"Through It All" -2

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." (Psalms 111:10)

 To those that might not quite get it, don't feel too bad about that, because there are days when even the most seasoned saints don't. Do you know why the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom? I think it can be associated with the idea of not going any further until you can accept and believe Genesis 1:1. If you cannot believe the God created heaven and earth, then nothing else in the entire Bible is going to do you any good, at all! If you do not fear the LORD, then any kind of wisdom you might gain is worthless and you are a fool, right out of the gate! That is why there is a "good understanding," because anyone that does not fear the LORD does not understand who He is and what He is capable of doing. I was listening to Pastor Mike yesterday as he was expressing the fact that the Lord could have returned back in 1967, and said, "But think of all the people that have been saved since then." That was a pretty amazing statement, because that group of people included me and pretty much everyone else I know. The LORD is full of mercy and grace, not wanting any to be eternally separated from Him. Unfortunately, there are way too many that are and will be, just because they refuse to take that very first step. I noticed that this verse does not say, 'have all they that keep his commandments,' because there are none of us that are capable of doing that. As a matter of fact, the word "do" is one that is working on something, which is a verb, meaning that it is something that is in the process of getting done. The basic principle for the meaning is that of a creator of something, such as jewelry or anything that requires skill and practice. We might not get it now, but we don't give up trying, because skill only come with practice. Isn't that such a wonderful reason to keep on praising Him! He is so patient and loving towards us...

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) KJV

"Through It All"

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." (Psalms 111:10)

 This is actually a pretty good way to sum up all that we have been talking about, because praising God is not just something that He demands or commands, it is something that we ourselves must be drawn to do; it must be like breathing air into our lungs, praise to God is to our souls. Tomorrow we leave for Southern California, my wife and I. It is something I would like to think is a vacation, but usually it becomes more work than I anticipated. Caring for Marianne 24/ 7 is actually not as easy as you might think; but I am not complaining, just letting you know that it's not all fun and games. That said, I do plan to have a little fun, if that is what you want to call it. This Sunday I am meeting up with family for church at Pastor David's beautiful church in Chino. This will be my fourth visit there at his church, and I still don't think I have seen all of the compound. After that, I an off to The Springs at Borrego, where I will camp out till Saturday the 7th. How much golf I get in, I really don't know; but the night sky is amazing, and I plan to enjoy gazing up with my wife. Not only do we get to celebrate the 4th, but my wife's birthday is the 3rd, and I usually plan to take her somewhere on her birthday, so this is going to be something I think she will enjoy. A few years ago I took her to Disneyland on her birthday; but that was before they changed to rules for her to get on one of the three rides she can actually ride on. Now they require you appoint a time to get on a ride; something that usually does not work out for us, so we just haven't been back. Do we get the pleasure we should in all that God blesses us with? I am being serious. Is it too much trouble for us to examine our lives and realize that He pours out more blessing than we can even keep track of? Some people might look at our lives and think that it is tragic; I think it is tragic not to make it a blessing. The amazing thing about our lives, is that we get to experience fellowship with God, no matter what or where! The harder it is to live or do, the greater our chances to draw closer to God; the easier it is to live and do, the less we seem to have time for Him. Wisdom and understanding go hand in hand...

"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 won'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

"Through and Through"

"He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name." (Psalms 111:9)

 Don't think for a moment that God has not considered our difficulty in following His commands, because it is for our weakness and inability that He has made Israel what it is and always has been. Even though they have rejected His counsel time and time again, He does not give up on them, He does not abandon His promises over them, based upon what they might do or not do. Whether or not we understand it, it does not change His heart for us; if anything, it increases His affection towards us, because He knows all to well our inability to comprehend His love for us. As I was listening to Pastor Jon yesterday, I realized how easy it is to forget how much God loves us. Jon was talking about a Scripture that says, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." (Romans 9:13) In his own way of communication, Jon made it easy to understand how little we truly understand how much God loves us. He asked the question that many might asked, as Paul illustrates in his letter, "Is there unrighteousness with God?" In other words, How is it that God should choose those He should love or hate before they are even conceived? Jon answered his question by saying, "I don't have a problem figuring out how it is that God might have hated Esau; it is how and why God could love Jacob that I can't figure out; just as I can't figure out why He would love me." (Or something such as that.) There is so much we don't understand about God and His love for us; but that should not stop us from believing that He loves us. It is really all about us trusting and believing that what He says is true. Is there any room for doubt in our ability to have faith in Him? I don't think that there was a single person through all the ages that did not have doubt, in one way or another. What really matters the most about our doubt is what we do with it. Will it be the thing that we let control us, or will our faith overcome any doubt we might have? If you ever question your faith, then you should simply explore the meaning of faith, and let that be your answer...

"Though Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Dear brothers and sisters, here's an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn't say "to his children," as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says "to his child" -and that, of course, means Christ. This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise." (Galatians 3:14-18) NLT

"Tested Through Time"

"They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness." (Psalms 111:8)

 Okay, so yesterday I heard the same message, but this time I know who gave it, it was Pastor Jon. There is no doubt I understand that it is so, yet I am always taking myself to the woodshed; if you know what I mean. I think it is just how we are wired, where it just doesn't feel right to be set free unless we do something somehow to help pay for our freedom. That is why so many of the cults are so successful and have people in such a stronghold, they use works as the means for salvation, which makes them feel right at home. Take a look at the very first example, which was Adam and Eve who tried to cover up their nakedness with leaves; no matter how many leaves they used to cover up, they still needed to hide and they still were ashamed of their nakedness. That is how it works with works, you can never do enough and there is always going to need more to be done. You think of all of sacrifices that were made for sin, they were only a temporary covering, and none of those sacrifices actually took the sins of the people away; not like the blood of Jesus Christ, which washes all my sins away, forever! That is what Pastor Jon was trying to explain yesterday, that we have been set free from the law; we are free to do whatever we want, because there is no more requirement for us to be saved, other than believing in the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Does that mean that we are free to sin? It means that we are set free from sin, so why would we want to mess up a good thing and not take advantage of all the blessings that come from following Jesus? That is really what it is all about: to be able to walk in the victory that He has given us, not to get tangled up in the things that will make us feel defeat. We are above all of that now, so why make to rule over us? That is all that Paul was trying to say, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2) As Jesus said, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) We are no longer under the law, but we are in Christ, who fulfilled the law and all of its ordinances. Real life feels pretty good...

"Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does that mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law." (Romans 3:27-31) NLT

"Tested and True"

"The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure." (Psalms 111:7)

 If there is one thing that is sure, it is the God does what He says He is going to do, without regret! Can you imagine what it would be like if it were any other way? If God reacted as we do, changing His mind and making new decrees based upon the actions of His people? God does not change! What He says then is what He says now, because nothing has changed in the knowledge that He has of what is happening today; He knows the end before the beginning. Pastor Mike always uses the expression, "God cannot learn," to illustrate His knowing all things; in other words, there is nothing that can be done that God did not know was going to happen beforehand. That said, we should take a little more thought into the what we do and why we do it, because not only is He watching, but He already knows what we will do. That is a little scary, don't you think? I can't remember who it was I was listening to yesterday, but they spoke about how God is looking for those that believe, not necessarily for those that do this or that. I know it is hard for us to understand it, because we are so stuck on rules; we have rules for this and rules for that; even the basic elements of life have been assigned rules that govern them. So is it any wonder that we get confused by our inability to keep all of God's commands? I constantly keep finding myself saying to myself, "What is wrong with me, why can't I just do what I know is the thing I should do?" All the while, God is saying, "But do you believe that I love you?" If there could be a test to prove that He does love me, then it is me, myself, and I. It is that fact alone, that despite all of my examples of falling short, in almost every area of getting it right, He still loves me. Greater things happen because I believe than the things that would happen if I just tried to do right...

"But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under the curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the law." So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."" (Galatians 3:10-13) NLT

"First Things First" -Again

"He hath shown his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen." (Psalms 111:6)

 Interesting enough, there is something here that might be easy to explain, something that starts with our new birth in Christ. There is something else that I remember about that day when I accepted Jesus into my heart, I became blessed! That might not seem like much to speak about, but it is more than just a blessing, it is all about going from being cursed to blessed in one single moment. Cain was the first to be born, but Able received God's blessing. There is something very important that is shown to us about the second birth, and it is shown to us more than once. Pastor Matt was sharing on this last week, in reference to Jacob blessing Joseph's two boys, Manasseh and Ephraim. The position that Joseph presented his two boys to his father was for Manasseh to receive the first blessing, seeing that he was the oldest; but Jacob blessed Ephraim first, the second born son. It is simple enough to see, how it is that we were born under the curse; our first birth was not the blessed birth, it is the second birth that brings the blessing. As much as I can remember, I felt as though I went from nothing, to becoming part of a family, a very large and wonderful family of God. I had gone from the darkness to the light, from being dead to life, from bondage to being set free, and from being cursed to being blessed; all in one single moment! That is what it means to be saved, which is something that you cannot experience without saying yes to Jesus and letting Him into your heart. That is what it means to be born again; where the first birth was born under the curse, but the second birth comes with such an amazing blessing. As Pastor Bryan was sharing from John 9 and 10 yesterday, there was one particular verse that really hit home in my heart, it as John 10:9, where Jesus says, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." If there is one thing that I have learned over these last thirty plus years, it is that the Door is always open. That is the other amazing thing about this second birth, He will always welcome me back; no matter how far I might stray, He is always the Door...

"Why, then was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ." (Galatians 3:19-22) NLT

"First Things First"

"He hath shown his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen." (Psalms 111:6)

 I know that it is said that Malachi 3:10 is the only place in the Bible where God says, "Test Me and see," but I am not so sure that is totally true. As far as I can see, the entire Bible is God's way of saying, "Test Me." From the very first introduction of God's awesome power, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It is as if He says, This is a test, now who is it that you are going to believe? Over and over we read of testing man's faith; but with each testing of faith, there is a test of God's wonderful amazing power. But if you wanted another direct example of God saying it, then I would point you to David speaking for God in Psalms 34:8, saying, "Taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed in the man that trusteth in him." It is pretty much the same; each situation requires that we step out and into a relationship of trusting in God. Each one requires us to walk in faith, at least long enough to see that it works, that it is real, and that He is all that He says that He is. You really cannot discover His power and might unless you walk out your faith in Him, because before you can see His power you have got to taste! That is what taste actually means, to try it and see for yourself. We cannot know or see the power of His works by taking the words of others, we must experience His power in our own lives, first hand. This is what it means to have a personal relationship with the Lord; all other forms that are not personal are called religion, where we are religious people guided by other people; when what we need to be is God's children guided by God...

""Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of heaven to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before? Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire -as you did -and survived? Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation be means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes. "He showed you these things so you would know that the LORD is God and there is no other. He let you hear his voice from heaven so he could instruct you. He let you see his great fire here on earth so he could speak to you from it."" (Deuteronomy 4:32-36) NLT

"Perfect Promises"

"He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant." (Psalms 111:5)

 I was reminded of something yesterday about God's promise to bless those who faithfully give. It is not so much a matter of whether or not it is required, but whether or not it is something we desire. In other words, is it something that we look forward to do, and do we enjoy it? The Lord loves a cheerful giver, is something quoted all the time, and more than too often, that word cheerful is described as hilarious; almost as if it were something out of control. To a certain extent, I will agree with that; because there are times when giving the amount agreed upon seems totally hilarious, as in, I really can't afford to do this, but I can't afford not to either. On the other hand, cheerful is also meant to be something that is pleasant and makes us feel good, as in something we enjoy doing. Pastor Jeff was sharing about how he encourages those who question giving ten percent of all that they get, by saying he will pay all of their bills if they are not totally blessed after 90 days of faithfully giving. This was something I remember reading about in a  book, Your Money Matters, back when my wife and I were going through pre-marital counseling in the beginning of 1982. The author of the book would make the same agreement with his clients, and it encouraged me to make tithing ten percent of everything that I received a requirement, no matter where it came from or how much it was. It is not something that I believe is negotiable and it is something I feel blessed to do. A cheerful giver is someone that gives because he can, because he has been given something to give, unconditionally. It really is not ours anyways, so why should it matter? If God has given you an amount of money to use, why wouldn't you enjoy giving ten percent of it away? Isn't it more blessed to give than to receive? So a cheerful given is someone that loves to get blessed! Besides, what you hold back from the offering will be taken away as spoil, so why spoil a blessing? God loves a cheerful giver; if you doubt it is true, check it out; test Him and see for yourself...

""Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there is enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour our a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies." (Malachi 3:10-12) NLT

"Perfect Power" -2

"He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion." (Psalms 111:4)

 Now then, there is the question of willingness and ability, as in, are we willing and able? I tend to think Peter was willing to walk on the water, maybe a little too willing. There are some things that we ask God to do that we might have put a little more thought into before we asked; we have one of those, "What was I thinking" moments, and we start to realize that we are way out of our league. By the way, you are! Peter was, and he realized it in a very short while; but for those few seconds, he was able to do something that no one else besides Jesus could claim to have done. How was he able to walk on that water? The answer is really quite simple, because he asked Jesus to allow him to do it; and guess what, Jesus did! Peter did something that he could never have done on his own, but with the Lord's help he was able to do it, if just for a moment; just long enough to realize that he couldn't do it on his own. That is how God's power is given for us to overcome and take on any situation, it is limited to that trial or task. And when the next trial or task comes along, we need to reach out again and again; every trial and task is a new opportunity for us to count on God's power; it is never our own. As soon as we start trying to do it on our own we end up sinking and scared. This is actually a good thing to remember, which is why God has made His wonderful works to be remembered, so that we can keep them first and foremost in our hearts and in our minds. No, I am sorry if this might come as a surprise, but everything God gives us to deal with or to overcome, He does so to get us to reach out and cry for His help. He does not intend for us to handle it on our own; if we is speaking of you and I, then that statement is not Biblically correct. But if we is speaking of us and the Lord, then the statement is correct, because in Christ I can do all things. Willingness is what He wants, ability is what we need! The second part of this is the perfect part, because He is gracious and full of compassion; which means we never need to doubt Him and He will never let us down...

"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 this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, and not from ourselves. 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." (2 Corinthians 4:6-9) NLT

"Perfect Power"

"He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion." (Psalms 111:4)

So, about that testing in a trial; you might have heard it said, "God won't give you more than you can handle," but is that so? I find that it is pretty much the opposite when it comes to trusting in God. If we could handle it on our own, then why would we need His help? Think about it, and consider what it is that a statement like might suggest. I know where that statement comes from, but I do believe that the application is wrong. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul is speaking about temptation, as in, what happens when a child of God is overtaken by temptation to sin. Whenever a child of God is faced with temptation, God, by the power of the Holy Spirit living within us, and many certain God ordained circumstances, will provide an escape for our temptation; a way for us to resist or run away. Does that mean that we will? That totally depends on us, and whether or not we want to be overtaken! If it is our desire to be overtaken by that sin, whatever that sin might be, then we will most likely ignore all the warnings and climb over all the barriers; even if God locks the door, we will try every trick in the book to get that door open, if that sin is our desire. No, dealing with trials and even taking on tasks that the Lord might give us, they require us to be dependent upon God's power, not our own. A good case in point is the way God delivered the children of Israel using Moses. It was not Moses that delivered the children of Israel, it was God. Moses was simply a vessel that God used; he was simply willing, all be it hesitant, to go to Pharaoh and ask him to let God's people go. Without God's help, it never would have happened, no matter how much Moses tried or how much power he might have had to yield. The Bible clearly says, "I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." (Exodus 6:6) What I do believe God will do, is that He will increase our faith in Him. Whatever that might look like to you, it is what God does to help us put more trust in Him. Here is a good illustration of that, in the situation of Peter walking on the water. Regardless of what they might say about Peter, whether he took his eyes off the Lord or not, he was the only disciple to walk on the water; even if it was only for a very short walk, it was powerful and I am sure he never forgot the experience. But, in that experience, one phrase rings out loud and clear: "Lord, save me"...

"Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:18-21) NLT

"Picture Perfect"

"His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever." (Psalms 111:3)

 Regardless of our situation, we are His workmanship; which means, we are being made perfect in Him, one way or another. I cannot speak for anyone else, nor can anyone else speak for me, but in a very strange kind of way, we all speak to one another. My life, whatever kind of life that it is, has something to minister to the needs of someone else; we all contribute, in one way or another to the perfect work that God is doing all around us. Just because we can't see it, does not mean it is not happening, you can be sure of that. Please don't misunderstand what I am trying to say, because there is nothing about my life that is perfect, but it is God's perfect work in me, throughout every trial or situation He allows into my life. Do you believe that for yourself? If you don't, then you should. It is the reason that we endure through everything well, because we know that it all works towards the good, even though it looks so horribly bad. If we are truly His workmanship, then there is nothing bad about this picture; even the bad is used towards the good, in one way or another. And don't go thinking that I have figured something out, because I still try to convince myself it is all true; but I know that it has to be true because God's word says it is so, so it has to be true, whether or not I can understand it or accept it. It is far above my pay-grade, that is for sure! It was 21 yeas from the time Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites to the time he was placed 2nd in command in Egypt. Don't think for a moment that Joseph did not ever wonder if his life was worthless, because it had to be so. But there is something about hope that keeps even the most miserable life reaching forward, hoping for that reason to be fulfilled. That's the thing about God's purposes, they are so far above us...

"God's purpose in all of this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Jesus Christ our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence. So please don't lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored. When I think of all of this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." (Ephesians 3:10-18) NLT

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" -2

"The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein." (Psalms 111:2)

 Painting a perfect picture is sometimes hard to do when you have a moving canvas; that is probably why we should leave the real work up to the LORD, He works outside all of this. The world will tell you that seeing is believing; that before you can put your faith in something, you need to see it for yourself and it needs to be proven real. The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing; by every word the proceeds from the mouth of God. Oddly enough, it was God's Word that was manifested in the flesh; so the sign that was sought was standing right before them all along. Imagine what a difference it would have made in their lives if they had been able to see the truth. Had they known who it was that stood in their presence and if they could have used all of their knowledge of the Scriptures to get real answers straight from Him. Instead, Jesus revealed Himself to fishermen and simple people; those that were not part of the religious community. The LORD works in mysterious ways! This is the sum of how I see it, because to try and figure it out is too far outside of my domain. I think it also works a lot like that now in our own lives. If we think that we have it all together and know all that we need to know about God, then He does not reveal much of Himself to us; but if we come to Him as a child, needing to know and learn, then He reveals as much as we can absorb. That is pretty much the message that I get from this verse. We need to be like a child, delighted by and interested in all the great and wonderful works of the LORD; taking pleasure in learning new and interesting things about Him every single day. I never get tired of learning about Him. I keep a paper and pen beside me all the time, just so I can write things down that I either hear or He brings to my mind. My only wish is that I could not get distracted throughout the day on other things, but could just keep my focus on Him and His works, good and bad, because none of them are without purpose...

"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. 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 his great glory afterward. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now the 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 things happen." (1 Peter 1:8-12) NLT

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"

"The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein." (Psalms 111:2)

 It is not matter of when we worship God or where we worship Him, but if we worship Him. This might be a touchy subject for some, but it is not very uncommon for idols to come between God and His people. The definition of an idol is an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship; or, a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered. For those of us that are His children, the most critical meaning is that idols are forms or things of appearance that are visible but without substance. To put this in a way that can be easily understood, our natural minds will always want to be satisfied by signs and wonders. The religious leaders always came to Jesus saying, "Show us a sign, and we will believe in you." As if that would really matter! If they could not see Him with their hearts, they surely would not see Him with their eyes. Here is the thing about what we see with our eyes, that we always need to see more; our eyes are never satisfied in what they see, because there is always a inner desire to see more. Why do you think John's final words in his first letter were, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." It is really not that hard to get caught up in something that will be placed between us and the True and Living God. There are so many different areas of our lives that require attention; there are so many different things that can pull us aside and cause us to focus on something else, other than God. Yesterday Pastor Bryan mentioned something that I had never really heard before or realized, that the man born blind in John 9 did not ask for Jesus to heal him of his blindness, and yet Jesus said, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." I hardly remember the powerful cleansing I felt the day I first accepted Jesus into my heart. I remember that I felt free. I remember that God's word was made manifested in my heart. But the cleansing that came over me, that powerful washing that took place in my my heart, oddly enough is hard to look back on and see. You know what was really interesting, was the number of times I went forward at alter calls in those first couple of years. It was like I was somehow wanting to experience that washing again and again; but there was nothing that came close to the first time. Imagine what it was like for that man being born blind to see for the very first time; it is a lot like that...

"I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope that he has given to those he called -his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 1:16-20) NLT

"Praising God"

PSALMS 111
"Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation." (Verse One)

 It has been determined that this Psalms was penned by David, to be used in and for the service of the church; as Matthew Henry puts it, "This and the divers of the psalms that follow it seem to have been penned by David for the service of the church in their solemn feasts, and not upon any particular occasion." Those last six words of his statement are very important, for they express our need to praise God in everything, the good times, the bad times, and all the times in between. It is an expression of who we are in this relationship with the One who has created us; we are made to worship Him! I find that it is easy to forget that; not that it is not part of my daily routine, because it is; at least I try to make it that. It is just that I get so wrapped up in my own agenda from day to day. Between working, taking care of my wife, trying to exercise, and planning where and when to eat, I seem forget to worship in the middle of all of that. Today is what we celebrate as Father's Day, and today I want to recognize our Heavenly Father, the Father the loves us and 'demands' our worship. It is really hard to express the reason, 'demands' might be a little hard to understand, especially for those that do not worship Him. He demands our respect, of that I am certain; but He desires more than that, He wants us to love and adore Him for who He is and all that He does. This Book that He has given us is a big giant love letter, filled with treasures straight from His heart and intended to reveal His love towards us, each and every one of us. No matter how it came about, man's fall was our Father's opportunity to show us His love. You already know how I think it all happened; but regardless, God created us with free will, and His will was for us to love Him. We all are drowning rats, and He is right there to save us! Whatever you do, don't give up, because His love is greater than anything you could ever know. He is a Good, Good Father...

"Jesus replied, "Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about hm, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming -indeed it's here now -when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:21-24) NLT

"One Safe Place" -2

"He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head." (Psalms 110:7)

 This salvation thing is more personal than we might think; it is something that each and every person must make their own, a personal relationship with the Lord. I can't tell you that you are safe and secure in Christ, that is something you must know on your own; but if you know it to be so, there is no one that can tell you otherwise. Does that mean we don't have doubts? I wish it was so, because there are always times of confusion in every believer's life. But, there is always the cross! That is where I go, time and time again! This is the "brook in the way," the place where Jesus hung His head down, as He drank of the "brook." That is where the judgment for my sins took place, and that is where I continually find my relief. There is where it was finished, the curse of sin was broken, once and for all! How do I know that I have eternal security in Christ? Because I know that I am washed in His blood and my sins are gone! Gone is a place where my sins can never be found; at least not by God! I, on the other hand, seem to remember them often. It is this confusion of my love for God; this fight that continues within me, causing me to doubt, wondering why I cannot love Him with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength; and why is it that I cannot love my neighbor as I should. Jesus said that on those two commands all the other commandments where hung; every other law hangs on these two commands, love God and love others. There is that word again and again: "hung." Was it really finished? As far as Him hanging down His head, that part was over; now it is time to "lift up the head," because He has won us victory in Him. I cannot love Him as I should, not in this broken body; but in Christ I can do all things, including that which is impossible for me to do on my own. I guess that means I get to lift my head up also, as do you! Maybe that is why Jesus told us to continually take communion, saying, "Do this in remembrance of me," because we forget what He has done, but we remember all that we have done. I have been forgiven! Thank you Jesus...

"When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." (Isaiah 53:11-12) NLT

"One Safe Place"

"He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head." (Psalms 110:7)

 When it comes to the final judgment, what could make it anymore convincing as to where we need to place our trust, than in the final Judge? Ultimately He will have the final word! Do you feel as though you are free? Freedom is not a place, it is in a place, a place far out of reach, and for good reason. If you could come and go from there, you would somehow find a way to mess it up and cheapen the glory of all that it is; much as we do with our own salvation. Which is exactly why it is secured for us in heaven. You can't mess it up and you can't cheapen it, no matter how hard you try; it is safe and secure with the Lord, right there where He is, at the right hand of the Father. Only God can take us from being defiled and unholy to being sanctified and pure; He is the One that accounts righteousness to any man or woman, nobody else has that authority and power. Therefore, my dear bothers and sisters, if He has called you sanctified and pure, then guess what that means: You are sanctified and pure! We belong to Jesus, and there is nowhere else that we can go where He cannot reach us or keep us. We even have His stamp upon our life, "Property of Jesus Christ." If you doubt it is true, then try and go into a place that you do not belong, among people that are not His children; see if you are not discovered, if they do not notice who you are. They will point you out as soon as you walk into the room! I know it is true, because I have experienced it myself. There is absolutely nowhere we can go where He is not with us; sorry if you think otherwise, but you are only fooling yourself. If you think that you can somehow hide and duck into this or that without Him, you are never alone, ever! Think about what that means, and then remember how much He still loves you. Nothing can take His love away from us, absolutely nothing...

"O LORD, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, "God will never rescue him!" Interlude. But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. Arise, O LORD! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! Victory comes from you, O LORD! May you bless your people. Interlude." (Psalms 3) NLT

"The One and Only" -Too

"He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries." (Psalms 110:6)

 It might not look pretty, but it sure is better than hell! There are so many different versions of what victory means in Christ; Do we have the victory within us? Is it something that we must work to achieve? Is it a state of mind? Is it even something that is possible? I could go on and on with so many different examples of what people are teaching and how they believe we are to walk in the victory of Jesus Christ. This is not about victory, this is about judgment, as in, Who will be the judge! "Who do people say that I am?" That was a question Jesus asked His disciples; and He was offered several different answers, but then He asked them: "But who do you say that I am?" And He received one answer, "The Christ, the Son of the Living God." Many may not know this, but all judgment has been given to the Son; and when the Bible says all, the meaning of all, is everything! This is why Jesus said, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) Why would anyone want to go anywhere else to be set free? There is freedom in nothing or none other than in Christ! Taken for face value, there are many different ways that people look for freedom; freedom is as much about how we feel as it is about how we live or how we think that we should be living. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't feel satisfied, you can't feel free. I will give you an example of what I know. When I was saved, I was in jail; prior to getting saved I could think about hardly anything else but being home with my wife and child; but after I was saved, where I was where I was meant to be, even though I still wanted to be home. I had been set free! Sure, I was still locked up, but that really did not matter all that much anymore because I was free, and freedom had nothing to do with a place, it was an experience. I know the Judge of my soul; I know that the Judge of my soul has paid the price for my sins; and I know that the Judge of my soul is making judgment upon all that I do, and He declares my innocence before the Father. That is freedom; that is what victory looks like...

""But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you, I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through the deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you."" (Isaiah 43:1-4) NLT

"The One and Only"

"He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries." (Psalms 110:6)

 Do not doubt God's word! We are living in a very special time, you and I, a time of in which there is a drawing to and a pulling away; those who are walking in the Spirit are being drawn towards the Word, making it clearer and sharper to the areas of their lives; while those who are walking in their flesh are pulling farther away from the Word, making it muffled and dull, as to live more comfortable doing those things that satisfy the flesh. The interesting thing about this time, is that there are churches now all around that will accommodate those that want to walk in the flesh; people that doubt God's word is all the relevant for today, especially the parts that concern lifestyle and freedom to choose how to live in this world. Listening to Doctor Chuck teaching on Jesus' teaching on the Beatitudes, or The Sermon on the Mount, it would appear that the law was superseded by this new teaching; whereas the law originally dealt with the exterior, while the Beatitudes deals with the interior, or the heart. In other words, it is now something that is what you are, not what you do; and what you do is based upon what you are. This was basically God's intention all along with Israel, that they would live according to what they were, a people governed by God. Just because they failed miserably at doing what God intended them to do, does not mean that God has failed to govern them; He never fails at anything! I seriously doubt that you want to be on the wrong side of right! This is not the time to let your guard down; this not the time to slumber. The Word of God does not change...

""See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind. He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke. The LORD will punish the world by fire and by his sword. He will judge the earth, and many will be killed by him. "Those who 'consecrate' and 'purify' themselves in a sacred garden with its idol in the center -feasting on pork and rats and other detestable meats -will come to a terrible end," says the LORD. "I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and people together, and they will see my glory."" (Isaiah 66:15-18) NLT

"It Is Serious" - 2

"The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath." (Psalms 110:5)

 Before I forget, Jesus is the Word of God, just in case you did not know this. If there was one thing that fascinated me more than anything else when I got saved, it was that Jesus is the Word. I spent several weeks making a crossword puzzle to show all the places in the Bible that proved He was God, and specifically that He was the Word of God. If you stop and think about it, it is the Word of God that gets things done, throughout the entire Bible, it is God's Word! John 1:1 was the verse that broke through and changed my heart: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." How it is that people who study the Bible don't understand that, I just can't figure them out; except to say that there is another spirit at work within them, the spirit of the antichrist. Don't doubt that it is not true, because I have seen the hold that it has on people, people very close to me. This spirit is at work in the hearts and minds of everyone that denies the Jesus is the Christ! And if you understand the Scriptures that speak of Christ, then you know that He is God. I heard Doctor Chuck sharing on this the other day, as he spoke about Isaiah 9:6 and where it says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." He mentioned that this was speaking of two separate things; the man child that was born in the flesh, and the Son of God manifested to the world. Jesus was both man and God! Now, if I were someone that was to speak evil of the Son of God, I think that I would be very careful of what I said; words matter a lot, especially when we are talking about the Word of God! Speaking about getting things done, it was Him that they crucified on that cross! Yes, it was that imagine that shattered my hard heart almost 37 years ago. That the Creator of this world would suffer and be put to death on a cross, to save the same world that He created. What ever you do, don't take that lightly...

 "Then everyone -the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person -all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?"" (Revelation 6:15-17) NLT

"It Is Serious"

"The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath." (Psalms 110:5)

 People just don't realize how serious the this is going to get, but there is coming a day when all the earth will curse God for the judgment that He will pour out upon this earth. There will be no doubt in that day that He is Lord, because they will all realize that it is Him that is poring out judgment, not the earth itself. Can you imagine the ignorance and stupidity of some of the smartest people alive today; those that think the world is reacting to climate change, change that is caused by man's carbon footprint upon this earth. They have seen nothing yet, if they think this is something. Jesus said that the end times would be as they are right now; so why are people so surprised that it is happening? Whether you know it or not, the Great Tribulation is God's wrath being poured out upon the earth. Don't you doubt it, because it will be a serious time to be a follower of Christ. If you think that there won't be any believers the get left behind, think again. I know that I don't have all the answers, but neither does anyone else. We are all part of the tapestry of God, woven into His work, His handiwork of eternity and master design. Yesterday Pastor Bryan gave a teaching about the Finger of God; teaching that the Scripture which speaks of Jesus writing on the ground was not about Him writing in dirt, because the Temple floor would not have been dirty. I guess I never realized before that Jesus was sitting in the Temple teaching when they brought that woman to Him. The amazing thing about the finger of God, is that His finger is what prevailed against Jacob. Jacob wrestled all night against the Lord, and it actually seemed as though he had prevailed; that is until the Lord touched his side with His finger. The weakness of the Lord is stronger than the strongest man! Can you imagine what it will look like to witness His power and might! Maybe we just need a little reminder...

"Then I saw heaven open, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sworn to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords." (Revelation 19:11-16) NLT

"It Is Real" -Two

"The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Psalms 110:4)

 Notwithstanding, my abilities to love God as I should do not limit God's love for me; His love is not determined by my affection towards Him, it is His affection towards me that counts. I hope you caught that from the closing Scripture and the highlighted, "And without question," part of the statement. Do not doubt God's word! Going back to verse three for just a moment, it speaks more than anything else about death and new life, new young life! This life is only temporary and is not the life that matters most to those of us that put our trust in Jesus Christ. It is that new life which is to follow, there is where our treasures are to be found, not here, not now. Jesus told His disciples, "Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterward." (John 13:36) This He said speaking of heaven and the fact that He was going to go be with the Father. This is a fact! Jesus made sure to explain it further by saying, "In my Father's house there are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2) The life we are looking forward to is a life that comes without pain and death; a life without sorrow and worries, where there is no more struggle against sin. So yes, I am sure, more sure than ever before, that my life is secure in Christ! Whether or not I am here, there, or in the air, I will always belong to Christ! To put it another way, my life is no longer my own and it has a new home that no longer has attachment to this earth. If we are born again in Christ, then there is no such thing as becoming unborn! I don't have all the answers, that is for sure; but we that have taken shelter in the Lord, we are safe and secure in Christ Jesus, forever more...

"Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that the oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:16-20) NLT

"It Is Real"

"The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Psalms 110:4)

 Besides the fact that the truth is within us, there is one thing that overcomes all doubt and failure of faith that we might have as believers, God's promises! Oddly enough, as I was thinking of this verse yesterday evening, I overheard someone speaking on the news, saying, "It is Real," but it sounded very close to "Israel." Maybe it was just the way they rolled everything together; and I know what they said, but Israel is what I heard; if that makes any sense whatsoever. As I was praying this morning, I keep hearing all those times when Jesus would say, "Verily, verily," as He would begin to speak of something that was the truth; as if to say, Most Assuredly, or Do Not Doubt Me. There is no way that anyone can convince me that the Bible is not true; I have studied it enough to see that God has most surely given us His word and that it is not made up or a fairytale. And I know for certain that God loves me; the proof of that is written everywhere in His word, and it is written upon my heart. Where I have issues of uncertainty is my love for Him; that is where my doubt comes from, where my insecurity is formed, and where I feel so unworthy of His love. IT IS REAL! Not much more I need to say...

"Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. But Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed." (Hebrews 7:4-7) NLT

"Power of the Truth" -Too

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth." (Psalms 110:3)

 Okay, so here is a little something that I felt the Lord putting on my heart, every since about 7:00 last night. Pastor Mike mentioned something yesterday, whether he realized it or not, it was something that I believe has power, power enough to make even the biggest skeptic a believer in the possibility of our eternal salvation in Christ. In speaking about whether or not a person could loose their salvation, as Mike usually does, he mentioned his illustration of loosing your car keys; and as most of us know, our salvation is not an object that can be misplaced, it is fortified in heaven. Towards the end of his illustration, he kind of switched gears, mentioning that the Holy Spirit that lives inside the believer does not give up on us, but will continue to pressure us to change and to get back on the path, even right up to our final breath. I believe this to be true, and since hearing it, I have been thinking about what that might imply for those that have seriously been lacking when it comes to giving everything to the Lord. Then about 7:00 last night, I believe the Lord spoke something into my heart, and I am sure that there will be some that refuse to believe it. Who are the majority of those that will go from the Great Tribulation and be in heaven? These are those that are witnessed in heaven and listed in Revelation 7:9-15, "These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Who is it that would have the greatest chances to realize the truth enough to take a stand and be executed for their faith? Does it not make sense that it would be those who had once actually walked with the Lord? The parable of the Ten Virgins is of ten virgins, or if you will, ten saints; five of which were ready and five of which were not. But the five that were not ready still wanted to be with Jesus, they just had messed up and not prepared for His return. I know that I have mentioned this before, but I find it rather interesting that the Scripture says, "and have washed their robes," as if it were something that they had to do on their own. Don't get me wrong, because I believe that there will be many people saved during the tribulation; but it will be extremely difficult for them to accept the truth. If wouldn't accept when it was safe to do, it will be even harder to do when it requires giving up their life. But for those that knew the truth already, it will be rather easy to make that choice. I'am just saying: No worries...

"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, "Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell down before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshipped God. They sang, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen." Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, "Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. "That is why they stand in front of God's throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; and they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes."" (Revelation 7:9-17) NLT

"Power of the Truth"

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth." (Psalms 110:3)

 Not that I don't freak out from time to time, because I do; mostly it's the little things that worry me the most; throw something big at me, and I almost always hand it straight to God. Let me tell why I think that is, at least from my perspective; the little things are things I seem to try to take on myself, things that I hardly ever bother the Lord with; but then I wish that I had, and wonder if I have made a mistake. The things that I know are too big for me to handle, I don't even consider trying to do anything with, and I just hand it over to the Lord. It is easy to see how that works, but I think it is best to give Him everything, even the stuff I think I can handle on my own. Here is a lesson in what it means to be His servant; if everything belongs to the Lord, then everything that we touch must be treated as such; none of it is ours, not even the time of day! You know that expression, "I gave at the office," well it is so too an expression within the church. Maybe I am making it more complicated than it is; but then again, every single moment of every day is also the Lord's. The more that I give to the Lord, the more that I have got to give up! Isn't that something? We really don't realize how much we have, both good and bad, until it is time to deal with it or put it to work. Whether we are talking about the stuff that we need to get rid of, or it is the gifts that the Lord has given to us, the more we give of ourselves to the Lord, the more numerous they both become. What exactly is the common denominator in all of that? What is it that each and every single one of us have available and at our disposal? It is all about time! Time to get serious and quit messing around; time to make every waking moment count. I really don't want to be that servant that says, "My Lord has delayed His coming," because it's time to get ready and stop taking chances...

"I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the LORD. He rules all the nations." (Psalms 22:25-28) NLT

"Proof of the Truth" -2

"The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." (Psalms 110:2)

 Besides all that He does, there is power in the things He does not do; as crazy as that might sound, it is amazing to even think about how it works. Take what happen to Jesus in those last few hours, those hours before He said, "It is finished." Don't you think that in those last few hours that there was silence in heaven? I am sure of it; that the Father and all the host of heaven were silent and gazing down in amazement. Here is a perfect picture of the second part of this verse; this is how the Lord gets it done, like the Champion that He is, without a word or even a fight. What amazing power was put on display, with the Lord doing nothing at all but surrendering His life to be sacrificed. Okay, so He did do something after all; because to do nothing was something that took a lot of strength and control. Imagine if that was you, having the power to stop all of that, yet letting it all happen, anyway, without a fight. There are many examples of this kind of power throughout the Bible; but none so drastic and profound. Isn't this a good example for us to witness? I mean, if you really want to see the power of God at work in your life, then don't do anything but surrender and be still. I can't help but think of Joseph and all that he went through for all those years in prison. Do you think he might have wondered what was up? Yet the power that was yielded by just him yielding and letting God do all the work. Even the things that we do wrong, big things, like Abraham having a child though Hagar. That was a pretty big mistake to not wait on the LORD; but the LORD used that mistake to save the whole people of Israel. It was descendants of Ishmael that took Joseph to Egypt; they were the ones that just happened by when his brothers were going to leave him in a pit to die. But this is how the LORD works! You break it, you burn it up, you destroy it; no matter what you might do, God fixes it and makes it all new. No worries, that is what I want my testimony to be. When it all seems to be caving in all around me, I want that to be my reaction...

"Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."" (Matthew 28:18-20) NLT

"Proof of the Truth"

"The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." (Psalms 110:2)

 You and I both know that no one needs to tell us what we should be doing and not doing; it is already known to us what God has required of us all; we just need to do what we have been told! There is a certain knowledge that we have been given in regard to God's law. The Holy Spirit teaches each and everyone of us that, and each of us are responsible for our own understanding of what it is that we are meant to be doing. Within this verse is the truth of many ages; the kind of truth that keeps getting tested by time and proven over and over, no matter the opposition and the powers to be. God is the final word in what goes on and how things get done. Isn't that the point to all that happens? No matter what, God's will is done! We may know what it is that we are to be doing, but we seldom know what the heck is going on! I still can't figure it out! Day in, and day out, I keep wondering what God is doing and why He does it the way that He does. Maybe it's just me, but I feel that I might not ever get the answer on this side of heaven. And to tell you the truth, I am really okay with that. I know that it gets to me now and again, but I also know that is all part of trusting God. If we had the answers, then where would trust come into play? There are those that will tell us that Jesus really had no special powers to be free from sin, and that He gave up all those powers becoming human. Hogwash! Jesus knew the Father's plan; He had the map and He knew how to read it. We cannot come close to doing what Jesus did, because He and the Father had it all worked out, and He was in on the plan. The best that we can do is to trust in the outcome, the final outcome! That would be the final destination in heaven, for those that might not know. Any outcome that happens here is not final. If you get cured from cancer, you will still grow old and suffer a little more; if you get out of your financial ruin, you still can't take anything with you when you leave. It really does not matter what happens here, because it is all temporary and is really not within our control. But, Oh my goodness! There is one thing that we have control over, both you and I, and that my friend is getting to heaven. Whomsoever is you and I...

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes -the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right with in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."" (Romans 1:16-17) NLT

"Proof to Ponder" -3

"The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." (Psalms 110:1)

 I know, it is hard to ponder all that is being said in one sitting. As to the ruling factor, Jesus will one day be that KING spoken of, as He portrayed in Psalms 2; which also happens to be another Psalm that has every single verse marked with a red star. The King James version reads a little differently, as it has a little more mercy displayed in verse 12: "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." If you really want to get right down to it, anyone that is not willing to make Him Lord, is His enemy. That is some pretty harsh reality, and it does not take a whole lot of research to determine what it means, that we are willing to make Him Lord. He is either Lord or He's not; there really is no other 'way' to make it out to be. The word "way" in the context of what is being said is the road we are traveling upon; or in the manner of speaking, the road that are no longer traveling on! As to the question of origin, there is a proof positive within each and every one of His followers that they truly are His: it is, that we are concerned whether or not we are pleasing Him as His servants. If we have that kind of concern within us, then it is safe to say that we are okay; if we could care less what He thinks, then it might be time to be concerned about the road we are actually on. Oddly enough, there is no middle road to travel down; it is either the road that leads to life, or the road that leads to destruction; and the road that leads to life is straight...

"But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, "This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he says, "I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds." And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifice." (Hebrews 10:12-18) NLT

"Proof to Ponder" -2

"The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." (Psalms 110:1)

 As to the fact that Jesus was God, there is this little thing about the virgin birth that makes all the difference in the world; which is most likely why there are so many who deny that it happened. Take this verse for instance; it speaks powerfully about the Messiah, yet, those within the Jewish religion will not count it as such because Jesus used it to claim His origin. We see this account in Matthew 22:41-46, as the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus uses that opportunity to ask them, "What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?" This is a question of origin, not of ancestry; yet they seemed to miss the whole point of the question. If they had known the Scriptures as they thought that they did, then they would have known that the Christ would be born of the seed of a woman; which is not possible because the seed comes from a man and fertilizes the egg of a woman; therefore the woman would be a virgin and Christ would not have an earthly father. Besides that, the prophet Isaiah, a Book that they supposed to be God's word, says several different times the origin of Christ. In chapter 7, verse 14, it says, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Furthermore, Isaiah 9:6, which is a verse I like to share with the J.W. people that knock at my door, says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." I think it is rather interesting how this question caused the Pharisees to not ask Jesus any more questions; at least not until He was on trial to be put to death. If only they had listened; but then again, it had to happen the way that it did...

"For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain." The king proclaims the LORD'S degree: "The LORD said to me, 'You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'" Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God's royal son, or he will  become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities -for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!" (Psalms 2:6-12) NLT

"Proof to Ponder"

"The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." (Psalms 110:1)

 Not that I need to prove anything, because I don't; none of us need to prove that what the Bible says is true, it is not our job to try and convince anyone, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. We, on the other hand, need to be prepared to share God's love and let the Holy Spirit work on conviction and revelation. There are several really good movies on the proof of the resurrection of Christ. There is really no need to try and prove that it really happen, but if you wanted to assure anyone, just the fact that the disciples were killed for their testimony is proof enough. Who would be willing to die for a lie? I know that I wouldn't. If I knew something was a lie, it would stop me from being willing to die for it; wouldn't it you? It's not like the disciples were getting rich by spreading the Good News. They were outcast and being persecuted for their testimonies and for proclaiming the name of Jesus. We have it so easy here, we seldom face persecution for proclaiming Christ; at least not yet, not here in this country. Just pray that you are ready when Jesus comes back for His church. If you are not, then be prepared to face the decision of your life, because you will need to make that choice. Personally, I think we need to get the truth settled in our hearts right now, because if you don't accept it now, then it might be harder to accept it later, especially because your life will depend upon your choice...

"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

"The Chosen King of the Lord"

PSALMS 110 [A Psalm of David.]

 Speaking of restoration, within this Psalm we have all the attributes of Christ; every single one of these seven verses is attributed to Jesus and His authority, humility, and exaltation. In most all of the Psalms I have marked the verses that speak of Jesus with a red 'x' to show what they are; but in all honesty, I can make almost every verse in the Bible speak of Jesus, in one way or another. Even Jesus said it Himself, "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they that speak of me." (John 5:39) I get a kick listening to Dr. Chuck; there is hardly a single message that does not involve the Gospel being brought out, no matter where in the Scriptures he is teaching from. As it should be. From the very first verse of Genesis, by which John's gospel shows the eternalness of Christ; to the very last verse of the Book of Revelation, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." Jesus is the volume of the Book! This is important for us to understand because there are so many different factors in the world that want to say otherwise; even those within certain sections or areas within the church. We must not ever minimize who Jesus is, what He has done, and why He had to do it; it is only by the blood of Jesus Christ that we are saved! There is no other way! I know that is not politically correct; in some churches, they make it out to not be Biblically correct. My choice to say that it is, is not based upon what I have heard others say, it is based upon what Jesus Christ has said, and there are only two ways to view what He has said: He was either lying or He told the truth. Interesting enough, He rose from the dead, so I am going to go with truth...

"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