"Slight Adjustment"

 "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:12 KJV)

  "Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. A you still aren't ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT)

 A quick and easy way to see this, somewhat practical matter, is to understand where it is that you belong! First of all, we are no longer citizens of this earth; although we live and move here, as we have since the beginning of our past life, we have been born again; living the rest of our days as if we belong somewhere else: with Jesus up in Heaven! Obviously, we sometimes forget this, very simple understanding, because there are so many things we get involved in from time to time, things that reattach us to this earth. 

 There is really no other way we have to say this! Who is it among you that has a dusty Bible? A Bible that just sits there, not being read, as if that takes up too much of your time, time you need for the other things that distract you from thinking about God or your real purpose on this earth! 

 Not judging, just making a point. Take an observation next time you go to church, of how many people actually carry a Bible; even the large percentage of children don't have a Bible under their arms; which actually should be the instruction of the Sunday School teacher: "Bring Your Bible!" 

 Anywho, don't get me started. When my wife and I taught Sunday School, if a kid didn't have a Bible, we made sure to give them one. And then we would have a chance to encourage them each Sunday that they showed up with their Bible. Hardly any of them didn't ever bring their Bible; and if they did forget, they would feel ashamed for not having it. 

 By the way, this thing about using an electronic device instead of an actual Bible, although it might seem cool and easy to have on hand, it could become something that be detrimental and hinder your life or wellbeing. I know that might sound crazy and over the top; but these devices keep track of you. If things get bad, as they are going to sooner or later, your electronic device will show off the fact that you are a Christian! 

 Crazy, isn't it! People sometimes don't carry a Bible, because they don't feel cool when they do; but if the powers to be crack down on Believer's, things will get real, and you will be found out! Which actually is okay with me! I am more than ready to go home...     

"But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control." (Philippians 3:20-21 NLT) 

"Slight Adjustment"

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:12 KJV)

  ""Who does the LORD think we are?" they ask. "Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned? He tells us everything over and over - one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!" So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language! God has told his people, "Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest." But they would not listen. So the LORD will spell out his message again, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured." (Isaiah 28:9-13 NLT)

 This might take a moment to talk about, as there are certain conditions we all seem to discover, without even knowing that we have gone totally off the path, just by making a slight adjustment! This is really not that hard to understand, because there are certain things that can change the direction we should be going, into the direction that we don't belong going down. 

 I have heard explained as a ship which is crossing from one side or the sea to the other: just one little bit of a degree off, and instead of reaching the destination you wanted, you end up somewhere else, without even realizing you were going in the wrong direction. 

 I have no desire to even try to know all the answers; it really isn't my place to think I can even try. But we should all know the truth about our salvation: as to the reason He came, the purpose of the cross, and the power of the resurrection...

"Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship be the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!" (Philippians 3:1-4 NLT) 

"By Implication" - Too

 "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing." (Hebrews 5:11 KJV)

  "Then the LORD answered Job from a whirlwind: "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them."" (Job 38:1-3 NLT)

 Most people who want to ignore God's word, have very little respect for what He has to say; maybe it's because they just don't fully believe He is really there, as if the Bible can't really prove anything. Well, we really don't need to depend upon the Bible for proof that God is real; just creation on its own proves that there is a God, the Creator of heaven and earth! 

 I was sharing with a customer the other day about how Scientist have had to enlarge the timespan of the earth's existence, from a few billion years to six or seven billion years; all of this change is because the evolution of species needs more and more time; the more they discover how unique and complex they really are, the longer the earth has existed. The point I was trying to share was about the new knowledge they have from DNA taken from cockroaches and termites, finding a common strand within both, they determined that termites evolved from cockroaches. 

 When I heard this, hogwash, I was sitting next to a friend who also is a Christian and wrote a note to him that said: "Behavior Matters!" The point that I was making had to do with social insects being totally and completely different from non-social insects. One raises there young, while the other does not! As a matter of fact, of the social insect world, termites are not only raising their young, but they also care for each other; even those that are sick, they will try and nurse them back to health. Even ants, that are also social, do not take care of their sick, they discard them from the hive, as they become dead weight! 

 Sorry for being weird about bugs, but it really bugs me to listen to the speakers at our conferences that spout off about this evolutionary hogwash! Just because God designed a mature earth, does not mean it is older than when He made it. The same is the case for all the animals and man; God made them fully formed and mature, telling them to multiply! The question about what came first, the chicken or the egg, is pretty much a stupid question: You can't have an egg without a chicken! 

 But I am curious to know if Adam and Eve have a bellybutton...

""The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust. She doesn't worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them. She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn't care if they die. For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding. But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider."" (Job 39:13-18 NLT)     

"By Implication"

 "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing." (Hebrews 5:11 KJV)

  ""So teach the rest of us what to say to God. We are too ignorant to make our own arguments. Should God be notified that I want to speak? Can people even speak when they are confused? We cannot look at the sun, for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds. So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor. We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence."" (JOB 37:19-24 NLT)

 This message to Job was given by Elihu, which was most likely just sitting nearby when Job's friends were having their, so called, intervention with Job. Being much younger, he held his peace, until he just couldn't take it anymore. For several chapters, Elihu speaks and confronts Job about his error. As it was, Job, in defending himself, had unjustly accused God.

 There is something we need to try and understand about why certain things happen to good people, some of which have to go through overwhelming trials, without even realizing where all of the devastation is actually coming from. God's great love for His children goes far beyond most of our understanding; we might think we can see the reason and the purpose in certain things, but God's purposes are unlimited and performed on a whole different level! 

 As I was saying, on the introduction to the Book of Hebrews, it is my belief that more than one person is writing this book. I know I can't prove anything, and most commentary has either Luke or Mark being the author. Truth be told, the Holy Spirit is actually the Author, man is just used to take notes! 

 Anywho, there are so many things we just don't understand; most of which are the things that cannot be seen or are out of the ordinary. Which brings up the subject of matter. Why do the molecules stay together, when they actually should be coming apart? Well, to answer that, we get told from the Bible that Jesus holds everything together: "He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together." (Colossians 1:16b -17 NLT) 

 If you really want to get right down to it, if He lets go of all of this, it will dissolve and melt away in an instant. Oddly enough, that is also information for that given in the Bible...

"But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectantly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the elements 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. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness." (2 Peter 3:10-13 NLT)  

  

"A Call to Spiritual Growth"

  "There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don't seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong." (Hebrews 5:11-14 NLT)

  ""Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" (John 3:7-12 KJV)

 Sometimes we just need to ask God to show us what He means, instead of just thinking we know all the answers! I really do like listening to Pastor Chuck, because he likes to keep the message simple and very easy to understand. The more you add to the certain message, the more you need to dress it up, trying to make it seem more interesting, the less the real message comes out understandable and simple...

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:5-10 KJV)   

"Called of God"

 "Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 5:10 KJV)

  ""Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don't listen because you don't belong to God." The people retorted, "You Samaritan devil! Didn't we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?" "No," Jesus said, "I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father - and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge. I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!" The people said, "Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, 'Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!' Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"" (John 8:47-53 NLT)

 Much like many other things that Jesus had said, those who didn't want to listen, really never could understand what He was telling them; as a matter of fact, His words, which should have given them hope, ended up offending them and making them turn against Him. This is really not that difficult to figure out, we are all protective of the things we try to hold onto, so when we feel convicted, we tend to fight for the right to have our own way. 

 Just so happens, there are several things happening in our nation right now, that is very familiar to what we are seeing here today, on so many different levels. The main thing we must understand, which we often forget, is that the devil is the one that is pulling the strings and causing the people to gather together and fight against that which is good. It is the devil that causes the chaos, because that is nature, to upset and cause people to hate what is good! 

 There is nothing I love more than hearing the Word of God taught and explained in ways that cause me to take it to heart, and to not only listen, but try and apply what I heard to my life. We are meant to apply what we hear God say, not just listen! There is a really big difference between listening gladly and listening sadly; those who choose to hear what God says and don't receive it, usually end up offended. 

 If you don't believe it, go back to the beginning, when God gave instruction to Cain, before Cain killed his brother, Able... 

"Jesus answered, "If I want glory for myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, 'He is our God,' but you don't even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad." The people said, "You aren't even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!" At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple." (John 8:54-59 NLT) 

   

"Being Made Perfect"

 "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;" (Hebrews 5:9 KJV)

  "Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfil Scripture he said, "I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit." (John 19:28-30 NLT) 

 Whatever you might think about the title of today's post, it is finished for Jesus, who was always made perfect! He came into this world perfect, being that He was God! Yes, regardless of what you might have been told, Jesus was made to take on the body of a man, but He was always still God! It might be hard for some people to understand, but the Bible tells us so, so we better believe it.

 With that, there is an indication made that this perfection is also made available to us; crazy as it might sound, we that have been born again, are being made perfect! It might not appear that we are, having to deal with sin and temptations day after day, but the blood of Jesus has washed all of that stuff away, even if you feel as though haven't reached perfection, He has already perfected you; and you will make it to the other side! 

 Hopefully that doesn't offend anyone that still thinks they need to do something in order to earn their salvation, because there is really nothing left for you to do, but to listen and obey! But you might say: "Isn't that the same as work?' No! It is about following Jesus! You cannot follow Him without obeying Him, as difficult as that might be, it is the least we can try to do.

 By the way, I heard this message yesterday from Pastor Jack, who was really excited about the chance to share his massage; so much so, he kept telling the congregation to keep looking up to him, as he spoke. He was sharing about hell and paradise, how that those in paradise, (before Jesus provided eternal salvation,) had been there from the very beginning, and they had been there for a very long time. Yet guess who showed up in paradise, only to stay for a very short time? The thief on the cross!

 Take about not having to work for salvation...

"So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 NLT)

"Learning the Hard Way" - Too

 "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;" (Hebrews 5:8 KJV)

  "Don't look out only for your own interest, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." (Philippians 2:4-8 NLT)

 So yesterday there were two messages I heard about that same message I shared yesterday morning. We really have to believe that God is speaking to us; and we really do need to listen! One of those messages was dealing with our need to get free from the power of the enemy. Something we need to understand, which is not a thing that our flesh is all that willing to do.

 Back in the early days, I had several copies of a book called, "Counter Attack," which was about taking down strongholds. As I was reading the end of 2 Chronicles to my wife last night, I was reminded about how easy it is for us to creep back into doing things which do not glorify the Lord. They don't really need to be the things we think are wickedness; they can just be things which do not put all of our trust in God. As the children of Israel repeatedly did, offering to and worshipping other gods, almost as if it were an addiction, they couldn't stop! 

 We must not forget that Israel is pretty much a mirror image of ourselves; not only do we have the same blessings that God has given them, but we also have the same up and down spiritual battles that they had to deal with, on so many levels. Which is where that book had the most to say about why we have more ability to overcome, if we just stay on the offence and not the defense, as if we don't have more weapons than the enemy does, because we most certainly do! 

 Or, maybe we don't want to use them, maybe because are afraid, they might interfere with the things we keep wanting to do...

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For our weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV)   

"Learning the Hard Way"

 "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;" (Hebrews 5:8 KJV)

  "The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame." (Isaiah 50:4-7 NLT)

 Not to make things hard to understand, but the challenges we must go though, although they seem very difficult and sometimes like judgment, they our made to conform us to the image of Christ Jesus! The harder we fight and try to find ways to undo things we really don't understand, the harder it gets to find peace in the storm! 

 I am thinking about the time Jesus was sleeping on the boat, as the disciples were in a panic because they thought the boat was going to sink. If you study that situation, it was pretty much all about the work to be done, and less about the journey. Jesus told His disciples that they were going to the other side; but He didn't tell them why! 

 I'm sorry, but I can really get quit emotional about certain things that happen; and the things that seem the most devastating and hurt the most, usually are the things we want to know, WHY? As did the disciples have a question, Why? As it was, they could not do anything to stop the boat from tossing and filling up with water; yet, Jesus just kept on sleeping, resting His head upon a pillow. Their, Why, was a question that is very familiar to many that suffer though devastation and pain: "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?" Then after Jesus calmed the storm, He too had a question: "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (Mark 4:35-40 NLT) 

 As to the work to be done; Jesus was going to the other side to cast demons out of a man that was naked and lived in the cemetery, sleeping in the burial caves. It is the opinion of some, that the waves were meant to try and stop Jesus from doing what He was sitting out to do. And when the demon possessed man saw him, he ran to Jesus, bowed low before him, and screamed, "Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don't torture me!" (Mark 5:6-7 NLT) 

 There is really a whole lot of why's here, but no matter what, God knows every answer before we can ever figure out what to ask! By the way, the naked man ended up wearing cloths; some suspect that the cloths were in the pillow that Jesus was resting His head on, in the storm...

"A crowed soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, "No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been." So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them." (Mark 5:15-20 NLT) 

  

"The Days of His Flesh!" - Too

 "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;" (Hebrews 5:7 KJV)

  ""And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike year head, and you will strike his heel."" (Genesis 3:15 NLT)

 From the point in which Jesus cried out to Him that was able to save Him from death, there was a deep change in His passion, almost as if the Father's will had been now turned to His will to get this very important mission complete. Even though He could have done something on His own, as some say, He could have called down a multitude of angels, the passion in His heart was to please the Father and lay down His life without anymore crying or feeling afraid. 

 Yesterday was a little hard for me, but I felt God's presence, and that was enough! It was 22 years ago that my wife had her surgery, and it also happened to be on a Tuesday. I know that I have shared this before, but sometimes I break down and weep, and when I do, most often I can feel a hand upon my shoulder. Whether it is the hand of Jesus or the Father, or and angel, or just my imagination; no matter what, I do feel comforted and most of the time I feel a joy and peace. But there was this once when I just kept weeping, so much so that I could hardly control my emotions; this was happening while His hand was upon my shoulder. Suddenly, after several minutes of me crying, I could feel the hand slipping off of my shoulder, almost gently. It was almost as if He was telling me, as He did to Job, 'It's time to stand up like a man!'

 Once I actually cried over my wife, which is something I promised I would never do again! She had such a look of distress on her face, I realized that my crying was making her sad. Always, now I stand over her with joy in my heart, loving on her and letting her know she is very special. If I feel the need to cry, I take it to another room, which is really now not very often. This will all soon be over, so we must enjoy and comfort each other as much as we can! 

 Anywho, that is my take on this, "Heel Damage," thing, whatever that might actually mean! Besides that Jesus has much more power that Satan does; the illustration is much like a man's foot stepping down on a snakes head and crushing it! Jesus knew very well that it was going to hurt, but the hurt was going to be over! And when all was said and done, the Glory would by far outweigh the hurt...

"He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our back on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:3-6 NLT) 

"The Days of His Flesh!"

 "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;" (Hebrews 5:7 KJV)

  "Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go over there and pray," He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." He went on a little further and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."" (Matthew 26:36-39 NLT)

 Where to start? Let's see if there is enough time, even though I started at 3:30 this morning, I feel that it wasn't enough. First of all, as we already took notice of the way Jesus came to this earth, as an innocent baby that needed to be cared for, feed, and changed; totally and completely dependent upon his mother to care for Him and protect Him: Now He is asking for the protection of His Father!

 The point to the last portion of this verse, "and was heard in that he feared," is two a part illustration of what this actually looked like and what it might mean for us. Those who were close to Him, saw that He feared what was going to happen, which might have been very surprising to them, see that He had always told them not to fear. But, up to this point, they had no clue about the horrific torment He was about to face! 

 This can also be relevant to our lives, as we might have certain issues that cause us to fear what might happen, as we cry out to God for Him to save us from suffering. Although, in our case, we want to not have an audience while we do it, just because we want to keep our worries to our self! But this was to be something that needed to be witnessed, letting, not only the three know, but all who read their testimony, that Jesus Christ was human! 

 Secondly, as we can see, He is crying out to His Father, who we know, always listens and pays close attention to everything that is said, especially what His Son has to say. But, in this case, there was no answer! Been there, and it can be somewhat discouraging! However, when we do not here an answer, I personally believe it means to just keep on with the plan, no matter how hard the journey becomes. 

 When the time is right, the Father will answer! Jesus knew exactly what the Father wanted, and He was not backing down from what He came to do; but it still hurt to think about what was going to happen; something that was going to crush Him and cause more pain than most any human could withstand!  

 More than that, not only was He taking a brutal beating, going to hang on a cross, be scoffed at, and be ridiculed by the crowd of people; He was also going to take on all the sin of the world, both your sin and my sin; every single person who has ever lived, every sin was put upon Him, to pay the price for, once and for all...

""Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my m=name, and I will do so again." When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this to indicate how he was going to die." (John 12:27-33 NLT) 

"The Highest Priest"

 "As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 5:6 KJV)

  ""I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one - as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me."" (John 17:20-21 NLT)

 Please forgive me if I seem to be going too fast, there are so many things that I feel are important in these verses; especially the fact that Jesus is always on our side! Yes, we make mistakes and even break some of the promises we make, but there is nothing that we can do that He doesn't already know; and yet, He still is there, our Mediator, pleading our case! 

 This might not be as simple as it seems; but there is something I believe in, with all my heart: That I am a sinner, and that Jesus came and died on the cross for my sins; and that He rose on the third day, giving me eternal life in Him! It really is that simple; we just make it complicated and hard to believe; even sometimes thinking it doesn't count for us! 

 The whole point in what this salvation is meant to be about, is God's love! He loves us so much, that He sent His Son to come in our place, taking the penalty for our sins; and, because He rose again, just as He said He would, He gave us life everlasting; even though we do not deserve it...

"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives in you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by the same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:5-11 NLT) 

"Son of God"

 "So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee." (Hebrews 5:5 KJV)

  "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the lifegiving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4 NLT) 

 There are so many more examples of those who were faithful to God, and yet they had things in their lives that could be listed as sin. As the Bible clearly says: "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23 NLT)

 When we see the humbleness of Jesus, it is the human side of Him, as He came in the form of us, just as we are tempted, He too was tempted, but He did not sin! Unlike the beliefs of some, the Bible declares that to be true, therefore, we must believe, that is that, and that is what the Spirit has declared. Even though the Bible was written by the hands of men, it was God's Spirit that guided their hearts and pens. That is what I believe, and that is a fact; no one can change my mind about that! 

 By the way, just the way Jesus came, in that of an innocent little baby, is the display of His humility and way He did not glorify Himself. The description of His coming, as shown in Isaiah 53:2 is a picture of what this might have looked like from Heaven's point of view: "My servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him." 

 Just in case you didn't know, from the time of Adam and Eve, it was already known by them that Jesus was going to come and save mankind from our sins, which was where Adam got the name for his wife...

"Then the man -Adam - named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife." (Genesis 3:20 NLT) 

"The Call of God"

 "And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." (Hebrews 5:4 KJV)

  "So John's disciples came to him and said, "Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Massiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us." John replied, "No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, 'I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.' It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." (John 3:26-30 NLT) 

 Getting to the point, whether you can believe it or not, God is in control! No matter what might seem to be happening, either good or bad, God has the ability to know what will happen next, even though He might not stop it from happening, He will use it for something else, whether it happens sooner or later, God always wins, His will is always going to happen, just as He wants it to happen! 

 It is displayed throughout the Bible, how things that have gone wrong or seem bad, God uses them to make good things happen. Even those things which might look as if they are terrible and destructive, God can and will make them become useful to His wonderful plans. 

 The first thing I actually shared about was about God's will verses His perfect will, as if there was a difference. It was dealing with King Hezekiah and the time when Isaiah came and told him to get his house in order, because his sickness was going to be his death. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept, asking God to give him more life. And God, seemingly changed His mind, giving him 15 more years to live. 

 Did God really change His mind? I seriously doubt it! What He did do, was change Hezekiah's heart, giving him a proud heart, instead of having a humble heart. Which caused Hezikiah to change from being a humble king, to one that was proud; proud enough to brag to those ambassadors from the land of Babylon, showing them all the treasures in the Temple. 

 We might look at that as something of a mistake; as if God makes mistakes, because He never does! Actually, the children of Israel owed Him some time, so He made a way for them to pay that time back to Him, by being captured and taken over by Babylon.

 When God called for David to be the King of Israel, He knew and called David, "A man after God's own heart." Did God not know all of the bad things David would do? No, God was well aware of David's weaknesses and the things he would do. But God also knew that he trusted Him and would believe in God's forgiveness to those who truly believed in Him and loved Him. Even though he made some very bad things happen, God still kept His promises and David's place in His Kingdom...

""Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations."" (Isaiah 55:3-4 NLT)   

"Paying the Debt"

 "And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins." (Hebrews 5:3 KJV)

  "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." (Colossians 2:13-15 NLT)

 You think you have figured it all out, and then you discover that there is so much more, more than you could ever really comprehend! I don't want to try and explain what this means, because I don't really know all of the details; but Jesus didn't just pay for our sins on that cross; He gained back something that was taken when Adam sinned; something that was His! 

 How much do we really know? We only know what God has shown us; besides that, we really don't know that much! When Paul gives his testimony about being in Heaven, that he was in paradise, it was what he heard that amazed him. As he says, "I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:4 NLT)

 Yes, Jesus paid the price for our sins, each and every one: not just for all of us, but He defeated the devil and did something that needed to be done in the Kingdom, once and for all...

"Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: "Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, "Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out unto every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne." (Revelation 5:1-7 NLT) 

"The Right Path" - To

 "Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." (Hebrews 5:2 KJV)

  "Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, "In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called 'friends of the people.' But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves."" (Luke 22:24-27 NLT)

 It might appear to be something that changes this discussion, but there are certain things that make us be compassionate towards others, while at the same time, being the one that watches out for those that have no clue what is right. Not to say that I have anything to contribute, but I do believe that I know when there is something to be said when people are mistaken. 

 Did you know that there are people alive today who still believe the earth is flat? There are even Christians that have a belief that the earth is flat, even though the Bible says that it is round. Not that it is a thing we need to call them ignorant for, believing the earth is flat; because truth be told, most of what we think is real and happening all around us, many people, (like myself,) believe we can't see even half of what is really going on around us! 

 That said, the facts that are given in the Bible cannot be denied; no matter how you try to explain it isn't so, there is more proof that it is than most people think. I was watching a movie the other night called, "The Investigator," which was about a retired Police Office that went to work at a school, teaching about Criminal Justice. 

 The topic was about finding the truth in cases that might have happened years ago, and one of the students asked if they could do a case file about Jesus Christ; was He real, did He really get crucified, and did He really rise from the dead. The main point that was brought out was about the disciples and their stories about Jesus being risen from the dead: They kept telling the truth, even to the death...

"But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who you are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. 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." (Romans 3:21-28 NLT)  

"The Right Path"

 "Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." (Hebrews 5:2 KJV)

  "Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise." (Galatians 4:21-23 NLT)

 Another point that is sometimes hard to explain or get people to understand, much like that way we are chosen by God, is that of working for salvation, as if the things we do for God are the way we earn the right to get into Heaven. Or, as the J.W.'s believe, they earn the right to inherit this earth; because they believe that only the 144,000 are going to Heaven. 

 If you have ever gone to a service in the Kingdom Hall, as I remember it, Communion is passed around from person to person, but only those who are of the 144,000 actually partake of the elements. What is the point of that? And, what happens when one of the 144,000 have passed away? Who appoints them and who gets to replace one that has died? Besides that, the Bible says that the 144,000 are Jews, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel; and not only are they Jews, but they are also all virgins!  

 It is easy to associate the J.W.'s with the where this point is going, because compassion is not something that is demonstrated when you say that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. When I was having a visitation, a man that had just accepted Jesus into his heart was also having a visitation. It was from his family that were all J.W.'s. No sooner than when he picked up his phone, he said, "Quess what? Today I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart!" Then didn't even say good-bye! They just hung up their phone and turned away from him, walking out without even saying a word. 

 The point to this is really quite simple: We are saved by Grace! Not by works! If we feel as though we need to work for the salvation we receive, then it is as if we are paying the price for something that we can never really afford! We might think we are working our way into Paradise, but it is only by the blood of Christ that sins are forgiven!  

 I had to share this because it is something that is real; taking hold of many who think that they can get salvation by doing good works; Jesus is the only way...

""You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT)  

 

"The Appointment"

 "For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:" (Hebrews 5:1 KJV)

  "So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him." (2 Corinthians 5:16-18 NLT)

 There are several points to see in this, so called, "appointment", which is an example of what takes place in our lives, once we have accepted God's offer of Salvation. Much like the appointment of a high priest, it is an appointment that is chosen by God, not something that a man can plan on or try to make happen on his own. Much like the word, "taken," which is shown in the verse above, God knows who He wants and how to capture him; meaning that the person is really not aware of what God will do, until it is done! 

 Much like what happened to Paul on the road to Damascus, he set out to do something he felt called to do, only to find out that God had something else instore for him; pretty much the opposite of what he thought he was meant to do. He was 'taken from among men, ordained for men in things pertaining to God.' 

 Instead of persecuting those who followed Jesus, he became a vessel to persuade people to follow Jesus! What an amazing change was that! Much like the change I had, but on a smaller scale. I had no clue who Jesus was, except that He grew up a carpenter, became a good teacher, and ended up crucified. Other than that, I really didn't know how important He really was; but that sure changed in an instant! 

 I know that everyone doesn't have the same conversion experience; but I am pretty certain that almost everyone isn't prepared for it, when it happens...

"So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it." (Romans 9:16 NLT)   

"The Perfect High Priest"

    "Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.

 "And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father." And in another passage God said to him, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." 

 "While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:1-10 NLT)

  "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." (Psalms 69:9 KJV)

 As you should know, I have several times shared about my growing up, off and on, going to the Kingdom Hall. My mom and stepdad were always falling off the wagon, getting excommunicated from being part of that fellowship; so, we would end up moving to another area, where they could try again, finding another Kingdom Hall to fellowship in. I don't think that would work in today's world, seeing how everything is tracked and placed upon the web.

 There was something that I had believed, based upon the things I was told about Jesus, who He actually was, and whether or not He was actually without sin. My mom had told me several times that Jesus was not without sin, because He lost His temper, twice, in the Temple. 

 We know that Jesus was cleansing the Temple, because they had turned it into a 'Den of Thieves'. What is the point to this? and why bring it up? Because Jesus was perfect in every way...

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Matthew 21:12-13 KJV) 

"Blessed Assurance"

 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16 KJV)

  "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later." (Romans 8:15-18 NLT)

 The more I think about this, the more I realize that He is coming soon! This morning, I turned on the News, and witnessed the multitude of people, many of them were young, millions of people from all over the world were gathered to see the Pope and hear what he had to say. It really was quite amazing to see; and it reminded me that the Lord is coming very soon! 

 That might not be something you see as important, millions of people to hear from the Pope; but there is something to be amazed about in this current world: Those people are believing in God! Besides that, I know quite a few Catholics that are deeply in love with Jesus; most of them I really admire because they display a great amount of love and compassion for people; something we can all use a little more! 

 Anywho, I am trying desperately to have no worries about this life, even though it seems as if things are falling apart, there is still a great amount of hope. I believe that everything will all happen just as God has planned, but at the same time, I hate to see the suffering that is going on all over this earth. The homeless are seeming to look more like they once were just like me; as I see them, I think: "But for the grace of God go I."

 That is really a thing! John Bradford, who was burned at the stake in 1555; but previously he had witnessed those being led to the scaffold, and said, "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford." It wasn't long after that, he was arrested and sentenced to death. It is also said that he had another man beside him, as they were getting put to death, and he suggested to the other man: "We shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night."  

 I want that kind of attitude, because I have very special place waiting for me, no matter what might happen here on this earth...

"The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful steams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever." (PSALM 23)

"He is For Us!"

 "For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15 KJV)

  "Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT) 

 If you have been walking with the Lord for several decades, then you probably have come to know that He doesn't try to make us do anything but gives us the opportunity to do things by opening doors and softening our hearts. Having been saved for almost 44 years, I have experienced that His yoke is easy, if we just enjoy whatever He has given us to do. 

 If, when it seems tuff and there are problems that seem overwhelming, and we just give it all to Him, remembering that we are just servants, not the ones in control; then things seem to work themselves out! It is that way in ministry, just as it is in our normal lives: Give everything to the Lord, and don't worry about life! 

 When it says, "our infirmities," it is talking about that which is caused by want; want of strength, to understand a thing, to bear trials and troubles. These are the things which sometimes overwhelm us, as we just try to deal with life. But, when we give Him full control of our lives, (as if that is even possible,) we will understand what it is like to not want, but to just know peace and security in Him...

"For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls." (1 Peter 2:21-25 NLT)  

    

"To Be Powerful!"

 "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." (Hebrews 4:14 KJV)

  "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is 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 he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us." (Romans 8:31-34 NLT)

 Just in case you think I am changing the message, this is not about us having power on our own, because we do not! What it does mean, is that we are given power, the kind of power that makes us invincible, which basically means that this world has no hold upon us, if we continue to abide in Christ! 

 That said, I am also of the opinion that we have some kind of invincibility, regardless of falling into things which might cause us to walk away or live in a manner that is unpleasing to the Lord. But we will not enjoy that life; and will still be saved, we just might be a toasted marshmallow when we arrive up in Heaven. (1 Corinthians 3:15) 

 Anywho; this is something that involves the ability to withstand whatever gets thrown at us on this earth, whether it is something that hurts this body, or something that actually kills us, we are going to have the same outcome when we leave this earth! Even when we stray away, the Lord is still pleading for us, as our Great High Priest, making the case for us, as those that have already been justified and forgiven. 

 Will we see Solomon in Heaven? I am pretty certain that we will, even though he messed up and lived a life that was not pleasing to the LORD! As it is with Samson, as well as several other famous people in the Bible that didn't live perfect lives; because we are all sinners that have been saved by Grace! 

 There are several different opinions on this matter; but truth be told: If you have been saved by the blood of Christ, you are already secure, even to the very end! But those that stop believing in the wonderworking power of the cross, may not have been saved to begin with... 

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39 NLT) 

"Christ Is Our High Priest"

  "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT)

  "Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee." (PSALM 102:25-28 KJV)

 One of the early things I learned, (the hard way,) is that sinning is a slippery slope! You step out and do something you know you shouldn't do, and you will find yourself slipping more and more; the more you sin, the easier it is to feel as though you got away with it. 

 Unfortunately, you don't get away with anything! We that have been forgiven, we sometimes think it is like having a hall pass; everyone else has to stay in the classroom, being taught, while we get to walk the halls doing whatever we want. It really doesn't work that way, no matter how strong you think you are, the more you skip class, the less you learn to do what is right. 

 Besides that, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He will not force you stay in line! But, sad to say, the less you obey Him, the less He you hear Him speak! We need to stop being free-willed, as if we have the ability to get away with things and think that all will be forgiven. We are only losing out on some great spiritual blessings! 

 There is a book I shared about several times, called, "Sit, Walk, Stand." There has to be a point in our lives when we realize that we don't walk on our own! If we do not abide in Christ, we will not walk in the Light; if we do not walk in the Light, will surely will not Stand; stand meaning, be victorious...

"Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:8-14 KJV)  

"The Alpha and the Omega" - 2

 "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:13 KJV)

  ""Write this letter to the angel of the church of Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars. "I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive - but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don't wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief."" (Revelation 3:1-3 NLT)

 There is something going on all around us, something that is gearing up for some kind of a big event. I can feel it, much like the waves that were caused by that massive earthquake in Russia, yesterday. But what do I know? I'm just someone waiting for the Lord to take me home! 

 When Jesus says, "I know all the things you do," He is not joking! He knows all things! When the lady at the checkout stand gives you too much change back, and you don't say anything, put it your pocket, and walk away; He sees that! Basically, that is stealing, because the money did not belong to you. 

 That is just a simple observation of what we sometimes do. But there are several things we do that are taken note of; much of which is about lies and gossip, which are a couple of things the Lord doesn't want to see us doing. We must watch over ourselves, and quit judging others, as if we are comparing what others do, so we don't feel all that guilty.  

 But who am I to speak; no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to stop judging people by the way they drive...

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:4-8 NLT) 

"The Alpha and the Omega"

 "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:13 KJV)

  "It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshipping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. It said, "Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cites of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelpha, and Laodicea."" (Revelation 1:10-11 NLT)

 Just so you know, these last two mornings I wanted to breakdown all those words that were listed as the things which God's Word can and will do: but for some reason I continued to ramble on, speaking about other things. These last few weeks I have been somewhat distracted and feeling as though I just want to quit, sell everything I have, and take my wife on the road. Before I can physically do that, I need to make a few changes in the RV, in order to safely move her from the chair to the bed, and bed to the chairs, both wheelchair and shower chair. We are quickly approaching our 43rd wedding anniversary, which will be in two days. What a ride it has been! I am so much looking forward to being with her and our son, as we stand before the Lord in Heaven! 

 I can still pick her up and carry her, but things aren't what they use to me. I remember coming home from work, as Marianne would greet me, and ask for "An uppy," which was us locking our hands together, as I lifted her up off the ground. Sometimes I would pick her up in my arms and curl her, kissing her each time she came close to my face. I still do that now, but only once, as I don't have the strength I had 22 years ago. 

 Anywho; this verse is one that speaks about the fact that the Lord sees everything; especially in the church! Oh, He sees everything else as well, but His main concern is on the church; which is all about you and me, as we are all members of His body! Imagine, for a moment, what that actually means and what the implications are, for those that might want to harm or come against His body. 

 Yesterday I was listening to Pastor Jack, who happened to be setting next to Pastor Jeff, at Calvary Chapel of Downey, when my wife and I were getting interviewed for our Mariage Counseling, back in the beginning of 1982. Jack was sharing about some of the churches that are allowing same-sex couples to be leaders and elders in their churches. He said that the judgment of society has changed, as now if we say that kind of lifestyle is wrong, then you are marked as a bad person, who doesn't love others. 

 Society has surely changed, but the Bible still remains the same...

"So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is way God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved." (Romans 1:24-27 NLT) 

"The LOGOS!" - 4

 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)

  "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war against the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV)

 I'm sorry if anything I might have said is offending you or makes you feel uneasy; but the Word of God is the most powerful thing in all of creation! It was God's Word that said, "Let there be Light", and there was Light! The entire creation was made by and from God's Word, and I am saying today: Jesus is the Word of God!  

 This is not just something you hear and then don't do anything with; this is something that is shared and spoken about with boldness and with security, knowing that it is true. And why is it true? Because the Bible says so! In several passages, throughout the entire Bible!

 Having been raised thinking that Jesus was someone else, other than God, it took several years for me to actually stop having any doubts that it was so. Even after having believed, with all my heart, my mind still wanted to try to tell me that it wasn't so. 

 It's pretty much the same with the creation of the entire universe; sometimes there are doubts that God made everything in just six days; but then again, I have to forget and rebuke that doubt, reminding myself that God, is A Very Big GOD! There is this thing that they called the Theory of Evolution, which has now been turned into a fact, and is being stretched out, from millions of years to billions of years. Why is that the case? Because they need more time to try to prove that it really happened! 

 They say that the sun is growing smaller; at the same time, the earth's rotation around the sun is getting closer. If the sun is getting smaller, in just a few hundred years, imagine what it would have been in billions of years; the earth would have been on fire! I am rather curious how the center of the earth is filled with lava. That has always puzzled me, just like the oil that seems to lubricate the plates.

 Anywho, I have always been against the whole thought of evolution, ever since third grade when I came into the classroom seeing that poster on the wall, showing apes turning into man. I absolutely did not believe it was true! Anyone who believes in that is just like that ape they believe they were from! 

 If you have any doubts about anything written in the Bible, forget about what you mind wants to figure out, and open up your heart, letting God's Word be true...

"But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

 Yes, they know God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshipped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles." (Romans 1:18-23 NLT)  

"The LOGOS!" - 3

 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 KJV) 

  "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold and silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the word began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart." (1 Peter 1:18-22 NLT)

 Again, I sincerely believe that the Father spoke to me through that chaplain, on that Sunday morning, causing me to get off of that bunk, and run down to that cafeteria. It was not just a Church Service; it was my life being saved by the Good News about who Jesus was and what He did on that cross! My mind was blown, and my heart was softened, all at the same time. Which I believe was due to the Holy Spirit that spoke powerfully into my heart; and I listened! 

 This is what the power of the Word of God does in us, as we receive it, believe it, and use it to guide and direct our lives; because His Word never changes and is more powerful that this life; which is here today and gone tomorrow! I am always amazed at what God's word does when I am least expecting it, as I just open my heart and ask Him to speak to me. He never says no! 

 Have you experienced that about the Lord? If you ask Him to speak to you, He is always willing to do so, because that is what He wants: His children to listen! There are several verses that declare how much God wants us to listen: Psalm 46:10 -"Be still, and know that I am God." Isaiah 55:3 - "Incline your ear, and come to me; hear that your soul may live." John 10:27 - "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Revelation 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." 

 This morning as I was making my bed, at 3:50, I turned on the TV and witnessed something that gave me so much joy, I actually woke up Marianne to tell her about it. Charlie Kirk was on the couch and was interviewing a Pastor who had a church full of young kids, jumping up and down and singing about the Lord. He said that they had hundreds of kids give their lives to Jesus; and at one event, they had over 1,400 kids that came forward to receive Christ into their hearts! 

 We need to get ready, dear brothers and sisters! I truly believe that He is coming soon! By the way, I heard Pastor Mike sharing something about Ozzy Osbourne's passing, that he might be with the Lord. Obviously, we really don't know, because Pastor Mike also said that there are three things we are going to be surprised about with we get into Heaven: one, the people we see there; two, the people we don't see; and three, that we see ourselves in Heaven! 

 There is really something very special about God's Word! We know that it is, because it causes us to know the Creator of heaven and earth; and that Creator is Christ Jesus, the one that gave His life on the cross, so that we could be saved and be with Him and His Father in Heaven...

 "For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you." (1 Peter 1:23-25 NLT) 

"The LOGOS!" -2

 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper that any twoegded sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)

  "Listen to me, all you in distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away! The LORD called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name. He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver. He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, and you will being me glory." I replied, "But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the LORD'S hand: I will trust God for my reward." And now the LORD speaks - the one who formed me in my mother's womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The LORD has honored me, and my God has given me strength. He says, "You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."" (Isaiah 49:1-6 NLT)

 Just in case you didn't understand who it is that is talking, through Isaiah, it is Jesus and the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the conversation of what will be taking place when Jesus dies upon the cross. It is the human side of Jesus that is making the comment, "But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose." 

 Not to surprising, but there are many people, even religious people, who don't get the reason for Jesus being crucified on the cross. They don't really understand the power that was displayed, and the awesome sacrifice that was made; a sacrifice that changed, not only the entire world, but Heaven also! 

 I go back to that Second Day of Creation, the day that God did not say it was good. I have heard so many Pastors sharing on the Seven Days of Creation, but I really haven't heard any share about the missing Good, on the Second Day! Somebody, please tell me what it is that I don't see, that these other's see! As I see it, this was God's Day of creation when He made Heaven, which was where He made the separation between Him and mankind on this earth. 

 Did He or did He not undo that separation when Jesus died on the cross? Things became very Good...

 "At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filed a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. But the rest said, "Wait! Let's see whether Elijah comes to save him." 

 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus' resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. 

 The Roman officer and other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, "This man truly was the Son of God!"" (Matthew 27:45-54 NLT) 

"The LOGOS!"

 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and if the joints and marrow, and is s discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)

  "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)

 I have bumped it up a little, not doing too many repeats of some of the previous verses, just so I can spend a little extra time in this specific verse. This was one of verses that caused me to start that crossword puzzle I talked about, the one that pointed out the points in the Bible, both Old and New Testament writings, that show that Jesus is God; that Jesus was always with God, and that all things were created through Him! 

 If you have studied the Bible for any length of time, you should have discovered that the Word of God is the most important part of what you have been reading. God's Word should never be taken lightly, as if there is anything being stretched out or a metaphor, as if what is being said is not literally applicable. 

 There are several, so called knowledgeable people, who have spoken of the Bible as if it was filled with fables and stories handed down; many of which are exaggerated, or stretched out, trying to complete a story that is meant to be allegories or symbols showing truths about human nature and man's existence.

 To that, I say: Hogwash! When you start looking into God's word, there are things too logical to have been just conjured up or known; especially the prophecies that have very specific details. Just the examples of what was spoken about Jesus, those alone are enough to make the case that the Bible is real, and the words are all put together by God's Spirit, speaking through each and every writer; all of which were guided and directed by the same Holy Spirit, through many generations. 

 They say that there are 47 Old Testament prophecies and about Jesus; that alone is enough to make a case that the Bible is real! If you investigate the theories about the chances of those coming true, based upon the times that they were written, the chances are pretty much impossible to happened without God's hand putting everything into place...

"He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believe in him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passions or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." (John 1:10-14 NLT)      

"Endeavour!" - 2

 "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4:11 KJV)

  "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." (Colossians 3:12-15 NLT)

 So, this word, "Endeavour," which can be used as both a noun and a verb, is based upon a purpose driven life; in other words, the life that you live here on this earth has a purpose! 'What would you have me to do today, Lord?' Is something we should be living out on a daily basis; but instead, most of us are just trying to keep our lives from falling apart! 

 That might seem rather intuitive for me to say; but it is only because it is what I witness; and even feel to be true about in my own life. It is sometimes strange feeling, as I pull back the covers, set up the pillows, and prepare the bed to go to sleep, thinking about how routine another day has become. It feels as though I just did that, and here I am, doing it again.

 We are meant to be doing God's will, day after day, making our lives a living sacrifice, not living day to day as if we need something more or don't have real purpose; we are children of God, and we have an inheritance like no other...

 "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. 

 "In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 

 "The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are short-sighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 

 "So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:3-11 NLT)  

"Endeavour!"

 "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4:11 KJV)

  "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT)

 Here is what I feel is a challenging example of where some people might get off the path, having felt as though they were safe and secure. We sometimes feel as though we have everything under control, as if we have reached a certain point of maturity, and we don't need to worry about falling into sin, as if that old nature is gone and there is no need to struggle or watch our steps. How I wish that those days never had happened, because they are brutal and cause serious damage! 

 That said, the Lord is faithful and always willing to forgive our stupidity and unfaithfulness; whatever the reason, it is always because we have let ourselves step outside of His protection and security! Plain and simple; thinking we have achieved or can handle things on our own, we make ourselves vulnerable to the enemy's attack. Not that he doesn't attack us when we are walking closely, because he is always looking for a way to trip us up or cause us to stumble. 

 I find that the harder I try to serve the Lord, the more attacks I get from the enemy. If we are not doing much to serve the Lord, then the enemy pretty much leaves us alone; but as soon as we start doing what God tells us to do, we find that things are difficult and out of control. 

 The good news about all of that, being difficult and out of control, is that none of that craziness really matters! I mean, sure, we might feel as though we need to worry and make ourselves feel vulnerable to the enemy's attack; but when we give everything over to God, making ourselves humble, He will always make a way for everything to work for the good, in one way or another...

""Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."" (Matthew 7:24-27 NLT)  

"Obvious Connection"

 "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own work, as God did from his." (Hebrews 4:10 KJV)

  "So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God." (1 Peter 4:1-2 NLT)

 I do believe that there is something to be thankful for when we have a chance to suffer, whether it is physical or otherwise, we are given a chance to be a testimony for the Lord. This reference to Peter's words about suffering for Christ, has a certain connection to the way we must enter into God's rest; as we are to do His will, which requires us to do as He does! 

 Having tried so hard to be faithful, it is something that seems harder to do, the closer I get to the Lord. It is really not because I am doing more things wrong, because I know that I am doing more to draw closer to God; but the closer I get to Him, the filthier I feel. 

 Again, there is this certain thing about surrender; much like what it means to cease from our own work, we must also allow ourselves to let go of our own will and desires, especially when it comes to working out the difficulties in our lives. Whatever it is, we should surrender and give it to God! 

 Yesterday I heard a small portion of a message, I believe it was Pastor Phillip. He was sharing about a certain survey that was taken on the validity of the Bible; however, the people that were putting this project together were using liberal Bible Scholars to put together their findings. In other words, they based their findings upon human knowledge and situations, instead of the Spiritual and miraculous findings that are throughout the Word of God!

 There is really no comparison between the two, whatsoever! When we really surrender our lives over to God, we will totally know what it means to cease from our own work...

"For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law - I stopped trying to meet all its requirements - so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." (Galatians 2:19-21 NLT)      

"A Keeping Sabbath"

 "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." (Hebrews 4:9 KJV)

  "Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die." (Isaiah 57:1-2 NLT)

 The first thing I experienced, after Christ entered into my heart, was peace and joy; no matter what was going on around me, I felt as though my life was secure and nothing seemed to bother me. Even though I was in a jail facility, I didn't feel as though I was locked up, but I felt free because I had been given a purpose: To share the reason for why I had such peace and joy! 

 I am pretty sure that there have been days when I struggled to have that same feeling; but to be perfectly honest, it is more than a feeling! Our peace and joy come from the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, it is not something that we conjure up on our own. He has placed the Holy Spirit within us; so, when there is any sort of discomfort within us, it is most likely because we have not followed the Spirit's guidance in our life. 

 Thinking back to my early days as a new believer, I depended upon the Spirit's prompting me, showing me what to do, and the chance to be used share the Good News. Has that always been the case? Sadly, to say, no! But it has been some wonderful kind of journey! 

 I heard something the other day that made me feel better about the things I have done wrong. It was about God's speaking to Abraham, saying, "Take your son, your only son - yes, Isaac, whom you love so much - and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you." (Genesis 22:2 NLT)

 The thing that I never thought of before, was that God called Isaac Abraham's only son! The first son that was born from Abraham was born of the flesh; meaning that he was not following and trusting God would give him a son by Sarah. But God did not count that sin against him, by calling Isaac his only son! 

 Even though Abraham messed up, sometimes not trusting God, whether it was Sarah's ability to give birth, or that some king might want to kill him and take his wife, God still called him righteous! That is what we have in Christ Jesus: Righteousness, even though we still mess up, He does not count our sins against us! 

 The "rest" we see in this verse before us today, is a different rest; one that is continuous and everlasting! "The blessed rest from toils and troubles looked for in the age to come by the true worshippers of God and true Christians." "A keeping Rest"...

"For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:6-10 NLT)