"The Servant Heart"

As I refreshed everything said throughout those 40 days of going through Psalms 34, and after going through all of my postings, I felt as if it was a 40 day journey into the wilderness, and now it's time to begin the battle. The most important thing that wilderness journey taught me was that of being a servant, because a servant does not question his master, but just obeys what he is told to do; if there is something that goes wrong, as long as he obeyed what he was told to do, then it's the master's fault, not his. When we can get to the point of knowing and understanding what it means to be a servant, we can begin to experience deliverance in all sorts of different areas of our lives; whether it be our marriages, and how we interact with our spouse; or our Christian walk, and how we treat our brothers and sisters; everything becomes different when we have a servants heart. As I was praying this morning, I saw a vision of myself in the role of a servant, and I was going to the market place to buy supplies for my master; as I dealt with the merchants, I saw that I was representing my master in doing so, and I had assumed many of my masters good qualities; I had even taken on the appearance of my master as I represented him among those merchants. That is really how it is meant to be as we interact with one another, our families, our businesses; whatever we do, and where ever we go, we represent Jesus Christ, our Master; we no longer represent ourselves, because that old self has been crucified with Christ, and the new man is now a slave to Christ, having been raised up in the newness of His resurrection. I don't care where you are in your journey; whether it's on the mountain top, in the valley, or going through the wilderness, if you feel out of sorts and can't make any sense of anything in your life, there is only one solution to your problem: GET BACK TO BEING HIS SERVANT! How difficult do you really want to make it? We can not be successful as the one in charge, yet how often to we find ourselves walking in our own person hood, not representing Jesus at all, but rather we are representing ourselves? Do not forget to Whom you belong, because you were purchased with a great price..."Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men: so shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isaiah 52:13-15)

"Consider The Prize"

"The LORD redeemeth the soul of His servants: and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate." (Psalms 34:22) Maybe "desolate" did not make you shake all that much, because if you already know you are guilty, then what difference does it really make if you are found to be guilty? However, if you truly want to have eternal life in heaven; I mean, if that is really what you want, then you really need to consider the consequences of one thing: 'TO FAIL IN DUTY'. We all fail at one point or another, so it's really not the failing part that gets us into trouble; besides, God can fix pretty much anything that we mess up. It's more about our desire to get it right, not because we need to, or because it's some kind of a law, but because we really do want to please God, as any good servant wants to please his master. It is kind of like giving of our tithe, where the one hand does not consider what the other hand is doing, but yet, we are still a cheerful giver: that is the heart of God's servants. We are what we are because we love Him, yes; but much more than that, we are what we are because we abide in Him; in other words, we cannot live or survive without Him, and we know it! And it is in the acknowledgment of our condition outside of Him that makes us not want to fail our Master; because more than wanting eternal life in heaven, we want eternal life in Him! I can not get over the cult which I shall not name, but one that I am very familiar with; and when they come to the door, I love to express my longing to be with the Lord in heaven; to which I get a tilted head or an odd grin of unlikeliness, as they do not believe I will be going there. I don't want to live here on this earth with friendly animals and neighbors that like to have picnics; I want to be in the presence of the Lord in heaven, where lights are not needed, and where God's glory is the Light that we live in. Yet, our deliverance is not based upon our works, but upon our abiding in Him; our works we do because we do abide in Him, and it's in Him that we get to experience the peace that comes with never failing, because He does not fail, not because we don't, because we do. You can picture it like a servant that lives in the house of a very rich master; who has no worries of keeping the estate from meeting all of their needs, because that is the role of the master; but the servants only concern is to please his master, by which he is able to abide in his master's estate. He knows our heart, and better yet, He knows our weaknesses; and just as the rich master knows his servants lack what it takes to own the estate, he provides his estate for them to dwell within. In the case of what it takes for us to abide in God, it requires righteousness, which is something that we lack; but God, who knows our weakness and what we lack, has supplied the righteousness, that we can enter in...
"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be 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: to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:1-7)

"Ponder Your Role" -3

"Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." (Psalms 34:21) I need to be completely honest, and say that I did not want to do this the third time; but I saw the number of this verse was twenty one and felt that it was not yet complete. Actually, I felt the Lord tugging on my heart to share one more little tidbit of information about the beast; the beast being something that rises up out of a heart that gives into pride and envy. When the writer says, "Evil shall slay the wicked", it pertains to something that happens within a persons own heart; without getting to involved, let's just say that "Evil is what evil does"; which is another way of saying, If you hold onto wickedness within your heart, it's going to kill you! We are called unto to righteousness, we that have been called out of the darkness; and righteousness does not dwell within evil, plain and simple. The second part of this verse is actually a continuation of the first statement, but is amplified to express the reason; in other words, the reason that "Evil shall slay the wicked", is because "they that hate the righteous shall be desolate". Hate, for those that may not know, is the opposite of love; and it really comes down to whether your a lover or a hater, because you really can't be both! I know what your thinking: Why not? Yes, I know, many of us claim to have love-hate relationships, but what does that even actually mean? Do we love someone for what they provide for us, but hate the way that they make us feel? Or maybe we love that they make us feel so wanted, but they always keep us wanting? Either way, the hate side of what we feel is something that comes from within our own hearts, and it is predicated upon our own expectations for what we expect out of any given relationship. It really doesn't matter whether we are talking about a husband and wife, a friend and a friend, or a servant and a master; they all have the same needs which seem to need to be met, and they all are subject to the same laws of love...Someone needs to be the one to love first...
"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached fell on Me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:1-6)

"Ponder Your Role" -2

"Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." (Psalms 34:21) What is my role in the Body of Christ? That's a good question to begin asking, especially if you have not figured that position out yet. Primarily each and every one of us are servants first and foremost; none of us are the head, that is the role of Jesus Christ, so we can rule out the notion of being the one in charge; besides, you really don't want to even try and assume that role. Once we get settled into the fact that we are a servant, our next step is to assume the role of a servant, which, in case you may not know, is to make every effort to please his Master. Wow, what a strange concept! If my Master says I am to scrub toilets, then scrub them I will; and I will scrub them joy, and I will make those toilets shine. That might be a little bit extreme, but I think you get the general idea of how a servant needs to obey his Master. It goes with the territory of obedience, that if you are given a menial task, and you proceed to do it grudgingly, then you actually do not have the heart of a servant; therefore, you need to backup and ask forgiveness for your wickedness, and take the position of a servant; you will never assume the role of a servant without first taking the position of a servant. After having the role of a servant established well in our lives, we can be placed into the position where God would have us to be. Notice I said 'placed'; we do not determine what role we are to take, God will place us where He wants us to be. But, whatever role that we have been given, we must perform in that role to the best of our ability, not hoping to have received someone else's role, and thereby becoming an ungrateful servant. Can you start to see how this works? Now just in case you don't think this has anything to do with anything, think again, because it has a lot to do with how we love one another; mostly because the biggest cause of hate among a body of Believers is envy. Envy is something that causes us to curse rather than pray for one another; in other words, you might outwardly be praying for that person, but deep down inside your hoping that they crash and burn, so that you might have their position. Not only does this have something to do with something, but envy must not be present in the heart of a servant; if it is, then there must a severe act of repentance, because envy is straight from the devil; pride and envy are the reason that he fell...
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." (Romans 12:6-15)    

"Ponder Your Role"

"Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." (Psalms 34:21) If you thought that was weird, then check this out! The more I think about it, the more I realize what an importance it is to be connected to a body of Believers: we must be experiencing the assembling together of the Body of Christ; it is what we are, and what we are meant to be; therefore, we must function as One in Christ Jesus. Consider what is being said is much the same as a diagnosis of a problem, say, maybe the reason your so weak and worldly is because your actually apposed to the whole idea of unity, meaning the unity of the Body of Christ. That might sound like a strange diagnosis, but it may be more real than you think. There are two parts to the commandment that Jesus has given us; there might be two separate commands, but they are both the same commandment, which is to love God and to love one another. We cannot have, or do, one without the other! What that actually means (if you are really interested in this subject), is that we cannot say that we love God if we are at odds with a brother and we do not wish to reconcile our differences; it is opposed to God to carry on in such a way, and we are consider to be wicked in doing so. "Wicked" seems like such a harsh and ungodly word; as it should, because it actually means 'to be against God'; which might sound unlikely, if you believe you are a Christian and you believe you are following God; however, there is one little thing that brings us back into captivity, and it's called unforgiveness! Not the subject you wanted to hear about? Well, it's the topic of today; moreover, it's the major cause of fractions in the Body of Christ. That said; reconsidering the previous verse, which spoke of, "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken", if this might be speaking of the Body of Christ, then what possibly might become of a fracture? Okay, let me divert for a moment, and speak of David, who up to this point had pretty much been on his own; however, after having departed from his close encounter with death, David at this point in his life had actually become king in his own heart. He had been anointed king several years earlier, but up to this point, he had never actually ruled; at least not until at this point of his life; as he gathered to himself hundreds of misfit and desolate warriors, of which he was chief of the desolate and misplaced; having no real home, he made the wilderness his home, and those that banded with him became his army; yet, he always considered himself as one of them. And as for Saul, who David considered to be his enemy, instead of fighting or going against Saul, David did all that he could to respect him as God's anointed...
"Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, bur rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:16-21) 

"Take Him at His Word" -2

"He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." (Psalms 34:20) When you get right down to it, God's Word will stand for ever; there is absolutely nothing that God holds higher than His Word, for His Word is what everything else is based upon. So, here is what God has been speaking to me about, and I hope I can express it in a way that is as easy to understand as it is to have witnessed it played out in my mind; but it involves more than just a calling, as in being called by God; it involves a destiny, as in, a destiny that we have been given to fulfill. And you know, the funny thing is, as long as we are still here, it's not too late to fulfill it! Do you get what I am saying? Anyone? Okay, let's move over to the discussion of "his bones", and maybe they can add a little meat to my meaning. The Hebrew word being used is the word 'estem, which means bone, essence, substance; bone, so called from it's firmness and strength; yet, essence and substance, so called for the very life and body represented, as in bodily form. Now then, if God has given you a vision of what your life should be in this time you have been allotted, and has confirmed that vision by His word, then you can bet your bottom dollar that the vision He gave you was meant for you. Maybe, as I, your vision involved the gift of healing; which I know it was a vision and not a dream, because it appeared to me in color, not in black and white; yet it appeared, I believe, to show me a destiny available to me, and a gift that God wanted me to "prove". That word "prove" is such a 'door-opening' word; it's pretty much like the children of Israel crossing the Jordan into the "Promised Land", where in order to receive the promise, they needed to cross over into the land. Yet, we have a reluctance to take that step, not because we lack the promise, but because we lack the faith to enter in. It's like, If God is so big and powerful, then why do I feel so weak? If God has delivered me from sin, then why am I still sinning? Can you see how faith gets hindered? It's only natural that we base what we are going to experience upon that which we have already experienced; and thus far, it may not be all that it was meant to be! But God! God has a destiny for each and every one of us that are called by His Name! And the funny thing is, this destiny is not based upon our ability to perform miracles or take on mighty battles; our destiny is dependent upon our ability to obey: to obey just as if we are part of His body; moving in the direction He moves us; going where He leads us; being connected at the joint, and living out our lives as a member of the Body of Christ...
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." (Romans 12:3-5)

"Take Him at His Word"

"He keepeth all his bones: and not one of them are broken." (Psalms 34:20) Some times we just need to get over ourselves and trust God at what He does! That might be easier said than done, but then again, so is trying to live a holy life; which is not only what God is asking of us, but it is the space in between us and Him; and He wants us close to Him, as close as we can possibly get! I really do think that it all comes down to belief, as in, How strongly we believe in God? Do we take Him at His Word? and if so, then why does that not change our hearts? This is really a pretty interesting verse, given the context of this Psalm and what is implied about strength and firmness in the word "bones"; and we know from what happen on Calvary, that this verse can be applied to Jesus, as they broke the legs of the other two, but did not break His legs; but what does this say for us, and how does this apply to deliverance? If we examine the content of the last three verses together, grouping them into one thought, we can see a pattern that develops in form of being broken, yet not broken; with the general thought being that we either have a broken spirit and be delivered, or we don't and be crushed. I know that might sound pretty severe, and it should; but that is not God's intention for any of us; His intention for us is to be sitting at His feet and feeling the fullness of His love; more love than we could ever imagine! I can't imagine what my life would be without Jesus, but I can imagine what it would be if I yielded completely to His will; Can you? Try it and see; see if you can imagine yourself living a holy life and walking completely in obedience to the will of God. See the impact you have upon those God has given you, and how powerful God's Spirit moves in your life, as you minister to the people you touch, and as they too are touched by the Spirit that dwells within you. We live in a world that is dying and full of death and destruction, and our lives need to contrast this world; they need to be alive and full of life; giving out light in a darkened world, and shinning forth with the hope of new life. And yet, with all that I just described, what is it that gets in the way of doing all of that?
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1 & 2)

"The LORD is GOD" -2

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalms 34:19) So, if you really believe the power is within God to make something from nothing, then why not believe that He can make something good from anything bad? Again, if we look at Jesus, we can see the greatest example of something good can come from tragedy; because the tragedy of His suffering was so messed up, there was no reason He should have been punished like He was, especially since He had done nothing but heal people and bring His people hope. But like the verses from Romans said, it's not really about who your father is, but about the seed of the promise, and those that are of the seed, they are called righteous. Actually, the word for "afflictions" which is used in the verse above, is also the same word for "evil" used in verse 16, where it says, "The face of the LORD is against them that do evil". Remember how I said that word 'evil' was so generic, meaning everything from sad at heart, to really really bad; well it works the same with afflictions, which is why there are so many, as in, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous". This word used for "evil" and "afflictions" is the same word used by Joseph as he assured his brothers when they pleaded for his forgiveness, saying, "Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought 'evil' against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Genesis 50:19 & 20) You have to wonder about all the afflictions Jesus suffered for us in those last hours, and why they were so beyond the normal punishment that might be given to even a murderer, or worst type of criminal; why should He have to bare so much pain and humiliation in the process of giving His life for us? Why do bad things happen to good people? Is God the one who performs the evil? No way! Evil and afflictions are part of this fallen world; yet it is God that delivers us out by the afflictions and the evil that were perpetrated upon His Son: the Jewish leaders and the Romans had meant it evil against Him, but God meant it unto God... "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:31-34)

"The LORD is GOD"

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalms 34:19) If you did not quite get how those last couple of postings had anything to do with a "broken heart", or a "contrite spirit", then maybe this will help: God is always the one with the upper hand; and I don't care what you may have gone through or what you may have done, if you are called by God, it's all relevant. There might be some things that you don't quite see how that might be true, but God does not make mistakes, and everything He allows His anointed to go through, He allows it to happen for a reason; if for no other reason than humility and brokenness, but it all is part of who we are. These two next verses can be applied to Jesus Christ, especially the next one; but the one we have before us today, it has some very significant meaning about the fact, "The servant is not greater than the Master"; which basically means, If Jesus suffered affliction, then we should not be surprised if we should also; that includes those times before coming to the Lord. I know, some of us have stuff that has happened to us that should never happen to anyone, especially not children; but does that mean God caused those things to happen? No way! God does not cause evil, nor does He tempt us with evil things; but God will allow certain things by not stopping them, only because the power of His redemption is far greater than any affliction, even the afflictions that scar for life! Besides, what are the scars in comparison to the glory? Here's another question: Do you think Jesus will still have the scars from His crucifixion? He had them after His resurrection, so why would He not have them in heaven? After all, they are His testimony of the cross, and the great price that He paid for our sins; His testament before the Father as He makes intersession for all of our mistakes, and as He raises His hand in objection, to plead our case. I think the greatest example of afflictions and being afflicted was the life of Christ; right from the start, He suffered as being considered a bastard, even before His birth. Born in a manger, that might not have been so bad; but then, having to flee into Egypt, that made His first few years that of a vagabond. As with all Jewish boys, He was trained in a trade as a child, and His was that of a carpenter; and because of the city He was raised in, glorious carpentry work was really not associated with Nazareth, so the carpentry work was moderate at best; which also meant that His household growing up was one of a lower to modest income, and they really did not enjoy many of the pleasures of this life. As Jesus started His three and a half year ministry, He did not have financial backing; nor did He even have a place to live, but lived totally from day to day, just trusting that everything He needed would be supplied by His Father in heaven. These are just simple things leading up to the cross, and the closer He reached it, the worst His life had pressed towards that cross; until He could honestly say, "I came unto my own, and they rejected me"... "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9:3-8)

"A Broken Heart" -2

"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalms 34:18) If you don't understand what it means to be crushed, then perhaps you have not yet experience the wine press of the Lord; because there is a wine press which the Lord uses, that He makes the wine poured out to do His will upon this earth. When it comes to our calling, meaning, that which God has called you out of the darkness to be a light for, we are responsible for the fulfillment of our part in that which we are called. Okay, so maybe you have not yet see what you are called for; but I bet that you have, and just have not realized what it was; most likely because it has been there, right in front of your face, all throughout your life. When we come to the Lord, we sometimes expect God to give us a totally new life, one free from all that which we previously lived in the flesh; yet, it may please God that you are to minister to people who are currently living the way that you once lived. If you were a outlaw biker, then you minister to outlaw bikers; if you were trap in an addiction, then you minister to those that are trapped in addictions. Seldom do we ever get to choose what we are called to do, because a calling is part of what you have been living through. If you don't understand what I mean, or if you don't believe it, then check it out for yourself, and pick just about any character from the Bible, figure out what their calling was, and then look at their life prior, and see if they weren't molded and shaped for such a calling. As I previously mentioned, this was a turning point in David's life; one in which he began the forming and the assembling of his army; not to oppose Saul and his army, but rather, to begin to establish his position as king of God's people. And if you look at those who assembled around him, they were those in which society had rejected and neglected; those that were destitute, homeless, in debt and broken; hungry for a new way of life, and someone to lead them to it. And why should David be any different? Did not God use a shepherd to shepherd His people? God has a specific plan and a purpose for our lives; one in which we have been fashioned and molded into, by both our free will and God's Divine intervention, since before the time we were actually born. It's kind of hard to see how that all works, but there are people that were here before you, that your life has meaning for, and your life should have meaning for the next generation... "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (Romans 9:20-24)

"A Broken Heart"

"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalms 34:18) Oh, the beginning of something new! Here is the thing about loving God: after you realize how much He loves you, and after examine your own unfaithfulness to return that love to Him, there is really nothing else that can happen to our hardened heart, except that it should break! This is a good breaking; as good as breaking the soil before you plant a seed; which is what must be done in order for a plant to take root and grow up to be big and strong. I have a question, which might seem a little odd at this moment, but here it goes: Why did God save you? If you don't understand the question, then let me help you by making it your own question, which is: Why me LORD? God has a plan for each and every one of our lives; even the thief on the cross next to Jesus, as short as his mission was, it was effective in demonstrating God's great forgiveness. I don't care what you might have done, or how far you might have strayed from God, God has a plan for your life, no matter how much you screw things up; you can never break things so badly that God can't fix them! The secret in getting all the broken pieces repaired, is a broken heart; isn't that something? In order for brokenness to be healed, something needs to break! You know, Jesus was broken for this broken world, so doesn't it make sense that we must be broken also? As a matter of fact, I will make a very bold statement, and say: If your heart is not broken, then you can not be saved! Really! Oh, you might think that you are saved, and you might experience joy for a season; but it is only on the surface, because your heart must break in order for faith to take root in it. When you read the "parable of the sower explained", which is Matthew 13:18-23, you might notice in verse 23 that Jesus says, "But he that receiveth seed 'into' the good ground"; in other words, it had to go into the ground; not on top of it, or beside it, or in among the weeds; but into good ground, which means ground that is based upon the truth of God's Word. Understanding takes place within us after we get a glimpse of the whole picture, which is: We were broken, and He was broken for our brokenness; He will fix us, but first we must break... "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:1-6)

"A Heart of Righteousness"

"The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." (Psalms 34:17) If you understand the Book of Romans, you know how it traverses back and forth, taking on so many issues that present themselves in the normal Christian life; probably the most profound of which is the u-turn type of effect that will take place in a life that surrenders completely to God. There is really no other way to explain it, as we can go from a destitute heart one minute, to a heart of righteousness; all based upon the direction in which we are headed; which (and this is important), is also based upon our standing with God. Who wants to have troubles in their life; anybody you know? I surely don't; yet those troubles that I face are mostly the ones that I have created. Much the same with David, who in his effort to run away from Saul, ran into the city of his enemies; not only his enemies, but those that thought him to be king. You can call this 'jumping from the fire into the frying pan' if you wish, but I prefer to call it 'trying to hide thyself among the weeds'; if you truly are God's anointed one, you really don't blend in very well with the unrighteous. Do you know why I believe that God has a sense of humor? It's because He needs to have one to tolerate all the stupid stuff that I do and still love me! I mean really, if you think about some of the critical points of the Bible, as in the point of Adam hiding from God, and God asking Adam where he was; like God didn't know; or God asking Adam, "Who told you were naked?", after Adam said, "I knew I was naked, so I hid from You". Or the story of Jonah, and his 'bleached out rebellion'; how God's will cannot be adverted, because He always gets His man! In other words, you can't hide from Him, and you can't run far enough away... "For there is no respect of persons with God. (Nothing but Jesus!) For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Try it!)" (Romans 2:11-13) 

"The Destitute Heart" -2

"The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." (Psalms 34:16) Periodically there are waves of revivals that sweep across the globe; it's as if the blinders are removed from the eyes of the people and they see their actual state they are in, and they awaken from their sleep. The meaning of the word 'destitute' has several different applications, some are applied to those that lack something needed, while others apply to those that are deprived of what they need; in other words, you can be destitute by choice, or you can be forced into that situation; either way, the effect involves a journey or a direction. Okay, I can see this might take a minute, so let me try to explain what I am saying in terms that even a child can comprehend. We that are children of God all have one thing in common when we are walking in the direction towards God, and that is hope; and hope makes us not ashamed of the gospel, because the promises of the goodness of God are revealed in our hearts. Now then; those that walk in the opposite direction all have another thing in common, which is, that they lack hope; not because hope is not available to them, because it is, it's just that the direction they are facing has no hope within it. So what do you suppose is the answer for that? You really don't have to think to hard about the answer, because I have already given it to you; it's all about direction!!! I don't care how destitute you might get in this physical world, as soon as you are headed in the right direction there is hope; it's not because you have arrived, but because you are heading there that gives you hope. When you look up the meaning of the "gospel", you find at the very top of the list the meaning, "a reward for good tidings", which is the meaning that Paul uses in his statement, "for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth". Now, here is the part that involves force, as in being forced into destitution; because there is power in the gospel message, however, if you are not living out that power, because of the direction you have chosen, then you are forced into having a destitute heart, which is void of the hope, not because the hope has been taken, but because the hope has been forced out by unbelief. And why, prey tell, would a believer have unbelief? I just can't remember...
"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:20-25)

"The Destitute Heart"

"The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." (Psalms 34:16) On the flip side, we have those that refuse to get it right; taking the grace that they have been given, and refusing to walk in the power of new life. After have prayed over this verse this morning, I was led to think of all the really evil men that had lived, and you know what I discovered, they are not forgotten; just the contrary actually, they are spoken of quite frequently. So I came to the conclusion that this must be a reference to another kind of evil doer, possibly one that was meant to do right and choose to do evil. As far as that goes, I think the word which matters more than "evil" is the word "do", because the word evil is so generic, in that it means all sorts of things negative, from being sad at heart, all the way to really really bad. The word "do" on the other hand is a word that requires effort, as in to work at something, or labor to do anything. It also has a kind to hidden meaning, as is 'to keep' or 'maintain', having something that you know you should be rid of, yet hiding it away or keeping it for yourself, even though you know God does not approve of it being in your life. In that regard, we look back to verse 12, and we see again the question, "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?", because this is relevant to those that are meant to do good but do "evil"; they are the ones who's life is looked back upon, and there is really nothing all that good there to look upon. Those that are remembered either have done something good, or have been really evil; but the ones who squander what they have been given, they are devoid of any goodness; even the good they might have done, is lacking any substance because there was no fruit. If you died today, what would they speak of at your funeral? Would they speak of all the goodness you did, and how much you lived out Jesus Christ in your life? or would they just speak about how much you will be missed? I miss my Bearded Dragon Jacob also, but he really did nothing good; he did like to watch Fox News though, so he wasn't all that bad either... "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shown it unto them." (Romans 1:16-19)

"The Blessed Heart"

"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry." (Psalms 34:15) If you what something to look for as motivation to do good, how about considering this simple, yet complex verse? Simple because it is right to the point; complex because it involves righteousness, which means we are not capable of achieving it on our own! That said, we do have choices we make that are contrary to following Jesus, and when we make those kind of choices, we fall from grace. These are the harsh realities of God's holiness and righteousness; the fullness of His grace is upon those that seek after and pursue righteousness in their daily lives. Does that mean we will fall out of His grace? No, I do not believe that a true believer in Jesus Christ can ever fall out of grace; however, I also believe a true believer will not succumb to a life of sin; sinning by trespass is one thing, but living in sin is something different all together. I know for a fact that I am saved, because I can not allow myself to sin enough to be comfortable in a life of sin; I might have a day or two of naughtiness, but then I feel the stain, and I need to repent and be washed; and wash me He does, each and every time that I earnestly ask Him, He takes the stain away! We are only made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ, but that does not mean we can live the way we want to and still be righteous. There might be things in our lives which we might not consider to be sin, but that might be sin in another person's eyes; and there might be things which right now we don't consider to be sin, but later, the Lord may convict our hearts that it is. If God convicts our heart of something being sin, then we had better stop doing whatever that might be; if not for the simple fact of what this verse says! Again, we are talking about the pursuit of holiness, which what we are instructed to do; and when we find ourselves giving into sinfulness, then we had better repent and ask for forgiveness. When you cry out to God, don't you want Him to listen? Hello! (I think I am talking to myself more than anyone else.) Sometimes I can get myself pretty dirty; so dirty I feel like a pig in a pigpen; but like the 'Prodigal Son', when I come to my senses, God is waiting there to welcome me back with open arms. I believe that, and I have a blessed heart because of that fact; just as our hearts are blessed by not leaving in the first place; which is the better of the two, because we never have to experience hunger and despair... "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:12-14)

"The Pure of Heart" -2

"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." (Psalms 34:14) When it comes to having real peace with God, there is really only one source to go to for the peace we really need, and that is Jesus Christ! Nothing else can wash away our sins, and give us peace with our Heavenly Father; and when we are talking about peace, we are talking about completeness and soundness; actual friendship with God, as one that has things in common with the Creator of your living soul, because He is the Living God! The seeking part is easy, because we know what it is that we must do; it's pursuing that becomes difficult, because it requires us to move straight ahead, not veering to the right or left, and being distracted by the things of this world. Jesus said, in Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." It is actually a constant pursuit, to be taken on a daily basis; we can never think of ourselves as having arrived to the place where we are done pursuing peace with God, because as long as we are in these fleshly tents, we are going to sin against God; and if you say that you aren't, you are deceiving yourself, and actually do not understand the fullness of the gospel! Jesus Christ suffered and died for all of your sins; all of your sins mean those sins that you committed yesterday, those that you committed today, and those that you will commit tomorrow. Sin is sin, it is all the same trespass, just performed at different times; we just need to be forgiven when we trespass, no matter how many times that might be; every three minutes if necessary, we ask Him for forgiveness! And regarding this cross we pick up daily, this cross is not just those things which we must do, it also includes the things we must not do! Jesus had to remain free from sin, although He was tempted as you and I, His cross to bear was to remain sinless; being led as a sheep to the slaughter, He would be innocent of the sin that He would bear upon the cross. Therefore, our cross to bear is also to remain innocent and free from sin! When we fall, and we will, we need to continue by asking for His forgiveness, and "He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness"; but we must ask Him for forgiveness, and then continue by picking up our cross and following Him; pursuing peace with God daily, which actually means throughout each and every day. The pure of heart are those that pursue righteousness; regardless of how many times they might fail, they continue the pursuing it... "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the life of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4)

"The Pure of Heart"

"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." (Psalms 34:14) Okay, so now we come to the part where the rubber meets the road in our spiritual walk; basically, what that means is, this is the effect that must take place when action is required from within us. Typically, this is the natural reaction that must take place in the new life of every believer; and generally speaking, it is the natural way that we begin our Spirit filled life: by having turned from evil, and doing good, which is to set out in the direction that is pleasing to God. The problem that happens to befall upon almost each and every one of us, is that somewhere alone the way we make compromises in the straight path, and establish little detours along the way. These are the harsh realities of the outside world; but it is really not something that we are to be associated with any longer; but, old habits are really hard to break. Interesting enough, the first part of this verse is what we must be doing, and naturally start off in the direction of; but the second part of this verse, is the way we continue in doing and achieving, going down that "straight and narrow road". Having been around the block a few times, I can tell you something that I have learned about sinning and getting away with it: you really do not get away with anything! You might think that you have gotten away with something, because no one saw you, and there was no direct harm done to anyone from what you did; but do not fool yourself in believing the devil, because as soon as he is done enticing in sin by telling you that lie, he will be accusing you of the sin that you have committed. It's really a no-win situation, without the second part of this verse above, which is, "seek peace, and pursue it"! Let me give you a little example of what I am trying to say, and I will use 'war and peace' to explain it. Let's say you have two countries that have been at war forever, and they have finally come to a place where they have laid their weapons down, and are finally at peace with one another; in essence, they have quit playing war, and have now decided to start playing nice. The problem that remains are all the different fractions that remain between them, and it's only a matter of time, and they will be back at war again; therefore, they must endeavor to establish a bond between themselves, and build upon common interest and goals; thereby making what was once at opposites, one of the same, so that their children grow up with those things in common. Now, just in case you think that I am trying to make this into something we do in our own strength, think again; because what I just explained was the seeking part, as in, "seek peace". The "pursue it" part of the equation involves pray, perseverance, and a whole lot of God's Spirit... "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she is married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:1-6)

"The Pure Heart"

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile." (Psalms 34:13) So what does a pure heart actually look like? Well one sure way to witness the pureness of a man's heart is by the words that come forth from his mouth! Oh, I believe you know what I am talking about; because you know when your heart is pure or not, and in those times of impurity, you also realize your tongue has a mind of it's own. There is only really one true way to keep evil from coming forth from your lips, and that is by keeping evil from dwelling in our heart. James sums it up quite perfectly, as he said, "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh." (James 3:11 & 12) The interesting thing about being changed within, in that the change which takes place in us is all God's doing; we cannot change ourselves! So, if you think you are going to control your words by controlling your words; well, I say, Good luck in that experiment. However, if you have a tongue of evil, and lips that speak guile, which means you lie a lot, then it's time to hit the ground and get some purity into that hungry heart! Yes, I said hungry heart; whether you believe it or not, you can't stay too long away from God's pureness without having a heart that starves for His presence to shine within it; and if you try, you are probably going to age prematurely, or at least look like you've been to hell and back. I know what you might be thinking, and if you are, then I think you have missed out on some glorious truth somewhere alone the way; because, even though we were born again and have received God's Spirit in our hearts, and we have been given new birth of the Spirit, that does not mean we have the ability to now control this body without God's help, because we cannot and will not do anything outside of God's power. Oh, we might think that can, and we may even experience a little victory for a short time doing so; but sooner or later, we end up in a dark dead end alley, where we have no power or control. As Paul explains to us in Romans 8:5, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit"; it's all a matter of pursuit, which means, what are you chasing after..."For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:6-8)    

"Determined"

"What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?" (Psalms 34:12) I don't know why, but every time I get to verse twelve in any of the Psalms, I always think there is something that it has significant with the completeness of mankind. Another way to view "the fear of the LORD" is from the perspective of 'reward', as in the benefits that come with doing what you know is right. I heard a very strong message yesterday about why Jesus needed to come and die on the cross; actually, the message was, Why did God need to do what He did the way that He did it? I have shared this before, but I believe that God knew all along that Adam and Eve were going to fall in the garden; But God had a plan! Because man was created with free will, and the right to choose whom he would obey, God needed to show the fullness of His love for man, that man could choose properly, and willingly. There is really nothing else in God's creation that demonstrates His love; there is demonstration of His might and power and glory, but nothing screams out His love for us, besides the cross! He gave us His all; all that He could do to demonstrate how much He loved us was to give of Himself; to come into this fallen world, in the form of fallen man, and to die on the cross for fallen mankind. The tree of knowledge of good and evil had to be a tree, or something that was able to be desired and partaken of, in order to give man something to choose from; in other words, there needed to be something about that tree that would draw a man or woman to it, thereby making a choice as to eat of it or not. As of that point, all man had to go on that he was loved of God, was all the stuff God had provided for him in the garden; try that with your kids, and see how much they understand love by what you give them; it pretty much just spoils them and makes them disobey you, because it doesn't demonstrate love, it just demonstrates appeasement. Once you start trying to demonstrate your love by giving stuff to them, they will expect more stuff to continue your loving expression; and when you do not give it, they ask you why you don't love them anymore. And yet, God had given them all this stuff, yet in the midst of it, He planted a tree that was to be desired, but was off limits to eat thereof. And what about 'knowledge of good and evil', do you think our minds will be wiped clean once we get to heaven? Although there might not be a tree that represents it, I am sure that we will have knowledge of it; we will just be so equipped by His love, the choice to do right will be overwhelming... "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:20-25)

"Determination"

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD." (Psalms 34:11) Probably the saddest thing that we can look upon is our past life of failures; you know, those times when you had blown it so bad, you seriously cannot believe how you could allow yourself to do what you did; but you obviously did what you did, so now that you know what you are capable of, what do you do with that? Anywho, that's what the Lord is speaking into my heart about this verse we have before us; which may or may not have anything to do with the text; but then again, who said I was following any such rule anyway; I simply type what the Lord puts upon my heart, and let chips fall where they may. Regardless; let's say for a moment that there is some validity in what I see happening; it's not as though David could not play out a third person or something like that; that is really not all that crazy of a thought. If so, then who would the three persons actually be? Well, if you actually care about this crazy thought, then the speaker is David, obviously; but the "children", the children are given to instruction and eager to learn what to do or what not to do, which could be anyone actually, even the righteous side of David himself. The "me", again the speaker, has knowledge of what to do and what not to do, which is based upon his past experiences and failures, or the unrighteous side of himself. What it really boils down to, is that of a "Don't Go There" frame of mind; in other words, you know what happens when you do this or that, so don't go there!!! I know it sounds a little crazy, but then again, this Psalm has a little bit of craziness behind it. And if you think that was crazy, how about the word "fear", as in, "I will teach you the fear of the LORD"; because this fear is a noun, and not just any noun, it is a feminine noun which denotes people, things, places or ideas; which, whether you agree with it or not, "the fear of the LORD" is an object that is unchangeable, but at the same time changes, depending upon your perspective. Now tell me that doesn't sound crazy... "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as where baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:1-7) 

"Staying Satisfied" Too!

"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing." (Psalms 34:10) In James 1:5, James says, speaking of understanding, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Here is another thing that young lions lack, is understanding; they really haven't got the whole thing down about sitting and waiting, or how to sneak up on their prey; therefore, they lack the understanding of the hunt. When it comes to trials or tribulations, we that suffer through them expectantly are blessed by them; those of us that suffer through them wantonly, not so much! This word "seek", as in "they that seek the LORD", has within it some pretty strong words of application, such as demand, require, to investigate, or to simply seek with application. The lion, much like our enemy, will study his prey before attacking; determining the weakness, the best method of attack, and when it's defenses are at it's lowest point. The reason that is relevant to how we seek the Lord, is because we are that prey, therefore we must have understanding from God in areas of our weaknesses, where not to be, or how to act, and how not to let down our guard. When it comes to trials, how this plays out while going through them is really quite simple; because if we lack the understanding required to face any trial, we are left wanting the wrong outcome, or looking for the wrong answers; instead, we should be expecting God to be glorified in the midst of our trial, knowing that it is not about the material things of this world, but about the spiritual things, and our experiences in all the fruits of the Spirit, especially love. As to "not want any good thing", the "good" is pretty much what it means, good stuff, such a treasures, or money, or all the pleasantries that this world has to offer. If you were to look at James 1:7, then you might think that he has contradicted himself, as he says, "For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord"; because it pretty much means things, as in any thing, or any one; therefore, asking God for wisdom, or even asking God for love, or more of the Holy Spirit, are those things that we must seek after; and when I say seek, I mean "to seek with application", because they require application to be received... "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants of uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants of righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit in holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:18-23)

"Staying Satisfied"

"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing." (Psalms 34:10) Being distracted by the things of this world, is not just a temptation to us, it's something that we are bound to be part of, so we had better learn how to fight for what's right. The thing about young lions, is that they spend so much time playing, they don't really get serious about hunting for food until they finally realize that they are starving; by then, it takes every last once of strength that they have to make a kill. If there is something that you are distracted by and that leads you into temptation, then stay away from whatever it is that might be; sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But how often do we practice that when we want to be distracted? I would say, hardly ever! I did not say, when we are satisfied in the Lord, I said when we want to be distracted, which means that we are not satisfied and desire something else, for the moment. That is part of what "waiting upon the Lord" is all about, because we have an itch and we want it satisfied; but God would have us to sit still and seek His peace and the filling of His Spirit, which will always satisfy even the strongest desire we could possibly have; but we must sit still and do it!!! G.I.G.O., has significant meaning when it comes to distraction, especially if you are wanting to be distracted, because when you are, you will allow the garbage into your life, in one form or another; call it softening the blow, or whatever it is that might be that allows us to feel comfortable sinning before God. When we are filling ourselves with His word, and meditating upon His goodness, we will hardly have room for becoming distracted; and if by chance we do, then we need more of His word to meditate upon!
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: happy is every one that retaineth her. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens. By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." (Proverbs 3:13-24)

"Being Satisfied"

"O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him." (Psalms 34:9) I was wondering, way back on the very first day I began this blog, what is the stronger for obeying God, is it fear or is it love? But if you really take the time to think about it, there are two forms of fear; there is the fear you have of God prior to becoming His child, and then there's the fear you have after; and the fear you have after is grounded in love! When you study John chapter Six, which is an event that is recorded in all four of the Gospels, we see that Jesus feeds more than five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two small fish; some Bible teachers have figured the number to be upwards to 15,000 people including men, women and children; but the chapter is not really about the miracle of feeding so many people with so little, it's about desiring the right food for your soul and not trying to satisfy the flesh with food that does not last. Knowing all that Jesus has done for us, and believing in all of His eternal promises, we have nothing else that we need to satisfy this soul of ours: we have the privilege of walking in the finished work of Jesus Christ; which for some of us, that might take decades to finally realize what that means, let alone what it actually feels like. The two words for "fear" that are used above, although the same word, they have different properties: the first fear that is used, as in, "O fear the LORD", is a verb and speaks of the action our heart must take towards God, in that we reverence Him in awe, and we respect Him as the avenger of wrong; thereby equipping our hearts to seek out godliness and holiness in our lives; the second fear that is used is an adjective, and is used to express what we are, in that we are 'God-fearing', as in, "one who fears God". In between these two fears we have "His saints", which is who we are in Christ Jesus; whereas, we are holy, clean, and set apart; which is all that this soul of mine requires to be satisfied! Now I can give all my focus to loving God; Right?
"My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of His correction. For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding." (Proverbs 3:11-13)

"Taking The Stand" -3

"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." (Psalms 34:8) Finally, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can separate a child of God from the hand of the Father! We have that established in our hearts, and we know that we are called of God; therefore, we approach God in that form and fashion, as His child that He has called out of the darkness. When we approach God in this way, understanding that it is by His grace that we can enter into His presence, then there is a sense of humility mixed with reverence, which in reality is how our love for God is kindled. As far as taking the stand, and what that actually represents to us as a child of God; we must understand what this world represents to us, and we must stand against it as if it is out to destroy our relationship with the God that loves us and whom we are to love with all that is within us. Oh, we surely have an enemy out there that will use every opportunity to ensure that we stumble, but we can do just as much damage ourselves by giving into the lust of our flesh, and by the desire to partake of the things of this world. So we stand, not as one that is outside the battle, but as one that is surrounded within the battle; knowing full well that it is by His strength that we are able to stand in the first place, and it is by His strength that we will overcome. I am convinced of this one thing, that if we lack anything at all in our Christian walk, it is love for God; not that we don't love God, because I am sure that we all do love Him in one way or another; but when it comes to loving God with all that we got within us, I think we apply the brakes more times than we press that accelerator all the way to the floor. If God has called you, then He has called you out of the darkness; which means, you come out of the darkness, never to return to that darkness again; when we do return to darkness, then it is because there is something there that we have a love for that is stronger than the love that we have for God. Therefore; since the issue is our love, then what do you think we need to strengthen our love for God? We have our love kindled by humility and fear for God, now fanning the flames of that love is the work of the Holy Spirit!!! When Jesus spoke of asking, seeking and knocking within the context of Luke 11:9-13, He was speaking of asking the Father to fill us with the Holy Spirit; and it's not a matter of a one time filling, but it's a continual asking, because of our quenching of the Spirit every time that we indulge ourselves in sin. I am not saying that we are emptied of the Spirit of God when we sin, because the day we accepted Christ into our hearts we were born into His kingdom, thereby receiving the Spirit of God and being born of the Spirit; but when it comes to being filled with the Holy Spirit, that is a whole other matter. Then we have this word "trusteth", as in, "blessed is the man that trusteth in Him" whom he has tasted and seen that He is good; the word has the movement towards God in the way of fleeing, as in, I will flee to God because I know that I can take refuge in Him. Now this is really interesting, because the beginning of Luke 11, and before speaking of asking, seeking and knocking, Jesus spoke on this: "Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." The other part of taking the stand for God, is also knowing who it is that we must flee to when we lack any thing, at any given moment; especially when we are tempted with desire for this world... "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." (Proverbs 3:5-8)

"Taking The Stand" -2

"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." (Psalms 34:8) Now that I got that off the table, let's get into grace, because we all know how much we need God's grace to make us strong enough to stand! First and foremost we must absolutely completely understand that we do not stand on our own strength, nor do we ever boast of having control over certain areas of our lives; both thinking we walk in our own strength and boasting about not committing any sin lead to nothing but disaster and a fall. Secondly, if we have something in our life that does not belong there, then all that we need to do is to ask God to deliver us from whatever it is that has taken us captive; which is pretty much what sin does in the life of a believer, it takes us captive and binds us from experiencing the victory that we have been given in Jesus Christ. You can look at it another way, and consider what Jesus said about being set free, as He said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"; which is from John 8:32, and is a verse many use to hold onto freedom, but that freedom has a price, and it is actually in the previous verse, which says, "If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free". In Romans 6, Paul is speaking of something that involves dying to sin, and it's something that must become natural in the life of a believer because we have been set free from sin, and we are now servants of righteousness; no longer are we servants of sin, because that old sinful nature has been crucified with Christ. The problem that many of us have, is that we are still hanging on that cross; which is where we do not belong, because Jesus is no longer hanging on the cross, but has risen and has ascended to the right hand of the Father and is glorified. Paul says in Romans 6:11-14, "Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." The word "taste" and the word "see" both share some very similar meanings, where they both speak of perceiving, one by taste and the other by sight; while perceiving may not seem like much of a meaning, it's depth of meaning is dependent upon how much you "taste and see that the LORD is good"; because "good" speaks of something that is greater than anything else... "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." (Matthew 22:36-38)

"Taking The Stand"

"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." (Psalms 34:8) I would like to refer to this as the day after verse, basically because it is verse eight, and because you will never know what it's like to be really victorious over sin until you do all that you can do to stand! Here's another little thing about "the angel of the LORD" that is camped around those that fear God, is that the angel is camped around you because you are in the battle; basically meaning that if you aren't fighting for the victory, then you really don't need the protection; however, God will protect you from certain harm, it's just that it is on a whole different level; one is based upon warfare, the other is based upon stupidity and circumstance. Let me try and explain what God has placed upon my heart, and it has to do with "Praising God for Deliverance", which just so happens to be the title written over this Psalm in my Bible. In order to praise God for our deliverance, we must first be delivered, which I am sure every one would agree; however, if sin is still ruling our lives, then the cross of Jesus is really of no affect to us, and we are still lost in our sins. I know that might sound a little extreme, and maybe even a little judgmental, but part of believing on Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, is that He is Lord of your life, and He has delivered you from sin; once those two things become reality in your life, then you are delivered! I am sorry if I might have offended those of you who might believe otherwise, like thinking that God allows a little sin in our lives just to keep us humble; but sin is sin, and "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump". (Galatians 5:9) If we know that it is sin, and yet continue in that which we know to be sin, then we are not taking a stand for righteousness, and we have in fact made our camp with the enemy; it's not really possible to have two camps, one for righteousness and one for unrighteousness, because one of the most important parts of our inheritance is that God dwells in us, and God will not partake in unrighteousness. Right about now, some might be questioning their salvation, and wondering if they ever really made a true commitment, which is entirely between you and the Lord; however, there are other principles that could be at play here, one primarily that comes to mind is lust; meaning that which we allow our minds to seek after... "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds:) 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; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)  

"Battle!" -2

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." (Psalms 34:7) Oh, I forgot to mention this small little tidbit, verse six, which speaks of "this poor man", it just so happens to be a verse numbered six, which is the number of man; and I know this might not really have any significant meaning, but verse seven, which we have before us today, it just so happens to be the number of God, and it represents completeness. Ya, I know, just another flashback. Although, here is something that the Lord put upon my heart this morning, and it has to do with "Taking The Stand"; which, although we might have stood and fought what we thought was a good battle, unless we do "ALL" that we can to stand, we have not yet actually entered the war. You have no doubt heard the saying, You need to stand for something, or else you will fall for anything; well in the case of serving the Lord, You need to "stand" for the Lord, or else you will continue to fall! In Ephesians 6:10-19, which Paul speaks of the spiritual battle that we face, there is power that is given in the word "stand" which is based upon the principle of standing, such a Peter speaks of "sure", as he says in 2 Peter 1:10, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall". The word "sure" actually means firm, stable, fast, as in holding fast or unshaken; which means that it is valid and therefore inviolable; basically meaning that our faith is made to be steadfast by standing firm. Do you not know that you can actually be a casualty of the war without having actually ever entered the battle? Defeat is what you experience from trying to wage war from the sidelines of the battle; you are pretty much beating the air, or punching at shadows; never really directly hitting the enemy, because you have never really directly faced the enemy. The only way that we actually get to taste the victory that has been won in Christ, is by making the stand... "According as His divine power hath given us all things that pertain into life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter 1:3-9)

"Battle!"

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." (Psalms 34:7) Do you believe in angels? You had better, because they are doing battle for us daily, and if not for them, many of us would not make it! There are several different types of angels; some are worshiping angels, that do nothing but worship and facilitate in the act of worship; there are some that deliver messages and declare the plans of God in people's lives; and there are some that protect us and fight for us in the spiritual arena, which is a place seldom seen by mortal eyes. Whether or not you can accept the fact that they are there, you must believe that there is a battle that is raging for souls; and because you accepted Jesus into your heart, does not mean that you are free from the devil's attacks; quite the opposite is happening, and you really need to be aware of that. Our heavenly Father wants us to make it, and He has done everything possible to ensure that we can; but in order to do so, we must adhere to His plan, and not try to make a plan up on our own. Did you get that? Because it really does matter in the fight! In war and battles, the winning side is the side with the best battle plan; God's plan is the best plan, and His plan is perfect in every way; although we seldom see the plan He has upon our lives, neither do the footmen see the same plan as the generals see in war; they are to do what they are told, and not try and make their own rules of engagement. Our enemy, and we do have an enemy, is more aggressively pursuing those of us believers that are actually making a difference in the lives of others; because, although he might not be able to rip us from the hand of the Lord, he can grab hold of those whom we might have influenced into the hands of Jesus, which he does by causing us to make our own plans up in the battle. If you can't see what it is that I might be talking about, let me enlighten you about something you might have neglected in your daily walk... "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel." (Ephesians 6:10-19)

"Brokenness"

"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of his troubles." (Psalms 34:6) You know, the first step in being saved is knowing that you are lost; the first step in being delivered from anything, we must first see our need for deliverance. The second step, although very closely related to the first, is to realize how utterly unable we are equipped to handle our situation. Although we might think we have the power to overcome our own sinful desires, pride, and vanities, when it comes right down to it, the flesh might think that it's willing, but the spirit is weak. In other words, it's a spiritual battle that we face; it's not like your two hands are in opposition to one another, where the left hand does not allow the right to do this or that; you either are filled with the Spirit of God, or your not; if you are filled with the Spirit of God, then you will walk in the Spirit. To put this in a little simpler terms, let's just say that when we are "poor" as a believer in Jesus Christ, there is only one thing that we are in need of, and that is more of the Holy Spirit! I can try all day long to be holy, and it becomes a holy war without having Holiness dwelling inside of me! Yes, I know what you might be thinking, you are probably wondering where the Holy Spirit went, right? Let me ask you something: Do you actually think the Spirit of God is going to engage in sin? I don't think so, nor should you! However, like I said, if we realize that we are broken, then that's the first step; now what are you going to do about it? REPENT... "This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His truth is not in us." (1 John 1:5-10)

"Illumination" -2

"They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed." (Psalms 34:5) Really, if you get right down to it, sin is the cause of all that destroys, be it sickness, death, anger, worry; it's all the result of sin, which is darkness, and is not of the Light, which is God. When we look to the world for answers to any thing, especially those things that provide comfort, we will be looking into darkness. This is really hard to get a handle on, and we really need to guard our hearts when it comes to the things of this world, because they have talons that dig into our souls, meaning that seat of passion that moves us. When we look to Jesus, we are enlightened, not just because He is Truth, but because we are sharing in His Light, making the darkness of this world become more apparent to us. The closer we draw to God, the more dark the darkness becomes; the more purified we become, the more filthy sin becomes, and the more we want nothing to do with it. The word "lightened" literally mean to illuminate with light; to shine and to give light, much as a candle lights up a room. However, this is a word that also means to flow together, as in a series of streams that flow together into a river, increased in strength and velocity. This makes me think of how important it is for us to belong to a body of believers, because there is strength in numbers; besides, the primary purpose that we are to remain in fellowship with other believers is to edify one another; praying for and encouraging one another in the love of God. As a matter of fact, what is of utmost importance is that we attach ourselves to a body of believers and become a part of that body; meaning that we share a function in the body, just as a body has different parts, we need to become a part. There was something that happened to David after his burst of crazy; something took place within his heart that gave him a sense of urgency towards caring about others; no longer just out to protect himself, he began to form a small army; an army made up of distressed, indebted, and discontent men, who needed to be encouraged and molded into mighty men of war. Call me weird, or whatever you like, but I truly believe that this change that happen in David was brought on by a combination of crazy and deliverance. The crazy part of what I am talking about is senseless, impractical; totally unsound, and not making any sense at all. The deliverance part, is what God can accomplish with that which makes absolutely no sense at all... "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:1-5)