"Intermission"

I can't begin to tell you how hard I wept yesterday morning; as soon as I hit the last key in the closing line of my blog, I was instantly shaken to my very core. I don't know if it was a collective result of everything that I said, or just those final seven words, but whatever it was, God flashed His great love before my heart in an instant, and it was all that I could do to just hit the 'Publish' key and get off my computer right away. Suddenly, my life flashed before me in an instant, and I quickly saw all those times when I desperately cried out to God in the midst of a storm; I even picture a perfect image of my wife, as she laid there in bed in the other room; all instantly flashing before me in an instant; all things relevant to my need to God's great and mighty deliverance. God does definitely speak through the storms in our lives; more so than we often realize!
It is in those times when we cling closer to our Father's heart, because we are desperate to be held by His loving arms. I pray that you never have to suffer anything of great lose in order to get there, but I also pray that you experience the closeness that it can bring you to the Father's heart if you get to. That is what knowing Jesus is all about!!! That is what Paul was referring to in Galatians 6, and how important the message of the cross is for those of us that believe: the perfect storm! It was the storm of our Lord Jesus Christ, who cried out for deliverance so hard, that His body had blood sweating forth from His pores; when was the last time that you cried out that hard? It is a sign of not only great deliverance, but of great conquest rising up from a fierce and devastating storm; a storm that was so devastating, that the entire earth was shaken, the skies were darkened, and graves were opened up to release their captives. I don't think I can remember ever participating in any storm such as that; not even in my must devastating storm, was my storm passed into all the earth; it primarily just involved me, and was quickly swept away, just as the parting of the clouds. As we prepare to enter into this next Psalm, we need to prepare our hearts as one would prepare his house to be moved into; knowing that our home is built upon a Sure Foundation, we can take great comfort in knowing that even though our home might get destroyed from fire, rain, or any other form of devastation, that our Sure Foundation will always remain...

"Just Believe"

"Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness...The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace." (Psalms 29:1, 2 & 11) It truly does not need to make sense, and most people will believe a lie over the truth because the lie will make more sense than the truth; but when we get to heaven, we will have no questions, just pure amazement of the greatness of our God! When I first got saved I had a sticker in the back window of my truck that said Jesus Is Lord, and it had a rainbow above it; now you don't see those stickers much, because the rainbow has been hijacked for another cause. God did judge the entire world with the Flood, and then He promised never to do it again with the sign of the rainbow when clouds appear in the sky; yet Noah was not a perfect man, but he was a man that listened to the voice of God, and just believed! The entire message from Genesis 1:1 through to the end of Revelation is a message of hope and love, from a God that cannot stand sin; yet, because He knows how broken we are, and unable we are to be righteous, He designed a way to take sin out of the way and to make us holy as He is, that He might have fellowship with us, and we can have fellowship with Him. You can not take anything away from God's word, because His word has all been given for specific meaning and for the complete picture of who He is, what He is, and where He is; making us realize who we are, what we are, and where we need to be! Just when you think you have something all figured out, God peals back another layer of His truth, and your theories are destroyed by pure holiness! Sure, you can attribute Psalms 29 to David writing while watching a thunder storm; but God does speak through the storms...

"Marked"

"The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace." (Psalms 29:11) Do you really want to know the best thing about believing the entire Word of God, and not taking anything away from all that He has spelled out for us to know about Him? Well, I am not going to tell you if you do, because that is something you need to find out for yourself. However, I will say this, that once you have really seen the Gift you can't turn back! I find it a little interesting that the Antichrist will establish a mark for everyone to get on their forehead or hand; a mark that represents the number of his name (Revelation 13:16-18). Counterfeit ruler, that's what the devil is; he creates an order of spiritual smoke and mirrors, and a kingdom that is destined to pass away; yet he continues to get people to buy into his great deceptions. There will be many that will gladly take the mark, wearing it as a badge of honor to the "image of the beast" (Revelation 13:14-15); which will most likely be those that get one on their foreheads, so they can proudly display the mark for everyone to know how much they worship the beast and his image. The "marks" that Paul was speaking of in Galatians 6:17, are the sufferings and trials that he had endured for Christ, and how those sufferings and trials marked him as faithful and approved soldier and servant of the Lord. Those were marks upon his flesh, that flesh which is crucified with Christ, and is destined to pass away. But spiritually, Paul was marked by God; given great peace and strength to get through each and every trial that came upon him. That's the "mark" of God which we proudly display as believers in the One True God; because we know He will never ever forsake us, and His kingdom will remain for ever and ever..."Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen" (Galatians 6:18)  

"The Deluge"

"The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever." (Psalms 29:10) I could have went on with that last verse for several more days, but I decided I needed to move on, since this Psalm might just be about a lightning storm after all. And then again, what we have before us today is something very very interesting, which is a punch in the face of all those that like the theory of evolution. Many people that like to believe in the theory of evolution and that also believe in the Bible, (as if that makes any sense), will try and explain away 'The Flood' as something that just happened in one region of the world, and that it was not a worldwide flood; this they do as to continue to accept the ever-changing longevity of the process needed for life to evolve, while at the same time accept that all certain forms of life were whipped out by 'The Flood'. Now, according to my Bible, Noah's flood submerged the entire earth with water for about an entire year; and even if it might have taken place within a certain region, how possible is it that water could get as high as needed to put the ark on the mountains of Ararat, and yet not flood the entire earth? Genesis 7:19-24 gives a pretty exclusive account of not only how high the waters were, but that "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, and all that was in the dry land died"(verse 22); last I checked, All pretty much means "ALL". And just in case you might overlook that point, God clarifies His statement written through Moses, by saying, "And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and the fowls of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark"(verse 23). So then, what do you say to that! There really needs to be some consistency in what you believe! Either you believe the Bible or you don't; but you cannot take out portions here and there to make the Bible adjustable to what you believe or how you want to believe. Yet, there will always be those that will try and determine which Scriptures are relevant to be taken literally, which are an allegory, and which are not to be taken literally; but be careful that you do not fall into their trap, because God's Word does not change, neither does in adjust to our beliefs; God's Word is for ever. The test is in the word "sitteth", which is speaking of several different things, but all of which are consistent to God's order and His judgement: GOD REMAINS!!! "From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." (Galatians 6:17) 

"Undiscoverable" -2

"The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in His temple doth every one speak of His glory." (Psalms 29:9) It's really not for us to know; but ours is to listen and obey! Do we get that yet? What keeps a man from entering into eternal life? There is only one thing that will prevent any one from entering into the kingdom of God, and that is for them to refuse to receive Jesus Christ as LORD! Don't you know, that there are some who think that they have eternal life within them, but sadly, they do not; and why do you think that might be? Okay, let's get one thing perfectly understood: God is JUST; He is not a God that does not have mercy; as a matter of fact, He goes beyond having mercy on us, by pouring out His grace upon us! That said; because God is a Just God, He offers forgiveness to everyone freely, yet not all receive His generous offer, and some that do receive it, receive it based upon current needs only, and not upon entering into eternal life; they have not even considered the eternal part of their lives, because they are too focused on this present life. Eternal life for the true believer in Jesus Christ starts the day that they make Jesus LORD of their life; that is when Real New Life begins, and the old life ends! Now, as far as knowing anything, it's that part of God being Just that many really do not understand; because God is Just, He will hold us accountable for that which we know: the more you know, the more accountable you are to your understanding of God and what He requires of you. With that very scary thought being said; the more you know about God and what He requires, the more you count upon God for His mercy and His grace!!! We really cannot predict what takes place in the heart of man, or who will take part in the Great Banquet; but this is for sure: that those who have been offered to enter in and refuse, shall surely not be there; and those that do enter in, will have nothing to say but, THANK YOU JESUS!!! "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." (Galatians 6:14-16)

"Undiscoverable"

"The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in His temple doth every one speak of His glory." (Psalms 29:9) Having given this verse much thought, and then wondering how it is that God has established those that are His and those that are not, I have determined that there are just some things that we are not meant to know! Unlike the Calvinists, who think they have figured something out, and those that are going to get saved will be saved, and those that won't, well there's no sense in sharing the gospel to them; God really does not work that way! We are all given the chance to accept God's free gift of salvation, in one way or another; it's not His will that anyone should perish, and He is holding out for as many to come to Him as can come to Him. Besides that, if you really study what John Calvin had written, then you would discover he wasn't at all about shutting the door to those that are going to perish anyway; his message was more about God's perfect plan being played out regardless of man's will; which takes on several multiple levels of configurations of circumstance and endeavors, far more than anyone can figure out, who does not have infinite knowledge; and there is only One that has infinite knowledge, and that would be God! Our job is to continue to spread the gospel message to everyone, not trying to determine who is worthy of the message, but to believe that all can receive it, and that all can come to the life saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. If you take all the prophecies of Jesus Christ, and try to figure how they were brought about, the complexity of bringing everything into it's perfect order and perfect existence is mind boggling; and the chances of all 700 plus things all happening out of chance are indescribably impossible. But God, does not have impossible within His vocabulary!!! With God, anything is possible, and everyone can be saved who will be saved..."And when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So the servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto his servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of My supper." (Luke 14:15-24)

"Prospecting Too"

"The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh." (Psalms 29:8) Then again, free will is free will; and although He desires us to be precious stones, and even helps us in the process, it is still something that we must also have a choice in: God does not force us into loving Him, although, He will allow us to come to a place where we absolutely need to cry out to Him, and He may even participate in process of us getting to that point; but He never will force us to love Him! Precious stones do not make themselves, they must be mined and refined; but a flawless gem is one that allows for all that is not part of the quality of flawlessness to be chipped away; otherwise, the refining of that gem is hindered, and the cuts are not perfectly produced. In other words, we must want God to change us!!! He will find us, pull us up out of the pit of the earth, and reveal Himself to us, by showing us how much we need Him and how much He loves us; but, it is still up to us to allow Him to freely refine our lives. Yes LORD, take that out of my life also! Make me love others more and more! Help me to forgive others, as you have forgiven me! May I be like you Jesus!!! What it is that I am trying to say, is that we are participants in the prospecting process! By allowing God to conform us into His image, we become more and more like He is, and we love Him more and more in the process! The more we love God, the less flawed we are, and the more we shine and sparkle! "Kadesh" is something interesting to speak of, because it represents several different things all at once. It represents 'Holy' for one, as in the potential to be holy; but more than that, it represents a place to the extreme south of Judah. As I said before, not everything needs to make sense; however, God will never leave us in the dark! But what He will do, is to show us just enough of Himself, that we will have a desire to know more of Him, and to hear His voice more... "All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware  unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest  keep His commandments, or no. And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." (Deuteronomy 8:1-3)  

"Prospecting"

"The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh." (Psalms 29:8) Some might think this odd, but God already knows who are His people and what their potentials are; therefore, the manner of prospecting is not for exploration, but rather for expectations. What are your expectations of God? Not everyone knows what they are expected to do by God, but we all have our own ministry that we are expected to fulfill; something that God has specifically intended for your life, and that is planted deep within your DNA. I know that might sound strange and kind of like psycho-babble, but your code is made by God, and God has made you for a specific purpose and for His specific pleasure! The thing that is unfortunate, is that most of us never reach our full potential, and many of us never even get revealed for what that potential might be; like diamonds in the rough waiting to be mined and refined, and laying in wait for something to unearth them, but never quite getting discovered. This is not God's fault; He is not the one who has buried us beneath all the earthen sand or stone; but rather, it's all the earthly stuff that we have placed around ourselves; that's what has hidden the jewel that is within each and every one of us. Another thing which should be considered, is that we are all born in sin, and included in the curse handed down by our fathers, is the fact that we are born separated from God; although we are all born this way, it is God's intention that we be turned and brought back into a relationship with Him. It's pretty interesting how that works; but it is way too mysterious to try and figure out: how we are all made from God, by God, and for God, yet we are separated from God because of sin; and it is God's will that we be reunited with His Spirit, yet He has still provided for our free will to have a choice. Regardless of that free choice, God will still be persistent, and He will prospect us up from beneath the earth..."And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land." (Zechariah 9:16)  

"Sparking A Change" -2

"The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire." (Psalms 29:7) Okay, so I snuck one in on some of you! Well, believe it or not, but yesterday morning as I was starting my drive to Knott's Berry Farm, I tuned the radio to CSN, and two brothers were talking about what I had just written that morning. That goes back to what I was sharing about verse three, and how "The voice of the LORD is upon the waters"; speaking of how He put forth the same message in several different areas. Now regarding these "flames of fire"; you just need a moment of time away from your splendor, that splendor of worldliness and feeling good about yourself, for God to be able to "divide the flames of fire"; just long enough for you to see your true state, and your total need for God's mercy and grace. Yes, you can associate that with lightning, that fits nicely with how God zaps you in your mid-stride, and awakens you out of your coma of nothingness; but I tend to prefer the whole dead heart being brought to life idea, or the stony heart being made alive, just long enough to detect a need for something that really is life. I was more than serious when I said that we do not have the capability to spark a change within ourselves; and left on our own, we would have no desire for knowing the One True God, but would establish our own gods to satisfy the desires of our hearts. Without the Lord coming to us, individually and personally, and literally snapping us out of our state of unconsciousness, we will not be changed, nor would we even have the opportunity to be changed! You did not get here on your own!!! I can recall my own desire to know God, and how I had practiced religion in many different forms; some considerably orthodox, and some were just flat out wacko; but it was not until I saw the truth that I could completely understand my need for Jesus and why He needed to die for my sins. Before that, it was all about me, and about what I needed to do to express my gratitude or obedience onto a God that I really did not even know! This is why the message of the cross is foolishness to those that perish; why would a God, the God of the universe, the Creator of heaven and earth, step down upon this earth, and let Himself be nailed to a cross; it's hard to imagine that kind of love, yet, He loves us that much..."Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that We do know, and testify that We have seen; and ye receive not Our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:9-15)

"Sparking A Change"

"The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire." (Psalms 29:7) Not everything needs to make sense; as a matter of fact, there are so many things that we just do not understand, some of which we will never actually get to understand until we are with the Lord in heaven, then we will see clearly how everything works! In the meantime, we just keep guessing and throwing out theories, some good, and some are so ridiculous that they somehow end up being accepted as facts. The Bible says, "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Corinthians 3:19), and God will allow man to get lost in his own foolishness, even to the point where a man will be hard set against God (Proverbs 19:3). And in 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul declares, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God". Now, if you can begin to understand how this works, that man can accept something that is utterly ridiculous as the beginning of wisdom, yet cast away the truth as something which is total foolishness, then you can begin to understand how God moves upon the face of this earth. Until God puts knowledge into a man's heart and mind, that man is not going to know the truth; it's really all about who you know, as to where real wisdom comes from; because if you know the Lord, then you have the real beginning of knowledge! There is something very important that we can never forget: God picked you! So, as you ponder your head of knowledge, remember that it was not until He softened your heart to receive Him in, that you could have ever come to the knowledge of Him! Whether or not David is writing about lightning flashing through the sky, and splitting in all different directions, that's beside the point; because the point is, that God is the one that sparks a change in man, we do not get there on our own; nor do we even have the capability to do so! The word that is used for "fire" in the verse above, is a word that can also mean splendor or brightness; while the word for "flames" is also that of glittering steal, as in the head of a spear, or a naked sword. My point is, the further we get wrapped up in our own foolishness, the brighter that foolishness becomes; and it is only when God comes alone and divides the brightness of our foolishness, that we can actually see the darkness that was surrounding us, and can see His True Light..."Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)  

"Making Them Dance"

"He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn." (Psalms 29:6) I tell you what, some mornings, I just don't know what the Lord is wanting me to share; but I start typing anyway, in hopes that He speaks while I am banging away at these keys. It's kind of like that! That's what the Lord is showing me through this verse; like the sporadic things that God will cause a man to do, just by speaking a word that hits a nerve, or challenges a man's footing. If you have ever witnessed a calf being sporadic, they will be walking along in line with the other cows, then all of the sudden start bucking and spinning around like they are being attacked, and then start walking back in line, as if nothing ever happened. That's what I am talking about with regard to "making them dance"; whether it's a happy dance, or one that just causes them to get out of line for a moment, it's something that challenges their footings; to which, they either dig in deeper, or they get uprooted from where they are at. Just as trees which are grown up with winds forcing against them, they naturally grow deeper roots, so as to withstand being pushed over when they become larger. It actually works both ways, whether you are a Christian or a nonbeliever, the winds that push against you will either cause you to dig in deeper, or be toppled over. For the believer, it's really a matter of holding firmer to what you believe, and adjusting to what you have just went through; whether it was a trial, or just a leaning experience that brought you closer to God. Sometimes, even being toppled over is a good thing, if your roots were beginning to dig in where they do not belong; because, if you are God's child, then He will pick you up and plant you somewhere else. But as a nonbeliever, things don't always work out so well for them; because when their footings get challenged, they don't always end up in a good place; as a matter of fact, when they dig their roots deeper, they are sealing their own doom, hardening their hearts even more against the voice of the Lord..."Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laloured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can a man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as fair as light excelleth darkness. The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. Then I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, That this also is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 2:11-15)

"Bringing Them Down"

"The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon." (Psalms 29:5) Notwithstanding, there is no one too big that God cannot take down and make low; that said, there are those that He allows to go to their grave buried in their treasures; although, they seldom actually get to be buried with it, if their family does not take it all away, then the government will. The cedars of Lebanon where known for their deep roots, which are not usually found in the pines, and they were uncommonly tall, without many knots, and not liable to decay. Yes, it's also true that lightning can strike trees and break them; so you could make the point about David writing this during a thunder storm; although, God speaks through the simple minded things also, even something as simple as lightning striking a tall tree! You see, some of the biggest and most powerful men alive, do not believe that they need God, nor do they desire to know that God even exist; as a matter of fact, they go out of their way to find reasons to deny His existence, even at the expense of a large percentage of their wealth. I know the Bible says, "There is nothing new under the sun", (Ecclesiastes 1:9), but really now, we have come quite far over these last hundred years; so far, that they are beginning to grow internal body parts in laboratories, to be used for transplants; now that is something new, don't you think? Never mind all the insane technology that people have within their lives; stuff that twenty years ago was just a dream in the mind of someone waiting to produce it; some of which, was not even thought of, until the previous device was created, like apps for your phones that can detect and register earthquakes, or monitor your heart and blood pressure. These are things that are extremely new, but they are  also things that can quickly be dissolved or taken away; just as snowflakes, which are not only unique in their shapes and patterns, but they are extraordinarily complex in their composure..."The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after." (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11)

"More Than Words" -2

"The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty." (Psalms 29:4) Beside all of that, we should not be so overly concerned about where or what we originated, but we should care more about where it is that we are going to end up! That said; we need to know in our heart of hearts that it was God who created us, and that it is God who gives us life; anyone who does not have this fact settled within his or her own heart, is not fit for the kingdom of God! Seriously, how can someone say that they believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, yet doubt in their heart that it was God who created them? Would you believe that there are some among us that do? I have spoken to some, who while confessing Jesus as their Lord, yet when venturing into a conversation about Creation, they automatically take the side of Evolution; as if the world could not have been created in manner spoken of in the Bible, but was formed and evolved over billions of years. Blame it on the public school system if you want to, but I tend to blame it on the devil; who, being the father of lies, he has blanketed this earth with deceptive teachings that take man's attention off of God. Now, I don't know what kind of church you are attending, but if the church you are going to does not believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and that the whole Bible is to be considered as His instruction for our lives, and the infallible, unchangeable love letter from our God to us, then I would be looking for somewhere else to find fellowship. In these last days, it is very important that you know and follow the truth, because we each are responsible for our own salvation, and none of us will be able to blame our ignorance upon someone else, or some church that we where mislead by; in other words, you had better know the truth, which is the result of having the truth within you! If you are truly His child, then you will hear His voice, and a voice that is not His, you will not listen to; however, if do out of a desire to comfort your own disobedience, accept something other than the truth, then you are accepting a lie, and you are refusing to listen to the Lord's voice, but choosing rather to listen to the voice of the devil. These are not doctrinal differences that I am talking about; this is about whether or not you believe the Bible is the Word of God, and that it is to be treated as such! Which means, just as God does not change, neither does His Word; His Word does not conform to this world; neither does it change with the times! It is more than just His Word, it is His voice, and His voice is His proclamation of Who He Is..."Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build for Me? and where is the place of My rest? For all those things hath Mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My Word." (Isaiah 66:1 & 2)

"More Than Words"

"The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty." (Psalms 29:4) By now, you should have figured out where I am going with this Psalm; and you should know by now, it's pretty much about how God can do anything that God wants to do; even if that involves creating something from nothing, He can do that, if He so chooses! I think we have been subject to the laws of man so long, that we have become accustom to defining everything by it's origin; in other words, if it's something that regenerates rather quickly, then it's a natural process, but if it's been around for ever, then it had some type of cosmic origin, such as a 'Big Bang'. Typically, the hardest thing that man has to try and explain it's origin, is man himself; not just because man is so creative and full of imagination, but because of man's individuality, and how it is that not one person is exactly like another; each and every man and woman has a special code within them that is different than anyone else. Now to some, that might not seem like such a big deal; after all, snowflakes are also unique from one another; however, snowflakes are actually produced by a 'Big Bang', but mankind, we have more of a natural process, where we begin as a seed, and then grow into something full of potential. Personally, I do not prescribe to the "Big Bang Theory", because as far I can interpret how things work, if it was created with a big bang, then it probably is not going to last for very long. Two things are presented in this verse today: that God's voice is powerful, and that His voice is full of majesty; both of which proclaim how His voice is more than mere words; but do we actually realize how much more? When I was a small child, I would read the opening verses of Genesis, and I would with great awe, imagine God speaking things into existence; picturing in my mind how God would speak out with a thundering voice, "Let there be light", and wallah, out of the darkness appeared a glorious light. Then we start trying to figure out the other stuff, like the earth, plants, animals, humans; the light, that is one thing easy enough to understand, because we go around all day flipping on and off light switches, so why shouldn't God be able to flip on a light with His word? Yes, God can do whatever He wants to do, but light means more than just illumination, it also means order, life, and prosperity; in other words, God's light that was produced by His word was His Light..."In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness, He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." (Genesis 1:1-5)  

"When God Speaks"

"The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters." (Psalms 29:3) It is believed by some that David penned this Psalm during a thunder storm, which could be absolutely true; however, God uses the common things of nature to express the way that He operates, and the ways that He reaches us. When God speaks, His voice demands some type of action; in other words, when His word goes out, it does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). Water is an interesting analogy to use for the way that His word goes forth, because water runs in many different directions and takes on many different forms, like ice, snow, mist, steam; even ragging and calm can be ascribed to water's form. As with Isaiah 55:10, where God uses water to describe the way that His word goes forth, it is not just limited to what that water falls upon, because what it falls upon will in effect change, and then that change will continue to give out and provide change in others. In the case of the thunders, as far as I can see, there is an audible property that is transferred from the thunder into the water; just as if the drops of rain captured the voice of the thunder as they passed through the reach of it's sound; causing multitudes of rain drops to drop down to earth, with the same vibrating message of His command. Which is pretty much how God speaks; because many people all over the earth will receive the same message at the same time; confirming, that it is God that is doing the speaking, and watering the earth with His message. Some people may not actually share the message that they receive from the Lord, which is why He sends it out to many people; but they know He has spoken, especially when they hear someone else declare the same message they had received. The other point, and one that is in line with my thoughts from yesterday, is that when it rains, it rains on both the good and the bad at the same time; in other words, God's word is not just intended for the good, but for all the people; some receive it, and some don't; and some, hold unto it and use it for another day..."So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall proper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

"And Pay Attention!"

"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His Name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (Psalms 29:2) Sometimes we need a gentle reminder of what we are and how we were chosen to be His children; and then again, sometimes we need to be put in our place! It's really easy to judge people that do not know the Truth, because we remember how it was with ourselves, when we refused to answer God's call upon our life; but, we should not measure what people are based upon what we were, because each and every one of us are different in one way or another. Oh, we might share several things in common, but ultimately, we all have a different story, but the same ending is in store for those that are His children. One thing that remains the same is Jesus; the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, He is what we must be looking to, especially when it comes to judging others! Instead, we typically look for the faults and the sin in others, letting that be the basis for our approval to invest our love into their lives. Well, first of all, it's not really our love that we should be considering to invest, it's the love of Jesus that they need; which means that we need to let Jesus love them through us, placing ourselves on the sideline and letting Jesus shine through to touch their hearts. I know what your thinking: What does any of this have to do with the verse above? Yes, I can get off track sometimes, and I have been known to spend several days entertaining my thoughts and feelings; but not today! Today I feel that this is something the Lord has given me to share, because so many of His children are being wounded by the ones who are to be mending their wounds, not rubbing salt into them! You might consider the question, "Who is my brother?" and then treat everyone as if they are, and if they currently aren't , then they surely might become one! Notice the wording of the second part of this verse, and see how it says, "in the beauty of holiness", not, "in the beauty of His holiness"; because, as far as we are concerned, every person on this planet is a potential child of God, because God does not determine their inheritance based upon what they currently are, but upon whether or not they accept His Son into their hearts. We were once there where they are; maybe not trapped in the same sin as they are, but we were trapped in sin, all the same. And it was not until we accepted Jesus into our hearts that we could even see the Truth, let alone know what is Truth..."Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abound, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:18-21)

"Listen Up!"

[A Psalm of David]"Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength." (Psalms 29:1) This is very interesting, and a little hard to elaborate in just a few words, but the word "mighty" above in the verse is the word 'El', which means God, or god like; which is easy enough to understand, until you place "O ye" before it in the context of this verse; then we are talking about something extremely out of the ordinary. What that does is put another word before 'El', which is the word 'ben'; which just so happens to be the name of my 'Christian-childhood' hero, Ben Born Again, the comic tract character, and the character in the New Believer's Growth Book available through Harvest Ministries. 'Ben' is a word the means son, grandson, child, member of a group, order or class; lifeless things, such as sparks, stars, and arrows; together in a grouping, they represent the mystery of our Born Again existence, and how it is that we can take no glory in that existence, whatsoever! As a matter of fact, whatever is the opposite of glory, then consider that to be our position on the matter of our Born Again existence!!! The point being, that our existence as a son or a daughter of God is not based upon anything that we have done, it is just the opposite that pertains to our existence; as a matter of fact, it was our preexisting condition that nailed Jesus to the cross, so we have no bragging rights whatsoever! In a manner of speaking, you could say that God spoke you into your Born Again existence by His Word..."In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:1-3)

"He Has Answered!" -2

"Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever." (Psalms 28:9) I did not want anyone to get the wrong idea, and to think that I was saying that we do not have to be 'salt' and 'light', because we most definitely do; it's just that there is nothing more for us to work for, or for us to try and gain an inheritance that is already been given. God has established everything through Jesus Christ, so that there is nothing left for us to do but rejoice and love one another; knowing that has made us justified by the blood of His Son, we no longer have need to offer up sacrifice or any other action of penitence to have our sins forgiven, for He has paid that price in total; but we must know the costly price that was paid for our sins, and we must walk accordingly. After all is said and done, when it comes to praying for help, He has already done everything that we need, and we really have no need for anything else but Jesus! I really don't know why so many people do not understand that and continue to think that there is still something they need to do to complete the process of being reconciled to God, because there is nothing more to be done towards gaining our inheritance, nor do we need to earn our salvation. Maybe it's the premise of, If it doesn't cost me something, then it must not be worth having; or maybe some people just can't believe it can be that easy to receive forgiveness! As we are going into this next Psalm, which is the Twenty Ninth Psalm, we must come to the understanding that God has answered us, even before we asked, He has answered! The title above this next Psalm in my Bible reads, "The Voice of the Lord", and it makes perfect sense, that if God speaks, it is because He is making things happen. For over four hundred years God did not speak to His people; for over four hundred years, God was silent and did not declare anything after saying these words: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5 & 6) And then after over four hundred years of silence, God spoke; and His voice was in the sound of a Baby...

"He Has Answered!"

"Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever." (Psalms 28:9) As with that closing portion of Scripture from Galatians, we must come to the realization of the finished work of Jesus Christ; in that, what He did for us was all that needed to be done for our salvation and our completeness! In other words, we are made complete in Christ!!! If, for some strange reason, you are fighting a fight that you keep finding yourself on the losing end of, it's because you are lacking the power of Christ in your life, which is the result of holding onto something that needs to be surrendered! That does not necessarily have to be sin, although it usually involves sin in one way or another, but it could just be a matter of letting go of self; which means, thinking that there is still something that I must do to complete the process of my redemption. If Jesus Christ has set you free, then you are free indeed!!! You don't need to find another way to climb up out of the pit; what you need to do, is to quit going down into the pit in the first place!!! He has answered every need that you have for help; there is nothing that He has left undone and that we are responsible for completing. But there are many people who cannot receive or accept the fact that Jesus Christ has made them totally complete; they see Jesus as having made the sculpture ready, but handed them the tools to chisel away at making the image visible. Do you know what I see when I envision this person with tools in his hands? I see a picture of a man standing in the arms of the Lord, with a hammer and a nail in his hands; because those are the tools that we have used for our transformation, in that, we are the ones that nailed Him to that cross! "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the WORD of  reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

"HEY YOU!"

"The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed." (Psalms 28:8) Don't you know it's time to praise the Lord! The Lord has said, "I have chosen you; you did not choose me". So guess what? He's got your back!!! Sometimes we need to be reminded Who it is that we serve; He is not just the One who has saved us, He's also the One who has called us out from among the dead; the One Who choose you as His child, and said, "Come forth!" It really takes a certain amount of strength to pull yourself up out of the grave, but that's not what we have done; it was Jesus who has done this; it was Him who opened the prison door and set the captives free! Why me Lord? Is that what you find yourself asking from time to time? Well, if so, and if you really must know, it's because He loves you! Plain and Simple; God Loves You!!! I am one of these that believes God calls everyone at one time or another in their life; some He calls more times than others, and some He calls with a louder voice; but everyone is called in one way or another. The problem that exist in the hearts of those that do not answer the call, is that they either do not believe it is His voice, or if they do, they do not want to answer because they love their sin. There is a certain amount of power in sin; it's talons get a grip around our hearts, and it becomes a fortress in and of it's self. But that is one of the things that Jesus died for! He did not just die so that we could be forgive of our sins; He died so that we might be set free from sin also; that sin and death would no longer have us bound within this mortal shell, and that by His Spirit, we could, and we should, be set free! Now guess what else! If you are not set free, then it's because you have chosen not to be..."But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" (Galatians 4:4-9)

"Anchored By Love"

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him." (Psalms 28:7) There are a lot of things that move me and cause me to spend time on things of this world; things like snowboarding, golf, movies, and spending time with family; but there is one thing that keeps me anchored to God, and that is His amazing love for me! If you have ever been out to sea, it is so vast of an area, you can truly loose your way; and as with any large body of water, if you do not anchor your vessel when trying to set in one place, you are not going to remain in that place. If you are securely anchored, you might move around in circles, and you will find yourself facing all kinds of different directions, but you will remain within the length of your anchor. Does that make any sense in relation to this verse? I hope you see the connection, because it's really not that hard to understand. If you do not deploy your anchor, your not going to stop from drifting into who knows what, or where, and you could find yourself a little lost or damaged. It is God's love for us that is our anchor, and when we are trusting in God, because we know that He loves us, and that we are secure in Him, then it really does not matter which way we are turned or the direction we are facing, because we are always remaining in that same secure place. But it all comes down to believing in His love, and trusting, that because He loves me, He will always keep me and will never let me go! That is all that God wants from us; for us to believe in His great love for us, and to experience that great love; a love that captures our hearts and minds; making us love Him back, in sheer appreciation of how much He loves us. And here is His Love: that He would step down to earth, and that He would take our place upon a cross, to not only prove His love and win our hearts, but to give us eternal life with Him..."He will swallow up death in victory; and the LORD GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." (Isaiah 25:8 & 9)

"Echoes of Love"

"Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplication." (Psalms 28:6) I know, it's not the best title I could come up with, but it is the one that rattled off inside of my head as I was thinking of how to describe what David might have been thinking. Our greatest bit of knowledge to hold onto is how much our Father in heaven loves us; it's not just to know that He loves us, but it's vitally important to know that He loves us with such a special kind of love, that there is no way to measure it's worth or it's distance. His love for us is the works and the operation of His hands; as a matter of fact, I am certain that He has designed everything to be for our pleasure, and for our fellowship with Him; that He and us could become one for all eternity: the Holy and the Holiest; we that have been made Holy, and He that is the Holiest of Holy! Quite simply, the harder you think about how much He loves you, the more you realize how much He loves you, and how incredibly easy we have access to His love! It was not easy for Him to provide that access for us; it was not something that did not require great sacrifice and hurt upon His heart; but it was something that He did for us, because it was the only way that He could get us back into fellowship with Him. That is what "the operation of His hands" is all about, and everyone that does not regard the magnitude of what He has done for them, they will be destroyed; not because He will have chosen them to be destroyed, because His desire is that all the world would come unto Him and receive His Love; but those that choose not to, and those that do not regard the magnitude of His great love, they have sealed their own fate by not having chosen to accept His love, which was given so freely and without restraint. This is what it's like, as we meditate upon His Love: we come to the great understanding of how incredibly easy that God has made His love available to us, and how He has answered our cries way before we have ever even thought to ask them... "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:11-17)

"What is Your Passion?"

"Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them, and not build them up." (Psalms 28:5) You really do not want to be found in this category of people; but sad to say, there are many who are, and they probably cannot see their position! What is it that makes you tick? That excites you, and gives you motivation to press forward each day? What is it that you are passionate about? Is it Jesus? Is it the amazing love that God has for you, no matter how bad you might be? You have got to understand that our God is a jealous God; He is jealous for you and me, and He loves us so much, that His love demands to be loved back; it's not a question of "Thou Shalt", it's a matter of "Why Don't You?" It's easy to see why those that are in darkness do not love God, because they love their darkness; but what is it that hinders His children from loving Him with all of their might? It's that 'mustard seed' kind of thing that is missing in their lives!!! As small and pathetic as our faith is, when we place it in Jesus, it becomes a living, growing and vibrant faith that has no limits to what it can expect of God; neither does it get bored with God, because it continues to thrive on His love and grace. Are you missing the passion for God in your life? Then get back to God by putting Jesus back in your life!!! But He's in my life, you might say. Really? Is He the Lord of your life, or is He the one standing outside at the door, who you ask to come in once in awhile? If it's the latter, then you have had something happen to your 'mustard seed of faith'; either it has been choked off by the cares of this world, or it has been plucked up by the enemy; or maybe, it never really took root, because it fell on stony ground; that seems to be the most popular way that it happens. We come to Christ with wrong appreciation or anticipation of what it is that we coming to Him for, and therefore, we are not very deeply planted into the Love of God; because, if we are planted into His Love, there is nothing that can root us up out of THAT..."Behold, what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew not Him. Beloved, now are we sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:1-3)

"Our Determination"

"Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert." (Psalms 28:4) You know, if you are really really determined to get it right, then one of the best ways to assure your successful is to eliminate your options. It takes a really determined heart to ask God for deliverance at any cost: No matter what it takes Lord, please change my heart! If we can understand what Jesus was talking about when He said, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: And if they right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body should be cast into hell" (Matthew 5:29 & 30); then we can begin to make serious choices about those things that matter the most to our eternal destination. Stop right there! Are you saying that we could lose our salvation and be cast into hell? Touchy subject, I know; but the more important question I would ask yourself, is, Have I ever really had eternal security in Jesus Christ? It is not a question of if you can loose your salvation, because I am one that believes that we cannot loose a free gift from God, because it is freely given to us, and is not based upon our own merit or our own righteousness; however, if I have received my eternal security in the Lord, then where is the proof of my dwelling in Jesus Christ? Only those that abide in Christ are saved, all others are burned as worthless branches or tares among the wheat; it's not a question of whether or not you will be plucked up or cut off, but whether or not you have been planted by God? or if there is really new life in our branch at all? If so, then prove it!!! Where is the Love of God in your life? Or are you one of those that believe in getting serious for Jesus after He returns, or upon your death bed? It's not something that we can play games with; nor should we leave it to chance, as in saying, I think that I am saved, because I did ask Jesus into my heart, and therefore according to what I've been told, I am saved. But were you transformed into a New Creation in Christ? If not, Then What Are You Waiting For??? Be determined to get it right, no matter what it might cost you; because there is no greater treasure, at all, or in anything that this world has to offer... "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there your heart is also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

"Our Direction" -2

"Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts." (Psalms 28:3) No honestly born again believer in Jesus Christ intentionally sets out to walk away from the direction that they are meant to be going; it's just that you will ultimately become whatever it is that you worship, and if you begin to worship those things of the world, then sooner or later, you are going to find yourself living a worldly life! As with the closing passage of Scripture yesterday, Jerusalem did not set out to be so wicked, even more wicked than their neighboring heathen nations, they grew into that over many generations of compromises and neglect of following after God. What we need to happen, and what God is more than willing to do, is for Him to turn us around when we are headed in the wrong direction; sometimes that might require for God to do something drastic in our lives in order to gain our attention. Our best remedy to a bad situation is to repent and to turn towards God, and making it the most important matter of our lives to do so; which means, all other things, including our professions, are but objects between us and our God. Our desire must be towards God, and when we find ourselves in the midst of living a life that is moving in the opposite direction, then we need to take drastic measures; meaning, that we need to call out to God for help!!! He is our Rock! He never changes! And although we might drift away, and we might become tangled up in the things of this world, our God is faithful to draw us out of any situation! The question we must ask ourselves, and that we seldom take the time to consider, is, Do we want to turn to God willingly, or do we want Him to turn us against our will? If you are honestly His child, you are going to be turned, one way or another..."Thus saith the LORD GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and I will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one King shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their God." (Ezekiel 37:21-23)  

"Our Direction"

"Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts." (Psalms 28:3) It's not just who you know, and what you believe in your heart, that will get you towards your destination, but it also has something to do with the direction that you are going; in other words, where is your heart determined for? Are you determined to do all that you can to get to into heaven? or, are you doing what you want, and hoping that grace gets you in? This too is something that we must petition the Lord to help us overcome! We never should leave anything for chance; and we surely don't want to be left behind; therefore, we must make it the determination of our heart to do whatever it takes to ensure that nothing is left to chance, and that requires asking God to help us overcome all the barriers that are in our way! The direction that we are determined to be going is primarily measured by the desire of our heart; if our heart desires worldly pleasures, then that's the direction we will determine to go. We might not even realize the path we have determined in our hearts to set out for, that is, until it has already taken us so far away from God, that we find ourselves stranded in the wilderness. Looking back upon my own life, there are many things that I determined in my heart to pursue that took me in the direction away from heaven; primarily, the big one was my career in the Pest Control industry. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we should not pursue a career and provide an adequate home for our family; but how much do we invest in that career? and I am not talking about money when it comes to investing, I am talking about our time and our devotion. Sometimes, we can get into a funk, where we might actually begin to judge our spiritual life by our successful we are in our business; not even realizing that our spiritual life is being totally neglected, and that we have placed our trust in our business and no longer are trusting God for our every day needs. Believe me when I say, This is not the direction that we want to be on! It's really not just an issue about your salvation; although, if you are saved, then I believe you will arrive at your destination; it's about your loved ones! Your wife, your children, your friends; all those that look to you as a spiritual leader, and have marked you as one that has received the Truth. The direction that we are determined to pursue becomes quite evident to those that are looking to us for leadership; and if we are not all that worried about getting overtaken by the world, then they may not also..."And she hath changed My judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and My statutes more than the countries that are around her: for they have refused My judgments and My statutes, they have not walked in them." (Ezekiel 5:6)

"His Utterance"

"Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto Thee, when I lift up my hands toward Thy Holy Oracle." (Psalms 28:2) It's kind of like speaking for the sake of being heard, and then reacting to being heard by reaching out for acceptance and to say, I believe that You have heard me! This is not a silent inward pray, but one that puts the petitioner in a state of animation before his God, as one who expresses a deep desire to not only be heard, but that of being listened to. Not quite seeing the picture? Okay; first of all, if we are at the least bit honest with ourselves, then we know how often we pray for our own needs and wants, verses, how often we pray for what God wants; it's really not that we are meaning to put our desires before those of God's, but we just are naturally drawn towards self preservation. However, when we are praying for what God wants, it is an whole different matter all together, because we are praying towards His will and desire, and not towards our own. I have capitalized "Holy Oracle" to make the point of what it is meant to represent; it's not just the place within the temple, or the holy of holies where the ark was placed, but it goes much further than that, by representing the Utterance of God, as in "to speak"; and not just speaking forth, but speaking out Holiness and Glory! In that light, we are petitioning God within the arena of His Holy Word, what He has revealed as His will and His desires for us, not in the arena of our own desires for our self. In other words; if we truly know the heart of God, and if we are praying towards His heart, then we can be more than assured that He not only hears our petitions, but He is listening..."These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (1 John 5:13-15)

"Our Mighty God" -2

"Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit." (Psalms 28:1) Do not underestimate the power of God's Word! That's about all I wanted to say about that! On the receiving side (that would be us), we have been given a choice: Do we accept and believe Him in all of His Word? or, do we only believe those parts that make us feel good, and are easy to explain away? There are some that would say God's word is made up of many allegories, with some of those things which cannot be explained being meant as something else; for example, God speaking everything into existence is a figurative way of saying that He caused things to happen. However, if we settle for accepting something that we can more easily explain, aren't we then placing limits on God's abilities? And if we place limits on God's abilities, where does that leave us? There is a reason God says what He says, and how He said it matters! And God said, means that God spoke: He opened His mouth and His words came forth and manifested change; from nothing existing, to something living and growing; from out of the darkness, God spoke Light!!! Why can't we just accept that and believe that it was so? If God wanted to use a whale to swallow Jonah, keep him live in it's belly for three days, and then spit him up where God wanted him to go, then by goodness, God can use a whale! He could use a squid, of a bass, or any other aquatic form of life that pleased Him: because, He is God, and He can do whatever it is that He chooses to do; whether we can explain how it happen or not, God can do it! Now then; here is the message that David is putting forth, which is about crying out to a God that is unlimited in power, his Rock; impregnable fortress of safety and security that cannot be moved! And when a God like that speaks to us, and He tells us how much that He loves us, we are filled with hope beyond imagination; in other words, we could not possibly dream up the amount of hope that is possible of having when we are trusting in God with all of our heart. The flip side of that, are those that go down into the pit, the pit being the grave, as to say, There is no hope for me! From the dust I came, and to the dust will I return..."He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:10-12)...Explain away that!!!

"Our Mighty God"

[A Psalm of David] "Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be Thou not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit." (Psalms 28:1) One of our greatest treasures on this earth is God's written word; with it, we are given hope and security in all that He has let us know about Himself; without it, we would have had to count upon our own imaginations and fables from our fathers. I do believe that God could have continued speaking through prophets, or grabbing the attention of a certain man or woman every generation or so; but God's choice in speaking to everyone, through all generations, was His word written out for all to read and meditate upon, each and every day of their lives. He really did put a lot of effort into writing to us, more than we often realize; for in so doing, He inspired many to not only write the words that He gave them to write, but He ensured that those writings were gathered and placed together in an effort to give us the most complete picture that we need of who He is and how much He loves us. Not just any book, but a Book that is the words of the God who created us and who gave us life; not just any life, but life eternal with Him, if we would but take what He has written to us and believe in His Word..."That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen It, and bear witness, and show unto you that Eternal Life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:1-4)

"A Prayer for Help"

Have no confidence in the flesh! That's the lesson we must learn, time and time again; until ultimately we get it right, and as soon as we do, it will be time to learn it again! There seems to be somewhat of a pattern here, where after each Psalm of great victory or awakening to the power of God, there follows a Psalm that cries out for help; could this have anything to do with the fact that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness? Come to think about it, with every revelation of God's power to work in and through our lives, shouldn't we be crying out for Him to do that which was just revealed? I think we have confidence and most of the time we might have courage, but generally, we lack the persistence to obtain perfection; it's just not who we are, and as soon as we see ourselves achieving holiness, we do the thing that keeps us on our knees, we fail!!! It might not be something morally wrong, like adultery, or drunkenness, or any other sins that are rooted in desire or lust; but there is another that we fail, in that we fail to let God's love live in us! A sudden outburst of anger; a mean and unloving word spoken in a fit of rage; things that are hard to take back, and although they might be forgiven, they are hardly forgotten. As you might have guessed by now, the title above Psalm 28 in my Bible reads, "A Prayer for Help"; something that is actually quite fitting after having just finished with waiting on the Lord; because we need help; we cannot do this on our own, nor does God expect us to even try!!! As with the words of Paul that I closed with yesterday, our life is now hid in Christ; therefore, He is the source of all that we do, and when we find ourselves failing, it is either because we have tried to move in our own strength, or that we have placed confidence in ourselves; either way, it's the dead flesh trying to come back to life, and trying to prove it is still alive, primarily with a little help from the enemy of our souls. Just as he told Eve, "Thou shalt not surely die", he tells us now, You will not completely die, for your flesh lives on. Trying to bring this flesh into a right relationship with God does not work!!! This flesh will not see glory, nor is it meant to, because it is unholy and must be transformed before entering into the kingdom of God..."Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptable, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)