"Linked Together"

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 118:29)

 If there was a way to illustrate it clearly, I surely would; buy there is no way to describe the way God takes everything, both good and bad, and He somehow presses it into a perfect mold. I guess the best way that I have heard it explained would be the process of making the perfect cake. Most of all those ingredients by themselves are not very pleasant and some are even bitter; but all mixed together they form something wonderful and very tasty. Between the first verse and this last, there were several very interesting things God revealed to me about who I am and why He loves me; the most important thing of all, is that He loves me regardless! There is the thing that makes it all beautifully perfect, because it surely isn't me! I don't have what it takes to make something wonderful in me, but He does! If you look at the first verse and this verse, they are very similar, with the exception of one word; the first verse say, "because his mercy endureth for ever," while this verse says, "for his mercy endreth for ever." One speaks of anticipation while the other of authentication. In other words, we need to anticipate God is going to work all things out towards the good, because His mercy surely endures for ever; and we live out what we believe by authenticating whatever it is we are going through is God working all things out towards the good, for His mercy is still enduring for ever. No matter what things may appear, He is always right here! Thank goodness, He is always good...

"I will tell of the LORD'S unfailing love. I will praise the LORD for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love. He said, "They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again." And he became their Savior. In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years." (Isaiah 63:7-9) NLT

"Apprehended"

"Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee." (Psalms 118:28)

 While having sushi with a friend of mine yesterday, he reminded me of how it was that God saved me, by sharing how God saved him. As he put it, he had no desire to be saved, especially at the time he was saved; his life was free and fun, or so he believed. The plans that he had for his life were filled with all the excitement the world has to offer, but God apprehended him, putting a stop to his plans and giving him a new ambition, to be a pastor. I remember not wanting anything to do with church; sitting outside the church, way out in the field used for sports, and feeling sorry for those men that were in that building and taken into some kind of religion. I remember crying in the dark, thinking that my tears were for them, and not realizing it was my soul that was lost, not their's. I had no intention of going to that church, and went out of my way to not go near it. Then I was sent to another place that did not have a church; one that was closer to downtown and did not have everything that the ranch had. I ended up getting a couple really good jobs; in the early morning I was a waiter in the Officer's dining room, and midday I was taken to another location to wash and detail Officer's cars. Both of those jobs provided me with money and tips; as in those days, we were allowed to have money in jail. And then it happen! One nontypical morning, as I laid there thinking of what I might do till my wife was coming to visit later that Sunday afternoon, there came the call: the Chaplin was speaking over the intercom announcing the morning service to be held in the cafeteria. He did this every Sunday morning, but previous to this, none of those announcements mattered; not like this one, this one was specific to me. That was my God apprehending me and grabbing hold of my heart! That is what I see in the verse above, because each and everyone of us would be lost in our sins, if God had not apprehended us by His love...

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12) KJV

"Be a Living Sacrifice"

"God is the LORD, which hath shown us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar." (Psalms 118:27)

 Whether or not you have seen the light, is not really something that can be hidden in our hearts; when we are in the light, we become light, it cannot be hidden. I know that I have shared this before, but within a month or so after I was saved, I had an experience with what I believe was a demon possessed inmate. As I waited in the hallway for an early release hearing, two large officers were bringing a bound man down the hallway towards me, and he was bound with chains around his hands and feet. As they started to reach the area where I was seated, I gazed down at the ground, to try to not get his attention; and all of the sudden the chains quit rattling and I realized that they had stopped right in front of me. As I looked up from the ground, the bound man was staring down at me, and when our eyes made contact, he spoke to me saying, "I know Jesus too," and then off he went, continuing down the hallway. I know it was something that can only be explained as light, and if there is one thing the darkness cannot stand, it is light. Matthew Henry gives a little illustration about the sacrifice being bound to the horns of the altar, as if it were bound there with a rope tied around the neck and waiting to be slain. It might not be the way things were done, or maybe it was; but regardless, the picture that is put forth is one of preparation. The sacrifice was bound in preparation to be sacrificed as an offering. Maybe you don't quite see it the way I do, but the altar represents the salvation that we have been given. In this regard, we are the sacrifice that is bound in preparation; we are bound to this salvation as a living sacrifice, and there is no escaping it. Because of what God has done for us, we must be that living sacrifice, bound to the altar...

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice -the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2) NLT

"Esteem Him Highly"

"Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD." (Psalms 118:26)

 Behind each and every reason for God to be praised, there is something that needs to be esteemed or pointed to for His handiwork. Paul mentions this is Ephesians 2, as he shows how God demonstrated not only His great love for us, but He has been working on getting us to a place where we can live in His presence, free from everything that is not of Him. This was God's plan all along; that we would be able to sit in together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He that cometh in the name of the LORD, is none other than Jesus Christ; the One who came from Heaven once to save it, and will come again to judge it. All that He does, He does in the name of the Father; and yet, the Father has placed all things under His feet. I truly cannot explain precisely the Triune nature of God, but the Bible portrays Him as such: One God in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all equal One! Those that take issue with this expression of who God is, they do so because it just does not add up. But, if we have an issue with one thing, what's to say we don't have an issue with another? We either take God at His word or we don't; there really is no room for any doubt, whatsoever. Just because I can't explain it or understand it, does not mean it is not so. I can't explain to you how God created the heavens and the earth from nothing, except to say that He is God, and that God can do anything. But one thing can easily be proven, and that is how Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for you and me. God demonstrated His great love for us by proving how much He loves us. That alone is enough to get my attention! We must bless His name! We must have churches that continue to bless His name! With expectant hearts, we must look at all that He has done, anticipating with blessing, all that He is yet to do. As Matthew Henry puts it: "We must pray for the enlargement and edification of his church, for the ripening of things for his second coming, and then that he who has said, 'Surely I come quickly,' would even so come." Come Lord Jesus, come...

"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 Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence." (Ephesians 3:10-12) NLT

"Walk the Walk"

"Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity." (Psalms 118:25)

 It is really not just a matter of counting it all His, we must give Him all of our lives also; even the parts that we seem to think are our own. This word "Prosperity," might seem to be speaking of prospering and such, as if we are asking God to bless us in our daily lives; but take a closer look, and you will see it is speaking about His will and direction over us, not what we want, but what He wants for us. Sure, the word might give those who are engaged in something profitable a chance to hold it up as some sort of slogan, but in the context of what is being said, it is speaking about spiritual things, not material or worldly prosperity. This is God's way of showing us that we cannot do this on our own; not only does God save us from our sins and eternal destruction, but He saves us from ourselves by pouring out His Spirit into our lives. The prosperity we are looking at is what might take place from an attack or conquest from bad to good; where the Spirit of God overwhelms a man to such a degree, that he no longer has the same passions and desires he once had. That is the kind of prosperity we are talking about, the kind that count towards the Kingdom of God, not the kind that count for man's worldly benefit. Matthew Henry relates it to being a request to be overtaken and made to love those things the God loves, and to hate the things that He hates; that is real prosperity! There is really only one way that we are going to have this kind of success, and that is by God's Spirit! It is not by power or by might, but by His Spirit that the prosperity of the Gospel is realized in the life of the believer. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the peace and righteousness to represent the Kingdom of God; without walking in the Spirit, we cannot represent Jesus as we should; we fail miserably at walking as we should walk...

"For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen on me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was my reproach. I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation."
(Psalms 69:9-13) KJV

"His Day"

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalms 118:24)

 You probably did not realize how many famous verses were tucked away in this Psalm; besides being about Thanksgiving, it has a lot to say about God's will. At least that is what I feel God tugging on my heart about this morning; this is about God's will for our lives and what He will do in this day. More than just that, it is us taking this opportunity to thank Him beforehand. It is us saying in our hearts, 'Lord, this day is all about you, and no matter what happens today, I will rejoice and be glad to experience your goodness!' It is like that first "God's Not Dead" movie, how those two pastors kept reminding each other about how good God was, saying, "God is good all the time," and, "All the time God is good." Even when things did not go the way they expected or hoped for, God was still good and was still doing something in their midst. It really does not matter what day we are talking about, they are all His, each and every one of them! There are few ways to look at this, because all things are in Christ, so there really is nothing that we can claim for ourselves, especially when it comes to time and money. Those are the two things we seem to get govern so much of what we do or don't do; at least that is the way I see things happening. We either have enough time and not enough money, or we have enough money and not enough time. God would have us give it all up to Him, if for nothing else, that we no longer feel the pressure of trying to manage it. I have no management skills over money, absolutely none. I have never been able to save money; the more I get, the more I spend or give away. Time, on the other hand, is something I have always felt I could never get enough of; and the more time I get, the more time I waste. I always work better when I feel as though there is not enough time. We all have the same amount of time in each waking hour; none of us are privilege to more seconds in every minute God gives us in this life; money on the other hand varies from person to person. May I not be caught saying anything about this being my time, because every second of my life belongs to the Lord...

"The Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, "Don't mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God." For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"" (Nehemiah 8:9-10) NLT

"Get In Line" -Too

"This is the LORD'S doing: it is marvelous in our eyes." (Psalms 118:23)

 If, is a pretty strange word, if we are talking about belief. I hope you got that? Not only is it not well to use it in the same sentence with anything associated with what I believe, it absolutely should never be used with God's salvation of our souls. I was thinking of those three young men that were about to be thrown in the fiery furnace, as they so happened to use that word also, saying, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (Daniel 3:17-18) It was never a question of if God would or could; God does and can do anything; but even if He did not or would not, there is more at stake for us then anything that man can do to us! If He does not heal you, will you still worship Him? If He does not take care of your situation, will you still serve Him? Whatever the issue is, have you made your salvation sure? This is something that is not up for debate; this is solely between you and God. I have nothing based upon anyone else or what someone I know has made known to me; this is an issue between me and my God, you and your God; there is no other besides Jesus who gets us into the Throne of God and who breaks down that curtain wall. If someone can talk you into believing, then someone can talk you out of it also. It must be settled in our hearts, whether or not anything else, it is so; so there...

"Bothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God -something the law of Moses could never do. Be careful! Don't let the prophets' words apply to you. For they said, 'Look, you mockers, be amazed and die! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it.'"" (Acts 13:38-41) NLT

"Get In Line"

"This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." (Psalms 118:23)

 If you want to get technical about it, there is nothing that goes on without God's authority and outside of His knowledge; even the stuff that hurts! Even that which hurts His heart! If it is happening anywhere, He already knows the outcome of all our trials and circumstances; and in the end, we all win! Imagine for a moment if you were living during the crucifixion of Christ, and if you were one of those that were following Him. What would be your reaction to what was done to Him? What would you have thought about God's role in that, as you tried to go to sleep that night? I can remember the first night I tried to go to sleep, after I was forced to go home from the hospital. I was a mess! I cried myself to sleep, and after about two hours of sleep, I was back down to the hospital to check on my wife. But something changed in me that day, as I was reminded of a very popular song that was playing in my mind: "It is Well." Over and over again it played, making me realize that God was in control and that His plan for me was not for destruction, but to give me hope for a future. We might not always feel so secure, but we can always lean on the everlasting arms! If we believe in God, and if we believe that His Word is true; and if we believe that He sent His Son to die for our sins, and that Jesus rose from the grave on that third day, just as He said that He would; then we can count on God to get us through whatever it is that might be happening in our lives. When it is all over, will you be able to say that you believed He loved you? Can there be anything that hurts enough to take believing that away? There is something more than this, and it is marvelous...

"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. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else -not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself." (Ephesians 1:19-23) NLT

"The Head Stone"

"The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." (Psalms 118:22)

 Of all the mysteries of God, the one that goes deeper than any other, is the mystery of Christ. Jesus said it Himself: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39) When John concluded his Gospel, he left off saying, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." (John 21:25) There is such power in His name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow! The division that is caused by simply mentioning His name; you can bring up God as a topic, or even as Deity, but you start to mention the name of Jesus, and people react differently. It is really funny how that works, because Jesus said, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." As hard as it is to understand, the who idea of man's need to be saved offends people and causes them to feel dirty and uncomfortable. It leaves a stain, a stain of guilt and shame; even the most hardened heart cannot ignore that stain forever. The only thing that helps to blot it out is more sinfulness and wickedness; thus, the whole explanation of the fury displayed by the Jews against Jesus. They really didn't have a choice, it was either go all out, or give in; and giving in was not the plan, as spoken in the verse above. There are so many places in the Scriptures that speak of Christ, I believe that we can find the Gospel message on every single page, in every single chapter of every single Book, because they all speak of Jesus Christ...

"Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?" "Don't you know?" the angel asked. "No, my lord," I replied. Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: 'May God bless it! May God bless it!'"" (Zechariah 4:4-7) NLT

"Amazing Testimony"

"I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation." (Psalms 118:21)

 Now is the time when we must get this right; not tomorrow, not after we sort out the things we don't quite understand. Tomorrow will never come for those who wait; especially if they are waiting for answers to spiritual questions. This is something that is totally between you and God, there is no other counselor to speak to, other than Jesus Christ, the Wonderful Counselor! I can remember the very first real Bible Study that I had after being born again. It was in a cafeteria setting, and the topic was about the Bridge that was built between us and the Father; that Jesus bridged the gap between sinful man and a Holy God. I remember the instructor showing us how our sins were separated from us, and how the blood of Jesus takes those sins away, never to be looked upon or judged, ever again. When we ask God to forgive us of our sins, He forgives us of our sins! That is what He does, He is in the mercy giving business! The Bible clearly shows us how merciful He is, to those that love mercy. There is the key to getting right with God: knowing that you need mercy, knowing where it is at, and asking for it to be given to you. I don't even think we need to wait until we understand what we are asking; we just need to know that we need it, and that we need it right now! To all of the brothers and sisters out there that might think that they have it, and that it no longer needs to be given; it is never a matter of whether we need God's mercy or not, it is always a matter of how much and how soon can I get it! He never runs out of mercy; and we can never get enough...

"I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power. Then I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. For this will please the LORD more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves. The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged. For the LORD hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people." (Psalms 69:29-33) NLT

"Amazing Redirection" -2

"Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: this gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter." (Psalms 118:19-20)

  Just in case you might not know, that word, "constraineth," is word that speaks of being held captive, or being a prisoner. Whether you buy into the whole idea of predestination, it is pretty much something that is based upon God's knowledge and love, not upon what we know or can imagine on our own. Those that have been chosen by God have no idea who they are, until they are chosen; and just because we are called, does not necessarily result in being chosen for His Kingdom. Take the case of Judas, the one the betrayed Jesus; he was called and chosen for a specific task, but he was never fit for the Kingdom. All throughout his time with Jesus, he continually had his heart fixed upon this world; guarding the money was well suited for him, because money was important, just as was the Messiah's role in overturning the Roman's rule over Israel. I know that I am speaking of some things that leave room for debate; but there is something that must take place in our lives when we are on the right road, or path, or entering through the right gate; how ever you which to explain it, it requires a new direction, one that is fixed upon Heaven and not on this earth. Does that mean we no longer are concerned over this place? Not in the least! We have been chosen as messengers also; each and every one of us that are saved, we have been saved to share the Good News we have been given. So, yes, we most certainly are concerned over this place; there are people here that need direction! That is our ministry, however God chooses to use you or me, our ministry is redirection; or as Paul so gracefully says, "reconciliation." To be reconciled to God is not a temporary action, it is forever! It is a lot like marriage between a man and woman, at least the way God intended it to be: "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Mark 10:9) Imagine how that works in the Kingdom of God; the place where no man can touch or alter anything that God has performed...

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us to the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19) KJV

"Amazing Redirection"

"Open up to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: this gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter." (Psalms 118:19-20)

  As hard as it might be for us to know the magnitude of God's great love for us, it is incredibly easy to receive it; we only need to ask, and He is more than willing to receive us! I don't fully understand it, but He loves us so much, He is waiting for us to cry out to Him for His salvation and His mercy. Yes, that is what we are talking about: Redirection! If there is one thing I know, it is God's love is the same, before and after. He loved us as much before we received His offer of salvation as He loves us now; He does not change, the same love that has drawn us to Him is the same love that will carry us through to the other side. Anyone who might think God's love is different for those who have been saved and for those that have not, does not know the heart of God. The Bible clearly says that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance". (2 Peter 3:9) Not that it makes any difference, but the same love that saved us is the same love that keeps us. In other words, we constantly need His unconditional love! We should never think otherwise, as if, the love we needed then is not the same as the love we need now; as if we are now somehow able to love Him as we should, so we have evened the playing field. We are what we are because Christ lives in us! We are in Christ, and He lives in us; without Christ, we are the same broken and selfish person that we were before. The love of Christ constrains us...

"And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God's ways; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness." (Isaiah 35:8-10) NLT

"A Slight Correction"

"The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death." (Psalms 118:18)

 Going back to the title over the beginning of this Psalm, Thanksgiving is our way of expressing how thankful we are that God loves us. I was thinking about something that I said yesterday, and I should revisit my statement about why we are here in the first place; because eternal life is not the only reason we are here, it is important, yes, but it is not the only, and maybe not even the first and foremost. There was something that God needed to prove to us, something that cannot be denied: He proved how much He loves us! Of all the things that might matter, just knowing that God loves me, enough to give of Himself for me, that is enough to win my heart forever. If you have ever ran a race, or participated in anything that might test your endurance, then you know that there are levels to the pain and energy within the human body; all of which manipulate the mind and are amplified by the mind. But there is something else that takes place during the moments of discouragement and extreme fatigue, something that comes from the heart and center of our will and determination. It is described my some as some kind of an inner core, or something that comes over us; something that is triggered within us that causes us to look past the pain and to focus upon the goal. Sure, eternal life is something great to look forward to; but there is nothing that compares to the love of God! What would eternal life be without it? Isn't that why God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden, so that they could live forever in their fallen state? No, if am pretty sure that love makes us more thankful than anything else, especially being loved by such a wonderful and amazing God...

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love -not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:9-10) NLT

"I Shall Not Die!"

"I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD." (Psalms 118:17)

 Given all the other things that we could talk about, this is by far the most important, eternal life! Isn't that what we came here for? I know we didn't do it for the happiness and comfortable living; we surely didn't do it for getting rid of issues and freedom from guilt. Although the Bible tells us that we are justified in Christ, there are some times when guilt and shame are more real than they could ever be; they are absolutely more powerful than they were before I knew forgiveness. I hope you can relate to what it is that I am saying, because I have got to know that it is not just me. This is what sin does to me now, like David shared in his beautiful Psalm, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." (Psalms 42:11) Sure, it might all be inside of me, but it is in me because the Holy Spirit has convicted me of something that needs to be dealt with. That is the part of this race that makes it more than just a sprint; this is a race towards eternity, that takes on all sorts of obstacles, and there are countless injuries along the way. Yes, it is about eternal life; but more than that, it is about sharing this Good News with as many people as we can along the way! If we try to tell people that Jesus can give you new life, they probably will not understand it; but once they find out for themselves, eternal life changes everything! What a difference a day makes...

"For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose -to be Lord both of the living and of the dead." (Romans 14:7-9) NLT

"Perfect Power"

"The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly." (Psalms 118:16)

  It really makes no difference how you might feel about your position, whether you are a leader or someone being led, we are all the same in the body of Christ. This is pretty hard to understand, but the more I focus upon Jesus and His majesty, the more I can see that it is really all about Him. Yes, we all have certain issues, some worse that others; but Christ has dealt with every single one of those issues on the cross; there is nothing here on this earth that has not been taken care of, He settled the deal for each and every sin that we have ever sinned. Paul gives us this proof is Romans 5:12-21, as he expresses the connection between one man's sin resulting in death for all mankind, but by another Man's righteousness, we are all given life. Was this God's plan all along? I believe it that was, and it was God's way of making us into His perfect image. I know that I have said this before, but even before Adam sinned, the garden was not perfect; it was not perfect, because in the midst of the garden there was a forbidden fruit growing on a tree of knowledge of good and evil. I was listening to the professor the other day, I believe he was the one in charge of, or that started, the "Discovery Institute." He had some pretty interesting things to say, mostly being focused upon man's creativity and the difference between knowledge being controlled and left alone to continue to learn. I know I am not doing it any justice, because there was quite a lot that he was saying. But he kept going back to the fact that we are created in the image of a Creator, and so we are meant to be creative and always learning. The big difference between us and our Creator, is that He knows all things and we do not; besides the fact that He creates something from nothing, and we must take something to make something else, our Creator has given us a powerful mind that needs to be put to work. We can see this illustration given in the beginning, as God instructed Adam to name all of the animals. Oddly enough, it was this task of naming the animals that caused Adam to desire the woman that God was planning to make for him. God does not learn, He knows all things, and He knows beforehand every single thing that we need, including what we need to dwell with Him eternally...

"Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God -his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."" (1 Corinthians 2:6-9) NLT

"Place of Protection" -2

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly." (Psalms 118:15)

 To get a little more personal, these "tabernacles" being spoken of, they are you and I; we are the ones that God has accounted righteous, those of us that have been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. If there was an easy way to illustrate what is being said, it would be for the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, who is in fact God, to be regarded as the "Tabernacle," or His dwelling place. We are those that have the Holy Spirt dwelling within us, therefore, we are the "tabernacles." So, it is easy for us to understand why "rejoicing and salvation" are what we should be speaking about; for our conversation is in heaven, as the Holy Spirit moves us and places these things upon our hearts. There is really no other hiding place that we have, but in the righteousness of Jesus Christ! If I could put into a single sentence, I would say exactly what Paul declares in Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." If we are those that walk after the Spirit, then we are constantly in check; the Holy Spirit keeps us in check, constantly at war with the flesh, and always pressing forward to allow His perfect work in our lives. We might not be perfect, only Jesus Christ was perfect; but by the righteousness of Christ Jesus, we are made perfect in Him; Him who sits at the Father's right hand...

"Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! The LORD has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn. Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King!" (Psalms 98:1-6) NLT

"Place of Protection"

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly." (Psalms 118:15)

 It never fails, the more I feel God speaking into my life, the more I feel like giving up and quitting this daily post. I can't tell up how many times I have woke up and just wanted to skip posting; but I have made it my challenge to keep doing this, at least as long as Marianne is with us; or until the powers to be shut me down. This morning I woke up and turned on Fox & Friends at 4:00; then I laid there next to Marianne and watched it for about 45 minutes. We are living in some pretty interesting time. I truly believe that our county is at a crossroad; and whatever happens, it is ultimately in God's hand, because He is on the Throne! As I was reading this verse, I couldn't help but think of Paul's command in Philippians 4:4, where he admonishes those serving in the church to, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." It was not really a suggestion, but as an elder and a pastor, it was given as a command. As he works up to that commend, he speaks about how our hearts and minds are to be fixed upon Heaven, saying, "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." There are a whole lot of disputes and divisions among believers that would be eliminated, if we all had our "conversation in heaven." That word "conversation," is a word that actually means 'commonwealth,' 'a state of, or a form of government.' It is might be best to associate it to the Constitution; whereas we are governed by a set of laws that make our rights and responsibilities fit the place where we call home, which is Heaven. It might be better illustrated by the, "What Would Jesus Do," way of thinking, where we base each decision upon the question of how the Lord would choose to do this or that. With regards to our choice to rejoice or not, it is taken to a whole new level of consideration if we base that choice on Heaven. There is really nothing that can take away from rejoicing if we have the reason to rejoice out of reach. If I can't reach, no one else can either! That is why Paul continues to press the point of why we must rejoice...

"Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all that 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 4:5-7) NLT

"Choose The LORD!"

"The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation." (Psalms 118:14)

 Having walked with the Lord for all these years, I think I know what is required of me in this very unique relationship. Not withstanding, I must believe that God loves me and that His live for me is unconditional; which pretty much means that He loves me the same today as He did yesterday, and that no matter what I do, or don't do, He will love me the same tomorrow as He does today. This is not based upon anything that I could ever do, but it is based upon Him and His love for me. Crazy, yes! I have become a fool for Christ, because I am lost in the amazing love of God! Obviously, it takes a little faith and trust to declare this kind of a relationship is real; but better than just blindly choosing that it is real, we have been given the proof; and we are more than able to test it and prove that it is real. Even with that said, if it somehow be any different, what have I to loose! Seriously, what kind of life is there to live on this messed up place called earth, without having the hope in a glorious life waiting on the other side? The whole notion of putting all of your faith in Christ, it is all based upon hope in the life that is waiting on the other side of this life; it is not to receive blessings, it is not for good health, it is not even for happiness; it is for the salvation of our souls! I hope you have come to realize that, because if you are looking for any of those other things to be the reason, you are not going to feel very satisfied in your faith. The NLT has given the second part of this verse a little more clarity, saying, "The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory." Whether you choose to accept it or not, the victory that we have been given is not based upon happiness, wealth, good health, or even in protection from prosecution; it is based upon something for more everlasting! Not one single thing we can be blessed with from this earth will we take with us; it is all going to be burnt up and tested in the fire. Only the hope of everlasting life in heaven is where real joy and peace is found; there is where our victory is realized, there is where victory is found. It surely will not be found in what I can or cannot do for the Lord; it is found in what He has done for me...

""Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me."" (Isaiah 45:22-23) NLT

"Watch and Stand"

"Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall: but the LORD helped me." (Psalms 118:13)

 I don't think that there are many people that have the ability to share this testimony as well as David, because he lived it several different times in his life. He lived it from the time Samuel anointed him to be king, until he was ruling the nation of Israel; he lived it when he sinned with Bathsheba; and he lived when Absalom tried to remove him from the throne. Each time there was a different kind of threat, a different tactic from the enemy; but each time David recovered by remembering who's he was and the hand that was upon his life. The first was a case of mistaken identity, the second was just a big mistake, and the third was the consequences for that big mistake; but each and every one of them was something the enemy was behind, but that God allowed. Yes, God allowed it all! Just like God allowed Eve to eat that forbidden fruit, and then He allowed her to share it with her husband. In a perfect world, everyone would just do what is right and good, because there would not be any choices; but God gave man the ability to make a choice, a choice between doing what is good and doing what is evil. There's that word again, evil; as if all things that are bad and wrong fall into the category of being evil. The truth to the matter is, God made everything good; it is the wickedness of this fallen world that takes what is good and makes it evil. It was evil for Adam and Eve to disobey God in the first place; so everything that is wrong and bad falls into that same category because it is all based upon disobedience. In Isaiah 55:3, God says, "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make a everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." It really does not matter how far you might slip, you can never slip so far that God cannot catch you. But, what is the important thing to remember, is that you belong to Him! What are we watching for? We are watching for the enemy at work; keeping a close eye out for every trick and every trap that might be placed before us, because evil is real and alive, but we always have a choice...

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. I his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen." (1 Peter 5:8-11) NLT

"Stand and Watch"

"They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them." (Psalms 118:12)

 It is amazing to me how little we know, and yet, how much God can show us. This is pretty much what I think God is speaking into my heart through this verse this morning. When it comes to fear, most of our fear is something that is unreal expectations; our minds run in so many directions when we are worried about a certain issue or dealing with something beyond our control. I would say to anyone dealing with such uncertainty, pray for peace, and then watch God work everything out for the good. I know, it is easy to put something like that out there, but living it is difficult; it cannot be that simple! Actually it is that simple; it is just hard to do. It is hard because we always think that we need to help God figure out what is going on and how He should fix things; when all along, He already has the plan, we just need to relax and let Him do what He is going to do. If you have heard me share about learning to drown, then you know how important it is to not fight God's working in our lives. In the illustration above, David is speaking about something out of control and something that cannot be contained; a swarm of bees is a really good example of what that might look like. You don't know from where it is coming from and how to defend yourself against it. Much like the way our enemies are God's tools in our trials, these bees are God's smoke screen; they are nothing more than that, and just like smoke, they are blown away. If you have ever seen how quickly thorns burn up when they are on fire, they are not very good fuel to use in order to light a campfire; at least not without being tied in a bundle. By the way, evil is all evil; it is all one big bunch of thorns...

"David replied to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven's Armies -the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD'S battle, and he will give you to us!"" (1 Samuel 17:45-47) NLT

"To Stay Unmovable"

"They compassed me about, yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them." (Psalms 118:11)

 For anyone that thinks this is about politics, it is not; this is about those who stand up for God, for Jesus, and for the right to call upon the Lord in the public forum, in business, and in our schools. There is a real threat against all that is right and good; but we know that is unstoppable, because the Bible tells us what this world will become. The question really becomes about our ability to share the truth, whether in private or public; because there are those that would like to make it a crime to tell anyone who does not want to hear, that they are living in sin. So much for that! This is what we might call speaking a positive statement using a double negative, as in the issue is not going away soon or without some serious action. In David's case, there were several times in his life when this was more than a reality, it was only the promise of God upon his life that gave him any hope at all. But isn't that what should be our anchor? No matter what might come against us, there is nothing that can move God! So where should that put us? He is our Rock and our Fortress; we must take shelter in the Lord! I actually don't think David is referring to the destruction of any enemies or nations; this is about him destroying any strength they might think that they have against him; this all takes place in his heart and mind, such is the case anytime we are dealing with the forces of darkness and evil. You know, it has been said that David did not make a very good father, because he lacked the ability to discipline his children. Maybe it was his own sin that gave him the lack to correct or discipline. But in the arena of spiritual warfare, we must truly understand where we stand. This is why Paul gives us the illustration he does about putting on the Armor of God; but he does not leave it off with just putting on the Armor, because even armored up, we still need to stand, and stand, and do all that we can to do to keep on standing! It is really not anything about our individual ability to stand, because we have nothing within us that allows us to have that ability; but we represent the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is in Him that we are able to stand; that is what being justified is all about! Without being justified in Christ, we really have no right to stand against anything sinful or unholy, because we are just the same, sinful and unholy; but in Christ we are changed...

"For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I'm not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God's church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me -and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet is was not I but God who was working in me by his grace. So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed. But tell me this -since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless." (1 Corinthians 15:9-14) NLT

"To Be Unmovable"

"All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them" (Psalms 118:10)

 There are some things that require us to take a stand, whether it is popular or not, it is a matter of what is right. There was a good lesson to be learned from the recent events here in American politics; whatever side that you might be on, you stand up for what is right and you do not back down! For way too long the silent majority has taken it on the chin and played nice; even at the sake of loosing some of their rights to be heard. I think you know what I am talking about. I don't know when it was, or if it even happened yet, but there was a day that believing children were encouraged to bring their Bibles to school, a, "Take Your Bible to School Day." I saw the commercial only one time, but that was the last I heard about it. How we even got to the place where offending one person could result in your rights being taken, or a memorial taken down, or a religious symbol to be removed; whatever happen to fairness and real civility? To even begin to understand where we went wrong, we only need to see where God is in the whole process. Seriously, where is He in our schools, in our local governments, in our politics and discussions regarding the rule of law? If God is not the standard for the rule of law, then who gets to decide what is right and wrong? When did we get to the point where the nuts are running the asylum? Our public schools are a good example of what I am taking about, as they have become less about learning and more about molding. I had wood shop in Jr. High School; in seventh grade I was learning how to make things out of wood. Now the projects are signs and banners for the resistance, or whatever other march or protest is popular. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be a complainer, because I am quite aware that it is only going to get worse; all that I am saying is that we need to get better! The worse the world around us becomes, the more that our light needs to shine. There needs to be a standard that remains visible for all to see, and that Standard is Jesus Christ! If the name of Jesus is lifted higher, then everything will make better sense...

""On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves."" (Zechariah 12:3) NLT

"Ridiculous"

"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes." (Psalms 118:9)

 Now what? Is the world starting to loose it, and are we beginning to witness what real foolishness looks like? Yes, I am talking about the resent suggestion that we only have ten years to turn this climate around, or the whole world will be lost forever; or some such ridiculousness. I firmly believe that God, and only God, can do any such thing. He will bring about a destruction like has never been seen, but it will happen on His time, not on our time. We seriously need to get ready, because this is starting to become laughable. "Princes" is really not what you might think, because it is more about willingness than an actual person. To begin to understand what might have been in David's heart, it is more about a standard; standard meaning an idea or thing used to measure the norm. It is like looking at what might be considered normal, and then using that as a guide or standard to base living or as your life should be lived. There is actually a Commandment that addresses this: Thou shalt not covet! How often do we actually do this? I would estimate that it happens constantly in almost everyone's life. There are so many things to covet; there are so many rich and famous people to want to change lives with; if I only could, that is the heart in so many people, even believers. Paul addresses this in several different places; even James makes it the reason for division in the church, saying, "From whence come wars and fighting among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?" (James 4:1) But it does not stop there, because willingness is not something that can be turned off and on like a switch. If it were, then there really would not be so much harm that is caused by it. It is more about a frame of mind; a pattern of thinking that likes to place everything the eye sees into a category of likes and dislikes, and the like category becomes the want and need categories, even if you don't really want or need it, it just looks good in the moment. Ridiculous is probably not a strong enough word to describe it. It is better to just trust in the LORD, because all this other stuff is all going to get burned up. Oh, I forgot to mention, it also means spontaneous...

"But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and every element themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames." (2 Peter 3:10-12) NLT

"Inconsistent"

"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." (Psalms 118:8)

 If there is anything that best describes the logic behind this verse, it could be summed up in the way the heart of man operates. Jeremiah puts it into the proper perspective, saying, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) To shine a little light on the question, it is a question of our inability to see the wickedness within our own hearts: none of us actually know the depravity that is within us, until it is triggered to come out. David's sin with Bathsheba is a prime example of how that works, as one thing leads to another, until you are under the complete control of your sinful nature, unable to think rationally, and desperately wicked. This is what God was speaking to Cain about, saying, "You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master." (Genesis 4:7 NLT) It is really not a matter of trust that we are talking about, as in counting on man for help in any situation; although that is pretty much a given. It is more about placing hope in anyone, as in making anyone out to be more than they actually are, a human being that makes mistakes and can become desperately wicked. This is pretty much a common mistake in the church, that people will look to the pastors or spiritual leaders for some kind of hope; as if those who are in leadership can overcome every temptation and every sin. It just isn't going to happen; we all have the same sinful natures, and we all are subject to sinful desires. I was seriously sad to hear about a local Calvary Chapel pastor that recently left his wife for another woman. Not so much for him, although my heart did break for him; but for the congregation that had been going there for all these years, some of which I know. It is just heartbreaking to know that their will be people who's lives will be devastated, only because they put confidence in a man, instead of putting all of their trust in the LORD...

"My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude
"Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air." (Psalms 62:7-9) NLT

"Unconditionally"

"The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me." (Psalms 118:7)

 So, if six would be the number that might represent man, and seven might represent God, then what would be seen in this? If the title above says anything at all, it says that we must trust Him not matter what! I really don't know how else to say it, other than, to not pay any mind to the threat and fear that might be brought with it, but to keep your eyes upon the Lord, knowing that He has hold of your life; regardless of how thongs might appear. I guess to better understand what I might be saying, we could look at these two verses together, but with a little different format. In the New Living Translation, these two verses are actually four sentences, as such: "The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me." As you can see, it shows us a little different aspect to what we might be dealing with, in any situation! If we are trusting God fully, then we must realize that everyone that comes to our aid, does not just represent God's help, they are His hands and feet. This works both ways, because those that might be part of the problem are also under His control, they just don't know it, or realize what they are doing. I guess to ultimately understand what it is that I am trying to say, we could look at the crucifixion of Jesus; at not only the actual act, but at everything leading up to that final moment of His death. Picture, if you will, what might have been going through the mind of Christ; all the way from His arrest in the garden, to His request to the Father from the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Everything that came against Him was the Father's will; that is the will He spoke about in earnest, "Not my will, but thine, be done." In this illustration of trust, even those that are against the Lord are instruments of the Father's will; which is what is shown in the fourth sentence of the Scripture quoted above: "I will look in triumph at those who hate me." The battle belongs to the LORD; good, bad, or out of control, He is fighting for you...

"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God be for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one -for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one -for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us." (Romans 8:31-34) NLT

"No Safer Place" -2

"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalms 118:6)

 Imagine this as being the standard for all those that put their trust in God; it not only speaks to what we are in Christ, but it also speaks to what we are here on this earth. This life is temporary and getting shorter by the day. Besides making the determination in our hearts, we need also to accept the fate of this mortal shell; it is just a tent, a temporary shelter for our eternal soul. As far as I am concerned, this tent is here and kept moving upon this earth by God. When it is time for me to depart this earth, then this tent will no longer be kept alive, and my departure will take place. There is really not anything about death that I am afraid of, because I believe that it will result into something far better than this current life. Do you believe that too? This is what I believe David is expressing in the second part of this verse, because David believed in life after death, and he knew the life that waited was far greater than the life here on this earth. Besides that, if God is on our side, what is there to fear here on this earth? If the God that created everything that we see is for us, then everything we see is ultimately under His command. Jesus gave us such a good example of what that looks like put into practice; as He moved freely and unharmed throughout His ministry, knowing full well what His time would be and that no one could lay a hand on Him until that time should come. In the meantime, He spoke of that better place that awaited, in His Father's house. If there was some kind of message Jesus wanted to get across to His disciples, it was how He was determined to get home; that is the kind of determination I want in my heart, to make it home...

"I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:12-14) NLT

"No Safer Place"

"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalms 118:6)

 Prior to any real victory over fear of the unknown, we need to have something solid and sure that we can believe in that takes us above all that might come against us. In the verses above, we have just that; because, "If God be for us, then who can be against us?"  (Romans 8:31) We have a promise that is given to us by the Almighty God, the Creator of Heaven and earth; a promise that He will assure us victory and a place that is resting on the other side of this life, here in this world. So, what is it that might cause us to fear what man can do to us? It is so important that we establish this in our hearts! If there is one thing we need to get right, it is the fact that God is for us: that He is on our side! There is the one thing that the devil has in his toolbox that he will not give up, discouragement. For those of us that have been serving the Lord for any amount of time, we know what discouragement is, and we know how it can bring us to a place of feeling alone and hopelessly forgotten. It is in those times when we discover that the cure is not ever found in what we are looking for, because what we are looking for cannot be seen! It is found in where we place our faith: because, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) I know what I know because God has told me so! It is pretty much that simple! "God said it, I believe it, that settles it!" If want to argue with that, it is not me you need to take up your argument with, it is God's word, that is where you should go. Take you case to the Word of God and ask Him for yourself, that He might show you what is truth. I guarantee that you will settle it in your own heart, because, His word does not return void...

""I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who will wither like the grass and disappear? Yet you have forgotten the LORD, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone! Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate! For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies. And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, 'You are my people!'"" (Isaiah 51:12-16) NLT

"God is Bigger!"

"I called upon the LORD in my distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place." (Psalms 118:5)

 As far a challenges go, there is hardly anything that I can face that is as scary as a fiery furnace. I might have some trials to deal with; right now, it is dealing with taxes. But seriously, what is that very little trial compared to what those three young men faced? I can totally relate to what David is speaking of here, because I have lived in this experience, time and time again. This is what we might commonly refer to as perspective; the view of our current problems in comparison to the bigness of Almighty God. In case you might not know it, perspective is a noun, because it is a place, a thing, and in the case of God, it is a Person! All God needs to do, is remind us He is there, and all of our issues get put into their proper place. Just like that, our problems are no longer larger than that which can be handled, because God can handle anything! Much like Peter trying out the walking on the water thing, our perspective can be changed in an instant; almost as easy as looking away and taking our eyes off of the Lord. Isn't that what causes us to stumble, over and over? Just the simple act of not living as though God is right there, walking with you, and watching over everything you do; it is enough to make us feel independent and free to do whatever we want. But, let there be a little issue, whether it is financial or physical, and instantly we need to readjust our way of living. It is like one of those, "I am a child of the KING," moments. It is where we realize that what we have been doing does not represent who we are, or what kind of power is watching over us. If we truly want God to be bigger than any problem we might be facing, then He needs to be big enough to submit our life to. It really is all about our own personal perspective...

"David was now in great danger because all of his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk about stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God. Then he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the Ephod!" So Abiathar brought it. Then David asked the LORD, "Should I chase after this band raiders? Will I catch them?" And the LORD told him, "Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!"" (1 Samuel 30:6-8) NLT

"Unquestionable Mercy"

"Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 118:4)

 I believe that it is not a question of how or why God will have mercy upon us, because the real question is on us; God does not need to prove anything, we are the ones that need to prove that we trust Him, no matter what things might look like and how they appear. Our God makes beauty from ashes! He takes the most ugly experience and changes into something beautiful, with just a word! The more I study and understand the Scriptures, the more I realize how little I really know and how much more of God's love I need in my life. I do not think that anyone on this earth can honestly claim to totally understand all that is written in the Holy Bible, because there is more there than just words. His word is alive and living, right now! It is real, so much more real than we can ever imagine; we just need to let Him speak into our lives. Those two words, 'Why' and 'How,' they are the words we use to question God's judgment. We ask Him, 'Why did you let this happen?' and, 'How could you allow this?' When the real questions we need to present to our loving God, is, Why do I doubt You, and how can I demonstrate that I trust you? If there is one thing that pleases God, it is His children putting their trust in Him, without question! Look at the examples He shows us in the Bible, like the one in Daniel 3:14-18. I don't know if that kind of test would shake my faith, but it doesn't get more challenging than that...

"Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad -for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." (1 Peter 4:12-13) NLT

"Unearned Mercy"

"Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 118:3)

 May I never feel as if I have earned God's mercy; not even for a moment! To get the point of what that actually represents, there are the religious leaders of the day of Jesus' walk here, they are very good examples of what that might look like. If there were any that felt as though they earned God's mercy, they were prime examples of what that looks like and why it is a place we should never be. It is the sense of entitlement or favor with God based upon position or service; as if the job you have been blessed with is enough to not only fill your pockets, but it also punches your righteousness card with God. We can never earn God's mercy, that does not even make sense! Even the definition of what mercy is, totally throws earning it out the window. We are indebted to God for something that can never be repaid. That might be the simple way to explain it, but it goes so much further than that. As Peter was trying to illustrate, "You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession," this is that which those who were of the house of Aaron were called, and it was not based upon anything else but mercy! May those that truly serve the Lord realize what an honor it is to be placed in that position. May they never feel any entitlement to be in that position. May it always be about God's great mercy, freely given and never earned...

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced."" (1 Peter 2:1-6) NLT

"Undeserved Mercy"

"Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 118:2)

 My guess, as far as God's mercy is concerned, is that there is nothing we can ever do earn it, and there is nothing we can ever do it destroy it; if His mercy endures for ever, then it is always right there in front of us, to just reach out and take hold of. I tried to explain that as the case for the axe head Elisha made to float, recorded in 2 Kings 6:1-7. It is an odd little story about a building project to add a little more space to the school of prophets dwelling place. If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, you would know by now that I am always looking for the Gospel Message to be hidden in everything; it is there, we just need to look for it, and it can be found. It might be a stretch, but then again, Jesus stretched out His arm to show His great love and mercy for you and me. Why would God simply pour out mercy upon an undeserving people? Simply put, I believe it is because He wants to and because He can! There is nowhere else available to get the kind of mercy that God offers to us, absolutely nowhere else we can turn to, and no one else that has His kind of power to forgive. And the most wonderful news of all, is that He wants to give it to us, freely and undeserved! We just need to ask Him, and then reach out and grab it! Don't let go, because it never gets spent...

"Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone." And, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy."" (1 Peter 2:7-10) NLT