"Restrained No More"

"Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth." (Psalms 88:8)
To put it in a way that totally makes sense, if our old man is dead, then we our absolutely free from the law; and if we have been set free from the law, then it's time to rejoice. Doesn't that sound like something we should celebrate? When I was praying about this message, I could not help but think of the time Jesus called out for Lazarus, saying, "Lazarus, come forth." (John 11:43) I have heard many preachers say, "It was good that He called him be name, otherwise, all of those in the graves would have come forth." But the thing is, that Jesus did call him by name, just as He has called you and me by name! Don't you think that is amazing? That the Creator of heaven and earth would call out your name, calling you to come forth, out from the dead. And guess what happened next: not only was he called out from the dead, but he was released from everything that had restrained him in death. Jesus said, "Loose him, and let him go," as he was bound from head to foot like a Mummy with graveclothes. We might not get the similarity at first, but that is the picture of us being bound by the law. Jesus said, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) Nobody actually can know what that's like, until it actually happens to them. It is impossible to know freedom from the law, until you have been set free from the law; absolutely impossible! Even when you try to explain it to your friends and relatives, they will not understand it, they will not get it; they will think that you have lost your mind. But we really can't have one without the other! You have either been set free or you have not, there really is nothing in between; there are no Mummies walking around, having been raised from the dead, yet still wearing the graveclothes; at least there shouldn't be! If there are, then they most likely will be asked, "Where is this God of yours?", as people wonder how God could have the power to give you life, but not power enough to set you free from death. What's holding you back? Better yet, what's not pushing you forward? God does not give you anything to do, that He does not have the power to make happen...
"He has walled me in, and I cannot escape. He has bound me in heavy chains. And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers. He has blocked my way with a high stone wall; he has made my road crooked. He has hidden like a bear or a lion, waiting to attack me. He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces, leaving me helpless and devastated. He has drawn his bow and made me the target for his arrows. He shot his arrows deep into my heart. My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs. He has filled me with bitterness and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink. He has made me chew gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, "My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!" The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." (Lamentations 3:7-23)

"Can't Go That Low"

"Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah." (Psalms 88:7)
There are certain things that might cause us to feel remorse, and then there are those things that we might simply shrug off, as if they are only who we are or part of growing up in the Lord. For me, my words matter more than anything else. Things that I say when I am angry, or things I say but don't say, if you know what I mean. There is really nothing that makes me feel like dirt more, than not saying something when it needs to be spoken, like saying, 'I love you' to someone that you care for and appreciate having around. How else do we express our love and affection? James has a way of putting it that makes more sense, "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursing." I am sorry, but there are some things that require a word or two to be spoken. There are some things that need to be reconciled or patched up between us. That was one of the few things that I agreed within my little time I spent in A.A., was the part about making an effort to clear up issues with others, especially those that you might have offended. The meaning of "wrath" in the verse about, although it speaks of anger or displeasure, it also speaks of poison, as in something you would drink: "let him drink the wrath of the Almighty." The thing about drinking poison, is that it is something that could have been avoided. I know that sounds way to easy, but in reality, there is nothing as simple as giving everything over to the Lord, even those things that you can do nothing about, especially those things! Let me help you to see how this verse is actually not all that bad; actually, it is quite beautiful. Looking at this from a perspective of our need to God's cleansing and righteousness, the poison is more the light illuminating our transgressions and our sins; it is only poison because there is dirt within us, much like bacteria reacts to hydrogen peroxide. The "afflicted" part of this is more about making us humble; more than just actually causing us to bow down on our own, it's more about being forced down by the sheer righteousness and glory of God. Just when you think that it's over, it's not! We can never reach that point of righteousness to equal the righteousness of Almighty God, ever! So explains the "waves" which wash in and out of the shores of our lives; waves of that poison which causes that dirt in our lives to fizzle up, showing us more cleansing needs to be done; causing us to be humbled by the sheer light of the Lord. So, whether you actually realize it or not, it's really refreshing to experience this type of cleansing. Think of the ocean waves rolling in and out; all of that foam...
"As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, "Where is this God of yours?" My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! Why am I so discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again -my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you -even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. "O God my rock," I cry, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?" There taunts break my bones. They scoff, "Where is this God of yours?" Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again -my Savior and my God!" (Psalms 42) NLT

"How Low You Can Go"

"Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps." (Psalms 88:6)
I heard a small part of a message yesterday, I think it was from Pastor Matt; he was on the subject of man's number being six, and how it was six because it could never reach seven: "No matter how many sixes you put together, they will never reach seven," that was pretty much his statement. Not that that has anything to do with this verse; but I did think it was rather interesting. To be perfectly honest, I really don't know what to think of this; not as a believer, it just does not make any sense to me why it's even here. I do remember that the thing I hated worse growing up, was when my mother made me go to bed without having dinner; especially when dinner was happening in the living room on the TV trays! For some reason, that seemed like the worst thing she could have done. I hated hearing my brothers and sister laughing, as they ate watching The Ed Sullivan Show; while I was alone in my room with the lights out. Oh yea, I forgot about that part; she made me leave the light off, which for some reason magnified the laughter. Man, she could be so cruel sometimes. Again, not that that has anything to do with this verse; but I do remember it as being one of my lowest moments. There really is only one good way to look at this, whether or not you think it good: there really is only how low you can go, and if you are not there yet, then there is still hope for you after all! Once you are dead, then you chances of redemption have run out. I know that sounds terrible and coldhearted, but there is a certain formula to how it works: Be born twice, and you only die once; be born only once, and you die twice! So if you are not dead yet, you still have a chance to be born twice! The second death is the one that you really want to try and avoid, it's the one that is going to hurt; nothing like the first one, it's more like slipping away; at least on this side of reality, it is. All of that said, there is nothing more low than when we fall out of fellowship with God. It's really frightening to feel all alone; especially after you experience the joy and peace that come from being in fellowship with the Lord. But such is the price of sin! Sin robs us of our joy, and it takes away our peace; making us feel guilty and ashamed. Death really never feels so real, as when we have sin that needs to be forgiven. What is wrong with you? You do not have to go into the pit! You do not have to remain in darkness! Come out of the 'deeps' and celebrate eternal life! Because once you confess your sins, that is where you sins will remain, the bottom of the ocean...
"This is the message we have heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but we go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:5-10) NLT

"Melancholia"

"I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand." (Psalms 88:4-5)
This is part and parcel of what it's like to recognize our sinful condition. Nothing cries out, I am unworthy, more, than to study the sinfulness that lies within our hearts and minds. So why do it? Why even dwell on the garbage that is inside you? Maybe that's why I am so inflicted, so I don't take the time to dwell upon stuff that does not matter; instead, I constantly study my wife, looking for some sort of sign of communication. We can try hard to find answers for feelings that cause us to doubt, but love is not conditioned upon feelings or emotions; love is not a movable object; love is not based upon our needs or our wants; love, it just is! When we examine what is good and what is bad, the good that is within us really does not count; our righteousness is filthy rags before God. The bad, bad is a matter of interpretation; because bad could simply mean, was it worthless? That might be why I am so impressed by Solomon's conclusion. The King James version of verse 13 is: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." How is that going for you so far? Have you been able to keep His commandments? I am pretty sure that the answer is no! But if you study the passage carefully, you will find that there are two words that make the conclusion open ended, which are the words "whole," because whole means to look at it in it's entirety. In actuality, we are not capable of looking at anything in it's entirety; we only get to see portions of God's workmanship, the small little portions that surround our individual lives; and even then, we still don't see all that is going on around us, only what we want to see, or think we see. The footnote in my Bible, says this regarding verse 13-14: "In the original Hebrew text, verse 13 begins with an enlarged Hebrew character, no doubt emphasizing the importance of the statement. The Preacher has taken us on a journey through all types of doubts and fears which man may encounter during his lifetime. His theme has been that all things which now seem important are utterly empty in the final analysis. In conclusion, here is the remedy for all the despondency that comes from observing human misery, the real answer which will remove all the perplexities- "fear God and keep His commandments." Man has no other responsibility than this. A person does not want to be found before God in judgment, weighed down with the excess baggage of so many things which he thought were so important in life, but which will be utterly empty, worthless, and futile, when he had but one responsibility." Oh, how we make things so complicated...
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4) NLT

"Marching On"

"O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave." (Psalms 88:1-3)
Not that I know anything about what I am doing, but I've come to far now to give it up. Do you understand what is being said? I wouldn't doubt for a moment if this was not written be Solomon. Who, by the way, I do believe we will see up in heaven; despite all of his messing up and his fooling around with women and drunkenness and worldly goods; he actually did finish well after all. That was his biggest regret, that at the end of his life he saw more of his life spent on himself than on the service to his God and for others. You actually never know, maybe he spent his life just the way that he should have, in order that God should get all the glory! I caught the end of To Every Man An Answer yesterday, and really wish that Pastor Leo had had more time to answer that last question, because I was troubled by his brief answer. The question from a caller was on the Song of Solomon, or as more appropriately known, THE SONG OF SONGS. I do not actually recall the complete question, except it had to do with whom Solomon was speaking of, whether it was Jesus or someone else. But the answer that Leo belted out in the 15 seconds he had left to give an answer, did not give any justice to the power of the Holy Spirit; at least not in my opinion. I really think that they need to reexamine the issue. Sure, you could say that Solomon was writing that song about one of his foreign wives, but then again, why is it placed almost at the heart of the Bible? Why is it even in the Bible at all? And since it is read aloud every year, what is the importance of doing so? I will try my best to explain why, as little as I know: because it is the Song that is sung between our Loving Savior and His Bride, the Church. He is so perfect in every way, but we are flawed in our own eyes, yet perfect in His, flaws and all! Do you know what I believe are the wisest verses in the entire Bible? Why should you care what I think? Who am I, anyway; I am just a man on a journey towards the grave, looking forward to getting on with it...
"Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait unto the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. "Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless." Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying them and classifying them. The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly. The words of the wise are like cattle prods -painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad." (Ecclesiastes 12:6-14) NLT

"A Prayer for Deliverance From Death"

PSALMS 88 [A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezarhite.]
Don't ask me why, but this actually does fit perfectly between the last Psalm and the next; I just don't have an answer for how and why quite yet. But, there is something very interesting about this Psalm, in that it ends without conclusion; besides being one of the most melancholy of all the psalms, that according to Matthew Henry. I am one of those kind of people that like searching for something to uncover. Take the names listed for instruments and melodies, all of which could just be people, but that does not mean that their names don't reflect certain meanings; kind of like Jacob, is a name that means 'the heel-catcher' because he had hold of his brother heel at birth. Humor me, if you will, and let me try to illustrate what I am trying to say. The first name that is listed, which seems part of the second, is a word that means 'dubious' and comes from the word for sickness. Don't you think that death is a sickness? Dubious is a word that has two very suspect meanings, one is that of doubt, and the other is that of not to be relied upon. Interesting enough, we cannot rely upon our own strength or power to deliver us from death; and even if we think that we can, we need to be very suspect of the result. The second name, which appears to be part of the first, is a word that means to be afflicted or humbled, usually by something that cannot be overcome or altered; much like one might feel in the midst of the ocean and fighting against crashing waves. That actually fits rather nicely into the harsh realities of death, if someone is so inclined to dwell on such matters. The third name is one that sits by itself, but is attached to someone from somewhere. It is a word of mystery, but instruction; a serious matter when dealing with something that you absolutely know nothing about. In other words, it means a song or psalm of contemplation, which is the act of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time, or deep reflective thought. A good choice of a word when considering if we are ready for death or not. Are you ready? Can you overcome death? Will you be delivered? Well, let's see! The forth word is actually an easy one, it simply means 'faithful.' Something which is not quite the title most of us could be given, but is surely one that suits God; and if proof is needed, it absolutely suits our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. If you are looking for a sign of deliverance from death, then there is your proof! Finally, the fifth name, which speaks of a place of origin, or someone from a particular place. Actually, it is a word that means native, as rising out of the soil; this could be said to be a sign of who a person might be based upon where they came from, much like Jesus claimed He was someone special, yet that doubted He could be anything good, since He came from Nazareth and was considered by all to be a Nazarene. Okay, so maybe I dig where I should not be digging; but rising up out of the soil is actually a pretty good metaphor...
"Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels -a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. "Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name."" (John 12:23-28) NLT 

"Spring Up, O Well!"

"As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee." (Psalms 87:7)
The greatest Gift ever given! Isn't that what this is meant to be about? For over four hundred years God said nothing, and then He presents His Gift to the world; and what a night that must have been! Isaiah 9:6 says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Say what you will about Christmas, but something that causes the world to stop and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is something to celebrate. No matter what you might think about it's origin or it's commercialism, it is more than a holiday, it's a time of celebration; to celebrate the Greatest Gift the world has ever been given! Make that your focus for today, that God gave us His Son, and today is the day to celebrate His birth. Whether that involves exchanging gifts, or just giving to others, make it about the love God has given, first and foremost. The title that I have chosen for today is more than just a song, it's also part of a very wonderful song in Scripture, Numbers 21:17: "Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it." That's what I am talking about, The River of Life! It is meant to flow into us and out of us; it does not stop at us or in us, it must flow through us! So what if this is not the day of His actual birth; it's a time honored to celebrate, so make it a celebration. Interesting enough, the portion of Scripture that has the time when Moses lifted up the Bronze Snake is also in Numbers 21, not to long before the children of Israel sang that song. It might not have been a very pretty sight to look upon, Jesus hanging upon that cross, but it pleased the Father. God's perfect Son put on display, in the worse way possible, but in the very way for you and I. That is what He was born for, to do the will of the Father, and to give up His life for you and for me. This is what we must celebrate...
"So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be no benefit to you. I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God be being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly await to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love." (Galatians 5:1-6) NLT

"Been Confirmed"

"The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah." (Psalms 87:6)
Now we are talking about the One and Only! Oh, it's still about you and I, but "this man" is non-other than the Son of Man; and had it not been for His birth in the region of Mount Zion, then again, all bets would be off, but in a bad way. Sadly, none of us would probably know the difference. We would just live out our lives not knowing anything about God's love or mercy, continuing down that highway to hell with no clue of what was in store for us. I watched that movie Passengers yesterday, and I thought it was great. After reading the reviews I thought everyone else thought it was lame; but there is a hidden secret in the plot, one that screams out destiny and purpose. I should have hung around for the credits to end, because I would bet that there were children and grandchildren hanging out somewhere on that ship. There are so many things that matter once you know that your life has meaning; that your life is bigger than just you, and there is something else that matters more than just this confined existence on earth. Of all those Pauper to Prince stories there is none greater than the story of Prince of Peace. Born in a simple setting, raise in a place of disgrace, with a reputation of being born out of wedlock; only to be sentenced to die for speaking the truth; even mocked for not saving Himself as He hung dying on the cross. Little did they know who it was that they put to death! Yes, This Man was born there, and He took our place upon that cross; dress in flesh, He died for the sins of our flesh. It couldn't happen any other way. Only a righteous man could take the place for the unrighteous; and only the Son of Man could be counted as Righteous! That word "count" is one we all should be familiar with, because it means reckon or take into account. Better yet, it has the meaning, "to count exactly or accurately," which, depending where you stand could make a world of difference. Just as we reckon our old man is crucified with Christ, the Father reckons us covered in the blood of Christ; and it is His blood, that He shed while in the form of a man, that has cleansed us from all unrighteousness. Yes, that's what I see in this verse today: "That God so loved the world", that He put His Son through all of that, so that we could be reckoned righteous and written in the Lamb's Book of Life, forever...
"Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from a slave wife and one from a freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. As Isaiah said, "Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than that woman who lives with her husband!" And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. But you are now being persecuted by those who want to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the Holy Spirit. But what do the Scriptures say about that? "Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman's son." So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman." (Galatians 4:21-31) NLT

"Been Chosen" -Too

"And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the Highest himself shall establish her." (Psalms 87:5)
I might have one more reason I like the NLT, that part in Romans 9:5 which says, "And He is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise!" If you missed it, that was speaking of "Christ himself," which is just one more example of His divine nature as the Eternal One. I had something else I need say regarding this verse, which involves the establishment of Zion. The way that I have come to understand this, Zion is more a transformation that an actual place; although it too is a place, it's a protected place which cannot be altered. It's a lot like being born; once you are born, you cannot change your mind and say I don't want to be born, because it's already happened. In a strange sort of way, I don't think we can actually walk away from the Lord, once we have been born again. To put it another way, our spirit is what experienced the New Birth, not our flesh; so in a way, the flesh no longer controls our spirit, but the spirit the flesh, by reckoning it dead. Just because the flesh might resist, does not discount the fact that the New Life has been established; and once it has been established, it's locked up and secure for eternity; way out of reach of anyone and everyone, including our flesh. This flesh will pass away and disappear, but our spirit lives on in the presence of the Lord. There is another picture that suits what I am saying, one that I think I need to add to my collection; it has a man who looks like he has been through a fight, holding a nail and hammer in his hands, and he is being held up by Jesus, and they our pictured in heaven. That's pretty much the point that I am trying to make; we can never undo what Jesus has done; we can never change what He has established! If you have been born again, then you are born into the family of God; and once you are in the family of God, all bets are off, there is nothing else at chance; you are now the property of Christ Jesus, and He is not letting go of you...
"Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God's people! Being descendants of Abraham doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted," though Abraham had other children, too. This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham's children. For God had promised, "I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, "Your older son will serve your younger son." In the words of the Scriptures, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau." Are we saying, then, that God is unfair? Of course not! For God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose." So, it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it." (Romans 9:6-16) NLT

"Been Chosen"

"And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the Highest himself shall establish her." (Psalms 87:5)
You see, it's really not about what you can or cannot do, it's about what the Lord has done for you! He has chosen each and every one of us before the foundations of the world. Don't ask me how that works, because it's beyond my pay-grade. But if you ask me how I know it to be true, for that I have an answer: Because the Bible tells me so! So what does that say for the 'whosoevers' that have not yet made a choice? It's mind-boggling, that's for sure; and many have tried to make sense of it, only to make a mess of it within their own doctrines. But there are just some things that God does not need to explain, He just does them. Our duty is not to find the reason or the answer, but to just accept what we are told and be thankful for what we know. Notice that this verse does not say, This and that man will be born in her; because it doesn't count until it happens. You can't go through life expecting to be chosen, putting off what you think is inevitable, until it suits your way of life. The Bible makes it very clear, "Today is the day of salvation." God knocks on our heart; we don't get to choose when we will knock on His. That said, if you feel it's time to answer the door, then this is the time, He is knocking! It's amazing how that works: "I was lost, but now I am found" has just become a reality for someone else! Someone who didn't even know that they were lost, has just discovered that they were found and pulled from the fires of hell! One thing is for sure, it is God that loved us first! It's not like we were lost from Him, because I don't believe that He can ever loose us; but we were the ones that were lost, not knowing from what we came or where we were headed. We had no clue who He was or how much that He loved us, until He softened our heart to see Him. When that happens, my friend, you had better open the door of your heart; because it will take you making your heart hard to Him to refuse His offer; not after you see how much He loves you! This is not a game! We don't set the rules, He does. And what He says goes! He makes the rules, He judges the rules, and He forgives those who break the rules; those are His rules...
"With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed -cut off from Christ! -if that would save them. They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshipping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." (Romans 9:1-5) NLT

"Been Born Again"

"I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there." (Psalms 87:4)
Whether or not you may agree, the judgment of every good interpretation of the Bible should start with John 1:1-5. Any time that I am checking out a new Bible, that's where I turn to in order to see how they word those Scriptures that describe John's acknowledgment of who Jesus was, is, and always will be: He is God! What we have before us today is a proclamation of New Life! Who is "this man?" And where was he born? This man is you and I; those that have been born again into the family of God; those who come from all walks of life, from every nation and every tribe; people who accept Jesus Christ into their hearts, and make Him their Lord; all of whom have a New Birth Place, a place called "Zion." Actually Zion is more than a place, it's a destination. There is really is no better place to come to, in all the earth! If you want to know where it is, it is the place that Jesus told Peter He would build His church, upon the knowledge of who He is, The Christ! If you really want to get right down to it, it's as simple as looking to the cross and believing that He has died for your sins. I mean, it really doesn't get any simpler than that. Jesus told Nicodemus, "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." There really was no other requirement given to the children of Israel, just look upon the serpent that Moses lifted up, and they would be saved from the poisonous bite that they had encountered. It's no different for us; we have all encountered the poisonous bite of sin; being born in sin, there was no way for us to avoid it, and there is no way for us to avoid sinning against God. I don't care who you are, or how much you might think that you can keep the law, it's part of your fallen nature to sin; you were born bitten! There is no other way to be saved but to look upon the cross of Christ; just as there was no other way to be saved in the wilderness for those that were dying from a venomous snake bite; it was all about looking up at that brass serpent or die. There was nothing else to discuss on the matter and no other way around it. As simple a solution as that might have been, why did so many of them die from not looking? Isn't Zion just a place like any other place? If that's what you think, then to you, that's all it will be...
"Instead, you will see Zion as a place of holy festivals. You will see Jerusalem, a city quiet and secure. It will be like a tent whose ropes are taut and whose stakes are firmly fixed. The LORD will be our Mighty One. He will be like a wide river of protection that no enemy can cross, that no enemy can sail upon. For the LORD is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. The enemies' sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God. Even the lame will take their share! The people of Israel will no longer say, "We are sick and helpless," for the LORD will forgive their sins." (Isaiah 33:20-24) NLT

"Set Apart"

"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah." (Psalms 87:3)
Not that families can't have great relationships with the Lord together, because they need to; every family that is in Christ needs to come together daily for prayer and for reading God's word; if anything needs to be ordinary in the Christian home, it should be prayer and fellowship in the word. Yet how many families practice praying together and studying God's word together? If I were to guess, I would say less than 5%. To see a family come together for the purpose of studying the Word is not something you see happening much, not in this modern era of independence and self-awareness. If you might have noticed, I did not use the NLT to close yesterday; the interpretation they had for "green" was not the interpretation that I can agree with; it reads, "the soft grass is our bed." Okay, I guess if you are looking for the meaning of comfort and rest, then that could be your interpretation; but I tend to go in the way of 'fresh' or 'flourishing.' To put it in simpler terms, 'new' is the word I would be looking for; if the Lord were my lover, then nothing seems old or mundane; at least that's how I interpret what is being said. Besides, how can you express laying out on soft green grass, while looking up at your ceiling above the bed? Unless you are thinking of the 23rd Psalm, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Have we come to the place in our relationship where God does not surprise us anymore? I never what to feel like that, where I am not expecting God to surprise me with something that I did not already know, or give me a new experience that I have not already felt. If you really wanted to, you could say that the "green pastures" are also new and fresh; not just a place where you are well feed, but a place where you don't want to wander off from, because it's just way more exciting than anywhere else. I can't help but think of that one article or fixture within the Temple of God that was not measured, it was the basin which held the water for ceremonial cleansing. Everything else was measured; when God instructed Moses how to build it, it had a measurement; all except the water basin, it did not. Interesting...
"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:1-5) NLT

"Bigger Than Life"

"The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob." (Psalms 87:2)
I was actually thinking of doing verse one again, but only because of the word "holy" in the description of the mountains; holy makes the mountains so much more untouchable, as in, you can't touch this! Moving on; it takes some serious thought to reconstruct all that God put into making that night happen in Bethlehem. Never mind that God was silent for over four hundred years, but the first words He would say would be the through the voice of an infant; and those would most likely be in the form of a cry. It's pretty amazing how much detail God puts into anything He orchestrates; the tiny little symbols, the flutes off in the distance; the deep sound of a drum that can hardly be heard, but nonetheless sets the tone of the melody. Yesterday we wrapped up Judges at church, and Pastor Bryan was making a pretty good point about how important it is to be zealous for God. We can't step into this lightly, it's either all or nothing. He used the example of Revelation 3:16: "Lukewarm." I am fascinated by 16th verses; there are so many16th verses in the Bible that stand out more than other verses; some for warnings and some for hope; Revelation 3:16 is one of the warning verses. However, due to the fact that God is so merciful, even those who are lukewarm can overcome; it's just a matter of getting right with God. Whether you get that or not, the real issue is that of submission! Crazy, is my middle name, so get use to it! The way that I see it, the dwellings of Jacob are settlements, what we settle for; living out our days in the way we think best suits us and our families. The gates of Zion are transformations, where people enter in and are transformed. Lukewarm is all about being settled in; thinking that you are in need of nothing else, and you have all that God has to offer. That is the perfect definition of the dead church, a church that is not looking for God to do something great in their lives, and a church that is settled in the past, living off past experiences. The gates of Zion are for entering into God's transforming power; where there is never anything that is old or boring, because He always makes all things new! It reminds me of a verse. You thought I was crazy then...
"Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green." (The Song of Songs 1:16) KJV  

"Zion"

PSALMS 87 [A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.] "His foundation is in the holy mountains." (verse 1)
No, this is not a new habit, at least I don't think that it is; Matthew Henry just suggested that the first verse may have been part of the title, so I thought I would go in that general direction, at least for this introduction. For anyone that might not agree that the Psalms are in some sort of pattern, I will have to disagree, because if it's a sign you are looking for, then "Zion" is that sign. The title above this Psalm in my Bible simply says, "Zion." God can choose anything He wants to, and call it holy; He has that right, because He has created everything and everything is His. Just look at the example God gives in His vision to Peter, as Peter rejects the Lord's request to eat the common foods on display in the sheet, He says, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." (Acts 10:15) This Psalms is only seven verse long, put it packs a message that is eternal and established by God. And when God establishes something to last forever, you can bet that even "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) I had a chance to hear a pretty interesting Bible lesson yesterday by Pastor Scott. In this message he spoke about the birth place of Jesus, that being Bethlehem in the region of Zion. It was a message packed with tons of information, and had I not been driving, I would have been taking notes. The main point I gathered was about Jesus being the Bread of Life, and how His place of birth, being that of a stable, as would a lamb be born, and the place where He lay, being that of a feeding trough, as food to be eaten. There was something else that I heard, which I don't remember ever hearing before, at least not with such clarity. He explained that swaddling clothes were the type of clothes used to wrap the dead before being placed in a tomb; strips of cloth used to wrap the body in order to keep it intact, as also a baby would be swaddled to keep it snuggled. Oddly enough, one of the gifts given by the Wise Men was myrrh, which was a spice used to help preserve the body before being wrapped for burial. Babies are usually swaddled for six to eight weeks after birth, so the time line and the gift would fall right into place. Besides that, the Shepherds that came to inspect the child, were shepherds of sheep; most likely sheep that would be used for sacrifices in the Temple, seeing how this area was close to Jerusalem, about 6 miles. I don't know about you, but if that's not a sign, I don't know what other kind of sign could be given...
"See my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about." (Isaiah 52:13-15) NLT

"The Sign of Comfort"

"Show me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast helped me, and comforted me." (Psalms 86:17)
Whether it's the way that He loves us, or the way that He shows us mercy, our God has what it takes to take all of our shame away! People who don't have it, really don't know what it's like to feel forgiven of all their sins. I mean, it is totally impossible to see forgiveness bestowed upon a persons life; one can only assume by their joy and happiness that something has taken place. But here we have something pure and tangible; an undeniable sign of God's forgiveness being granted and His promises overriding even the most terrible sin we can carry out in this life. Here is the thing that we need to remember, with all of our hearts: God gives mercy to those who ask for His mercy! We have no right to judge anyone for anything; we are all guilty of sin, and we are all capable of carry out any sort of sin you could imagine. The thing that takes people to the next level, usually is trying to cover up something they might want to keep hidden. Nothing is hidden from God, so it's more about what man thinks of us that gets us motivated to carry out something wicked. Case in point, is David's sin with Bathsheba. It was one thing to sleep with another man's wife; it was something all together more wicked to plot that man's death to cover up that sin. Sin is sin, but doing something like that requires planning and making serious choices that go against everything good. So what is "a token for good?" Well, Paul speaks of "good" in Romans 8:28, saying, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose." The sin was not good, and the cover up was surely not good; but David loved God, and David was called according to God's purpose. So then, how did that work together for good? Do you need help? Seriously, it's really only a matter of crying out to God for help! He wants to help you! He might not totally make your issue or your problem go away, but He surely will comfort you and give you peace. Isn't that what we really need more that anything else, peace? Jesus is the Prince of Peace! That's what He brings with Him when He enters your heart. If you are not feeling peace, then you are still holding unto something that is preventing you of experiencing His peace. Maybe that's the part we overlook: the peace we are looking for is not found in ourselves, it's only found in Christ...
""Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink -even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk -it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. "Come to me with ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you the unfailing love I promised to David. See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious." Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously." (Isaiah 55:1-7) NLT

"Unquestionable"

"O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid." (Psalms 86:16)
I cannot imagine what my life would be without the Lord; I am pretty sure by now that I would have ended it on my own. Our relationship with the Lord is beyond the happenings of this life, no matter how overwhelming things might appear. That's sometimes hard to remember while we are actually in the moment, but if we can get the right perspective, we can see things from a whole different point of view. Take a look at David's perspective, and try and see how it's something that goes beyond the present; beyond any present situation or circumstance, no matter what time of your life you are living in. First of all, God is the one who chose David to be king; and as he himself says in Psalms 139:13, "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb." As you dive into that whole portion of Scripture, which I hope to do some day, you see how detailed David gets into God's hand upon his life; every little detail, from conception to the end of this life, there is nothing that God is not watching over and setting in motion. When we actually can rest in the thought that God is in control, then we can better realize how small our little situation or circumstance really is. But our biggest problem is that we tend to live in the present, the present being what is happening now; even at the expense of blocking out the past and forgetting to look to the future, we only focus on whatever it is that we are going through right now. I can't help but think about the disciples freaking out in the boat while Jesus slept; He told them that they were going to the other side, yet as soon as a storm comes upon them, they feared for their lives. Not only that, but they assumed that He did not care if they perished or not; He just remained sleeping and enjoying the rest. There is a little hint of what "entering God's rest" looks like; when God's in control, we don't need to question what the outcome is going to be, because He has already told us what it will be, no matter what...
"I can never escape your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night -but even darkness cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous -how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" (Psalms 139:7-18) NLT

"No Matter What"

"But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." (Psalms 86:15)
Now that you see what I was trying to say, there is something of a relationship between the description of the characters in the last verse and those who do not matter: those that don't matter are the proud, those who are violent against the just, and the those that do not set God before them. Not that God cannot hold a place for them in His heart, because God is not willing that anyone should have to perish. But we are given free will to make a choice; and in most cases, those that choose not to accept God's love for them, they become harder and harder; to the point of actually becoming bitter and hating any mention of God. As I was listening to Pastor Jon yesterday, I anticipated that he was going to answer the missing part of what God was speaking into my heart yesterday; and sure enough he did. He was associating the children of Israel murmuring against God in the wilderness over the manna, and how when Jesus explained to the people He was the Manna from Heaven, and the Jews murmured against Him. John 6:43 says: "Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, "Murmur not among yourselves." It had to strike a cord in the hearts of some of them, if they new anything about how the children of Israel murmured against God over the manna in the wilderness. There is such a huge difference between those that have accepted God's mercy and those that have not; the biggest difference being that they get it! It's like a light switch being turned on, and everything you did not know or understand is all of the sudden made available for you to see. What happens to us when we actually become aware, is exactly what this verse before us today is speaking of; we see God just as He is, "full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." Do you know what the opposite of murmuring is? How about being grateful? Thankful in everything, even in the things that seem to hurt or seem boring or might not give us pleasure. It's about knowing what matters most and being thankful for everything else; everything else, even those things that bring us pain and discomfort, because in our suffering we are drawn closer to God's love. Sure, it might not seem pleasant or enjoyable, but it can still bring the kind of peace that passes all understanding; that is the kind of peace where you know that God loves you and you are safe in His arms, no matter what...
"Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven't believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day."" (John 6:35-40) NLT

"Anyone Who Matters"

"O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assembles of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them." (Psalms 86:14)
There is another way to look at this, if you are skeptical about your own security and place in the family of God: is there peace in your heart for the eternity that awaits you? If there was anything that stood out in my getting saved, more than anything else, it was the sense of peace I felt regarding my eternity with the Lord. It was as if a huge burden had been lifted off of me, and for the first time in my life, I actually felt free. And you want to know the funny part of that, is that I was actually in jail at the time I was saved. Imagine that, in jail, but feeling free! Jesus is not called Prince of Peace for nothing: He is the Prince of Peace because He brings peace with Him when He comes into our hearts. It is beyond anything else we can understand, or anything that we can't; how we can have peace in the midst of something we cannot control, only because we know how much we matter to God! But, here is the thing about how this works in us, it is peace that is tested. I don't really realize the powerful peace that is available until it is actually tested. I think a good example of what I mean is found in the life of Abraham, the father of our faith; who having faith in the promises of God, lacked peace enough about certain situations, enough to have his wife pretend to be his brother. Call it a precaution, if you will; or you could almost call it a lack of faith; but the way I see it, he had peace that needed to be tested. If God is in charge, then He is in charge in a very big way. Little things are seldom enough to prove we really are at peace with God. If your life is going great and you are having no issues to overcome, then you really don't need to concern yourself with much; peace is easy to feel. But throw a little danger or turmoil into your life, and you start to look for peace, anywhere that you can find it. But, there is only one place where we find the kind of peace that we are looking for, it's in God! You think about this little thing Abraham concerned himself with, actually could have become something much bigger; but God intervened! All of the sudden the little thing which could have become a very big thing, became absolutely nothing. Besides that, if you are one of His kids, then you really don't have anything to worry about at all, because you matter! As a matter of fact, He knows every fiber of your being, everything you have ever thought or said or done. There is nothing about you that is hidden from your Heavenly Father; so think of that when you are searching for peace! Peace is found in the big stuff, the stuff that really matters...
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7) NLT

"Anywho"

"For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell." (Psalms 86:13)
Not that being yanked up from the fires of hell is not something to be thankful for, because it is; but God's love is what made it all possible. Why me? That's the amazing part of this great mystery. Since I was a small child I had always believed that God existed, but I did not really know how much He loved me. I believed that we where created, and I believed that there was a God somewhere up there in the heavens who watched over us; but I did not think that He personally watched over me, nor that He actually cared all that much about me. Not until that Sunday morning in September 1981, because on the day, I saw how much He loved me, for the very first time! As far as this life is concerned, it really does not matter what happens here. We always hope for the best in whatever we do, but it's really not what matters the most. Heaven is what matters! Paul was very explicit in his example of all the things that cannot separate us from the love of God; and somewhere in that list we find ourselves! Yes, that's right; me, my own worst enemy; even I cannot undue what Christ has done! My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life; and not only that, but He, the Lamb of God, has sealed it there with His blood. There is nowhere I can hide, or nothing that I can do, to take the place of what has taken place; it's done! I guess we could call that eternal security, if that's what you like; but the crazy thing about that, is that it's secure in heaven, somewhere way out of my reach; I couldn't reach up and take it back, even if I wanted to. When I study this verse, I get the sense that David is thinking of his greatest sin; as he penned this verse, his greatest sin comes to mind, and he references it as "the lowest hell." That's what hell could mean in this reference, "of extreme degradation in sin." Paul had some reference to this also, as he referenced himself as the Chief of Sinners. One could only imagine what was going through David's mind and heart, thinking about his loyal servant who he put to death. Or better yet, thinking about his Messiah who would come and pay the price for that sin...
"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" -and I am the worst of them all." (1 Timothy 1:12-15) NLT

"United In Praise"

"I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore." (Psalms 86:12)
Just in case you might have missed the point, I will attempt to make it from a different angle. God's love is not conditioned upon our ability to be obedient, it is conditioned upon our acceptance of it. I find this hard to share without getting all choked up; but God's love for you and I is put out there for everyone and anyone who might want to accept it. Willing to accept it, is more like it! Because once you step into this powerful love, your life is never going to be the same. Going back to the "first love" issue, and as to what that actually represents, just the sheer power of His love should be enough to hold us and prevent us from going astray. I know it might not seem that is how it works at times, but if really stop and consider what it was that turned your heart, it wasn't just the fact that He saved you: it was that He loves you! But I'm a brat, and I do things that are selfish and disgusting; how could He still love me? I know, it's hard to understand. Sometimes it takes more faith to believe that I am worthy of His love, than it does to believe that He loves me. But that's the thing we need to stop. We are not worthy of His love, but He still loves us! But why? How could He? I might be starting to make the point a little clearer; or maybe I'm just muddying up the water. That reminds me, I need to get one of my favorite pictures hung up. It's been setting on the side of my desk forever, and I need to have it displayed to remind me of what I truly am. If you have seen this picture, it shows a man weeping at the foot of the cross with his head bowed between his arms; but in the reflection of the water at the base of the cross, he is looking up and is smiling with such great joy on his face. He loves us so much! We truly do need to rest in His love...
"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one -for God himself has given us right standing with himself? Who then will condemn us? No one -for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is our through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow -not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below -indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-39) NLT  

"United By Love"

"Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name." (Psalms 86:11)
Call me crazy, but is it harder to love God or fear Him? What about what John says in 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." I am under the understanding that we cannot love God the way that we should, because God's love is the perfect love; our love is always built upon conditions and is shallow; compared with God's love, our love is superficial. So what do we do? Well, first of all, the word "fear" in the way David uses it, actually means to have fear, or to be afraid; dreadfully afraid is more like it, a godly fear. However, the good news, if you would like to call it that, is that this dreadful fear is followed by "thy name." What's in a name, you might wonder? Understanding for one; the name is what we understand God to be. A better way to put it, is to look at John's next statement after "He that feareth is not made perfect in love." "We love him, because he first loved us." Do I deserve His love? Absolutely not! But, nonetheless, He loves me! So my understanding of God, is that He loves me, and He loves me so much, that He sent His Only Son to come and die for my sins! Does that make me afraid? Of myself, yes, but not of God! I'm afraid for what I am, compared to what I should be. After all, He gave His all for me; you would think that I could at least put a little effort into giving my all for Him. I am dreadfully afraid of what I can be; but when I look at God, I am made blameless in the shadow of His love for me. God's love is bigger than you or I could ever need; and if I could just have a piece of it, then I could learn to love others as I love myself. That's why Jesus put those two commands together, because they are one love...
""I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one -as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."" (John 17:20-23) NLT

"The One and Only"

"For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone." (Psalms 86:10)
We might not always get the full picture, but what He gives us is enough to make up our minds. Do we actually need a sign? Not in the least; our salvation is sign enough! Isn't that what faith is all about? It's not about a sign or asking God to prove anything. It's about believing with all of hearts that God's word is true, and then living as though you believe it. If we don't have what it takes, it's only because we have not asked Him hard enough to take stuff away. You have got to mean business if you are going to really tear down any strongholds; because it's not just about habits, it's about making Him Lord of your life. Remembering how this Psalms is actually more than just a prayer, it's a cry for help; and because it's a cry for help, we must have the desire within us to be helped. Now, what it is that makes the desire to be helped stronger that the desire to sin, that's something we all should be very familiar with, because it is all about love. Do I love Him enough to change my life? Not on my own! I can't change anything; it is God who must change me; He is the only one that can change our hearts. Only He can change a heart of stone into a heart that is filled with love. That is the one thing about the story that Jesus gave regarding prayer, we have got to be persistent! We keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking, because the work is never really done! Our filling of the Holy Spirit is always renewed, day by day, we continually asked to be filled; not just to be partly filled, but filled to overflowing; so much so, that there is no more room for anything else. It's not going to be easy, because there will be difficulties and oppositions from all sides; but the only side that really matters in our own inside, the heart! Do you see where I am going? The point of this is very simple, because love comes in all sorts of different sizes and shapes; but one true love has only one! In Revelation 2:4, Jesus speaking to the church of Ephesus, says, "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." I have always figured that to be based upon the feeling I had when I first got saved. Maybe it was a sermon I heard, or something I made up on my own; but I have always just figured it meant that we fell out of love with that first experience, the day we asked Jesus into our hearts. It's not about any of that: It's about loving Him first, above all else...
"One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love you neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these." The teacher of the law replied, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law." Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions." (Mark 12:28-34) NLT 

"Better Believe It"

"All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name." (Psalms 86:9) I would like to think by now that we would have settled the issue of who is in charge; after all, every single thing that is, was, or ever will be, it all belongs to the Lord. If you like to have things to show something of a comparison, as I watched The Donald delivering a speech last night, someone in the crowd must have said something that was not so nice; but he was gracious about it, answering back with something like, "I think they are really on my side, they just don't know it yet." It's not too far off from the reality of God's dominion, because every knee shall bow before Him; even those that might say that they want nothing to do with Him; even those that might try to say the He does not exist. There is absolutely no getting out of it! Crazy as it might seem, this is the only time for any type of a choice to be made, right now! Today is the day of salvation, because tomorrow is what it is; and the only way to change your tomorrow is by surrendering today. After this, it's too late to make any changes. That's some pretty serious stuff to consider, don't you think? It might not seem to be such an important topic right now, but then again, who ever thinks about what really matters any more; it's all about right now, what's for dinner, and getting through today. In this crazy fast past life that we live in, nothing in this life is certain; absolutely nothing! They say that there are two things for sure, death and taxes; well, if you're born again you have cheated death, and if you're in prison you don't pay taxes. Besides that, everything we have is a blessing, and we need to give thanks for the chance to enjoy any of it, including each other! My job is one that shows me the reality of not holding on to anything here too hard. I've seen families that seemed to have it all and looked like they were set for life, all of the sudden devastated and hopeless; all because they put too much trust in their material life, and not in the life that really matters. This is serious stuff! We don't get another chance to make a choice! We either bow to Him now and live forever, or bow to Him later and die forever. For now, the choice is yours...
"And I saw a great white throne and one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelations 20:11-15) NLT

"What a Wonderful God!"

"Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works." (Psalms 86:8)
So, if you hadn't noticed, in the illustration that Jesus gave, the neighbor did not remain silent; he might not have been in agreement, but he did answer. I guess I just like to draw upon certain things more than others. It's not like we are ever going to be totally in line with God's way of doing things, not in this life; but we can be in line with certain aspects of His character and His love. You can take what Jesus said for what it's worth, or you can make it into something more, something about our obligation to give onto others. I can't quite get the thought of this out of my mind, but it's all about serving one another; whether that involves feeding those that are hungry, or providing a home for the homeless, or just actually caring about someone enough to pray earnestly for their life, both here and eternally. There has got to be a reason we have been placed in the position we are in, no matter what your position is, you have a purpose for the Kingdom of God. And the really funny part of that is, it's that we might not even realize what it is. We could go through our whole Christian life, not even knowing that our purpose was being fulfilled, just to find out in heaven that we made a powerful contribution. I couldn't help but think about God's tiny creations, those little things that we never really see, but they are important nonetheless. That's what I am talking about, because we can never underestimate God's ability to use a life, any life; even a life that might be a wreck and out of sorts. Maybe it doesn't all make sense; then again, maybe it doesn't need to. We are only asked to take God at His word, not try and figure out why He is saying what He says, or what the verbs mean between the nouns. Our God is so complex and misunderstood, we can't figure it out; and even when we think that we have, He brings out a whole new level of understanding, and we are right back where we started, amazed and overwhelmed...
"Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand." (Isaiah 40:12-15) NLT

"A Call to Answer"

"In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me." (Psalms 86:7)
Not only is it more than just a cry, it's more than even a prayer; it's worship! Yesterday I heard a caller ask, Is prayer actually worship? or something to the effect; and it reminded me of the prayer that Jesus taught to His disciples. That prayer was all about worship! What is worship, if not giving praise to God? And when we lift up our voices to Him in prayer, are we not also acknowledging He is worthy to be cried out to? Are we not acknowledging that He listens? Isn't that what worship is really all about? We don't worship God to hear ourselves sign; although it's always wonderful to listen and participate in corporate worship; but we worship with song to praise our wonderful Creator. Even in the body of what this verse is saying, there is worship being demonstrated by the fact that David is saying, "for thou wilt answer me." As a matter of fact, this Psalm is thought to be a prayer that David not only wrote as a song, but that he taught to others; a kind of corporate prayer in the form of a song, which is made for worship. Nowadays, everyone is into texting; it seems to be the first choice in our communications. The second choice is calling; if they don't answer your text right away, then you give them a call; and then if they don't answer your call, you text them again asking if they are alright. We really don't need to ask God anything twice, but for the benefit of our own persistence, we do it anyways. It's our way of making sure that He got the message; but if we could text Him, we would probably still call out to Him also, to follow up the text. Well, maybe not this new generation, they won't even program their voicemail, because calling people is not something that they are interested in doing, it's all handled by text. And if they are going to call someone, then it's going to be to an answering machine or a voice mailbox; something that they don't have to engage in a two-way conversation. That's what David is speaking about, a two-way conversation with God! He's not talking about leaving a message, he's talking about getting an answer; when you call out to God, God will answer, because He is God and that's what He does...
"Jesus said, "This is how you should pray: "Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation." Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' But I tell you this -though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You fathers -if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."" (Luke 11:2-13) NLT

"More Than a Cry"

"Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications." (Psalms 86:6)
It might not seem as though He answers all of our prayers, and maybe it's good that He doesn't; but if you really think about it, most of the time we really don't know what to ask for. I know, we might have something that feels as though it's life threatening or needs God's immediate attention, but that's not really how things work in the spiritual sense. In other words, what makes sense in our material world and for our material needs, does not line up with spiritual needs, and vice versa. Only God has the answers to what is best for our spiritual needs. Sometimes, those around us need more help with spiritual needs than us, so we get to become a tool to sharpen them. No matter what, we must come to the place where we totally trust that God is listening, and that He responds to our prayers. It might not be the response that we were looking for or had in mind; but nonetheless, God does listen and responds to His children, we can have confidence in that. (1 John 5:14-15) Having said that, I know for certain that it's easy to doubt God's response is even happening; I think I am a pretty good person to give testimony to that. But I also know that God gives us just what we need to get through another day of hoping, or another day of patience, or another day of grace; no matter what, He knows what we can handle and what it takes to break us; but sometimes breaking us is the only way to get us to hand everything over to Him. The way I see it, prayers are more than crying out to God; even when we are crying out, our prayers have direction and tangibility. Even though we can't actually see or touch God, we know that He can see and touch us; and it is that relationship we have with Him that gives us the confidence in knowing that He listens to every single prayer that we pray, because it's not this life that matters the most, but it's the next...
"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) NLT

"Rejoice In Mercy"

"For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." (Psalms 86:5)  You can call that whatever you want; I will continue to call it amazing and far more than we could ever need or ask for. I need to know, when anyone out there first asked for God's forgiveness, did you expect to receive so much? I am willing to answer for you, by saying, Absolutely not! I would have been happy with just being forgiven and given eternal life. But God, who has so much more to give, He doesn't hold back anything from His children; even those of us that do not deserve any of it, He freely gives us so much more than we ever could even imagine. If you could list everything down upon a list, it would most likely stretch for miles; but we can't, because most of the stuff which would be contained upon that list hasn't even been granted yet. That is the part that I find to be so amazing, the hope in all that is to come; and it's all because of God's rich mercy. If not for mercy, I would still be left at the side of the road; never mind that He not only rescued me, but He placed me in "heavenly places," something I totally don't get, nor do I hardly deserve. But that's just it, it's not based upon me and my righteousness; it is based upon the righteousness of Christ Jesus: 'By His stripes I am healed.' That healing has absolutely nothing to do with this physical body. It's all about a spiritual healing, one which caused life to come where there once was nothing but death. And the craziness of all of that, is that I did not even know I was dead. Try explaining that to someone who does not know the Lord; they would just call you crazy and want nothing to do with you. What a glorious God we serve! His mercy truly is new every morning; even on those mornings when we feel so undeserving, He truly is "ready to forgive!" I think about Adam and Eve, and how God came to them ready to forgive them for the sin that they had committed, but they refused to own up to their own sin. Adam blamed the women whom God had given him; which in effect, he was blaming God, that God put this woman in his life, who then gave him the fruit to eat. Eve, she just blamed it on the devil; which in and of itself is just stupid, because if you know that God said don't do it, then why would anything anyone else say matter? Sure, you could say that she was deceived, but she was deceived because she wanted to be deceived; just like Adam sinned because he wanted to sin, not because the woman gave him the fruit. But God showed up showing mercy! And do you know what is even crazier still: they were hiding from God because they had sinned...
"Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:18-21) NLT

"Joy In Being Kept"

"Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." (Psalms 86:4)
Grace has a very personal appointment, which is why no one who is His child can ever really be disgraced. Oh, we might feel discouraged or disappointment in ourselves; but it's knowing that we are loved and kept by a God who loves us more than we even love ourselves, that's what keeps us going forward, getting out of bed, and counting it all joy; if nothing else, for the sake of being loved. We really need to start getting the right perspective when it comes to life, living, and being alive. This material world is only for a very short period of time; it's just a flicker compared to the eternity that awaits. Yet, how much focus we give to our daily lives compared to the eternity that awaits, it's almost an opposite comparison; our thoughts towards eternity are only little flickers through each of are daily lives. Obviously we must keep doing whatever it takes to feed our families, pay our bills, and be productive citizens in our communities; but these are only temporary things in themselves, and nothing tangible is being taken with us when we leave this world, so that's where we leave it. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have let pressures of this material life affect my eternal perspective; and we are only speaking about stuff over the last thirty days! To be perfectly honest, it's a lot like what James says about a man looking in a mirror, seeing who he is, going his way, and instantly forgetting what manner of man that he is; I consider how important eternal life is compared to this life, and turn to continue on living this life, instantly forgetting what I had just considered. A little pressure from paying the bills, a little bad news about not receiving payment I expected; anything that's contrary to what I had hoped, instantly puts me at odds and takes away my joy; if nothing else, but for a moment. But let me tell you something, even a single moment of displaying discouragement can be enough to steal from your testimony of being kept in God's grace. It is so important to keep our right perspective, to keep our focus on the things that remain, and not be distracted by the temporary concerns of this material world. No matter how important those concerns may appear, they quickly fade in the light of eternity...
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD'S favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory." (Isaiah 61:1-3) NLT

"Kept By Grace"

"Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily." (Psalms 86:3)
Forgive me if I appear to be moving too fast, but I have a mission; at least I think that I do, but God is the one who will determine the outcome. Actually, I want to be in the next Psalm by the 20th of the month; so we will see how it goes: Lord willing, it will happen. Having said that, don't you think that closing Scripture was pretty awesome? If you don't get the connection, you will soon enough; we all belong to God, whether you're in or you're out, it really makes no difference to whether or not God owns your soul; so He has every right to do with you what He wishes. That's the most amazing thing about this message of hope! We are His, we are not our own! If God has called you out of the darkness, then you are chosen to remain in His light; it's really as simple as that. Does that mean that you can't return to the darkness? You know, I don't want to judge your condition, or where you stand with the Lord; but I will say this, if you have truly been born again, then you are already living in eternal life. God has you secured in heaven, where nobody or nothing can change your security in Him. Does that mean all your life here will be hunky-dory? That's a big fat No! The way I see it, the mercy upon our souls has already been completed; that deal was settled the moment you asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life. Paul instructs everyone to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12) That does not mean that we need to work for our salvation, as some might interpret it; but that we need to accept what we are and know how important our calling is in the Lord. It's really not about us; if it was, then He would have taken us home as soon as we were saved. It's about being salt and light for the Kingdom of God. We are His ambassadors, and as such, we need to diligent to hold our own feet to the fire; but realizing He will hold us accountable for all that we do. That said, all that we do, is to be His work in us. This goes back to what Paul says in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." And if you really want to get back to basics, you go back to Romans 6:11, where Paul says, "Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Those are the things that point to "working out your salvation," not performing works, but letting Christ work in you...
"O LORD, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me. All day long I put my hope in you." (Psalms 25:1-5) NLT

"Kept Holding On"

"Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee." (Psalms 86:2)  At first read, you might wonder what it means for David to use the word "holy" as a term to describe who or what he is before God; but taken in the context of what he is believing, just the fact that he believes God is who He is, and that God does have the power to pardon his sins, then he can actually lift up holy hands to his God and declare himself a faithful servant. Was he always faithful? Not so much at being holy and righteous; but at holding onto God and counting on God to show mercy, he was better than most. To put it mildly, to be saved from the fires of hell, one must be found holy and without sin. I know that the general public, and even many that call themselves Christians, don't subscribe to that belief; nor do they believe that there is an actual hell that has eternal fire and brimstone. Personally, I choose to not take that chance. I make sure to ask God for forgiveness every morning and night; even during the day, when I realize that I have committed a sin. If you actually believe that Jesus was telling the truth about hell, then you can't take any chances with sin. Take what was spoken by Paul in that closing Scripture yesterday, his point of receiving the Holy Spirit, is not just a test for having been born again, it's also the proof of holiness. It's like this: all through the Old Testament every servant or prophet of God was gifted by God's Spirit coming upon them; it was a sign that they were in line with God's purposes and doing His will. In this New Testament period, we that have been born again receive the Holy Spirit within us, which is a sign that we are not just in the perfect will of God, but we are children of God, born of His Spirit. The only way that this is made possible, is by believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; there is no other way to be born of the Spirit, than to be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. I guess another way you could look at it, is to consider who God is, and if the Holy Spirit is God, then in order for Him to dwell within us, we must be holy; it is only the blood of Jesus that qualifies us as a holy dwelling place for God's Spirit...
"So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth." So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?" No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?" When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both the Jews and from the Gentiles." (Romans 9:16-24) NLT

"A Cry for Help"

PSALMS 86 [A Prayer of David.] (Verse 1:) "Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy."
You can't tell me that there is not some kind of link from Psalm to Psalm, because there surely is. Even if Ezra was not the one who put these Psalms in order, the Holy Spirit did, no matter who was the man that worked on putting them in some sort of order. It was pretty obvious that David was not the author of the previous Psalm, but that does not does not mean a Psalm that was written some 500 years before could not follow after it. If you wondered why I changed my pattern of starting each Psalm, it is all about timing; that's all that I will say about that for now, so don't dwell on it. As we left off yesterday, there was the need to be connected with God's mercy; not just as the receiver of His mercy, but as someone who lives God's mercy. The King James version of Galatians 2:21, says, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." It's pretty close to the NLT, but as with most translations, there is something lost in the way that new translations interpret what is being said. The point that Paul is making speaks much more than making God's grace 'meaningless,' because the point has more to do with accepting His grace, and then adding works to it; which is why "frustrate" is a word that better suits for that particular application. On the other hand, you could accept the term "meaningless" as the way to interpret what "grace" might represent; because if grace needs to stand alone by itself, adding anything to it would count it as meaningless; if that makes any sense to anyone out there. However, in the context of what Paul is actually saying, none of that actually makes any sense, because we are dead in Christ; so what we do or don't do, doesn't really matter, it's all about Christ living in us. In other words, it is grace, not that God's grace is only His merciful kindness that brings us to exercise Christian values; but His grace is the spiritual condition that we are in, with Christ living in us, that we might be governed by the power of His divine grace and not by the law. The law is only there to remind us how needy we truly are of God's mercy and grace. Moving on, prayer requires that those lifting up holy hands to a Holy God, actually have a right to get His attention. What better way do we have than to be poor and needy...
"Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ's death was made as clear to you as if you had a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of Course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ." (Galatians 3:1-5) NLT