"God is Faithful"

"The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged." (Psalms 37:33) There are several things that God has put upon my heart regarding what Peter had to go through, but the one that stands out the most, is something that Jesus said when He gave Simon the name Peter, in Matthew 16:18. We know that there is a difference between "Big Rock" and "little rock", I have heard that taught maybe several hundred times; but there is something significant about that "little rock" when it comes to Jesus saying, "upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it", which is the whole concept of God's protection, restoration, and justification that was demonstrated in Peter's life. Basically, the whole concept of our being saved by grace was played out in Peter's betrayal; how anyone can fall, be restored, and then go on to be a great servant of God, is not just a part of the church, but it is the foundation of what God's grace is all about; and the devil is totally jealous of it, yet he is also totally powerless when it comes to stopping it from happening; that is unless we give him the power to do so. I also find it interesting how Jesus called Peter "Simon" when He asked him, "Do you love Me?"; not that it was a put down, but sometimes we really need to be reminded of the work that God does in us, because it is not about what we do, but what He does; just as Jesus called Simon "Peter", so to, God changes us in such a way; from condemnation, to justification, within seconds; from a train wreck of a life, to restoration, in no time at all; God takes us from being destroyed, to being glorified in His Son, just as fast as you can snap your fingers; and oddly enough, it all comes down to us being "converted", which is what Jesus said would happen to Peter. If you notice, He did not say "if you are", but He said, "when you are"; when the Lord calls us and we respond, we are His forever... "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:37-40)

"Darkness Responds"

"The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him." (Psalms 37:32) You really do not have to try that hard to see this verse associated with Jesus and how the Jews always followed Him looking for a way to catch Him at something they could use against Him; several times they even tried to lay hands on Him, yet He always seemed to slip away through the crowds. There is just something about the Light that causes darkness to respond in one way or another; either there will be a response of surrender, or there will be a fight to close it off, as to not let the darkness be disturbed by it. Jesus explained this very plainly to Nicodemus, as He said, "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:20) And yet, there is also another very important character that we sometimes forget about, who is also watching our lives, waiting for a chance to have something to accuse us of, and waiting for a chance to slay us and destroy whatever ministry that God has placed us in; that character is non other than the devil, the prince of darkness. Paul makes this very clear in Ephesians 6:10-20, as he shows us the spiritual battle that we are in, and how those that come against us are not really the enemy, but the enemy is principalities, powers, rulers of spiritual darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places; all of which must be fought with spiritual weapons, such a prayer, the whole armor of God, and again, more prayer. Prayer is so vital for our lives, and for those whom we should be praying for; we can never pray enough, because as soon as the darkness is pushed back, it will seek a way to advance again. This whole notion of "pray and done" might work for little fleshly items, like employment, the right mate, or even a physical healing; but spiritual battles are always present and ongoing, and they require us to be continually on guard and in prayer. If we read this verse, Psalms 37:32, and relate what it says to the spiritual battle that we face, then we are sure to see how important it is to be ready... "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto Him, Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death. And He said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shall thrice deny that thou knowest Me." (Luke 22:31-34)

"Let Light Guide" -2

"The law of the his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." (Psalms 37:31) There is something else about this verse that I did not notice, because I did not have my Bible yesterday, but I have a * placed at the beginning and the end of the verse in my Bible, which means that this verse represents Jesus, or the character of Jesus Christ. We must remember that Jesus, although He was in the form of a man, He was still God, and He still had power over all that was done to Him and around Him; whether that be the physical, both man and earth, or the spiritual, or even the grave; He demonstrated the power of not only being the Light, but also of walking in that Light. As such, He never did step out in the wrong direction; even the lagging behind that He did when He was told of Lazarus being sick, He did so on purpose and for a purpose; nothing that He did was without purpose, even cursing a fig tree, or folding the napkin in the tomb; everything He did was either to fulfill the word of God, to proclaim the power of God, or to demonstrate that He was God. I have spent several hours over the last few days looking up things which had to do with that napkin, and whether or not it meant He would return, or whether it meant He was showing disgust by the way He was treated by His own; and I have come to the conclusion that it was neither, but instead, He folded that napkin and set it aside by itself to show that He was in charge, and that it all went according to plan; but that's just the way that I see it... "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:15)

"Let Light Guide"

"The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." (Psalms 37:31) If we are going to be perfectly honest, we all have had our steps slide a little now and then, so what could these steps be talking about? Having had God's hand upon my life long enough to understand that His ways always trump my ways, I think I can begin to understand a little of what is being said; that is if I consider those parts of my life where His instruction was first and foremost in my life; beyond that, I see periods of walking for days just trying to find the right steps, or trying to figure out where I went wrong. The simplest way to avoid any big mistakes, is to not get off the path in the first place; but we all learn by our mistakes, at least we hope to. On the other hand, we can be assured that no matter how far we might stray from God, His hand will always guide us back; it is pretty much guaranteed that God will find us, and He will do what ever it takes to get our attention. The word for "step" pretty much means only two things, step and going; beyond that, there is always a progression into another chapter of our lives, which is most commonly caused by something that happens in our life that takes us out of normal living; something which is usually allowed by or even caused by God, in order to disrupt our normal lives, and to bring us into a closer relationship with Him. However, this "slide" thing takes things into another perspective altogether, because it considers things like 'waver', or 'totter''; things which might be compared to light verses darkness, and the whole issue of grey areas being a part of what is light and what is darkness. If we have God's law written in our hearts, then we know the difference between what is light and darkness; and if we are truly trying to walk in His footsteps, then we will be guided by His light, plain and simple. Besides, God looks at the heart; first and foremost, God is concerned with our hearts; and if our hearts are wanting instruction from Him, then He tends to overlook the wrong steps we might take; His Light pretty much wipes those things away anyways... "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." (1 John 2:1-3)

"Let Light Shine"

"The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment." (Psalms 37:30) As Jesus was sharing about a lighted candle, so are God's words to be upon our lips, as a testimony of the miracle that He has performed in our lives. I am reminded of that, and I am convicted for being silent in so many ways; not because I do not speak about God's great love, but that I am not as bold and on fire as I was in the days when I first got saved. Maybe the little compromises that I have made along the way have taken hold in my heart, causing me to slumber and to hold darkness in my heart; if so, then I really need to set things right! But the way I understood what Jesus was saying, is that if our whole body is light, then we are going to shine brightly for all to see; otherwise, we need to take heed that the light within us is not darkness. There is surely something there is think about; it is really not just about what is your calling, because we have all been called to be a light, if so be that we have received the Light. If there is one thing that I have learned over these past 30 plus years, it's that shame is usually the problem when it comes denying Jesus, or not being bold enough to declare the power of the gospel. There is really more than one way to deny Christ in our lives; we don't just have to say, "I never knew Him", but we can also deny Him by the lack of power in our lives, and by the lack of living out the change that was to have taken place in us. If we have been made new, then why are things not all different? I know, I know, God is not done with me yet; isn't that the answer that is spoken to that question? Maybe the better answer to that question, might be, Because I have not surrender all of my life to Him; which, if that be the case, and if that is pressing upon your heart, then it is never too late... "This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him there 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 word is not in us." (1 John 1:5-10

"Tabernacled"

"The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever." (Psalms 37:29) If you know the story from before the Solomon's temple was built, the house of God was previously a tent, and it was pretty much a portable temple; much the same as we are, as we are the temple for the Holy Spirit to be tabernacled inside of, and to dwell within. God had given specific instructions for the construction of that portable tent and all of it's contents; right down to the utensils that were used for the sacrifices, and the hooks that held the fabric of the walls; also, much the same as He gives us for the construction of our portable temple, with specific detail given for every aspect of our lives. Righteous has a variety of meanings, some which depict a standard, and some that depict judgment; the "righteous" which "inherit the land" are those that judge based upon a certain standard, that standard being the instruction of God. The "land" could be speaking of a body of land, or it could be speaking of a place to be inhabited, such as the Tabernacle that awaits us in heaven, and is surely a place that we dwell in for ever. In the meantime, we are a portable temple for God to be tabernacled in, and this temple is to be constructed according to His instructions, just as the tent that was made in the wilderness. As I look back upon my own life, I can plainly see what God instructed me to do, and the way I did things were not always done to His specific instruction; whether that be the cleaning out of my house, or the way that I raised up my family; somewhere along the line, during the following of His instructions, I found a way to keep a little something, or add a little something of my own. I believe that God has given us all instruction on what our lives are to look like as a portable temple for Him to dwell within; some more detailed than other, but each of us have been instructed in what this tent should look like; in the way that we worship Him, the way that we pray to Him, even in the way that we present our bodies to Him; I know what He wants me to look like, and I know where I have made changes, and I am sure that is the same for others. The greatest news of all, is that God is all about second chances; more than that, our God is about multiple chances, and is about forgiveness, and restoration, and preservation of those that He has called out of the darkness, and that He has placed them into His marvelous Light. That my friend is the Land we have inherited; starting now, and on into eternity... "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light." (Luke 11:33-36)  

"All or Nothing" -4

"For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off." (Psalms 37:28) Finally, there is this issue of "the seed of the wicked"; which very well could apply to wicked men and their offspring; but if you look at history, history tells a different story. On the other hand, the wicked are simply the guilty, meaning that they are guilty of sin; which basically means that they have denied or rejected the saving power of God; which also is the case of one who's heart has not been changed. An unchanged heart is a heart that has not allowed the Lord to change it, and one that has made a determined choice not to follow Jesus. Following Jesus requires just that, which is to depend upon Him for the direction of our lives; forsaking our own direction, and making our life subject to His direction; which completely requires a changed heart. It really goes back to that very first public miracle that Jesus did, which by the way was not at His request, but at the request of His mother; it was changing water into wine. It is the same for the changing of our heart, we must request the He change it, and when we do, He will most definitely change it, just as He changed that water into wine. The "seed" could very well be the labor, or if you will, the fruit of the "wicked", the wicked being those that are guilty of sin. This might closely resemble the "Good People and Bad People", or "The Sheep and The Goats", which ever you prefer, which is found in Matthew 25:31-46; the point of which was that those who were separated on His left were those that He did not know, while those that were on His right He knew; consequently, those that He knew were preserved for ever, while those that He did not know were "cut off"... "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23)

"All or Nothing" -3

"For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off." (Psalms 37:28) Servant is a term that presents several different levels of relations; there are those that deal with humility, and the obedience required for servitude; and there are those which involve security, and the preservation from the Master. The point that the Lord has pressed upon my heart, has more to do with the security part of the relationship; and it includes obedience as the response to that security, not for the security. The work that God has done in us trumps anything that we could ever do for Him; He has taken a broken and rotten thing, and He has made it new and fresh; which is far greater than anything that we might do in return. That said; we have the obligation of being this new creation in Him, where we must be obey Him out of the desire to obey Him, regardless of our failures, because He has put that desire in us when He changed our heart. Basically, what that means, in case you might have missed the point, is, if you do not have the desire within you to please Him, then you need Him to change your heart! The Master is on your side, and regardless of your failures, He looks at the desire of your heart and your desire to please Him; at the same time, He preserves us as His servant based upon that desire to be His servant, because there is nowhere else we want to be, and nowhere else where we are secure. Paul, when writing that famous verse in Romans 7:15, which says, "For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I", he bases the conversation upon a heart that desires to do what is right, and to not do what is wrong; in other words, there is a presence within us that makes us want to please God, and that presence is the Holy Spirit which has been birthed inside our hearts. The desire that we have been given is that which drives us to be obedient, regardless of our failures in doing so, it continues to strive forward to obey; that is what a changed heart looks like. Add to that the forgiveness of sin, and you have the following famous verse which covers all... "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1)

"All or Nothing" -2

"For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off." (Psalms 37:28) When it comes to giving our all, our primary all that is given is our heart; we must give Jesus all of our heart, then the rest will surely follow. It is really not a matter of losing our salvation, because I believe that once we are saved, it is forever; but it's more a matter of were we ever really taken up into the boat, or did we let go of the rope when we realized what we were leaving behind. In Luke 9:62, Jesus is speaking to a man that said he would follow Him, but he wanted first to go bid those at his house farewell, He said to the man, "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God". God's kingdom must be first, and it must take priority over everything else, period. What that actually looks like in our lives, does not mean we don't care about anything else, but when it comes to serving God or serving the world, God must come first; if He does not have our first priority, then we really need to evaluate the course that we are living on, because "wide is the path to destruction". The word "saints" used in the context of "His saints" means faithful ones, which means those that are faithful to Him; to really abide in Christ requires that we be grafted in, which requires a surrendered life; so the real question we must ask ourselves, is what does surrender require? Does it require death? Yes, it most surely requires that the old man be put to death, otherwise the new man cannot rise. We can not have the two of them coexist, because the new man cannot exist if the old man is still living; the new man is dependent upon the death of the old, because the new man is in the risen Christ, while the old man must be considered dead in the crucified Christ. Therefore, it really comes down to that old life being surrendered, because it is dead in Christ anyways, so why should it count any longer? It only counts when we are holding onto it, instead of that rope that is drawing us into the boat... "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth fruit. He that loveth this life shall lose it: and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour." (John 12:24-26)  

"All or Nothing"

"The LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off." (Psalms 37:28) I know it might sound a little harsh, and maybe even pressing into the area of no return; but God commands our respect! As I was praying myself to sleep last night, those three words kept flashing upon my heart; I would like to say that they were upon my mind, but images of past sinful thoughts were flashing into my mind; maybe hundreds of them all laced together, as if a movie were playing on several different screens, overlapping each other, and blended together; it was all that I could do to just get them out of my head. It was then that God gave me an illustration of what those things mean to Him, and how by doing them, I am nothing more than an unfaithful spouse is to their mate; taking the love that I have been given for granted, and not loving back in a way of gratitude and respect. All or nothing may not sound like it is possible, let alone something that God might require of us, but I believe as far as "judgment" goes, it is not only required, but is part of what it means to be "His saints". I see these signs all over, especially posted out in front of public schools, that say, "Let's Do This!", which is a slogan for getting signed up for the new heath care law; but it could also be a slogan for the church, where we all decide to stop playing church, and start giving God 100% of our lives. Really, we may not even realize the power that sin has in our lives, that is until that sin is magnified and is all of the sudden brought to the surface of our hearts; then we not only feel the power, but we can't wait to get free from it, because it makes us feel ugly and ashamed; much the same as an unfaithful spouse might feel, when their secret life is found out and all is exposed. That little fling, is not so little in the sight of a Holy God; and the reflection on His love, well, let's just say it does not reflect back very well at all. The word "judgment" is a word that describes making the right choices; choosing to do good instead of doing what is bad, which is paramount to what is required of being a saint; not as though we can, but because we must. As hard as that is to understand, it is really not that difficult to give to the Lord, and then let Him direct your mind and your heart; after all, that is what He is waiting for, because it really is "All or Nothing" when it comes to surrendering our life; we can't abide in Him and in the world also... "If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:21-24)  

"Giving Your All" -2

"Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell evermore." (Psalms 37:27) When it comes to giving our all, there is only one way that we can do that, and that is to abide in Christ!

"Giving Your All"

"Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore." (Psalms 37:27) You ever have a dream that was just plain stupid? Well how about a Santa for every age? Yes, you heard me right; I saw a sign, much like a gas station sign, which said "A Santa for Every Age"; and then looking into the lot, there was a store with about twenty or so Santa Clauses looking out into the parking lot, waiting for customers to enter in; and they were of all different ages, some old, some young, some looked as though they were in their teens. The weirdest thing that I remember, was that no one was buying, so they went out and met people on the street; and whom ever they would meet, that particular Santa had something special for that particular person, and it ministered to them for a time that had previously changed their life; whether that was when they had received something that they forgot all about, or the death of someone special whom they had also forgot about. You can't make this stuff up; it just shows up, and then you either deal with it, or you write it off as just plain stupid. Anywho; continuing on with "The Good and the Bad", as with every journey that we take, there are always good and bad choices that are to be made; and you really don't have to venture out very far in order to have to make a choice; you could have a choice to make before you even get out of bed. As I was praying this morning, I felt the Lord speaking into my heart; it was a still small voice, that simply said, "Give Me your all". And as I pondered what was mine and what was His, He said it again, "Give Me your all"; until I remembered the words that Jesus spoke when He was asked, "What is the greatest command of God?", and how each and every part involved the word "ALL", as in, "All thy heart, all the mind, all thy soul, and all thy strength". There is a point at which doing good is not just the right thing, but it is the "ALL" thing; which means, that it is the part of giving our all to the One who gave His all for us; not because it is a command, but because His love commands it: the greatest love of all, commands all of our love. The word "depart" is a word that primarily means to turn away, or turn aside; much as you would turn from something that is going to hurt you, such a an oncoming car, or a fierce dog running towards you; because that is what "evil" is, it's a bad bad thing, and it must be avoided; otherwise it is going to steal something from you, something that has to do with "ALL"... "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Luke 16:10-13)  

"The Wise Stewart" -2

"He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." (Psalms 37:26) When it comes to taking up our cross and following Jesus, there are fewer words that can describe what it was that gave Him the joy in the cross that was to take His life; mercy, lend, and blessed, are three that rank right up towards the top: for He demonstrated God's mercy, by lending His life, so we could be blessed. I actually heard a message the other day that went along with those same three words; the part that struck me the most was the lending part, because Jesus did not give up His position in heaven, He only purchased the earth with His life, then He went right back to being seated at the right hand of the Father. Actually in the message, the pastor made a little dramatic demonstration of what Jesus did not do, like asking the Father to hold His seat while He was gone for those thirty-three years; saying things like, "Father, please hold My position here in heaven, because I know Gabriel is bucking to take My seat while I am away"; as if that would ever happen. The portion of the Scriptures that was being shared, was taken from Philippians 2:1-11, which just so happens to be titled in my Bible, "Be Like Christ"; and the verse that lends to that lending part, was verse 6, which says, "Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God"; in other words, He never gave up His being God, even though He took on the form of a man; He humbled Himself to be a Servant, lending His body to die for our sins. Mercy is also something that speaks of God's great love for His children, for He is long-suffering, and He does not give us that which we deserve; much more than that, He gave us His Son, that we might also be blessed by His resurrection into glory, being able to share in the same resurrection into glory; for as He was glorified, so shall we be glorified. In that same venue, we are to 'let that same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus'; focusing on the glory which is to come... ""Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)    

"The Wise Stewart"

"He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." (Psalms 37:26) You have heard the term, big things come in small packages; well, what we have here today in this hand full of words is the parable of what forgiveness should mean to a believer, made condensed and expanded upon, all in one. If you are not familiar with the parable that I am referring to, it is found in Luke 16:1-13, and it is usually looked over or grossly misunderstood. The title above that portion of Scripture in my Bible says, "How to Get a Welcoming Committee in Heaven", alone with some footnotes to help understand what is being said. The just of the matter has to do with the reaction that must take place in a believers heart from the moment they are saved, and until they are taken from this earth; and that is, 'the declaration of the forgiveness of sins'. This declaration of the forgiveness of sins is the most important thing that we as believers in Jesus Christ have got to share, from the moment we are saved, until the Lord takes us from this earth; it is the what has changed our hearts, and it is what will change the hearts of others also. The really great thing that we fail to realize, is that there will be a welcoming committee in heaven, based upon those that made it to heaven based upon our testimony and message of forgiveness; small crowds or large crowds, we will not know until we get there, but they will be there to thank us for our sharing of the Good News. Never mind the crowds, what about Jesus? Jesus will also be welcoming us with open arms, as He declares, "Well done, My good and faithful servant". Unfortunately, as with the majority of those that claim the cross of Christ, they do not feel as though they have anything to offer when it comes to sharing their faith; listening to the devil, they also use his accusations as detractors from engaging in 'the declaration of the forgiveness of sins', and in the act of making a case for the need of forgiveness; which is based solely on the deception of the enemy. Our forgiveness is based upon what Jesus Christ has done on the cross and what we do with what He has done; do we believe that He has forgiven us or not? because if we believe that we have been forgiven, then forgiveness is what we will be about... "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)  

"Learning a Lesson" -2

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." (Psalms 37:25) Looking at some spiritual application to this verse, we can apply the passage of Scripture that I closed with yesterday, which had to do with sowing and reaping, and our duty as a believer to spread the gospel message upon the earth. To put it quite simply, the first portion of the verse applies to years of serving God, decades if you will, in which those years of serving were in casting out seeds and sowing faithfully God's word among family, friends, and even strangers. As Jesus was indicating to His disciples in John 4:35-38, not everyone reaps, but he who does reap, reaps where others have sown; therefore, we are not to get discouraged for having not reaped, but should be encouraged by the harvest that will come by that which we sow. In the case of that application, "the righteous forsaken" would apply to the fruit that is harvested being applied to the righteous, even though he may not have actually been the one who did the harvest; but because he planted the seeds, he gets to share in the rewards. As for "his seed begging bread", God is the one who is responsible for making the harvest, for He is the Husbandman (John 15:1), and it is His Word that is being sown; therefore, because that which is sown is the Word of God, it does not require to be fed because it is food of It's own, producing more and more fruit of It's kind. We simply do not know how far or how wide the seeds that we sow will spread; nor do we need to worry if we do not actually see the harvest from sowing them; but chances are, by the time you are old, you will get a glimpse at some fruit that has been produced... "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: It shall accomplish that which I please, and It shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent It." (Isaiah 55:10 & 11)

"Learning a Lesson"

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." (Psalms 37:25) Not that it might not happen, but personally, I don't know if I have seen it either; although, I do have a close resemblance of the seed begging bread, because my own son squanders all of his money as soon as he gets it, and then begs for money the rest of the month. I am sure that if he were in his right mind, then he would make his money last from month to month; but then again, drugs alter the mind, making us do things that we should not, and think things that will not make sense tomorrow; at least that is how I remember it from 33 years ago. But God, He takes care of His children, and I don't hardly recall any one from church that was starving, unless they were not following the Lord and had become a drunkard or a drug addict; in which case, God lets them go about as low as they can go, which might end up being homeless and hungry. However, you probably will not see anyone forsaken that is faithfully serving the Lord; you might see them have a little worry now and then about finances, but everything always seems to work out, and they always continue to be cared for, regardless of how things might appear for a season. I have learned a lesson or two about God's provision and my giving; which sometimes requires feeling the pinch to remind me that I cannot out give God; but the main lesson that I have learned, is that when I feel as though I am being pinched in the pocketbook, then I need to examine my life and see where I am pinching out God from my life. It might be in my giving of tithes and offerings; although, I am usually careful to not hold back anything in that area; but our time is sometimes more important than our money, because we all have been given the same amount of hours; every day that we live upon this earth, is a 24 hour day, and how we divide up our day for time with God is also a tithe, because in God's economy, what is done for God is never lost... "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours." (John 4:34-38)  

"God's Protection"

"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand." (Psalms 37:24) Amazingly enough, even the bad choices that we make, God can make something good out of the bad; it really comes down to His purpose for our life, not our desire; because if we are truly seeking God's direction for our life, then He will not let us get too far off track. We all have our bad days, some more than others, but nobody is perfect, except one, and that is Jesus Christ; that said, we all need to strive for being perfect, because we are to follow after Him and walk as He walked; although it is impossible for us to do, it is still that which we set out to attain. That is the beauty of God's grace; because of our inability to become holy and to live out perfect righteousness, God's grace allows us to claim the cross of Christ for our inadequacies and imperfections. Basically that is what sin is, missing the mark; our mark is to achieve holiness, and we miss it every time we set out to achieve it; we don't even need to practice sin, it is just part of this thing we call the flesh; and as long as we are still in the earthen vessel, the flesh will continue to want what it wants. Some people view God's grace as a safety net, as if taking a chance to step out in sin will not hurt them, because if they fall, God's grace will catch them; not exactly the practice of holiness, but it is a way to test God's mercy. Because the way I see it, it is God's mercy that is the safety net when we take those kind of chances: His mercy does not allow us to receive that which we deserve, because when we step out to sin, we deserve death. On the other hand, as we practice to be holy, God's grace lifts us higher than we can get on our own; as a matter of fact, God's grace already has us seated in heavenly places, where we are secure in Christ Jesus for ever more; which is not due to anything that we can do or not do, but is due totally on what Jesus has done; for the grace of God is giving us that which we do not deserve, which is holiness and perfection in Christ... "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:4-10)

"The Right Direction"

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalms 37:23) Moving on, we come to a portion of this Psalms which shows direction and purpose for those that follow the Lord; not just by following His life, and walking as He walked, but following His direction upon their lives. This kind of movement to the life of a believer requires discipline and submission to the voice of the Lord; not something that we naturally have the patience to adhere to, for our natural tendency is to accept second best, instead of holding out for what the Lord has planned for us. Here in the second part of this verse, I believe we have a test for moving in the right direction, one which verifies that we are doing exactly what the Lord would have us to do; which is, that we delight in the way that we are going. You could honestly look at this portion of Scripture two ways, but it really does not matter, because both ways are pretty much saying the same thing. One way is to look at it the way that I just portrayed it, with "his" meaning the way belongs to the person who is being guided by the Lord; yet if the way that your life is directed is ordered by the Lord, then the second way of looking at "His" comes into play, because it is His way you are living and not yours. Either way, the way is delightful, not just because you know that you are headed in the right direction, but because there is peace in what you are doing, and joy comes in serving the Lord and not our own ambitions. As I look back on my life, those happiest times of my life were when I was following where the Lord was leading, instead of planning my own direction, and then asking the Lord to bless it. He will bless us in our own directions, at least to a certain extent; but we will not feel fulfillment or the peace that we could have felt by doing His will and not our own. For the life of a believer in Jesus Christ, there are always two directions that are laid before us; there is the good direction and the bad direction; one that we will be delighted in, and one that we will struggle to sustain. And then, there is another way we can look at this same portion of Scripture, whereas we see "He" is meaning that the Lord delights in the way that we are going, because we are being led by Him; in which case, we have peace like none other, because we know that we are pleasing to God...
"Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment." (Ecclesiastes 8:1-5)

"The Promise"

"For such as be blessed of Him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut off." (Psalms 37:22) Some people just don't understand how God really wants to bless them, instead they think that He is all about cursing or judging them for their sins; when really, it's their sins which curse them and cause judgment, while He has blessed them with a promise of an inheritance, if they would only accept His offer. As easy as it is for His children to understand that, there are still some, even the blessed, that don't quite get the whole inheritance thing; an inheritance is not worked for, it becomes ours by birthright; in other words, we are born into our inheritance. On that day that we were born again by receiving Jesus Christ into our heart, we were born into that inheritance, and nothing can take that away from us; nor do we need to work for it, because it automatically comes with our new birthright. That said, along with this new birth comes new life; a life that is empowered by the Spirit of God, and that is driven by the love of God; therefore, it is not about works, nor is it about trying to keep something which we have already been given; it is about a celebration of the new life which we have been given, where we have not only been given life, but we have been given life abundantly; life which is not of man, nor of the will of man, but is of God. On the other side of that promise, we have the cursed, which are those that could have been, yet have been cut off. Now I don't know what you might believe when it comes to predestination, but the way I see it, only God knows those that He has blessed and those that He has cursed; we on the other hand are to assume that everyone is able to be saved, if they would believe upon Jesus Christ, which is the promise from God; those that are cursed of Him, are cursed already from birth, of which we were all at one time; yet we became the ones which are of the "Whosoever believes", which are those that heard the call and accepted the blessing. Does that mean that God chooses some over others? That might be something related to what He knows, but I do believe that He calls everyone, some more than others; and those that are His hear the call... "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life." (1 John 2:23-25)

"Unforgiven" -2

"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not back: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth." (Psalms 37:21) To put this into a better light, we could first examine the word "borroweth", which is the Hebrew word 'lavah', and it generally means to join, or be joined, to borrow, or to lend; something along the line of a contractual agreement is entered into, which thereby joins to or more parties together by an exchange. In our case, as we enter into the New Covenant agreement with Jesus Christ, the exchange involves the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life being given to us, while we surrender our lives over to Jesus and allow Him to be Lord over our lives. Remember what we are taking about here is "The Good and the Bad"; therefore we have a chance to see two contrasting attitudes that are presented, one that is good, and one that is bad. It really can involve far more than just forgiveness, but that is where I believe that it starts; because it all comes down to what Jesus died for, and what we accept and believe. Do we believe that He died on the cross for our sins, that we should have newness of life in Him, and that we will ever be with Him in heaven? or do we take for forgiveness part and the everlasting life part, yet leave out the newness of life? It's that newness of life part of the agreement that requires "New Creatures in Christ" to live as new creatures; to live as though they have now been affected by something that has changed their lives, because if Jesus has made us new, then we had better be new; otherwise, we have not really been forgiven of anything, because we are still living as though we are still in bondage to sin. Jesus said in John 8:36, "If the Son therefore shall set you free, ye shall be free indeed"; making a statement regarding being set free from the bondage of sin, which is to be the servant of sin; and Jesus has fulfilled His part of the contract, while our part is to make Him Lord, and then we become the servant of righteousness. If this is not the case in our lives, then we need to enter into the full agreement, which will then make it our desire to pay Him back for what He has done. It may not cost anything for us to receive our salvation and our newness of life, for that is a free gift from God, but that gift He has given is something that must change our life, otherwise we really have not accepted it fully. The reason that the "righteous showeth mercy, and giveth" is because they realize how much they have been given; it is now part of what they are in Christ, and is part of living out the love that they have been loved by God; a love that was demonstrated by Jesus coming down from heaven to die on that cross in order to give us eternal life in Him. If this love is not present in our lives, it is because this love has not been fully known to us, because we have not accepted the full agreement... "And hereby we do know that know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abide in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." (1 John 2:3-6)

"Unforgiven"

"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth." (Psalms 37:21) If you want to think of this as a verse that deals with money or goods, that's fine, because it works in the general direction of what worth is or is not; however, if you take this into a spiritual application, I believe it has more to do with forgiveness than it does about money; although, money can have the same affect on us as forgiveness in a lot of situations. A few days back I shared on verse seventeen, and the title of my blog was "Uncontrollable", which was based upon the arms of the wicked having no power to do anything, and yet the righteous are in the arms of the Lord; this basic general concept is true with forgiveness and our ability to forgive as we have been forgiven. Stick with me, because I do believe that this will make sense once I get it put into a few words. The first portion of this verse describes a heart that has received forgiveness for a dealt that they had no intention of paying in the first place; which pretty much describes those that have rejected God's offer of forgiveness, or have taken His offer with an ungrateful heart; in other words, they really don't appreciate what has been offered or given to them. This is closely related to what Jesus described in the parable of the wicked servant who was forgiven much, but then turned around and had a fellow servant arrested for little, which is found in Matthew 18:22-35, as Jesus shares about how important that it is to forgive as we have been forgiven. The way that I see it, that wicked servant either did not intend to pay what he owed in the first place, or he intended to be back in the same condition again; either way, the debt that he was forgiven really did not mean all that much in his heart. On the other hand, the righteous are those that truly understand and appreciate the dealt that they have been forgiven, and they count it as their very life; therefore, because they abide in that forgiveness, as such, they more freely can forgive others because they have a heart towards forgiveness... "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Luke 11:24-26)  

"Unobtainable"

"But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away." (Psalms 37:20) You really don't want to be on the wrong side of God's goodness; it's just not going to work out so good for you in the end. Here is the thing about God's goodness that the wicked fail to realize: His goodness is meant for them also, but it is unobtainable without asking for it. I know that might sound like it is just way to simple, but that is really what it comes down to when we are talking about those that perish and those that have eternal life; the wicked perish because they are guilty of sin; the righteous have eternal life because they have asked for forgiveness; what a strange concept? ask and receive, or don't ask and perish. When it comes to being a living sacrifice unto God, it is not our righteousness that makes us worthy of His acceptance, it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that the Father accepts; we do however survive the fire as meat worthy of eating, which is an example of what our works are when we are in Christ; while the works of the wicked are like the fat, which is burned up into nothing because they are not done in Christ, and not performed in righteousness. What a difference a little bit of God's goodness makes, don't you think? As a matter of fact, a little bit of God's goodness is far greater than all the greatness of man; but the wicked can not see it that way, because they fail to realize the need that they have for just a little goodness that God has set aside just for them. What that little bit of goodness actually is, is that Jesus can change them from being the fat that is consumed, into the meat that is accepted; that is what Jesus has done for us, and that is what Jesus can do for them; but it requires faith in Him to be obtained... "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. 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." (John 3:14-18)

"Unashamed" -2

"They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied." (Psalms 37:19) This whole thing about "wanting nothing" that James is speaking of, I have got to think that it has a lot to do with be satisfied with God, and that really nothing else matters; that part about "that ye may be perfect and entire" sounds like something that we can only have after we have totally surrendered all that we are over to the Lord. Another thing that "ashamed" means is to fail in hope or expectation; which takes those wonderful four words, "count it all joy", and makes them more of a command then some kind of a suggestion, because we must expect that God is going to do something good from any sort of "evil time" that we are going through, therefore we are to "count it all joy" knowing that this thing I am going through is going to bring me closer to my God. Besides that, we are taken to a place where nothing else really matters but that closer relationship with God; therefore, any kind of "famine" that we are going through is satisfied with His love and with His holiness that we are feeling in our lives. This word "famine" basically means hunger, or lack of food; interesting enough, it is only used three times in the Old Testament writings, and those other two times are both in Genesis 42, as Joseph tells his brothers to take corn to their household for the famine. We really do not know how much Jesus can satisfy our every need, until we have experienced really needing Him; which is why we are to count it all joy when we are experiencing something that is going to make us need Him more...
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward." (Isaiah 58:6-8)    

"Unashamed"

"They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied." (Psalms 37:19) It is hard to imagine what you might do in a time of serious crisis; at least to picture it as will probably play out, not the way that you hope that it will. I can recall the time when my wife was in the hospital, I don't believe there was ever a time when I was closer with the Lord, as I prayed day and night, and read His word constantly, to myself, and to my wife; it was a time of my life being shaken, but my faith was being strengthened. Evil times are not just evil, they can be down right hurtful and unkind; so much so, that the Lord is all that you have to hold onto, and all that you really care to hold onto, because the reality of this fragile life has hit you square in the face. The part about not being ashamed might be hard to understand, but it makes more sense when you are actually going through something that is bad enough to make you care for nothing more of this world. Think of it as not being confounded or confused; not because you do not have cause to be confounded or confused, but you are way past that point, because nothing else matters but the words that are written in God's Word. There in His word you find sanity and peace; while in the world, you see nothing but chaos and disorder; so you focus on His word, while letting the world take care of itself. To look at it another way, you could say that you have confidence in God, because God is the only thing that makes any sense; everything else is worthless or broken, but only God offers hope for tomorrow to be a better day. It's the kind of ashamed that makes you not be confident in the Lord, but you are rather confused by what is happening, therefore you really don't know what to say or think about your relationship with Him; and when you move past caring for this present life, that kind of ashamed does not present itself, because you are past being confused or confounded; now all that you want is God; as much as you can get of Him...
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:2-4)

"Unfathomable"

"The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever." (Psalms 37:18) You just cannot begin to understand how powerful our God is, for all-knowing is just a small portion of His might. But as I was thinking on this verse, I realized something that I have counted almost since the time that I was born, and that is days; all my life, either myself or someone else has counted the days that I have been upon this earth. When I was young, my mother counted them, reminding me and everyone else how old I was, or what I was able to do at whatever certain age. When I began going to school, I counted every day towards every weekend or holiday; as I have grown to be a man, I pretty much do the same, with special interest on events that are planned with friends and relatives. Now I see that there is someone else who is counting my days also, and that is God; not that He keeps the same time as we do, but that He sees the day that we will be taken from this earth and brought into His presence, where we will be with Him for ever and ever. How incredible is that? that the God of all creation not only knows my name, but He knows the very day in which I will be standing before Him in heaven; one more reason not to worry about anything that might take my life, because if God knows the day, then that's the day, and there is really nothing else that can be said or done about it. Really, that is one more thing that we simply do not have any control over at all; there is nothing that we can do to add or take away from a single day that we have upon this earth, because it is not up to us or anything that we do, it is up to God; He alone knows the day and the hour of our departure, and He alone takes us when that time does come. I do keep wondering when He will take my wife, as I count the days since she has been in the condition she is in; but in the meantime, I keep her as comfortable as I can, and just keep praying for God to heal her, as I smother her with love and affection; what else can I do? He knows her days also, and until that day will come, I must do what I promised her on the day that we married...
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it: that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:25-32)

"Uncontrollable"

"For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous." (Psalms 37:17) Kept in the loving arms of the Lord; that is what jumped out at me, as I read this verse. Oh, how good it is to be loved by a God that can actually do something to keep us! The wicked, who are those that are guilty of sin, they have no real strength, not even enough to hold their own weight in the spiritual world; having rejected God's gift of forgiveness from sin, they have no power to control anything, having counted upon their own strength. We on the other hand are in the mighty hands of God, where our strength is not in us, but it is in the arms of the Lord; by whom also we are held up in those same arms. Now talk about uncontrollable safety! We are safe and secure in the loving arms of a God that has saved us, and now will keep us for ever and ever in His loving arms. What a sharp contrast to show the difference between the saved and the unsaved souls; those that are saved, have been not only been made righteous, but are safe and secure in the arms of a righteous God; while those that are unsaved, have only their own power in righteousness to be judged by, of which they are already condemned, because there is none that are righteous. It kind of makes you want to tell somebody to get right with God, doesn't it? But we really get sick of being told that we are judging them, or that Jesus cannot be the only way into heaven, or whatever else they might throw at us. However, there is something we are forgetting when it comes to God's Saving Grace, that it is Him who saves! Do you have someone in your life you want to see get saved? then pray for them like you really mean it; don't stop praying for them; and you might even need to pray and fast for them; but don't give up on them because they will not listen, because it is God that must speak into their hearts, not us! That is when they can see how little that they are in control of their own lives, and how much they need the control of Jesus Christ; that is the Saving Grace of God, which is totally out of our control... "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he hath said will come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:22-24)

"Uncomparable"

"A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked." (Psalms 37:16) If you ever wonder how much you will leave behind when you die, you can rest assure that it will be everything that you own; you are not going to take anything with you; naked you came into the world, and naked will you leave; that is unless you are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ! There is really nothing that can compare to having Jesus Christ in our life, because with out Him we are lost and condemned, without hope and weary, poor and needy; with Christ we have riches that far exceed anything that this earth has to offer, and a hope that nothing this world has can compare to. Simply put; we have something greater than all the treasures of this earth, because all that is here will soon pass away, but what we have in Jesus Christ will remain for ever and ever. James has a few words to say about those that count upon their riches for security, and that make wealth their god, as he calls them out for having trusted in wealth, a wealth that corrupted. In James 5:1-3, he writes, "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days." Pretty powerful stuff, yet something that those who enjoy their riches never think about; that is until their last days, and then all their riches do nothing to bring them peace about dying, and there is no way to use them beyond the grave. Yet, for those of us that are in Christ, the closer we get towards death, the more glorious our treasures become, and the more wealthy we see ourselves being, because our wealth is waiting on the other side of death; there is nothing that compares with that... "For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." (2 Corinthians 5:1-4)

"Hostility Turns"

"Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken." (Psalms 37:15) You have no doubt heard of the phrase, "What goes around comes around", well it has some value. Actually, going against God is something that will never work out well for anyone; how can anyone expect to win a war against the Creator of the universe? But here is the thing that amazes me so much, God really does not even need to put up a fight! God wins the battle with LOVE; as crazy as that might sound, and as hysterical as that might be to consider; God's ways are not our ways, that is for sure; which might just be why He laughs at those that think they are getting over on Him by refusing to receive His great love; yet instead, with all their might, they spew vile hatred towards Him and all those that associate themselves with Him. It is not God's will that anyone should perish and spend an eternity in Hell, He has done all that He can to offer everyone that will accept His love a way out, but it is up to them to accept it or to reject it, plain and simple; those that reject it are going to be hardened in their hearts towards what is right, almost to the point of pure resistance, and to the point of hate towards all that is of God, or that illuminates their choice. God has a Sword also, and His Sword is His Word, the One and Only Jesus Christ! Think about what that means, and how it is that God speaks, and that is that! What did God speak into the world when He sent His Son? He spoke His love into the world; His love that was for the whole entire world; yet, although it came with great healing, it also came with great judgment; not that Jesus came to judge anyone, but that anyone that rejected Him, is judged already... "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:5-7)

"Hostile To God"

"The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation." (Psalms 37:14) As we draw closer and closer to that day when Jesus returns, I truly believe that wickedness will grow more and more rampant, and that good will be considered evil, while evil will be considered good. We pretty much can see that happening in many different areas of moral conduct; but just you wait and see, things are going to get really stupid wicked. The primary reason that this will come to pass is hostility to God, and anything that speaks God, including His laws and His commands. We that are "of upright conversation" can expect some opposition to what we believe; not just snickers or verbal challenges, but it might be physical or financial harm that we will suffer, just because we believe that certain things are evil and sin. What ever David was seeing when he wrote this portion of this Psalm, he must have seen the anger in the wicked to be judged for their wickedness; seeing how they can "cast down the poor and the needy", which is to try and destroy those that depend upon God, for no reason at all, except that they can not stand those that are "of upright conversation"; which basically means, that the words coming out of their mouths are words they do not want to hear, such as words pertaining to God. If you monitor the conversation regarding things like abortion or same sex marriage, you will see that the bottom line to what makes those that accept such things as right, is that they do not accept God or His word; and even those that might say that they believe in God, and yet they accept such things as right, they really do not take God at His word; which means that they do not believe the Bible to be the all true and inspired word of God. You would be amazed how many people that say they are Christian, yet they do not believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, or they do not believe Jesus was God; let alone, that they do not believe that everything in the Bible is true; but isn't that how the devil works in our hearts and minds, by getting us to except half-truths, and to doubt the authentic Word of God? Peter gives warning to those that might doubt that Jesus is coming back, and he also gives warning to those that not be on guard; guarding our hearts and minds from complacency and giving into the things of this world... "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remebrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:1-4)  

"Enumerated" -2

"The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming." (Psalms 37:13) And then we have the day that is coming for the wicked; not so nice, and not so pleasant. Just in case you were wondering what the title of these last two days might mean, enumerated means, to mention separately as if in counting, or to name one by one, specify, as in a list. In other words, judgment day is coming, and the wicked will be judged, each and every one, for each and every thing; their life will be an open book, and they will see each and every thing that they had done; but this time, they will be viewing it in the presence of God, and they will not feel very proud of those things, as they are surrounded by Holiness and Light. (Revelations 20:11-15) Actually, verse fifteen of Revelations twenty says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"; and just in case you did not know, the lake of fire is Hell; big difference between Hell and soul sleep, or whatever else you might think happens after you die. Anyway, it's not like you will notice that you have slept at all, because as soon as you die, your going to be judged; funny how that works, don't you think? It's the same with those that are in Christ, we die here, and instantly we are in the presence of Christ Jesus; it might not be that instant, as far as earthly time is concerned, but it will be instant in the Lord's time. So, in that case, maybe there might be some kind of a soul sleep, which you really will not detect; a brief period of time by which your soul awaits the time to be resurrected into either glory or judgment; but it's not like that really matters, don't you think? I do not believe that there is a waiting area, as there was before Jesus ascended up into heaven; once Jesus was glorified, that place no longer needed to exist, because once Jesus was glorified, all those that were His are glorified the instant that they die on this earth. (2 Corinthians 5:8) Besides, God does not count days like we do; when God sees the day of the wicked is coming, He sees the way that they are, and He sees the judgment that is to come upon them, instantaneously; which is why He laughs at him. We, on the other hand, that are written in the Book of Life, we do not stand in the same judgment of the wicked; nor do we need to worry about being judged for our sins, because the blood of Jesus has covered them, making us as white as snow; and there is only one way to have your name written in the Book of Life, and that is to be in Christ Jesus... "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath entered life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him." (John 6:53-56)

"Enumerated"

"The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming." (Psalms 37:13) There are two ways that we can look upon the second part of this verse, one which looks at this speaking of God's day, while the other speaks of the day of the wicked's reckoning; either way, God laughs at the way the wicked think they are getting over, because that will soon be over. Although several hundred people have tried, no one can predict when the Lord is coming back, nor can they assume that they know the time table by which His return is set by; although I hear another new formula almost every new year. Jesus when asked as to when that might be, basically said, "That is up to My Father" (Matthew 24:36), which is to say, When that day is ready. I personally do not believe that it is based upon a timetable of events, but rather a number, as in the fullness of the saints which should be added, or the fullness of the lawlessness by which God can take no more; either way, I believe we are living in a time by which it could happen any day. One thing that I know for sure, is that the Rapture of the church will be the first thing to happen; although there might be some who will disagree with that, it stands to reason that in order for there to be "A thief in the night" effect upon those that remain, there must be a snatching away that takes place before the seven year tribulation takes place; after which, those that are left upon the earth will be set on edge, having experienced something of such great magnitude, they will scramble to unite as one, at which time the Antichrist will rise. Paul touches on this in his letters to the Thessalonica, yet, he says it best in 1 Thessalonians 5:1 & 2, as he says, "But of the times and the seasons, ye have no need that I write to you. For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." As far as there being a fullness of lawlessness, I really believe we have a very big issue with lawlessness running amok, and it is gaining speed; and is sucking our children into a giant hole of wickedness and rebellion against God. I wonder how much of that God might tolerate?
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)