"The Beat-Down"

"And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him." (Psalms 89:23)
Don't try and tell me that God does not have a sense of humor, because I know that He does. If God had a mike, then He just dropped it, walking back to the Throne to watch His victory play on. I am willing to bet that Satan really did know, he just could not believe it could be so! That's what pride does to you, pride makes you stupid; it's the opposite of wisdom. Pride takes everything that is right and orderly, and just throws it all right out the window; while at the same time, replacing truth with something that is totally made up and so unbelievable, it has to be studied to see whether or not there is any truth to it at all. Don't believe it? Okay, then what would encourage anyone or anything created to think that it could replace the Creator? Seriously, it is like someone standing on the tracks while a train is approaching them at 100 miles an hour, thinking that, when the train hits them it will totally stop and fall off it's track; not going to happen! The devil knows the Scriptures, and he is not a fool, he just does not have any common sense. That said, he knows enough about us to knock anyone of us off our game, including the ones who seem to have it all together. This verse might not spell out all that it could, but it gives us enough to understand that we don't mess with God or any of His anointed servants. You would think that would be common knowledge, if you actually know your Bible. If you don't, well then, shame on you, because it's not really an excuse that you will have at your disposal. That would be like being the one standing on the tracks, and after your knocked off the face of this earth, standing before God and saying, No body told me that it wouldn't work! If you have ever seen the Monty Python movie, The Holy Grail, then you might remember the part with the Black Knight; you know, the one where he looses all of his limbs one by one, until he's just a nub on the ground, but still challenging his foe to fight him. That's what I and talking about, it's just like that...
"Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. "Let us break their chains," they cry, "and free ourselves from the slavery to God." But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. The Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain." The king proclaims the LORD'S decree: "The LORD said to me, 'You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'" Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God's royal son, or he will be angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities -for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!" (Psalms 2) NLT

"God's Protection"

"The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him." (Psalms 89:22)
I guess we could say that God's way of doing things look risky; but actually, there really is never a risk at all! Isn't that really something? It looks like it's really never going to work, and then, just like that, it works out better than we could have ever imagined. Just look at Gideon and the host of Midian; after God had taken his army from over thirty thousand men to three hundred, he looked down into the valley with his servant, and it says, "And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude." (Judges 7:12) What are the odds? Three hundred men against maybe around one hundred and thirty-five thousand men. Tell me God does not know what He is doing; not only does He know how to get things done, He does it with lanterns and trumpets! To understand what is being said, we need to look at this word "exact," and then relate this to Peter's denial of Jesus the night that He was on trial. If you recall, when Jesus had told Peter that he would deny Him, He also told Peter that He had prayed for him, saying, "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22:32) The word "exact" is a term that means to be a creditor or to lend with interest; it's pretty much like there is something being held over you, and it is something that you cannot pay off, even if you wanted to. In Peter's case, his denial of Jesus was more than he could bare; and to that, the fact that the devil wanted to "sift him as wheat," and you have the makings of a man that was most likely feeling he needed to join Judas, and end it all. But, Jesus not only had prayed for Him, but He told Peter that he was going to be just fine; more than that, He told Peter that he would be able to strengthen his brethren! Go figure! You mess up and do something that you said that you never ever do, and not only do you overcome the shame and agony of your mistake, but you are able to be a minister and a servant of the Lord; not just in spite of it, but because of it! This is what God's economy looks like! Not only does He forgive us of our sins, but the sins we have committed are a testimony of His grace! Does that have anything to do with protection? I don't know; you tell me...
"After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life -to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. "I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from the world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold."" (John 17:1-12) NLT 

"God's Selection"

"I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him." (Psalms 89:20-21)
I am not sure that reason is being thought of anymore; at least not in the sense of the word. Never mind that people have a certain right to protest, but shouldn't there be some sort of reason other than just to protest? I could not help but think of Sodom and what happened to Lot's daughter; the people wanted the two angels who came to stay with Lot, but lot told them no, and then he offered up his daughter to them. What the heck! What get's into people that things can get so stupid and wicked? As much as I like to try and figure things out, there are some things I think I would just rather not know. Now about this "Selection" thing; which you could refer to it as 'Election,' but that might cause some confusion in some circles. If you recall the story, David had several brothers that Samuel thought were the one, and God kept saying, "No, not this one." As Jesse kept sending out his sons, from the oldest to the youngest, Samuel would say, "Oh this one looks like he could be king," and then God would say, "No!" Until finally there were no more sons to put before him, and he had to inquire, "Is this all that you got!" To which Jesse, almost reluctantly, says, "No, there's one more, but he's out with the sheep." You really can't figure out what God is doing, so it's best to just go along with what He says, and just do it; stop asking questions, and just do what you are told! That's what my mother would say to me sometimes; she would say, Go and do this or that, and I would always answer with a question like, Why, or For what, or Do I have to? Then she would remind me that she wasn't asking for my input on the matter or what I thought, she was telling me to do it. Then, if I hesitated doing it, I was threatened with a demerit; I don't even remember what a demerit was, except it added up to something I did not want. Sometimes it sucked to be the oldest; I was the one to set the example with. In God's economy of checks and balances, things are not the same as they are in this life. God uses the simple things to confound the wise, and the weak things to overpower the strong. No matter what, we should never underestimate what God can do, even in the strongest storm...
""For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the LORD has blessed."" I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere." (Isaiah 61:8-11) NLT

"Perfect Selection"

"Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people." (Psalms 89:19)
This is the second of six verses within this Psalm that reference Jesus; I typed the words just as they appear in my Bible so you could see the part of the reference and how it points to Him who is to come. Remember, this Psalm is about "God's Agreement with David," and as such, the main point of God's covenant was that David's throne would be established for ever, and we know how that all works out. But beyond that, God has more up His sleeve than just establishing an everlasting Throne; God is about reconciling the lost back to Himself, and He does that by selecting imperfect people to perform His perfect will. Are you where God wants you to be? I don't know, and I would be willing to bet, you don't know either! Okay, then let me ask you this: Do you think that you can actually disappoint God when you do wrong or when you sin against Him? Really? I know we feel as though we have disappointed Him, but in reality, we have only disappointed ourselves. (What you talking about Rich?) God knows way in advance what it is we are going to do, He is never surprised by our stupid choices or actions. Do you think that Jesus was disappointed that Peter denied Him three times? Absolutely not! He was praying for Peter; not because Peter was going to deny Him, but because of how Peter would react and feel for having denied knowing the Lord. We need to realize that God made His covenant with David before David sinned against Him with Bathsheba; and we need to understand that God knew in advance all that was going to happen. In God's covenant with David, He spoke about his son building a Temple, that son was to be born from Bathsheba, who was Solomon. More than that, God was also speaking about Jesus, who being born from the line of David would establish an everlasting Throne and Kingdom, for ever! Check out some of those characters that are listed in the line of David; some of which were some really bad boys and girls. Do you think that God was surprised by any of those characters? Really? I know I feel very shameful over a lot of stuff that I have done; but I am pretty sure that God was never surprised by any of it...
"And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. For in one place the Scriptures say, "What are mere mortals that you should think of them, or a son of man that you should care for him? Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them authority over all things." Now when it says "all things," it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position "a little lower than the angels", and because he suffered death for us, he is now "crowned with glory and honor." Yes, by God's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters." (Hebrews 2:5-11) NLT

"Perfect Defender"

"For the LORD is our defense; and the Holy One of Israel is our King." (Psalms 89:18)
As we draw closer and closer to that day when the Lord snatches His church off of this earth, there is something that we should anticipate happening just prior to that event, and it has something to do with peace. I really don't know if it's peace between nations or if it's peace for the church, as in there being a lack of prosecution. One thing is for sure, God is still on the Throne, and whatever happens will happen based upon His perfect plan. This verse today is rather short, but that does not mean it does not pack a heavy punch. There are two very important principles that we must accept from this verse, the first of which is that God Almighty is our Defense! That pretty much sums up the answer to the question in Romans 8:31, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" It pretty much comes down to us accepting who God is, because He really has no need to prove Himself, He is God, regardless of what we think, or regardless of what anyone says. But one thing is for sure, if you put your faith in Him, He will not disappoint! The second principle is that of His choosing us and making us His people, a people governed by God. This is more than just a certain category of people, this is more than just a way of life; it's us being guided, directed, protected, nurtured and loved by a King that shows no favors, but is righteous and just. That might be hard to understand, but I heard a illustration given by Pastor Matt yesterday that might put it in the perfect light. He was giving the description of the shape of the Menorah, and how all the candles were all at the same perfect height, but how they were not all the same distance from the main stem or the shaft which held it up. We can all be a different distance from the Lord, some of us are more on fire than others, some have more gifts or talents, and some of us are stronger; but we are all equal when it comes to height. Okay; so maybe that did not do it for you, and maybe you need a little more light, yes? Here is the thing about the distance from the Shaft, in that we all choose how far we are from the Lord, or how close we become; God calls us to Him, but we are the ones that control the distance. Either way, we are all the same height; which basically means, that we all have the same protection...
"Soon -and it will not be very long -the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness. The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the LORD. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. The scoffer will be gone, the arrogant will disappear, and those who plot evil will be killed. Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear. A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice and who tell lies to destroy the innocent. That is why the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the people of Israel, "My people will no longer be ashamed or turn pale with fear. For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them, they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Israel. They will stand in awe of the God of Jacob. Then the wayward will gain understanding, and complainers will accept instruction."" (Isaiah 29:17-24) NLT

"Perfect Power"

"For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted." (Psalms 89:17)
I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of watching people waste good chances to proclaim the Good News, I being at the top of the list! I watched that movie, "I am not Ashamed" last night, and I did not realize it was based on the Christian girl who was killed at Columbine High School. To look at here life, you would think that she wasted so many good chances to proclaim the Good News; most of which were the chances she had with her fellow classmates. The way that she was portrayed, she would party with everyone, but only to a certain point; at which time she would cut it off by saying something about her spirituality not letting her do this or that. It's really kind of crazy the way that God can use someone to proclaim His perfect power; even someone who can't ever really seem to get it together, at least not for any long amount of time. Any strength we think that we might have is nothing unless it is God working through us. Even our weakness can sometimes be used for God's glory, as odd as that might sound. I think a good example of that might be Samson, who from even before the time of his birth was called to be a Nazarite unto God. Things might not always go as our parents planned, but God's plans are never altered, even by the worst type of servants. Heck, for all we know, maybe we will only have a chance to impact one life for God; but that one life might be the life to influence thousands. David is another example, but on a totally different scale. David did spend most of his life serving God in whatever capacity that God had him in, whether that be a shepherd, a soldier, or a king. Unlike Samson, who spent most of his time showing off and having fun with the Philistines, David was more focused on what he had been called to do. But even in his weakest moment, God still was able to use David's life and testimony for His glory. So basically, any strength that David had in that situation was based upon God's mercy and grace; otherwise, David was considered lower than dirt. Can you see how it works? Well, it might be easier to clearly see through the second portion of this verse, which can literally be looked at in several different ways. The word "horn" is mostly meant to mean a sign of power and strength; but it could also be used in a negative or bad sense, as in lifting up one's own 'horn,' which would be a position of pride or taking advantage of the position in which God has placed you, for your own pleasure. In that case, I think the Scripture speaks for itself, and really needs no more interpretation...
"I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made." (Philippians 3:12-16) NLT

"Much More Than Pleasure" -2

"In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." (Psalms 89:16)
For the life of me, I can't understand why people continue to make this so difficult. It's really not all that hard to understand; it's kind of like the weight loss commercials that say, "It's not that hard; you eat the food, you loose the weight." You accept Christ into your heart, you go to heaven! I think we have been accustomed to need to work for whatever it is that we have been given; my mother would always tell me I could go out to play, but then on my way out, she would ask me if my room was clean, adding, "If your room's not clean, you can't go out." If she just would have said it differently, like, 'Clean your room, and then you can go out to play,' then I probably would have just went and played in my room. Maybe some people just come to Christ for all the wrong reasons; like to have a happy family, or to get our lives together. Not quite how it works! You come to Christ for your eternal salvation, if the other things happen, then those are the things we give Him thanks for on a daily basis. But if they don't; well let's just say that those things are worth praying about, but by all means, they should not rob you of your joy. I have seen way to many godly men and women walk away from their families, their work, and even their fellowship, because they just don't feel that they are being successful or ministered to where they are at. It might sound a little funny, but unless you have a change of heart, your change of location isn't going to matter. The second part this verse is the part that causes people to jump ship, not because it's the truth, but because they just don't get it. It's not our success that we need to be focused upon, it's the Lord's! It clearly says, "in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." Well, I have tried that, and I really don't feel all that exalted. Have you missed something along the way, something called humility, being a servant; how about longing for heaven? These are all things that cause us to be patient, to wait on the Lord, and to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Besides, and reward you are given here, really does not count in heaven...
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:8-11) NLT

"Much More Than Pleasure"

"In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." (Psalms 89:16)
As many of you may know, my life is a little bit complicated; not that I don't mind it, because I have been given a blessing that not many have the chance to experience. August 12th, 2003, that was the date that my life was turned upside down, that was day my wife had her ordeal in the hospital. And I can say, without sounding like I am bragging, that every since I have had her at home with me, she has not had to go back. With the exception of early on, when we had her fixed G-Tube replaced with a G-Tube that we change ourselves, she has been kept away from the hospital. We have what is referred to an Advance Directives Form, which is placed on the refrigerator in our home. It is a form that stipulates what kind of actions are to be taken in the event that my wife stops breathing; very minimal CPR actions are to be taken, with absolutely no chest compressions. I dread the day that it happens, but it's only because I would hate to not have her in my life. Maybe I am just being selfish, not wanting her to go; I am the one who gets the pleasure of loving on her, while she just has to lay there day in and day out. I'm sorry; I just woke up missing her; this happens most mornings that I am out of town and can't kiss her good morning when I wake up. To the point of the title of today's post. As I was driving here yesterday, I was able to catch part of a message; it was about this new movement within the church, that we somehow come to the Lord expecting life to be free from sickness or poverty or any sort of discomfort. I have long disputed anyone with this sort of belief; mostly because I know what the Bible says about such things, and secondarily because I have watched many saints suffer through so many different things. This salvation that we have been given guarantees us nothing in this life except peace and joy. That's it! Peace and joy! And let me tell you something about how this works; you accept the peace and you bring out the joy! I say accept the peace, only because our peace does not come from within us, it comes from the Lord. If you don't feel His peace, then you need to ask Him for it, because it's a peace that passes all understanding; which basically means, that even though you don't understand what's going on or why it's happening, you still have peace! Joy, although it is also associated with knowing Jesus, it is something that we bring out from within us. Unlike peace, joy is something that we choose to express, either within or without, it's something that we get to bring out and it is based upon the relationship that we have with Jesus Christ. We get to experience His peace, but we choose to rejoice...
"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)

"To All Who Listen"

"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance." (Psalms 89:15)
Does grace or mercy have a sound? That might sound like a silly question, but I could not help but think of that while I was thinking of Galatians 1:3. Really, it's quite a simple little verse; just a quick little hello from the Apostle Paul, saying, "Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." It might not make much sense to the world, but the peace which comes from God through our Lord Jesus Christ does come with volume! I can't quite say it any other way. Grace and mercy are what God pours out upon us; abundant mercy and spectacular grace! Peace is what we are given as a result of that spectacular grace, because it is grace that can never be taken away, ever! I heard something yesterday at church, something that I have never ever heard before. Pastor Bryan is starting the Book of Galatians, and we were taken through the first ten verses; in the process, he called our attention to something that was part of Roman law in Paul's day. Apparently, if you are adopted into a family, you actually have more rights to an inheritance than those that are in your household who are naturally born into that household. Those that are born into the household must prove their position of ownership to an inheritance, but those that are adopted, have been chosen to be part of the inheritance. I know it might sound a little strange, that someone adopted has more rights that those naturally born; but you need to look at from the perspective of ownership. If you as a parent have adopted a child, you are obligated to care for the needs of that child; almost more than you are obligated to care for the needs of a child you have given birth to. The child you had given birth to, happened to have been born into your home, but the adopted child was chosen to be brought into your home, and thus, you need to provide for it. In other words, you own it, and now it's your responsibility to give it a part of your wealth. Can you see the importance of what that represents? Do you hear the sound of being placed into the family of God? No more worries, no more shame; you are free from worry because you are protected and cared for, and you are free from shame because your sins have been bought and paid for; you are now a child of God...
"Dear brothers and sisters, here's an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. God gave the promise to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn't say "to his children," as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says "to his child" -and that, of course, means Christ. This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise." (Galatians 3:15-18) NLT

"Redirection"

"Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face." (Psalms 89:14)
There really is no simple way to put this, but to say, It is time for the voice of God to be heard! How else can it be said? We have been painted into a corner, mostly by ourselves, but because of our silence, the worldly kept moving us in that direction. It is just because we are not protesters and people who stand up for our rights; at least not like those who dwell here on this earth. Maybe it's because this is really not our home and we are just here waiting to go home. Why fight for something that isn't ours to begin with? I can only give you one answer for that: For our children! We have been looking at it from a totally wrong direction. Would you allow someone to come into your home and steal your children? No, I don't think you would. Would you allow someone to influence your children to turn away from God and to be subject to the eternal fires of hell? Not intentionally, I am sure; but if you have painted yourself into a corner, then your children are not in longer within reach. Sure, we can pray for them, we can try our very best to instruct them in the way they should go, we can even make them attend church on a regular basis; but between our compromises and the worlds influence, they need us to fight for their salvation and protection. You see, there is a trump card in our corner (no pun intended,) and that card is Jesus Christ. Yes, it might not make any sense whatsoever to the world, and actually is really doesn't; but our testimony is based upon the Good News, not our failures and our inabilities. More than anything else, our standing is and must always be upon the Rock! If we would just rejoice more often, celebrate our salvation with gladness, and sing out praises to the Lord, as if we were really happy to be saved, maybe just maybe our children would see the light. But nine times out of ten, we are bound to not do any of those things. Instead, we will be grumpy, bark at our children, moan and groan over finances, and argue with each other over who's right and who's wrong. It's time to let God's voice be heard, not our own; it's time to reintroduce Jesus and the Good News of what that name means. In this verse above are two very important aspects of what we should be celebrating, and what we should be proclaiming to the world: the first is that of God's holiness and righteousness, something that we seriously lack; the second, is of God's mercy, and the fact that He has provided a way for us to enter into His presence, with gladness...
"God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn -not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son. John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.'" From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us." (John 1:6-18) NLT

"Time To Work"

"Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand." (Psalms 89:13)
Just in case you missed it, that was one extraordinary chain of events. Every performer, every aspect of every event was pure class and respect for God and Country. If you are wondering why I am so late this morning, it might have something to do with that. You can bet your bottom dollar that he still was up before the sun, even though he was not in bed till 3 or 4 in the morning. I am sure that he is just energized by the task which is before him. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that he is some kind of saint, because we know that he's not; but he is the tool in the hand of God Almighty, so that makes him special. If you study the kings of Israel, there were always several line of kings that just seemed to get way off track with God. Leading the people into idol worship, having the people pay tribute to some sort of false god; even sacrificing their children, just to try and make their harvest better or to try and remove a curse from the land. I'm not trying to make any form of comparison, but I do think that our last president was more evil than good; and I don't think we had any president before that celebrated the killing of unborn children as much as he did. If I was going to make a comparison, then that would be the one; not that he personally performed any, but that he made abortion the thing he protected more than anything else; even above protection of our Constitution, which is something he did not respect. I can still recall a statement he made to justify his stance, saying, "If one of my two daughters made a mistake, I wouldn't want them to be punished by having a baby." Wow; that's all I can say: Wow! So it's okay to justify killing as long it's to cover up for making a mistake? I guess David was justified in having Uriah the Hittite killed, just so he could try and cover the mistake that he made? Yea, but that's not the same, because Uriah was already a person, but a fetus is just a mass of tissue, right? Wrong! A life is a life! We cannot justify the taking of any life, not even a life that has not yet been born. There was something I heard about when President Trump took the oath of office, that there were two Bibles which he laid his hand on; the bottom Bible was the Lincoln Bible, but the top Bible was a Bible his mother gave to him when he was a child. Another thing that I saw, was an interview with one of the pastors who prayed during the ceremony. He was interviewed by Tucker, and he said that most venues he prays at, especially big ones, he is told what to pray; but for this one, he was told, "Just pray what the Spirit puts upon your heart." No sir, things are not going to be the same in Washington this time, not with the mighty arm of God at work...
Heavenly Father, I lift up this new administration to you, and I asked that you guide and direct every part of everything that gets done. Lord, make prayer the central part of the work ahead, and continue to surround our new President with men who fear you and call upon your name. I pray, Father, that you continue to press into President Trump's heart, that You are the one who has placed him there and that it is for Your purposes that he has been put in that position. Put your angels all around him, keeping him safe, guarding his children, and opening doors to the shortest ways to get things done. Put a priority within the church to lift this man up, that above all else, we could be a people that are once again governed by You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen...

"Time To Rejoice"

"The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name." (Psalms 89:12)
I know it might not seem like much, but it's a pretty big deal! If you think about it, we are living in a time that nobody saw or expected. It's special to just be a part of something this extraordinary. For the first time, in a very long time, someone who has never held a public office is going to be the President of these United States. That means something to me, because I have watched people who have been in government for decades do nothing but make government bigger and bigger, and in the process, they have made the average citizen smaller and smaller. Say what you will, but you wait and see, the government is going to start counting and cutting it's spending habit; something that has got way out of control. Talk about wanting a piece of the pie! The pie that was being devoured was what belonged to every hard working citizen in this country, and it needs to be stopped. Will it? Can it? I guess we will just have to wait and see. Meanwhile, I have got to tell you what this verse speaks to me about, because I believe that it is pointing to something that should cause us to take notice. If you know anything about how this world maintains it's balance (no pun intended,) then you should have some general idea what 'north' and south' represent, stability! Here's another little example of how the Bible shows us that earth is not flat. How anyone ever thought that could even happen, I have no idea. But then again, people will fall for anything, if you say it enough. "Tabor" is something of a 'mound,' but not just any mound, it's a rock that cannot be mistaken for anything than what it really is. "Hermon" is a direction, but not just any direction, it is on the right, as in, "sit on my right." I get excited just thinking about this, but I am just that kind of weird...
""My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will proper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD'S name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."" (Isaiah 55:8-13) NLT

"Whatever, It's All His!"

"The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them." (Psalms 89:11)
Oh, that might not seem so hard to understand; not if you consider God's ultimate plan and what happens to this blue ball during the tribulation; talk about Climate Change, that will be taking on a brand new name! And guess who they will be blaming that crazy change on, none other that God Himself; it won't be blamed on man or cattle, not according to Revelation, they will be yelling at God. There needs to be some practical way to come to terms with all that is taking place, not just here in this country, but in countries all around the world. I would like to examine it as if the whole world were one big living planet; everything upon this globe is taking a big giant inhale, and is preparing to gulp. With the exception of those who are aware of the truth, most of the planet might buy into anything, whether it be UFO's or reincarnation or even the lie about evolution and the origin of man. Even people who claim to be Christian have bought into each of those things, if not all of them; as hard as that might be to believe. Do you want to know one of the biggest changes we will have in leadership here in this country? Besides respecting Israel and it's borders, it will be respecting human life! Yes, that's right! Something that I believe is behind every crazed killer or every suicidal teen, is the respect for a life that has it's origin in God! You tell people over and over that they are not connected to something that created them, and not only will they believe it, but they will begin to feel worthless and without purpose. When that happens in people who might not be right, things can get really sideways in their thinking and in their ambitions. All of sudden, nothing else matters but making a statement or being a 'flash in the pan.' God is the one who is control, not man, not this planet, and surely not the devil! We really need to start getting our children to believe that they matter. They need to see once again that there is greater hope that goes way beyond this life or anything that this life has to offer, and that it involves them, because they belong to God. I think we forget that sometimes; even we, the ones who call ourselves Christians...
"Then David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly: "O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. "O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace."" (1 Chronicles 29:10-15) NLT

"Whatever It Requires"

"Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm." (Psalms 89:10)
As we draw nearer to the day, this Friday, I can't help but watch those who are for ungodliness and all that is good fall apart. If you spend any time watching Fox News, you can understand what I am talking about. I am really glad for that Marching Band that gets to go for the ceremony; they raised over $500,000 on Go-Fund-Me after it was mentioned on Bill's show that they needed money to go. We must understand something very important about what is happening, God protects His people when it comes to His promises and His plan. In other words, you don't mess with Israel! I'm sorry if you are someone that does not like the new incoming President, Donald J. Trump; but I happen to believe that he is the right man for the right time; it's either now or never, as far as I am concerned. This country was made into a country that is almost 50% dependent upon the Government for support; in fact, it might have crossed the 50% level, if you include all the people who work in government. If it did not happen now, we were doomed for destruction! As a matter of fact, there are many more countries that are headed for edge, and America needs to get healthy and strong again, or else. I have come to understand that we are not part of the final picture, but I believe we are here to help protect and prosper those that are, Israel being the major player. I believe that President Trump will be one of the strongest supporters of Israel to lead this country in a very long time; almost my whole lifetime. Sure, we have had a few Presidents that gave Israel the nod, but we haven't had one that respected and completely supported them, not like this, not with such fervor. Any way that you look at this, this is God's doing. That said, "Rahab" is almost a picture of Egypt when it comes to Israel and their history; besides also meaning pride, it speaks more to the world and it's fame, or anything that would take man's eyes off of God, or make man more dependent upon this world than God. For many years, and through many different leaders, this world has been toying and working towards a one nation government; something that is much like flipping God the bird, or thumbing their noses at God. It's a lot like the whole Climate Change issue, where we are the only ones that can save the earth; if we don't do something, then the planet will perish. Hogwash! The next verse will give an answer for that...
"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron, will be your prophet. Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let my people of Israel leave his country. But I will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces -my people, the Israelites -from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.""
(Exodus 7:1-5) NLT

"Spiritually Challenged"

"Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them." (Psalms 89:9)
I know, it seems to me a strange title, but it came to me out of the blue, so I wanted to see where it might lead me. I guess it really just depends on what frame of mind you are in, and whether or not we are still comparing God with man, or God's holiness with man's unworthiness. That's pretty much what it comes down to, we are totally unworthy to be grouped in with the saints; heck, the saints are unworthy, for there is none righteous enough to be called a saint, except the only one to be without sin, Jesus Christ. We are spiritually challenged, and there is nothing we can do about that; only God can provide the solution to our problem. Whether you can except this or not, at the same time He was planning to make the heavens and the earth, He was making the plan to save man from his sinful nature. First off, who created raging sea? So the one that created those waves which rise, is also the one who rules them? And the one who rules those waves that He created, is also the one who makes them still? It's pretty clear to me that God controls everything that He has created, would you agree? I can't imagine what the world looked like during the flood, except that it was somehow covered with water. If you think about it, that's a lot of water; maybe just half the earth was covered, because I don't think there is that much water available on the earth, to cover the earth. Is there? But if God says that He covered the earth, then He must have made enough water to do it, would you agree? You see, we just have to take Him at His word, and quit trying to figure out how He does stuff. He can do what He does because He is God, so just deal with that reality and move on. Anywho, it's pretty plain to see where we stand and what needs to happen for us to stand with God: We need a miracle! It just so happens that God created One! What do you think about that? God created something that could not control itself, but He ruled it, and controlled it when it got out of control; something He had totally prepared for, even before He created it...
"When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head." Another disciple said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead." Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Jesus responded, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!" Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked, "Even the winds and waves obey him!"" (Matthew 8:18-27) NLT

"Unlimited"

"O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?" (Psalms 89:8)
Sometimes we just need to accept it, we are sinners saved by God's grace! If you think you have it under control, watch out, because that is when you will be vulnerable and weak. It is just the way that it works; you can even be told you are going to fall, and if you think that you won't, you will fall that much harder. Not that this is anything, but I was struck by it in church yesterday; but did you ever realize the comparison between Genesis 3:14-15 and John 3:14-15? In Genesis 3:14-15, God is telling the serpent his curse; and in John 3:14-15, Jesus is telling Nicodemus about the serpent being lifted up. I know it doesn't mean anything, but I thought it was kind of neat the way that they fell into the same address. It's kind of like Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1, as they both start with, "In the beginning." There is hardly a day that goes by that I do not learn something new from God's word; whether it be here at my special place, or while driving in my car, or even in church, I am always ready to be taught and ready to listen. I don't care who is speaking, but any time someone is teaching God's word, I have a pen and paper ready to take notes. The way I look at it, if you're not ready to write it down, then you're really not ready to listen; or maybe you don't expect to hear anything new. I still remember the day I heard about the 'water basin' in the Temple, and how every other item that God instructed Moses to build was measured, except for the water basin. That is exactly how God's word is meant to be, unlimited in knowledge and truth. I don't care how many times you have read the Bible, or how many different commentaries you have explored, you will never have learned all that there is to learn about the Bible. Pardon me, I meant to say, "Holy Bible," because it is a Holy book, and there is absolutely no way that anyone can fully understand everything that is written in it, nor can they totally understand God's thoughts, or His perfect ways...
"If it's a question of strength, he's the strong one. If it's a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court? Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked." (Job 9:19-20) NLT

"Unconditionally"

"God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." (Psalms 89:7)
This is one of those verses that say what really doesn't need to be said. It's like saying, 'If your going to ride in the plane, then you had better stay in the plane.' In other words, if you are hanging out with God as one of His saints, then you had better reverence and fear Him! Actually, I don't think that it's possible to be a saint if you don't have any respect for God. So if that's you, not showing God the respect He deserves, then if I were you, I would get that checked right away! It is really that cut and dry; you're either for showing God the reverence and respect He deserves, or your off the plane; and if your off the plane, you are not going to reach your planned destination. I am not saying that we are meant to be perfect, because that is impossible in these earthen vessels; but we are to be made perfect! How do we get made perfect when we cannot be perfect? Just in case you might have asked, I thought I would throw that question out there. We are made perfect in Christ; Christ Jesus in the plane! If you are in the plane, you're in the plane because you are in Christ; and if you are in Christ, you are there because He is your Lord; if He's your Lord, He's Lord because you fear and reverence Him, just as you fear and reverence the Father. Jesus said, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath commanded all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that hath sent him." (John 5:22-23) To be perfectly honest, I am far from perfect. I make no claim to be perfect, and I don't even strive to be perfect, at least not with all of my might. What I do, is to try and obey what the Lord tells me to do; unless, that is I want to do something different, say, something naughty; then it's pretty much me on autopilot, till it's either out of my system or I have surrendered it up to the Lord. One thing is for sure, if it has had its way with me, I know what to do: I am asking the Lord to forgive me, and He does, over and over again! Do you know what staying in the airplane means? It means fear and reverence...
"It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!" Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, "It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven's Armies." Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, "See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven."" (Isaiah 6:1-7) NLT

"Obviously"

"For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?" (Psalms 89:6)
If you take the time to think about this, there really is no better way to challenge a doubt than to ask yourself these very simple questions. There really is no easier way to say this, but if you can accept the first verse of the Bible as a fact, then you will have no problem challenging your doubts with these questions. As I was trying to get to sleep last night, I had my wife's bed next to mine and I was praying myself to sleep. It's something I do more than I actually realize, I start out just praying, and then I fall asleep in the middle of the prayer; probably a little like the disciples did in the garden when Jesus asked them to stay there and pray, and He kept coming back finding them sleeping, except my praying wasn't over something as important as the issue they would be facing. Actually, I don't think they realized what was going to happen. It was a little like Martha in the movie Mr. Right; he kept telling her that he killed people, but it didn't mean anything until she actually saw him kill someone, and then she freaked out. Anywho, I was praying for Jesus to heal my wife, but I was not laying hands on her as I prayed for her. As I realized that my hands were not on her, I began to pray for Jesus just to just speak the word, "Be healed," and that would be all that would be required. And then I began to mention all the examples I could think of where Jesus just spoke and then it happened. I might have ended my conscious praying on the first verse in the Bible and the thought of the Word of God going fourth saying, 'Let there be heavens and earth,' and then they appeared. What, if anything, could compare with that? That goes far beyond anything that we could imagine God doing on this earth; whether it be raising the dead, or growing limbs on a person's body, or even healing a brain that has been totally assaulted by the lack of oxygen; nothing compares to God creating the heavens and the earth out of nothing; nothing compares to God saying, "And let there be light; and there was light." Next time you have something your dealing with where you might doubt God can fix it, just remember how Mighty and Great God is...
"Then Job spoke again: "Yes, I know all that is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God's sight? If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times? For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully? Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble. If he commands it, the sun won't rise and the stars won't shine. He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. He made all the stars -the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. "Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go. If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares to ask, 'What are you doing?'" (Job 9:1-12) NLT

"Forever is Not Here"

"And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints." (Psalms 89:5)
As hard as it might be to see the reasoning behind some of what God does or allows here on this earth, we have got to understand that this is not where His promises are realized. Not here, not now! We might get to experience some pretty awesome miracles now and again, but even the greatest of all miracles that are performed in someone's life right now, with the exception of our salvation, they are only temporary in nature. In other words, even if God were to totally heal my wife, she would still grow old and die in this life; there would still be a time when her body would stop working and we would deal with death and dying. No matter what your physical miracle might be, it's only really good enough to get you through a very short time period; compared to eternity in heaven, even the oldest person on this earth is only just a little speck in time. The way I see it, the congregation of the saints is already a place in heaven; it's a place where all the saints are gathered right now, each one waiting for someone to be gathered there with them, each one waiting for the completion of God's wonderful plan to be totally complete; that great day when the new heaven and new earth is to be revealed. Until then, there is just praising and worshiping going on around the Throne, as all the saints and angels watch God's plan come to completion. Really, at this point in time, according to the Scriptures, none of the saints have actually received a new glorified body. the way I have come to understand it, the rapture of the church will be that time. After that, those who die through the tribulation and are saved, will be given new bodies and clean white robes, almost immediately. But it's all taking place in heaven, a place which is not set to the constraints of time, nor does it keep time any longer. Imagine what that might be like...
"Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered -to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang, "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever." And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped the Lamb." (Revelation 5:11-14) NLT

"God's Covenant is Forever!"

"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah." (Psalms 89:3-4)
I heard a very interesting take on something yesterday, it's something that is highly misunderstood in the church, and I personally have heard to meant to be a curse upon children, grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren. It was a message from Pastor Jon, and he was speaking about a well known verse that gets so twisted and distorted, Exodus 20:5, which says, "Thou not shalt bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." It might be rather easy to confuse God's mercy with His judgment, especially when it comes to sins that have been handed down from generation to generation; but there is one thing we must not ever forget: God will choose mercy over judgment every time! The way Pastor Jon put it, in very simple words, is that God will continue to offer mercy to the descendants of those that hate Him, all the way to through the next generations. In fact, the way Jon put it, the third and fourth were not God's limit, but God's way of saying, "I will never give up offering mercy!" I have literally heard this Scripture used to show how future generations are cursed by the sins of their fathers; when it totally means the complete opposite! Oh, there are consequences for sin, and sin is handed down from generation to generation; but God knows how this works, and He continually offers mercy to break the chain! It is really quite simple, if you are willing to accept it: God offers mercy to everyone that will ask for it! I know it might sound as if judgment needs to be a part of the equation, but judgment was poured out at the cross! That was the whole point of Jesus saying, "It is finished!" Sin had been dealt with once and for all! From that moment on, the curse had been broken. The veil of the Temple had been ripped right down the middle, from the top to the bottom! Which means that God Himself had ripped it in two...
"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor's rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!"
(Isaiah 9:2-7) NLT

"The First Step is Forever"

"For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens." (Psalms 89:2)
I guess it's pretty good for us to come to terms with our position in Christ; it just makes more sense to let that position stand based upon His faithfulness and not upon our own; if you get my meaning. To look at this from a little different perspective, a lot of what happens here does not count towards our eternal standing and our eternal position in Christ. The greatest thing that has ever taken place on this earth is the thing that matters the most, and that took place on a wooden cross, over two thousand years ago. Everything leading up to that moment, and everything since, was looking towards that very special moment in time, the time when God Himself would take the penalty for the sins of His creation. I can understand why there is doubt about the significant event that took place, and the reason it had to happen the way that it did; I was once totally unmoved by what had happened, and just the mention of His name was enough to make me become defensive and turn away. I will never forget a time I was on the ship, in the Navy, forty years ago; a couple of friends invited me to join them in a Bible study, and I refused to take part in it. Later on that evening, as I was busy doing something else, I stumbled into their study; I guess if I had asked them where they were going to meet, I could have avoided it; but nonetheless, I felt ashamed for having said no, and felt even worse for turning around and going out the way I came in. I could have avoided a whole lot of misery had I listened to that call or invitation; which ever way you look at it, Christ was knocking on my heart and I refused to open the door. That said, had I actually listened then, I might not have meet my beautiful wife, because it was my sinful life that got me kicked out of the Navy earlier than I would have gotten out, and I meet her right after my discharge. I was discharged in February 1979 and our son was born December 2nd 1979; you do the math, we didn't waste any time making a baby together. Then it would be less than two years after my son was born that I would be born again, and nothing in my life mattered more than that moment; it was my moment that meet the most important moment ever! Picture that, because Jesus said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever beliveth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." I might not have been there over two thousand years ago, but I meet Him there in September 1981...
"For example, there was God's promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: "I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number." Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. Now when people take an oath, they call someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:13-20) NLT

"The First Step is Easy"

"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations." (Psalms 89:1)
The one thing that we must understand about God's covenants, is that He keeps His word! We on the other hand, well, let's just say that sheep do what sheep do, they go astray! Do you understand the meaning of that word? Typically, it means to wander off; we start out on the right path, but then we get distracted by something or someone, and we literally get lost and intoxicated by the world and all that it has to offer. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Solomon is a perfect example of going astray. If you want to see a really good picture of what going astray might look like, then there is your man. No one could do it better: God said, "Do not have multiple wives," well he had a thousand of them; God said, "Do not multiply horses," but Solomon had thousands of them. He could not just sin a little bit, he had to go all out; after all, at the point of sinning against God, quantity really does not matter. Isn't it amazing how that works? God does not care about the amount of sin a persons has committed, but that you confess your sins! In other words, you must take ownership of your sin, before God can forgive you of it. In other words, before God can take your sins away from you, they must first be yours to begin with; He cannot take anything away from you that isn't yours. That was the big difference between David and Saul, Saul refused to take ownership for the sin he committed, David did, saying, "I have sinned against the LORD." (2 Samuel 12:13) But, this is not the first step that I am talking about! No, the first step is God's; God takes the first step, and His is the step that counts! We might not get the whole picture now, but it will all be revealed up in heaven. Every single one of God's children have been His children since the very beginning of time. If you are one of God's children and you don't know it yet, you will, it just hasn't been realized yet, by you. God has you already pegged, and you have been in His hand from the beginning of time; from the foundations of the world...
"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God's holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Christ Jesus. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (Ephesians 1:1-5) NLT

"God's Agreement with David"

PSALMS 89 [Maschil of Ethan the Ezarhite.]
As if there is no conclusion to Psalms 88, we need only move on to Psalms 89, the conclusion of Book Three of the Psalms. I find it rather interesting that this Psalm could have been written by someone who outlived king Solomon, long enough to see his son breakup the kingdom of Israel. It very well could have been; and if so, then we can see the result of what happens when the man fails to be the spiritual leader of his home, let alone the nation he has ruled over. The word "Maschil" is a word we should know by now, it means to contemplate or consider; as a form of instruction, it paints a picture of real life situations and how we need to adjust to them based upon God's promises. That's more often easier said than done, especially if we are distracted in our Christian walk by the things of this world. And man oh man, do we have many different ways to get distracted! It should be noted that God never changed His mind about His promise or agreement with David, even though seven years later, David sins with Bathsheba, and ends up having her husband put to death to try and cover up his sin. We have talked about that before, and it's not something that you want to have on your list of accomplishments. David was a great king over Israel, but he was a terrible father of his children. And Solomon was called the richest and wisest king that ever lived, but obviously wisdom is not something you pass down to your children, it's a gift from God. No, I think that our children need to be raised up to love and fear God; to cherish instruction from God's word, and to base all of their hope upon His promises. Back to the point about the last Psalm not having a conclusion, as I mentioned before, nothing is concluded until we have passed from this earth; and even then, things we have done in this life, continue to live on and on, like ripples on the lake. And even though the ripples might sooner or later cease, they wash up things onto the shore for others to discover. In other words, somewhere, somehow, we need to fix our thoughts and our gaze upon something that has a conclusion and does not change...
""Now go and say to my servant David, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won't oppress them as they've done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from your enemies. "Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you -a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house -a temple -for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.'"" (2 Samuel 7:5-16) NLT

"Complete Submission"

"Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness." (Psalms 88:18)
Me, I prefer to think of it as being pulled from one distraction and another, until there just nothing left but yourself; but that's just me, you are welcomed to figure it out on your own. So, about that point of no conclusion; maybe the conclusion involves emptiness and meaninglessness. Sound familiar? To one of my first points, as to whether Solomon was the one who wrote this, or maybe someone who listened to The Preacher and was giving credence to wisdom. I can't imagine what it would be like to have so much wisdom; I can only imagine that it would go to your head, if you know what I mean. Before I close out this chapter and go on to the next, I really need to express how important it is for us to celebrate the life we have been given, not this life we have here on earth, but that which is waiting for us in heaven. It's not bad to celebrate this life too, as long as you're not doing it glorify the life you are living. There really needs to be a balance in the way that we live; being thankful for what God allows us to touch, but not wanting it more than our fellowship with Him. A good friend of mine was sharing at our Men's Breakfast yesterday, and the topic was 'The Battle of Spiritual Leadership.' It was rather interesting how he walked us through the teaching, and how easy it is for men to walk away from being the spiritual leader in the homes. He used the example of Eve, and how it was that she ended up making the spiritual choice to eat the fruit first, and then give some to her husband. The question became, "Where was Adam?" Why did the devil think he could approach Eve and tempt her? Who was the one making the spiritual choices? After that, we looked at the curse Eve was given, and how it was that if the man is not being the spiritual leader, then nine times out of ten, the woman will be; and how hard it is for the man to get his role back. The woman actually does want a strong spiritual leader for a husband, and when the husband is actually doing his job, then the woman is actually satisfied in her husband. That my friend is the ticket! Where was Adam? Obviously he was not satisfying his wife's spiritual need for leadership, so she ventured out on her own; and we know how that ended up. By the way, how is it she come up with "not to touch" the apple? Pardon me if I assume something that I should not, but it sounds to me like she added in something to God's word. What say you? Husbands, be the spiritual leader that you are ordained to be...
"So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And further, submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this mean to love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body." (Ephesians 5:15-30) NLT

"Complete Submersion"

"They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together." (Psalms 88:17)
We really cannot hold a candle to that, if you know what I mean. What little light we might have to offer, is absolutely and completely diminished in the light of Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on that cross. Like Jacob, we need only catch hold of His heel, if you will, and ride like the wind to glory! Matthew Henry says that this Psalm does not end with a conclusion, as most Psalms do, but that it just goes on and on in grief to the very end. This is oh so true in the light of this life here on earth, especially in the perspective of an observer, one who tries to figure out an end to a life. But that's not who we are, we don't think of things in the present life, not the things that matter. I caught part of a message yesterday that might put this in better perspective; I can't remember who it was, but it was about John the Baptist and his question about Jesus being the one, or should we be looking for another. John's question was based upon the presumption that the Messiah would be establishing His Kingdom on this earth, at His coming; which was absolutely the case, but His Kingdom was really not of this earth; what He came to do, allowed those who lived on this earth to enter in His Kingdom. That's a far better establishment, because anyone who looks for something to be done here, does not look for the real Kingdom. Not that John was focused on this earth to be of much importance, he was more focused upon his own situation and whether or not he was ever getting out of prison. I doubt that Jesus did not know what was going to happen to His cousin; and based upon His answer, He was sure that he just needed to be reassured. By the way, did you get the way that He answered? All of His examples were all things pertaining to this life: "the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." Nothing in that list of signs and wonders is going to deliver anyone from death, except maybe the preaching of the gospel, and even then, it's up to the person who hears it to make a choice. Even Lazarus had to die again in order to be resurrected up into heaven; and anyone who was healed still had to look forward to dying. No matter how perfect you might think that this life is, it's really not! But this life cannot hold a candle to that which is to come...
"After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. A sign was fastened above Jesus' head, announcing the charge against him. It read: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross." The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way." (Matthew 27:35-44) NLT

"Consumed by Dread"

"Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off." (Psalms 88:16)
Then again, we are only human, we cannot change who we are; the Lord knows how many times that I have tried, and He sees every failure I have had trying to be strong. Don't you think it is interesting how Jesus did not tell Peter, 'Peter, you better not deny me, as I know that you will.' No, the Lord did not worn Peter what he was going to do for the sake of him not doing it, He warned him that the enemy of his soul was going to use his denial against him; but that He was praying, that when he wound be restored, he would be able to use his experience to comfort his brothers and sisters. We needn't be, nor shouldn't be consumed by dread. We are called and instructed by God to rejoice in our salvation, not to walk around conflicted over the things that we cannot change; instead we need to rejoice in the change that has taken place: we are alive in Christ! Maybe we might forget what that actually means; because He lives, I live, and I will never ever die! That's a pretty big deal; bigger than anything that can happen in this life, no matter what others might think of you: "If God is for you, who can be against you!" I can only imagine what that look looked like, when Jesus looked at Peter when that rooster crowed; one thing for certain, it was not a lot of hate! I would be willing to bet that it was a look of compassion or concern for Peter's dread over the next few days; knowing that he would most likely be unable to sleep or eat; and that he might even think of following in the way of Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Jesus knew that he would not go through with it, because he knew that he would be restored. But what he might become after; how he would respond to the grace he had been given; those were the prayers that Jesus prayed for Peter about, that his life would be a testimony of God's grace; enough of a testimony to strengthen his brothers and sisters! I heard a small part of a message yesterday by Pastor Matt. He was talking about how God instructs His people to come before Him with gladness, and to rejoice in all that He has done for them. He gave several references from the Old Testaments, where God gives the children of Israel instructions on how they are to celebrate the festivals and certain days of remembering what He had done for them; and how God had tried to instill in them, that they were to come before Him with a thankful heart filled with joy. Pastor Matt then mentioned a small little blurb, saying, "Oh how different our families would be, if the fathers would lead their households to rejoice in the Lord;" or something to that effect. It's true! We men and fathers are called to be the priest of our homes, which means that we are to lead the celebration. It's not a time to mourn, but to celebrate New Life...
"He was despised and rejected -a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weakness he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:3-6) NLT 

"Dreadful Distractions"

"I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted." (Psalms 88:15)
Okay, so this might not count, but I was distracted this morning by forgetting to put the pot below the coffee maker; coffee everywhere! Actually, I think I was better suited for death about 35 years and 4 months ago, which was about that time when I first accepted Christ into my heart; since then, it has been a constant battle to feel accepted by God. Don't get me wrong, I know that I have been saved; that issue has been settled over and over again. It's that part about me having done enough, that's the part that keeps me looking over my shoulder and wondering who I have let down alone the way. I like my steak cooked medium-rare, but when I stand in His presence, I want to hear, "Well done!" Some might think it is a waste of time to think about the past, as if there is nothing you can do about it, so why waste your time thinking about it. I say, it depends what parts you are focused upon; if you are thinking about all of your accomplishments, don't bother, those are in the can and have been far spent already. But, if you are thinking about where you went wrong, those are things that we learn by, the things that make us try harder to get it right, and the things that make us ask God for forgiveness. Oh, you didn't realize you needed to ask Him more than once? "Lord, forgive me, I have betrayed you again!" And the Lord will say, "No, it's all just the same betrayal." Yes and No! He knows long before we do anything wrong that it's going to happen, but we on the other hand, we have no clue of the kind of wrong we are capable of doing. If I had known then what I would do in the future, I would have signed up to be a Monk or joined a Monastery. Maybe like Martin Luther did, once he discovered he could not stop committing sins before the Lord. Anywho, the Lord knows what you will do beforehand, so it's pretty much all the same sin, as far as He is concerned; but we on the other hand, to us it's a brand new sin, and it's got to be confessed and dealt with. If nothing less, it is for conscience sake; but in reality, it is us asking Him to forgive us! That's what we do! We sin and ask God for forgiveness! Rinse and Repeat, just like it says on the shampoo bottle; again and again, as often I you need to until you're spotless before Him. It's really not all that complicated, but we sure do make it out to be that way...
"Then Job spoke again: "If my misery could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, they would outweigh all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke impulsively. For the Almighty has stuck me down with his arrows. Their poison infects my spirit. God's terrors are lined up against me. Don't I have a right to complain? Don't wild donkeys bray when they find no grass, and oxen bellow when they have no food? Don't people complain about unsalted food? Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg? My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it! "Oh that I might have my request, that God would grant my desire. I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. At least I can take comfort in this: I have not denied the words of the Holy One. But I don't have the strength to endure. I have nothing to live for. Do I have the strength of a stone? Is my body made of bronze? No, I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success."" (Job 6:1-13) NLT   

"Sufficient Grace"

"LORD, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me?" (Psalms 88:14)
There are some things that take years to figure out; and then there are some things we just will not ever understand. Understandably, figuring out why certain things happen and why God does not answer certain prayers, just might be a couple of those things we will never understand, at least not in this life. I totally believe that once we get to heaven, everything we either be revealed or forgotten; all those answers we have filed away to one day get answers for, will somehow either be answered or dissolved, just by the sheer glory of God's Holiness and Light. Some people think that is was caused Adam and Eve to see that they were naked: The glory of God's Light had been removed by sin, and their innocence had been replaced with shame. It will pretty much be the opposite reaction when we are in God's presence; all shame, doubt, frustration, lack of knowledge, sadness, or any other issue that you could think of, will be dissolved in God's Holy Light. You know, if you really wanted to, you could experience a little taste of that Holy Light right now, you don't actually have to wait to have your issues dissolved. What have we been talking about for these last three weeks? Besides some issues of what really matters, it's all about having a transformation of your mind; to come to the place where you agree with God; where you are a friend of God! Are you a friend of God? Does He call you friend? What makes me friends with God? Simple as this might sound, we need to be in the Light, as He is in the Light! In other words, we need to stop walking in darkness, and we need to start walking in the Light! It is as easy as flipping a switch! Going back to what Jesus said, "If the Son has set you free, then you are free indeed." You really need nothing more; there is nothing else for Him to do for you, because it's all already been done. Now it's up to you and me to walk His finished work! Stop turning back into the darkness, and start pressing forward into His marvelous Light...
"O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don't let my enemies gloat, saying, "We have defeated him!" Don't let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me." (Psalms 13) NLT

"Power Point"

"But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee." (Psalms 88:13)
I hope you realize that "Day Two" did not represent January 2nd, it was meant to imply the day after death; or in the case of being totally accurate, a brand new glorious day! Did you get the point? Don't think that you will be laying around waiting for something to happen, because it's going to be as quick as taking another breath; you will release this life in your last breath, and take on your new life in your next. In anticipation of what comes next, we have to prepare not only our hearts, but we must also prepare this mind. You have no doubt heard the term, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste," well I have a little twist on that phrase, how about, 'It's a terrible thing to waste a mind.' To make my point perfectly clear, I would like to use the word "prevent" that is in the verse above. It is the Hebrew word 'qadam,' which is a verb, or for those not so into word functions, it is a word to describe an action, state, or occurrence. In the English language, prevent is usually meant in a way of keeping something from happening; but it also means, 'go before,' as in to come before, or in the case of the point I wish to make: To anticipate or counter in advance. It is actually quite simple, and Jesus spoke about it in terms that are very familiar to most of us, saying, "Count the cost." (Luke 14:28) This is actually where we get to put our minds to good use, and actually work something out in advance. Have you counted the cost? Really? Thinking about the title again above this Psalm in my Bible, it says, "A Prayer for Deliverance From Death." We have just determined that nothing happens in the grave, so that's not where anything happens, not even death. This body might be destroyed, by either the worms or by fire, but our soul continues to live on, even after our physical death occurs. As with anything worth waiting for, we generally anticipate what it will be like when it happens; that's what I am talking about, it's all about putting everything in the right perspective, in order to counter in advance anything that might persuade you against what you are really waiting for to happen. It is a lot like when Jesus prayed in the garden, saying, "Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42) It was a forgone conclusion that He had already determined in His mind; no matter what His present feelings might conjure up, His mind had already won that battle beforehand. When we are talking about being delivered from death, we are speaking of the grave as death, not the actual act of dying. In the point of this particular verse, the only deliverance from death is assured by God; and if you want to feel secure in your deliverance from death, then you're assurance is God, because He has the Power to deliver you from death...
"How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD! He shouts with joy because you give him victory. For you have given him his heart's desire; you have withheld nothing he requested. [Interlude] You welcomed him back with success and prosperity. You placed a crown of finest gold on his head. He asked you to preserve his life, and you granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever. Your victory brings him great honor, and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty. You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence." (Psalms 21:1-6) NLT 

"Day Two"

"Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?" (Psalms 88:10-12)
I am so sorry for ending yesterday so abruptly, I was having a moment our Father that I needed to rest in. Some might think that these questions are questions of doubt, as if the writer doubts life after death, or doubts the resurrection. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes we need to ask the negative to understand the positive, or dabble with secular questions to get to the truth. As far as I am concerned, this life is more of a mystery to me than the life which will come after. I cannot give any certainty to what happens in this life, but I surely can for what happens next. How do I know? I asked that incase you might have asked it yourself. I know because Jesus said so! I believe everything that Jesus said! Now if we are talking about this body, then that's a completely different story all together. This body, once it has died and has been laid in the grave will experience nothing: Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, from the ground we came, to the ground we will return. But that's just this physical body, born corruptible and destined to die. I fully believe that upon my death my spirit will go to be with the Lord, immediately and without hesitation! This body will be resurrected in the last day, but it will be raised up incorruptible and glorified. So, if you are looking to have fellowship with God from the grave, it's not going to happen; the grave is just that, a place for the dead to lay in wait, waiting in death to be raised up on that final day. Just so you know, I went ahead and purchased our graves and prepaid for our burial cost, adding in a little extra, just in case nobody had any money. If I did not do it, then I would have been cremated and put in several different urns, like most everyone else in my family has been laid to rest. After listening to Pastor Mike say repeatedly that cremation was a pagan right of passage and not accepted as a proper burial method; in ancient Israel burning of bodies or objects was mostly reserved for idols, criminals, and their enemies. So I had to figure that it was just a form of convenience and a way to save money, otherwise people would not prefer cremation over burial. But if that's you preference, don't let me change your mind. God can give a new body to a little speck, a single ash; heck, He can give you a new body from His memory of you, He doesn't even need these old bones to make it happen. So feel free to do with it whatever you want, just do so with dignity and respect, because it belongs to God...
"Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam -that is, Christ -is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever." (1 Corinthians 15:43-50) NLT

"A Wet New Day"

"Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee." (Psalms 88:9)
Happy New Year, for anyone who's considering this the first day of a New Year. As for me, I'm looking forward to paying off some of my expenses that I charged over the Thanksgiving weekend; I saved a bunch of money, but I spent a whole lot of it in the process. But, no worries, God is always faithful to supply all of our needs; besides, I was sick and tired of living in an empty house. I know that yesterday's closing Scripture was rather long, but it needed to be every bit of it, and then some! It is widely accepted that Jeremiah is the author of Lamentations, and for the most part, much of what he wrote fits nicely with this Psalm; they both are just so melancholy. However, under the sadness and the grief, there is always a ray of hope, a reason to hold on, a longing for a brand new day. That is pretty much our journey through this life; less some of the persecution for most of us, but always with the same underlying struggles to deal with that which we cannot control. For Jeremiah, his was the people whom he loved that would not listen, and the city that he loved that was being destroyed. We all have our issues, some more than others; but God gives us something to release some of the pressure, it's called prayer! And if you really need to get some release, then for goodness sake, weep and pray! And if you are desperately in need of some serious release, then weep and pray and stretch up you arms to the God who loves you, crying, "Daddy, hold me!" Wow...
"I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD'S demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. For no one is abandoned by the LORD forever." (Lamentations 3:24-31) NLT