"Unstoppable Power"

"Be Thou exalted, LORD, in Thine own strength: so will we sing and praise Thy power." (Psalms 21:13)  Have you ever wondered how big God really is? It is something that can really stretch your mind, as you lay out under the stars, and then imagine about His bigness beyond all of those heavens stretched out before you. Scientist have discovered another Black Hole in space, this one they figure is over 250 million light years away. It is hard for me to understand how they can even reach that far with a camera, let alone make a determination of somethings distance or size; which they have determined is about 11 times as wide as the the orbit of Neptune around our sun. The last time they were able to peer into a Black Hole and get a better look, they found the silhouette of a cross in the center of that hole; how much you want to bet they find the silhouette of a horseman in this one!!! I think that would be great! Regardless of what you might think of God's size or His greatness, He is big enough to do anything and everything that He wants to do; and He will do so in His own strength! Within this final verse, which again reinforces the meaning that David is trying to make within this Psalm, we have two words that speak of power and strength; both of which have similar meanings, but then again, both of them have different meanings. The first word is the word 'oz', which we looked at earlier in this Psalm, as we looked at verse one in the post titled "Beyond Being Able", and we saw how this word encompasses power and might in every possible arena that we should ever be concerned about. Taken at it's truest meaning, the word 'oz' speaks of splendour, majesty and glory that are beyond anything required to be the instrument of power and strength; it is as though there is nothing by which it can be compared: hence, it describes total power, as one would expect from a God who is the Creator of the universe! The second word, which is used as "so will we sing and praise Thy power", has a similar meaning as 'oz', in that it also speaks of strength; yet, unlike the first word, this one speaks of the force which has been established by that strength. The word is 'gebuwrah' and it speaks about the mighty deeds that have been done; such as 'The Mighty Deeds of God'. It is also a word that means "Victory"; a word that represents the unstoppable power of not only the strength of God, but also the mighty deeds of God; one mighty deed in particular, is that of His mighty LOVE..."BEYOND MEASURE"...

"Unstoppable Judgement"

"Therefore shalt Thou make them turn their back, when Thou shalt make ready Thine arrows upon Thy strings against the face of them." (Psalms 21:12) If ever there was an interesting verse, this is one for the list! Do you ever wonder if God says, Enough is enough! How many times will He tolerate a person who continues to fall into sin, over and over again; always begging forgiveness, yet never really turning completely away from their sinful ways? I do not believe that it is possible for someone to not be forgiven if they truly ask God for forgiveness, because He has said so in His word. However, He also knows a persons heart better than that person knows it himself; and if there is a double-minded person who is asking God for His forgiveness, while at the same time, planning how to make themselves fall again, then they shall not be able to withstand His judgement. James speaks of such a person as "unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8); with the general meaning being that such a person suffers from divided loyalties: on the one hand they wish to maintain a religious confession and they desire to have the presence of God in their life, while on the other hand, they love the ways of the world and prefer to live according to it's morals and ethics. God's judgement is totally and completely unstoppable! I really hope that we all come to understand what that means, because He will judge all sin! That being said; the sins of the world were nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ, and the blood of Jesus covers the sins of all who make Him their Lord; unfortunately, a double-minded person, although they might think they have made Jesus Lord of their life, they have only made Him Lord of certain parts of their life, while keeping other parts active in the things of the world. The Lord requires that we give Him all of our life, even those parts that we think that we are entitled to keep, He requires that we give ALL, or nothing at all; as harsh as that might sound, it pretty much sums up what true repentance really means! Otherwise; a person could be faced with something like what this verse describes, which is that of a hardened heart against God; meaning that a persons heart turns away from God, especially when it comes to doing whatever they desire to do; they pretty much give God the cold shoulder when it comes to those sins which they wish to hold onto. If you notice, is says, "Therefore shalt Thou make them turn their back", which is the result of God's Spirit no longer pressing them to turn away from their sin and to turn towards God; therefore they turn there back away from God, while He readies His arrow of judgement upon the string of their destiny. It is only to late to turn when we are dead; after that, it is time to face judgement! And God's judgement is unstoppable! The final portion of this verse really spoke to my heart this morning, and it has to do with "the face of them", and what I believe God was showing me about those faces turning towards Him. God does not shoot His arrows into a man's back; nor is His judgement something that sneaks up on someone, and then surprises them with something that they did not know; His judgement will be righteous and totally understood, without any misunderstanding by those who see His brilliant and glorious light; just the sight of Him will be enough for them to judge themselves....

"Unstoppable Victory" -2

"For they intended evil against Thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform." (Psalms 21:11) We have an enemy, and his name is Satan: he means to destroy our trust and our love for God; he is no joke, as much as many people try and write him off as some sort of devilish force that is within each of us. However; as crafty and as determined as he might be, there is nothing that he can do against the power of God, because just as everything else, he is a creation and is subject to the power of the Creator. Therefore; there is something that the Lord spoke into my heart this morning about what makes us have an unstoppable victory against the devil and his limited power, and it has to do with our love for God! Yes, I am talking about our love for God. We know that He loves us; that He has proven; but when it comes to our love for Him, this is the thing that the devil loves to play with, by diverting our love to other things, by causing us to doubt ourselves with discouragement, and by making us doubt God's intentions for us. Once we have any of these things working upon our heart and mind, we are putty in the hands of the devil; by which, he can cause us to walk in ways that are going to lead away from victory. Jesus placed a great deal of focus on the fact that we must love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. The reason that He did so, was because the power that we have over the devil and sin is predicated upon the love that we have for God. Yes, God does give us a helper in the form of His Spirit; but the Holy Spirit will not force us to do anything, nor will He intimidate us with things that might cause us to become holy. Our obedience to God is predicated upon our love for Him; the more that we love Him, the more that we obey His commands for our lives; it is really that simple! Our unstoppable victory is something that has as much to do with how much we love God as it does in trusting in His power to be victorious! That might sound a little bit like we have some responsibility in what happens to us after we get saved, and prior to being taken home to be with the Lord; if it does, then I made my point! Sin is something that separates us from God; it always has, and it always will, because God cannot associate Himself with sin; sin represents darkness, and God is light, within Whom there is no darkness at all! Therefore, if we wish to have an unstoppable victory, then sin must not have a place in our lives! God has given us victory already, we just need to walk in that victory and everything will be just as He has planned it to be; but when we walk outside of that victory, we place ourselves in an area that comes dangerously close to the damnation of the devil; to which there is no victory to look forward to! Here is a little something that God showed me this morning: If we think that we can walk in sin, and that we can still somehow walk in victory, then our faith is a joke, and the devil has fooled us into loving something else more than we love God! If we love God so much that we cannot stand to be associated with sin, and we are quick to ask His forgiveness when we do sin, then we do have an unstoppable victory...

"Unstoppable Victory"

"For they intended evil against Thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform." (Psalms 21:11) No matter how hard they might have tried, no one could change the plan that God had established for His victory against the power of evil, sin, and death. When David is speaking about the fact that they could not perform their mischievous device, even though they imagined it, it was impossible for them to make it happen; this speaks to the great ability that God has to direct His plan in and through every circumstance or situation that is going to present it's self. If you have gone through the Bible at least three or four times, then you should have discovered by now that God does what God wants to do, regardless of what man or the powers of darkness think they are going to make Him do. One of the most spectacular examples of this is how Jesus was manifested, or even came about to be the substitute for our sins upon the cross. It totally amazes me how no matter how hard the devil might have tried to offset the direction of God's plan, God was more than able to bring it about regardless of any circumstance. If you really think about it, the whole manner in which Jesus was put to death would seem as though it was meant to bring shame and dishonor to Jesus; and yet, it was through all of that shame and dishonor that God brought forth the most powerful victory to His unstoppable plan. We really do not have any defense against not receiving God's offer of salvation; it is not possible to come up with any argument that can stand against the total humility that was suffered by the Lord Jesus Christ on that cross; not one little bit of chance for anyone to make their point of not having to say yes to His offer. Really; I am quite serious! No matter how hard you can imagine a defense to come up with, as you will answer God on judgement day, there is nothing that you could come up with that could justify your choice not to receive His great offer of forgiveness; not after what Jesus had to suffer for you, your chance to have a reason to decline has been removed! I just wish that everyone could see this fact, and that they would no longer put off that decision; because time is running out, and very soon, we are either going to be gone or left. Some of us that will be left, will wonder why, and will be faced then with the humiliation of being left behind. You really do not want to discover how victory is won from that perspective...

"Monumental Destruction"

"Their fruit shalt Thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men." (Psalms 21:10) This is what it is really all about! Evil destroyed for ever and ever! I have always wondered why God would allow evil to exist in the first place, and why it was that Satan was so determined to have his own way; he has to know what is ultimately in store for him, seeing how well he knows the Scriptures. God is perfect and holy in every way, yet sin has found a way into His perfect creations, and now He must make it gone. The first step was making a way that we could be forgiven, seeing that we were born into sin and that we needed to be washed from that sin in order to be in His presence. The second step will be the complete and utter destruction of everything that is evil and that has made sin to begin in the hearts of man. It all started with a rebellion in heaven; for whatever reason, be it jealousy of man and the love that God placed upon His most cherished creation, or maybe just the fact that pride took over the most glorious angel; but whatever the case, the end will be the answer to all that he had destroyed from his rebellion. The illustration that is given in Revelation regarding this final judgement, is all about making sure that every aspect of evil is eternally dealt with; even every scar of sin upon man will be removed, making there be no more tears, or pain, or hurt, or any other thing which will cause anything but total joy and peace in the presence of our God. When David is speaking about 'their fruit', he is speaking of all that sin has caused, not just the fruit of descendants, but the fruit of actions. Sin does stuff in our lives which we don't ever even know, at least not the full extent of what is caused by the simple act of disobedience. If we could only see the ripples of effect that our sin makes upon the lives around us, what a change of heart we might have regarding how we live our daily lives: you affect someone, who in turns affects another, and that other affects someone else, until ultimately you one little action has created an effect upon many lives, communities, or a nation, and even possibly the whole world. That might sound a little far fetched to some of you, but we must realize how important it is that we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh; because God's Spirit directs us in the path of producing good fruit, while the flesh will produce bad fruit; fruit is the offspring of our actions, be it currently noticed, or something that lives out in generations down the line, our daily actions do matter! As we look at what God has established for His monumental destruction of evil, Jesus Christ is that in every way; for He has not only shown what power He had over sin, as He walked among us, yet remained without sin; but He has also shown that He has the power of death, which was the result of sin from the beginning. Death shall be no more!!! "And he shewed me a pure river of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 22:1-5)

"Monumental Judgement"

"Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of Thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them." (Psalms 21:9) Besides, you really do not want to be on the wrong side of God's judgement!!! I can't stress enough the importance of receiving God's free gift of mercy and grace! As bad as all of our sins might be, the one sin that will judge us all, is whether or not we rejected His Son and the death that He suffered for us. That will be the final answer to the price of sin; if you have received Jesus, you are set free from that price; if you have rejected Him, then it's time to bake! Some might say, Why can a God that is all about love be so judgemental? Oh my goodness; How can a God who loves us so much be so rejected? It is not a matter of Him wanting to judge us, because He has made a way that we shall not be judged; but if we reject His free offer of salvation from sin, then how is that His fault? His primary reason for the creation of Hell was for Satan and his demons, we do not have to go there, nor does our loving Father want us to! His desire is that each and everyone of us be saved! "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) And the sad thing is, we all can be, but many will reject His free offer because they love their sins more than what might or might not be waiting ahead. Jesus shared about this with the story of the "Rich man and Lazarus", which by the way, was not a parable; and in this story, the rich man begged Abraham that he send Lazarus back to his father's house, so that he might testify to his five brothers, least they too end up in the fiery pit that he found himself in. But Abraham gave an answer, to which, it might seem very brief and open ended, but it is that which is the truth of what sin does to our hearts, and how the darkness of sin will blind us from seeing the wonder of God's love, even if someone were raised from the dead; which by the way, Jesus was!!! (Luke 16:19-31) It really is not a question of why can God judge so harshly? or why would He allow anyone to burn in Hell? But rather; why would anyone take that chance and not receive His gift of eternal life? Honestly, I cannot explain it, but to say, the pleasures of this world are more real to them than the life that is to come, therefore they live for today and let tomorrow be what it shall be... "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it , from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)

"Monumental Victory"

"Thine hand shall find out all Thine enemies: Thy right hand shall find out those that hate Thee." (Psalms 21:8) Hate is a pretty harsh word to use against anyone, for it is the opposite of love; love unites and hate separates. Jesus speaking to a great multitude of people, turned and said, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple". (Luke 14:26) To truly understand what Jesus meant by this statement, we must realize first and foremost that Jesus was not speaking about hating them which we should be loving, because love is always to take first priority in our hearts for one another. The general meaning is to separate this life from that which is to come, and to categorize that which is most important; primarily, that we should love Jesus Christ more than any living creature, including ourselves; which makes the proper priority something that binds us to the Lord, regardless of circumstance or loss of life. When it comes to God providing victory to those that are His children, He provides to us His Spirit, which He has given to assist us in discerning what we should and should not be doing; provided that we are yielding to what the Spirit says! That same categorizing that Jesus was speaking about when it comes to separating our love for Him from everything else, must be strictly applied when it comes to yielding to the voice of the Holy Spirit, especially when we hear Him speak but we want to do something opposite. Within the verse that we are dealing with today, we have two different 'hands' that are being spoken of; the first hand spoken of is that which is monumental and displays great power and strength, while the second, the right hand, is one that speaks of direction and shows that which is worthy or significant. Both of these while speaking of the 'hand' of God refer to God's Spirit working and doing a work; something which we that are believers in Jesus Christ should be very familiar with, as we experience the Holy Spirit working in us each and every day. However, if we find ourselves in a place where we do not hear God's Spirit speaking to us, or directing us, or assuring us, then we may have offended Him by something we have done or not done based upon His voice. This is where the first 'hand' comes into the picture, because that first 'hand' of God is monumental! Oh, yes! He is Monumental in every way! Say, Lord, have I offended Thee; please forgive me! And then yield yourself to His voice; and watch Him do the work of His right hand...

"A Mustard Seed of Faith"

"For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved." (Psalms 21:7) Another great aspect to the victory that we have in Jesus Christ, is that He has given us assurance that we have everlasting life in Him, and that no matter what happens to us in this life, as long as we have our trust in Him, we shall be under His mighty protection. If you are familiar with the parables of "the mustard seed", then you should know that the significance of each of the five references is that the mustard seed is a very tiny seed, yet it grows into a plant to such size, that even birds can take rest upon it's branches. The significant thing that we need to understand about that seed, is that it represents our faith in Jesus Christ; as small as our faith might be, in Christ all things are possible through faith in Him. I know, that might not make as much sense as I wanted it to make; but our faith is but a mustard seed compared to what it becomes when we trust in the LORD; for it is all about Jesus Christ, not about us and our abilities, and the sooner we can understand that, the quicker we begin to see Him work miracles in and through our lives. But what is it that makes us be a person of little faith? Simply put; we are focused upon our selves, and not upon the magnificence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Jesus said, "Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If you had the faith of a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to a yonder place; and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you". (Matthew 17:20) This He said as His disciples had tried to cast a demon out of a boy, and could not, and they asked Jesus why they could not. Faith is a very special thing, and it involves the belief in something; whatever you put your faith into is the measure of your belief. In other words; if your faith is in this place we call earth, and that is what you place your trust in as your god; then the measure of your faith is really not all that substantial, and has issues of stability. But if your faith is in Jesus Christ, then the measure of your belief is unlimited, because He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End; the actual Creator of this thing that we call earth, and the heavens also; so there is no limit to the belief that we have in Jesus, because there is no limit to what He can do, or what can be done through Him. Our biggest problem as believers in Christ, is that we make everything based upon ourselves; as if to say, I am not worthy to be used in this manner or in that manner, because I am so inadequate and unfaithful. It is not about us! It is about the power and the majesty of Jesus Christ, and what He can do! God's great mercy has enabled us to walk in victory, and to not depend upon our own righteousness for being counted worthy; we are counted worthy because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and He alone has made us worthy to call upon His name and to put our faith in Him...He does not fail...EVER!

"Abundance of Blessings" -2

"For Thou hast made him most blessed for ever: Thou hast made him exceeding glad with Thy countenance." (Psalms 21:6) Given that this is a day that we here in America celebrate Thanksgiving, I thought I would continue this point on our abundance of blessings that we have been given; something that I think we all can forget about every once and awhile, especially when we are dealing with loosing stuff that God has blessed us with. First of all; God is the Giver of all good gifts! I truly believe that with all my heart! He does not give us anything bad or anything to harm us in any way; everything that He gives to us, He gives that we will be blessed and brought into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. But, what about this bad stuff; how can anyone think that it is good? Most of you should know how I feel about stuff like this by now; it is not these temporary pleasures that we should be focused upon; nor is it all about being given the things that satisfy the flesh. It is about a relationship with the God who loves us more than we can even love ourselves: more than we can ever imagine being loved, He has, does, and will always love us; even though we are sometimes rejecting His great love in the actions that we do, He will continue to love us beyond any action or thought that might come into our ignorant minds. If all were stripped away, would you still feel loved? Should you even think about such a question? What if I told you that you should, and you must! How can you know what it is that you are truly thankful for, if you do not think what it would be like to be without? So very often, we seriously take so much for granted; not ever thinking about what a blessing that it is to be blessed with a family, a wife, a child, a really good friend; these are all things that matter most in this life, yet, how often do we forsake such as these for material riches or other selfish ambitions. The most important thing in our eternal life is our relationship with Jesus Christ, and our love for God; but our relationship with one another is our most important thing to this life. The biggest problem that we have in the loss of someone that we love is regrets; the things that we wish we had done, or those things we wish we never did; all of which tear upon our heart as memories of what could have been, or what should have been. This is why I think we should think about it very hard; it should be something that we experience within our heart, before we actually really do, and before it actually happens; otherwise, we truly cannot appreciate what it is that we have been given, until it is gone...BE THANKFUL FOR THEM NOW!!!

"Abundance of Blessings"

"For Thou hast made him most blessed for ever: Thou hast made him exceeding glad with Thy countenance." (Psalms 21:6) I have never had a father who was on his deathbed lay hands on me and give me a blessing, but as reading the definition of the word 'blessed' in the verse above, that is the vision that I saw being portrayed. That might not seem like something of great importance to some, but in certain cultures of the world, it is one of the most important things that a man can receive of his father. Picture what is happening when a father prays a blessing upon his son before he is about to die; it is the essence of all that a man could ever inspire to be, being spoken forth by one who hopes only the best for your life, and who shall no longer be there to judge your performance in carrying out what has been spoken for you. If you know what I am talking about, then you can relate to the feeling of freedom that can be produced by such an action occurring to one's life. I can only imagine such a feeling from this earthly point of view; but, I can relate such a feeling to another point of view; one in which we are all given blessings that are eternal, and are not at all supported by earthly wealth or prosperity. It really does not matter what position that you have in this world, because your position in heaven is based upon your relationship with Jesus Christ. What that means in the way we view each other's ministries or the way we see each other being blessed by God, is that the outer appearance of what is happening is not always the true picture of what is happening in a man's heart. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is based upon what is happening within our heart, not upon the actions that we put forth in ministry, or in acting out certain works of serving God; because many there are that shall say, "Did we not do this or that in Your name?" and Jesus will say, "Depart from Me, for I do not know you". This is something again that must be experienced to begin to understand what I am talking about, because before you can understand what it is like to have that relationship, you must have the relationship. Just like, before you can really understand what it feels like to receive your father's final blessing, you must experience that act of being blessed. We are blessed far above and beyond that which we have ever dreamed of being blessed in this world, but it is a blessing that is not based upon those actions by which we live, but upon the relationship that we have been given; the relationship will determine the actions, not the other way around; which is the second part of this verse, and why that we cannot know the real countenance of God without having a real relationship with Him...

"Abundance of Riches"

"His glory is great in Thy salvation: honour and majesty hast Thou laid upon him." (Psalms 21:5) No I do not always stick to the standard way of interpreting the Scriptures, and I have never claimed to be someone who is well instructed in Bible teaching or in expounding upon the meaning of the texts; but that does not stop me from sharing what the Lord puts upon my heart to share! The first thing that we must realize about this verse, is that it can be used to the glory of David, of those that are a child of the King, and of the King Jesus Himself. The key word of this passage of Scripture is the word "salvation", for it is a word that means more than just to be saved, but it also means deliverance, prosperity, safety, welfare, help, and victory. Seeing that this Psalm is themed "Praise for Victory", I thought that looking at what victory looks like in the context of this verse would be in order. For king David, the glory that was great in God's victory, has the combination of many different levels; the most profound level is that of being blessed beyond measure by God's establishment of his house for ever and ever. As we previously saw, this was God's desire for David, therefore, it was something that had not only been established by God, but it was something that would not fail. Now, I know that we may not consider ourselves as saints; Lord knows, I fall short every day of being saintly material; but God has established this for us, as His children, we are all saints! Looking up that which is called 'saints' in the New Testament writings, there is not many different meanings of that word listed in that section of the Bible. The primary meaning of that word, which is the Greek word 'hagios', is that of being holy: "most holy thing" to be exact. Now then; if you stand back and take a really good look at your every day life, would you say that you match that description? Most likely not. But that is the greatness of the victory we have been given in Jesus Christ; because our condition of being holy is not based upon our righteousness, but is based on the righteousness of Jesus; therefore, our saintly position of being that which is a most holy thing is not something that we have placed upon ourselves, neither is it something that we can proclaim for ourselves; but it is only possible to be placed in that position when we are children of the King: King Jesus, that is; for as a child of the King, we have been given every honour that is bestowed upon the King, and we are placed into a role of holiness by inheritance into His kingdom; there is absolutely no other way to become a true saint. As for Jesus, He alone is worthy of all honour and praise; having purchased us with His blood, He not only paid the price for our sins, but has purchased the earth and all that is in it, even those that will not fall under His mighty saving grace, He has purchased, that in the time appointed, every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess, that Jesus Christ is LORD...   

"Death's Forbearance Too"

"He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever." (Psalms 21:4) When God had planned to redeem mankind unto Himself, do you think that He forgot any little detail of something that was going to cost Him so much? I am sure that had figured into His majestic plan the mocking, the suffering, the total humiliation that Jesus would have to endure, all for that which was done to redeem us from the curse of sin and to give us everlasting life with Him. It had to be so; every little detail of suffering that Jesus had to endure; every strip upon His body; every bruise upon His flesh; all the holes in His hands, feet and side, were all counted upon as the sign of His suffering, and the price to be paid for every sort of transgression that might be known unto man. Don't ever think that your sin is too much for His blood to wash away, because there is no sin known unto man that Jesus did not suffer and die for; none that He has not already forgiven us for having committed, or for having caused Him to be crucified for; because what Jesus did, He did willingly, and with great love for every sinner that He should suffer for. And, as for something that I mentioned yesterday, that eternal life begins with death; well, I may need to rephrase that by saying, Eternal life begins as soon as we accept Jesus Christ into our heart! And in that frame of mind, there really is no sting of death, because eternal life has already begun in me; therefore, it makes this life here that much more enduring, because it is actually a part of my eternal existence in Christ. This life that we have here is meant to be abundant life in Christ Jesus, not just because of that which we look forward to have in heaven, but also because what we have been blessed to be, do, or have in this life also. Although this tent in which I currently move around in will soon perish, I will continue to live: that is the promise of everlasting life. There is no sting of death, because Jesus took that sting upon Himself, with each and every strip and bruise and hole that was caused upon His flesh, He suffered that we would not endure death's sting any longer. Do you understand what I am talking about? John 3:16 is the verse most quoted by many, and yet, the meaning of "shall not perish" gets glanced over between the "love" and the "everlasting life". That "shall not perish" means that our abundant life in Christ begins now...

"Death's Forbearance"

"He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever." (Psalms 21:4) There is hardly any doubt that David is sure of his salvation in the Lord; as a matter of fact, I believe that he was as sure, if not more so, that he had been given eternal life, than when he had known God would deliver that giant into his hand many years prior. What do you think about death? or have you even given it much thought? As far as I am concerned, death is just the beginning of everlasting life; whenever that might begin, it really does not matter, because we will never know the difference; it will be lights out, then the Light will come on, plain and simple! Don't ask me how this will come about, because it is really not for us to know every little detail of God's existence; but this much I do know, if Jesus said we will have eternal life, then I will take Him at His word; after all, He did conquer death and ascended up into heaven, so I figure that He pretty much knows what He is talking about. But I still like to speculate how it will come about, and I have also given it much thought, especially the part about being immediately in the presence of the Lord, even though the Scriptures are fairly clear that we shall all rise together. I really don't think that my mom is already up in heaven and waiting for me to join her; although she does not know this to be so; but in God's kingdom, everything is eternal, which means that when we die, we go from this life of time related matter, and into the glorious life where time no longer matters! It's that whole thing with time that really trips everyone up on the moment we shall be in the presence of the Lord; because as far as my mother is concerned, she is there right now, but as far as she is concerned, so am I; kinda freaky, isn't it? That which Jesus said about "the first shall be last, and the last shall be first", just might have been speaking about how there is no time related sequence of events in God's kingdom of life eternal; and the only thing that truly sets the clock is the death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ Jesus. Prior to that, all who died had to wait; some being comforted, and some being tormented; but everyone had to wait for Jesus to show up, minister onto them about His victory on the cross, bid then a short farewell as He stepped back into life, and then ascend into heaven, where those that were saved soon followed... But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as other which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)

"Ornaments of His Grace" -2

"For Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head." (Psalms 21:3) Besides being His ornaments of His grace, created for Him to show forth all His mighty and wondrous works, what we receive as crowns in heaven are also His ornaments also. Have you ever wondered why we would be casting our crowns at the feet of our God? We will be so blown away by what He has done, and by how Holy and Glorious that He is, that our only response will be to cast those crowns down, for He alone is worthy of all praise and honour and glory! Besides that, He is the one from whom those crowns have came; for without the crown of thorns being worn by Him, we may have not received any crowns to begin with, because it was a sign of His glorious grace; He having bore our shame, as not only slain for our sins, but placed upon His head was the representation of that curse which had caused man's head to hang low in despair and agony; one more article that sin had brought into the world was that of being ashamed. The first thing which was realized by Adam and Eve, was that of their nakedness, and how ashamed that they felt to be exposed and uncovered. A crown is something that displays authority and royalty, which is almost the opposite of shame and nakedness. Any authority that we have to display a crown upon our heads is only possible because Jesus Christ has given us the privilege of serving Him, and the right to stand upright, and free from the shame and nakedness of sin, before the Father in heaven. Proverbs 12:4 says, "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness to his bones." I believe that this speaks more than just the relationship of that of a man and a woman; but that it speaks also of the relationship between us and our Lord Jesus Christ. This word for "crown" that is used in this Proverb is also the same word that is used in Psalms 21:3, and it means that of an ornament of dignity to anyone who wears it. As with the point of a virtuous woman, she is one who gives honor and praise towards her husband, much as a man of valor would give for the army to which he is attached and to the country for which that army does stand; so are we in our relationship with our Lord and King, as His glorious bride, we are the crown unto Him..."In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In Whom ye also ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:11-14)

"Ornaments of His Grace"

"For Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head." (Psalms 21:3)  If you truly want to see God's greatest gift to man, then we have to look no further than ourselves to see the greatness of His power and glory! Do not misunderstand me, and think that I am talking about in greatness within our self, because we are far from anything like that. But God; He is that which has ordained us to be His ornaments of His grace; to which, He has given everyone that has received His free gift the greatest gift of all, which that we would be pure and spotless ornaments in His presence for ever and ever; not just in His presence, but His, made for His glory, and as jewels that are placed before Him to display the majesty of His wonder working grace. Yea, I know; sometimes I can get so woven up into a particular message, that I tend to end up beating a dead horse; but this is a little different twist to the regular repeated over and over again message about beauty from ashes. The Lord has really spoken a special message into my heart about this "crown of pure gold" that David is speaking about; and oddly enough, it has something to do with the crown of thorns that was placed upon the head of Jesus when He was crucified upon that cross. I know that I have touched upon this before, but this time I feel that I have been touched to share this from a different light; some how, some way, I wish to show something that God has put upon my heart, which is something that encompasses that curse given to Adam, the crown of thorns which was placed upon the head of Jesus, and the crown of pure gold that now sets upon His head! We know the curse, and how God told Adam thorns and thistles would come up from his labor of toiling the ground, and how that labor would be not only a fierce and endless struggle all of his days, but that it would that which he must live to do, until he eventually returned to that same ground that he toiled (Genesis 3:17-19). That crown of thorns that was placed upon the head of Jesus Christ represented Him as the King of the Jews; which was the intent of those soldiers witch placed that crown there, in an attempt to mock Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" (John 19:1-5). However, that crown of thorns also represented that curse which was placed upon Adam, and subsequently was placed upon all of mankind; which not only involved that which must be toiled to maintain this life, but also that which must have been toiled to have eternal life; and how, no matter how hard we were to toil or work to achieve eternal life, thorns and thistles would be the result of that toiling. But God, having such great love for His people, provided a way that the toil would be no more! Jesus Christ took away all the sin, and in so doing, He took away all reason for us to toil for eternal life; that labor of righteousness which yielding nothing but thorns and thistles, because of the sin in us, was removed! And, do you know what else? That toiling and living to maintain a life here upon this earth has also been lifted, because this earth is no longer a final resting place for our soul; and that ground which once cursed us, produced the thorns that were placed upon the head of Jesus Christ; which He had worn in display of victory over that curse, for ever more. And that crown of thorns which Jesus bore, was replaced with a new crown, and who do you think is represented by that crown He now wares? "Hail, King of the Jews!!!" (Don't forget, we are grafted in!!!)

"Woven Into His Grace" -2

"For Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head." (Psalms 21:3) I know that there are some among us that seriously doubt whether God bought them through everything that they have been through for a specific purpose; Lord knows, I have had those days where I fail to see the logic in some of that garbage being anywhere close to something that can be used for His glory; but, if anything else, I have come to understand the saving power of God's forgiveness, because if I needed to be judged for some of that stuff, I think that I would be in a whole lot of trouble. The shame alone is sometimes more than I can bare to think about; yet, as I give everything over to the Lord, He comforts me and confirms that all is forgiven. That is the beauty of God's great grace and mercy; for our sin should have yielded us a great punishment and damnation for all eternity; yet His mercy has met us with blessings of goodness that far exceed just forgiveness, but lift us up and place us in heavenly places with Him. This is one of the most precious things that Paul felt within his own life, as for he himself had been guilty of great crimes against the church; yet, he experience great grace and mercy from being forgiven and set upon a path that yielded power and deliverance for kingdom of God; so much so, that the majority of the New Testament writings are inscribed by him, because he had received such a great gift of forgiveness. Do I believe that Paul still felt shame for his crimes against the church? Yes I do; even though Paul had been forgiven and cleansed of all his unrighteousness, he still felt remorse for having done what he had done, and he used that remorse to keep reminding himself of God's great forgiveness! David too was one that dealt with great remorse, especially when it came to the sin he committed with Bathsheba, and having had her husband killed on the battlefield to help cover his sin. I believe his remorse was portrayed in the appointment of Solomon to take his throne, being that Solomon was a child born of Bathsheba. If you really think about it, some of the ugliest sin pictured in the Bible, and some of the most unwarranted characters, have been woven into the family record of Jesus Christ. Then again; that is all the more reason that grace takes us where we never deserved to be taken... "And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:1-10)

"Woven Into His Grace"

"For Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head." (Psalms 21:3) I was praying for a title that would define what the Lord was speaking into my heart about this verse, and I knew that it had to begin with the word 'woven', for that is how I envisioned myself that one morning, as I saw myself woven into the train of that bridal gown. Beyond that brief vision of what I believe was the bride of Christ, or least the train of the gown of His bride, there is the more important fact of how He has prepared a destiny for each and everyone of His children. Those of us that have come under the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, all have been given something that was already set before us, and has been woven into His glorious plan since the foundation of the world was placed into existence. I know that it is hard to figure out how everything comes together, but for God, it is His tapestry that has been painted, so until we are seated with Him in glory, we only get to view it from the canvas. The word "preventest" that is used in the original King James is replaced with "meet" in the New King James version. The original Hebrew word that is used in the writings, is the word 'qadam', and as it does have the word 'meet' listed within the list of possible Bible meanings, it definitely goes far beyond that of just being met by God, but goes also to that of being led. I think of Abraham, who although he was willing to sacrifice his son, because God had instructed him to do so, he was also assured in his heart that God would either provide a substitute sacrifice, or that God would raise his son from the dead; this he believed in his heart because God had promised him that through his son a nation would be born, and a nation cannot come forth from a child that is dead. But in that illustration of what God instructed Abraham to do, what God did in place of the child, and what God had already intended to do for us, we have a slight example of what this word 'qadam' actually means. It speaks about a God who not only meets us with the blessing of goodness, but goes before us preparing the way for us to receive them; all the while, knowing beforehand every little step that we will take to get there, He anticipates what our desires will be, and pours out blessings that are far more than we deserve or even considered for ourselves... "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundations of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved: in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him." (Ephesians 1:3-10)

"A Longing Satisfied" -2

"Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah." (Psalms 21:2) If you did read David's prayer as if it were something that you were writing upon your own heart, then there was something that should have struck a cord in your inner man; something that speaks to the most sought after treasure known to man! I almost feel as though I should not try and explain what I am talking about, because there are some things that need to be discovered for one's self. When it comes to searching for a home, our soul does search also for that place where it shall abide for eternity; not quite like you or I would go out hunting for a new place to live, but more like the way you long to find a place that brings peace; like the peace you might have experienced for a short while as a child, living in your parent's home, prior to learning how difficult it was to live in this world. David's prayer of praise to God had one continuous theme that he kept foremost in his mind: that God has established this, not based upon David's qualifications, but upon God's great desire for His people. I hope that you understand what it is that I am trying to say; because the greatest gift that God has given unto us, is that of His desire that we should be reconciled unto Him. Just as when Jesus had His last supper with His disciples, and as He declared His great desire for coming to this point in His life; to the point of declaring the New Covenant between God and His people; a covenant that established Reconciliation to God! What that means for a soul that longed for a home, is a place where there is no more longing; a permanent dwelling place for all eternity, and in the presence of the God who gives us life. There is no greater treasure than this which God has given; and it is His desire to give it unto us, not that of our own, but His! What that actually means, is beyond my capacity to explain; except to say, If God has desired it, then there is nothing that can prevent it from happening, because He is God!!! Now, as we think upon the desire that Jesus was speaking of when He broke the bread, saying, "Take and eat, for this is my body that is broken for you", and as He took the cup, saying, "This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many"; it was His desire to reconcile us unto Himself and unto the Father, forever and ever to be with Him in His Father's house... "Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God." (Mark 14:25)

"A Longing Satisfied"

"Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah." (Psalms 21:2) If you have ever had a longing satisfied by the Lord, then you might be able to relate to the expression of this that David is trying to put forth. When we are speaking about "heart's desire", it is something that is longed for with a great deal of soul searching and anguish, such as would be the case when David prayed and fasted for God to spare the life of that child that was conceived in adultery with Bathsheba; of course, that was not what happen, but his desire was that God would save it. I am sure that there were many things in David's life that could be considered as desires in his heart, but one in particular was that his kingship should stand for something. Of all the things that God had spoken into David's heart, that which was most well received was that upon David's throne would God establish His kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:8-16); and as we see David's reply, just as Abraham had believed, so too David had believed the LORD his God would do that which He had promised. And then there came many trials and temptations; all of which had taken David to the point of great despair and even doubt as to whether God would still fulfill His promise through him; yet, David had something special in his heart, something called a relationship with his Heavenly Father! What a difference there is between our earthly father and our Heavenly Father! If we were to base our relationship with God upon that which we know of our earthly father, then we fall greatly short in the area of trust; there is no comparison to the two, nor should we ever try and think that there is. David believed that God would do what He said that He would, despite David's sins and even his doubt; because God said that He would, therefore, if God said it, then He will do it! But, to understand David's heart in this matter, we should listen to his own words, and write them upon our own hearts: "Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou has brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in Thy sight, O Lord God; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto Thee? for Thou, Lord God, knowest Thy servant. For Thy word's sake, and according to Thine own heart, hast Thou done all these great things, to make Thy servant know them. Wherefore Thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like unto Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like Thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name, and to do for You great things and terrible, for Thy land, before Thy people, which Thou redeemest to Thee from Egypt, from the nations and their god's? For Thou hast confirmed to Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people unto Thee forever: and Thou, Lord, art become their God. And now, Lord God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it, forever, and do as Thou hast said. And let Thy name be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee. For Thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house: therefore hath Thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee. And now, O Lord God, Thou art God, and Thy words be true, and Thou hast promised this goodness unto Thy servant: therefore now let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue forever before Thee: for Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with Thy blessings let the house of Thy servant be blessed forever." (2 Samuel 7:18-29)

"Beyond Being Able" -3

"The King shall joy in Thy strength, O LORD; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall He rejoice!" (Psalms 21:1) Forgive my liberty to change the letters that represent the king and he, but the Lord really spoke to my heart about how much many of these verses are representative of Jesus Christ, the KING OF KINGS. If we really want to see how we should mirror our Lord, then the trust that He had in the Father's plan is by far the greatest example of trusting God. As we shall see in the upcoming verses, things are not always what they appear to be; such was the case of Jesus being led to the cross, and then dying there as a symbol of shame and humility, for the common knowledge based upon Scripture was that every man that hung upon a tree was cursed (Galatians 3:13). This is something that shows the absolute power of God in turning that which is the Cursed into that which is the Blessed! For Jesus became a curse for us that were cursed already and were condemned to face an eternity of darkness and separation from God; He became the substitute for us, as one who was cursed, He was condemned by our sins, and in that final moment He faced the darkness and separation from the Father, as He took upon Himself all the sins of the world. What greater example could we ever have of the strength of God in bringing about His perfect plan? None that I can think of. Yet, Jesus was glad in His mission to fulfill the will of the Father, because He knew that the Father's ability to complete all that was to be done was 200% of perfect; in other words, there was no doubting in the Father's ability, because God never fails! That brings me to something that I noticed in the final days of the campaign for the Presidency of these United States, and how Ann Romney keep saying that her husband would not fail, because he never fails. This is something that should only be spoken of God, for it is God alone that never fails; we as men are imperfect and have nothing that can compared to the perfect will of God, let alone be considered as someone who cannot fail. However, if you are familiar with the Mormon teachings, then you might understand why Ann would feel this way about her husband. Another thing that I noticed, especially towards the end when Mitt was certain that he would win, is that he never finished his stump speeches with something that was common for everyone else, and that was by simply saying, "God Bless". Anyhow; just something that I observed and thought was interesting material to share with you; because, God alone can never fail, and He alone is to be exalted!!! Now then; if we look at something Jesus said in the Upper Room as He was preparing to partake of His last supper, He said, "With desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:15). The desire that Jesus was speaking of was one of great longing or craving, such as would be attributed to lusting after that which is forbidden; much as is the case in an ungovernable desire, whereby there is a bottled up quench for something that is looked forward to; much as would be the case of a virgin who has saved herself for marriage, yet had long desired for that which she saved herself for. The New Covenant that Jesus was making that night with His disciples, was in fact, the New Covenant that God was making with the world!!! Wow; talk about Beyond Being Able!

"Beyond Being Able" -2

"The king shall joy in Thy strength, O LORD; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!" (Psalms 21:1) We must be abundantly clear about something, which is that this world will never mirror the church; and more importantly, the church should never mirror this world! The church is to mirror Jesus Christ! We are to be the likeness of Christ unto this world that is broken, sick, and dying; as ambassadors of His love to a thirsty world that has no water, we bring to them the Living Water from a kingdom that is afar off, yet it is to be alive in us. Do you know someone who has given in to the pressure of defeat? Someone who has taken on the attitude of "if you can't beat them, join them"? Sadly, I think there are some who have given in long ago, they are just now realizing that they have, and they are making it known to others. As a true believer in Jesus Christ and the finished work that He did upon the cross, we should never feel defeated by the sin that abounds upon this world; for we know that the sin of this world is what He died for, and He Himself said it would get more and more sinful in the last days; therefore, the finished work has not been undone because sin has remained or gained in strength, but rather is drawing closer and closer to the day when what was finished shall be revealed! There are several ways that we can view this verse which David starts off as a praise for victory; because it can be attached to him as the king of God's people, as one who knows the strength of the Lord upon the battlefield of both the physical and the spiritual areas of his life; but it can also be attributed to us, as those who are soldiers in the army of the Lord, as we proclaim His mighty strength and salvation to a world that is seriously in need of being saved. What makes it difficult to convince those that are lost, is that we are like the soldiers from a foreign land, who have come to proclaim that these that are lost need saving; yet, they refuse to believe that they are lost, but rather that we are lost in their land, and are disturbing their freedom to do as they wish. They neither wish to be saved, nor think that they are in need of a Saviour; but rather will push us out as something that makes them feel uncomfortable, and thereby threatens the happiness they enjoy in their sins. But, be of good courage; never doubting the message that Jesus has given for us to proclaim; because they rejected Him, so also, they will reject us; that is if we truly do mirror Jesus Christ... "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:12 & 13) 

"Beyond Being Able"

[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] "The king shall joy in Thy strength, O LORD; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!" (Psalms 21:1) Whereas the previous Psalm was one that was constructed as a prayer, and was meant to be prayed in earnest for the king's victory; this Psalm is set as a prayer of praise, as in giving praise unto God for what He is going to do, what He is doing now, and for what He has already done! I am troubled deeply by the number of people who say that they are believers in Jesus Christ, yet give the victory of Tuesday's vote onto the enemy, as if the devil, as a roaring lion is tearing apart every fabric of what is left of moral character in this nation. We should know already how it is going to end; and that in the end, the devil and all those who follow him will be cast forever into the Lake of Fire; yet sadly, either we do not believe that this is so, or we do not associate that which shall be with that which is happening; either way, we give more victory to the devil than he deserves. The word in this Psalm that is used for "strength" is the word 'oz', which I have spoken about before in previous postings. It is a word that encompasses power and might in every possible arena that we should need to be concerned about, or that effects our ability to function; be it material or physical, personal or social, or even political; every aspect of this life is subject to the power of God, and He has the power to effect change in every single one! Do we truly understand that and believe that it is so? Hearing the complaints being given of the results of Tuesday's election, I don't know that we have really made this a foundational truth in our life, or the compass for the manner in which we conduct ourselves. God is more than able to change the heart of any man; there is no single person on this earth that He cannot turn from the darkest of all men, and make him into the greatest messenger of deliverance that this world has ever seen; but do we believe this is so? and are we willing to earnestly ask for God's salvation to be poured out upon this earth? Personally, I have my reservations regarding what many in the church what to see happen, and if all of us are comfortable with the thought of change being forced upon our selfish lives; because that is what will happen when revival is spread out upon this earth; our lives of serving self more than others will be tested, and many of us will need to consider hard whom we will serve, and whether or not we are really a child of the King, or if we are indeed a child of the devil... "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more that lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth." (2 Timothy 3:1-7)     

"Praise For Victory"

As you might guess, the title above Psalm 21 in my Bible is the title of this post. And as I was praying about this post this morning, I could not help but think of my life as it right now, and how God has blessed me with something that very few people get an opportunity to know or experience, which is a small taste of what it is like to love without expecting or depending upon a response for that love. This is something that God has done for us, in that He loved us while we were yet sinners; not with a love that is dependant upon our actions or our response to it for it to be given, for He has given that love to us freely and without any sort of requirement on our part, but to receive it and enjoy all of it's benefits. If we do not receive it, does that mean that He does not continue to love? Absolutely not! God loves us because God is Love; it is His nature and desire towards us, to love us because He created us in His image, and because His desire is for us is to be in a perfect relationship with Him. That is why He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins; that we could enter into a perfect relationship with Him, and not be separated from His holiness because of sin, but be brought into His presence unstained by sin, and able to experience His perfect Light and Love. That is such an amazing thing; that no matter what might happen in this world, or in our personal lives, we always have victory for our soul, just within our reach! And all that we need to do, is to reach out and accept His love, and be made free! It's always there; waiting for us to receive it; waiting for us to experience it; waiting for us to enter in and let His love melt away all of our fears and all of our pains. Now, regarding that election which has so many Christians feeling defeated; we have the greatest victory in our corner that the world could ever have, so there really is no reason that we should ever feel defeat by what happens in this world; if anything, we should feel sorry for those that have not yet tasted the victory that we have in Christ, and we should know how much harder it might become for them to accept it. That should make us get down on our knees and pray the more for those that do not know Jesus Christ; to pray for our friends and relatives that are deceived by the popular way of thinking, and have bought into the lie of the devil. My most discouraging thought in all that was brought about by Tuesday's election, is what our public schools will be like; as if they could get much worse! If the parents are not teaching their children and raising them in the way of the Lord, then it is the public schools that are raising them, and they are teaching them to abandon God and those things that moral and right; like what little difference there is, if any, in the same sex relationship, and how they promote that kind of a relationship as special or the way that the individual was meant to become. However; there is something that is more destructive to our children than that; something that has the grip of death upon not only this Nation, but almost every Country on this planet; and it is the practice of taking the life of an unborn child. Life is something that is given by God, and if it is taken, it is meant to be taken by God, not by murder and at the will of any person; especially the mother of an innocent child. I know that there are many people who do not see the importance of what I am saying; but when we cheapen life that is in the womb, even to the point of calling it nothing but tissue or treating it like a tumor that needs to be removed, we have taken something that is a gift of God, and made it nothing more than disposable matter. This is what I fear for our children; that they would look at the beauty of God's wonderful creation; this body, mind and spirit that is created in the image of loving God; and that they would see it as nothing more than disposable matter...

"The Prayer For Victory Too"

Oh Father, we need your Spirit to be poured out upon this world in a mighty way! Father; that Your people who are called by Your name would submit themselves to You and to holiness; that Your Holy Spirit would be able to take control of our lives like never before, and that we would be a people that are the salt and the light to the world. Lord Jesus, we know that You are coming back very soon; help us be ready; help us Lord to convince those with whom we live and work, that today is the day of salvation, and that there is a place in which we shall end up for eternity, and how that You died to grant us a place with You. Holy Spirit, open up our eyes to see the spiritual battle around us, and to pray earnestly for those that are in the fight; give us boldness to share the Truth, and to proclaim Jesus Christ to a world that is lost and does not know the Way. Empower those that You have placed as leaders in Your church, making them stronger in the power of Your Spirit, and giving them victory over everything that hinders them serving You with all of their might; that they might be more than just messengers, but healers and prophets; real shepherds that give of themselves for Your sheep, denying those things that would cause them to be distracted, and prayerfully watching over the flock. Awaken those that sleep, and bring revival in our churches, that the darkness and the light would be more apparent within our lives, and those that do not know You would also be able to see the difference. Bring Your church into a deeper and stronger relationship with You, that Your love would be shared among us, and that Your love would press upon each and every one of our hearts; that the world would know us by our love for one another, and that Your love for them would be more apparent. Bind us together, Oh Lord; make us one in You, as You are One with the Father; that our children would see a united church, and that the world would see a church that is set apart for You. Help us, Dear God, to pray for those whom You have placed over us; give us the words to speak and the heart of a servant, that we can set aside foolish thoughts and wishes, and pray those things that are in line with Your kingdom. Gives us mouths that are sanctified and yielded to Your Spirit, that only those things which edify and build up are spoken from our lips; that we might speak words of encouragement and love, and never speaking out against those whom You have appointed. Make us, Lord God, to pray for those who sit in seats of power; to pray for their salvation, and for their protection; that they might fulfill that which You have appointed them to do; and that everything that they do is in line with Your preordained plan. Lord God; let this start with me; that I will not wait for others to lead the way, but that I would fasten my eyes upon Jesus, and that He and only He should guide my way; that the victory I have in You, would be demonstrated in my life, and that I live out everything that You would have me to experience in these last days. Oh, Mighty God; let Your Kingdom Come; Your Will Be Done; On This Earth, As It Is In Heaven!!! In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, I pray. Amen.

"The Prayer For Victory"

May the Lord our God hear you in this day of decision, and may the name of the God of Jacob defend you; bringing you into a complete relationship with Him, as He pours out help from His holy sanctuary; making it abundantly clear that your help has come from Him. May He remember your many offerings, as you have given of yourself for your fellowman and for country; and may He shine His grace upon you for the sacrifices that you have made, as you strive to live the life of someone who is ruled by God. Oh, may the grace of God be made ever clear in your heart, as you are placed within Divine appointment; and may He grant you according to those things upon your heart; and fulfill all that you seek to make happen, as you are guided by His mighty hand. And that we, the people of this land, will rejoice in your salvation; and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we will set up as our banner, as we continue to pray for your inspiration: may the Lord continually fulfill your petitions. Then we will all know that the Lord our God saves those that He has anointed; as He hears from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His Son Jesus Christ; that you will come face to face with the Redeemer of your soul, and that you will become a new creation in Him. That all the people would know with whom to put their trust; no longer depending on something which shall fade away, but putting their complete trust in God; remembering that it is God who is in control and holds all the answers, we will continue to seek His help. Those that do not put their trust in God shall be brought down and fallen; but we who trust in His holy name will be lifted up and shall stand upright; that there should be a defining presence in this land of what it means to follow after God. Save us, Oh God! Jesus, hear our cries and present them to the Father! And may the man who wins this election be brought into a closer relationship with You, to proclaim Your righteous love, and to guide this country by Your Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen...

"The Actualization"

"Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call." (Psalms 20:9) There are three ways to look at this last verse in relation to all that has been shown within the Psalm, and they all involve something called prayer. We must never underestimate the power that prayer has in bring about victory in our lives! Yes, I do believe that God answers prayer; but more than that, I believe that He hears our prayer when we cry out to Him; His answer may not be the one that we are looking for, or in the moment that we want it to happen; but nonetheless, He answers it because He said that He would! The first way of looking at the verse of this prayer, is to interpret it's meaning to be that of asking God to not only save and bless the king, but that God would make the king a blessing unto them. In other words, that by virtue of the king being bless by God, he would in turn hear the cries of the people, and bless them in kind. The second way we can look at this verse is by ascribing it's meaning to the Messiah, the King of Kings as He is the one who makes intersession for us before the Father. We have a voice in the midst of the Holiness of God, which is Christ Jesus our advocate before the Father; this He has promised to do for us, and He has paid the price to be that voice of justification before the throne of God. And it goes much further the Jesus making intersession for our sin, for He has said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14) And the final way in which we can look at this verse, is that of a summary of the entire Psalm; that which is a prayer for victory in the life of the king, and that the king would realize that he is being prayer for, and know that God not only listens, but that He answers our prayers... Lord, I pray for the upcoming election here in my country. I pray the your will be done in this land, as it is in heaven; and that those you allow to be placed in office will give glory to your name, and that they will cause the hearts of the people to turn to you. May you be glorified, Dear God; and may righteousness and truth shine at the end of the day. In Jesus name. Amen.

"The Comparison" -2

"They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright." (Psalms 20:8) Speaking about comparisons, I have been reminded about something else that needs comparing, which is God compared to all else! Nothing else compares to the majesty, the love, the holiness, the all mighty power of the awesome God that we serve! As I perform inspections in many different homes in my line of work, I get a chance to see many different idols that people place within their homes; or sacred shrines that they have placed incense and pictures of Gurus or strange gods; all of which are dead and have nothing to offer but bondage to that which is worshiped. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in 1 Samuel 5 where the Philistines god Dagon feel face first before the ark of God; and then, after they picked the statue up, they came back the next morning to find it fallen again, but this time it's head and arms were broken. Then, as if that was not sign enough that they needed to return the ark, they were destroyed and smitten with hemorrhoids; and where ever they sent the ark among them, that village or town was also smitten. In this modern culture in which we live, our idols can be more than just statues and shrines; they can be anything that we place between ourselves and God. An idol does not need to be worshiped in order to be an idol; an idol is something that takes the place of God in our heart; something that we rely on for protection or security, or we love more than the love we have for God. Nothing can compare to the love of God, and nothing should be stronger that the love for God in our lives! When we read what the apostle John said in his closing remarks of 1 John, we see something that is a warning to those things that can lead astray from our love for God:  John simply says, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols". At the beginning of 1 John 5 in my Bible I have a title, which simply says, "Victory". There is only one place where we can have victory in our lives, and that is abiding in Jesus Christ. If we are not abiding in Christ, then we are lost and outside the sheepfold; which means that we are a sheep that has gone astray. I am convinced that our trust in God is the gauge of our love for Him; because if we do not trust Him more than any other thing, then we do not love Him the most... "And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:24)

"The Comparison"

"They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright." (Psalms 20:8) Is it any wonder that there needs to be a comparison made between those that put their trust in material things and those that put their trust in God? In this time that we live, many that mock God are those that have made a life dependant upon wealth and material gain, not believing they require any assistance from God, but believing instead that the earth is their god, sufficient to supply all of their needs. As I have said before, this earth is fallen, and all that is within it shall pass away; there is nothing here that is to be held onto for those that have eternal life in Christ, because there is nothing here that will be taken into eternity, but our souls! We do not need to defend God on this, because He is more than able to defend Himself, and so He shall on the day of judgement; but it is we that take a stand for God that are the ones who are defended, whether we might realize it or not, God will always honor that which He has promised in His word. I think of Abraham, who believed God would make him a father of many children, more than the stars of the sky or the sands of the seashore; yet he was not able to see this promise fulfilled in his lifetime. Did that stop him from believing in the promise? In no way did he turn from that which was promised him; but instead, he looked beyond this material world, and looked to a home not made with hands; one fashioned by God in the heavens, eternal and full of glory beyond measure or description. He saw God's message of hope to all nations, as a message of something beyond that of his days, and as something much bigger than anything he could be a part of on this earth; but yet, something that he shared a part in, by his obedience and his trust in God. If we really want to see how God pours out blessings upon those that trust in Him, we need to look beyond that of material things, and instead look upon the relationship that they have with God. They that put their trust in things that are dying, will always be brought down, and they will always need to replenish that which is lost or rotted; but God never needs replenishment, and He is always faithful to supply all of our needs; or better yet, that which we really need; if we just trust in Him... "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations; whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered a child when she was past her age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:8-16)

"The Acknowlegement" -3

"Some trust is chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God."  (Psalms 20:7)  No one or nothing can ever love us like our God loves us!!! So, if we really want to know the power that is not available in chariots, horses, riches, or any other form of idol that man might place between himself and his God, it is the power of His mighty love! First of all, this is a prayer for victory; and as such is the case with every prayer made unto God, it is conditioned upon God's direction and purpose, not our own. If we had the plan and the means to make things happen, then what are we asking God to do? That is the whole point of trusting in the Lord and not leaning upon our own understanding; because the way we understand things is not the same as the way God is thinking or doing things in and around our lives. As soon as we start putting our faith in the things that we see, or the things that we think that we see happening, we get our lives turned upside down, and we find ourselves being discouraged from the events that have taken place. As we saw in verse one, the "name of the LORD" is something that speaks of reputation, as in fame and glory. God's great love for His people has always been His reputation, and is the whole message that is painted throughout the entire Bible. Even when God is punishing His people for not doing as He wants them to do, He does so because of the great love that He has for them and not because of their disobedience to His word. This is really hard for us to wrap our minds around, because it is something that is so foreign to the way our hearts and minds relate to others, especially those that we love. If we have any kind of victory, and yet we fail to acknowledge the lover of our soul, then we have not had any victory at all, and we are worse off then when we started! It is His love that God wants us to grab onto; the thing that makes us feel secure in Him is not the great power that He has over us, or the mighty judgement that will judge all the earth by, but it is His amazing love for us; a love that is not based upon what we do, but upon who He is. That is what He wants us to grab onto and never let go of, because there is nothing more secure than His love... "My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of His correction: for whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." (Proverbs 3:11 & 12)

"The Acknowledgement" -2

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God."  (Psalms 20:7) Dreams are sometimes the strangest things; I wake up some of these nights wondering, What the heck was that??? Last night was no exception, as I dreamt this silly dream about coming home from work to find that all of our most cherished possessions had been taken, the most important one being the Jeep Grand Cherokee that belonged to my wife. She did once own one, and loved it very much; she also once could drive one, but that was over nine years ago. One by one, everything that was taken was explained away, starting with the car; which was taken because there was video surveillance of my wife driving the car while laying back in the driver's seat, and clapping her hands while singing merry songs. As we studied the video, I noticed that her mother was seated behind her, and what appeared to be our niece was in the passenger seat; all of whom were singing and clapping; with the image of our niece darting in and out of frame, as she swayed back and forth in her seat. Now, I am not the greatest at interpreting dreams; the Lord knows how much time I have spent trying, but not to much achievement; I have even went back to sleep many times to try and see how the dreams turn out. But one thing that I felt God might have been showing me, if this dream was from Him, is that nothing that we have been given is permanent, except for our salvation; and everything that we have which is temporary is to be used for His glory or as if it is His to begin with, while at the same time we should using it wisely and lawfully. In other words; what God has given us, time included, are all things that we are accountable for and that we will give an answer for in misusing them; that includes loved ones that God has entrusted to our care. Wow; all of the sudden I feel broken and ashamed; as though I have not loved enough, and have let anger control my emotions way more than I ever should have. You know that David had chariots and horses; most likely there were more than they could count; but it is not a matter of not having them, or even being able to use them for battle and war; but the acknowledgement of from where they came, what they are for, and that the One who provided them is far more strong than they could ever be... "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." (Proverbs 3:1-10)