"Formality"

"O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to Thee;" (Psalms 16:2) I slept in today, and it felt good! Continuing on with that same thought of preservation, we come to the proper order of how things work: we don't affect God, He affects us! In other words; God does not need us to do for Him; nor does our goodness affect His being, His love, or even His existance as The Almighty God; as a matter of fact, God does not need us at all for His existance; but we surely need Him!!! This is one of the things that people don't understand about giving to God: God does not need our money, we need to be blessed in our giving! All goodness comes from God, and is poured out upon us; we have no goodness to offer unto Him; nor can we give unto Him to cause Him to prosper, everything belongs to Him to begin with; so what do we have to offer unto Him? In truth, He wants us to realize that He is LORD, and to allow Him to be Lord of our lives; something that requires for us to be molded into His image, not for Him to be changed into our image; although, many try to make gods in their image, as to feel more comfortable in their sins. This is why it is so important that we are preserved by God; not only from within, but also from without. In other words; He must not only be that which makes us good, but He is that which keeps us good; because the goodness does not come from us, it comes from Him, and we are nothing without Him! In this same line of thinking; as we give unto God our tithe, do we do so as if we are blessing God? As if to say, Here is my tithe Lord; receive it and be blessed. I hope that is not our heart; because I do not think that God will receive that kind of an offering, because it is one that says, I am doing this for you God; therefore, receive my offering as an expression of my goodness towards you. That kind of an offering will not extend up much further than the church ceiling, and is intended for making ourselves feel good about our own worth, as if we have something good to offer to God; when in truth, we must give because we need to be blessed by Him, and we give with a heart that is excited for His goodness, for He is good!!! We give not because we must give, but give because we can give, and are excited in giving, knowing that we cannot out give God... "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; He hath given to the poor: His righteousness remaineth for ever." (2 Corinthians 9:7-9)

"Preservation"

"Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust." (Psalms 16:1) When it comes to being confident, there is always certainty associated with anything or anyone that we have confidence in. Anyone who puts their trust in riches, or who places confidence in the financial systems of this world, has recently become aware that there is no certainty associated with wealth. In this same venue, there is no certainty that we can have in man; nor can we place our trust in anything that this world might have to offer us, including that of love given to us by our fellow man; although, we expect it, and are fooled by it, time and time again. Going back to something I said yesterday, and the engraving upon our hearts, God has placed something in us that is etched upon our hearts; something that may sometimes get covered over, but nonetheless, it is etched there, and is always available to be viewed, but sometimes may require some sweeping away of  the dust and dirt that settles over it. This word "Preserve" is something that means to watch over, as in to protect and keep from harm; much like a hedge of protection, or a safe place where there is a watchman who stands guard, as would a shepherd in the night guard over his sheep. The more you think about this concept of His protection, the more you can see the areas of our lives that we leave unprotected; in other words, we do not place everything in His care, therefore, not everything gets protected. One thing that comes to mind that might fall into this category, would be our mind, and how often we fail to seek His protection over all that enters into our minds. It's really not a matter of letting our guard down, but more a matter of not letting God gaurd that area of our life! Why would we take that chance, or leave that area unprotected? Could it be that we want to be able to dream without restrictions being placed upon our minds? In the area of putting all of our trust in God, we must be willing to place everything into His care! Another way to look at this matter of  being preserved, is to consider what is meant by preservation, and how that requires an element of keeping whatever is being preserved free from that which will cause it to spoil or rot. For example, ceratin foods the we consume are packaged in packages that are meant to perserve them, besides having perservatives in them, they also require being kept protected; when left unprotected for any length of time, they become spoiled or are changed from fresh into something less desirable. This is how God's preservation process works in us: where He is in us, preserving us with His ingredients; and we abide in Him, being preserved from the elements...

"To Be Certain"

It is said by many that nothing is certain except death and taxes; howbeit, we can be certain that God will uphold His word and establish us into His kingdom; in fact, I will go further and say, this is more certain than even death! The reason that I can say this, and I can even begin to stipulate that death is uncertain, is because we really don't know what happens after this tent is dissolved. For all we know, death is really only the beginning of something that can only be tasted once this mortal shell has expired; and in that case, death is really uncertain; taxes on the otherhand, that is a different matter! Above Psalms Sixteen in my Bible, there is the title "A Prayer of Confidence"; this title alone, gives us a little taste of what this Psalm is meant to represent: confidence in the promises of God!!! Along with this title, we have in short introduction to this Psalm; and another introduction with one of those unknown words for which the meaning is uncertain; however, in this case, I have written in blue ink next to the introduction two words, along with a note that says, Psalms 56-60. Again, I am not ceratin when I wrote this note, or the two words, but I would guess it was close to the early 90's. The two words that I have written are "Golden Psalm", which are meant to explain the meaning to the introduction, "Michtam of David". Looking up this word "Michtam", you will find two meanings explained: a) a technical term found in psalm titles, and b) meaning uncertain. However, upon looking deeper into the Lexicon, we can find something interesting that can shine a little light on what this word might mean; if nothing else, it might explain where I got "Golden Psalm". The Lexicon says, "Something written, specially a poem. It only occurs in the heading of Psalms 16, 56-60. Others very unsuitably render (as from gold) a golden or most precious poem." And, after looking in the Strong's, I found a very brief discription which is taken from what is believed to be the root word, which means to carve or engrave. After having dwelt on these pieces of a puzzle, and having tried to figure out what David was thinking, I have come to the conclussion that it is one of two things; maybe even both. One is a special engraving upon golden jewelery, much like that which we might give to someone we dearly love; or two, something that is written upon our hearts, and is worth more than gold, because it has been carved into our hearts by God...

"Established In Worth"

"He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved." (Psalms 15:5) So what is your worth? That is a question for a man or woman of God to ask; do you feel worth the price that was paid for your soul? Can we even put a price on that which was given for the purchase of our eternal life? The question about who shall abide or dwell in God's presence has great meaning, for it conciders the cost that was given for that to even be possible. At the end of chapter nine of Luke, Jesus speaks about how God's kingdom must be first in our lives, and just above verse fifty seven, I have written in blue ink, 'What course am I on?'; which is an important question for us to ask ourselves at any juncture of our lives, especially if there is movement that requires financial loss or gain. The reason I place importance upon monetary change in our lives, is because these are pivital times in our lives, when what really matters most is allowed to be weighed in our hearts. In Luke 9:57, it says, "And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto Him, Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest". (v.58) "And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." This is substantial to our commitment in following Jesus, that first and formost, we establish the worth of following Him; because it is not about financial gain, or retirement funds, or where we shall end up in this life; it is about where we shall end up for eternity!!! Oh, how I have witnessed so many that have planned their ministry based on that which brings the most stable income or financial benifits. Sure, we must provide for our families, and should be good stewarts of that which God has blessed us with, but at what cost are we willing to let finances rule the directions we take; and how far out in our future do we need to feel secure? In the manor that we decide to live our lives, we have reason to take concern; not that what we do will affect how our finances are secure or not, but whether what we do will affect our relationship with Jesus Christ, and our ability to follow Him where ever He may lead us! After verse sixty two, I have something else written in my Bible, and it says: 'Let Nothing hender me from the Course before me...' "And He said to another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-62)

"Established In Judgement"

"In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." (Psalms 15:4) You might be thinking from this title that I am going to speak about being free from judgement, as in to be justified in Christ; in case you have not gotten the message, we are beyond that point, and are speaking about the character of a citizen of heaven. The judgement we are talking about here, is the right judgement made in the heart and mind of those who judge rightly; which means that they make right choices regarding how they treat others, and how they hold themselves accountable to their own mistakes. This is something that should not be taken lightly, because we are all going to answer for the choices that we make; sooner or later, depending on the wake of our distruction, we will be accountable for the way that we treat others, and the way that we hold ourselves to be true to that which we preach; I pray that it be sooner than later! There are two basic points to this verse today: the first is concerning the judgement we use in our treatment of others, and the second is regarding the judgement we place upon ourselves. But wait a minute; you might be wondering why we should be judging ourself if we are free from judgement? Yes, it's true that once we have forgiveness, Jesus has forgiven us of all our sin; however, we are not free to sin, nor should we think that we are free from judgement; because we will all be judged! The difference is whether we stand before 'The Great White Throne Judgement', or before 'The Judgement Seat of Christ'; there is a big difference in these two judgements: one deals with those who's names are not written in the Book of Life, while the other deals with those who are! Okay then; now that we have settled that, let's get to the heart of judgement! The first thing to consider is the meaning of a vile person, and why they are despised or rejected. A vile person is one who makes light of his manner of living; as in, "I am free to do whatever I wish, because I am my own person". The reason for such a person to be despised should be obvious, because they have rejected having their lives ruled by God, and have chosen to rule themselves according to their own desires. On the flip side of that, we have those that fear the Lord, and who walk accordinly. I have to admit, this is a very touchy subject, and I know that somewhere along the line, I have done this myself; but how often have you seen someone who is totally dependent upon God for every move they make, being put down by a brother or a sister in the presence of those that are vile? Especially if that vile person is successful or important; it seems that there is a double standard for who is given the right to voice an opinion, or to stress the importance of waiting on the Lord. Anyways; I pray that if I have been guilty of such things, that God would show me, and that I can make amends! Which brings us to the second part of this verse, and that of holding ourselves accountable for our actions. When we are talking about "he that sweareth to his own hurt", it speaks to a determination of our heart to do what is right, and if not, that God would hold me accountable. In other words; it is a lot like the oath taken in court, which is actually really meant to mean something when you say, "So Help Me God"; because it actually means, that if I do not tell the truth, then God hold to the truth, and the truth be known. You know that old saying, "As God is my witness", well, it is much like that, except with consequence! And finally, we have the last three words of this verse, "and changeth not", which basically means that you do not take back what you have promised to do; which means that you do not violate an oath, or exchange it for something else; like, Lord, I know I said everthing, but I really meant everything that pertains to church and stuff like that...

"Established In Love"

He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up reproach against his neighbour." (Psalms 15:3) To some, love is something that is not taken seriously enough, which is demonstrated by the way that they treat others. I find myself convicted more times than I would care to admit, by saying things about others and forgetting the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; that would include those things that you speak about others also! In Luke 10:25-37, we find Jesus approched by someone else that wants to know how to inherit eternal life, this time it is a lawyer; and this is also where we find the story of the 'Good Samaritan'. I wanted to look at the opening verses, and see the answers given to the questions; both from the lawyer and from Jesus. In verse 25, it starts out with, "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Then Jesus answered him, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" And the lawyer replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself". Jesus then said unto him, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live". If there was any other way for man to be saved besides putting their faith in Jesus Christ, love would be that way. Unfortunately, the kind of love required for such a thing to happen is not present in the human heart. There have been historical figures to which great acts of love have been attributed; however, unless they were saved, they will still stand before God to answer for their sins; one can only hope that their love outweighs the sin; that I leave in the hands of God to determine! One thing that I know for sure, is that Jesus said that He was the way, the only way; and if anyone should try to go another, the same is a thief and a robber. Within John's three epistles, his main focus throughout his message to the church, was love, and how important it was that we love one another. It is said that in John's last days upon this earth, he would address the church by being carried out before them, while seated in a chair; old and frail, John would sit there and gather his strength, and then would say, "Love One Another"; then he would be carried off by the elders. One thing is for sure; John firmly believed that you could not know God and not have love for your brother, for God is love, and there is no separating the two! Therefore; to be a citizen in heaven, one must be established in love; there is no other way to see this, than to see that it is the truth! The next question asked by that lawyer, was one that we should continually ask for ourselves: "But he, willing to fustify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?" (Luke 10:29)

"Established In Actions"

"He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." (Psalms 15:2) Having learned what God requires is both a curse and a blessing; for it is better to not know and to do wrong, than it is to know what to do and not do it. A true citizen of heaven is one that walks in accordance with the law of the land to which they belong; in other words, our actions portray that place in which our heart does dwell. In the case of the 'Rich Young Ruler', his question asked, "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17), was a question pertaining to possession; something which he would be a partaker of, as to obtain it rightfully; for the word inherit was a word that denoted the tranquil and stable possession, which brings with it the blessing and security of ownership. If we look at the situation that has taken place with the land of Israel, from the time that they inherited 'The Promised Land' they have been at odds with their neighbors almost continually, and have even been driven out of that land for considerable amounts of time. What should have been a land to which they could have taken ownership of, was never a land that they were considered to be rightful of, and even to this day, there are many who proclaim them as strangers to the land that they possess. It is in this regard that this question has significant meaning; for it addresses that of rightful ownership to eternal life, as one who is the son of a king would be the rightful heir to the throne. If we look at the answer given to this 'Rich Young Ruler', the one in Matthew 19:17, we can begin to understand what is meant by being established into the kingdom, and that it is something that comes with being a citizen of that kingdom: "And He said unto him, Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but one, that is God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments". Now then; if we were to study the children of Israel, and how they dwelt in the land that they were given, we will see that they changed from those that followed God's commands, into a people that became accustom to serving other gods and living their lives as if they were those people in who's land that they possessed. This was not the actions of those that were God's children; neither are the actions of those who have inherited eternal life contrary to the commands of God. On the contrary; those that have inherited eternal life should exemplify the commands of God, and their lives should show forth the example of that which they are established in. Again; it is not a question of who shall abide, or who shall dwell, as in the persons that shall inherit the right; but rather, what kind of a person is it that shall abide and dwell in the presence of God? Are they those that are worthy? or are they those that have been changed into His image? As Jesus said, "There are none good but God", so that rules out worthiness as the reason for inheritance; but then again, once we are granted that which we have not deserved, we are to become a people worthy of dwelling there, for it has now become who we are, and where we belong. "He that walketh uprightly" means to walk in integrity; which really means that we are to walk as someone who has a complete regard for the commandments of God and that which is good; being given towards those things that are of God. It's not a question of being perfect, for we know that God alone is perfect; but it is a matter of striving towards perfection, and receiving correction with gladness, because it brings us closer to that goal. For that of "worketh righteousness"; it is very similar to what was just put forth, with the added benefit of enjoyment; which is to say that there is joy in what is done to show forth godliness and goodness; because we are a people enjoying our salvation. And finally, as to "speaketh the truth in his heart"; this is a factor that cannot be left out, for it speaks about leading forth, as in the truth leading our hearts. This goes back to my opening statement which was about not knowing and knowing; because when you know the truth, it must be followed...

"To Be Established"

[A Psalm of David] "LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holly hill?" (Psalms 15:1) Some days you just feel unworthy! When we weigh the things of fame and fortune against the subtle ways of God, we begin to see ourselves at odds with both worlds; feeling sometimes as though we have no place in either, we can look to establish a place where we know that we belong. Don't get me wrong; because this is not necessarily a bad thing; to evaluate our character, is something that we should be willing to do; because, without the ability to examine our own hearts, we never stand to be corrected. What we have here in this verse, is not a question of who it will be, but rather, what is the character of those that will be established in God's kingdom; in other words, What is required to become a citizen of heaven? I do not believe that this is something to be asked once, and then to move on as if you have the answer, because we all are subject to change and require adjustments in our thinking, or in the condition of our hearts. It is only natural for us to take on certain qualities of those which whom we live and communicate with on a daily basis; therefore, we need to be reminded of what a citizen of heaven looks like, seeing that we are dwelling in a foreign land, and can be tainted by that which we accustom to seeing and hearing. In regards to the introduction of this Psalm, and whether or not it has meaning; I am willing to say that it has something to do with the self-evaluation; which is not set to certain music, because the mood sets the tempo and the melody of the song which is being sung. In other words; depending on what side of citizenship you are on, or find yourself dwelling in, your mood can be greatly affected, which could greatly alter the song that is sung. I look again at the 'Rich Young Ruler', who came to Jesus with anticipation of receiving good news about "How to inherit eternal life?", and went away feeling sad and unworthy of obtaining it; not because he could not, but rather, because he cared more about something else at that moment, which were his riches...  

"The Mystery Explored"

Whether or not these Psalms are placed in a specific order by Ezra, or by the Bible translators, or by the workings of the Holy Spirit, they do appear at times to flow into a very distinct pattern; this is another one of those times. Above Psalms Fifteen in my Bible is the title "True Worshippers", which makes me wonder whether or not this is a continuation of Psalms Fourteen, since it finishes off the way that it does. This next Psalm will be asking some very important and sometimes sensitive questions, like, Who gets to go to heaven? If we explore Paul's writings in the Book of Romans, there is a general theme which considers the unworthiness of man and God's great mercy; much the same as Psalms Fourteen had shown "The Sinfulness of Men", and then ended with the Redeemer's triumphant work of restoring man unto God. We can see this transition briefly touched upon in Paul's opening to the Book of Romans, as he opens with, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which He had promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name: among Whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ". (Romans 1:1-6) In this, Paul stresses only one thing to which we are obedient to, and that is that of the "faith"; the faith being that of God's redemptive power through His Son Jesus Christ! Jesus had made this mystery known to 'the woman at the well', in that He said unto her, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth". (John 4:21-24) True worshippers of God are those that realize who He is, what they are, and what provision has been made for them to enter into His presence...

"The Mystery Revealed"

"Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." (Psalms 14:7) The word for the day is the word 'Musterion', which is the Greek word that means 'A Secret, or Esorteric Knowledge'. There are a lot of mysteries in the Bible, and many of them will be revealed at the time of Christ's Second Coming; which will be prior to the Thousand Year Reign; of which there will be those who are resurrected, but it will not be those who have not been saved, but those who have, and they will rule and reign with Christ during that thousand year period; at least that is how I understand to happen! If you wanted a good illistration to the meaning of Psalms 14:7, a good place to look would be in the Book of Romans, pretty much the whole of Chapter Eleven; which starts out speaking about God's Chosen Few, then goes into explaining that there are Two Kinds of Branches, and then concludes with the fact that All "Israel" Will Be Saved! Paul refers to this time period as "the fulness of the Gentiles", in Romans 11:25, and that Israel will be blind to their King until that day should come; thereby making the case for what he declares in verses 11:26 & 27, which is, "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins". It really comes down to the fact that Israel is God's chosen people; first and foremost, God's plan is for the complete redemption of His chosen people; the mystery revealed in this redemptive process, is that we who are not of that people, are automatically grafted into the Jewish nation by becoming part of the Body of Christ, who is in fact The King of the Jews. Let me give you a picture of this in the reference to the Temple, and how that the Temple was constructed. In Acts 3:2, there is mention of a gate of the temple which was called "Beautiful"; and it is considered by many, that this gate called Beautiful was a large gate leading from the court of the Gentiles to the court of the Israelites; however, from reading the portions of Scripture in Acts 3, it would appear that this was an external gate (Acts 3:3), leading from without the temple (Acts 3:8) and into the Gentile court, in which also was Solomon's porch (Acts 3:11). In understanding the picture painted in this, we must look at the completed picture of both the salvation offered to the Gentiles, and the salvation delivered to the children of Israel; for out of Israel did come the salvation unto the Gentiles, but out of that salvation of the Gentiles was Israel's salvation provoked... "According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should no see, and ears that they should not hear; unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?" (Romans 11:8-12)

"Confusion"

"Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge." (Psalms 14:6) It is to some a great mystery, how that darkness can be changed to Light; thinking that this is something that can be purchased by action or works of righteousness; when in truth, they shall find that only the blood of Jesus Christ can make them free from sin! This is a great debate among those that deny the Truth; as they practice to be something that they are not; only to find that the lack the one ingredient needed for the forgiveness of sin: the cleansing power of the blood of Christ! Jesus gave us examples of this throughout His teachings, and how it was about a relationship with Him, and whether or not He could say, I know you, or you belong to Me. To put this verse in a way that can be understood easily, we could say that those who are confused about what shall be required of them, are quick to shame the counsel of those that trust in the grace which has been given them by God. In other words; there is a response in those that feel justified by works to put down those that have accepted God's free gift of redemption; this is because they cannot see, or even begin to understand what the grace of God is all about; nor will they be able to until they have experienced that grace and mercy for themselves. This is something that Paul puts forth in Ephesians chapter two, as he explains how those who walk according to the course of this world, are confused in thinking that works can grant them entry into eternal life, and try to justify that their works can grant them a right standing with God. In Ephesians 2:3, Paul Says, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others". It is this meaning of "conversation" that is what speaks of the confusion we all once were in, because we can only understand that language that we speak, and that which we spoke prior to our conversion was all based upon the flesh and the desires of the flesh and of the mind. This is what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus in John 3:6, as He said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit". The "poor" in whom "the LORD is his refuge" are those that have the understanding of the need for God's great mercy, and that it is only by God's mercy and grace that there will be any way to be made righteous before Him; because they know that they lack what is required; thus they are poor and needy, and take refuge in the only source of real redemption: the LORD...

"Convicted"

"There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous." (Psalms 14:5) Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and felt convicted about something you said or did that previous day? You wake up wishing you could take that moment back and could have a chance to do it over, or at least be able to not feel so much guilt so that you could get back to sleep. This verse is speaking about something very similar to that, but on a much larger scale. This "great fear" is something on the level of what causes you to wake up suddenly from you sleep, which is the waking of your subconscious, causing you to be startled out of your sleep; just imagine that startling happening to you while you are awake! You instantly think of all the things in your path that could take you out, and those things that could smash you like a bug in an instant; for you have realized in that moment that you are not right with God, and that you are vulnerable to be forever damned in an instant. This word used for "generation" is the word 'Dor', which is a noun that is taken from the word 'Dur' and seems to refer to a revolution, such as a period of time; something which could be referred to as, 'The Circle of Life'. Many will debate the beginning of a man's existence, and as to when that life was actually conceived; however, few will challenge it's ending! What some consider to be that end, is only the beginning; the beginning of a very long time where you are either found worthy of eternal life, or condemned forever to damnation. Last week, I was reading in magazine left in my home by one of my wife's nurses; I knew that this magazine was put out by a cult, however, I thought I would take a look at some of their beliefs. One article that I read was about the belief they seem to have that not everyone who does not accept Jesus now is forever without a chance to receive Him; which they attribute to the First Resurrection that takes place just prior to the Thousand Year Reign of Christ. In this article, they put forth the theory that it is okay if you did not have your chance to receive Christ now, because those that receive Him now are the anointed ones; and if you don't now, it's because your not part of that group; but you will be raised up to try again during the Thousand Year Reign. What kind of hogwash is this!!! The Bible clearly says that we are only allowed one chance for life here, and then we die: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement". (Hebrews 9:27) Do not attempt to put off what you are convicted of today!!! If you are convicted of anything in your heart, seek God's forgiveness right away! This verse is a response to the end of previous verse, which says, "and call not upon the LORD"; whereas, there are those that feel the fear of their convictions, yet do not call out to God for forgiveness. And when it comes to accepting Jesus Christ into your life to receive that forgiveness, there is only one life you have to make that choice! One life in which you have the chance to be made righteous, and to be clothed in righteousness; after that, then comes the judgement! "God is in the generation of the righteous"; do you understand what that means? "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9 & 10)

"Born Blind"

"Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up My people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD." (Psalms 14:4) Beginning in this verse, David now begins to show sinners the condition that they are in, and tries to convince them of the danger that awaits their stubborn hearts. Speaking for God, David starts by asking the question, "Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?" This might seem like a simple question to ask, considering that those that practice such things must likely don't know God anyways; however, this is a question that is asking about something other than head knowledge, but speaks rather to perception, and is geared towards the religious as well as those that are just wicked because they have chosen to be wicked. In this manner of blindness, those who are religious are still very much blind, but they have the assistance of their religion to help them to see; however, they are still blind, but just guided by whatever they are a part of: it's the blind leading the blind; both of whom are still lost in their sins! This word "knowledge" is a word that speaks of knowing the Truth, which can only happen in those that are acquainted with the Truth! In other words; we all are born blind of the Truth, a condition which comes from being born separated from our Heavenly Father due to sin; and the only way that we are given sight into the knowledge of God, is to be born again into His kingdom; at which time we will have the acquaintance needed to be able to see the Truth. Jesus made this point abundantly clear, as He spoke to Nicodemus, saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". (John 3:3) They might think that they see, but what they see, they have been shown by other men; and because they do not know what Truth looks like, they have no perception of what the Truth is; therefore, they believe that what they see is the truth, seeing that is all that they know or have been shown by other men. It is because of this condition of their blindness that they mock and persecute those that have the true knowledge of God; thus the meaning of the portion of this verse which says, "who eat up My people as they eat their bread"; their bread being those things which they do that make them feel worthy of godliness, whether it be sacrifices or works. This is why Jesus referred to false prophets as ravening wolves, for they feed on those that desire the truth; being predators of the night, who are cruel, greedy, rapacious and destructive; meaning that they will do anything possible to protect their way of thinking, even killing those that might threaten the blindness of their sight. Which brings us to the meaning of this final portion to this verse, being, "and call not upon the LORD"; for this they do not attempt, and instead they shield their eyes from the Truth, or anything that will threaten the darkness of their sight. Quite simply; the difference is that of the flesh and the Spirit... "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:5-8)

"Tainted By Sin" -2

"They are all gone aside, they are all together filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Psalms 14:3) So here is the evidence that we are guilty of sin; after having given what we can become, I thought it appropriate to look at what we have come from; seeing that today is after all Father's Day! As you should know, sin is passed down through the father's seed; so there might be some truth to notion that you are what you are because you have inherited something from your father; it's just that the specific trait is irrelevant, because sin is sin, period! The general meaning of "they are all gone aside", is that of departing from the presence of God; however, in this manner of departing, it is more of a forced departure than that of willingness. Okay; let me explain what I am talking about. God is Light, which is the brilliance His holiness and power, and in the presence of His light, all darkness is forced to flee and hide; in other words, there is no place for darkness before Him, so it is cast aside, just as the light expels the darkness from brightly lightened room. Now then; in the case of our inheritance, we have been born into this world with a condition that automatically retracts us away from God; being that we were born into sin, and with a sin nature, we are born with this forced departure from the presence of God; it's just the nature of sin, and how that sin is not allowed in the presence of a Holy God; so don't take it person, you can thank your father, who's seed that you are. Now as far as "they are all together filthy", and how that relates to this condition that we have been born into, we could think of this as being corrupted; whereas, we are the product of a bad seed, and from which there is no possibility for anything good to be produced from the fruit of that seed. It is like sour milk, and how once it has been soured, there is no turning it back to fresh again. And then we have those who say, But I do good things, therefore I am not a bad person! Yes, I think God considers the goodness that we do; however, His judgement is against sin; and sin will not go unpunished! What this means is, God will not be judging you for the good that you have done, but for the sinner that you are; His judgement is on the sin that is within the sinner, not the righteousness that is produced by sinful man; for our righteousness is as filthy rags to Him; rags to be heaped upon the burn pile, along with everything else that is contrary to His goodness. But, the way that God considers our goodness, is by the blessing received in this life; not that which will be received in heaven, for our good works will not be enough to erase the sin that we are tainted by. This is what had been demonstrated when Jesus performed His first public miracle, where He changed the water into wine; not just any water, but dirty water that was used for the purpose of washing hands in; and not just any wine, but good wine that was better than that which had previously been served. There has to be a total change that takes place in us, where we are changed from that which is tainted water, into that which is good wine; and only Jesus Christ can make this change happen...

"Tainted By Sin"

"They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Psalms 14:3) 'I am a good person', is the defence of many who are approached with the question of sin in their lives. Yes, that might be true when compared to evil men, and those that practice wickedness; but compared to the holiness of God, and compared to the 'letter' of the Law, we all fall short of keeping sin out of our lives. Even in our purest state, that of being washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, we are subject to be tempted by sin, and to think upon things that are contrary to pure godliness; that is just a fact, and we need to get over feeling beaten by sin, and start walking in New Life! Sin is something that taints our lives and makes us feel dirty before God; and the sad thing is, we cannot wash that sin off, no matter how hard we might try, we cannot remove that sin from our lives; but Jesus Christ can!!! This is the whole reason that Jesus died on the cross for us; that He might take away that sin that has tainted us and made us dirty before God! This is the meaning of Romans 8:1, which says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." That does not mean we do not ever sin, because we do; even if you locked yourself up in a monastery, you would still need forgiveness for sin. What this means, is that we have the right to be free from the judgement of sin, as long as we are in Jesus and we are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh; that includes the judgement of ourselves, as to say that we are unworthy of fellowship with God because of sin; because that is the whole reason to be cleansed of that sin in the first place, that we might have fellowship with a Holy God!!! On the other hand; we have the question of sinfulness, and that of living in sin; for which we are not able to do if we are truly in Christ. It is not to say that we will not sin, but that sin will no longer be something that we are comfortable in because it is no longer part of the New Creature that was created in Jesus Christ. This is what John was saying in 1 John 3:2-9, in that we have been made righteous before God, and therefore sin can no longer reign within us because His seed is in us; therefore, any sin that enters into us must be dealt with, because it does not belong in us any longer; which is why John starts in verse two and three, by saying, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure". What this means, is that there is a desire within us to be pure, and no longer tainted by sin; for sin no longer has place in us that are in Christ, because in Christ, there is no sin... 

"Imprudent"

"The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God." (Psalms 14:2) If you had to think of something that would explain why we are so easily taken off the path of following God, this would most likely be at the top of the list. It is closely related to 'counting the cost', and has to do with making the right choices that matter towards eternity. If I look back over the last thirty years, I can see some real blunders in the choices that I made; taking the way of success in business over the way of full time ministry, or doing what I had believed God was calling me into. Don't get me wrong, because God has been able to use me anyways over the years; but how different would my life had been if I would have followed His complete direction, is something I ponder quite often. What God is looking down from heaven to see, is for those that are prudent in their lives for Him; which means, those that act wisely by taking careful steps to seek out God's demands and guidance. We all know that Abraham was a man that was known for having been obedient in this area; at least most of the time, that is; because there were some times when he had messed up, heeding the counsel of others, or even his own personal advantages. This word "understand" is an interesting word, because it does not just mean to have understanding, as someone might understand how that there is a God; but rather, this is a word that speaks of acting in a prosperous manner, and paying attention to detail; much like any skilled doctor would take the time to know how the body works, before performing an operation, or exploring into some one's body. Let me put this another way; and let's say that your life depended upon finding the way through a maze of events and choices; would that be enough to make you move forward with caution? This is the kind of meaning that this word, within the context of seeking God, is meant to say. Yes, it's true that God has given us free will, and that part of this condition of a will to choose, is that we are given choices; what I am talking about is a heart that seeks to make all the right choices; taking the time to consider which choice that we make will draw us closer to God, or will prosper us in the way of eternity. Instead; many choices that we make, are the ones which will prosper us in the life here; such as employment, relationships, and having a secure financial future. All of these things are good, and they should be planned for; however, when we consider these areas of our life as things to bring God into, instead of seeking God first, and then believing that He will bless you in these areas, you have put the cart before the house. In other words; God's desire for us is that we be prudent towards Him in all the areas of our life; not just the areas that we think pertain to Him... "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

"Loving Darkness"

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." (Psalms 14:1) I have tried to think back to a time when I did not believe in God, and I cannot remember one. However; I do remember the time when I believed in a god that I created, not the God of creation. Really, there is no difference between creating your own gods, or not believing in God at all; they both require an imagination, and they both are in denial of Thee Almighty God! When you ask someone if the believe in God, the majority of those you ask will most likely say, Yes, I believe in God; but as you probe a little further, you might find that God in their heart and mind, does not measure up to the God of the Bible. There may be some similarities, such as Creator, or All knowing, or maybe even that He is eternal; but when you start pressing into the area of the sinfulness of man and the righteousness of God, you might be in for quite a surprise. First off, I really don't think that there is such a thing a pure Atheist; only those that have denied God's existence within their own minds, and have created an illusion that they hold onto; but there really is no way that they can deny the existence of God, so they must use their imagination to fight back that which they really know to be true deep down in their heart. In other words; his judgement is that God does exist, but his imagination denies it, refusing to give God dominion over his life, or to allow himself to believe that there is someone to whom he must answer to. Jesus used this example while speaking to Nicodemus, in John 3:18-20, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved". It is not a matter of not wanting to be enlightened to God, but rather, that the holiness of God illuminates the darkness in our lives; causing us to either seek forgiveness or retreat further into the darkness. Those who retreat further into the darkness, do so because they love the darkness and hate the light, because the light creates the image of God that they dare not consider. Another meaning for the word "fool" within the verse above, is 'stupid'; a word that describes the lack of knowledge, and the lack of the desire of the truth which is brought on by the lack of understanding. It is this understanding that is the root of what stupid is, because to understand means to consider, and the only way to consider the light, is to step out of the darkness..."But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:21)

"None Righteous"

After that wild ride within those six verses of Psalms Thirteen, we get to partake of something that is a little more direct and down to earth; a Psalm that calls it like it is! The title for this Psalm in my Bible makes that point: "The Sinfulness of Men". Some have said that David my have written this while being persecuted by Saul, while others say it could have been when Absalom rebelled against him; however, neither one of these brief ordeals can measure up to the degree or the magnitude of that which is expressed within this Psalm. The apostle Paul, in in quoting portions of this Psalm in Romans 3:10-18, makes this point very clearly, saying, 'that none are righteous, no not one; and that there are none that fear God'. All the world is guilty before God, and there are none who are exempt from needing His forgiveness. And as we look at the introduction to this Psalm, again we see this general opening, "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David", which in and of itself may not mean anything at all; however, I am beginning to suspect that the generic meaning has something to do with what David sees within his own heart. In other words, it is hard to attribute something to someone else, when it also includes yourself. The lesson learned from the last Psalm, which was how that God is merciful towards us in our weakness, is continued into this Psalm which expresses the condition of, and the depravity of human nature, and that which we all were born into; for we all were born into sin, and into a fallen world. There is no illusion of a great warrior who has conquered sinfulness and obtained righteousness; for we all fall short in the category, and we all are in need of a Redeemer! As the apostle John says, in 1 John 1:10, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us"; because all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God! This is just a fact that we must come to terms with; and until we understand just how frail we really are, we will continue to lean upon our own understanding, and not passionately desire God's rich mercy and grace. Another way that we can look at this, is that how we know sin to mean 'missing the mark', the mark being the holiness of God; of which we all have fallen short... "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:19 & 20)

"The Rescue"

"I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me." (Psalms 13:6) Again, we have this last verse to be the expression of a climax to what the Psalm is putting forth. Although it might not appear to be much, it is the reason for us to have no fear when it comes to putting our trust in God; because, His mercy is always available for us, and all that is required to receive that mercy, is to surrender to Him. It is us that always make it such a struggle to be rescued from whatever it is that makes us feel so distant from God; not God who makes us struggle to be close to Him; we really need to understand this! This word "sing" that David uses here, is a word which speaks of a celebration, and is something that is brought on by beholding God's great mercy. In other words, it is a realized reason to rejoice over something which we behold; and in this case, David is rejoicing because God hath dealt bountifully with him in his trouble; his trouble being his lack of trust. Though we may doubt Him at times, and even sometimes feel as though He is not listening to our cries, or even our prayers, He is merciful towards us because He knows our frame, and that we are weak at times; even in those times when we should be strong, we can loose heart for the strangest reasons; mostly because we focus to much on who we are, instead of keeping our focus on Him. After all; He is God, and we are not! He knows what He is doing; we can only try and guess what is coming next, or where He is leading us; yet He is far removed from having to guess at anything! This is why it is so important that we just trust in Him and know that He is God!!! In other words; God is not standing over us with a heavy hand, and saying, Why aren't you trusting Me? But rather, He is patient towards us, asking, Do you trust Me yet? We can see this in the meaning of "dealt bountifully", for it expresses that which is 'to be weaned as a child'; which speaks of warmth and cherishing; as if God expects us to need His help in the area of trust; for the simple fact, that we are what we are, and He is who He is..."Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast in the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6:30)  

"The Plunge"

"But I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation." (Psalms 13:5) You have no doubt heard the term, "he threw himself on the mercy of the court"; well here we have something that speaks about throwing himself on the mercy of God. It's this word "trusted" that David uses here, which is a plunge of surrender; a word that means to be secure, and to fear nothing for oneself. This is the perfect example of what it means to learn how to drown before God! David is confident that God will rescue him, because he has trusted God before, and He has never let him down. What a contrast we have between this verse and the beginning of this Psalm; which speaks mightily of the power of prayer, and how things become different when we take it to the Lord in prayer. Prayer does change things; and if nothing else, it draws us closer to God, which makes those things that were troubling us seem miles away. Sweet Surrender, that's what we are talking about here. It is a willingness to let go and let God have full reign in our life; at all cost!!! This is something that requires full and complete trust in God, that His loving kindness towards us will protect us, and that He will do for us what is best in His eyes, not in ours. This is something that I think is very important to our ability to trust God in all things: we must be willing to surrender everything to Him; including our very life! If the most important thing that we have in God is eternal life in Him, then make that the most important thing in us! Jesus said, speaking to His disciples in Matthew 16:24-26, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" He really is talking about all of our life when He is speaking about life; that means the existence of life itself, which is the breath of life; meaning this life that we have in common with this world. To think about this in another light; in order to hold unto something, we must also have additional items in order to sustain that which we hold onto, and then those items will need to be provided for, and so on and so on; and pretty soon, you really have not given up anything, but instead, you have found yourself saving all that you can. If we have surrendered everything to Him, including life itself, then there is nothing that can begin to challenge our trust in Him; because that which we are holding onto is His salvation given to us; and nothing, absolutely nothing can take that away...

"The Big Gulp"

"Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved." (Psalms 13:4) I was going to show verse three along with this one, because actually, this verse is a continuation of what David was saying in the previous verse; specifically the part about, "lest I sleep the sleep of death". I think that we all can have moments, if not days or months, and hopefully not years, where we sleep the sleep of death; this is no doubt the reason for this Psalm in the first place; because, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". (2 Timothy 3:16) What I believe that this is saying has a twofold meaning; whereas one is speaking about being dead inside, while the other is speaking about the desire for death. In other words; when we feel as though the joy of the Lord has left our lives, we are essentially dead inside; which does not necessarily have to be the cause of sin, although it usually is; it may just be that we have forgotten that from which we were delivered from. We can see this played out in the lives of the children of Israel in the wilderness. Over and over; forgetting the bondage that they were delivered from, they constantly were remorseful for the pleasures that they had while they were in Egypt. No doubt they kept thinking back to the house they had to turn into each night, or the food that they were accustom to eating while serving in a fruitful land; yet all the while serving under the strong hand of bondage. This is the kind of death that makes every Christian want to give up; having forgotten why they gave there heart to the Lord to begin with, they begin to feel remorse for not having what the world has. Just another reason for our eyes to be enlightened, so that we can see afresh the glory of the Lord, and the great gift that we have been given! And then the other, that of wanting to be dead; nothing is more death to our soul, than feeling removed from God's presence, for once we have experienced the joy of His salvation, there is absolutely nothing that can replace that joy. Our soul groans inside, desiring to be filled afresh; longing for that which brought hope beyond all imagination. What this verse represents, is the big gulp that is taken just before the plunge. It's that final breath that is taken before giving up; because the land is there on the horizon, but it seems to be getting further away, and you know that the enemy is laughing as he senses your defeat. It is in this time that you remember what it was that saved you in the first place: Sweet Surrender! Therefore, there is nothing left to do but surrender everything to God...

"No Land in Sight"

"Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;" (Psalms 13:3) There is something here which is a topic of debate for many, and is something by which the question is asked, Who draws to whom? In other words; Does God first draw to us, or do we first draw to Him? I have heard it spoken of in several different ways, and so it should be, because God does not reveal Himself to everyone in the same manner, or under the same circumstances; but I believe that it is God who makes first contact with us! One example used to debate this topic, is that of Nicodemus, and how he came unto Jesus at night; making the case that we are the ones that must seek to find God, by the fact that he came unto Jesus seeking answers. I'm sorry, but I don't buy that, I spent many years seeking God; however the god that I sought was the one which I created, not the one who created me! In the case of Nicodemus, what was it that made him come to Jesus, if not the fact that Jesus presented Himself to him as someone who had come from God? "The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him." (John 3:2) It is my belief, that Nicodemus came to Jesus because he had seen something about Jesus that made him believe and that changed his heart; therefore, he had to know more about who He was. So, yes, you could make a case that we must draw unto God; but it is only by His revelation to us of who He is, that we can even begin to draw close to Him! What David is asking for, is that God would enlighten his eyes; his eyes being the windows of his soul, the center of his eternal existence; the heart of all that he is! This is what must be enlightened before we can draw unto God! Think about this for a moment, and ask yourself, Was it my desire to come to Him that led me to Christ? or, Was it His initial call upon my life, and the revelation of who He was, that caused me to surrender unto Him? Okay, maybe you think that I have gotten off track a little; and then again, maybe with no land in sight, we have nothing to swim towards! I can still remember the day that I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, and how it was not my desire to seek Him that brought me to that church service; but it was more of a prodding upon my heart to go and check it out; something that I would like to refer to as the call forth; much like Jesus called forth Lazarus out of the tomb. Once there, I was introduced to the Creator of my soul, and from there, my heart was broken by learning, that Creator was also the one who took my place upon the cross! Once that I had learned this, I had no other choice but to give my life to Him. So; if you were to ask me, Who came to who? Then I could confidently say, that Jesus revealed Himself to me, that I might come unto Him!!! It is really not that complicated to understand that we cannot just come to God; for there are many gods, but only One that really matters. How many people do you know who have set out to find God, and have come back with something false or that is based upon another Jesus? That other Jesus being the one who promises everything will be good, and that your life will be filled with peace and happiness; and when you have tribulation, you are disheartened and don't follow any longer. However, the Jesus that I know, said that things would be hard, and that many shall persecute me for His name sake; but that I should not fear, and to be of good heart, for my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life! Therefore; it is not about the burden that we have before us, but it is the prize that waits ahead...Enlighten my eyes O LORD, that I might see... 

"Moving in Circles"

"How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?" (Psalms 13:2) If you have ever been in the middle of an ocean when the sun is straight up above you, then you would know that without a compass or a guidance system, you have absolutely no way of knowing which direction you are going in; everything looks the same in all directions, and you have nothing that you can set a bearing on. To make matters worse, the current of the ocean turns you in different directions; so you could literally be going in circles and not even know it; wouldn't that be fun? Yet, this is how it is for us when we are moving without the guidance of the Lord. David is talking about something very similar to moving in circles when he says, "how long shall I take counsel in my soul"; which is like saying, How long will I take guidance from within myself? Whenever we find ourselves moving in our own strength, it is much like one of those windup toys; the ones which shuffle along till they hit something, and then move in another direction. This kind of motion is bound to cause discouragement, to say the very least; or as David says, "having sorrow in my heart daily". There will always be opposition to anything that God calls us into, and if there is not any opposition, then I would wonder if it is of God or not. However, the difference in that which is of God and for the one being led by God, is that when there is opposition, those who are led by God will face the opposition and watch for God to remove it. This is the number one play that the enemy has in his playbook; to cause us to be discouraged and to turn away; and when we turn away, we turn from that which God would have blessed us in, and from that which was the real direction. The enemy wins when he causes us to give up; and we can see this played out in several different ways within the Scriptures. One such example that comes to mind, is that of the children of Israel the first time brought them to the Promise Land. How was it that they could let a few giants cause them to turn away? After seeing all that God had done to deliver them from bondage in Egypt; yet, they let discouragement take root in their hearts, and lost faith in a mighty and powerful God. And what did that cost them? Forty years of wondering in circles in the wilderness; which is forty years of wasted time, and the cost of a whole generation who missed out on the blessing that God had meant for them. "How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?" Good question for those of us to ask, who might be moving around in circles! How long will the enemy appear to be stronger than I can bear, and too strong for my God to deal with? Better yet: How long will I exalt my enemy over my God??? "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

"Stuck In It..."

[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] "How long wilt Thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?" (Psalms 13:1) The basic introduction to this Psalm could be because of the general reason for David's feeling of abandonment, or of being alone from God. I do not believe that it is because God has left, or as though He is nowhere to be found; because, I really don't believe that God ever leaves us abandoned. Rather, it is because we either do not sense His presence, or that we have left Him, or withdrawn into something or somewhere that He will not go. I am truly convinced that God wants us to always stay close to Him; not just in a casual fellowship, but in an intimate relationship that requires a heart that always wants to be in His presence; never wanting to retreat into something or somewhere where we know that God will not follow. As for how David found himself feeling apart from God, there are several different reasons that we can find ourselves out in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight; the primary one that might be David's, would be that he ventured out to do something on his own without seeking God's help. Why would David ever think of doing such a thing? Why do any of us do it? Maybe because we think that we can handle the issue, the battle, or whatever it is that we think we don't need to involve God in. One very familiar time for David, was when he tried to first bring the ark of God into Zion. The first attempt left David feeling very distant from God; so much so, that he wanted nothing to do with the ark, and was displeased that God had killed a simple servant that wanted nothing more than to help. There are several other reasons that I can think of for wanting to try and venture out on our own; a big one for me, is thinking that I can handle this one, because I have been here before; therefore, I think that I know how it works, or what God had done the last time, so therefore, let's make it happen again. I forget one very important thing: I am not God!!! Sometimes I might think I am the one holding the wheel, until there's a wreck, and then I had the wheel over to God and ask Him to undo what I have done. The best way to avoid feeling stranded in the middle of the ocean is to never jump ship in the first place! And the easiest way to assure that we are always by God's side, is to always ask for His assistance and guidance in whatever we do. That means that we never venture out without Him! Which brings me to another reason why we might do such a thing, and that is to do something for which we know that God does not approve of us doing. This is called rebellion, and it will definitely land stuck in something without a paddle...

"Prayer Changes Things"

Moving into Psalms Thirteen, we are given a glimpse of a heart that is desperate for God to show up. It is not really known on what occasion that David penned this Psalm, or whether or not it was just a season in his life where he may have felt the joy of the Lord was missing, and therefore felt the need for crying out to God. One thing is for sure, in that he needed to feel God's presence in his life, and he needed to feel God's hand of protection. I can relate to this feeling, and I am sure that we all have at one time or another felt a strong desire to know God was near; not like you don't know that, but it's like, I know that your there God, but right now, I need to feel your presence like never before! The title for this Psalm in my Bible is, "A Prayer for Help"; which unlike a plea for help, prayer is something that takes us into the presence of God; which can really change our outlook on any situation that we face. Speaking from my own personal experience, I have found that there are times when I feel that all hope is lost. These are usually the times when I am focused heavily upon a current situation or circumstance; something that is way beyond my control and is an issue for which there is no humanly obtainable answer for solving. Thinking way to much upon these issues, I find myself being overwhelmed by something which seems impossible to live with any longer, saying, Lord, I really don't know how much longer I can do this! To put this in a way that everyone might be able to accept, it would be like being stuck out in the ocean and having to swim in towards land. You know that God will eventually get you there, but you really wish that it would be now, because you feel as though you are going to drown at any moment; especially if land is no where in sight, because you could be swimming around in circles as far as you know. It is in these times, that the power of prayer matters the most; for through prayer we are taken to a place that is outside of our situation, and into a place where God's presence is all that matters. It's not that our situation has changed through prayer, because there are times when it might, and there are times when it won't; but our heart has changed in God's direction, and being closer to God is really what matters the most. The closer we are to God, the further away we are from discouragement; because I am not talking about just a petition to God, as in a prayer for something you would like God to do, like anything to get you to dry land; but it is a drawing close to Him, and a desire for His presence to surround us, more than the water which we are stuck out in. In this, we not only find the strength to carry on, but we find that He is carrying us through: He is our Lifeboat to bring us safely to the land that we seek...

"Turned Upside-Down"

"The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted." (Psalms 12:8) So here we have verse Eight of a Psalm that is titled "A Plea for Help"; and as I made mention to, in the introduction we have the word "Sheminith", which has a mysterious meaning, but comes from a root word which means eight or eighth; from which I made reference to what God had to do on the eighth day, which was to go to work at redeeming mankind from the fall; and if you look at the way that God works in many times that evil rises up, and especially when it rises up against His children, He has a way of turning everything around; so that those who plotted get caught in their own plot, and the plot that they sought ends up giving glory to Him. What this verse is saying, is that when the vilest of men are exalted to places of trust, then the wicked walk on every side; which means that the wicked are given boldness to show forth their wickedness, when the vilest are lifted up into a place of leadership. I must speak out in defence of the innocent and helpless lives that are being slaughtered in our country; with almost one abortion for every two minutes of every day, is it any wonder that we have such wickedness within our land? Yet, currently throughout our leadership, and even he who sits at the very top, are some of the vilest people we have ever had in leadership; people who almost seem to relish the practice of taking the life of the innocent; so much so, that there is almost a sparkle in their eye as they speak or protecting the practice, and the fierceness of hate in their gaze as they promise to keep it protected. I truly do believe that it has at it's very core all the powers of darkness and destruction; pure evil are those that practice and honour such a wicked practice! Anyway; in the case of Daniel and the plot that was brought against him, not only were those that plotted against him fed to the lions, but the plot itself was turned upside-down. Within their plot, they had conspired to catch one man praying to his God; and after having tricked the king, there was a law signed that forbid anyone from worshipping, petitioning, or praying to anyone but the king; however, even the plot that they had used, ended up being a decree that was established to give glory unto God... "Then king Darius wrote unto all the people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is a Living God, and steadfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions." (Daniel 6:25-27) 

"...365..."

"Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." (Psalms 12:7) How serious do you think God is about us trusting Him? Three hundred and sixty five times God says in His word "fear not" or "do not fear"; that's a "have no fear" for every day of the year! He delights in us trusting Him! If you just stop and think about all the different mighty works and wonders that God has done; those listed from the beginning of the Bible, and all the way through; God's desire for us to trust Him speaks loud and clear! Not only does God desire us to trust Him, but He wants us to see the result of trusting Him; a result that can only happen through Him, and by the mighty working of His hand. Looking again a Daniel, we see a man who thoroughly trusted God, and believed that God was more than able to deliver him. There was no fear in Daniel of what would happen if they caught him praying; as a matter of fact, he deliberately wanted them to see him pray; knowing full well that they had made the king sign this law into effect so that they could get him. In the opening of Daniel Chapter Six, we see that King Darius set one hundred and twenty men to be princes over the kingdom; and over them, he set three presidents, of whom Daniel was the first. In Daniel 6:3-5, we can see the reason for their plot and the reason the plot was set against those who pray. In verse three, Daniel is made to be head over all the others that the king had set over the land; in fact, the king thought to set him over the whole realm; which means that Daniel would rule that region for the king. In verse four, we see the presidents and the princes wanting to find a way to show Daniel doing something against the king, but they could not, and it says, "but they could not find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him". So, they decided to get him doing something that concerned his God; which was to concern his daily practice of praying three times towards Jerusalem every day; and verse five says, "Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God". Do you see would Daniel was up against? These other two presidents that served with Daniel, and were actually set below him, went behind his back, along with all the princes, and asked the king to sign a law against him; however, in Daniel's mind, this law was not against him, but against his God. As long as we are serving God, trusting in Him, and seeking to do His will, anything that comes against us, is not set against us, but is set against God! Therefore, Daniel's only concern was to trust God; the only thing which Daniel was really up against, or that stood in his way, was fear. Did God want to do something through this situation that Daniel was in? Oh, I believe that He did!!! "And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den." (Daniel 6:24)

"We Have His Word"

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace earth, purified seven times." (Psalms 12:6) You have most likely heard it said, My word is as good as gold. A statement that should mean that you can count on their word as something worth taking to the bank. When it comes to God's word, His word is "pure", as in clean and free of pollution. If you think about what free of pollution means, it means free of anything which might take away from the glory and majesty of His word, or cloud the meaning of what He says. To put this into a word picture, we could imagine how this could relate to the light pollution and it's effects on the sky at night. Quite simply; the further we can get away from man made light, such as the lights of the city, the more glorious the night sky becomes. When we have a personal relationship with God, His word becomes purer to our heart; although, His word never really changes, yet filtered through the mouths of men, it can become polluted just as the night sky becomes when filtered through the lights of the city. The majesty of the sky has never changed, it just becomes harder to see the splendor of it through all the man made light. Therefore; if we are in doubt of His word, it is not due to anything lacking in His word, but rather, because we have so much junk in the way, to be able to believe Him at His word. Man made junk: this is the stuff that hinders us from trusting God with all of our hearts; things like questioning God's ability and power, or trusting Him to have our best interest in mind; and most of all, believing that He loves us and cares for us individually, as His children. We have gathered this junk over the years by putting our trust in man; being let down continually, we assume that words really don't mean much. But God is faithful at His word, and is to be trusted that He means what He says and says what He means. As silver that is refined in a fire, His word is tested and has been tried of the Saints of old. Much like Daniel, who knew very well that God was more than able to deliver him; therefore, his desire to continue and serve God, far exceeded the threat of being fed to the lions. As a matter of fact, Daniel used the trap that was set for him, as a way to test God, and to prove that God was faithful. This is expressed in Daniel's answer to King Darius from inside the lion's den, as he answered, "O king, live for ever. My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions mouths, that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." (Daniel 6:21 & 22) This is also a great illustration of how trust must include action, being that the action of Daniel praying to God would place him in the lion's den; but he trusted that God would deliver him, if not from the lion's den, then from the lions..."Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God." (Daniel 6:23)

"God Will Deliver"

"For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him." (Psalms 12:5) After thinking about all the times that God has delivered me from whatever trail or situation that I was overwhelmed by, I realized that not all His deliveries were made by providing for my need, but were made by providing me strength. Here is the thing which God has promised: "I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him"; which is not providing riches, nor even the elimination of those that oppress; but is to be set in a place where it is safe, safe meaning to be rescued from harm or destruction. If you wanted something to compare this meaning of safe to, I would point you to the Book of Daniel, which has more than one example of such deliverance. The one which would closest meet this description, would most likely be that of Daniel in the lion's den; and if you know the story, then you know that Daniel was not necessarily delivered from the lion's den, but was delivered from the lions that were in the lion's den. What is interesting about this story of Daniel's deliverance, is that Daniel did not change his routine of prayer, even knowing that the law had been signed saying that anyone who prays to any god, or ask petition of any deity other than the king for thirty days, shall be cast into the lion's den. Instead, Daniel did as he would always do, praying three times a day towards Jerusalem with his windows open. The "oppression of the poor", and the "sighing of the needy" are both to be associated with each other; much like a squeeze toy, when it is pressed it will squeak; so too, the oppressed, when they are pressed, they will sigh, groan, or cry out. Daniel had been pressed by the law which was signed, and yet, knowing this law was signed, he continued to pray in full view of those who had oppressed him; no doubt that Daniel did so with a heart that cried out to God for deliverance. However, his oppressors had him thrown into that lion's den, even though the king lamented having signed the law, once the law was written, it must have been carried out. Can you imagine what that must have been like? You are committed to serve God, praying to Him and believing that He shall deliver you; yet being put in such a dangerous place, that offered no chance of escape. This is the kind of stuff that faith is made of, and is what believing in a God that will deliver is all about! What was really interesting to this story, was how God ministered to King Darius by this trial which Daniel was placed in. Darius knew that Daniel was a man that believed his God would save him, and he said so to Daniel before sealing the mouth of the lion's den, saying, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will save thee". And then after a very long night, the king ran to the loin's den in the morning to check on Daniel, crying out, "O Daniel, servant of the Living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver you from the lions?" Do you see the question asked by King Darius? Is He able to deliver us? I pray that we can see this kind of courage in our body, and in our churches, and within our selves; as we demonstrate to the world that God will deliver us! Daniel's courage in pressing forward to pray, even though he knew what that would cost him, was what King Darius took notice of, and what made Darius fast and stay awake all night long; for he knew that Daniel's God was real by his actions in the light of  what would happen to him, Daniel continued to pray and serve his God... God is more than able to deliver us!!!

"...Even The Fool"

"Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" (Psalms 12:4) Do you know anyone who fits this description? We witness them in public places all the time; those who speak loudly, and swear loud enough for all to hear; being so proud that they can string several profanities together in even the shortest sentence. And when you ask them to keep it down, signaling that there are children present, they give you that look, as to say, Who do you think you are telling me what to do? So it is really easy to spot the ones who surely do not regard others, let alone have any regard for God; but what about those that part of church? These are those that think that they can say whatever they feel like saying, thinking that they have a right to say what they feel, even if it is against someone in the body, or worst yet, against the pastor of the church! I am sure David had his fill with those who's strength was that of their mouth. After Saul's death, David only ruled a portion of Israel for seven and a half years; being King of Judah, while Saul's son Ishbosheth was made to be King of Israel. When it comes to the church, we are told in God's word that we should love one another, and that if we have an issue against another, we should go to that brother or sister and speak directly to them. If you think about this concept, it really is something that we would like others to consider towards us; right? You know what I mean? This little phrase, which is apparently considered by some to be a suggestion, where Jesus said, "Do unto others, as you would like them to do unto you". Yes but, my tongue is all that I have to fight with; therefore, I will make my opinions known! The question asked, "Who is lord over us?", is one that can have several different meanings; whereas, they could be speaking of someone who is in a leadership position over them, such as a king, a master, or even a priest or pastor. The concept of "our lips are our own", is one that gets many people in trouble, because they believe that they can say whatever they what about their leaders, and that there will be no repercussions. Have you ever heard the term, "Off With Their Head"; a term which became very popular to be used against those who thought they could speak their mind about the king or queen. Within the body of the church, anyone who sows discord among the body is a fool; not just because they do so foolishly, but because they do not connect to dots: "Who is lord over us?" is also saying, I am the ruler of these lips... "The jaw bone connected to the a** bone!" That's a little song that is going off in my head... "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." (Proverbs 6:16-19)