"Passing The Torch" - part 4

There is something which needs to be instilled deep within the hearts of our children, and needs to be put forth with passion: The Mercy of God! We need to be able to articulate with our actions towards them how important God's mercy is to our eternal souls; and how do we do that? Most importantly, would be that we must be slow to wrath; in other words, we must not explode in a fit of rage against our children. This kind of reaction to their disobedience is something that can not be taken back. I hope you just got what I said? When we explode in a fit of rage against our children, we leave a scar upon their hearts, which may be able to be smoothed over, but will never go away. Ephesians 6:4 says, "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." We have to be able to instill upon their hearts what the mercies of God really mean to our lives; and to be able to do that, our own hearts towards them must show signs of mercy, long suffering, and patience. Secondly; we need to understand within our own hearts just how Great God's Mercy is towards us; and then, with wisdom and the guiding of the Holy Spirit, explain to them over and over how we have been delivered from an eternal damnation. This is really something that has been not been spoken of enough in our churches, let alone our families. It seems no one wants to speak about the fires of hell, or the punishment for sin; but this is really the reason for God's Mercy: That we should be able to escape the damnation we have been born into, by receiving God's Mercy, which He has provided to us, through His Son Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important to instill into the hearts and minds of our children then the Gospel message, and that it is because of Jesus and His death upon the cross, that we have been saved from the power of sin and death. There seems to be a pattern in many churches today, to kind of skirt around this issue; and to focus instead upon the hope, peace, love and joy; which are the fruits of being redeemed, but in and of themselves, do not provide redemption; but instead can provide a false assurance. Basically, what I am trying to say with that statement is: If the reason for coming to Christ is to have hope, peace, love and joy, you will not be secure in Christ, because those reasons will not stand the testing of your faith; however, if the reason for your coming to Christ is to be saved from the damnation which would otherwise be your fate, then the testing of your faith will cause strengthening, and a deeper walk in the Lord. We have to know and believe, that from which we have been saved from, in order to appreciate the salvation that we have been given; and this knowledge must be handed down unto our children. They need to know the reason why it is so very, very important that they continue a life that is surrendered to God, and why they need Jesus! "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His Mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him." (Psalms 103:11-13)

"Passing The Torch" - part 3

'Jacob's Ladder': "And Jacob went from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and desending on it. And the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 28:10-14) Many believe that this was the time of Jacob's conversion; a moment where God offers to Jacob the promise of his fathers, and where Jacob accepts this promise as his own. The ladder ascending up into heaven from the earth, is looked upon by some as a picture of God's Grace; wherein God provides us with the access unto Him, where someone has access unto God via a climb. This concept has been used by various cultures in ways to access spiritual maturity; especially in many eastern cultures, where temples are accessed via extraordinarily high and long stairways. But does this really picture God's Grace in that way? No, I am quite sure that it does not, because God's Grace does not involve a climb. Actually, it would be best pictured as an elevator ride; where all that a person would need to do is to just get in, and would have access to God. Jacob's Ladder was not about climbing up to God, but was about access to God. I am sure that if they had elevators in his time, Jacob would have used that in his dream; but that is just my thought on the matter. People who live on the beach, sometimes lose their love for the beach, and all it has to offer them. It can be like that for us also when it comes to the Gift of God's Grace; where we can begin to forget just how special His Grace is to our eternal life. We must not forget how free His Gift of Grace is, and that it is not something we can earn, or are rewarded; but yet many do not demonstrate this to their children. Our actions speak louder than our words; and for many of the children being raised in this current generation, they do not understand the concept of God's Grace; mostly because they do not see their parents live it out. We are given Grace freely by God, and He requires only that we accept it; yet to relate that concept to our children, we need to mimic that concept to them in our love to them. In other words; the manor in which we demonstrate our love to them, is to be the reality of God's Grace to us. Our children should not have to earn love and respect from us; but in so many cases, they feel that they do; and more times than not, they give up trying to earn love and respect, and rebel from their parents, and from God. It is so vitally important as we raise our children in the Lord, and teach them about His love for us, that we also live out that same love for them; otherwise, all that we teach them is only words; and the real concept of what God's Grace is all about will be so much harder for them to realize. They must be able to come to understand the concept of unconditional love, and we must show them what that love is all about in the way that we love them; then they will be able, and more willing to accept, and believe what we say. For us, God's Grace is not about a climb; but for us to relate His Grace to our children, it is: we must be constantly ascending and descending before God and then to them! "For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

"Passing The Torch" part 2

'Character': Believe it or not, this is a noun; and because it is, it has the qualities of a fixed object. The problem is, that for many that think they posses this quality, they really come up short in many areas of their lives. This is a quality in one's persona that discipline instills. So, the main reason that we are chastised by God, is not for wrong committed, but rather that He would be able to instill in us this quality of character. This is the reason for the writing in Hebrews which proclaims, that we should not despise the chastening of the Lord; because it is being done for our benefit, and to create in us a distinguished quality that will be evident that we are His children. Now then; when it comes to 'works', and how they are part of our overall Christian walk, many do not understand that it is not how we perform our works unto the Lord that matter most, but rather why we do those things which are really at the heart of the matter. In other words; it is not about how hard we work, but rather what is motivating us to work that really matters towards God. Remember, God looks at the heart; and because He does, He looks at our motives. Are the works which you do for God to gain recognition? Are they to make a statement about how much you want others to know you love God? Or, are they being done to counter the guilt of your sins? All of these are false qualities of real work unto the Lord; because real work unto the Lord is motivated by love. And it involves a broken heart that just wants to love the Lord, and do those things which are pleasing to Him; with no thought of reward or gratitude in doing them; but simply: Because we love Jesus! This is something that must be lived out in our lives; and greater yet, it is something which must be passed down to our children. There is a reason for discipline to be a part of a child's rearing; to instill character in their lives; and when we as a people take that tool out of the equation, we are creating a generation of people that will lack respect for themselves, others, and God. It is kind of like this new way for children to play sports; where they are not keeping score, as if there is really no winners or losers; but for what do they train for? It takes the reason to train hard out of the equation; the reason to win. "Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure: but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His Holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, Afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:9-11)

"Passing The Torch"

There is another meaning for the word 'Faith', and it happens to be the first mention of the word in the Old Testament. It is found in Deuteronomy 32:20, and the Hebrew word is 'Ewuwn' which means: Established, Trusty, Trustworthiness, Faithful, Truth. I can't remember where I was, but I do remember playing a game; one where about 20 of us stood in a large circle, and whispered a News Report in the ear of the person to our left. My niece says that this game is called 'telephone'; but I prefer to call it 'passing the torch'. The way it works, is the first person has the true report, and tells the next in line, and then the next person in line tells the next, and so on it goes, until it comes back to the first person again. And by the time it gets around to where it started, it is not even recognizable as the original story. This is really how things can manifest within our culture, our history, and our churches. Where the truth is changed from one person to the next; by either adding to, taking away, or changing some minor detail; until the original truth is no longer the truth anymore. It sometimes may not make much difference what was said from one person to the next, but after a series of changes, they can all add up to a whole different meaning. This is played out in our generations, as one generation passes the truth onto the next; and not only in just words, but also in reasons for what they believe, and in the purpose for the hope they hold in their hearts. This is something which was prevalent throughout the history of the children of Israel, as they moved from one King to the next, and from one generation to the next. Until someone would read God's original Law, or the original writings, and then one of two things would happen; either there would be revival, or there would be rebellion. This also occurred in the New Testament also; as Paul would travel from one place to the next; he would establish a church, based upon the Truth; and then later hear that they had moved away from the Truth, and changed the Gospel message in one way or another. Which was the reason he wrote many of his letters; to address the Truth being distorted, and to set the record straight. There is a reason that God had Moses write down His Laws, and His instructions to the children of Israel to write these laws upon their hearts; and to instruct their children, and their children's children in them; because it is very important that we do not take away, or add to the Word that God has given us. Yet; not only are our cultures being changed by the neglect of adhering to God's laws, but our churches are also. Even the Gospel message is being distorted in several of our churches today; where the real meaning of Faith, works, Grace, and Mercy, are not the true meanings that they were originally meant to mean. For example: the meaning of Faith in God, really means more than to just believe in God; but it actually has more depth to it's meaning, which requires a person to surrender to God, and to have Him actually be the Lord of their life. Many look upon Faith as a belief, such as belonging to a faith; and then they base their belonging to Christ on their belonging to the Church. But in reality; our belonging to the Church is based upon our Faith, and whether or not He is actually Lord of our lives. "Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the Lord saw it, He abhorred them, because of the provoking of His sons, and of His daughters. And He said, I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be: For they are a very forward generation, children in whom is no faith." (Deuteronomy 32:18-20)

"Knowing We Are His Children"

"The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." (Psalms 103:6-10) I remember as a child getting the paddle for doing wrong, and I remember hearing, "This is going to hurt me more than it does you"; of course, I never really believed that was so. But now that I am a child of God, I can see that there is some truth in that saying; in a round about way. When I realize what Jesus went through to pay the price for my sins, how can a little spanking compare to that; for the things which I have done, and continue to do, were laid upon Him which knew no sin; yet the things I receive are only corrections really, because He received the punishment. I think the one thing that the Lord hates most, is when I do not trust Him. The reason I say that, is because it is at those times, when I feel furthest from Him; as if He has stepped away to let me try and do things on my own, until I get to a point where I get so desperate for His help, that I will cry out and surrender my will, and trust Him fully. This is one thing that we must completely come to understand: that the chastisement of the Lord is good for us. We may not think so as we are going through it, or even really understand why it is happening; but afterwards, we realize that we are a better child for it. Really, when you think about it in the proper light, it is one way that He lets us know that we are really His children; because it shows us that He cares for us, and our growing up, to be big and strong. Think about what it would be like if our earthly parents did not discipline us for the wrongs which we committed, but instead, just let us do whatever we wanted to do, with no consequences for our actions; what kind of a person would we grow up to be? And how would that relate to us, when we became of an age to realize just how little they actually cared for our overall well being. We are currently living in a culture where more and more, spanking a child is looked upon as a form of child abuse; when in reality, not spanking your child when they deserve to be spanked, is actually a form of child neglect. But the real product of what is being played out in our society, is actually ungodliness; where evil is called good, and good is called evil. And in some cultures now, we have something which they are calling 'Child's Rights'; where a child can go against the wishes of their parents, and they get the backing of the government when they do so. Things like: making your children go to church; or one that really has me wondering: a child as young as six years old, telling their parents that they are really a girl, even though they were born a boy; what the heck is up with that? In fact; they currently have established in this country, medical treatment for children as young as eight years old, who may feel that they are meant to be another sex; to receive medication which will stop, or slow down their hormonal growth until they reach an older age; which will allow them to be more successful in their transformation. Is there something wrong with this picture? My mom would say, "This is a prime example of the Nuts running the Nut House". God has established His laws for a reason, and when man starts to deny God, they also deny His laws; then we begin to see the fruit of that: Evil is called good, and Good is called evil! "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." (Hebrews 12:5-8)

"Persuaded By Love"

How do I know God is Real? Because He has manifested His Love towards us! If there is one thing that God has put forth to persuade us of who He is, it is His love for us; of which, there can be no denying. For His sacrifice for us is the testimony of that abundant Love; which expresses more than mere words can explain. In the first half of John chapter 3, we can see one of the greatest illustrations of God reasoning with someone about His love for us. This encounter is commonly known as 'Nic at Night'; and involves a man coming to Jesus at night to find out the reason which He was sent by God. But it quickly turns into a moment where God reasons with a man about His Love. This encounter is very similar to Paul's experience with Jesus on the road to Damascus; because Paul, who was Saul at the time, was on a mission to seek out those that were believers in Jesus, and persecute them; yet on his way, he meet the Lord, was blinded by a Great Light, and then spent several days reasoning with God about His Love. There is really something to be said about getting alone with God to reason with Him about how much He loves us; it is life changing. This is something that I believe God has quite an interest in: to reason with us about how much He loves us; if we would only take the time to do so. Because if we do take the time to reason with Him about how much He loves us, then we would be persuaded by His love for us; which would cause us to realize just how much He really does love us. It is the love that He has for us, that is greater than anything else to persuade us to follow Him, and to die to ourselves. What we are talking about here, is the greatest force in the universe: The Love of God. And the more we dwell upon that love; get familiar with that love; and reason with Him about His love for us; the more persuaded we are in His love. His love for us is the source of our faith. It is a consuming fire, that will burn away all the things which cause us to stumble. Things which we may not even realize are there; that are hidden deep within our hearts. But yet, as we come before Him and begin to reason with Him about His great love for us, they are brought forth, and revealed to us; and as soon as they are, we must deal with them, right then and there. God really does have an interest in our knowing who He is and how much He loves us; and His desire for us, is that we would earnestly seek Him, to know Him more and more. Because the more we know Him, the more persuaded we will be by His Love. "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth the mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalms 103:1-5)

"Resisted Unto Blood" part 2

Okay; Now what was I talking about? Oh ya, Faith! Faith is a noun; the Greek word is 'Pistis', which means: Firm persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth, veracity, reality or faithfulness (though rare). 'Pistis' comes from the word 'Peitho', which means to win over, or persuade. In Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen", means that persuasion is not the outcome of imagination but is based on fact. In other words; if someone were to ask me, "How do I know God is real?"; I could just say that it was because I have meet Him, and that I know Him, and that He lives within me; which might be enough to put forth the basis for my belief, and might be enough for me to accept, but not convincing enough for the one asking the question. Well then, what is the convincing factor? Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! He came, walked among us, died on the cross, rose on the third day, and ascended up into heaven. Each and everyone of these things have been verified through history. This is a fact that has been recorded in history for over 2,000 years. So, when asked such a question, "How do I know God is real?", my answer could be, "Because He Lives!" Now when it comes to what my faith is put in; I must have my faith fully upon and in Jesus Christ, and Him only. Jesus not only showed us the way, He is the Way. Okay then, what about this 'Resisted Unto Blood', and how does it relate to faith? If we are to be following Jesus, and believe that He is the Way; then we must also pay attention to the things that He did. Okay; here is a question: How hard do you try to obey God? Do you try hard enough to break a sweat? Maybe you have; a little droplets here or there, as you wrestle with an issue. But have you ever sweat blood in that process? No, I don't think you have. I know I haven't; in fact, I don't know if I remember breaking a sweat over an issue. If the issue was that intense, I probably would have given in long before it came to breaking a sweat. But really, this is the reality of what sin is: It is going against God. If our desire is to not go against God, then what might be required of us is a little determination; which might cause us to break a sweat. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8)

"Resisted Unto Blood"

"I just could not help myself !" Have you ever used that phrase in self defence? We all know that at one time or another we have. It is as if we are trying to say, that there is another person inside of us, the drove us to do this or that. Sorry to let you down, but it was really just all you, all along. But in all seriousness; this is no joke; because, what Christ suffered for our sakes is not to be taken lightly; it was provided at a Great Cost. That night in the Garden, as Jesus sweat blood; as He pleaded with the Father, "If there be any other way"; this was not a moment of doubt, or worry; but it was rather a moment of anguish. Anguish that no one before, or ever after, could even begin to know or experience. For the first time in all eternity, the Maker of heaven and earth, would experience separation from the Father. This is something that may not be easy for us to even try and imagine; or even for me to try and articulate; because it has only happened once in all eternity. But what happened on that cross, was really more than any of us can even comprehend. Not only did Jesus take on the sins of the world, but He also became separated from the Father in our place. What that basically means, is that for a brief, but critical moment in time, Jesus experienced the darkness of being separated from the Light. The anguish of all mankind was taken on by the Giver of Life; and in that moment He would experience Death; not just the death on the cross, but the Death which was spoken to Adam, when God said, "And in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely Die". We can watch all the movies out there on how Jesus Christ suffered for us, but none can depict this for which He anguished over, that night in the Garden. There is just simply no way to describe the magnitude of it; nor, does my simple writings even begin to give justice to it's depth. So, the next time you want to use that phrase, "I just could not help myself"; think about the conflict going on within our Lord and Saviour, as He strove against sin that night in the Garden. And, What sin might that have been? For Jesus, that would have been, to not do that for which He came to do. However, the passion inside of Him to do the Will of the Father, had overruled the desire within Himself to forsake the cross, and all that it involved. Now then; about those 'Little White Puffy Things' which are used for communion: If they were created for convenience sake; there was nothing convenient about what Jesus did for us! "This Do In Remembrance Of Me". (I just could not help myself ! :)

"Learning To Rest In Jesus"

If you have ever watched a Major golf tournament, there is something which is always exciting to be a part of; that is to watch an unknown Leader fall apart on the last day. It is almost a given, that the one in the lead will always fall apart, or fail to pull off the win, if they have never won a Major tournament before. You might wonder why that is almost always the case: the main reason is, because they are not mentally prepared for the victory. Golf is one game that requires the ability to 'get in the zone', even under the most immense pressure. But here is the problem: Because they have never won a Major tournament before, there is a new pressure that they are not use to performing in: The thought of winning. They either are too sure of themselves, or too insecure to complete the task. But whichever reason it is, they begin to fall apart; especially on the back nine of the last day. It is almost as if they surrender to the fact that they can not be the winner, because they have never won a Major before. And then what happens? They start falling apart, and tense up instead of relaxing; which causes them to start hitting the ball off into places they don't want the ball to go. Now really; what does this have to do with our faith in Jesus? Quite a lot actually; because, there is something which happens to us when it comes to holding onto our faith through the trials which cause us to stumble. Either we are too sure of ourselves, or too insecure to pull it off. So then, what do we do? We fall apart spiritually, and give in to sin; doing just the opposite of what we should do; when what we should do, is to let go and let God. But you see, for many of us, it is hard to let go; because we want to prove something to either ourselves, or maybe even to God. It's that old 'I got this' attitude; or the 'I'm not worthy' attitude, that make us stumble and fall. What we really need to do, is to learn to Rest in Jesus. Have you ever tried to save someone from drowning? It really can be difficult sometimes to do; and if you are not careful, they could hurt you, or even cause you to drown also in the process of saving them. Sometimes it is best to just let them drown, then pull them to safety, and pump out the water. It is really hard to relax when you think you are drowning; but really, that is what we must learn to do. We must rest in the promise that God knows best what to do in any situation. After all; Jesus went through it, and came through it victoriously; so He does know best how to get us through anything. Basically, what I am trying to say, is that the faith which we have been given in Christ, has already been tried, and is true; and that we must learn to hold onto that faith to the very end. Why is that so hard to do? Because we do not think that we can; which is all the more reason we must rest in Him. Let me try to illustrate something: Let's say that you are worrying about a certain issue in your life; Would you say that worry is sin? Yes it is. Because what worry means, is that you are doubting God; and doubt means that you are not trusting God; and when we do not trust God, we have sinned against Him. Remember this the next time you begin to worry about anything: "Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength". This is our greatest commandment to live by, and we must be strong in the Lord. "For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Hebrews 12:3 & 4)

"Keeping Our Eyes On Jesus"

"The Author and Finisher of our Faith". We might tend to believe that our faith has a beginning within ourselves; but in doing so, we would be taking away from the Real Faith that Jesus has established within us; and replacing it with a weaker faith that has been made by man. The main point of what I just said needs to be repeated: 'Man made faith is weak!' But you might say, "Doesn't my faith come from within me?" It's just a little more complicated that that. You can put your faith in a lot of things; some which are learned, and some which are tried. I was watching the Golf Channel yesterday, and I heard something explained about the Game of Golf that I had never really heard before: "That Golf is a Game of Faith". I am sure a lot of things in life could be explained in the same way, but the way this was explained really struck a cord in me. It goes something like this: You choose the club you are going to use to strike the ball, based upon the yardage to the area that you want to hit. This yardage is determined by your past experience with the use of that club in the past; however, there are variables to where the ball will ultimately end up, even though the yardage has already been determined; lots of variables. Like for example: the wind, the slope of the terrain, your swing, your stance, the club face, the placement of the ball in play, etc. But you choose that club based on faith that if all things work together the way that you hope they will, your ball will end up where you want it to be; and then you swing that club with confidence in your calculations. Now, when it comes to our faith in Christ, there are no variables; because He has established the course, the means, and the finish line; and He has completed it already. This is a faith like no other; because it has been Authored and Finished by Him. Thus, it is not a faith which has been made by man; because man's faith would have variables; be given to chance; and be determined by the forces of those things in and around there life. In other words; when we put our faith in God, we are putting our faith in the One who made the rules, all the means, everything and anything required for that faith to reach it's goal. With God, it is not a game of chance, or of skill; but solely a walk of trust. So, the faith which we have within us, has been birthed in us by God, and the knowledge we have in Him. "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doeth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us; Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1 & 2)

"Faith That Is Pure"

So, what does pure faith look like? Pure faith, is a faith that is undefiled by the things of this world; and is based solely upon Jesus Christ, and the finished work on the cross. We can not do anything to add to, or take away from what He has done, because, when He said, 'It is finished', that is exactly what He meant. It has all been dealt with; and now what we must do, is to walk in that finished work, by faith. So then, what about the falls? Well, undefiled does mean undefiled; doesn't it? Let me ask you this: Why did God send His Son to die on the cross for us? Wasn't it because He loved us? And do you think that because you have fallen, that He now loves you less? That is utter nonsense! How do we know that to be true? Because God knows us better than we know ourselves; He knows our comings and our goings; our beginning and our ending. Well then; could it be that He loves us more? One thing is for sure: He loves us more than we love ourselves. But what really pleases the Father, is when we draw closer to Him. What this basically is, is an experience in a purification process; wherein we fall, repent, and then get refreshed in His love and mercy; all the while, perfecting our faith in Him. We are to be striving for perfection, and in the process, knowing that sooner or later we will fall; but all the while, we must be diligent not to. In other words; we must keep on guard to avoid a fall; but when we do have a fall, we must be quick to ask for His forgiveness, and then press on. Pressing towards the mark; never wavering; and always dependent upon Him. Remember, what God desires in us is fellowship; and we have fellowship with God through the obedience of His Son, Jesus Christ, and what He did upon the cross. You know; it is really hard to have fellowship with God when we are hiding in the bushes. We must come out into the open, be washed in the blood of the Lamb, and then walk by faith; knowing, believing, and trusting that God loves us even more than we love ourselves: We must know His ways! So now then; What do we do about that? There is only one thing that is left to do: We love Him back!!! "Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known My ways. So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the Living God." (Hebrews 3:7-12)

"Faith Unfiltered"

Do you remember what pure faith is? Or has your faith become clouded and hard to see through? Why would something that was once so pure be so obscured? Battle scars maybe? How about defeat? Or maybe repeated defeat? No; maybe by now you thought things would be different, and you just can't see through all the stuff? Here is where things must be dealt with, and I don't mean that we must deal with it; because really we can't. For one, we really would not know where to begin; but I know someone who does; and His name is Jesus. Okay, right about now you might be wondering what I am getting at. You see; when we first came to Christ, our faith was pure, and it was based solely upon our trust in Jesus. Then we began to start our walk; which at first was pure, because it was the walk of a child. But just when we thought we had it down, down we went, and it was like: "Where did that come from?" So, back to the cross we went; hoping for a new start: Mistake number one. And then on we went; this time a little more cautiously; but to no prevail, down we went again; and on and on we go; until we got to a point where we settled for defeat. Not that we settled in defeat, but rather we settled for just being inadequate: Mistake number two. Now we walk in a shadow of once was; thinking that because we are so inadequate, that we could never do, or measure up to what the Lord would have us to be: Mistake number three. What went wrong? Let's start with mistake number one: returning to the cross to start over again; as if the first time did not take. When really, what was needed to take place was a more complete surrender; not a redo of something that was already complete. In other words; once we were born again, we did not need to be reborn again; but rather, we needed to surrender more of our old life that was still clinging on. Okay; mistake number two: settling for being inadequate. This one is really a simple fix; because "Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world"; which means, that really we are meant to be inadequate, because it is not us who is to be doing the fighting, but Him. He is our strength in weakness. And finally; mistake number three: believing that we can not measure up to what the Lord has meant for us to be. This is where the rubber meets the road in our faith in God; because we are a child of God; a son of the King; and as such, we have been given a position that is far greater than we know; and it is called: A Saint. And here is the great thing: it is not by our doing that we have been awarded such honour, but rather by what Jesus did on the cross. Which really means that the old man was inadequate to do anything; but we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, which is now adequate to do all things through Him. So now what? Really it just comes down to belief. Either He is Lord of All, or not Lord at all... "Werefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this Man was counted worthy to more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man, but He that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after: But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." (Hebrews 3:1-6)

"True Faith That Endures"

What is harder to do: Endure temptation, or endure after a fall? Maybe a better question would be: Which one is more beneficial for our faith in God? We do not have to think to hard on that one; Do we? For, it is always far better to endure temptation. In a perfect Christian life, faith in God is strong enough to endure any temptation; but let's get real, none of us can avoid being tempted; and unfortunately, none of us can endure all temptations. Because, something causes everyone to stumble sometime. It could be something which might seem insignificant, like gossip, or anger; or maybe something a little more profound, like drunkenness, or sex. So, would you say that it is harder to endure temptation? Well, if that is the case; What about the faith that is needed to endure after giving into temptation? Because in doing so, sometimes we have opened up a real can of worms. First off, we know that we have sinned against God, and because of that, we will feel guilty and ashamed for doing so. Then there are those which may have been effected by the sin which we committed; those that have been hurt, and which we may feel a debt towards. And then, there are the consequences for that sin; which depending upon the sin, can be quite long lasting. Now; let me ask again: Which is harder to have faith through? Because faith that endures temptation is really only required for a very short time; while the faith that is needed to endure after a fall, can go on and on. Our goal is of course to avoid a fall; but when we do fall, then we must get back into a right standing with God, and avoid another one; which really becomes even harder to do, once you have fallen. It is really best to avoid any fall; but then again, this is not a perfect world. But God! (I really love that phrase!) But God, is able to turn anything into good; even the sin that is committed against Him. Therefore, the faith required to endure after a fall, must trust that God is willing and able to turn ashes into beauty; because He is, and He will. Now what are we looking at? Could this now be a test? It starts out with a temptation, which is not from God; and then morphs into a test of our faith, which is from God. Only one word comes to mind to describe how that makes me feel: 'Amazed'. God is in the business of Restoring Lives! "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:15-18)

"Real Faith Endures"

Do you see a pattern of sorts here? There is only one that was without sin, and that was Jesus Christ. All others had fallen short, and were born in sin; "All have sinned and fallen short!" The real question is: Does your faith endure a fall? Really; Does it? Because for some, the faith that they once had is diminished by a fall; not feeling worthy again to serve God; a heart of inadequacy. But this ought not be so! Because our abilities to serve God are not based upon how adequate we are, but rather on how available we are. Yes, that's right; we just need to be available to be used; God is the one to be adequate. When we do fall, (I did say when, and not if), but, when we do fall, we must get up, dust ourselves off, and get back in the race. Sometimes, we may even have to run harder, to get caught up; but God will supply the strength we need to press forward. We might have a bruise or two; but sometimes a bruise is a good thing to have, to remind us to watch our step, and to avoid a fall again. But real faith will endure testing; and from where does testing come from? The testing of our faith is from God; but the tempting of our faith is never from God. What God will do is to test our obedience to Him; but we are tempted by our own inadequacies, the world, and by the devil; but we are never tempted by God. Because, God supplies our needs, not take away from them; and what He will do, is to place things in front of us to test our obedience to Him; then our faith is strengthened by walking in that obedience. We ourselves, the world, and the devil, will put things before us to hinder our faith; which, when we are tempted by such things, must cause us to depend more upon God; for He is adequate to overcome what we can not. (What the heck?) Okay; first we must admit to and know our own inadequacies; to be able to overcome something, we must first realize what it is that we lack the ability to overcome. Then, when we are tempted in something that goes against God, we must realize that it is not God who is tempting us with anything that goes against Him; but instead, it is either our own sinful nature, the world, or the devil. God's testing will involve things which bring Him glory, and prove our obedience to Him in the positive; but when we are tempted with sin, it is not God testing our ability to withstand; but, He is more than willing and able to help us overcome; and He will always provide for us a way to escape. A good rule of thumb is this: Righteous testing=God; unrighteous tempting=Not God. So; when we do fall by failing to do what God has put before us to do, then that is sin; because, God will never ask us to do something that we are not able to do. Well then; what about Moses and his inadequacy to speak? If you remember, God had tried to convince Moses that He would speak through him; so really, all that Moses had to do was go, and then God would speak through him once he got there. Wasn't that the case? Sure, Aaron spoke for him well enough, but when Moses did speak, he spoke with power and authority. Okay then; what about Abraham, and God telling him to go and sacrifice his son Isaac? Well, first off, for Abraham, this testing was not to him as a sin; because Abraham believed that God would either intervene, or raise Isaac from the dead; because either way, he believed God's promise that through Isaac a Nation would be born. And we know what God did in this situation. The bottom line is this: When we do fall because of sin, it is because of our own inadequacies to overcome temptation; and when we fall short in obedience to that which is good, it is because of our lack of obedience to God; either way, we fall. But real faith will endure, repent, and carry on. "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:12-14)

"The Fall - Into The Arms of God"

"And the Lord said to him, This is the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-Peor: But no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day." (Deuteronomy 34:4-6) Why did God not let it be known where Moses was buried? So no one would erect a shine unto him. There is some debate as to what happen to the body of Moses; but one thing is for sure, that today, he is with the Lord. One basis of debate is because of the transfiguration, where Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, before the disciples. However, this manifestation was not to glorify Moses or Elijah, but was done to glorify Jesus, and to give witness to His authenticity with the two representatives of both the Law and the Prophets. Because regardless of what might have happened to the body of Moses, God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants to do it. Besides, Moses was still God's servant after he had sinned; and when God declared judgement upon him for that sin, Moses made no qualms about that judgement; but rather took the consequences of that sin, realizing the error of his way with Faith, that no matter what might happen here on this earth, he would still end up in the same place: In the Arms of God. Moses was still the Man of God! He had seen God face to face, and knew that God was a God of Mercy. He continued to serve Him, trust Him, and declare Him unto the children of Israel. For Moses knew that this was not the final resting place, and that God had prepared a much better place for him than that which was available in this world; including the land of Canaan. Unlike King Hezekiah, who pleaded for God to spare his life; Moses went gladly to his resting place; knowing that this was not the end, but just the beginning, and that he would forever be with the Lord, face to face. Besides, his body was only a tent, but his spirit would live on in the Real Tabernacle of the Lord. How did he know this? Because God said, "I Am the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob"; and that God was the God of the living, not of the dead! And now God would say, "I Am the God of My Servant Moses". "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, In all the signs and the wonders, which the Lord sent him to do, in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel." (Deuteronomy 34:10-12)

"The Step Outside"

"Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our heads, if any hand be upon him." (Joshua 2:18 & 19) Now, imagine for a moment, what would happen for those who might have stepped outside of that covering; as odd as that might sound. Yet, for some, this has become more than just imagined. There was no report of anyone in Rahab's household that chose to leave her house; so then, why even consider that possibility? Can we as a Believer in Christ, step outside of His covering? I would hope not; but on the other hand; what about those that might have? Say: What are you trying to say Rich? Okay; say for example, that you were one of Rahab's household, and you heard the armies of Israel storming the city. You knew that in that house you were safe; at least that is what you have been told; but for whatever reason, you have made a choice to step outside; would you consider that move to be suicide? And what would create that thought to begin with? Maybe, a fear of what might come next? Or, the thought of having all you have ever known being destroyed? Your friends, your lifestyle; the things you might still want to hold onto. Would those things be enough to cause such a move? Maybe it might just be pride? It could be that. Because pride is the cause for many great men of God to fall; but to fall that far? Maybe? Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." What was it that caused Moses to sin against God, by striking the rock, instead of speaking to it, as God had commanded? Could it have been unbelief? Could it have been rebellion? Maybe both? Because, what pride does, is that it blinds the heart; which causes one to think that they know better than God what needs to be done; which is rebellion; and is also, not believing that God can do something by just speaking forth a word. A good indication of what was in the heart of Moses, is to see what he said right before he smote the rock: "And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" (Numbers 20:10) Do you detect a hint of pride in his voice? Whatever happen to God providing the water? Because, all of the sudden, it was 'we' giving you water, and not God providing it to the people. Basically, what this act was, was spiritual suicide; and it cost Moses entering into the Promised Land, by not honouring God. "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." (Proverbs 29:23)

"The Scarlet Thread"

Atonement: 'Kaphar' is the Hebrew word, which means to cover; to cancel; to cleanse; pardon; put off; reconcile. The Greek word is 'Katallage', which means: exchange; restoration to (the Divine) favor; reconciliation. This is the 'Scarlet Thread' that is woven throughout the whole Bible, of God's ultimate plan of Atonement, and to reconcile man back to Him. From Genesis 3:21, where God covered Adam and Eve in animal skins, to Jesus' death upon the cross; this is the restoration of man to God: Atonement. For Rahab, this Scarlet Thread was the covering for her, and all her household. It was the same as the blood put over the doorways of the houses, that night of the Passover in Egypt, when all the First Born in the land were slain. And it was commanded them, that they should not leave their homes, least they should be slain. So it was also for the household of Rahab; all who were in her household had to trust Rahab and stay within her home to be spared. For us, it is the Cross, and in our believing that it is only by the price that Christ paid upon that Cross that we are saved; and that we must come under that covering: That it is only by the Covering of His blood that we will be spared. For Adam and Eve in the Garden, had discovered that they were naked after eating of the Tree; but God put a covering over their nakedness; which was a sign of what was to come; and that without a blood sacrifice, there is no atonement for sin; which means that there is no covering for our nakedness. As strange as that may sound, it is true; because Adam and Eve were naked before they ate the fruit; but until they ate of it, they knew no sin; then after they had eaten it, sin was revealed, and so was their nakedness. Then they hid themselves in the Garden from God, because they saw that they were naked; which caused God to say, "Where are you Adam?" Then Adam replied, "Hiding, because I am naked"; and the God said, "Who told you that you were naked?" Because, before they had eaten of the Fruit, they had no knowledge of sin, and what might be considered to be sin, was only sin, when it was conceived in their hearts. Thus, God covered the sin which was revealed in their hearts by the skin of animals, which had to be slain for that skin. But that was only a temporary covering, and one that could easily be taken off. Much like it would have been easy for someone to step outside the covering of the protection of being within Rahab's home; or a protected home in Egypt. Think about that for a moment, if you can: You must stay inside; yet outside, you hear the screaming of those being slain; knowing that it is only because of where you are right now, that you are not. Would you call that Faith? "Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)

"The Harlot's Faith"

Rahab the harlot, was a woman that believed the God of Israel was the True and Living God. Not only did she believe that He was the God of Heaven and all of earth, but she was convinced that God was going to deliver the land of her people into the hands of Israel. In Joshua chapter 2, we see that she housed the two spies that Joshua sent into the land. The King of Jericho was told of these two spies, and sent men to go and capture them; but Rahab hid the spies and told the King's men that they had departed towards the Jordan, and that they should be quick to go after them. She believed so much that God was delivering her land to Israel, that she made the two spies promise to spare her life, and the life of her family, when they were to come and take possession of the land: "For we heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed, and as soon as we heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you: For the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath." (Joshua 2:10 & 11) Her faith in God was demonstrated by her actions which she took in protecting those two spies; and it was also demonstrated by her confession that God was in control; believing that He was not only that God of Heaven, but also Lord of all the earth. She could see that Israel was a people chosen by God, and that they were going to be given the land of her people for a possession; this was a faith in her heart the would cause her to become one with the children of Israel. Not only was this woman's life spared, but she was raised to a position of honor, and married Salmon, being blessed by being the ancestor of David, thus placing her in the line of Jesus, the Messiah. Moreover, she was enshrined in the New Testament "Hall of Faith": "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she received the spies with peace." (Hebrews 11:31) She was also proclaimed by James, as an example of what works of faith look like: "Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way." (James 2:25)

"THE SHAPE OF AIR !!!"

Here is the main thing that Moses needed to Know, and eventually, come to experience: That any ounce of doubt in faith, would not hold water! God was not only going to do a mighty work in Egypt, but He was going to do a mighty work in Moses. From here on out, the wimpy Moses has been transformed into a mighty man of God. Now, it is no longer a question of 'Will they listen to me or not'; but now it was the question of: 'What will happen next if they do not listen'. In fact; with each new day, and with each new plague and new manifestation of God's power and might, the faith of Moses gets stronger and stronger. And by the time Pharaoh would let God's people go, Moses would have the kind of faith needed, to lead the people to the edge of the Red Sea; declare, 'Now behold the Salvation of the Lord!; and then lift up his rod above the waters. No doubting God now! Moses is now saying with boldness: "Watch This!" What is the Shape of Air? Well; you can not see it, but you can feel it; you can see the effects it brings with it. I remember the first time I saw 'The Ten Commandments', I was about 7 or so, and sat on the floor in a movie theater, right below the screen. I will never forget how real it looked to me, to see the Red Sea part, right before my eyes. It was like I could see the invisible hands of God, holding that water back in 50 foot walls on each side of the screen. I can almost still remember how I felt like I was right there, walking through those walls with the people of God. No, you can not see the shape of air, but you sure can see it's effects, and experience it's power! What does Faith look like? "And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and the were sore afraid: And the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." "And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left." (Exodus 14:10-14 & 21-22)

"Faith Does Not Hold Doubt -2"

"And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by My Name Jehovah was I not known to them." (Exodus 6:2 & 3) I think that it is good to park here for a moment and ponder the real meaning of what God just said to Moses, because the real meaning may not be what is apparent by just looking at this statement alone. The reason being, is that the word for Jehovah is the same word used for Lord in verses 1 & 2; 'Yhowah'. But the main word to focus on here is the word 'Known', which is 'Yadhah', which means: to perceive, understand, acquire knowledge, to be acquainted with (like in a sexual way). 'In light of such passages as Genesis 12:8 and 14:18, 22 in which "Lord" is equivalent to "Jehovah" in Exodus 6:3, this name was evidently known among the patriarchs. Some scholars have suggested that Moses, because of his personal knowledge of the Lord at this time, inserted the name in the passages of Genesis when he wrote it at a later time. However, the key to this problem probably lies in the proper understanding of the Hebrew word 'Yadhah', Known. One meaning of this word is 'To Know By Instruction or Experience'. Israel was about to witness the events of their exodus from Egypt; a more graphic demonstration of God's powerful works than their forefathers had ever seen. It was by this name, Jehovah, that God's powerful works of salvation would be done. Israel would know by experience the full meaning of His Name. Though they knew He was called "Lord", the patriarchs had not seen such a demonstration of power. Therefore, they had not known all the implications of that Name.' (footnotes by Zodhiates) It is almost comical, that no sooner had God finished making this powerful declaration to Moses; which was actually quite detailed; in fact, when God said in verse 6:1, "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh", he actually meant that statement for Moses; because in verse 9, Moses is rejected by the children of Israel for the extra burdens they receive by his last visit before Pharaoh. Then in verse 11, God tells Moses to go and speak to Pharaoh, which raises some doubt in Moses again in verse 12, "And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?" But God, immediately fires back at Moses, and spoke to both him and Aaron, and this time it was a 'Charge'; which means: to command, to ordain, to set in order. In other words, God said, "This is not negotiable; Just Do It". This I believe was the turning point for Moses' doubt; because he had just gone from 'Called' to 'Commanded'. In verse 6:30, it says, "And Moses said before the Lord, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?" I do not believe that this is actually Moses saying this again; because if you look at this verse in the context of 6:14 through 7:9, you will see that questioning God is over with. Verses 6:14-27, make an acknowledgement of who Moses and Aaron are, and their roots among the children of Israel. Then in verse 7:6 & 7, it says, "And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron was fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh." What verse 30 of chapter 6 does, is mark the turning point for Moses' doubt. This is really something that is important to do when ever we have doubt over something God is telling us to do: To mark the turning point, and what it was that made us turn. "And the Lord said to Moses, see, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet." (Exodus 7:1)

"Faith Does Not HOLD Doubt"

Does having faith mean that we never have doubt? Well, we might have some doubt over this, or that; but true faith will not hold doubt. Not many have ever not had a moment or two of doubt; in fact, you could probably use one hand to count the number of those written about in the Bible that never doubted God on something. However, when they did have any doubt, they were persuaded otherwise; sometimes by their own doing, and sometimes, by the direct intervention of God. For example: Did Abraham have any doubt that God was going to give him a son by Sarah? Yes he did. Which was the cause of Ishmael, and the Arab nations; but Abraham did not stop trying, which produced Isaac, when Abraham was 100 years old. What about Moses; Did he doubt God? Oh, yes indeed he did. In Exodus 4 & 5, we see several things that Moses had doubted God on regarding his call, his abilities, and God's judgement in getting the children of Israel out of Egypt. First he doubts that anyone will receive his witness; to which God turns his rod into a serpent, then back into a rod again; and then, God has Moses put his hand into his bosom, take it out leprous as snow, put it back in, and take it out restored. After God strengthens his faith in that regard, Moses then doubts that he would even be able to speak to the people. God tries to convince Moses otherwise, but finally gives up, saying: "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: And when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: And I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: And he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs." (Exodus 4:14-17) Then again; after his first attempt before Pharaoh fails, Moses doubts God even knows what He is doing: "And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? Why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all." (Exodus 5:22 & 23) And then God answers Moses with what might be one of the mightiest declarations of Himself with in His Word: "And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by My Name Jehovah was I not known to them." (Exodus 6:1) To be continued...

"Faith Produces Patience"

We live in a world where everything is faster and faster: Fast food; 3G, now 4G; broadband; worldly travel; a pill for this, and a pill for that. It seems that the faster we go, the faster we want to go, and the faster we want things done. But the things of God are not governed this way. In fact, sometimes, when we think God is going to do something right away, He slows things down that much more; to get us in a right place with Him. Now matter how fast things become in our technical lives, the sun still rises and sets at the same pace that it always has; and each day that we are given, is still the same length that is was when Jesus walked among us. If we think we can hurry God along and cause Him to bring about something in us, or for us, at the pace we want it, we really must stop and think again. Because God is more concerned about where our heart is, than where we are in ministry, employment, or any other avenue of our lives. This is why our faith produces patience; so that we will learn to rest in Him, and not in our own understanding of the way we think things ought to be. God is long suffering towards us, and He expects us to be patient towards Him; waiting upon Him, and knowing that He is in control. There may be times when we might feel that the enemy is gaining ground in whatever situation we are going through; but things are not what they appear; and God will use those situations to perfect our lives, and to bring us into a closer relationship with Him. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:2-4)

"Faith Means We Are Persuaded"

When you look at some of the actions performed by those that had put their faith in God, you will realize that they were persuaded in their hearts that God was in control. Noah was persuaded that God was going to bring the flood. Abraham was persuaded that God was going to provide for him a land, and decedents more numerous to count. Rahab was persuaded that God was going to deliver her people into the hand of Israel. David was persuaded that God would deliver Goliath into his hand. All of the saints of old were persuaded that God was in control, and that He would be able to perform mighty works. What are you persuaded of? Are you persuaded that 'All things work for the good'? Because, if we are persuaded in something, it really means, that we have no doubt that it is so. I can't help but think of Joseph, who was not only persuaded by his own dreams, but was confident in the gift that God had given him to interpret the dreams of others also. What faith it must have taken to stand before Pharaoh and interpret the dreams of one who could hold his interpretations to the fire. Yet, with great boldness, Joseph declared to Pharaoh what his dreams meant; and then went on to lay out a plan before Pharaoh, which would bring about deliverance from the famines that were ahead. Or, what about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; who declared with boldness that they were not careful to answer King Nebuchadnezzar in the matter of whether or not they would worship the image that he had made. They were persuaded... "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor, any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38 & 39)

"Faith Must Be Real"

When you read Hebrews chapter 11, you will notice that all of those that are listed had one thing in common: They all did something to prove that they had faith. Abel offered a more perfect sacrifice; Enoch walked with God; Noah built an ark; Abraham left his homeland; on and on, they are, and could be listed. Men and women of God, that believed upon the promises that lay before them, and walked accordingly; knowing that God was more than able to perform those things in which they had put their hope in. So then; What does it mean for our faith to be real? Since, 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen', then what is real? What must be real to us is God!!! He and His power to save; His power to move mountains; His power to create life; to perform miracles; to raise the dead; to Love us and care for us more than we could ever know. All of these things which are packed into the pages of His Word, must be more real to us than this life which we see and know here on this earth. Our faith in God must be more real to us than this physical life; Why? Because this life will pass away and shall be no more; but our life in Christ is eternal and is contrary to this physical life. What God does can not be explained away by the physical, and because this is so, the laws of the physical must not apply to our faith; but instead, our faith must trump, or be stronger than these things which are apparent. If we were to look for a moment at Noah, and the task which was before him. Here is a man that was instructed by God to build a boat, and to prepare his family to be taken into the ark, along with two of every animal, so that God would save them from the flood to come. It had never rained before upon the earth, yet Noah prepared this ark for the flood that would come, based upon what he believed God said He would do; not based upon what he knew was apparent. Imagine all the ridicule that he receive from those around him, as he built this ark, which took him around 100 years to complete; to be determined beyond what the physical world would declare, or express. This must be the faith that we hold onto, which is not movable by the things which are contrary, but is fixed upon God and His promises towards us. We must be persuaded beyond measure, that God has a better place waiting for us, and because He does, we can rest in the hope of being there. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: Wherefore God is not ashamed to be their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:13-16)

"Faith Must React"

'We can say we have faith, but if we do not act upon it, then our faith is dead'; or as James said, "Faith without works is dead". In other words; if I say that I believe God is able to provide for all of my needs, then I must demonstrate that I believe by my actions; because if I do not do those things that prove that I believe, then from where is my faith demonstrated. Okay, maybe that might sound like double-talk again; but really, if we are going to take God at His Word, then we must literally react in a way that proves it. For example: Say that you have written out your tithe check, based upon your paycheck; which is proper to do. You were paid $800.00 on Friday, so Saturday morning, you sit down to pay your bills, and the first thing you do is write out a check for your church for $80.00; great job. Now, later that day, on your way to the store you get a flat tire; so you have to buy a new tire; which just so happens to cost around $80.00; and now you do not have enough to cover the rest of your bills; What do you do? Logic would say that you put that tithe check away for another Sunday; but faith in action would say that you would you believe in God; and that you would gladly give that tithe check to your church as planned; believing that God is able to provide what is needed to cover the rest; which is what you say that you believe. But you might say, "I don't see where the money will come from". But; really, that is the basis of what faith is all about; for we do not base our faith on what we see, but rather on the things which we do not see; because if we see it, then why do we need faith. You might have noticed that I said 'Gladly Give'; because God desires a cheerful giver; which means that you give cheerfully, and not with a reluctant heart. The reason that you do give in this way is because you know that God will supply for your every need; and your heart is expectant that He will do just that. It really comes down to whether we believe He is able to do what we say He will do, or not; do we have our faith in the God who made the heavens and the earth with just a Word; or do we not. Because, if we believe that He is the God, which we believe that He is, then surely He is able to provide for, and take care of, that small deficit that you encountered in your budget. 'Either He is God, or He's not!' "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of the things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3)

"Double-Mindedness"

"What would be your definition of being double-minded? Some might think about those old 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons; where there is an angel on one shoulder, and a devil on the other; instructing the character on how they should act. But that might not work, because they were helping them to make up their mind about something. I think we really need to move past that; kind of to the point where one of those small characters has been removed; then we get to the point of singleness, and go from there. There is nothing wrong with hashing things out in our minds; it is really something that we should do more of. In other words; you count the cost of whatever it is that you are doing; weighing out the reasons, benefits, or motives: Asking, "What would Jesus do?" This is healthy dialog to have within our minds. No; a double-minded person is one who's mind has already been made up; yet they purposely do those things which go against what they have made their minds up on. Did that sound like double-talk? Okay; maybe an example would do well right about now: If you have decided to Trust God and to believe that He is able to provide for your needs, and then not pay your Tithes because things are really tight; then that might mean you are double-minded. If you say that God is in control; yet you worry about tomorrow; then you could be double-minded. So then: Do we let logic guide us, or do we throw logic out? I am thinking that the later would best fit the definition of Trusting God; because logic looks for the physical evidence in something; where Faith is based upon what we do not see. Being double-minded means that we are unsettled; in other words, we have gone away from saying: "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it". In a nut-shell, it means: doubt; which means not Trusting God; which really means unbelief; which comes down to a lack of Faith! "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8)

"A Single Blade Of Grass"

I guess what it is that I am saying, is that this little thing, is just a very small thing really; but this very small thing is only a visible sign of a larger non-visible disorder. Because, when you think about it, the spiritual realm is far more complex and vast than the actual physical things that are apparent. I remember when I had my home in Bellflower: It was one of the biggest and best homes on our block; and I took much pride in making it's appearance match it's stature. One way that I did this was with my front yard. I laid Dichondra Sod in place of regular grass; but before I did, I had my Fumigator come out and lay tarps over the bare soil, to kill everything that may not have been taken out of that soil. In other words; what I could not see, that might still be living there after I had stripped out everything that was apparent; I had him kill with a fumigant. Then after laying the sod, I went out several times a day and searched for any growth that might not belong there, and rooted it up. Sometimes, I would actually lay on the ground, just scanning over the surface of the lawn, looking for just a single blade of regular grass that might have taken root; to get it out as soon as possible, so that it would not have a chance to multiply and spread. Several years after selling our home, my wife and I had been in the area, and drove by to look at our old home; the lawn was horrid. The Dicohndra looked like a weed infesting a bladed lawn. Apparently the new owners did not know how to care for this very special kind of lawn; nor did they know the importance of pulling out that single blade of grass, before it had a chance to spread. Really, what goes on below the surface of the lawn, is far more relevant than the way things appear on the surface. "Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in strips, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by Love unfeigned, by the Word of Truth, by the Power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: As deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)

"Unequally Yoked"

I have a theory; it may, or may not mean anything; but it is a theory, none the less. What is it that these last two days of posting have in common? Could it be something to do with the church compromising with the world? When we think about being 'Unequally Yoked', we immediately think about marriage, and a believer being yoked together with an unbeliever. However, if you read the whole context of what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians chapters 6 & 7, you would understand that he is talking about our fellowship, and what we 'Yoke' ourselves to; in other words, what we latch onto. For example: If we that are longing for and expecting the 'Soon Return of Jesus', set our lives upon the belief that He is coming back soon, then we will live our lives accordingly. But if we buy into the notion that He is not; which is contrary to what we are told to do; then we will make compromises in our lives, accordingly. The point being, that those that we fellowship with, and those things in which we have communion with, effect our lives in Christ; they can cause us to begin to adjust our lives to the things of them. To adjust our hearts towards what they believe, instead of perfecting holiness within our lives, we will make adjustments towards the things of this world, instead of towards God. Now, I really don't want to try and make a big deal about the 'Bread' which we use for Communion; but I do have to wonder what brought about the compromise in what is being used. Maybe it is just because of simplicity; that pouring out some little puffy white somethings into a plate, is so much easier than breaking up the actual bread that is meant to be used. Or maybe it is because the little puffy white things don't need to be touched, or handled prior to someone consuming them. I am kind of curious about who first developed these little things; not that I want to make a big deal about it. We are entering into a rather strange period in our history here in this Country; one where the church has been and continues to make compromises in the way it is separate from the world. There are things which the world is pressing into the church, instead of the church pressing into the world; living for today for example is one in particular. The word 'Perfecting' is "Epiteleo", which means: perfect, contracted, complete; to finish; to practice. So, as it goes with the 'little white puffy things', What are we partaking of? Jesus said, "This do in remembrance of Me"; so what are we doing when we partake of the 'Bread'? We are remembering the price that He paid on that Cross for our sins. How His body was broken, pierced and stripped, so that we might have Life. (I'm just saying) "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 6:17 - 7:1)

"The Broken Bread"

I have something to say about something; it may seem rather trifle; but none the less, it is a thing that does not quite sit well with me. It has to do with the substance of what is used for Communion in place of the Broken Bread. I know that there may, or may not be much to be made of this issue, but really, it also may explain some things which are better left unsaid. I really get taken back sometimes when I see what is used for the Bread in some of our Communion Services; small little puffy white somethings; what do they represent? I might be weird, but I prefer to use the 'broken cracker' more than anything else; Why? Because it is broken for one; but it is also pierced, with small little holes throughout; and it is also stripped, with the strips of being cooked in an oven. What's the big deal? Well first off; He was stripped for my transgressions; that scourging that He received was punishment for the sins that I committed. Those were my strips that He received; which were meant for me, but yet He received them in my place. Secondly; He was pierced for my iniquities; as they pierced His hands and His feet and nailed Him to that Cross; those holes that were placed there, were nailed by me, and by the sin which I have done against Him. And as for being 'Broken'; well, we know that His bones were not broken; but if you want to consider the beating that He took as being broken for us, that is okay; but there was something far more relevant that was 'Broken' for us; it was His heart. I don't know what the medical term for it is, but when they pierced His side to see if He was dead, out came blood and water. What that means is that He died from a broken heart! His heart had literally ruptured, and that was the cause of His death upon that Cross. Why was this so? It was because for the very first time, He was separated from from Father. As He took our sins upon Him; as He took upon Him the entire sins of all mankind; in that instance, the Father had to separate Himself from His Son; the fellowship that He had with the Father had been Broken. There was no need for the soldiers to break His legs as they did the others that hung beside Him; for He had died already from a Broken Heart... "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me? Why art thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My roaring?" (Psalms 22:1)

"Soon And Very Soon!"

Do you know what day it is that we are living in? How about what hour it is? Okay; What about the moment of time that we are currently in? How about this: What do all of these have in common? They are measures of time; something by which we live by; but that God does not! We mark our calenders; set our watches; rise and sleep; live and die; all based upon measures of time. However, God does not do so; for God's clock is set upon fulfilment of His plans. It just so happens that sometimes many of His plans are based upon our time sequences; but not all of them! The One in particular is the Coming of the King! Although, many have tried to predict when that day will come; and many have been wrong, and have failed in their predictions. Jesus said that we would not know the day or the hour of His coming. Why is that so? It is because this event will not be based upon the element of time, but upon the completion of His Church. And when will His Church be complete? When He says so, and only then; but when He does, it will be swift. All of the sudden, God will say, "That is the Last One"; and then 'Whoosh', it will all be done!!! "But, Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His Promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8 & 9) BE READY!