it and then prepared and sold our former house. This was completed in a difficult real estate market and we prayed often.
When we found the new house, we fell in love with it and prayed for what to do. We felt led to purchase it, but as soon as we put in our offer in January, we found the house was going to be a short sale and it could take months to find out if the banks will allow us to buy the house at our offering price.
Throughout the end of January, all of February and part of March we prayed for an answer from God to whether we should continue to pursue this house or let it go.
Then on Friday the 13th of March, in my daily Bible reading I came across a passage which jumped out at me. It was Mark 13:13 which says:
“All people will hate you because you follow me, but those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved.”
My daily Bible reading also included reading another book which I read a chapter a day from. On that Friday, my reading ended on page 313.
That afternoon our realtor, Jenny, called and she told us that we had the house and we could work toward the closing (which happened within 2 weeks of that call). We moved into the new house at the end of April.
I was amazed with how God answered our prayers, but He was not done with our real estate needs. We had to put our other house up on the market and it needed some work. It was then that life blindsided us with many challenges including my Mom getting sick and passing away.
Our goal was to have the old house up for sale in May, but that quickly became June and before we knew it, we were back into July. Each month cost us about $1,000 to carry both houses.
We continued to pray to God to help us sell our house.
In all the mayhem, we were able to get the old house up on the market in July and shortly thereafter we had many showings and then a contract on the house a short time later. It was then, as I thought about the selling of our house that the following jumped out at me.
Our old house went onto the market on Monday, July 13th.
We had an accepted contract on the old house in 13 Days.
This real estate deal zoomed through the banks and the inspections and just this last Friday, August 28th, we closed on the house.
In our lives, 13 is a lucky number. It is the number that shows us the God did what we prayed for, he helped us get a new house that we love and helped us sell our old house fast.
And the Lord was not done there.
The new buyer simply loved all the work Karen and I put into the house. He plans on keeping the flowers as they are and enjoy the fruits of our efforts. The closing ended up like a bunch of old friends and family having a great time visiting. We were sharing information about the house, the homeowner’s association, and the gardens.
Everything on the purchase and sale fell into place. Just what you would expect when God runs the show!
Now how about that for God being a Realtor!
Praise the Lord!!!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Today's Walk With the Lord - The Lord Provides
Good Morning,
The other day I reached out for help on turning my life over to Jesus, and within a day, there was an odd occurrence.
While working online I saw an image of a book for merely a second and it was gone.
The book is called:
“I Can’t See God Because I’m In The Way: Getting Beyond Self-Centered Religion to Passionate Faith”
I looked it up on Amazon and shortly thereafter picked it up and it is next on the reading list.
It is amazing the way the Lord responds to our prayers and requests. It is fitting that my request be answered with a book, with the volume of books I read.
It is also comforting to know that I am not alone in my quest for greater faith and understanding in the Lord.
The Lord does provide!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Today's Walk With The Lord - Knowing How to Turn It Over To the Lord
Good Morning,
I have been growing in my faith over the last few years and have achieved some amazing milestones in my walk with Christ.
It is hard to put into words, but I feel more comfortable in life, happier overall (there are still rough days), but overall life is better.
I have found that the more I turn over to Christ to handle for me, the better my life has been, but I seem to run into challenges in giving everything over to Him.
All my life I have been the one to step up and help, and in the past I have had hard time letting others help me. Due to life situations I have gotten pretty good at letting people help me, and I have gotten better at letting Christ take over, but at times I come up against a wall.
Like ‘Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus’ I have learned to stop running in and trying to help when others share their problems (especially my wife, Karen).
Yet, there are some aspects of my life where I cannot fathom letting another take care of. I know it will come with time and prayer, but I am not there yet. I do know, though, that the more I give over the Lord, the more I will get back.
Please pray for me to help get me over this hurdle.
Thank you!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Today's Walk With the Lord - Walk Humbly or Else 'LOOK OUT!!!'
Good Morning,
Over the last year I have worked on being a more humble person. In years past I have been an arrogant and vein person, often wrapped up in what I thought I was and what I could do for the world. I am sorry for the pain I have caused others through these errant ways.
I have also seen that when God wants to talk to us, he will do so. He will get our attention even if it means dropping a building on us. Which, in fact, happened to me.
Back in 1995 I was intending on going to the Society of Creative Anachronism’s (SCA) Pennsic Wars. I had been a member of the SCA for some time and had various challenges getting to this huge event. In 1995 I drew a line in the sand and said to anyone who would listen that ‘I would be going this year. Nothing and no one could stop me. Not even God could stop me from going!’.
What an arrogant thing to say.
Well, the Lord had other plans.
Four days before I was supposed to leave for the event I was involved in a construction accident where a building we were working on collapsed while I was in it. I ended up breaking both of my legs and being rushed to a local hospital.
While I was in the hospital I started thinking that maybe I could still go to the event even with a 70 pound hip to toe cast on my leg.
The Dr. told me he had no interest in letting me out of the hospital anytime soon.
The day I was to leave for the Pennsic War came and left. And then the time I was to stay at the event came and went, and while I stayed in the hospital for a full 15 days, the event ended and I did not go at all.
I have since looked back at this time in my life as a ‘Wake Up Call’.
My arrogance was punished, and I deserved it.
Today, I try to be a different person. I try to walk humbly every day.
I also try to listen to the Lord daily, so that he does not have to drop another building on me to get my attention.
Enjoy!
sanford@berenberg.net
www.berenberg.net
Friday, June 19, 2009
Today's Walk With The Lord: Psalm 85:8
Good Morning,
Psalm 85:8 says: “I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints.”
Dear Lord,
There is so much anger and hatred in this world Lord. We need your help, more so than ever.
Please Lord, please help stop this anger and the violence that comes from it.
Please Lord, please replace anger with love and show the world again Your Grace and Mercy.
Please help speak peace to Your beloved children so that they will hear and understand You.
Please speak peace into their hearts and souls and fill them with Your love so that they overflow with Your peace and love.
Please replace their fear and anger with Your love and peace.
Praise the Lord for Your peace.
Amen!
Enjoy!
sanford@berenberg.net
www.berenberg.net
Bible quotes from www.biblegateway.com
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Todays Walk With the Lord - Exodus 10:27
Good Morning,
Exodus 10:27 says “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.”
Through all of the plagues called upon
Imagine all the people in
Then imagine all the Egyptians living through these plagues and seeing the Israelites in
Then imagine seeing the one man who could end all of this, their king, the Pharaoh, not doing anything about it. He refused to let the Israelites go while his people suffered. The Egyptians may have asked each other, how their king could allow these terrible things to happen.
They happened because our Lord hardened his heart. The end result was the Israelites left
Now, fast forward to today and all the scary and terrible things happening in our world today.
We could be and are asking the same questions the Egyptians may have asked. Why is this being allowed to happen?
The answer may be that our Lord is hardening the hearts of those who can do something about it for His purposes.
What could be His purposes?
His purpose in
What His purpose is now, I have no clue, but I do know that He is in control and this is part of His purpose.
I do find comfort in that.
Enjoy!
sanford@berenberg.net
www.berenberg.net
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Todays Walk With the Lord: Proverbs 17:12
Good Morning,
Proverbs 17:12 states: “It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to meet a fool doing foolish things”.
This scripture caught my attention due to the blatant nature of the words. The message is saying that it is better to meet a bear who will most likely attack you and try to kill you because they are searching for their cubs and are very upset than to face a foolish person doing something foolish.
A foolish person doing something foolish could have many different outcomes, but I feel the intention of the message is that we have no clue what a fool will end up doing and what may happen to those around them when they are doing foolish things. Sadly, often the fool, themselves, has no way of knowing how the outcome is going to come about.
That is, it is potentially more dangerous to meet up with someone who is doing what they know to be foolish, and doing it anyway than to face an angry animal who you know is going to look to hurt you.
Knowing that you will be attacked gives you a chance to prepare your actions and responses. With the fool, you have no way to prepare because you have no way to know what may happen.
It is then safer to avoid them and the chaos they bring to our lives.
And if you are the fool, being foolish, maybe it is time to stop, if not anything more than to save yourself from the hardships you give to yourself and those around you.
I know in my past I have done some pretty foolish things, some downright mean things. I am happy that the Lord has forgiven my sins, but in addition, I am happy that the Lord has allowed me to be a more learned man and spend less time being the fool, doing foolish things.
Learning is a great tool to defeat the fool in us all.
Enjoy!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Today's Walk With The Lord - Look to the Lord
Good Morning,
I have always wondered why Moses was truly denied entrance into the Promised Land.
Over the course of my life I had learned it was because he hit a rock with his walking staff, and God became angry with him. This just did not sit right with me. After all Moses did for the Israelites, I thought there would be some wiggle room given to Moses for over 40 years of service.
Part of my daily Bible reading is reading ‘Experiencing God, Day by Day’. Henry and Richard Blackaby have been great guides to help me get closer to God.
On the May 11th reading, it was explained that Moses had repeatedly not followed God’s commands and after each time, he had a price to pay. When he told God he could not talk to the people, he disobeyed God and as punishment he had to speak through Aaron. After 40 years, he continued to have to speak through Aaron.
Moses was frequently frustrated by the Israelites and their stiff necked, hardened hearts. Even after seeing God in action, the pillar of fire, the walls of water, the plagues, etc., these people still had doubts and fears.
Instead of looking to the Lord at these times, Moses gave into his temper and acted on his on, and in not in God’s way.
I now understand why Moses was denied entrance into the Promised Land.
More importantly, I understand where I must look whenever I get frustrated. When I get angry I should not vent, but rather take it to the Lord and look to him.
In looking to the Lord is the answer. I felt this truly last Saturday when I prayed for 30 minutes straight. I was floating on air at the end. I never realized the power of Prayer on me as I prayed for others.
It all makes sense, we need to look to the Lord for everything!
Enjoy!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Today's Walk: Colossians 3:23
Good Morning,
Colossian’s 3:23 says:
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”
There are times in my life when I really do not want to do something or the task at hand is dragging and I just want to get it over with. I suspect that I am not alone in those feelings.
Maybe if I just cut a few corners and shave off a little time, no one will notice. I used to think that and even though I know God and his nature, I would forget that while there was no one watching, God was watching. When no one seemed to care, God was there caring.
If I am going to do a sloppy job, then God will know.
If I get that feeling of trying to push something off to the side and do less than my best, I will stop and remember that I am doing this for the glory of God, not just for my boss or someone other person.
God deserves our best, and we should strive to give it to God each and every time.
It is hard to perform at our best each and every day, but remember, it is our intentions and desires which fuel our activities. If we intend to short change someone, then we intend to short change God. If we intend to give our best, then we do this for God and He will know.
Also, doing our best does not mean nose to the grindstone all the time, 110% effort, running around with your head cut off insanity 24/7. It means, right here, right now, what is the best you can do? Give it our best, but don’t push it over the line where we risk a heart attack, pulled muscles or migraine headaches. Our best is not a static level of performance, it is the best we can do at any given moment. For example, when I wake up, my best is not nearly as good as when I am wide awake in the afternoon.
Doing our best is a combination of physical, mental and spiritual effort which is intended to glorify God.
So when you next think to slack off. Remember who is watching.
Enjoy!
Bible quotes from ‘Experiencing God Day By Day’ by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Today's Walk with the Lord: Luke 16:30-31
Good Morning,
Luke 16:30-31 says:
30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
Some people are hard to reach. You can share facts with them, you can show them statistics and charts, and you can who them proof of your point and they just will not accept it.
Some people need to learn from their own experience, and even then, some do not get it. Like touching a live wire you will get shocked. Some people will go and touch it again and again. Some touch it for the ‘thrill’, some touch it for the rebelliousness of it knowing you will be wincing when they feel pain. Some will do it because they forgot that it was live, and still others will touch it not having even heard you the first seven times and go ahead and touch the wire.
I find this with my walk with Christ. Different people have different experiences, and add to this the different versions of the Bible with different takes on the same Gospels and texts, and then there are the different forms of Christianity.
When I was first in Hebrew Sunday School, I learned stories, and only read from the Torah short passages, and then in Hebrew only. I did not get much of what was said or meant. Partially due to this, I did not hear the big message of Judaism, and that following me into my other religious experiences.
I would not listen and repent no matter who said anything. I was invited to Walk with God by many, and I turned away at all times. I turned away from teachers, friends, priests, and even the teachings of those who have departed, and while enticing at times, it did not call to me.
It was not until I started reading the Word of God myself that I repented and started my Walk with God.
When I see confusion in the landscape of faith, I now turn to the Word and it helps, every time.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Bible quotes from www.BibleGateway.com
Monday, April 20, 2009
Today's Walk With the Lord: Psalm 49:5
Good Morning,
Psalm 49:5 says:
Why should I be afraid of bad days? Why should I fear when evil people surround me?
I find this intriguing because I know there are two sets of answers. There are answers from those who do not know the Lord and those who do. If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, then you should not be afraid of bad days. They will come, but Jesus is with you.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then when you are surrounded by evil people, the Lord is with you.
The Holy Spirit will help us. We may get the right words to say, we may be given a thought of what to do, not matter what the Holy Spirit does, we know that we are not alone.
Bad things do happen to good people, and part of this is God’s plan in our lives.
I have still a lot to learn in my walk with the Lord on how to better prepare for and embrace these days, but I know with the Lord, everything is possible. This fact alone is a great step forward, for years ago, I felt that I was an island, that I could do it all myself. While I was successful at many things by grinding it out and pushing, these are nothing to what the Lord has been doing through me these last few years.
Believe in the Lord and know that He is there, loving and protecting us, and the bad days will not seem so bad.
Enjoy!
sanford@berenberg.net
www.berenberg.net
Bible quotes from www.biblegateway.com
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Today's Walk With the Lord: Luke 11:52
Good Morning,
Luke 11:52 states:
How terrible for you, you experts on the law. You have taken away the key to learning about God. You yourselves would not learn, and you stopped others from learning, too
If people know one thing about me it is that I love to learn and like to help others learn also. This scripture touches a huge button with me. Those who try to change the truth to fit their viewpoint of life are actually trying to stop others from learning, and have started to indoctrinate others on a limited field.
To be able to learn means that we have to be open to what is out there and not limit ourselves by shutting the door on different kinds of information which is available. From researching, studying and learning we can then find that information that is God inspired and make our own decision on how to apply this to our lives.
By keeping this information from others, we keep them from being able to learn, and they loose the ability to reach their full potential.
The tighter the lid that is kept on knowledge and the narrower the approved learning materials are, the less people who try to learn from it can become.
Let the Holy Spirit guide our learning and open the doors to wherever we are brought to, and let our learning be spirit-filled.
With the doorways open, we can better become what God has designed for us in our lives.
Don’t be hindered by those, like the experts on the law, who control what others can read and learn, and in addition, don’t be like those experts. Share your information and witness to others, but do not limit what others can experience.
Of course, there are exceptions to this, like parents and children, where the children do not have the faculties to make these decisions for themselves while growing up, but when they come of age, they should be their own people, and they will be…(those with teenagers know what I mean).
Enjoy!
sanford@berenberg.net
www.berenberg.net
Bible quotes from www.biblegateway.com
Friday, April 10, 2009
Today's Walk With the Lord: It's Friday, Sunday's Coming
Good Morning,
Happy Good Friday!
This is the best message for the day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naajYZSbWdw
It’s Friday, and Sunday is coming…..
Enjoy!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Today's Walk With The Lord - Deuteronomy 31:16
Good Morning,
Deuteronomy 31:16 says:
And the Lord said to Moses “You will soon die. Then these people will not be loyal to me but will worship foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will leave me, breaking the agreement I made with them”
How great is God’s love for us?
He knew that even after he led the Israelites into the promised land that they would betray and leave him, yet he still led them in.
Think of it this way. Your son or daughter asks for your keys to the family car to go to college or some promised destination. You know, I mean, you KNOW that when they drive off that they WILL get into an accident.
Would you give them the keys? Could you?
God did.
God knows that we will have times when we are not as faithful as He would want us to be, and yet He is still there waiting there for us.
How great is God’s love for us?
I am so happy that He does love us this much. We need it!
Enjoy!
Bible quotes from www.biblegateway.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Today's Walk With the Lord: Luke 5:38
Good Morning,
Luke 5:38 states:
New wine must be put into new leather bags.
New wine is not like aged wine. It does not taste good and it must be aged to be of value.
Old leather bags hold old wine, the bags have held their wine as it aged and matured. New wine placed in old bags will not shorten the aging process. The process must follow its course. Aged leather bags eventually fall apart, and this will cause the wine to spill out.
New wine must age to be good and thus it needs to go into new leather bags to come of age.
People are similar to wine. You cannot put on the clothes of an experienced person and expect to get their wisdom and experiences through osmosis. You can learn from them, and hear their tales, watch their actions, but this does not mean that you gain what they know. You must experience it yourself to ultimately know.
No, you must put on your own clothes and learn and grow on your own (no matter how fast you learn). You must gain your own experience and you must do your own learning.
It is at that time that a young person will age like fine wine and be of value.
Enjoy!
sanford@berenberg.net
www.berenberg.net
Bible quotes from www.biblegateway.com
