"The Righteous Way"

"Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps." (Psalms 85:13)
That's pretty much the main idea, "Yes, now go and do the same!" When it comes to "Invoking God's Mercy," there needs to be a common connection between receiving mercy and giving mercy. It's a basic rule, much like give and take; if you want mercy, then be merciful; if you want forgiveness, then forgive others. Now, I totally understand how hard it is to live out the Golden Rule; but that's just the thing we need to get through our thick skulls, we cannot do it without the Lord's help! If we could, then He would not have had to come and make a way for us to be righteous. Why do you think He cried out to the Father, saying, 'If there be any other way, take this cup from me;' but there was no other way! I really love this verse, because it proclaims exactly what we need to accept, if we are ever going to truly be successful in living a righteous life. He is our righteousness! We need to grab hold and never let go! Does that sound a little familiar to anyone? Sound's a little bit like 'Jacob' and the meaning of his name: "Heel-catcher." The beautiful part of the representation is the new name that Jacob was given by God, "Israel," which means, "Governed by God." To put it into the proper perspective, it needs to be presented in a way that we can totally understand: He established the way and then placed us on that way; they are His steps, which are steps that He established while in our steps! There are so many different assimilations there, it makes my mind filled with the Swirling Eddies. It's okay if you don't know what I am talking about, it's a D.A. term that pretty much means that you have so many thoughts swirling around in your mind, that you can't make sense of any of them; they seem to fit together, but you don't know how. Let's just go back to that basic rule of "Sit, Walk, Stand." We can leave it at that, because that's where we need to remain...
"But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law -I stopped trying to meet all its requirements -so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body be trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." (Galatians 2:17-21) NLT

"God's Goodness"

"Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase." (Psalms 85:12) 
It might not seem like this falls in line with "Invoking God's Mercy," but before you go throwing out the baby with the bathwater, you might want to keep an open mind. I truly believe that part of God's mercy is giving that which is good. Some would tend to call that grace, and then move on to another subject; but before grace, acts of mercy do involve the simple things, like giving water and putting bandages on wounded souls. Grace is more about being lifted up to become something that we don't deserve; but having mercy is about feeding and caring for those that can't feed and care for themselves. I think that it's time we all start to understand what mercy involves, and how much we need to show mercy in order to understand how deep mercy actually goes. It really does not stop at forgiveness, it continues on much further, into restoration and healing. I think that once we put that into practice, we are on our way to actually being a real servant for the Lord. Much like the story of the "Good Samaritan," the mercy that he showed did not stop at coming to the aid of him that was beaten by thieves, it went further, to feeding and housing; making sure that the man was well taken care of, and helping him to be restored to a healthy condition. There was really no part of that story which involved grace, it was all about mercy and compassion. Grace would have involved something that the Samaritan man could not have provided, at least not to a Jew. We really don't need to fully understand how it all works, we just need to be obedient and put it into practice; it will all come into focus once we see how it works for ourselves...
"The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied with a story: "A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, 'Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.' "Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked. The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy." Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."" (Luke 10:29-37) NLT

"Heaven's Rain"

"Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven." (Psalms 85:11)
Taken at His word, every bit of it, we can see that God wants more than ever to bless His people; if they would be just that, His people! You know, just because we might sometimes stray away from Him, or we might miss the mark a few times, in a day, does not mean that we aren't His people; we are His people because He calls us His people. That's what makes the Good News so wonderful and hard to understand, because it is God who justifies and calls us just; all that we need to do is to be truthful and admit what we are and ask Him to forgive us; if we believe in our heart, and we confess with our mouth, then He says in His word that we are saved. What is it that we believe? There are basically two things that we must truly believe; one is really easy, that we are broken and need to be repaired. That is so easy to see, if we would just take a good look at ourselves and realize that we are dying, seriously unworthy to stand before God, and in need of what God has to offer. The second is not so hard, once you have come to terms with the first; because the second thing we need to believe, is that God has made the Way to fix this broken mess! You would think that because it was so easy, many more people would be standing in line to be repaired. Not everyone wants to be fixed! It makes no sense why, except that people just love to remain broken. Another way to look at this, is if we were all just plants or grass; cut off from sun and water, we are dead, dried up, and waiting to be thrown in the fire. That might sound like a pretty drastic illustration, but it's really not too far from the truth. The Good News part of that illustration is easy to see; we see what we are, and we see that God has the water and light we need, and it's ours for the asking. All that we need to do is ask...
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:16-21) NLT

"Heavenly Match"

"Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." (Psalms 85:10)
There really is no better way to explain it; and yet, there is no understanding it unless you have been given the ability to see it for yourself. If you wanted proof, then I would take you to John 3:3. That's an easy address to remember, and yet, we so often forget it's basic message of seeing the truth. Jesus was giving Nicodemus a little awakening about the light and the darkness. It's really quite simple how it works; if you are of the Light, then you can see the Light; otherwise, you are in spiritual darkness, and the Light is totally unknown to you, and not only can you not see it, but you don't even known that it's there. How much is there to know that we don't already know? I would estimate that we don't know more than 10% of reality, let alone the spiritual world that is all around us; of which we don't even know 0.5%; and even then, we are guessing. You could say that we are living on a need to know kind of mentality, whereas, what God has given us in His word is all that we need to know; the rest will be revealed on the other side. But for now, everything we need to know is right there in the Bible, for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us. Without the Holy Spirit within us, those are just words on pages; they might tell stories and reveal law and judgment, but the truth of the message cannot be seen without the Holy Spirit revealing it to us. We get so upset sometimes trying to share the truth with people that we love, because no matter how hard we try, they just can't see the message that we understand to be truth. I feel that mercy has a very big place in this; much more than we might realize; because we tend to forget what it was like to have been given it. We have got to see our need for a Savior before we can accept mercy and truth. If you don't believe that you need to be saved, then why would cry out for salvation? What a wonderful picture of God's message of hope: God provides mercy for those that know that they need it, which leads to righteousness and peace...
"Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." "What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." "How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked. "Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony. But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life."" (John 3:3-15) NLT

"Surely Don't Worry"

"Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land." (Psalms 85:9)
Talk about something to talk about, how about that the King is coming very soon! The way I see it, this election that took place earlier this month was a sign of a huge inhale of God's Spirit; like one you might take as you're getting ready for the climax at the top of the roller coaster ride, because you know the rest is going to be fast and exciting. I'm sorry if you don't see it that way, but I know a lot of people that were praying for this last election; and their prayers were much like mine: "Lord, please don't let evil win!" And yes, even though good won that battle, evil does not go away quietly, but like a snake, recoils and gets ready to strike again. How do I know which is evil and which is good? Well for one, there is prayer and respect for God; yet for the other, there is glory in the destruction of a human life, and God is highly disrespected. Call it tolerance or respecting other's beliefs; call it what you want, but if you get fined for not respecting gay marriage and sued for saying the name of Jesus Christ, then I would say we are looking at good as bad and evil as good. Our children deserve better! Our children deserve one last chance to take a step in the right direction; because the way that things were going over these last eight years, they were being taken deeper and deeper into the grip of the devil. Not that they can't be pulled out, because they can. They just deserve a chance to have the choice put before them, one more time. Anywho, that's how I see it; if you don't like it or agree, then send your complaints to the E.U., because that's who controls this Internet now, oddly enough. As for today's verse, I think it pretty much says the same thing, just takes it to another level. Seeing how this is most likely when Israel was coming back into their land from Babylonia life, it pretty much says it just the same. For those that fear God, it's a time of celebration and salvation; a chance to see the glory return to the land that once was a city on a hill, a light in the darkness, and a standard barrier for the rule of law, not just any law, but God's law...
"'Does anyone remember this house -this temple -in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like it is nothing at all! But now the LORD says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.' "For this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. The future glory of this Temple will be greater than the past glory, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!"" (Haggai 2:3-9) NLT

"Giving Thanks" -To

"I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly." (Psalms 85:8) Is it even possible to impress God? Well, let's put it this way: if we can disappoint Him, then I think we can also impress Him; after all, we are His saints, and we are called to be the best that we can be. Does that mean we are called to be perfect? Yes! That's a big fat yes! The beauty of the Message is just that, we can be perfect before our Heavenly Father! Even when we mess up, we can be perfect; "Just Like It Never Even Happened." That's a quote from a service company, so I had to make it a quote. When you study the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, there are several places where you see God's concern for mistakes. Let's be perfectly honest about this, because we are going to sin, so there needs to be something in place to justify our ability to be called Saints, because saints don't sin. God will never tell us to do something that we cannot do; although, what He tells us to do, will also involve Him providing a way to do it. It is totally that simple! One of the greatest examples of that is Moses. God told Moses that he was to go before Pharaoh, that he should bring His people out of Israel. And what did Moses say? "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" He was totally right in asking God what he asked, because it would be suicide to try and go in their and demand that Pharaoh do anything, let alone, to let go of the workforce that help him build his cities. Without God, it would never have happened; with God, all things are possible. With God, we can do all things, even, being holy...
"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."" (1 Peter 1:13-16) NLT 

"Giving Thanks"

"I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly." (Psalms 85:8)  If you're like me, you want everything to be as perfect as you can absolutely make it, in whatever you do; I just can't stand to see something done in a way that shows disregard for doing it right. That said, there are some areas I could stand to have a little improvement; no strike that, major improvements! Going to sleep last night, I struggled to stop thinking about preparing this Thanksgiving supper; mostly because I have never actually roasted a turkey on my own, let alone, a stuffed one. But as I was praying, I felt the Lord speak into my heart about this verse, and how my struggle to have perfection does not always show up when it comes to making an impression on Him. I love to impress my friends and family with foods that I cook; always trying to make the perfect receipt and always loving to hear how much they loved it. Why don't I always look for that same kind of reaction from the Lord in everything that I do? I really think the He has a pretty good point. If I am His servant, then not only should I listen carefully to everything that He says, but I should do all that I can to make sure I do everything that He says, also. Don't get me wrong, I have mostly tried to be a good servant; but when it come to impressing God by my willingness to obey all of His commands, I could seriously use some improvements. I don't just throw some stuff together and hope that it is edible; I plan a meal carefully, making sure it has every ingredient called for, and making sure each step of the process is followed to perfection. But beyond that, I always try to add something that makes it special. There is where I think a lack perfection, in wanting to make it special to God; and when I say it, I am talking about my being His servant. When it comes to giving thanks, I think we sometimes miss the point behind what it means to be truly thankful for what we have been given. It's easy enough to say thank you to anyone; I do it all day long, even if it is me that is doing a favor for someone else. But when it comes to truly being thankful to God for our salvation, it should come with a sense of urgency to show Him that we are really truly thankful for what He has done. It's not just about the Blessed Assurance, it's not just about the Abundant Peace; it is about truly wanting to show Him that we are grateful for all that He has done, which we do by actually wanting to be perfect and to impress Him with our lives...
"After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs, " Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said. A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked him the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep."" (John 21:15-17) NLT

"Open Arms"

"Show us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation." (Psalms 85:7)
Not that He has not already done this; but don't you think we still seem to want to see more? We can never out give God. We could never earn all that He has already done for us. Think about this, that this Psalm was written at a time when Israel was looking forward to the coming Messiah; and yet, when He came, look what they did to Him. I'm sorry, but it seems that God has already done enough to show us His mercy; wouldn't you say that He has? As if that was not enough, we still want to see some kind of a sign; maybe not an actual miracle, like raising the dead, but we are constantly looking for proof that our lives have been changed; as if there is something more we need that will make us resist sin and have power over temptations. In the famous words of Pastor Jack, "Get over it!" You need to come to terms about who you really are, and then move on, walking into the path of glory. We are sinners that have been saved by grace! Grace did not change the fact that you are a sinner; although there are some people who think differently. Grace changes what we will be, where we are headed, and how we are getting there. We will be sinners all the way through this current life; and if you don't think that you still have it in you to sin, then you are not aware of your sin. A really good thing to know about yourself is that you are broken, seriously broken. Much like that man who needs to be in a wheelchair to get around, we need to be in Christ to be okay with the Father; otherwise, we are worthless sinners. In Christ, we are still sinners, but we are sinners that have been washed and made spotless before the Father. Even though we still might see our own sins, and even though the world might still consider us a sinner, in the Father's eyes, we are perfect! That's what Peter was trying to say about this salvation we have been given, that it's protected in heaven. Even though we are still here, in this corrupted bodies, our salvation is protected in heaven where it is safe from decay or even being changed. Do you know why that is my dear brothers and sisters? Because that is where Jesus is, and He is that Salvation...
"This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and great glory afterward. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these this happen." (1 Peter 1:10-12) NLT

"A Little Push"

"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalms 85:6)
As I was praying about this post this morning, I was reminded about what this coming Thursday is meant to represent: it's about giving thanks! Sometimes we just need a little push to remind us what it is that we need to be thankful for, and what it is that we need to be rejoicing over. I can't tell you enough how much I miss having conversations with my wife. That's my primary prayer to God, that we might share in some wonderful conversations, and share in each other's thoughts, about anything; I would be happy just to talk about fishing, something that she loves to do, and something that I use to think was a waste of time. Not anymore! I would give anything to just hang out with her as she reeled in a fish; just to see that look on her face, as she knew that this was a big one, and she happily struggled to keep it hooked. Okay, I'm back. You did not know I even left, but I just had a ten minute breakdown, and needed to go and pray over my wife. Yesterday I had a conversation with one of my customers, who has dealt with cancer over the last several years, and now see just did one of those self-test for colon cancer, which turned out positive. She is struggling to decide if she will just ride this one out, or if she will go through another treatment. I told her that I choose to just not know anything is there; and if I do know, I choose to stay away from the hospital as long as possible. Two out of three is enough for me when it comes to positive results from hospital stays; I choose not to be the third casualty; you're going to have to drag me there, and even then, I'm going to look for the first opportunity to leave. In giving thanks for the little things we seldom think about, it helps us to cherish the bigger things that seem to keep us around, like life itself...
"Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago." (Micah 7:18-20) NLT

"Barely Standing"

"Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? (Psalms 85:5) Understandably, this is a question we ponder now and again. Who could put up with us? But to consider that God would use our sins to punish our children, that might be taking it a little far. That said, the issue is not that God would "draw out" His anger, but more about our response to God being drawn out into our children. Either God loves you or He doesn't, it's really that simple. You can say that you believe that He does, but your reaction in times of testing might say something entirely opposite; your reactions could say that you seriously doubt that God even cares, let alone loves you. We tend to throw out the reasons for not doubting; things like, because the Bible says so, or because Jesus came and died for us; because we are focused more upon the situation or circumstance more than we are fixed upon a God of mercy and grace. Who wants to think of mercy and grace in the midst of being torn apart? It's more like, Send me a lifeboat or rescue me from this now, then I will reconsider Your mercy and grace. I know, because I've been there. Lord, help me now, please, and I will know that you love me; that's pretty much what is said; maybe not right out, but deep down in our heart, that's what we are thinking. I think Peter says it best, probably because he had to take the blunt force of having doubt. When Jesus said that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat, it wasn't his physical body that Jesus was talking about, it was his standing with the Lord. This physical body is not more important than our eternal standing with God; although, we sometimes like to place more value on it than we actually should. Just because we might be going through some sort of serious trial, does not mean God doesn't care; maybe He is just removing a crutch. I know I have shared this before, but I have a book by Watchman Nee, it's called, "Sit, Walk, Stand." Basically, it is based upon the book of Ephesians, and the general idea is that we must abide in Christ if we are going to be able to walk, much like a paraplegic would need to sit in a wheelchair in order to get around; and if that same paraplegic was going to stand, that standing would be in the power of Christ Jesus...
"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 Jesus Christ 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 bring 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

"Notwithstanding"

"Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease." (Psalms 85:4) In spite of all that God has done for us, there are still plenty of distractions that cause us to fall short, wander off the path, or even return to old habits. Obviously it is not going to be up to us, no matter how much we might think that it is, we just don't have it in us to get the job done. It's not so much as there being a fine line, because there really isn't; the contrast between good and evil are nowhere close to each one another. That said, the distance between the two are milliseconds apart from each other in our hearts. We can be full-on for Jesus, doing perfectly well in our walk, and just like that, we could blow it. Not that we ever intended to make a mistake, but the flesh is always willing to indulge itself, if we give it the chance. This is what I believe Paul was getting at in Romans 7:14-25, in that we cannot do what we are called to do, or be the person God has purposed us to be, unless we are walking in the Spirit. There are two ways to look at Psalms 103:12, which says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." East and west can be worlds apart from each other; but they can also be just a step away, depending which way you are headed. It is those times when it is not in our power to turn ourselves, that we must cry out for God to turn us back to Him. We can't do it on our own, and the more we think that we can, the further we get from the right direction. That is pretty much the message of the Gospel, it's not in us to save ourselves, it's not by our own strength that we are saved, and we cannot do it on our own; but God has already done everything for us, and we just need to accept all that He has done, and we need to abide in Jesus. In Jesus we are safe and secure, outside of Jesus, we are lost and afraid; so in that sense, I guess you could consider that as being a fine line, but it's a line that is drawn by us...
""Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband," says the LORD. "Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities. Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don't be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven's Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you back from your grief -as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband," says your God. "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. In a burst of anger I turned my face for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer." (Isaiah 54:1-8) NLT

"God's Fierce Love" -2

"Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger." (Psalms 85:3) Before we can totally understand this, our hearts must be changed. I heard a message yesterday that made me realize how urgent our message must be, and it made me realize how much I have taken for granted. This gift of salvation is the most important thing that there is; there is nothing else in this world that matters more, and yet, how often do we actually take the time to discover how blessed we are to have been given it; not often enough. The message involved the pastor's son, and how he would respond if his son was still asleep upstairs in the house if the house was on fire. No matter what anyone would say to him, or how important their question might be, he would knock them out of his way in order to wake his son up and let him know that his life was in danger. At first I didn't think much of what he had said, because it seemed the logical thing for anyone to do in that situation. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the contrast between life and death, darkness and light, heaven and hell; it's just a matter of being woken up! That's what happen to me, all those many years ago, I was woken up out of a deep sleep; a spell if you will, one that had me in a spiritual coma of death and sin. If not for the Holy Spirit letting me see God's love for me and my need for forgiveness, I would not have known that I was asleep, let alone that I was going to be burned up in a fire. That's what the Holy Spirit did, He knocked down every other thing around me that mattered, and opened my eyes to see the great need I had to be pulled from the fire. When you are about to die, and you know it, there are mysterious things that happen to your priorities and what you think is important. Oh, what an awesome gift we have been given...
"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil -the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature, we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness towards us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." (Ephesians 2:1-8) NLT

"God's Fierce Love"

"Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger." (Psalms 85:3) I guess there really is no other way to explain it, but to just believe that He loves us, and His love for us is greater than any anger He might have towards our sin. There is no doubt about it, God hates sin. But, His love for us is greater than His hatefulness of sin. That does not mean that He let's us get away with sinning, because He won't; He loves us too much to let that happen. But when it comes down to forgiveness, there is no one who compares! I can't forgive like God forgives; I know, I've tried repeatedly to forgive, and it's just impossible for me to get over being hurt. I might think I have forgiven and put the matter behind, but something will trigger a memory, and there is that pain, like a dagger, right in my heart. I think that there might be a way, say, if the memory was to be crushed by something else; like maybe if the person was so messed up, so traumatized, that my heart broke for them; maybe then I could have such an overwhelming love, that any hurt could be undone. I don't know, it's only a thought. Regardless of what you might have done, God is always more than willing to forgive you; you have got to believe that! What could you possibly do that would outdo what God has done to forgive you of your sins? Just look at the brutal death He allowed His Son to suffer on your behalf; and that's from the Father's perspective! Think about the Son, and how much He suffered on your behalf; He took your place upon that cross, and He did it willingly! What kind of sin could possibly be more brutal or offensive than all of that! So, don't even try and tell me that God could never forgive you for what you have done, because I won't buy it. His love for you is greater than any sin; all your sins all piled up together; heck, all the sins of everyone who ever lived, all massed up in a big huge pile, they are all crushed by God's fierce love...
"Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But -"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings and good and beneficial to everyone." (Titus 3:3-8) NLT

"Man's Delight"

"Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people; thou hast covered all their sin. Selah." (Psalms 85:2)
There is absolutely no doubt that God loves us; anyone who does not see that, does not understand who Jesus was and what took place on that cross. What a great thing has been done for all of us, yet there are so few who actually receive it. Don't you think that is rather odd? I mean, why it is that so many would rather die in their sins, than do the one thing that saves them from hell, and it is right there, freely given, and theirs for the asking. It's really not all that hard to understand; that is unless you are blinded by the darkness in your life, and you cannot even see your own darkness. I truly think that's the problem, most people don't see themselves as all that bad; some, believe it or not, think that they are actually good, good enough to be counted righteous. To those that are lost, the cross makes no sense, whatsoever; they just can't see how it would make any difference, one way or another. I know, because I once was just the same; I couldn't even understand that the cross was anything more than a religious symbol; and at the time, I wanted nothing to do with religion, of any kind, let alone one that forced you to look to a cross. I can still remember the vision inside my mind the moment I said yes to God's gift of salvation, it was Jesus on the cross! The Creator of everything, giving His all, to save all that care to receive it; and I was blown away! For all those times that I wondered if God actually cared for me, and if He really loved me. That Sunday School song I sung as a kid, "Yes, Jesus loves me," always played in my mind whenever I was feeling lost and afraid. And then, just like that, I saw how much He really loved me! Arms spread wide, He was saying, "I love you this much." Wow, no one can ever convince me that that is not awesome and amazing...
"The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) NLT

"God's Delight"

"LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob."
(Psalms 85:1)
When you get right down to it, our own miracle is really enough to make a difference; we just need to grab hold of it, for all that it's worth! I'm talking about our salvation; that moment in time when we were taken from death to life, from darkness to light, from be burdened with sin, to being overwhelmed with peace and uncontainable joy. Between that time and now, we pretty much have made adjustments to our new life experience; some brought on by ourselves, some forced upon us by our surroundings, and some got lost in mediocrity. Much like the children of Israel, taken from their land, placed under rules and the culture of others, and unable to experience worship in the Temple of God, we find ourselves feeling much the same. It might not be a physical place or experience, but it's more a spiritual one, one where we feel detached from God's power; that power we experienced to transform a life. But here is something we need to understand about what this verse says, because it's so very important. As the writer says, "thy land," he is releasing ownership or any claim to the land, and he is claiming it belongs to God. Oh, how we miss this over and over, time and time again. Our own miracle is not our own! It's not something that we make happen, it's God doing, every last bit of it! If we are feeling detached, it's only a matter of crying out! Notice something else about this verse, in that the writer uses "Jacob" instead of Israel to declare the people brought back from captivity. God loves His broken people! He delights in saving those that want to be saved...
"Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners." (Romans 5:1-6) NLT

"Invoking God's Mercy"

PSALMS 85 [To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.]
I think it is rather interesting how we go from, "Yearning for God's House," to, "Invoking God's Mercy." Actually, it makes perfect sense, since the closer you get to heaven, the least qualified you feel to approach it. There might be some sort of mystery to how we are transformed from this form of corruption to the new form of holiness, but one thing is for sure, it does not happen here, not in the flesh, and not in these bodies. I had heard that there were some leaving the doctrines established by Chuck Smith, and that some of the Calvary Chapel pastors were headed in a different direction. It's not all that surprising, after all, men will be men. But I would hope that they make a clean break from Calvary Chapel if they pursue another way of teaching, or if they take on some new strange way of understanding how the Rapture works, or how we are transformed from this to that; I mean, it might be a mystery how God does it, but it is no mystery that it's a complete transformation. Paul goes through great detail to make it perfectly clear, we are transformed in the air! Having said that, I can understand how some might think it otherwise, seeing that such a large percentage of the church cannot wrap their heads around God creating the earth in seven days, or creating a child in the womb of a virgin; let alone, that the child created was God, Himself. Although this Psalm might be speaking about a time when Israel or Judah returned to their land, I think it speaks also to our time, and to the church returning back to the basics. There is a generation of skeptics in the church, who are those that have missed out on the power, because they have missed seeing the power demonstrated in those before them. I know it is sad to say, but that is not a guarantee that they are too far gone, they just need to experience their own miracle...
"So never be ashamed to tell others about the Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserve it, but because that was his plan from the beginning of time -to show us his grace through Jesus Christ. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News."
 (2 Timothy 1:8-10) NLT

"Easy Street"

"O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." (Psalms 84:12) If you wanted a example of true trust in the Lord, then you might try looking at the Son of Man, none other than Jesus Christ. He is the only one we should be looking to for guidance in the direction of having faith, because He is the only one who was perfect in it. I am so weak at times when it comes to having faith; not that I don't trust God enough, it's really not about having enough trust, it's about having faith enough to let go. Whenever I am falling, I seem to be strong enough to trust Him; it's when I am holding on, that's when I seem to lack the faith enough to let go, and let God. About that verse from yesterday, there was a portion of that verse which reminds me a lot of Romans 8:28, which was, "no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." There is a condition for the good. "All things work together for good," is based upon a condition, just as there is a condition for "no good thing" being withheld. Isn't it wonderful to know that our condition has been corrected! Because, I know for a fact that I am not fit for anything good! Can I actually love God with all my strength, soul, heart, and mind? I don't think it is possible, not without the help of the Holy Spirit, who is Love. God will not ever tells us to do something that we cannot do; but that does not mean we are not expected to ask Him for His help doing it. Some times I just want to crawl under a rock and die, but my duty to take care of my wife stops me from giving in to feeling sorry for myself, and makes me count it all joy that I have the honor to care for her. That is pretty much what it takes, die to yourself and make it about others; that's where trust really comes from; it comes from there, because there is where you learn to let go! It's no longer about me; it's no longer my will, but God's...
"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against it's will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" (Romans 8:18-25) NLT

"Bonds to Glory"

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psalms 84:11) So it comes down to this, for you were listening: our lives our not our own, but they belong to God. We have been changed for a reason; and as Paul so perfectly put it, "we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives." If you can accept it, you can claim that citizenship right now; right now, you have already been made a citizen of heaven, you're just waiting to go home where you belong. It really does take a huge amount of pressure off you when you can accept that truth. But the enemy will do everything in his power to try and persuade us otherwise; whether it be our personal choices, our faults or weaknesses, or even our actual faith in God's word. Personally, I think that putting our faith in God's word is the only way we can combat everything else. If you don't truly believe everything that is written in the Bible, then it is pretty much impossible for you to see yourself as eternally secure in Christ. I'm not saying it's totally impossible, because with God, all things are possible; but you will find it harder to believe God can transform your life, if you doubt His word. Study this verse, because it pretty much gives us security in our faith and trust in God. If we have any doubts about any portion of our faith, we only need to ask Him to enlighten us and strengthen our faith. There is no shame in asking for more faith; there is nothing wrong in asking God to enlighten your understanding, or show you the truth. We would be foolish not to ask, if there were any doubt! Sure, there are plenty of things that we do not understand, that is for sure; but we cannot use our lack of knowledge as anything close to doubt! We take those things that we know are certain, those things which God has made perfectly clear in His word, and we bank on them with everything that is in us. If we still come up lacking the faith enough to settle our doubts on the truth, then maybe we need to ask Him to change our heart...
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:4-7) NLT

"Bonds to Duty" -Too

"For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psalms 84:10) I actually took this title from a statement that Matthew Henry makes regarding this verse, so I have got to disclose that, just for the record. Regardless of what your position is, or how much you enjoy doing what you do, there is no comparison to making a difference for the kingdom of God. And here's the thing about that, you really don't know what impact that you have; and you really won't know till you get to heaven. It could have been something so simple, something that you never even remember doing, like simply telling someone that God loves them, or saying, God bless you, to someone that you only saw one time. You really never know. That one simple little jester could have set off a wave of changed lives, depending upon the person to whom you spoke, and how they received it. That might not seem as though it could matter all that much, but one never knows. Now, about that little thing I spoke of yesterday; although it has nothing compared to David's suffering, and especially the Lord's suffering, it does have something in common with the being able to make it stop. I could make it stop any time that I wanted to, but I don't want to; I have no desire whatsoever to change a thing, because it is my duty! I get compliments all the time about how rare my commitment is to taking care of my wife. But here's the thing people just don't understand, how special she is to my life! For better or worse is more than just a feeling, it's a commitment to being one in Christ; and, in sickness and in health leaves no room for unless! Till death do us part; so help me God...
"But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work." (Philippians 3:20-4:1) NLT 

"Bonds to Duty"

"For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psalms 84:10) Honestly, without the Lord to cry out to, I would be dead or insane. I don't know what I would do without something greater than this life to hold to, to look forward to, and to make my place of refuge. This must be what was going through David's heart, as he hid outside the city, torn between doing nothing and hoping for anything else. I can't imagine what this could honestly feel, to love your son so much, and yet knowing that only his death will make all this suffering go away. Maybe I have a little taste of my own; not that I would try to compare my suffering with what David was going through. His was life threatening, and it included the lives of the faithful ones who had joined him. Imagine what must have been going on in David's heart, as his trusting companions watch as he choose his son's life over his own safety, their safety, and even their lives and his own. You don't think David could have simply put an end to the revolt, any time he wanted to? I know that it makes no sense, but then again, there are plenty of things in this life that don't make sense. On the other hand, Jesus had a more similar situation, as He took on the punishment and death of the cross. You don't think He could have stopped it at any time He wanted to? But that's just the point, He did not want to stop it; nor did He accept any relief from the pain. I can't imagine that, and how that might feel: to have all the power necessary to stop all of your suffering, yet choose not to stop it. Lord Jesus, please forgive me for any of my complaints...
"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, so I spoke." We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory." (2 Corinthians 4:8-15) NLT

"Unashamed"

"Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed." (Psalms 84:9)
Besides the fact that David was the anointed king in Israel, he knew that God loved him. It matters how sincere your prayers can be, when you are praying to a God that cares; and our God cares! There are a couple of different ways we can look at this verse. On the one hand, David was anointed by God to be the king of Israel, a country and people shielded by the God that called them to be His people. Make no mistake, Israel is God's chosen people; there is nothing that they can do to be unchosen! Don't doubt it for a single moment; not unless you want to doubt the security of your own salvation. That's what Israel is to us, the proof that God does not abandon His anointed ones! Did you know that you were God's anointed? Well, there is some anointing involved with being a saint, I hope you know. Besides that, Jesus is the true Anointed One; and because He is our "shield," that makes us anointed also. If you actually look at this verse in connection with the verse prior, we can see that David uses Jacob to reference God's willingness to hear His people, saying, "give ear, O God of Jacob." This is what I believe that Paul was trying to get across in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, because if we understand the Good News, and if we know that the Good News is for us, then we can accept the fact that we are God's anointed. More than that, we have the reflection of Christ upon our lives, so that when the Father sees us, He sees us washed and holy. That is what the Good News is all about; that we, sinners and unholy creatures that we are, can be transformed into righteous and holy creatures, by the blood of Jesus Christ! And it is totally not by our doing, it is all God's doing! He created us, He called us, He saved us, He sanctified us, and He will glorify us in heaven. What do you have to be ashamed of; you're a saint...
"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and don't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) NLT

" : ) "

"O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah." (Psalms 84:8) If you are into numbers, then you should know that the number eight represents the day after; what a day this is going to be! I went to bed last night with everyone on the Fox News panel yelling at each other, saying, "What is happening!" Then at 2:30 this morning I checked my phone which was dialed onto the Drudge Report, and I saw this headline: "LET THE PEOPLE RULE!" I knew in an instant that The Donald had won, and we could look forward to getting some sanity back into our government, our schools, and maybe even into our country. One thing for sure, our military will once again be counted as a Military and not just some workforce. There is something of a "Yea, you're right" attitude going on in the circles of those that were against the changes President Trump was talking about; as if they knew deep down that things were really getting beyond the point of weird and stupid, they were heading into the area of downright evil. Now those on the other side what to switch over to the side that is going to win. Imagine that! Is that a good thing? It is, if they actually have a change of heart! But, if they don't, then they should stay where they are and remain clearly who they are, as to not try and cause division within the movement going forward. I am sorry if you don't like the outcome of the election. But for what it is worth, I was sent a text from my niece, Lisa, that was a picture of a campaign button, and it was red, white, and blue; it said, "No matter who is President, JESUS is KING." Amen...
"Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don't try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of the world, has blinded the minds of those that don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shinning in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, and not from ourselves." (2 Corinthians 4:1-7) NLT

"A Mutual Love"

"They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God." (Psalms 84:7)
I actually think it takes more than a village to raise our children correctly, it takes a knowledge and a oneness with the Living God! Here is something that is exciting about today's election, win or loose, it has brought people together on the important issues. I am not saying that we can change things right away; even if we could, it would create such a division; we have gone too far down that rabbit hole to just get jerked back out. We need some sort of revival, something that changes hearts, and brings people back to the love of God. That's pretty much the biggest problem in this country, that no one really knows what they stand for anymore, so we each go our separate ways, undetermined to stand together. Take this verse of instance, each of those that are going to Zion are all going for a single purpose, to appear before God. It might not seem like such a big deal, but if you were one of those traveling on any one of those roads, you would understand that it puts things into perspective. Nothing matters more than our love for God! It is our love for God that makes us stronger and stronger, takes us from grace to grace, and gives us the strength to fight another day. Say what you will, but I will choose the side that honors God any day, any time; there is just no comparison at all. Take a look at the heart of the matter. Does it stand the test of having a love for God? How about a love for each other? Every one is going to appear before God; just remember that...
"Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can only be removed by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord -who is the Spirit -makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."
(2 Corinthians 3:12-18)

"Puddles of Love"

"Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools." (Psalms 84:6) You might not get this, but it's a lot like a message that I heard once from Pastor Gayle; I believe it was called, "Digging Wells." You could also think of it like a 'carbon footprint' is figured for taxing purposes; we are totally not there yet, but it's coming, believe me. All those toys and houses and that nice big Hummer, all will be tallied up for a nice big Carbon Tax; a Tax that will be due and payable to the U.N. at the end of each year. How does that figure in? I know that's what you thinking. Well, it's the 'footprint' part that I am thinking of, the "pools" that get filled with rain. In Pastor Gayle's message, he used the example of Jacob, and how he had dug many wells, almost all of which were taken over by others; some were even filled in by those that did not like him. What a well represents is something you dig for water, but not just water for yourself, it supplies water for others who might also walk where you have walked. Pools on the other hand are not dug, they are unintentional bodies of water that gather with rain; some are good for providing water for wandering travelers, and some become a barrier in the road that is traveled. Much like the carbon footprint tax idea, there is something figured into our journey and the pools that we leave along the way. Will the pools that you leave be a blessing, or will they be an barrier? Taking this concept in line with the previous verse, we can see clearly that following God's ways is the only way that we can show our dependence in His strength. Digging a well in the midst of a trial or circumstance is intentional and a means of survival. The pools or puddles we make are caused by the way we actually live our lives along the journey...
"My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones, Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. My child, don't reject the LORD'S discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." (Proverbs 3:1-12) NLT

"Ponder the Path" -2

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them." (Psalms 84:5) You could call it a game plan, if you are so inclined. I prefer to think of it more like a direction. In other words, which direction that you are headed, is the direction that you take; those things that go in that direction are the things that you hold on to; those things that go in the other direction are the things you let go of. That said, there must be a resolve to make it happen, at all cost. There must be determination to get there, even though you have already been given a ticket to get in! I see it more like the enemy wants to prevent you from reaching your destination; although he can't, he will still do everything in his power to trip you up, to rob you of your testimony, and to stop you from being all that God has intended for you to be. There is where the resolve comes into action; that is where prayer and God's word is put into action; it is a spiritual battle, and it must be fought on the spiritual battlefield. Okay, I need to say something about this upcoming election. For those of you who are voting in this election, there are two very distinct paths that this country is headed into as a nation. Not that we haven't already been headed in the wrong direction, but it has gotten to a tipping point; we either are going to push back or we are going to give in. I heard a pastor speaking yesterday about it not really mattering which way that it goes; he even went so far as to say that it could be better for the church if the worse side won, because the church grows when there is persecution. You can see the difference in the rallies, as one rally starts with prayer and the other starts with profanity. One party honors those that believe in God, while the other party belittles anyone who holds to or believes in anything that they do not accept as the truth, even though most everything that they believe in is a lie. I would just say for us to consider one little thing, the baby in it's mother's womb. There is no one who is more dependent upon protection than the person who is waiting to be born. It is simply wrong to kill anyone for the sake of convenience or even for hardship; let along someone who is so innocent and deserves a chance to live. There are powerful demonic forces behind the abortion industry, and it has millions of people trapped in darkness; darkness that is so dark, there is no acknowledgement at all that there is even a life involved in the choice. What have we become? No, I don't think it can be better for evil to win, not now, not without calling out the darkness first. People need to have the choice better defined; there needs to be a choice of good and evil, not worse and worser. Pray for us, for this upcoming election, and for God's will to be done. Whatever the outcome might be, God is on the throne, this is not our home, and we are getting out of here very soon... 
"So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy -their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead -so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit. The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers." (1 Peter 4:1-7) NLT

"Ponder the Path"

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in the LORD; in whose heart are the ways of them." (Psalms 84:5) If it were as easy as just thinking about it, then it would not be all that special. But it's more about discipline and commitment to staying on the path. You know what the path is, so you commit to staying on it, and then you discipline yourself by not doing those things that cause you to stray to the left or to the right. But there is a second part of doing this, one that requires giving everything over to the Lord, and then committing all of your life to Him. We cannot do it without Him, but we also can't do it without commitment and discipline; it's just that simple, if you want to consider any part of that as being simple. I think it comes down to having a plan. You know what your weakness' are, so plan to avoid anything that makes you weak. You know what you need to do to be stronger, so plan to do what it takes to be strengthened. And, most of all, you know where you need to be to be victorious, so don't let yourself be anywhere else! That's what you call having a plan; when you see the path you must be on, understand what you must avoid, prepare to do what keeps you focused, and be very cautious of where you are at, at all times. Basically, the main point I see within this verse, is that of putting into practice what you believe. If your strength is in the Lord, then guess what, you must live by God's ways and not by your own; otherwise you are putting your own strength as being stronger than the Lord's. That is a very seriously bad place to be! We have no strength; and when we start comparing the strength of the Lord, to what we think is our strength, we are way out of bounds. Ponder the path before you, commit to that path, discipline yourself to do all that is necessary to stay on it, and then give that plan to the Lord. And then there is one other little thing, repeat...
"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under the obligation of the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:16-23) NLT

"The Perfect Place"

"Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah." (Psalms 84:4) Okay, so maybe I don't get it right all the time; I don't have all the answers, but I have some; and the ones I have, are the ones that count! Take this verse we have before us today. Obviously it is speaking about dwelling in God's house, which is most likely the Temple where David was longing to be able to get back to, seeing that he was having to flee outside the city, and what he missed most was communion with God in the Temple. But my focus is on the word "still" and how important that word is for our testimony; that testimony is the wine which comes forth during the crushing process, is it good wine, or is it sour wine? Based upon the verses which are ahead, I am going with the idea of still meaning that they are praising God regardless. It is more than just a physical place, it's a spiritual place; a place that rises up above any and all physical difficulties and situations. Sure, we could just settle in on being content with where and whatever, but it's more about being hungry for more of God. David was most likely thinking of those that served in the Temple; those that lived day in and day out making the Temple their life; and in a way, he was envious of their position. This is a practical way of looking at the glass being half full, and longing for it to be filled to overflowing. I think of Paul and Silas when they were thrown into prison; not only were they put in prison, but before they were, they were beaten with many strips. Most people would look at that as something of a bummer, saying, I don't get what's going on, why is this happening to us? But Paul and Silas praised God! Still, even in the darkest hour, they praised God for being in that situation! Not knowing beforehand what would happen, but believing God had charge over every situation, they praised Him ahead of what He would be doing. What matters the most out of every situation? That lives get saved...
"Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!" The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household."" (Acts 16:25-31) NLT

"The Perfect House"

"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God." (Psalms 84:3) I could not help but think of a song, "Better is one day in Thy house," while reading this. We must understand that our relationship with God is so very special. I think we sometimes take it for granted, as if it's really not all that special to be able to hang out with the King of Kings; but it's more than just something that comes with our new life, it is Life, real Life! There were two pastors talking about something very much in line with what I had said yesterday; at least it seemed to be much the same. Sometimes I wonder if it's just all in my head; I can't tell you how many times I gave a message and then had someone come up to me after the service, saying, "Wow, that is exactly what I needed to hear," and then they would express what they heard me say, and it was nothing like I thought I was sharing on. Anywho, the point was about Moses telling God that he was not able to do what God asked him to do, and then he gave God a list of excuses. God was not interested in what Moses was capable of doing; God needed Moses to believe what He was capable of, and to trust in Him. It's really not rocket science, we don't have anything to offer God, God is the one who has what we need. We pretty much just need to show up and be blessed; even if we don't think we can be of any good, it is God working in us that gets things done. Matthew Henry paints a pretty good picture of what David might have been thinking about, as he sees the little birds who have built their nests around the God's Temple, whishing it could be him, hanging out with God without a care in the world. But isn't that what Jesus was talking about? If only we could learn to listen...
""That is why I tell you to not 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?"" (Matthew 6:25-27) NLT

"Empty Space" -2

"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." (Psalms 84:2) Secondly, we are nothing without God! You know that is a fact; it's in your heart, and it's in your flesh! There are two very important concepts here that need to be discussed; one is the changed heart, the other is the decaying flesh; both of which involve, if you will, emptiness. On the one hand, our hearts have been given to the Lord; it's something we all chose to do on the day we accepted Him into our hearts, we handed Him the keys, and we said, "It's all yours Lord, change my life to be like yours!" And He did what you asked of Him; right? You know He did; you felt the changed life come to life, and your life became something new and exciting. All the sins you had carried where stripped away, and you knew it! There was no doubt in your heart, because your heart was swept clean. Something else became perfectly clear, your addressed changed! Your new address was located in heaven, and you totally knew it for a fact! And guess what is not going to get into heaven: your flesh! The corruptible garment we are currently wearing is going to be replaced with a new incorruptible garment that can actually blend into the presence of God. Imagine that; if you are so inclined. Now, imagine what it takes for you to enter into the Holy of Holies; that very special place where the presence of the living God dwells. You can enter in, by the blood of Jesus Christ! Nothing has changed: He is the same Jesus that you gave your heart to many years ago, and your address is still in heaven; and it is all His doing! Can you see the change? If not, then you know what is required; it's really quite simple, (a little old school)...
"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:5-10) KJV

"Empty Space"

"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." (Psalms 84:2) It might not seem like much, but it is more powerful than you can ever imagine, especially if you know where your heart belongs. I am talking about our hearts being locked on heaven; and when I say locked, I mean that there is a focus and an intentional desire to be there. If for whatever reason we have strayed from having such a desire, then what we feel is emptiness. It's not because we have lost the Holy Spirit, because I believe that once we have been born again He is always with us; it's a new spiritual birth, and it is for eternity. No, it really is more about a longing. It might be hard to put this into words, but it really matters what you are longing for, as to whether or not you can feel satisfied and complete. Can we even feel satisfied in this life? I think that we should. As a matter of fact, it is almost a requirement that we are, if we are truly a child of God. Do you know why that might be required of us? Well, first and foremost, because this is not our home, and where our home is, everything has been prepared for us and there is nothing there that we need to do. That was one of the things that Jesus told His disciples at the last supper, "I go to prepare a place for you." In the context of what He was saying, He was telling them not to be troubled. It's that word "troubled" that speaks to being satisfied in Jesus Christ and what He provides for us. This really goes beyond this life, so it does not include being satisfied with the things of this life; with or without them, we are still to be satisfied. If we are not, for whatever reason that might be, then nothing on this planet will ever satisfy us; only Jesus can provide what we need to be satisfied and complete...
"How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you don't have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."
(Philippians 4:10-13) NLT