"Count the Cost"

 "What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?" (Ecclesiastes 3:9 KJV)

  ""But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and couldn't afford to finish it!"" (Luke 14:28-30 NLT)

 Without even thinking, we sometimes step out into something, not really knowing what or how it is all going to turn out; and when we get into trouble, we call out to God, saying, "LORD, please help!" Don't think it isn't so, because we really don't even think about it, especially when it involves us doing things that we are outside of church or ministry. 

 And no, this is not me changing the subject! With everything we do, from the smallest task or adventure to the ones that we think are well planned, we are always in a battle to win the race! We could look at this Scripture from Luke, as if Jesus is actually talking about money, but that wouldn't count if the cost if it was about a race to win, or even if it was a ministry you begin; it is always about what is lost! 

 In this life, which is based upon things that are obtained and bought and stored up and put to use, there is nothing we have that is more important than the eternal life that we have been given! It is always about being prepared for whatever! 

 If it involves this life, anything is on the table, and everything is the cost! That doesn't count, unless you count it and know it isn't yours to begin with; but as soon as you think it is yours, you will be like the Rich Young Ruler, feeling the as though you can't let it go...

 ""Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can't, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. 

 "Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!"" (Luke 14:31-35 NLT) 

"No War, No Peace!"

 "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:8 KJV) 

  "Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what I should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT)

 It is pretty obvious to me that I am not on the same page as many others; as I first realized when I began to enter into this journey; but then again, my journey is already somewhat unique and out of sorts! As I said in the onset of this Book, there is the human way to observe what is being said, and then there is the spiritual way; I am leaning towards the spiritual side, because God's word is God's Word! 

 Again, much as the last few verses, this is one that blends together. As I left off yesterday, some may look at what I said and get the wrong impression, 'hating what is evil will guard your heart,' as if hate is what it takes to guard our hearts. Well, to be perfectly clear, if we don't fight for what believe to be the truth, then what good is the truth going to do with us? 

 Love and hate do have a common ground; but the actual opposite of love, as well as hate, is indifference! It is the point of not choosing to do what needs to be done, because you just don't care! Love is used to get by, and hate is the way to get even; but there is no real concern, interest, or sympathy; only a way of living from day to day, to live from day to day trying to feel good. 

 But there is no peace that comes with indifference! We must be passionate about this faith we have been given, and we must fight to protect it, with all of our heart! We are surrounded by all sorts of characters that will try to persuade us from what we believe; if it isn't people, it will be the devil; we must be willing to fight and stand for what we believe! 

 Watching the movie, "Holy Roller," the other night, Pastor Luke is sharing at the end about not reading the Roadmap, which he refers to the Bible. Sometimes we don't read the map, and we lose our way! But God, He gives us a second chance, putting on the right course and giving us hope and a fresh start! 

 This is what God does! No matter how hard you might fall, He can and will correct your path and get you back on the right path! We really need to understand how much He loves us, because that is really worth fighting for...   

"When I think of all of this, I fall on my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT)  

"Love & Hate"

 "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:8 KJV)

  "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good." (Romans 12:9 NLT)

 If you were to look up this title online, you would instantly be taken to a list of psychological examples of 'thin lines between love and hate,' as if the more you love, the more you hate. In this world, there is a very thin line between right and wrong, so much so, it only takes a simple thought to move the needle, and you can find yourself on the wrong side of right.

 The thing about God's way is really very simple: Love the sinner and hate the sin! It is perfectly okay to hate sin; as a matter of fact, God encourages us to despise sin! How much does God hate sin? Enough to send His Son in order to defeat it and destroy its power over us! 

 In the real world, (that would be the world we don't really see,) there is a place where people go when they die in their sins; it is a place that is called Hell. In that place, love does not exist; there is nothing to love about it, and there is no love felt, only torment and anguish, suffering and pain. Where is that thin line in that situation? There is nothing to connect love and hate; only hate: hating that place! 

 It is perfectly okay for us to hate, as long as what we hate is what God hates! If He hates it, we must hate it also, because He is Holy, we must also be holy! Or, at least we should try! But, we love our sin! Maybe not the sins of others, but only the ones we hold onto to, as if our sins are who we are, and God is going to work them out in the long run. 

 Talk about thinking something has a thin line! Love must be the thing that makes the difference! Yes, there is a time to hate, as God hates; but God took care of what He hates, putting love first and foremost, to be what satisfied the whole situation. No more are people judged by what they do, but they are judged according to what they don't do: Accepting His Love!

 It is His love that will change the heart; hating what is evil will guard it...

""For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgement against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:16-21 NLT)   

"God's Word!" - 2

 "A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;" (Ecclesiastes 3:7 KJV)

  "But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT)

 Looking up these two words, "silence," and "speak," almost every reference in the scriptures that are given, have God being silent or speaking. The interesting thing about God's Word, even though it might be silent sometimes, as we read and study what He says, it surely will speak when the time is right! 

 Writing this passage from 2 Timothy, I recalled the times in my youth when I was being taught Bible verses, stories about certain characters, and the songs that inspired me to sing when I needed to draw close to God. Did they ever really work? Oddly enough, I believe that they did. I prayed to God in times of my depression and when I felt sad and all alone; somehow, I was always felt peace and comfort; enough to sing one of those songs I had heard, and I praised Him for showing up. 

 With that, I see both of these illustrations being blended together, "rend and sew," and "keep silence and speak," because this is what God does, over and over, throughout our lives, even before we have accepted Christ into our hearts. He doesn't ever give up!   

 There are some people that tell you that God doesn't hear your prayers when you are not His child, as if you only become a child of God when you accept Christ Jesus into your heart. I have come to believe that we were always His children, we just came home to Him when we accepted His Son into our hearts! You can take that for what it's worth, but that is what I am staying with...

 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

 "God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan." (Ephesians 1:3-11 NLT) 

 

"God's Word!"

 "A time to rend, and a time to sew, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;" (Ecclesiastes 3:7 KJV)

  "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT)

 As with almost every morning, I pray and prepare for God to speak into my heart. Some mornings there is hardly a word, almost as if I don't hear anything at all, while other times, He speaks load and clear, as if He is right here beside me. Today, I feel that His silence is not really silence at all, because He is right here, right now, speaking into the depths of my heart!   

 Something I understand, but sometimes forget to remember, is that the Word of God never changes or is out of date. Some people try to say that isn't so, as if the Bible was written for another time, all long time ago as if we have moved past all of the things God has had written, several thousands of years ago. Truth be told, His word is more relevant now, then it was when it was written! 

 I am totally and completely convinced that we are running out of time; at the very least, I am 100% sure that I am, because the Bible says 70 is the average life we get. Therefore, either way, I am sure that the time is soon enough to get ready, to prepare to be accountable and deal with whatever might happen. If we think that we are ready, we might be disappointed; if we think that we are unworthy, we might be in for a grand surprise! 

 Yesterday, I heard this joke, and feel I need to share it: 'This new Sunday School teacher had asked her class, "Who knocked down the walls of Jericho?" A young boy in the class answered, "It wasn't me!" The teacher was shocked and alarmed by the fact the kid did not know the Bible. She went to the Pastor and told him her concern; the Pastor went to the Deacons, saying, 'Little Johnny said he didn't knock down the walls of Jericho! What should we do?' One of the Deacons said, "Well if he said he didn't do it, then we should take him at his word." Another said, "I know Johnny's family, I'm sure that he didn't do it!" And yet another said, "Regardless of who might have done it; we should take up a collection and take care of it!"' 

 We are accountable to the Word of God, to not only believe it, but to know it and live it out; to affirm that God's Word lives in us, and we can be ready in season and out of season, to give an answer and be a voice of reason! How many people do you see that carry God's Word to church? Most people now are all using their phones and tablets; not that there is anything wrong with that. That sure sounds very familiar! 

 Everyone needs to have a Bible! You might not need to carry it around and make it a statement, but it doesn't make much of a statement if it isn't by your side! Maybe that is the reason? Last Sunday a man came to church with a giant Bible; like one you would see on display somewhere, like a Cathedral. I could smell it was hardly used, because there was a moldy smell as he flipped through the pages. 

 We will probably not be able to have all of these things, phones or tablets; there is really no telling what might be going on during the days to come. So, make sure that you have a real Bible at hand, with real pages to flip through, and run your hands across. Man, did this ever get weird...

"Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT) 

"He Makes a Way!"

 "A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;" (Ecclesiastes 3:7 KJV)

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

 I guess there is a way to make this simple, but it would not give it much justice, because there is so much that God does, to make a way for us to have a second chance, over and over again! I have a tendency to mess things up! Making it harder on myself to be the person God has chosen me for; but God has a way to make the crooked road straight, the barriers disappear, and doubt become a living hope! 

 Why does He do it? Who am I that He should even care? These are just a couple of simple questions that we might ask, thinking that our lives are just dust in the wind, as if they don't really matter. They matter to Him, because He is the One that saved you! Don't you ever forget that! 

 As I have said before: Before I got saved, I thought I had everything under control, that my relationship with God was better than most, and that I needed nothing else but getting out of jail, and going home, where I belonged. Well, then He came along and swept me up into His arms; and my life changed! There is nothing in my control, my relationship with God moves more than the waves of the sea; I don't really know what I need, because everything I get, seems to tear me down and becomes a burden! 

 Just being honest, because before I was saved, I didn't really feel all that guilty; I lived my life as if there was nothing to answer for and did whatever I wanted to do. Can anyone relate, or am I just a nut-job? We think we have it all figured out, and then we discover that we are falling apart at the seams, and there is nothing we can do about it, except to fall on our knees and turn everything over to God! 

 This is why God did not want Adam to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; because once you know there is a difference between what to do and what not to do, your relationship with God is torn to pieces...

"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. 

 "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the 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 towards us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

 "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 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.

 "Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called "uncircumcised heathens" by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:1-13 NLT)   

"Keeping the Faith!"

 "A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;" (Ecclesiastes 3:6 KJV)

  "Think back in those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever." (Hebrews 10:32-34 NLT)

 Looking back, the word for "get" is one that is a verb, which has the action of, "to," as in "to seek, to require, to desire". In other words, it is something that you reach for, and pray for, and seek after! At the same time, as if time has anything to do with time, you are losing more and more interest with the things of this world, because "lose" is a world that means, "to cause to perish," as if you put it to death. 

 With that, we have a little different observation, which has a little more bite, as in, you actually do more to protect and secure that which is important and matters the most: your eternal life! You absolutely must do all that you can to stand your ground; especially in this current culture that we are living in, because it is only going to get worse and worse! 

 This word, "Keep," (which I have capitalized because it is important,) is a word that means to guard, to observe, and to give heed to; much to do with saving a life, keeping watch, and protecting. This world will try to destroy your faith, but you must be vigilant to protect and guard your heart; doing all that you can to keep your eyes fixed upon the prize, which is Heaven! 

 Well, as deep as that might be, "to cast away" is deeper! Not only do you need to protect that which you have, you need to cast off all that is trying to drag you into the pit, figuratively speaking...

 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare and not carnal but mighty in God for the 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)    

"The Eye of a Needle"

 "A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;" (Ecclesiastes 3:6 KJV)

  "Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. "There is still one thing you haven't done," he told him. "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me." At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!" This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"" (Mark 10:21-25 NLT)

 Because of the way I feel about this particular message, I will pretend that it isn't so, and will just get to the point of what I believe Solomon is meaning, from the perspective of God's point of view. To be fair, this might be more about sight, than it is about having riches! What really matters is a person's eye, (which is actually the window to the soul,) which is what we use to see God's view, not that of our own.  

 This is basically a continuation of what we left off from yesterday, but from a little different perspective. It was maybe almost just a couple of years after I got saved, maybe sooner, that I was given an illustration of a construction cone, like the ones you see in the street, when there is work being done. In this lesson, the cone was shown to have two ends, one which was very small, the other was rather large: looking through either end, really made quite a difference. 

 By the way, I have heard that there was a certain gate, I believe to the Temple, which was referred to as the "Eye of the Needle," even still, it would have been pretty hard to get a camel to go through it. I think it had something to do with their legs, as they couldn't squat and move forwards at the same time, or some sort of condition. Regardless, this is about a rich man's chances of getting into Heaven! 

 They say, "It is all about you having money, or the money having you!" Where is your loyalty? What do you trust more, God or your money? Believe it or not, but it is really all about perspective...

""LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered - how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath."" Interlude (PSALM 39:4-5 NLT) 

"Later" - To

 "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;" (Ecclesiastes 3:5 KJV)

  ""Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers," Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you." But Jesus said, "Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me."" (Luke 22:31-34 NLT)

 Maybe yesterday's post was a little hard to comprehend? It was for me, because I was dealing with at least three different thoughts, all at the same time! First of all, let me explain the "later," which is really not that hard to understand, because most of us live in later, we just don't realize how much time passes, before later has already passed. 

 To the point of Peter's denial being told to him, this interpretation has something added, something we might not pick up on, without pausing to consider the point. In the KJV writing, it appears that Jesus is only talking about Peter being sifted like wheat, but after Jesus says "You," He calls out Peter, saying, "But I have prayed for thee," so the "each of you" from the NLT makes more sense. 

 In essence, Jesus was placing Peter as the one to be watching over the others, even though he would also be the one that would actually deny Him. Aren't you so glad to know that God knows you more than you know yourself? He has called you and chosen you; there is no turning back! 

 If I had to determine what it was that caused Peter to deny the Lord, I don't think fear would be at the top of my list. Maybe that might be something you deal with, being afraid to share your faith, or confess to others that you follow Jesus; but Peter's plight was human weakness, which basically means that he was stuck in a state of unbelief. 

 Yes, even though he had that revelation about Jesus being the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, he still lived in a state of humanness, not yet embracing the power and majesty of God! We have the ability to believe, yet we might not have the willingness to believe when we should. 

 It might be hard to understand, but it is something we live in, day in and day out, really not even being aware that it is something we do, because we can't see ourselves doing it. But it is very natural, being that we actually do live in this fleshly body, stuck in a world of death and decay. 

 There are really two ways to look at this, one requires the embrace of what we know, the other requires the embrace of what we believe! I know that I am frail and weak and that my life is short; but I believe I have God's Spirit in me, to make me strong, and that I have eternal life! 

 We just need to know what we believe is the truth, and believe more in the Truth, than what we can actually see...

 "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." (Hebrews 11:1-3 NLT)

"Later"

 "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;" (Ecclesiastes 3:5 KJV) 

  ""Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world."" (PSALM 46:10 NLT)

 Interestingly, this might be the one thing I am the worst at doing, Being Still! Don't ask me why, but for as far back as I can remember, I couldn't wait for things to happen; if it wasn't happening soon enough, then I took it upon myself to try and make something happen. Even if it wasn't what I really wanted, just to be doing something to move towards whatever, however I could. 

 Not quite sure how this relates, but it begins with an embrace! Wow! Is anyone out there who still thinks that everything is going well in this world? Believe it or not, but Israel is the timeclock for when things are going to happen! Hopefully the church will be ready, not dealing with things that do not matter, but with the things that matter the most: preparation and expectancy! 

 This might get weird, but the apostle Paul is referenced in connection with this, "embrace," as it deals with sexual relations between a husband and wife. It is found in the passage of Scripture, where Paul addresses a question the church in Corinth had about abstaining from sexual relations. Because of the culture, or lack thereof, he recommended that each man should have a wife, and each woman a husband.

 Please forgive me if I don't make any sense, but it has been quite a while since my wife, and I, had any such interaction, beyond cuddling! But, when God brought me and my wife together, we became one flesh; therefore, what hurts one of us, will hurt the other; what makes one feel loved, will also make the other feel loved also! This is what is referred to as unity in marriage; to be bound together as one. 

 That said, when my wife a I became one with each other, we also included Christ Jesus into the union, making us three-in-one; two candles came together, lighting the middle candle, which represented Christ, and the passage of Scripture was mentioned: "A cord of three stands is not easily broken." (A passage for later!) 

 When we fail to acknowledge what we believe to be the truth, we have refrained from embracing the Lord, which is not only going to hurt Him, but will end up hurting your other, husband or wife; this is much like denying one another the intimacy that the other might desire. I know that might seem strange and hard to wrap your head around, but He is standing right beside you, what did you expect! 

 Okay, let me try and pack this up: better late than never does not count in this situation! There is a moment to react, and then there is a moment to retract; but whenever that Third Cord says to move, you move; and when He says be still, you be still! It is all based upon that particular moment...

""He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples, and human hands can't serve his needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him - though he is not far from any of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead."" (Acts 17:24-31 NLT)  

 

"The Matter!"

 "A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;" (Ecclesiastes 3:5 KJV)

  "But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God's Spirit in them. But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Resue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." (Jude 17-23 NLT)

 Having been walking with the Lord, sometimes closely, sometimes at a distance, I have discovered the crowds are gathered more in the back, then they are in the front. This really isn't that unusual, because there are more people who want to feel normal and comfortable, then there are those that want to feel different and challenged to be bold.

 The first thing I thought of by reading this verse this morning was strongholds, which are the things that capture our passions and our desires, holding us back from being that vessel to be poured out for God. It really doesn't take much, as my mom would say, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." She actually would say this anytime I was disrespectful towards her; as if my disrespecting her a little bit, would cause me to disrespect her a whole lot more. 

 Isn't that interestingly familiar? A little sin, we might otherwise think doesn't do much at all, might be all it takes to make another sin feel less important; causing us to grow into a big ball of sin, which rolls around tearing down walls, roads, safe places; anything else we had to stop ourselves from sinning, we have torn down, all because of one little sin. That might seem a little drastic and over the top; but it is almost exactly what happens when we do not repent and ask for forgiveness, for even the tiny sins! 

 Have you ever had a kidney stone? That little stone, although it might be no larger than a grain of rice, it causes us to lose sleep, to be uncomfortable, and to be very irritable, to say the least. It is the same with sin! God knows every sin we do, there is nothing hidden from His sight. So, what is worse, the sin, or pretending God doesn't know? Can you see why all the stops have been removed? 

 Maybe a good thing might be to start building alters; not literally, but something to remind yourself not to go back, which is basically what Jude cautions us about! We must hate the sins that cause us to fall! We must place a mark in that direction, which shows the result, knowing that it will only destroy, never will it build up! 

 God knows! Please remember that is the case, in every situation; whether you are going to sin, or if you want to flee from sin, He knows the intention of your hearts...  

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen." (1 Peter 5:6-11 NLT) 

"Being Moved!"

 "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;" (Ecclesiastes 3:4 KJV)

  "Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD of Heaven's Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were guiding the cart as it left the house, carrying the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark. David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments - lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. 

 "But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. Then the LORD'S anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God. 

 "David was angry because the LORD'S anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named the place Perez-uzzah (which means "to burst out against Uzzah"), as it is still called today. 

 "David was now afraid of the LORD, and he asked, "How can I ever bring the Ark of the LORD back into my care?" So David decided not to move the Ark of the LORD into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. The Ark of the LORD remained there in Obed-edom's house for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household." (2 Samuel 6:1-11 NLT)

 As I was thinking about this yesterday, I couldn't help but imagine that Solomon had thought about this story while he wrote this down. When you think about what had happened, it doesn't quite feel right that God would strike someone down, for doing what they thought was the right thing to do. Just a rather innocent reaction, which I could picture myself doing, if I was the one responsible for guiding the cart! 

 We had a Men's Retreat back in the day; I believe it was back in 1988, or there abouts. I do remember that the main focus of the retreat was David's slaying of Goliath; but there was a point during the weekend when this specific story was brought to life. To be frank, and to the point, David was the one that was responsible for this, so called mishap. Had he taken the time to ask, he might have found out that the Ark was meant to be moved by poles, which was what the rings on the sides were for. 

 That said, the first thing that popped into my mind when I had first felt God's anger was a little extreme and uncalled for, was that Uzzah was not condemned, as if he would die in his sin; but that he would be someone that I would one day meet, when I get into Heaven. God did what He did to move David, and to bring him into the understanding that He must be revered and obeyed. 

 Questions about God's actions, although they might sometimes be hard to understand, they must not be things that we treat as though He doesn't know what He is doing, or that He doesn't care! Everything that God does, He does for a reason; everything He doesn't do, He also does not do it for a reason! Even though we might think He will do this or that, just because He can; we have no right to say He should have, because He is the One that holds all of this together! 

 I watched "God's Not Dead", again, for about the seventh time. It was Kevin Sorbo's character that caught my attention last night, as he explained why he no longer believed in God, saying, 'When a 12-year-old boy pleads for his dying mother, and watches the God she serves taking her life, he has nothing more to do with Him!' (That is paraphrased.) 

 He ended up being exposed by Josh, who asked him, "Why do you hate God?" To which he answered, "I have nothing but disdain for Him!" Later, he finally reads a letter that his mother wrote before she died, realizing how much she wanted him to grow up loving God, he also realized that being with God was the most important thing that we could ever ask for...

"Then King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed-edom's household and everything he has because of the Ark of God." So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. After the men who were carrying the Ark of the LORD had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. And David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams' horns." (2 Samuel 6:12-15 NLT)  

 

"God's Favor"

 "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;" (Ecclesiastes 3:4 KJV)

  "Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the mourning." (PSALM 30:4-5 NLT)

 As it turns out, this Psalm is from David, which was for the dedication of the Temple; a temple that was in the works, as it would be built by his son, Solomon. Yesterday morning I was sharing about Job, and how he must have messed up in raising his children, having to sacrifice offerings on their behalf. We see this as Satan's chance to destroy Job, hoping that he would give up on God; but this was God's choice and purpose to minister into Job's life, giving him a second chance to be more than prosperous! 

 Now, about yesterday's post. I do believe we must deal with the consequences of what we do wrong in this world, as we should expect God's justice and holiness warrants it to be carried out, in some way or another. When God forgives sin, this is God's way of making us righteous and clean in His sight, but in this world, consequences for sins committed, will still run their course. 

 When I was driving home yesterday from my last job, I was listening to CSN and they were sharing about Job, and happened to say almost the same thing that I was saying earlier that morning, when I shared about Job. This is not all that unusual, because it really happens all the time! That is how the Holy Spirit works! This is called, "confirmation," which is God's way of showing us that we are on the same page; as we will sometimes share His word, and then we might doubt what we shared, as if it wasn't so; and then the Holy Spirit will lead us into confirmation, in one way or another, it is always so! 

 These are very strange times we are living in, but it is just as we should expect, because the Bible tells us so! There are poor, misguided children being used to create chaos, who have no idea why or what is controlling them; but no matter what, God is still on the Throne! Everything works into His purposes and the final outcome remains the Final Outcome, no matter what! 

 Last Sunday morning I was watching "Table Talk," and the Pastor who was sharing said something very profound, which had to do with God's purposes for our lives, that no one can change God's will! Well, this is something we need to accept and hold very firmly in our daily lives: His will for you is to be complete, and He will be the One that completes you! 

 We have no clue what to do, except to do what He tells us; when He tells us, we must do! I know it might not seem easy, because we always have doubt; but even though we might not see the way, that is His way of making His will our purpose...

"Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, "Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won't see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When the child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy."" (John 16:19-22 NLT)   

"The Temple!"

 "A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;" (Ecclesiastes 3:3 KJV)

  "It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover Celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers' coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!" Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house will consume me." But the Jewish leaders demanded, "What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it." "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it again."" (John 2:13-19 NLT)

 Wow, sometimes we need to dig really deep; and then sometimes, it just smacks you right across the head! There is something we might not totally understand, even though we should have known, we still forget this from time to time: Our bodies are a temple of God! If you have God's Spirit living within you, then you are a dwelling place for God; therefore, your body is a temple of God!

 What do you think the Lord does to cleanse His Temple? Having some experience in this area, I can say with great humility, He cleanses it and chases out the things that make it unholy! Please don't forget that we have more responsibility to pay attention to what we do, with this temple, than we otherwise think we do, because the Lord is very particular about what goes on in His Father's house! 

 I plead and beg for mercy all the time! But, as I do so, I feel very certain that I don't deserve any mercy, whatsoever; however, I do hold out for His grace...

 "Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NLT) 

"Making New"

 "A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;" (Ecclesiastes 3:3 KJV)

  ""Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know him! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."" (Hosea 6:1-3 NLT)

 There are times when our will, will not be willing to change; that may or may not be mean you haven't yet truly been converted, because that is something totally and completely between you and God. But, in the instance that you are, you can take the fact that God is correcting your path, to be the proof that you most surely are His child! 

 There are three steps in Salvation, as many of you should know by now; the first of which is that we have been justified, which is the washing away of our sins, by the blood of Jesus Christ; this is called Justification, which means, "Just as if I never sinned"! Because we have been washed, we have fellowship with the Father; literally, we can enter into the Holy of Holies, to commune with God; just like the High Priest did in the Temple, we can enter in, making intersection for the ones we love, and pleading for ourselves! 

 The second step is more of a journey, because it takes you from the moment you became a child of God, to the very end of your dwelling here on earth. This is called Sanctification, which basically means God's will for you, as His child, to be holy and set apart, for Him! Oh, you will still have free-will, but sooner or later, your will, will be aligned with God's will, because that is His will for your life! 

 Just when you think you have gotten there, (as if you have overcome,) you find out you're not as strong as you thought you were, and you have to deal with it, or be dealt with; but you will be taken care of, one way or another! God does not abandon us or discard us, once we have become His children! If you truly are not saved, then you weren't truly saved to begin with; there was some other reason that you decided to follow Jesus, other than to be saved from sin! 

 That said, because you might still have an issue with sin, does not mean your sin makes you unsaved, because we all sin! Anyone that says that they no longer sin, they are sinning by saying that they never sin, because they are calling God a liar! (1 John 1:8-10) Simply put, as long as we are here, we will sin, in some way or another; but God will complete in you, what He has started...

"After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, "My child, don't make light of the LORD'S discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all." (Hebrews 12:4-8 NLT)