"From The Beginning"

"For Thou art my hope, O Lord God: Thou art my trust from my youth." (Psalms 71:5) Because we are but mortal, it might be very difficult to comprehend immortality, but that does not mean we cannot accept how important it is to have been given it; it surely was not that hard to accept it in the beginning! I am talking about the beginning of our new life in Christ, the one we all experienced from that first moment we gave our lives to Jesus, and we asked Him to be the Lord of our life. Do you remember how it felt when you were a new babe in the Lord? We need to remember what it was like, and how it was that God transformed us into a spiritual life; not just a new life, but one that taken from death to eternal life in Christ. Do you remember? It was so easy to trust God after the experience of supernatural transformation. Sure, David might be taking about his youth in the fields, as a young child watching his father's sheep; but then again, he might be talking about his youth in his relationship with his Heavenly Father, the Creator of heaven and earth. Am I saying that David had a 'born again' experience; well, I guess I am, if you call putting your faith in Jesus Christ a 'born again' experience. He may not have been filled with the Holy Spirit, because that did not happen till after Jesus rose; but he surely had the Spirit of God come upon his life. I remember one of my favorite shirts to wear, back in the day, was the one that showed Goliath with a stone stuck in the middle of his forehead, and it had written around it, "Not by power, or by might, but by My Spirit, says the Lord." It's really true what they say about those first three verses in the Bible, "If you can't believe them, then you won't believe anything else." But, if you truly have been born again, then believing those Scriptures, along with everything else written in the Bible, is not all that difficult to comprehend... "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1"1-5) NLT

"Tried and True"

"Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man." (Psalms 71:4) I am still trying to figure out a few things, but for the most part, I truly do understand the basics when it comes to this 'Pilgrim's Progress.' Several years ago, while attending a Men's Conference at Calvary Chapel San Jose, I wanted God to speak to my heart; and when I say, I wanted God to speak, I mean that I was really hungry for Him to speak to me. It was about three words into the session, when it was all that I could do but to sit upright, and not cry like a little baby. And the funny thing is, I can't remember what it was that triggered that emotional breakdown, except that I realized how much God loved me. Just three words was all that it took; but don't ask me what three words they were, because I don't remember, nor do I think that really matters. No, what mattered was that I was hungry to hear from God, and prepared my heart to listen to His word. I don't care what portion of God's word you are reading from, even the long lists of genealogies of who begat who, if you are prepared to hear from God, then God will speak to you from that written word you have before you. Okay, so you are probably scratching your head, saying, "What does this have to do with that?" I know, right? But here's the thing that I feel God telling me: HE IS NOT!!! We are so very secure in the hand of God, and yet, one thing that God is, is that He is holy, righteous and loving! Another thing about God's hand verses the hand of man, is that God's hand is mighty! Much like His word, which is more than just a love letter or a book of stories, it is His very Word; which we can handle, study, meditate upon, and be moved by. Does your Bible say, "Holy Bible" on it's cover? It is you know. It's not just a book, it's God's Book; a scrape book of God's wonderful plans and the adventures of His children; all placed there for each and every one of us to learn from, be inspired by, and be a part of, in the amazing thing we call life. So, you really don't have anything to worry about, you're in Good Hands...
 "Arise, O LORD! Stand against them, and bring them to their knees! Rescue me from the wicked with Your Sword! By the power of Your hand, O LORD, destroy those who look to this world for their reward. But satisfy the hunger of Your treasured ones. May their children have plenty, leaving an inheritance for their descendants. Because I am righteous, I will see You. When I awake, I will see You face to face and be satisfied." (Psalms 17:13-15) NLT  

"No Other One!"

"Be Thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou hast given commandment to save me; for Thou art my rock and my fortress." (Psalms 71:3) I am sure without a doubt that these are the days of the Lord's return; I have seen too many old saints either be taken up or taken down; it's starting to get a little frustrating to watch. You have no doubt heard that there are some who teach that Jesus had already came, like back in 70 AD, or something of the sort. Don't be fooled by such foolish teachings, but instead, read your Bibles and verify everything you are taught. You are equipped with the ability to discern the truth, if the truth is what you seek; that is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and it seems to be one that is not being used much by many of the current generation of believers. I can't quite wrap my head around it, but there seems to be more and more that just want to attend church, instead of wanting to be the church; because if we are of the Body of Christ, then we really do not have a choice, we are the Church! And guess what that means: If we are the Church, then we had better want to be the Church! In this verse there are so many 'solid' truths that need to be held onto; especially for those that are seasoned saints, who are the ones that seem to just stick around for the sake of sticking around. God has given us so much grace, it is easy to take it for granted some times; but one thing is for sure, He never runs out! We might quit trying before God quits providing, because, as far as I can tell, God never will quit on us, never! I particularly like the part about "Thou hast given commandment to save me," because it shows how serious God is when it comes to saving us. But if you need a little more proof, then there is only One place you need to look... "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus." (Romans 3:23-26) NLT

"Door Number One"

"Deliver me in Thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline Thine ear unto me, and save me." (Psalms 71:2) I cannot describe what it is that keeps me for giving up, except to say that the Captain of my soul has given me strength when I need it the most. Most other times, I guess you could say that I have peace; but in those times when peace seems to have vanished, He is my peace; as difficult as that is to share with anyone. I think that works the same for being tempted, or escaping temptation; most times thinking on His word, or even praying for strength, or simply running away, all of those seem to get the job done; but in those very difficult times when there seems to be nothing I can do, He is the only one that can deliver me. I wish it were that easy; saying it is one thing, but actually allowing it to happen; well, let's just say, the flesh sometimes gets in the way of my obedience. The actual only thing that will work is to cry out for help! It always works, but it works because you want Him to help, you're not just saying help for the sake of saying it. Maybe that's just my experience, and maybe nobody else pretends to ask for help, when really what they want is to be a little naughty. James calls this being "double-minded" (James 4:8), because we sometimes ask God for what we know He wants us to ask for, but at the same time, we really want to satisfy our own desires. But you must believe God's word! Just because you fail to make the right choice does not mean that God has failed to deliver you, it simply means that you have made the choice not to allow Him to help... "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)

"A Prayer of an Aged Man"

Psalms 71 "In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion."
Okay, let me say right off the bat, this is the Title above this Psalm in my Bible; just in case you hadn't got that by now. This Psalm is one of the few that does not have an introduction; although it is written by David, it seems to be more geared for anyone that is getting up in age, especially those that are looking forward to, and getting closer to their end on this earth. Not that I fall into that category quite yet, but I think when you are approaching sixty, your younger days on this earth are behind you. Just so I would not be discouraged by any of that, I bought a new snowboard this year to help me feel motivated to hit the sloops. Some people like surfing, I like to snowboard; it's really not about staying in shape, it's more about the rush. For anyone that is celebrating it, Happy Thanksgiving! I would say that over 60% of those keeping up with me are from the United States, so I know there are a few of you. Tragically, I slept in today; of all days to sleep in, and I had to pick the day of giving thanks! The sun has not beat me up in many years, but this morning it did; and guess what, I'm alright with that. I never thought I would say it, but I did not freak out, or immediately jump out of bed in a panic; something I imagined myself doing if it should ever happen; no, I just got up and thanked the Lord for another day to care for my wife and share with the ones I love. We really do have so many things to be thankful for, the most of which is our eternity with Jesus that awaits. Don't forget to make mention of that today, because it is becoming more and more dear as the day approaches. This Psalm starts off with two important points that are good for remembering, especially for those of us that are getting up there in years. First and foremost, that it is God we put our trust in, and God alone! No matter what others might say, or how far off the path we ourselves might wander, there is no other place to put all of our trust than in the Lord! The second point factors into this, because the second point speaks of 'shame' or of 'being put to shame.' It is not that we don't have anything to be shameful of, because we do; but when it comes to how we stand with God, those things are nonexistent in the light of Jesus and by the power of His blood. Try as you might, I don't think anyone can do anything that cannot be forgiven. There is such a thing as not being forgiven; but, this such a thing is not a factor for those that are seeking forgiveness; so don't let anyone try to "put to confusion" your ability to be saved! Those that do not receive forgiveness are those that do not ask for it, or do not think they need to be forgiven. So, if you think of that important truth, then the second part of this verse is completed by the first...
 "You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What's more, you are His priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced."" (1 Peter 2:4-6) NLT

"A Real Deliverance"

"But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: Thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying." (Psalms 70:5) As I said in the opening post, this Psalm might be short, but it packs some really good punch; providing you are expecting and seeking for something to happen. But isn't that how it always is anyways? I don't care where you might be in the Scriptures, if you are expecting God to speak to your heart, and you are seeking for Him to move, then more often than not, you are going to get some sort of delivery from something. This verse pretty much says it all, when it comes to getting real deliverance from any sort of sin, or vice, or lack of service; actually, I am under the opinion that the lack of service is what gets us into the most trouble: having too much idle time on our hands allows us time to make idols, and idols always come in between us and the Lord. Breaking it down, there are four very simple points that I see, four very simple things that we need to remember when it comes to real deliverance. The first of which, is that we need God always, especially, right now! That might not seem so important to some, but if you are asking God to do something special in you, you want it to be like the "Walls of Jericho" falling down; the type of special that only God can do, and that brings down the wall of resistance. Secondly, we can not ever forget that He is our God! No other god will do! Nothing created or imagined; nothing even outside this personal and loving God spoken about in these Holy Scriptures! He is my God; the one who called me out of the darkness and the one who will carry me all the way through to the gates of Heaven. Thirdly, He is "my help and my deliverer" right now! Not down the road, or after I get some things sorted out! No! Right now is the acceptable time for deliverance; right now is something that is not dependent upon conditions being meet, or having to correct something wrong in your life first; God will take care of all of that, we just need to be "poor and needy" and He will answer. And fourthly, He must be LORD! If He is LORD of your life, He will not tarry, He cannot tarry, His very Word says so! He hears His servant's voice and He delivers; no if's, and's, or but's about it, the Master will always respond to the servant, just as the servant must respond to his Master; after all, you are His prize possession... "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By His death, Jesus opened a new life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:19-25) NLT

"A Real Adjustment"

"Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified." (Psalms 70:4) There really isn't much more you can add to what the writer of Hebrews was getting at, except for the fact that the humiliation Jesus suffered on the cross far out does any humiliation we could suffer confessing our sins openly and humbly. When you really stop and think about that, for God to allow such shame to be poured out upon Himself, what could we even consider possible to compare to that? I have those four words triple underlined in my Bible, as a reminder that God needs all the glory, continually! I never want to get to the place where I feel that I somehow deserve any sort of praise for doing good or having been responsible for anything; it's always about what He has done for us, never about what we can do for Him! If we could just rest in that, then maybe God might actually get something done in us. But we always are comparing our imperfections to what we expect, instead of trusting in God's perfection and holiness, which He has accounted towards us. It is really not that difficult to comprehend, not that difficult at all! "Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee," is not saying, let all those that seek Thee rejoice because they found you, but that they rejoice because they found out who God is and what He has done! That is more important than thinking we have stumbled upon God, or that we have done anything to add to what He has done in us; left to ourselves, we would not have a prayer of making the right choices. After all, there are so many different choices to be made, I don't see myself capable of doing what was right, not in the condition that I was in; not without some real adjustment in the attitude of my heart...  "For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin - a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith." (Philippians 3:3-9) NLT

"False Laughter"

"Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha." (Psalms 70:3) If you have been following the Lord for any real amount of time, say for at least ten years or more, then you can probably recall at least a time or two when you might recall this kind of shame; it's not really all that easy to get out of your mind, because it took some effort on your part to make it work; if it did work, that is. You know what I am talking about, don't you? It's those times when you really want to cry and break down in front of everyone, yet you hold back your tears and pretend to be happy, as if everything is just fine. Not your trip? Never had that kind of experience? "Aha, aha!" This just so happens to be "A Prayer for Deliverance," and in case you did not know, deliverance can only take place when we get honest before God and let go of all that stuff you keep holding on to. And yes, it usually requires open humiliation! Interesting enough, we are going to face humiliation in one form or another; it's either in front of everyone once, or continually in front of the mirror. I would say once is the best way to go, because as it tuns out, your going up from that point. Take it from someone that knows, real joy comes from letting it out and moving on into deliverance. If you fail to get this stuff behind you, your joy and your laughter is really not from within, it's all made up...
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4) NLT

"Being Forthright"

"Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt." (Psalms 70:2) So about that mountain, what a sight that must have been to behold; and you would think that it would have made some sort of lasting impact upon the lives of all who witnessed the voice of God, right? There is a reason we must stay connected, and there is a reason that God keeps us searching for answers, it's called wanting! When we quit wanting to hear from God, we need to be put in our place; in other words, we need to be reminded how much we need God, and what a privilege it is to be able to hear His voice, and not have to keep trying to guess what God wants us to do. I have tried to figure things out on my own, and let me tell you from experience, it's not fun having to redo what you started, only because you did not ask God to help you from the beginning. Here is an interesting thought on what this verse might be speaking about, because in the end, we are all going to be responsible for our own choices that we made; regardless of who told us what, or how deceived we might have been, or even if we just did not know any better; we had better know the truth, and we had better listen. Personally, I think the devil is behind all the false religions in this world. Sure, they were all started by men, but the devil is the father or lies, so it only is fitting to call it like it is. But, I must remember something about the fall, Adam was not deceived, he disobeyed God's instruction. And it wasn't really all that complicated to understand what God had said; it's not like he had been given a list of things not to do; just the opposite was the case. God gave Adam a grocery list of all the wonderful things he got to do, but only one thing that he was forbidden to do; just one little thing out of all the do's, was a don't! I know I have said this before, but sometimes we really are our own worst enemy; if we could only just follow directions, that might give us some kind of a chance; but that would make it too easy, and like most of the kids today, we would end up being bored...
"When God spoke from Mount Sinai His voice shook the earth, but now He makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire." (Hebrews 12:26-29) NLT

"Becoming Still"

"Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD." (Psalms 70:1) Please don't judge me, I can't help being a nut; but don't you think we have been down this road before? Yes, the second part of Psalms 40, the Psalm that started with a song and ended with a prayer; actually, it was "A Song of Deliverance" for the first eleven verses, and then it became "A Prayer for Help" from verse twelve to verse seventeen. If you remember anything about those times when you have experienced great victory and joy in God doing something powerful in your life, it is most likely that it is not continual and last very long. Actually, I am pretty sure that God does His best work in our lives while we are suffering and experiencing difficult times; those are referred to as the valley experiences, while those great victory times are referred to as the mountaintop experiences. The trouble is, you have to come down from the mountain to continue on with your life; that is, if you have a life! Which reminds me about something that I need to warn you, that for the next ten days I will be traveling, so if I seem to get a little nuttier, it will be because I am out of sorts. The picture of my wife and I was taken before one of our trips in the last RV, so traveling is not something that is strange or unusual for us; but every trip is always a new adventure, no matter how familiar our resting places might be. And yes, I know I don't need to keep saying this, but the title for yesterday's post was the title of this Psalm in my Bible. Today's title; well let's just say, "haste makes waste" is more than just a proverb or a catchy phrase, it matters much in many of our life experiences. We shouldn't hurry through life so much, because we miss so much of what matters when we do. Which reminds me of something else; have you noticed how these younger generations must always be on the go? God forbid that they are made to sit still, or if they are asked to be quiet; they constantly need to be doing something, or watching something, or saying something. What ever happened to relaxing and just enjoying the company of the people you love? I think I understand why those valley experiences are so meaningful and important to God; because those are the times when God is more important to us... "Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears. You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling."" (Hebrews 12:14-21) NLT

"A Prayer for Deliverance"

PSALMS 70: [To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.] Call it whatever you want, but without the right perspective, there can be no deliverance at all! This Psalm might be short, but it is not weak or without substance. The greatest day of my life was the day that I gave my life to Jesus, there is no doubt about it; but how seldom do I think back to that day and remember how it was that God reached down and snatched me from the pit of hell; you have seen almost all of those times in these postings, and they might amount to about a dozen. Yet, what was so special about that day? Listening to Pastor Jon these last few days, it has reminded me how Jesus Christ is referred to as "The Author and Finisher of our faith," and how He is All that we need because He is the fulfillment of all things. Everything else was just a shadow of Him; from the sacred things in the Temple, to the customs of the Jewish laws, everything pointed to and was trumped over when Jesus was manifested; because the Real-Deal always takes precedence over the shadow. Jon gave this silly illustration of his wife falling on the ground when he comes home, not to worship him, but to try and kiss and hug on his shadow. It is silly to imagine anyone doing that, but that is what it is like when we put religion before relationship; we are never going to have the relationship that brings real deliverance if we are sticking to some sort of religion. Another example of that was demonstrated in the battle of Jericho, and how Jesus showed up for battle; as Pastor Jon told it, everything that Joshua was told to do for the battle to be won was against what the Law prescribed; the Law being the representation of the Jewish religion. In other words, when Jesus shows up, the shadow does not matter anymore! What was so special about that day, was not the place I was at, or even the message that was preached; it was Who showed up and delivered me...
"No, you have not come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge of all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!" (Hebrews 12:22-25) NLT      

"Perspective Is Everything"

"The seed also of His servants shall inherit it: and they that love His name shall dwell therein." (Psalms 69:36) So, how do you think God looks at you now? It might not seem as though you will amount to much, but in the eyes of God, you are special! God sees you as you will become; as hard as it might be for us to wrap our minds around that, He has you already perfected and glorified in His Kingdom. Talk about "seed", I will never think about a seed the same again after watching "God of Wonders" and seeing that seeds actually have a mind of their own. What a powerful presentation of what we are, how we got to this point, and what we shall become. Is it any wonder how Jesus used "seeds" in many of His parables? The "mustard seed" parable is my favorite, mostly because, when we are in Christ, everything is of God, and God raises the dead! (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) It is one thing to have Jesus in us, but it is something entirely more powerful to be in Jesus. It's that whole parable about "a corn of wheat" from John 12:23-26, and how we must die to ourselves in order to be alive in Christ. It is complicated and simple at the same time; what makes it complicated is our natural tendency to try and figure everything out, as if we need to know how it works in order for it to work; but it is simple enough to just surrender and let Jesus have all of you; then if something goes wrong, it's not your fault! Actually, if we are abiding in Christ, nothing will ever go wrong! Even those things that might appear totally wrong will always be right! Everything will work out just the way God wants them to! Can you wrap your mind around that? Probably not; but that is okay if you can't, because all that is figured out for you, and all that you are required to do is trust Him with all you got within you, and hold on tight, to Him, and Him alone...
"Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into His glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow Me, because My servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me. Now My soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father save Me from this hour?' But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to Your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to My name, and I will do so again." (John 12:23-28) NLT

"Being Connected"

""For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession." (Psalms 69:35) I don't know what you might think of Israel, but hopefully it is nothing bad or hateful, because believe it or not, you need to be a part of her, or you will have no part in her. Make no mistake about these chosen people of God, they are His inheritance; and if we want to be a part of Heaven, then guess what, we need to be a part of His chosen people! I remember when I first got saved, there was about twelve or fifteen of us newly saved inmates, and we were all standing in a circle singing, "Father Abraham," bobbing our heads, spinning around, marching in step; it must have been quite a sight to those that were watching. Our group was rather diverse; I can remember that there was at least two blacks, at least one Hispanic, and at least one Oriental; but we were all brothers in the Lord, and we were all celebrating being grafted into the people of God! Please don't forget that is the case, because I know it is easy enough to get caught up in the world view of God's chosen people; they are hated and despised by almost everyone, but they are loved by God, and God will come against anyone who comes against His people. There are some who believe that God has left off from saving His people, and that now He is focused on the Gentile nations instead. They most likely get this from a few verses in the Bible taken out of context; because Paul clearly states in Romans, "All Israel shall be saved." So obviously God has not forgotten about any of the promises that He has made! Don't you know what that means for you? In case you might not get it, it is a sign: a sign to all of us knuckleheads that can't get it right, that God means what He says! When God says that He has chosen you, and that He loves you, and that He is not going to let you go, then you had better do what you are meant to do: quit putting your faith in faith, and start putting your faith in God...
"I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say: "The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is My covenant with them, I will take away their sins." Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people He loves because He chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God's gifts and His call can never be withdrawn. Once you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against Him, God was merciful to you instead. Now they are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God's mercy. For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so He could have mercy on everyone. Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways! For who can know the LORD'S thoughts? Who knows enough to give Him advice? And who has given Him so much that He needs to pay it back? For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen." (Romans 11:25-36) NLT

"Give It Up To Him"

"Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein." (Psalms 69:34) Don't you think it is interesting how John uses the phrase "You have won your battle with the evil one?" The KJV has it, "Ye have overcome the wicked one," but it means the same thing: "The devil has been defeated!" It is pretty much done and won; we like "Jacob" get to ride the heel of the one who saved us; but nonetheless, we are His "prisoners" into eternity. It's funny how that all works out, because people really try to make it all about something else; when it's really about, just holding onto Jesus and never letting go! And the greatest news of all, is that He has hold of you! You are not going anywhere, even if, for some very strange reason you wanted to, He is not letting go of you! So, how exactly did we win our battle with the evil one? I don't know about you, but for me it was around the middle of September in 1981; that is when I said "Yes" to Jesus, and said, "No" to the devil; just like that, I won my battle! That does not mean that there is not a war to still overcome; but as far as the devil having a hold upon my life, I am now a child of the King, and the devil can't destroy my soul, because my soul has been ripped from his hand. Don't underestimate the powerful work that Jesus completed on that cross, because when He said, "It is finished," He meant what He said. He had overcome the power of sin by taking the sin of the world upon Himself! I heard something yesterday from Pastor Mike that I thought was pretty interesting; it was an answer he had to a caller about wayward children or disobedient children, to which he said, "I wouldn't worry too much about it, because God's very first children were also disobedient in the garden." It's true, we all are disobedient in one way or another, in something we are to do or not do, we all fall short. But isn't that why Jesus came in the first place? Jesus did not come for the righteous who think they don't need to be saved, but for the unrighteous ones that know they need a Savior...
"I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler. Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there. No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end. All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with My own hands in order to bring Myself glory. The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen." (Isaiah 60:17-22) NLT

"Captured By Love"

"For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not His prisoners." (Psalms 69:33) It is truly hard not to feel shame, after all, we never forget anything. But God does hold anything that has been forgiven against us, it is completely taken away. Do you know that to be true? But do you hold it as truth in your heart? In other words, is it your truth, or are you one of those that say, Yea but? Let's think about this for just a moment, and try and understand what the Lord is saying. Based upon the previous verse, which spoke about the "humble shall see this, and be glad,"  'this' speaking about the way God loves us and wants us to be grateful and love Him back; and about a "heart shall live that seek God," which basically means that you are longing after and wanting more of Him; this verse is speaking about two very important basic truths that every believer in Jesus Christ must hold on to: We are in need of God's mercy and grace, and He has captured us by His love! I think there is a reason we cannot forget, because God has made us that way; and we need to remember what we have been delivered from and how God delivered us. I don't know about you, but the moment I got saved, I was freed from something; I may not have truly understood what that was at the time, but it happened all at once! Sure, I still had (and have), some things that need to be purged from my life; but the miracle what happen on that day was not a process, it was instantaneous. I think we are going to find that two of God's attributes are very similar in fashion when we get to heaven: God's love and His light. It might sound strange to think of it like that, but when you stop and think about it, they both have very much in common. So, how would you describe your transformation? Personally, I tend to believe it was the difference between light and darkness; which is also the same as knowing God's love and not knowing it...
"If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. I have written to you who are God's children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God's word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one." (1 John 2:9-14) NLT

"The Best You Can Be"

"The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God." (Psalms 69:32) This goes way beyond trying to be something, because trying makes a chore out of everything that you try to do. It is more about being what God has made you to be, and then being the best you can; let God do His work in you, just don't resist His progress in you! Don't you know how that works by now? (Self speaking to self!) Seriously, I think sometimes that we want to fail, just so we don't have to get serious; just so we don't have to give our all, we don't give Him our all. James 4:8 says, "Draw nigh unto God, and He will draw nigh to you." That speaks about those "horns and hoofs" again from the last verse; it's defense and advance, almost every single day of your life! Defending what you have been given, and advancing forward in that grace you have been given; which means that you don't draw back into the world, but are always pressing, ever so patiently, towards perfection and holiness. We might know what we are, but we really don't know yet what we can be! Paul quotes Isaiah 64:4 in his letter to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 2:9), which he does to clarify something that every believe must accept in their hearts, which is the fact that without Christ we really can not do anything, but in Christ, we can do all things; but even still, we don't have any clue what those things we can do are, until Christ performs them in our lives. It is impossible to know what it feels like to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, if you are not yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit; just as it is not possible to know what God has prepared for your life, until you give your life completely over to Him...
"Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountain would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the Potter. We are formed by your hand." (Isaiah 64:1-8) NLT  

"The Better Grade"

"This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs." (Psalms 69:31) Try not to think about it like that, because it's not really about keeping any sort of law or tradition; it's more about knowing that God loves you, and with all of your might, trying to love Him back! How is that even possible? How is it possible to love anyone as you love yourself? Better yet, how about love them above yourself; now we are talking! It's the "horns and hoofs" part of it that got me going; to defend and advance, if you will, better than otherwise able. That's right! How else can we even try to love, without true love being within us? It's is not possible! In Luke 11:9-13, Jesus is speaking about "Asking", "Seeking", and "Knocking" for something special, something outside your own ability to make it happen. And I know that you have heard this before, but He actually is saying, to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking; in other words, don't give up! How quickly we give up trying to love the way that we are to love; it's almost as if we can not see it happening, so we don't believe that it's possible. But it is! It's just not going to happen in our own strength, it's going to happen by God's Spirit loving through us! Oh, this is "A Distress Call" alright; it is more than just calling out for help, it's about Who and Why you call out! Am I doing it for me, or am I doing for the sake of Him that I love? Am I doing to for the sake of others? This is why I believe James says, in James 4:3, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." I think asking to be more spiritual falls into that category; or asking to love others for the sake of appearance. These are only superficial and selfish things that do not count for anything in anything beyond religion. That's the whole point of every single thing that has it do with anything: Is it real, or is it for religion? Because if it is real, then guess what... "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them. We have an alter from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make His people holy by the means of His own blood. So let us go out to Him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace He bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name. And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." (Hebrews 13:8-16) NLT

"Make No Mistake"

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving." (Psalms 69:30) There is one thing for sure, it only takes believing in Jesus as your Lord and Savior to be saved. We get that proof from the thief on the cross, and nobody can take that truth away. Still, there will be those that try and stretch that truth out, making being baptized the only real way to salvation in the Lord. If you really want to know the truth, then you should know that there is one thing that is more important to God than baptism when it comes to salvation, and I believe that this verse declares what that one thing is. That's right! Praise Him, and be thankful for what He has done! One day, about sixteen years ago, my wife and I were invited to a lunch to hear about insurance and investing. We were seated across from an elderly couple, and I happened to be wearing a shirt that had a Calvary Chapel logo on the front; I believe it might have been from a recent Men's Conference or Retreat. Anywho; the gentleman was staring rather sourly at my shirt, and when I caught his eye, he asked if I was associated with that church; to which I replied, "Yes, I have been for almost twenty years." To which he harshly replied, "Why do we need a church like that?" Obviously he did not agree with some of what Calvary Chapel stood for; which he quickly made aware by telling me that he believed and taught that a person was not saved until they were baptized. At which time, I gently leaned into him and said, "That, my brother, is why we need a Calvary Chapel." Almost immediately his wife began choking on what she was eating, but he did not seem to notice or care, he just wanted to refute what I had just said; even after we gestured to him that his wife was having difficulties, he was focused on giving me a reply. Finally, my wife gave her some water, and she was alright; but he would not back down from making a stand against any church that did not believe what he believed. He made it a salvation issue, therefore, it became an issue that he believed had to be doctrinal and had to be kept. So I asked him about the thief on the cross, or even about a dying person whom he might lead in the Sinners Prayer on their death bed; crickets, that's all I got in return; no more argument, no more nasty looks, just silence. After the lunch, he shook my hand and said it was nice to meet; but there was no more discussion on beliefs. I had a feeling that I hit a nerve with the dying person comment; and by the expression of his wife's face, it must have been up close a personal. There is absolutely nothing that we can make our salvation contingent upon except for sincere belief in Jesus Christ! But make no mistake about it, when there is sincere belief and acceptance, there will be praise and thanksgiving; that is the true outward expression of an inward experience...
"I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the LORD'S greatness; let us exalt His name together. I prayed to the LORD, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces." (Psalms 34:1-5) NLT    

"Beyond The Grave"

"But I am poor and sorrowful: let Thy salvation, O God, set me up on high." (Psalms 69:29) Sometimes, if not always, we need to be reminded how weak and frail we really are. It's not that we have not been told over and over, because we have; but it makes more of an impact upon our lives when we get shown a thing or two that makes it seem real and present. Here is the main point of what really matters in this life, it will soon be over! Not quite sure that we totally get that point sometimes, because it seems many of us are set on storing up for great adventures that are still to come. It is so easy to get caught up in the pleasures of this life; the more you spend, the more you need to spend; the faster you go, the faster you need to go; the richer you get, the richer you need to be. But again, it will all end at the grave! None of that will matter any more, yet it took so much from what matters the most. What do you think will matter most about your life? It will not be how much you have gained or stored up, not to you it won't, only to those that get to spend it. I am not sure it will even matter how much money you gave away; although, you might have a bigger crowd at your funeral that have something good to say about you. I get so amazed thinking about all the possibilities that we have to really make this life matter; most of which we won't even begin to see for ourselves. Think about the thief on the cross; well there were two of them, both of which had an impact upon the world; one for the good, and one for the bad. The one that accepted Christ as his Lord, he has made more of an impact then he could have ever thought possible; while the other one, his impact went from bad to worst. The good thief, if you will, is still making an impact today, some two thousand years later; and people will still use him as an example of the simplicity of salvation in Christ. The other thief, his legacy is more about what not to do: don't pass up an opportunity for eternal life! My goodness! I mean how close do have to be to death before you stop trying to run your own life? Ruin a chance for life is more like it! Long story short, it is really not going to matter what is written on your tombstone, or even in your obituary...
"Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation that we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God. It is carved not on tables of stone, but on human hearts. We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of His new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:1-6) NLT  

"Real To Real"

"Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." (Psalms 69:28) As so many of you may know, there really is a "Book of Life" mentioned in the Bible; when those names within it are written is something that is up for a little debate. There are a couple rules of thought as to when that takes place, only because there are a couple rules of thought about what "blotted out" might be speaking of, and whether or not a person can actually lose their salvation. One rule of thought is that your name is written in the Book the moment you give your life to Jesus; as a matter of fact, I have even heard some very famous preachers actually say that to people that have answered an alter call; right after they have repeated the sinners prayer, the preacher would say, "Now your names are written in the Book of Life forever." Based upon that line of thinking, it would appear the name goes in and it never comes out; then how can a name that is written be blotted out? Another line of thought, is that every name has been written as surely as they had lived; if anyone has ever lived, then their name was once there, both the saved and the unsaved; everyone had an equal chance to remain written in the "Book of Life." Which reminds me of something that I may have misquoted several days ago, because I think the word was "Chosen" not "Called" on the backside of the gate into Heaven. If you did not catch that post, I quoted Pastor Jack, who said, "I imagine when we get to the gate of Heaven, the front will say "Whosoever" (John 3:16), but after you pass through, the backside will say, "The Chosen", meaning, "Chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). I am sorry for the misquote, because I believe that everyone is called, but not everyone answers. Therefore, based on this line of reasoning, a name that is blotted out is because they refused to answer and invite Jesus into their heart; because once you have invited Him in, you are in a relationship that can never be denied. If you have a real relationship with Jesus Christ, no matter how far away you might go, you can never forget that real relationship, just as you can never forget past relationships with other people you knew and loved. Sure, you might put them out of your mind, but they will forever be in your heart; so you can only imagine how much more Jesus and His love for you will always be a part of who you are, no matter what you might do, or how far you might stray; He is never that far from you, once He has entered your heart. So then we come to the next line of thinking, which is that of being "Real" or not? Did you open and let Him in, or did you just want some of what He had to offer? If it is "Real", then guess what; your name is written for "Real" in the "Lamb's Book of Life." And more than that, you are "written with the righteous", right there along side Abraham, David, Peter, and all the rest; there you are, forevermore...
"God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan." (Ephesians 1:9-11) NLT  

"Mean What You Say"

"Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into Thy righteousness." (Psalms 69:27) Before there can be any sort of victory that is brought forth from suffering or trials, there absolutely needs to be surrender; without surrender there can be no real victory. You can see by the fact that Jesus surrendered His life on the cross; even up to the final minute, He surrendered His Spirit unto the Father. It's really not that hard to understand, if we are not willing to release our life into His hands, then we really cannot say that we have surrendered all. Personally, I believe that God has place for every single person in His Kingdom; it's just that many will choose not to enter in, because it really does come down to making a choice. I firmly expect to see Adam and Eve in Heaven; most likely all of their immediate children with the exception of Cain will be there also; but you never know. We really don't know as much as we think that we know, but soon enough we are going to know it all; all meaning everything that we need to know! The age old question: "Why does God allow this to happen?" We don't really want to know the answer, we just want to blame God; if we truly wanted the answer, then we would settle for His answer that has already been given. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to pretend not to be concerned; as I have already told you, some days I cannot stand my life because it hurts to much; but like I said, if it were not for Jesus being a part of all of this, I don't think I could go on. The one thing that I can not understand, is how someone who says they have a relationship with Jesus, can walk away, just because they have had some sort of trauma in their life. I thought one of the points to entering into that relationship was to see the trauma that He withstood on our behalf, and then humbly, thankfully accept what He has done personally, by entering into the salvation He has provided for us. If that be the case, then there really should not be any more questions of "Why?" God has already demonstrated His answer by giving us His Son; who, by the way, went willingly and without a fight. What a difference it makes when you know the outcome of every circumstance; but isn't that really what faith is all about?
Lord, I pray right now for my brothers and sisters who are suffering. I pray Father, that you would wrap your arms around them and comfort them with the power of your love. Increase their faith by the power of your Spirit, and help them to see the outcome of every tragic circumstance, that no matter how ugly things might appear, nothing can take away from the eternity that awaits. Comfort them Father with the ability to truly comprehend how real you are, and remove every last ounce of doubt from their hearts and minds. And Holy Father, please pour out your peace and your joy into their hearts. Make every last bit of their suffering become a message of hope to the hopeless. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
"But thank God! He has made us His captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the Word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)      

"Say What You Will"

"For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded." (Psalms 69:26) In an attempt to be at least to Psalms 72 by the end of December, I have stepped it up a little; although, I am feeling a little conflicted in my spirit about trying to rush through anything that God wants me to hear or say. At church yesterday, Pastor Bryan mentioned a quote by A.W. Tozer, twice in one message. The quote is not very pleasant to take in, but it pretty much speaks truth about God's strength in weakness, and His victories that are born out of destruction. Here is the quote: "It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply." I thought about this quite a bit yesterday, and even into the night, and it would appear that this is pretty much spot on; even though it hurts to think about the reality of what it puts forth, it makes perfect sense in light of many very passionate believers. Now I really don't want to attempt to be considered a part of this, but I surely can relate to the just of what is being said. I do not believe I could take another day without Jesus being in my life, because my life hurts more than I stand it some days. Originally I had started this blog because of a friend who's wife was dying from cancer. I might not have been totally aware of what I was getting myself into, but I am committed none the less. In fact, I have vowed in my heart to continue this all the way to the end; the end being the final chapter of my marriage. For most people in my position, the marriage would have been considered over years ago; they would have moved on by now, and would have put away their spouse, or handed them over to someone else to care for. But that is not what I vowed I would do! With that, I have come to know something about being blessed greatly in the deepest of hurts; it might not rise to the occasion of people like Horatio Spafford, but the general idea is still the same. My hurt just keeps repeating itself over and over! Some days I feel perfectly fine and focused on the task at hand; other days, I feel such heartache inside; not for myself, because at this point I do not care about that, but for my wife and her condition. I really don't expect the average person to understand where I am coming from, but it's really not about me and my situation; it's about God doing something special in the worst circumstances. To the average person it might appear as though it's a curse or judgement being poured out, but to those that trust in God it is purification. God knows what is best for my life, no matter what that might appear to others, or even some days to myself; we must believe that God is in control of every situation and every circumstance that He allows us to go through; no matter how harsh it might appear to be, or how long it might last, it's for the good. Man, that is hard to figure out some days...
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Him from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9) NLT     

"A Dwelling Place"

"Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents." (Psalms 69:25) I almost forgot that this Psalm was about "A Distress Call"; but who's call is going out, because I am beginning to feel a little like it can be mine. The word of God is meant to purify our hearts and transform our minds. Combined with the Holy Spirit that is living within us, the Word is like the bread and water for our souls to grow stronger as our flesh gets weaker. I just did not expect it would take so long for my flesh to start giving up; maybe it knows that it's time is getting short, so it is not fighting as hard. But let me tell you something, it's not going down without a fight! I know that all that might sound a little strange, especially considering that our flesh is actually still very much a part of who we are; but it is absolutely not who we will become! It is not even what we are today, even though we still are held within these tents, they are just temporary and they are not any kind of representation of who we are in Christ. Do you not know that you are immortal? Just in case you don't, if you are in Christ, you are! This flesh cannot contain immortality, because it is mortal, corrupt, and is going to die. At the very least, if you are still around when the Lord comes for His church, you are going to be given a new body, one that is not corrupt and will live for ever. But this body we have now is nothing but a tent that we mend and maintain; but it is no way the place that we call home. As a citizen of Heaven, my focus needs to be on where I belong, not this place that will soon enough be dissolved. How we so easily forget that is the case, and we find ourselves doing more than mending and maintaining our tents, but actually trying to fortify them and give them solid foundations, figuratively speaking; although, the way that some people get so wrapped up in their bodies, they seem to be putting more into it than it is worth. In a spiritual sense, we need to be feeding our spirit more than we sometimes do. I am speaking of myself more than anyone, because I know how much I can forget this basic principle. It's all about feeding the spirit and starving the flesh; but I realized how much I think about feeding the flesh. I spend several hours a day just thinking about what I want to eat next, what I previously ate, and what I haven't enjoyed eating lately. Talk about something that takes away from feeding the flesh, that is surely not one of them! I heard a message from Richard Ellis the other day, maybe it was yesterday, and he was talking about fasting being an important part of prayer and allowing the Holy Spirit to dominate our lives. It's been a while, but maybe it's time to fast again! This flesh of mine is trying to get a second wind, and I think it needs to be reminded who is the Boss. That said, we know that we have a home which is not of this world; let that be the place that we are living for...
 "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your Heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown in the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:25-34) NLT

"Holding on by a Thread"

"Pour out Thine indignation upon them, and let Thy wrathful anger take hold of them." (Psalms 69:24) It might appear as though this makes no sense whatsoever; but if you only knew how much God hates evil, then it might make you think twice. Then again, maybe that is one of our biggest problems, we are always thinking twice about everything we are told to do. Maybe we should do a little less thinking about doing what we know is right and we should just start doing right! Here is the thing that I believe God is speaking to me about through this verse; not that He wants to pour out His indignation, or even His wrath, because He really does not enjoy doing that; but that He wants us to realize where He stands when it comes to evil. Let's be perfectly honest here, left to our own devices and passions of our hearts, we can really do some pretty messed up stuff; it's not like we even need to try very hard to imagine every sort of evil thing that there is to do, and if the resources were to have been close at hand, then we might have indulged a time or two. God knows every thing that there is to know about every one of us; there is nothing that is hidden from God. The point is really very obvious, because if we know where He stands, and we know He knows everything there is to know about us, then where should that put our concern to do right? Part of our problem might be in the way that we view ourselves. Not that I care too much about trying to figure out human nature, the Bible has that figured out for us, we just need to accept that what it says is true; but there is something to knowing what you are, or as they would say, "Know thyself." Forget about trying to figure out anyone else, but just focus on who you are in Christ, not what you once were in the world; neither give any thought to what you could be in this world, but only what you are in Christ. I really don't think we all truly understand grace as much as we think that we do; I mean, we make a good presentation when it comes to giving an answer, but do we really know how to walk in grace? or are me more concerned about how others are doing? What comes to mind when I think of this, is Rahab the harlot, who was not only saved from the destruction, but ended up being lifted up far above many others. It really counts what that thread is attached to! We are all holding on by just a thread; we are all just protected by grace... "We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in our dealings. We have depended upon God's grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially towards you. Our letters have been straightforward and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can't understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don't understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you." (2 Corinthians 2:12-14) NLT

"It's All About Yes"

"Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake." (Psalms 69:23) So, you might have wondered, as did I, why God led me to that closing Scripture? It was a pretty restless night last night; between some pretty strange dreams and the song stuck in my head, my sleep was very much interrupted. Our lives are packed full of choices, and if we are living a life that is filled with the Spirit, then the answer to every choice that might be in front of us, is "Yes!" "Yes Lord, I will obey!" I heard something the other day that I had not ever heard before, which was about Paul's first public miracle; it was recorded in Acts 13:9-11, as Paul told Elymas the sorcerer that he would be blind for a season, and it immediately happened that he became blind, and he had go about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. It might not seem as though that was such a big deal, if it was not for the fact that Paul himself had to be blinded also; for three days he was blinded after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus; and he too had to be led off by the hands of others. I hate to admit this, but I seldom have a day that is fully dependent upon the Holy Spirit to lead me in whatever and wherever I go; my days are pretty much planned out way in advance, and any free time that I get, well let's just say, I don't often say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" I realized that last night in my turning, as every dream that I had was filled with people questioning my every move. Why did you do that? Where are you going? Where have you been? If we are living by being led by the Spirit, then those questions do not really matter, not even if they are questions within our own minds. We never really know everything that God is doing through us or around us; nor do we really know what is ahead or what is behind. It is very much like being blind and having someone to lead you by hand: when they say turn or stop, you never say "no," not if you actually trust the person that is guiding you. This side of Heaven is all about choices; but once we get there, it's all about praising God! Several times over this last week I have heard the same thing being said by several different people, "Find God's will, not His will for my life." It is really not about me, it's all about pleasing Him and finding His will, even if it involves giving up my life...
"Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:34-38)    

"This Side of Heaven"

"Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been their welfare, let it become a trap." (Psalms 69:22) You do understand that things are not going to get much better, right? I mean, we can pray for some kind of real peace to somehow show up, but as soon as it does, watch out. Having been raised in a country like this, we sometimes don't really get the full impact of what war is really like; nor do we fully understand how it feels to really take cover. I remember as a kid, we had these drills in school where the alarm would sound and we would all hide under our desk; as if that piece of junk desk would actually make a difference in the event of a ballistic missile attack. Not that it really matters, but I think most of it was staged to help keep us in line; there was a lot of strange things going on back in the 60's, and mind control was only the tip of it. By the end of the 60's there was something that many people were looking towards, be it free or man-made, it was all about love and peace. Those were some pretty interesting times; if you were living in California, you could almost have peace and war both showing up in the same city. I don't know how you remember it, but I seem to recall some pretty scary news reports about riots, most of which were happening just on the other side of town, and it did not even seem possible. To the point of what this verse might be putting out there, based upon the previous verse, it would seem to speak about taking something of a living and making it become a snare and a trap. I think a really good illustration of this might be Lot, as he looked towards Sodom when he had a choice of which direction he would go. But if you were looking for something a little more subtle, then you could look towards religion; which is man's way of making himself feel right with God. There is really nothing there but smoke and mirrors! It's almost like hiding under that desk; it might feel as though there is something being done to help you feel safe, as long as something never really happens... "You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say "Yes" when they really mean "No"? As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver between "Yes" and "No." For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waiver between "Yes" and "No." He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God's ultimate "Yes," He always does what He says. For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding "Yes!" And through Christ, our "Amen" (which means "Yes") ascends to God for His glory." (2 Corinthians 1:17-20) NLT

"Manhandled" -Too

"They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalms 69:21) Sorry for being so brief yesterday; it seems that some mornings I have interruptions. I thought that they might have given up on me by now, seeings how there is really nothing here to see here. Anywho; Jesus had told His disciples in John 4:34, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work." There is something to that statement that seems to add a little punch to what is being said, "and to finish His work", because that's the part that counts! It was man that got us into the mess, and the Son of Man was here, and He got us out of it, once and for all! Interesting enough, but looking at the word "gall", which definitely means poison, it has some sort of other meaning which points to being 'lifted up' or 'exalted'; almost as if it shows how tormented and twisted "doing the will of Him that sent" the Son of Man would turn out to appear. It was like most everything else that has anything to do with "finishing His work", basically simple, but very difficult too at the same time. It was a simple plan, with a simple goal: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up"; but that does not mean it was easy! It took every bit of strength Jesus had to "finish His work" on that cross, and hanging there was the easiest part. Sometimes I don't think that we get how hard it actually was for Jesus to resist, having so much power at His disposal, yet doing nothing to prevent the work being finished that He came to do. Ironically, on His head was placed a crown of thorns, which represents the poison of the ground God gave to Adam as part of his curse. Additionally, they placed a sign above His cross that read, "King of the Jews" and gave more than just a title, it was the picture of fulfilled promises of what the children of Israel represent to the rest of the world, "and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3), which was God's promise to Abraham, the father of the Jews. Let us not forget about His thirst! His thirst for righteousness was only met with the sins of the whole world being placed upon Himself on our behalf; never mind that they actually gave Him vinegar to drink, when He said from the cross, "I thirst" (John 19:28-29). Talk about being 'manhandled', that was like icing on the cake! God was finishing the display with a perfect picture of man's answer to God's answer...
"Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said, "I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. When Jesus had tasted it, He said, "It is finished!" Then He bowed His head and released His spirit." (John 19:28-30) NLT

"Manhandled"

"They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalms 69:21) Some mornings and easy and some are hard; this morning is a little bit of both. I have another red star beside this verse in my Bible. Not only that, but in the footnotes, there is reference to this verse in all four of the Gospels. The connection between the title's meaning and what this represents is three-sided; it speaks of the form Jesus was in, the way that He was treated, and the job He got done. First off, He was a man like you and I; in the flesh He was vulnerable to being tempted, yet He remained without sin. Some people argue that He had some supernatural strength in order to resist being tempted, while other will argue that He had no more than we have now, that being the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I tend to agree with both. He was 100% man, and He was 100% God; so, yes He had some supernatural abilities, but He humbled Himself to be a servant, to be abused, and to be made an offering on our behalf. Besides that, He had a little first hand knowledge of what comes after this life, so being obedient to the Father might have been a little easier for Him than it is for you and I. Secondly, the way that He was treated was beyond just being bad, it was rediculous and evil to the core. And thirdly, He handled it like it was nobody's business but His own... "Who shall believe our message? To whom has the LORD revealed His powerful arm? My servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. He was dispised and rejected - a man of sorrows,acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our back on Him and looked the other way. He was dispised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." (Isaiah 53:1-5) NLT

"Baggage Handler"

"Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." (Psalms 69:20) Before I can relate to what being free feels like, I must be made free myself. I get that; and I believe that most "Born Again" believers get that too. But just how do you express freedom to those that do not know what it feels like to be made free? It's really hard to show anyone what real freedom feels like, if they do not understand what freedom really is; mostly because you cannot really know what freedom feels like, without actually being set free yourself. I can remember trying to explain what it was like to have all of my sins removed, and how I related it to heavy bags that I have carried around all of my life, that have suddenly been taken away; it is as if I was made a thousand times lighter, and can actually feel as though I can breath easier; almost as if I went from walking uphill all of my life, to now walking downhill with ease and comfort. Other than that, I really don't know how else to illustrate what it feels like; but I would still receive a curious look, as though what I said still did not make any sense whatsoever. It is pretty obvious that we cannot fully comprehend what being set free from sins is like, not until we have been made free ourselves. But that does not mean there are not people and organizations out there that will try to offer a substitute freedom; which is really no substitute at all, but merely a way to stow your baggage or ship it off to another location temporarily. But it is never really gone until it has been removed by the blood of Jesus! Never, ever! It can be displaced, replaced, or placed in the closet; but it will never not be yours any longer until it is taken away by the Lord. Paul uses a slave illustration to help show what it means to be made free, yet he also shows how our flesh tries to remind us that we are also still slaves to the sin that we have been set free from (Romans 6:15-7:25). It's not just a matter of us being made free, but it is also the matter of believing that we have been made free, and then living free...
"I have discovered this principle of life - that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." (Romans 7:21-25) NLT

"Reasonable Reasons"

"Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before Thee." (Psalms 69:19) As to the title of those last couple of days, we are bound to get it right sooner or later; after all, God is totally on our side; which is reason enough that we should always trust Him, even if it seems as though He is not listening to our cry for help. That is probably the most sought after answer we have, "Why is God not listening?" It is reasonable to assume that He is mad, or that He is letting us wallow around in our pity for a season; after all, we are sometimes very rebellious when it comes to listening to Him, so why should He listen to us? You can really get that assumption very easy by seeing how things worked out for Israel, going from blessed to cursed to blessed to cursed; it's hard to keep up with where they stood with God at any particular moment. But God does not change from moment to moment, or with every little change in our lives. Praise God! If I were to base my relationship with God on the way that I felt, my life would be a total wreck! My relationship with God is based upon Him, not me and my feelings; not me and my failures, but Him and His abundant mercy and grace for my life. That is what I meant by 1 John being a turning point for me, and why I believe that the letter must be understood completely, not just in sections. The Holy Spirit was speaking powerfully through John, giving us the complete picture of what we must believe, and how we must faithfully look to Christ and Him alone for any righteous qualities in our lives. We are flawed when it comes to being righteous, but in Christ we are made perfect, even though we are still imperfect people. And get this: the devil knows it, and it pisses him off! He hates the fact the we are redeemed from our sins, mostly because he is not; there is no redemption for the fallen angles, because they knew better. We that have been redeemed should know better also, but we still mess up from time to time; but that's the whole message, and why we need to look to Christ alone! Don't try and base your salvation upon your performance in being a Christian; if you do that, then you are going to drive yourself nuts. Base your salvation on the fact the Jesus Christ has paid the price for 'all' of your sins, and walk in that understanding; not in what you think that you know, but in what God has told you... "Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about His Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those that don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about His Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whosoever has the Son has life; whosoever does not have God's Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for." (1 John 5:9-12) NLT