"Holding the Course!" - Too

 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised;)" (Hebrews 10:23 KJV)

  "One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." So they got into the boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, "Where is your faith?" The disciples were terrified and amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!"" (Luke 8:22-25 NLT)

 This is something that I have shared more than once, maybe three times; but it never gets old, because it is always something we go through, time and time again. Most of us know that little thing about the poster or picture, "Footprints in the Sand"; I have one on my wall above my coffee bar, so it is always there to remind me that Jesus always keeps His promise: "He will get us to the other side!" 

 It is the storms in this life that strengthen us and cause us to know how important it is to trust the Lord, no matter how hard or difficult the storm might appear, He is always faithful to get us through whatever is going on, no matter what circumstance we are in, His promise is still the same: We will make it to the other side! 

 If you are not familiar with the, "Footprints in the Sand," it is basically the tale of a believer who died and is with the Lord, looking back at his life, seeing the trail of footprints along the shore. As he studies the prints, both Jesus and his footprints are seen walking together; yet, in the stormy time of his life, he sees only one set of footprints. So he questions Jesus, asking Him, why there was only one set of footprints when my life was at its worse? Jesus replied, "Those were the times when I was carrying you!" 

 I know that we sometimes get into problems and issues that we make our own, some of which we just never think we can get out of; but no matter what it might be that caused our calamity or disaster, we can always trust in the Lord to get us through the storm; even if it was our own mess that caused it! It might be debatable, but the messes we make sometimes can't be fixed; but the Lord can make beauty from ashes! 

 This particular storm, which caused the disciples to fear death, was not really to test their faith, but was an act of the devil to try and stop Jesus from getting to the other side. Although the devil can try, he cannot change the course the Lord has established; Jesus was sleeping, because He knew they were going to the other side. The disciples knew nothing else, but that they were in danger of dying!  

 There is really no difference from our storms and that which the disciples feared over; we really have nothing we can do, except let Jesus do whatever it is He wants to do. We just need to trust in Him, and have a little faith...

"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLT) 

"Holding the Course!"

 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" (Hebrews 10:23 KJV)

  ""Because you have obeyed my command to preserve, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown."" (Revelation 3:10-11 NLT) 

 There are some things that just seem too obvious to ignore, most of which are the things we see going on in this world, that appear to be spinning out of control. As far as I am concerned, it looks good and is well with my soul, no matter how crazy it might appear: God is still on the Throne! 

 This little portion of Scripture from Revelation is Jesus addressing the Church of Philadelphia, which is probably the only church Jesus didn't have too harsh of things to say, except that that had little strength, yet they obeyed and did not deny Him. That might sound like they are lacking something, such as the ability to be strong; but in God's economy, being strong is not always a good thing...

"If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it, because I don't want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life and hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:6-10 NLT)  

"Most Certain Confidence" - Again

 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22 KJV) 

  "Understand this, my brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls." (James 1:19-21 NLT)

 You might have heard it said, "God has given us two ears and one mouth for a reason; we need to listen twice as much as we speak!"  Hopefully that doesn't offend anyone, because I know for a fact that needs to be put to use more in my own life. "Sometimes it's just best to not say anything, if we can't say anything good!" (That's what my mom always said.) 

 I feel as though this topic is hard for some to understand; and the worse thing is, those who do get the point, don't really want to talk about it, let alone, consider it might be an issue they want to deal with. We all have our own Pet Peeves, the things that are just little annoyances that people do; things that really don't matter much, except when you bring it up. 

 There is more to this than just saying that we love one another, because true love for one another requires caring and wanting to help when you know someone needs comfort or prayer. If I had a dollar for every encounter I had when I felt the need to pray for or comfort someone but didn't; well, you get the point. I would be feeling a whole lot richer if I had taken the time to do what I felt I should have done. 

 There is a very big example of what James says next, that might add a little to what I just said...

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:22-25 NLT)  

"Most Certain Confidence" - To

 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22 KJV)

  "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude                     "Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude                           "Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude" (PSALM 32:1-7 NLT)

 As I pondering all the different things that are being shown, in the passage above from Hebrews, it made me think about how important it is that we make every effort to love and forgive one another, even if it might not be our fault; just the thought of neglecting to make the effort, to reconcile your issue, is technically a sin on your part. I know that might not seem right in the eyes of some, but Jesus made this perfectly clear, saying, ""So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God."" (Matthew 5:23-24 NLT) 

 I know it might not seem like much to worry about, to some; but as we saw yesterday, every part of the body is just that: Part of the Body of Christ! We must love one another, no matter what! We all have all kinds of things wrong with us, in one way or another; there are none of us that are perfect, none of us can avoid being offended or even have the power to forgive others as we should. That kind of power can only come from us being submitted to the Holy Spirit and by forgetting about our own needs, putting the need to serve others first! 

 Not that I am any better than anyone else, because I have some of the worst ways to offend and cause people grief. I try to blame it on the pressure and the circumstances of my life; when instead, I should be rejoicing that I am forgiven and have things much more wonderful to look forwards to! 

 This might not seem perfectly correct in the eyes of some, but sometimes we might think someone has something against us, but they don't even know it, nor is it even true. Just us thinking it is so, is more than enough reason to bring it up with them; even by just apologizing for thinking they were. You can't even imagine what kind of things we sometimes think, when we feel like we know what is going on in the hearts and minds of others, when we can't even control everything going on in our own...

"The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathways for your life. I will advise you and watch oner you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control." Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!" (PSALM 32:8-11 NLT)   

"Most Certain Confidence"

 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22 KJV)

  "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us." (1 John 3:18-24 NLT)

 There were so many more things I wanted to say, as the night was filled with 'Swirling Eddies' as I felt the Lord was opening my mind to so many different there were, in one way or another, reconciled and made new. Although Jesus said from the cross, "It is finished!", it did not mean that everything was completely done; there were still many things to do, and there still are several more to come! 

 I have heard it told that the Apostle John, towards the end of his life, would be carried out on a chair to present a message to the congregation. Those who brought him out would sit him down to face the audience, and then John would speak, saying, "Love one another!" after that, they would pick him back up and take him away. 

 In the passage above, John mentions two different characters, yet they are not different people he is addressing. We are all God's children, and we must all be friends with one another...

"If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it only had one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:17-27 NLT)

"The Great Reset"

 "And having a high priest over the house of God;" (Hebrews 10:21 KJV)

  "For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death." (Ephesians 2:14-16 NLT) 

 Thinking about this through several different ways, pretty much all through the night, I couldn't help but think about why this great divide had so many different angles and yet there was really only one cure that brought everything back together. As previously shown, more times than needed, there was a divide that was first established during the creation, which separated, in some form or fashion, earth from Heaven; this may not be the first separation, but it seems to have been the first to involve God's distance from that of His creation for mankind. 

 And yes, there was fellowship with man and God before the fall, that is very obvious; yet there was also fellowship God after the fall, the only difference was that mankind had to die in the process! Even that little issue of death was taken care of on the cross; besides the veil being torn, which represented the gap between man and God, it also brought brand-new life, a life that was meant to last forever and ever.

 There are only certain things that really matter in this crazy world we are living in, most of which the world cannot truly understand. Being here is only temporary, and you only get this little time to make it work, believing in God and wanting to know Him is important, yes! But having a relationship with Him means more than anything this world could ever offer...

"The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth." (PSALM 146:17-18 NLT) 

"A New and Living Way" - Too

 "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;" (Hebrews 10:20 KJV)

  ""I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate mana in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I and the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh." Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked. So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever."" (John 6:47-58 NLT)

 Anywho; if you thought yesterday's post was a little confusing, that was just the start. It might be hard to explain the sequence of the events, but there is a real important reason that the veil was torn just before He gave up His spirit on the cross; besides the fact that it was the whole reason He came, to reconcile God to mankind. It was His flesh that was torn which made that curtain to tear; it was His blood that was spilt, that washed away our sins. 

 It really is hard to understand this whole concept of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, if that is, you don't believe that it truly worked! I cannot count the number of times I have been given the question, in one form or another, "How can the death of one man on a cross save the whole world from death?" 

 When you get that sort of a question, there is really only one explanation that is clear enough to say, yet still hard for many to completely understand: "It was God who made it happen for that very purpose!" Without explaining every little step, that is pretty much the how everything really happened. God made a way, a powerful way, to pay the penalties for the sins of the entire world; and because it was His sacrifice that made it happen, it is His choice as to if it really worked! 

 We are the ones that need to believe it is so; and by believing it completely we are eating His flesh and drinking His blood, because those two things made it happen! Sometimes it takes a little time to chew on that, before you can actually accept it...

"Many of his disciples said, "This is very hard to understand. How can anyone except it?" Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me." (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn't believe, and he knew who would betray him.)" (John 6:60-64 NLT)   

"A New and Living Way"

 "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;" (Hebrews 10:20 KJV) 

  "By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words he breathed his last." (Luke 23:44-46 NLT)

 First off, there is a very interesting connection given between the veil and the flesh of Jesus. Without getting too carried away, it is Luke's investigative reasoning to show the timeline and the sequence of the veil being torn, and then the death of Jesus. Many have been able to prove that Jesus' death was brought on by a ruptured heart; they come to this conclusion because of the blood mixed with water, that came out of His side when the Roman soldier stuck the spear in Him, to make sure He was dead.  

 If you know anything about Luke, you should know that he was a doctor; so, he might have known some things about the human body, and also what that veil represented, which was that of separation from God! And not just that, but both Matthew and Mark have it recorded that veil was torn after Jesus died, not before He took His last breath. 

 Basically, what I am trying to say, is the ruptured heart of Jesus, which was literally torn, was the trigger that ripped the veil from top to bottom. When the veil was torn, it represented the separation between God and mankind was removed; the deed had been done, His heart was no longer giving Him life, and His deed was done; with His dying breath He released His Spirit!  

 Some say Paul, some say Luke; some even say Mark. But there was a time in Paul's incarceration when all three of them were together. I can only imagine the conversations they had together...

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. "They will be my people," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."" (Malachi 3:16-18 NLT)   

"We Can Be Close to God"

 "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus," (Hebrews 10:19 KJV)

  "He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us." (Ephesians 2:17-18 NLT) 

 Before I get into this, I must warn you that I am not really feeling all that well, so if this seems a little of, I can blame it on the meds and the lack of sleep. That said, there are times when I seriously feel that I am in God's presence; not physically, but definitely spiritually. This usually happens when I am praying with the Holy Spirit's guidance, usually because I really don't know what it is that I need to pray for. 

 If that doesn't make any sense to you, it really doesn't have to; it just happens, sometimes without even trying! There is this thing about praying intensely, when you just know that you're in His presence, even though you really don't know what it is that you want to say. He is just so gracious enough to answer and give you the peace you need; He can do so because He knows your heart and every thought that you are thinking. 

 One of my most intense prayers was the night of August 12th, 2003, which was the night I was told by the hospital staff that I needed to go home and get some rest. When I got home, I had no plan whatsoever to go to bed, but I went into my office, throw myself down on the floor, and cried out to God. It was one of the most intense prayers that I have ever prayed; so much so, my body was quivering, and I was weeping like a little baby. 

 After an hour or so, I suddenly felt a calm peace that came over me; almost as if the whole thing was handled and there was really nothing else to do, but to get to bed. It was probably about almost 2am and I was planning to go back to the hospital early that morning. When my head hit the pillow, I was out; but then waking up at 4am and feeling refreshed; that must have been a God thing! 

 You might not have any idea what I am trying to say, if you haven't experienced it yourself; but when you whole life gets turned upside-down in one night, your perspective on what life really means has a whole new meaning! For over three months I was at that hospital every morning, afternoon, and night; reading Scriptures to my wife and praying for her. 

 It was hard to do, but I did go to a Men's Retreat in October, but everything they taught on, although it was good, it made me feel I needed get back to my wife. This is not something you plan on happening, and you surely can't prepare for something that you don't believe will happen. 

 I am saying this because it really matters that you put God first in your life! He is the One that holds everything together, Everything! You must make every effort to make Him the center of your life; and when you feel as though you're failing to do so, pray harder for Him to help...    

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba Father." Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir." (Galatians 4:4-7 NLT)

"A Call to Persevere"

   "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

  "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

  "Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us. For we know the one who said, "I will take revenge. I will pay them back." He also said, "The LORD will judge his own people." It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 "Think back on 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.

  "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved." (Hebrews 10:19-39 NLT)

  "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." (Isaiah 55:1-3 KJV)

 Sorry for the long message, it was pretty much all I could do, just to type it all out. Hopefully it was not filled with all kinds of mistakes; it really has been a very brutal weekend, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better...

"How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light we shall see light." (Psalms 36:7-9 KJV) 

"Making it Mean Something"

 "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." (Hebrews 10:18 KJV)

 "Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!" (PSALM 150:1-2 NLT)

 There is something else I have discovered over all these years, the whole notion of aliens is really not true; there are many people who think they are real, as more and more are believing that we are not alone. Well, I agree, we are surely not alone! Never have we ever been not alone! There was a time, a brief time when God quit communicating to us through the prophets, which around 450-425 B.C., when the Book of Malachi was written, telling of coming Messiah, but not before that day the prophet, Elijah, must come. 

 We should all know who that was, as it was John the Baptist; the one who came in the spirit of Elijah, to announce Jesus, "The Lamb of God", the Messiah that came to save the world! Oddly enough, He was not what they were looking for, even though the Scriptures clearly said why He would come and what He was meant to do. 

 So you can see, there are many ways that people can be deceived by certain phenomenon; even Jesus was thought of as being a spirit, and those that crucified Him thought that He was demonic or crazy. Even His own brothers made fun of Him, thinking He just wanted popularity. This is really not all that hard to see: There are supernatural encounters all the time, whether it be demons or angels; we are surely not alone, because they are absolutely real! 

 The apostle Paul uses this as an example of the real battle we fight, saying: "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12 NLT) 

 As to the statement in Hebrews, "there is no more offering for sin," that is because sin was defeated on the cross; Jesus paid the full price for everyone's sin, once and for all! And it is just like when Moses lifted up that snake in the wilderness, those who looked upon it and believed were healed; those that did not, died. They died because they did want to do what God asked them to do, even though they were told that it would heal them!

 Talk about strange things happening in outer space; stranger things are happening right here on earth... 

""God sent his son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go 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 3:17-21 NLT)     

"Before I Go"

 "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17 KJV)

  "For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die." (PSALM 103:11-15 NLT)

 I really think that God made the universe to amaze us and show us just how wonderful and powerful He really is! You might not know this, but the fear of the LORD is not meant that we should be afraid of Him, which was the reaction of Adam and Eve, in that garden after they ate the fruit, they were told not to eat. But what it really means is that we reverence Him, we are in awe of Him, and we recognize His awesome power and authority! 

 This is something Solomon knew and understood, even though he might have broken a few of God's commands. I am more that certain he be seen by us when we make it into Heaven! Hopefully you're in favor of that, because everything, that means all of the stuff we have done, will be forgiven for those who fear the LORD.

 Having said that, I know from experience that we sometimes still feal guilty for some on the things we have done, which is why I truly believe that those stars in the sky were placed there for us to gaze upon and think of His awesome power. If my God can do all of that, amazing work, imagine how much more He is capable of forgiving our sins! 

 If that was His plan from the very beginning, even before He made the heavens and the earth, then we who believe and are saved have nothing to worry about; if you are His, His you will be...

"But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." (Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT) 

"Spiritual Consecration"

 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;" (Hebrews 10:16 KJV) 

""When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.'"" (John 16:13-15 NLT)

 Looking up the definition for the word, "Consecration," it typically means to make, declare, or ordain something to be sacred or holy. Whether you know it or not, your salvation comes with a sacred and holy body, because God's Spirit is living within you! The church does not exist in a building; we are the church; we might gather in buildings, but the church is the body of Christ, not sticks and stone, but flesh and blood that belongs to Him, Christ Jesus, who is the Head of the church. 

 Most of the believers have that understanding and will agree that it is our sacred duty to watch what we do with this body, as it is ordained and belongs to the Lord. Whatever it is, but there is some sort of fog or forgetfulness that happens when we sin; especially when it becomes a craving, even after we are told not to do it! If you don't know what I mean, then good for you. The rest of us, mostly, that know, from experience, will think you are lying and just don't think whatever you did wasn't all that sinful. 

 It could just be me, but I have been through some times when I actually learned how to sin and thought I was getting by with it. It isn't really all that hard to do, because if you are trying to satisfy a craving, of any sort, it will just grow naturally. That was the cause of that very first sin, performed by Adam and Eve. It was the desire to fulfill a craving; and when you have a caving, guess how shows up to help you get what you want! 

 Anywho, the main thing that must remain the Main Thing, and that is, that the Spirit of God is abiding within you; therefore, you must make every effort to remain pure and consecrated by the Power within you...

"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." (Romans 8:5-7 NLT)  

"Devine Inspiration"

 "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before," (Hebrews 10:15 KJV)

  "Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative - that is, the Holy Spirit - he will teach you everything and remind you of everything I have told you."" (John 14:23-26 NLT)

 This is meant to be a reminder to all, that the Holy Spirit is more than a Comforter, a Helper, and a Teacher; He is also an Advocate, who speaks for our transformation and reminds us of what we are and how we must keep moving forward. The actual term, "Advocate," is a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy; a champion, upholder, supporter, backer, and promoter.

 Yes, He is also a Gentleman that is not forceful, but guides us where we should go, which sometimes is not where we want to go, but because He is our Advocate He will not give up on us! He will remain, always ready to inspire and teach us, always on our side; even when we mess up, He has still got our back, waiting patiently for us to turn and be ready to do what He says! 

 This reminds me of the time when I wanted to write a book, called: "Champion of Companionship." I really can't even remember when it was, maybe back in 2015; but I was inspired to do it because of the words of a brother who has moved on, as he was speaking on the News about Companionship, saying that he felt it would be okay for a spouse to divorce their significant other, if they had some sort a brain disorder; just for the sake of Companionship.

 I was standing over my wife at the time he said that and felt as though I wanted to scream at him, not really believing that he knew what he was saying and how wicked it was to even say what he said. When we who are Christians make a vow, before God and all of our witnesses, we take an oath: "I, Richard, take you, Marianne, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy law; and this is my solemn vow!" 

 There really isn't any point of debate in what that vow means! Besides that, Companionship is not something you just walk away from, because you are One! That is how the Holy Spirit works too, He will be there always, even if you lose your mind, He will still be there to comfort and help you, to the very end...    

""Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."" (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT) 

"Perfection!"

 "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14 KJV)

  "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:19-22 NLT)

 I know it might not feel as though we have been perfected, as we still struggle and stumble, as we live in this world trying not to sin; but as long as we believe and abide in Christ, these imperfections are all just temporary, just as this tent will be transformed, so too, we go from being sanctified to glorified, into His glorious presence. Have you made that something you expect to happen? 

 The whole point to the salvation we have in Christ, is more than just the struggles we deal with here on this earth, because all of us will be dealing with struggles from time to time, it is just bound to happen. If you don't think it could happen to you, beware! We must always know, that in our flesh, we all are subject to temptations and making wrong choices. Whenever we think that we have overcome certain things and defeated the struggle against sin, things will start to get testy.

 It is all about the power of God, to overcome! No matter how hard it gets, He is greater than your failure and struggles! It is like that illustration of God telling us to move a giant big rock. We push and push, trying as hard as we can to move that rock, all the while we feel defeated and sometimes want to give you. But after a while you just have to cry out to God, saying, "Why did you asked me to do something I can't do?" God will say, "Why are you complaining? You got stronger trying to move that rock; and besides that, you never asked for my help." 

 That is us trying to deal with something we just can't seem to overcome; sometimes, God just wants you to deal with it and keep asking for His help...

"You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made his light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile cray jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." (2 Corinthians 4:5-7 NLT)