"...Unconditionally!"

"Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen." (Psalms 89:52)
As always, my very first thing that I ask for to begin this process, is for the title; I don't type a single word without it, because it is the inspiration definition; in other words, it defines what I believe God is speaking into my heart, even though I might not totally understand what He is trying to say. This particular title was on my mind since about three o'clock yesterday afternoon. I had left off from my post yesterday morning think that my title was going to be, "...To The Lord!" But for some strange reason I thought about certain circumstances and difficulties in my life, and it dawned on me how little any of those things really mattered compared to the eternity that awaits me in heaven. I am not looking for sympathy or any sort of pat on the back, but you have got to know that it's really hard to keep it together some days. But God always seems to give me the strength to push through from one day to the next, and before you know it, another year has passed and went. Sometimes it's going to hurt! That's all there is to it; we have not been promised anything from this world, so we should not be disappointed when it is taken away or never happens. I may not even want to go forward any more, but I will do it anyways, because He is in charge! I might not even like it; I might even hate to be tormented from the lack of companionship from time to time; but I love my wife, and I know that she is doing the very best that she can do. If she could, she would jump into my arms every single day as I walk through the door; and it's that thought that keeps me going, longing for the day when it will happen, be it here or there, it's going to happen. So, in light of this unconditional doxology, whether we doubt, or we feel any discomfort; whether we don't want to go forward, or we feel as though we have been left alone; whether we have not been given what we want, or we feel as though we want to give up; we must surrender our lives to the Lord! Just surrender this life and praise Him for the next; looking forward to the glorious eternity that awaits...
"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there is no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the locks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights." (Habakkuk 3:17-19) NLT

"Surrender Your Life..."

"Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed." (Psalms 89:51)
I know it might seem a little repugnant, but give it a moment to sink in, because the answer to the question we seek is much simpler than we think. Remember what this Psalm is about, "God's Agreement with David." Was David a perfect man? No, he had faults just like you and I do; but he knew how to surrender his life to the Lord! He knew where to run to when nothing else made sense! He knew that God loved him! I was reminded of that simple little fact, as I watched the trailer for the movie "Ragamuffin." I had the privilege of meeting Rich Mullins back in 1990, and he wrote a little note on my sons hat, that simply said, "Love God." What else is there to do? He loves us with a love that is unconditional; His love is not conditioned upon our merit or performance, it's based upon His! What part of that don't we understand? So what if they reproach us! So what if God's enemies are our enemies; isn't that the way that it should be? Jesus said, "They will hate you, because they hated me," so why should we make it into something that it's not? Jesus came to this world to die for sinners; He came to save the lost, those who need to be reconciled back to God, their Father. The same Father that sent Him here to die for us on that cross, is the Father that loves us unconditionally. We just need to accept that, cherish that, and hold onto that with all of our might! And another thing we must always remember, that it does not matter who you are or what you might be going through, there will always be those that will mock and misrepresent your life and relationship that you have with God. It is simply the way it is; the enemies of God are the enemies of God's people too. There is only One place to run to; there is only One that we can really count on to be there for us in the end. So, no matter what you have done, or what you might think about yourself, or how miserable you might have messed up your life, if there is still breath in your lungs, you're still in the race! Besides, we are meant to be all about the joy of knowing Jesus! That is all that really matters; do you know Jesus, and do you know that He loves you? Look how frail we really are, and then remember Who lives in us...
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) NLT

"Surrender to Frailness"

"Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;" (Psalms 89:50)
Just in case you might have overlooked a couple of points from yesterday's post, move and act are meant to have been associated with one another; if something moves me, I am likely to act upon it or do something in response to being moved. Now if this was a prayer or petition, what might it be asking for, besides for God to remember something? You could give this request to the question of the previous verse; at which point you would be looking to blame something or someone else, as if God should show you lovingkindness, regardless of what you might have done, because you have an excuse. That might work better than saying you have worked so hard and deserve to be loved; if you know your Bible, then you know that works do not count towards salvation; works are the fruit of our salvation. Somehow there needs to be a solution to this cycle of reproach! I can not make anything work if I do not surrender! Everything might appear fine for a while, but sooner or later the baggage I keep is going trip me up and cause me to stumble. There is always death associated with sin, always! It might not be physical death, but it will be the death of something; something like your ministry, your fellowship, or your ability to disciple your friends and family. But! And that's a very big but! There actually is a solution to the reproach, thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Do you know why we are called sheep? Besides the fact that we are baaaad, sheep need to taken care of, or they will not survive. They will be eaten or run out of food; they cannot make it on their own because they do not know how, because they are basically stupid. I don't mean to proclaim that we are all stupid, because I truly believe that God gives us wisdom; but when it comes to commonsense, wisdom has left the building when it's time to sin! 'Oh, let me see what's over here.' Oh, no! It's a wolf!' I think you get my point. If we could somehow do this on our own, then Jesus would not have had to come and die on the cross! It's really that simple! God does not change, we are the unstable ones that stray and fall for anything new or exciting. If it gets our attention, then we think that there is something there we want to check out; and if it seems pleasing enough, we will go ahead and partake. You know, the only reason that God allowed His people to be a reproach was because they brought reproach upon His name, whether that might be through their actions or inaction...
"If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!" (2 Corinthians 5:13-16) NLT

"Surrender to God's Love"

"Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?" (Psalms 89:49)
The first thing we must remember about this "terrible thing" spoken of in Hebrews 10:31, is that God loves us more than we could ever love ourselves. That might not be the revelation you need to change, but next time you want to play around, think about how much God loves you, and then compare that great love to the tiny little speck of love you have for yourself. Why would you do that to yourself if had so much love for your own eternal welfare? Is it that you don't care about what might happen? or is it that you really don't care if you might go to hell? These are tuff questions to ask, but sometimes that's what it takes to penetrate a tuff heart. Yesterday, Ray Comfort was not To Every Man an Answer, and he said a couple of things that caused me to reflect upon my heart. We can create some sort of comfort zone; if you don't mind me using that expression, no pun intended; where we literally block out the things we only think about, as if they don't count for sins. We might even put them in the category of temptations, as if it's okay to be tempted, as long as we don't actually commit the act that we are thinking about in our minds. At what point does a thought become a sin? It was this that made me wonder at something Ray mentioned, which was about the "gut." He even made a little joke about it, by saying, "That gut feeling," which in and of itself can give you some hint to where this might be going. I know Ray from way back in my days at Hosanna Chapel in Bellflower, so I know a little bit how his mind works when he makes something into a joke; it's a lot like how Jesus used parables, you either get it or you don't. Does it move me? How's that for an answer? What should be moving me, all day and all night, is the love of God for my eternal soul! I should not be moved by lustful images or dreams of sexual encounters; those things should not even be looked upon or thought about. I remember when my wife was trying to get pregnant, like about 26 years ago; it was okay for me then to look upon some lustful images, as I supplied the goods for her doctor to use. It felt wrong doing it, but somehow it was okay because she approved. Ray shared about what it took for him to surrender to the Lord; it was a simple sentence that Jesus spoke, which took down his 'comfort zone;' which just so happens to be what Ray had hanging outside of his house, "The Comfort Zone." We can really get wrapped up in our false sense of security in our ability to abstain from having affairs or fornicating, but we forget that God looks at the heart, not at the actions, because we only act upon what's in our hearts! Wow, that's like a punch in the gut...
""You have heard the commandment that says, 'You must not commit adultery.' But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye -even your good eye -causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand -even your stronger hand -causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell."" (Matthew 5:27-30) NLT

"Surrender to Weakness"

"What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah." (Psalms 89:48)
I don't care how strong a person might think that they are, when it's time to go, there is no strength that we have within us to stop death from happening, none whatsoever. We might even think we have all the time in the world to make up our minds or to surrender this or that to the Lord, but we don't; and truth be told, even the idea that we think it's an option is thumbing our nose at God's grace upon our lives. We actually cheapen His grace by thinking such a thing in our hearts, as if His grace allows us to continue to sin, just because His mercy has no end. Well, I wouldn't want to be the one to tell you so, but you might want to study up on that kind of attitude. God wants His children to at least try to please Him! I mean, sure we mess up and we sometimes go astray; but both of those things are things that happen to those that are trying and are headed in the right direction. What can make us try harder? I don't know why, but I keep going back to this same question: Is it fear or love; which one has the greatest power to make me want to please God? I'm not saying that I don't want to please Him, because I really do; except when I want to sin, then I am only interested in pleasing myself, sad to say. Have you ever smashed an ant with your finger? I do it quite often; it is how I determine if what I am looking at is either an Argentine Ant or an Odorous House Ant; if it does not stink when I raise my finger to my nose, then I know not to mess around and start spraying chemicals to try and control them; all that will do is cause multiple infestations. My point is not about ant control, it's about how vulnerable we are to death! Just like that ant, the one stuck to our finger, that's how easy it is for our life to be over and done! One might want to consider if they will stink or not; When God puts His finger to His nose, will I stink? I know that's not reality, but it should something that we consider. Keeping that image in mind, I have to consider that both fear and love have somewhat equal degrees of motivation: We love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself for us; but we fear Him because we know that He can smash us like a bug. It's like one foot in front of the other, love and fear go hand in hand; if we love Him we will fear Him, and if we fear Him we will love Him...
"Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those that have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us. For we know the one who said, "I will take revenge. I will pay them back." He also said, "The LORD will judge his own people." It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:26-31) NLT

"Surrender to Emptyness"

"Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?" (Psalms 89:47)
Consider something interesting about Jonah, and what he might have been thinking when he thought that he could run and hide from God. You know what I am talking about; it's the same thing that we do when we pretend that God cannot see us while we do those things that make us naughty; as if, somehow the blinds are shut, and no one is watching, not even God. As I was reading this verse this morning, a song came to mind, which says, "Empty me of me, and fill me with You." At least I think that it's a song; if not, it is one now! It's not just that we need to be filled with the Spirit, we need to be emptied of ourselves. It's like that little book, "My Heart, Christ's Home." There is that one part in the book, the part where the Lord says, "What's that smell coming from that closet?" And then the heart says, "That's my personal private stuff; you can't have that!" At least that's how I remember it happening. If anything, these last few verses are not complaints, but petitions in the form of a question; a question that no doubt points right back to us, and our dependence upon God to make it through to the other side of this life. I know how weak I am, no one needs to remind me of that; but I seldom remember how strong I can be, if that is, if I surrender completely to the Lord. I'm talking about when I sin; it's when I sin that I seldom remember; mostly because I choose not to remember, nor do I want to, in the midst of my sinning. But man O man, I sure remember how weak I am afterwards, as I plead for forgiveness. But that's just me; I'm sure that none of you have any of my issues. Regardless of what we struggle with, the Lord would have us to surrender it to Him. We don't even need to try and change it or do anything with it; we just need to give it to Him, and He will clean it out, paint it new, and fill it with things that are pleasant to Him. But do you know what it is that causes us to not give it all to Him? Time! Yep, that's what it is, it's me thinking that I'm not ready yet, and that I still have time. Time to make up my mind; time to hold onto something that I don't want to let go; time to give Him those keys to the closet, and to my whole house...
"Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the mourning fog -it's here for a little while, then it's gone. What you aught to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:13-17) NLT 

"Witness Humility"

"How long, LORD? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire?" (Psalms 89:46)
Can't see it? Then look a little longer, maybe? No, that does not work. How about, we look a little closer? Nope, that will not work either. I just don't get it! You know those obscure pictures that were really something back in the 80's; you know, the ones that you look at and a hidden three dimensional picture pops out at you? Well I have one of them still, the one called, "The Christ." It was a present to my wife and I from my dad, and I know the secret of getting the picture to blossom out of all of that obscurity. The first thing that you need is a reflection of yourself; a plate of glass over the picture is perfect for making that happen, along with a little in-direct lighting. Once you have a pin-pointed the reflection of yourself, find your eyes, and stare into your own eyes, making sure to try and look deeply into yourself. Bam! Just like that, the picture emerges, so close, that you can almost reach out and touch it. We waste so much time looking for something that is thought to be obvious, when it isn't going to be found until we look into ourselves. We might even complain and whine about being in a certain situation, when all the while, we have the ability to step out of it, any time that we want to. It's all a matter of perception! It's all a matter of dying to ourselves and being alive in Christ! Which reminds me about a message I heard yesterday from Pastor Jon. He was sharing about the Last Supper, and when Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you." As Jon was setting this up, he asked, "What new commandment?" "I thought the whole law was established and hung on two, Love God and love your neighbor?" And then he went on to read the rest of what Jesus said, "That you love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34) Paul gives a really good picture of how Jesus loves His church, in the way that he tells husbands to love their wives: "Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." It might seem like something out of reach, and it actually is, if you are trying to reach it in your flesh! We cannot love the way that God calls us to love, if we are trying to do it in our flesh; we can only love the way that God calls us to love, if we are in the Spirit, and if He is loving through us. The flesh will always get in the way of real love! So where's the connection? I just don't get it...
"You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshipping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire."  (Hebrews 12:24-29) NLT  

"Feeling a Little Mortal"

"The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah." (Psalms 89:45)
I can only hope by now that we get the picture, because by this point and time, life is about all that is left. If anything else mattered at all, this matters the most: What happens when I die? What will they say about me when I am gone? Will my life have mattered? You could look at this in several ways; or you could just choose to ignore it altogether, which is what the majority of the world will do. 'What a waste of good talent,' they might say, 'What a waste of time.' If they say that about me, then they will be totally mistaken. Sure, I might drag on a little about certain things, and I might even push the edge of reason; but there is nothing that compares to the days when there is a sweet connection with God. It might not be every day, but it sure is most; and as far as I am concerned, that is never a waste of my time! As I was looking up the word "shame," there was really hardly anything to see, but 'shame.' There was nothing else; with the exception of the fact that this word is a feminine noun. As I tried to look up what that meant, it surprised me that the definition was attributed to a woman, girl, or a female animal; but when I looked it up in my Bible, the definition said that it did not necessarily relate to sex; instead it seemed to relate to something that is used up, if that makes any sense what so ever. The example given for a feminine noun was, "the feast," while an example for a masculine noun was, "temple." Go figure! I am not really sure what that is trying to say to me, except that 'it is what it is' and there is nothing I can really do about it. My, how I love to spend time with the Lord. I am never not surprised by how He ministers into my heart! When I was a teenager I thought that I would not live past thirty, so I lived my life as if I needed to get all I could get; all the drugs, the girls, the parties; anything that could bring excitement and pleasure into my life, I thought I needed to get it while I could, because my life would be short. I remember nights that I thought, this could be the night, as I laid there in bed with my arms crossed upon my chest; after having taken more drugs than I probably should have, it was a miracle that it really didn't happen. There is something special that we have, more special than we can even express in words. It's called "eternal life," and it crosses all the bonds of this life; in other words, nothing can hold onto you, and you will hold onto nothing...
"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4) NLT  

"Feeling a Little Cheap"

"The hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground." (Psalms 89:44)
If there is any truth to any of this, it's that there are two perspectives; there is God's perspective, and then there is man's. We really don't see what God sees; most of the time, we don't even see what we see, we only see what we want to see, or what we think we see. If we are lucky, maybe we write it down soon enough, so that our minds don't make it out to be something it's not. That's a little like what James speaks about in the sense of a man who hears the word, but is not a doer, "he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgeteth what manner of man he was." There really is no difference! I am a son of the KING! It is up to me to live up to the position that I have been placed in and not to squander all that I have been given. But we so often forget who we are in Christ, and how important we are to the one who gave His all to make us His children. We are not cheap; we might sometimes think that our lives really don't matter all that much, but we are loved by the Creator of heaven and earth; each and every one of us, personally and individually, loved! Come on! Let that sink in and blow your mind! The same God that created everything in existence, not only knows my name, but He knows the very number of the hairs on my head; I don't even know that much about myself! I can't even keep track of the hairs that I have lost, let alone the ones that remain. If any one is remotely capable of causing our glory to cease, it's our own doing; we do so by not living up to the position we have been given in Christ, because He could do nothing more to place us where we are, He did it all when He died and rose again. If anyone can cast our throne to the ground, it is by our own disobedience and failure to be a doer of the Word. You know, just because you might fail, does not mean that you cannot succeed. And, if you get right down to it, just because you succeed, does not mean that you can't fail. These are some of the principles that James speaks about in his letter; apart from Christ we are nothing and can do nothing; but in Christ we are invincible and holy. We just need to keep the right perspective and not be drawn to our own understanding; and especially, we should never base any of our worth, abilities, and how much we are loved, on how we feel. Love is not a feeling; true love is a commitment that keeps loving despite how we feel...
"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand it's own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (1 Corinthians 13:1-7) NLT

"Feeling a Little Cheated"

"Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle." (Psalms 89:43)
These little feeling things are almost at an end, so have patience with me, I am almost through with the melancholy complaints. If you did not know by now, melancholy is not just a word for sadness, it's a word that expresses a feeling of sadness, sadness that you dwell upon, but with no obvious cause. In other words, it's a lot like F.E.A.R., which stands for False Evidence Appearing Real; except this deals with sadness, not fear. You know, you can still have sadness without having fear; it's a proven fact, some of the most fearless fighters are full of sadness; in fact, it is a sadness inside that gives them the power to ignore the fear. Maybe a broken heart from a loved one that just walked out, or a close friend that was just killed in the battle. Sadness can be a very powerful force to overcome; it can also be totally false and based upon what we feel, not what is real. Here are a couple of good examples of what I am talking about: not having the ability or the courage to fight and stand. There are some of us that might feel a little cheated when it comes to fighting off temptations, or taking a stand for Christ. As if somehow God has not given us the abilities and talents he has given to others, and that makes us sad; almost the kind of sadness we felt in school as a child, to not have the skills to be picked for dodge ball, or talent required to stand up on stage. Why didn't God gift me like He did them? What you are really saying, is, 'I want what they got'; instead you should be saying, 'Lord, show me my gifts!' Maybe that's not how God has gifted you; maybe you're the one who cares for those wounded in battle, or the one that teaches future warriors how to love first and then fight. God has gifts for each and every one of us, and all of these gifts are as unique as we are, individually. I might be able to teach, but I don't teach the same as someone else; or I might be able to pray, but my prayers are personal between the Father and me; no one else has that special thing going on, because they have their own personal talks with the Father. But one thing is for sure, if we want to have a certain ability to fight off temptation or to take a stand for Christ, He has already given that to us, we just need to walk in Him! Instead, we spend more time looking at what we don't have and not what God has given to us; big mistake...
"Then Amaziah organized the army, assigning generals and captains for all Judah and Benjamin. He took a census and found that he had an army of 300,000 select troops, twenty years old and older, all trained in the use of spear and shield. He also paid about 7,500 pounds of silver to hire 100,000 experienced fighting men from Israel. But a man of God came to him and said, "Your Majesty, do not hire troops from Israel, for the LORD is not with Israel. He will not help those people of Ephraim! If you let them go with your troops into battle, you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how well you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up. Amaziah asked the man of God, "But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?" The man of God replied, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this!" So Amaziah discharged the hired troops and sent them back to Ephraim. This made them very angry with Judah, and they returned home in great rage. Then Amaziah summoned his courage and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where they killed 10,000 Edomite troops from Seir. They captured another 10,000 and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off, dashing them to pieces on the rocks below. Meanwhile, the hired troops that Amaziah had sent home raided several of the towns of Judah between Samaria and Beth-horon. They killed 3,000 people and carried off great quantities of plunder." (2 Chronicles 25:5-14) NLT

"Feeling a Little Judged"

"Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice."  (Psalms 89:42)
I know it might not make sense all the time; maybe not even much of the time; but truth be told, it really does not need to make sense, as long as God is doing something good. The very next question that needs to be asked, is, What constitutes good? How is cancer good? How is the death of a child good? I guess we just have to wait and see, because not much gets revealed in this life, except for sin. You might not know what I am talking about, but there is one Tom Cruise movie that I really like, it's called "Knight and Day." In the movie, Tom keeps trying to illustrate to Cameron Diaz how her chances of living are with or without him, by putting his hand down low for without, and then putting his hand high for with; without, with! It really did not matter how crazy the ride might become, she just needed to stay with him. That's pretty much the point of what I am trying to say. It really does not matter how crazy this ride might get, we just need to stay close to Jesus! When it comes to feeling judged, we have a Judge, of the Highest Court of All! There is absolutely no higher court than the Throne of God; and guess Who sits at the right hand in that Court? Yes indeed, our Lawyer! So it really does not matter what happens in this lower court, because it does not count; it's all stricken from the books, there's nothing to see there! Now regarding those things that don't seem good, if you are God's kid, nothing happening in your life is God judging you; that's not what God allows things to happen for, to judge you for doing wrong. He will however allow to go through something to draw you closer to Him; He might even allow it to draw someone else to Him. Either way, we are His child whom He loves, and He is not going to just thrash our lives because He is some kind of a mean judge. God loves us so very much, it hurts! How do I know that, you might ask? "Jesus loves me, this I know, because the Bible tells me so!" "Little ones to Him belong!" We are weak, but He is strong...
"Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, "Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won't see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pain of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy."" (John 16:19-22) NLT

"Feeling a Little Shamed"

"All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbors." (Psalms 89:41)
I remember something that was my first topic of debate when I first became a Christian, it was the topic of "casting your pearls before swine." We had a group of about four of us; there was a black guy, a Asian guy, and two white guys; and we spent most all of our spare time either in study of the Word, or sharing the Gospel Message to other inmates. I was considered the kind of leader, if we actually had one; mostly because, when it came to leading the others to share the Good News, I was usually the one to follow in a specific direction. My favorite place to witness was the area where the inmates worked out; there I would always try to find the guy who looked like he wanted to be the toughest guy there; the guy that tried to be the biggest, lift the most, or flexed his mussels the most. One day, as I had tried for about the third time to witness to this one black guy, who looked like he wanted to hit me, the black guy in our group used that Scripture on me, saying, "Don't cast your pearls before swine." For the next several days, that topic was a debate among the two of us, while the other two brothers stayed almost entirely neutral on the matter. His argument was not to persist trying to share something so sacred with someone who refused to listen; while my argument was that we are not to let rejection take away from the treasure we have within us. He wanted me to move on and leave that guy alone, but I wanted to keep on pressing into him, thinking that his persona gave away the fact that he was actually hurting inside. Who knows if any of it worked? But one thing for sure, I was not convinced that Jesus was talking about not sharing the Gospel with someone who didn't seem interested, or who might actually want to hurt you. In a way, I was almost hoping that he would have punched me; then I could have maybe broken through the next time I approached him with the Good News. Funny thing was, that guy who once looked like he was going to hit me, actually stood up for me when someone else didn't like what I had to say. That does not mean he was willing to listen; if anyone was going to hit me, he wanted to be the one to do it. Here is the thing: we only get this one chance to get things right; this one life that we live, it needs to somehow make some kind of difference for the Kingdom. The difference that we make is counted in souls! We don't need to know the number, because that's not our responsibility to count; as a matter of fact, I don't think we should even be in the business of trying to keep track; these are not trophies, these are souls that are won for Jesus! Whether we are those that plant seeds, those who water, or those that harvest, we are all on the same team to spread the Gospel Message. Besides all of that, Jesus was talking about judging others; who are we to judge whether or not someone is worthy enough to hear the Gospel. It comes down to the difference between sharing the Gospel or the mysteries of God; because one they can accept, while the other they will reject, almost every time. Keep it simple, and don't judge...
""Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. "Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."" (Matthew 7:1-8) NLT

"Feeling a Little Exposed"

"Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin." (Psalms 89:40)
Now that you know where this is going, I thought it might be good to really clear the air, by saying, This is surely not a bad thing! It might be a complaint, and it may even be a little true, but there are things in our lives that we hide behind which give a persona of another us; someone that we truly are not, yet the person we want everyone to love and admire. It might be your job, or position; it could even be what you are as a person, be it a wife or a husband. I am not saying that what you are or what you want to be is anything wrong, but it's really not what God sees you as; nor is it really what you are feeling inside. Okay, this might not be flowing in the right direction, so let me stop betting around the bush and get to my point. I heard a message yesterday that was like a punch in the gut; and it made me think of what it was like for me when I was first born again. The message was given by Pastor Richard, and it had to do with "Fishing and Following." The basic point of the message was that if you are following Christ, then you are a Fisher of men; if you are not a Fisher of men, then you are not following Christ. That's pretty much a quote, so you can't blame me for saying it; but I really do believe that it's true. I do not consider myself a fisherman on any level. Personally, I can't stand fishing; it's boring and a waste of time in my opinion. My wife on the other hand, she could fish for hours and hours; just the smile on her face would tell you that she loved it and was never bored by it, even when she wasn't catching anything. That's the part I never really understood; how can enjoy anything that isn't bringing forth fruit? Yes, that's the picture I was looking for; what we hide behind is just a mask that makes us too busy for the ministry, or too busy to get involved in being a Fisher of men! Sometimes when we hide our light under a barrel, God needs to break that barrel down; it might be little by little, and it might be in one big swoop; but one way or another He will expose the light in you. It might even be from something that is ugly and earthshaking, if that's what it takes. But what we need, more than anything else is to Fish For Jesus! Whether that be deep sea fishing, or trolling in the river; whether it produces fruit or not; it really does not matter, because it's what we all have been called to do. Oh, you're not feeling called to Fish For Jesus? Not even if it just means that you wait for that float to bob and you set the hook? No, I'm sorry; but if you are really a follower of Jesus, He is going to make you a Fisher of Men, one way or another...
"Now I will sing for the one I love and song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter. Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard. What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes? Now let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will tear down the hedges and let it be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it. I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it. The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence." (Isaiah 5:1-7) NLT

"Feeling a Little Dirty"

"Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground." (Psalms 89:39)
As we go though this list of complaints and the melancholy feelings, we might find it very strange how each and every on of these are feeling which could have been felt by Jesus; if that is, He had had no faith! But, He not only had faith enough to fight off these melancholy feelings, but He expected the persona of His ordeal to be what it was, a reproach and a curse; therefore, He had no complaints. As for David, his was something that was brought onto himself by his choice to be disobedient. It was more than expected that he should feel as though God had canceled His agreement; although God had said that He would not, David's heart still felt unworthy. There are a couple different ways that we can look at this, the most common being that of shame and remorse; but the higher ground way, is to experience the humility and the honor. What, you don't think those two things go together? Well I beg to differ! I don't think we can experience real honor without experiencing humility. I can't imagine a single person that could have experienced the kind of humility that Jesus did being judged and crucified by the world that He created. The biggest part of being humble is humility that could have been avoided. Jesus could have stopped it with just a word; just like He calmed the sea and the waves, He could have made it all stop, just like that; just as those soldiers feel back in the garden, He could have caused them all to bow down, by simply saying, "I AM." But He held His peace and let them spit upon Him, beat Him, strip Him of His dignity, and nail Him to that cross. You don't think that produced honor? It was all about honor, honoring the will of the Father! From the vantage point of anyone watching, this was a most brutal and horrific ordeal; some would say that God had totally left Him and turned His back on Him, while others would mock how He could have ever said that He knew God, let along that God was His Father. No, I'm sorry, but this covenant we have with God is not based upon feelings, especially not feelings that are brought on by our own sinful desires...
"The elders no longer sit in the city gates; the young men no longer dance and sing. Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The garlands have fallen from our heads. Weep for us because we have sinned." (Lamentations 5:14-16) NLT

"Witness Providence"

"But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed." (Psalms 89:38)
Yesterday, as I anticipated these next thirteen verses and what they might be dealing with, I prayed that God would speak into my heart something to put everything into proper perspective; God is always faithful in answer! It was Dr. Jeffress who opened my mind to understanding, and he used a simple story about his mother baking cakes. To set it up, Romans 8:28 was the Scripture and the topic of discussion, which says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, and to them who are the called according to his purpose." In his story, Dr. Jeffress explained how his mother would lay out all the ingredients for her cake prior to mixing them all together. This is not uncommon, I do the same thing when I am getting ready to assemble something I am getting ready to cook. But in this story, Dr. Jeffress explained how one day he had decided to try each of the ingredients by themselves, in order to see how they might taste. Together all the ingredients in the proper order, measurement, and preparation, created something that was enjoyable and good; but by themselves, those ingredients were bitter, unpleasant, and even downright terrible. Have you ever tried a spoon full of baking powder? Yes, it almost taste like something you could use for cleaning a toilet bowl. But without that single ingredient, the cake would not be the same. So to with God's providence upon our lives; some of those experiences are downright terrible to go through, some are things that might seem so bitter and by themselves are really hard to see how they could possibly make anything good. But the Bible does not say everything is good or pleasant, because we know from experience that they are not; but together, in their proper order and measurement, God's divine ingredients create something prefect, which might not even be for our own enjoyment. There is a part we sometimes can't quite come to terms with, our suffering might not actually work towards our good, at least not in this lifetime. But the one thing we can be absolutely sure of, God's plan is to bake something good, because just like James said, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." You take a closer look at the meaning of Romans 8:28, and you just might find a three letter word for excellent, it's the word "the," as in "the called." We are not only called, but we are called for a very specific purpose; just a dash of this, or a spoonful of that, it all comes together for something spectacular and special; something baked for a very special occasion...
""Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, the man who is my partner," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs. Two-thirds of the people in the land will be cut off and die," says the LORD. "But one-third will be left in the land. I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'These are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"" (Zechariah 13:7-9) NLT

"Witness Illumination"

"It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah." (Psalms 89:37)
This is the sixth and final verse which gives reference to our Lord; oddly enough, things start going south right after this verse. As I looked up 'moon' this morning, I was hoping to find all sorts of special meanings, something that I could really expound upon; I got nothing, just "moon." And then I started thinking, what is the moon, and how much it effects our earth. Without getting you all confused by theories and scientific mumbo-jumbo, I will just get right to the point. The Apostle John probably said it best, saying, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life." (1 John 1:1) To better understand the importance of what John was expressing, we could look at the end of his letter, where he says, "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 John 5:20) It's pretty obvious that John knew how important Jesus was to our chances of obtaining eternal life; without Jesus, there was no chance of any of us getting eternal life, because He is eternal life! At the end of yesterday's teaching, Pastor Bryan shared a story about D.L. Moody; it was rather long, but I will try to make it quick. He was giving a series of teachings, and there was this one kid who had attended all of them; but each day, at the end of his teachings, when he gave the invitation, the kid never came up. Finally, on the last day, after the teaching and invitation had passed, while the stage and settings were being packed away, the kid was still hanging out in the back. And just as Moody was placing his Bible under his arm to leave the stage, the kid shouted out, "Mr. Moody, what must I do to be saved?" As quick as he could, Moody shouted back, "You're too late!" "No," the kid exclaimed, "I can't be too late! You must be mistaken!" "No, I am not!," Moody shot back at him, "It was taken care of two thousand years ago on the cross, there is nothing you can do now to save yourself, Jesus has already done it all. But you can accept His free gift of salvation!" I guess the point I am getting at has something to do with how important it is that we add nothing to Jesus and what He has done, because there really is nothing more that needs to be done. As soon as we start adding anything else, the Gospel becomes perverted; which simply means that it has been made corrupted and distorted from it's origin, which is completely and solely based in Christ Jesus and His finished work...
"Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you." (Galatians 3:23-29) NLT

"Life Illuminated"

"His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me." (Psalms 89:36)
Number five of the six verses to point to Jesus, this is one that makes me think of the portion of the Book of Revelation that describes the Throne of God which needs no light, nor sun, because God is the Light. As with that closing Scripture from yesterday, Jesus has gone before us into the Holy Place, and we get to join Him there based upon what He has established in us. We were just a gritty irritant which became a prize possession, and it all happened in Christ Jesus. There is absolutely nothing we have done to make us into the pearls we have become, except to be that irritant! Isn't that something? Next time you start thinking that you're something great and special, just remember what it was that you started as and what you have done. It was you and I that nailed Jesus to that cross; He went willingly, but our sins nailed Him there! You would think that the Jews would have figured it out; you would think that they would have seen the light, but something had blinded their hearts and caused them to become angry at the One who came to save them. That is what we are witnessing in the world today, that same anger at truth and justice, is the same kind of anger which was demonstrated in the Jews towards Jesus Christ. The more Jesus tried to correct them, the angrier they became; the more Jesus shinned the light of the word, the more offended they were by Him. It is really hard to place it in any kind of specific category, except the fact that they are all dead spiritually and have no willingness to be brought to life. Do you know what happens to people that are of the dead? They seem to except killing as something which okay, as long as it's to make things easier on themselves. The Jews saw Jesus as a threat, someone who could upset their way of life. Besides being offended by Him, they also felt threatened by His ability to reach the people with the truth. I don't know, but I think there is something familiar in all of that. Life and the protection of it, no matter how small, it is a life that Jesus died for, and it is His prized possession...
""Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this to indicate how he was going to die. The crowd responded, "We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?" Jesus replied, "My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light." After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them." (John 12:27-36) NLT

"God's Prized Possession"

"Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David." (Psalms 89:35)
Nothing to see here, keep on moving; not! If you only knew. Those that were loyal and close to David, they knew; they knew how much he trusted God, and they saw how faithful that God was towards him, even though he was not perfect. You see, there's the catch, David knew that he was not perfect, nor did he ever make himself out to be perfect; but he knew someone that was, and that One loved him, regardless of his imperfection. I need you to think about something, and then you tell me what you think; the "merchantman" spoken of in Matthew 13:45-46, seeking goodly pearls, was it representing God or man? Okay, maybe you need to think about that; but while you are at it, ask yourself one important question: Have I sold all that I have to follow Jesus? Jesus asked the "Rich young ruler" to do such a thing, but did he do it? You know what I think on the matter, so we don't need to hear my opinion. But, I know someone who gave up all to save us! Now the real question to think about: If Jesus was that "Merchantman," or even the Father, how much would He cherish those that He gave His all for? Enough to do it again, if that's what it took! We only get to see part of the picture, and the part we get to see is mostly dark. But God sees everything, and He sees mostly the lightest, brightest sides of everything, and especially, of all of His children. Nothing makes Him happier than a child that is glad to know Him; a child that is happy that He is their Father; a child that is grateful to be loved and forgiven, regardless of how stupid they might act sometimes. Those are His prized possessions, His "pearls of great price." You know the most important link to answer that question, it's not the fact that the pearl is so great, but it's what it took to make it that way...
"Now when people take an oath, they call on 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 their for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:16-20) NLT

"Can't Be Erased" -Too

"My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." (Psalms 89:34)
Okay, so maybe I got a little carried away with the whole new heart thing, but one thing is for sure, if we don't feel something has changed, and if it hasn't caused us to examine ourselves to check if we are actually following Jesus or not, then we need to be fixed, pronto! This is not going to church that we are talking about here, this is about getting into heaven! In other words, the covenant is made with His children, so it matters that you are labeled His child if you are counting on that covenant to be for you. As I was driving here yesterday, I heard at least three different messages on love being the proof of our salvation. If you don't have love in your heart for your brothers and sisters, then you don't have what it takes to be called a child of God. How do we know if there is love in our hearts? What is the sign that confirms God's love is within us? If I could put it into one word, I could say that it's caring. The King James uses the word "Charity" to express the word in 1 Corinthians 13; a chapter totally devoted to love and the expression of it. So besides the fact that God is Holy and cannot lie, His love for us is such, that anything He has established in love can never be altered or erased, because His love does not change based upon how He might feel about us; whether that be disappointment or anger, He still cares very much for us and loves us no more or nor less than He always has. I don't know about you, but I find that to be rather amazing. I can't even count all the times that I have disappointed God; and if He wasn't disappointed with me, I sure was disappointed in myself. That in itself is a sign of the love we have within us, that we care about disappointing our Heavenly Father. If we don't care if we disappoint Him, then that's a pretty good sign that there is something wrong with our heart. Sometimes I think that maybe I deserve some sinful pleasure, if you can believe that kind of reasoning. Well it's not all that far from reality, because that is exactly what David was thinking when he stayed at home instead of going to war. What else could have caused him to feel that he was afforded the pleasure to stay at home? Let alone the pleasure to take another man's wife? Something had got in the way of caring, something called 'I'...
"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession." (James 1:12-18) NLT

"Can't Be Erased"

"My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." (Psalms 89:34)
Maybe we just don't understand completely what it means to say something and actually keep a promise. With the rate of divorce in the world, it would seem there is about a 50/50 chance of a vow being kept, so is it any wonder that we have our doubts? Well, if you are one of those that might have a little doubt about God's promises, then you need to put that doubt to rest, because what God promises He will do, He will do! I'm not sure how else to say this, but there might be times when I seem have some doubts; not about God, but about myself. Maybe it's just me, but there are times when I seriously consider the authenticity of my own salvation; even after all these many decades of walking with the Lord, the question still presents its self, now and again. So, is that something that I should be concerned about? I don't think so, not in the least. If I never doubted if I was really saved or not, especially if I am having a sinful moment, then I might need to be concerned. But as it is, just that fact that I do get concerned, that in itself tells me that I am. If that does not make sense to you, then I'm sorry; not for what I said, but I'm sorry for you! There are two things happening within us, we that have been born of the Spirit; the first and foremost thing, is that of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is constantly there to help us, to comfort us, and to guide us; but He will not force us to do anything. There is where the other thing comes into action, which is a changed heart. It is this heart we have within us that makes us react or not react to what the Holy Spirit instructs us to do. God has turned our heart of stone into a heart of flesh; but in the process of changing our hearts, He etched something upon that heart while it was still stone. The harder our hearts become, whether that is because of unconfessed sin or unforgiveness, the more that something becomes visible and more profound. Much like His word that can never be erased, so to is this new thing that is written upon our hearts. What could this thing be, you might ask? It's a new name, and it is also written in heaven, safe and secure! Every time I begin to doubt, it's because I am not acting as I should, I am not living in a way that matches this new name that I have been given; the harder my heart becomes, the more profound the contrast becomes; but it never goes away. That's how I know! But you might have some other proof that is more profound to you; say, like the fact that you are perfect and don't ever sin...
"This was the message Balaam delivered: "Rise up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor. God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is no human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king. God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox. No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel. For now it will be said of Jacob, 'What wonders God has done for Israel!' These people rise up like a lioness, like a majestic lion rousing itself. They refuse to rest until they have feasted on prey, drinking the blood of the slaughtered!"" (Numbers 23:18-24) NLT

"Etched in Stone"

"Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take away from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." (Psalms 89:33)
I know it's more than just so happens, because God's word does not fail, ever. And I know what you are thinking, 'There sure is a lot to "God's Agreement with David," a lot more than I could ever have imagined.' Well, if you must know, it's because His agreement with David included every single one of us! That is so amazing to me, how every sin that we could have been guilty of, or will be guilty of, God has dealt with; whether it be murder or adultery, you name the sin, and He has included it with His mercy and grace. You know the original Ten Commandments were etched into stone by the finger of God, so what do you thing Jesus was writing on the ground when the woman caught in the act of adultery was brought before Him? Was He etching the Ten Commandments into the ground? Perhaps He was writing, "Where is the man?" Personally I think He was writing sins, starting with the sin of lying and gossiping, He listed those sins which people so often overlook in their own lives. Interesting enough, I had a chance to listen to Pastor Matt yesterday, and he was touching upon the exact same thing that I shared yesterday morning; it was almost spooky how there was a sentence he spoke that was almost word for word what I had said. I know his messages are recorded some time back, maybe even years ago; but I still get a kick by how the Holy Spirit works, and how He put something upon my heart, that I would hear later on in the day. That's pretty much how it works in the case of God's Agreement with David, because it's still the same plan that He had from the very beginning; it was etched in stone way back when Adam sinned in the garden, God just dusted it off to reveal it, over and over again. I must say, I don't agree with everything that I hear, but I do take everything into consideration, and then I stack it up against 'The Whole Counsel of God.' As a good example, the point of whether we can loose our salvation; I don't believe that we can, because it's not in our control to loose it. Nor do I believe that we can walk away from our salvation, because it's no longer anything to do with this earth. How can we walk away from something that is no around? How can we give up on something that we do not control? No, it's not a question of if we can loose it; it's a question about if we ever had it to begin with...
""For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. "Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the LORD, who has mercy on you." (Isaiah 54:7-10) NLT  

"Kept in Reach"

"If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes." (Psalms 89:30-32)
You might read these three verses and go away thinking that God is talking about punishment or judgment; that's really not hard to do, after all, most people put God in that light, judging us for every little thing that we do. There are multiple ways we can look at these verses; from the point of our children and grandchildren, from the point of David's children, or from the point of the children of God who become that way through the blood of Jesus Christ. Any of those ways can work, but for the sake of time, I think it best to view this from the children of God aspect, seeing that it follows a verse which speaks about the "seed" which shall "endure for ever." Those other two categories have absolutely no guarantees of making it into heaven, but the third category does! From this perspective, God's "rod" is simply a tool that He uses for correction. It can basically be viewed as a staff, much like that used by a Shepherd for controlling a flock of sheep. You might know this, but I will touch upon it anyway; but the picture of the Shepherd with the lamb upon his shoulders has a story behind it. The reason that the Shepherd is carrying that lamb, is because the Shepherd has broken one of his legs with his staff; his he does when a lamb becomes unruly and will not listen. The point is quite simple really, and it usually works very well. While that lamb's leg is mending, the Shepherd will carry that lamb upon his shoulders and will keep that lamb close to him; by the time the lamb is ready to walk on its own, the lamb and the Shepherd have bonded, and the lamb is now willing to listen and obey the Shepherd's voice. When it comes to "stripes," stripes are something which are deeper, more profound, and are prioritized to the individual. Stripes can simply mean a mark, something that is a mark that defines who we are in relationship with our Heavenly Father. I would not want you to think of these stripes as something you might receive from a sever spanking, because that's not what God is trying to say. Besides, the stripes we are talking about is more like sores or scabs, spots if you will; something that needs to be healed, like leprosy. I guess you could say, You really don't realize that you need a doctor till something becomes obviously wrong! It's more personal than anything else...
"And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, "My child, don't make light of the LORD'S discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening -it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." (Hebrews 12:5-11) NLT

"He Stands Alone"

"His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven." (Psalms 89:29)
The fourth of six verses which proclaim the coming King of Kings, it is no surprise that it follows a verse which speaks of mercy for evermore. If you admire the way God does certain things, then it should also be no surprise about the upset from last nights game. What, you don't think God had anything to do with that? You believe what you want, but I saw nothing but talent on loan from God! I actually took this title from a headline on my computer screen, "He stands alone as the greatest ever," as they show a picture of Brady holding up the Superbowl trophy. He might be the greatest quarterback, but there is none greater than our Lord and Savior, not in all the earth. As a matter of fact, the Father has given Him and name that is higher than any other name in heaven and earth. So, if you get right down to it, Christ Jesus stands alone as the greatest ever, forever! You know, records are to be broken, but there is no breaking the record that Jesus set, ever! I dare anyone to even try! As to the point of the game, I was hoping that the Patriots would win, mostly because their winning was made so political. But after the half-time my heart was no longer disappointed in a lose, but thankful it could somehow unite our country, maybe even prevent a riot or two. It was not until the third quarter that my head shook from side to side, as I knew deep down what was happening. And get this, I already suspected the game was going into overtime, because it had already been predicted by one of the anchors of the Waste Management Open; which also ended in a playoff. Usually that game is wrapped up before the Superbowl even starts, but not this time; this time it went on and on. Don't get me wrong, because I am really not a huge football fan, nor do I usually ever watch it; and if I had to pick a team, then it would be the Raiders, whom I now call the Traders. But when you start using a football game to push a political issue, then I am going to go with the team that best represents the side of the political spectrum that I agree with. I personally know Christians that furiously bash Trump; and when I say furiously, I mean that they turn into monsters and look like they could kill someone who might step in front of them. I don't quite know what to think, because there is no way to talk to them; they feel what they feel for some strange reason, but they won't give me a reason that makes any sense. Be that as it may, we are instructed to pray for those in leadership, not to curse them. Believe it or not, God has placed him where he is for a reason; there is a reason for everything that happens, even a winning football game...
"Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his kingdom will never end!" Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elisabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."" (Luke 1:29-37) NLT

"Not Standing Alone"

"My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him." (Psalms 89:28)
Yesterday morning Pastor Bruce shared on David's sin with Bathsheba. It was a very intense message that touched on some pretty heavy issues regarding why we sin, how to avoid sin, and how we try to cover sin up. One thing that he said really struck my heart, because it was something that God had put upon my heart earlier in the week. It was regarding the end of 2 Samuel 11:27, where it says, "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." Bruce looked up after reading his, and said, "It displeased God, but it did not surprise God." It is a lot like that verse from Genesis 6:6, which many misrepresent when they try and teach about it, because it says, "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." I have taught on this before, and I have shared that teaching in this blog several years ago; but to understand where God was coming from, we need only to compared John 3:16 to both of these scriptures that deal with God's heavy heart; because that's what is being said, God's heart was grieved, not because was done He did not already know would happen, but because it actually happened, and when it happens, the result is always death. God hates death as much as He hates sin; you can see that in the account of the Flood, and how he says over and over, "And all flesh died"; "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life"; "And every living substance was destroyed"; "they were all destroyed from the face of the earth." It is pretty plain to see that God was not happy that He had to destroy, not just mankind, but all the fury little animals also; all those animals that Adam gave names to, some of which were lost forever; but that's a topic for another debate. There are several things we need to understand about David's sin with Bathsheba; the most important thing is that David sinned against God; first and foremost, what David did, he did knowing full well that God would be displeased with him for doing it. That's the part we need to take to heart, because we do the same exact thing! Secondly, God always provides a way of escape; in David's case, it was one of the messengers saying, "Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" You know how this works, I know that you do; God puts up a fence or provides a door of escape, and we look for a way to climb the fence or we run from that door instead of running through it. Thirdly, we need to own up to our sins! That's the part of David heart which God connected with, that when it came right down to it, David owned up to his sins. You know, you cannot give something away that you do not own. And before God can take your sins away, we need have ownership. That's pretty much how it works! Oh, and yes, that is a summary of what the verse above represents...
"Oh, what a joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what a joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude" (Psalms 32:1-7) NLT

"Upright Standing"

"Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth." (Psalms 89:27)
The third of six verses that point to Jesus, this verse makes a statement about two very important points that need to be pointed out regarding the Kingdom of God. The first of which is the idea of Jesus being the "firstborn." John touches upon this in his opening verses of the Gospel of John, by making mention of who Jesus was, where He came from, and what it was He came to do. He does this in a way that makes it perfectly clear that Jesus was not an ordinary man, saying, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) Paul expands this concept regarding the origin of Jesus in several of his epistles, one such example would be that of Philippians 2:6-11, where Paul speaks of Jesus coming in the fullness of God, but putting Himself in submission to the cross; and as such, He has been highly exalted above every other, to the point that, "every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Anyone that has been following this blog for any length of time should know how I stand on this issue as to whether or not Jesus was God; I do not waiver, not even an inch! My testimony regarding my conversion is a good example of why this is so; having been raised off and on in a cult that believed otherwise, I was determined from day one to make this truth known: Jesus is, was, and anyways will be, God! In a very popular portion of the Bible, where the famous verse John 3:16 is found, Jesus speaking to Nicodemus mentions a term called "born again." It is this term which has confused many generations of people who have either been deceived or have chosen to deny the power of God to change a life, from that which is born of the flesh to that which is born of the Spirit. Jesus Christ was the Firstborn of the Spirit, and He has made it so that we can be born of the Spirit also; which is why John declares in his opening verses, "But as many as receive him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13) The second point of which, is the actual Kingdom; a Kingdom that is not of this earth, and as such, it is higher than any kingdom that has ever been upon this earth. Here is another point of confusion that is among those that seem to not understand or have been taught that the Jews no longer matter, or that somehow the church has replaced the children of Israel. First of all, Jesus was a Jew, born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth; mark at His death, 'King of the Jews.' If you really want to get right down to it, we are adopted into the family, not replacing anything. One of the first songs that I learned when I was a new Christian, was Father Abraham. I was so excited to stand in a circle with my new brothers in the Lord, singing that song, marching and turning, and declaring the miracle of God's grace, that we could be called one of Abraham's sons, sons of the promise and the covenant with God...
"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see -such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:15-22) NLT

"Standing Upright"

"He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation." (Psalms 89:26)
If you really want to know, I was first going to title yesterday's post, Casual Encounters; but then I typed the word into Bing, and you would not believe what came up. I was basing that on the vision I saw while praying, which was a school of fish all swimming in a certain direction, yet, one fish was swimming in the other; and every so often, a random fish would encounter the counter swimmer and follow it; maybe thinking it knew something all the other fish didn't. Now you know how my head works; just don't tell anyone. There is so much tension in the world right now, it would appear that we are on the cusp of something happening. I wouldn't get worried over any of it, because it's all just part of God's last minute awakening; something that has needed to happen for a very long time. To properly understand the meaning of what is being said, one needs to understand the context and value of what it means to be created, governed, and protected; all by the same Unchanging, All-Knowing, Merciful, and Loving God. Things can really get pretty weird and maybe even life-threatening; but if God tells us we are going to the other side of lake, then guess what, We are going to the other side of the lake! As I was praying about this post, I saw a vision of a man fighting a fierce storm; leaning foreword, as into the wind, he was pushing onward, but always upright and standing as tall as he possibly could. One thing that Paul was trying to make Timothy understand, was that he should never feel ashamed of the Good News, not even if the one helping to spread it, such as himself, might be in prison. It is really nothing new, that the general population would be offended by someone who might try and spread the truth. Most people really don't want to hear it, because it disrupts their way of life or makes them uncomfortable. I would call your attention to the Major Prophets, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; all of whom were not all the popular with the general public, and especially with those in power. It really does not take a whole lot of study and research to understand that the world is at odds with the One True God; people want to make up their own gods, to suit their pleasures and to go along with own way of life. I love the story about when the Philistines put the Ark into the temple along side their god Dagon. They discovered their god face down before the Ark; and when they put back upright, they found it face down again, but this time it was only a stump...
"Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame. He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to bring charges against me now? Where are my accusers? Let them appear! See, the Sovereign LORD is on my side! Who will declare my guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!" (Isaiah 50:7-9) NLT

"Upstream Mobility"

"I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers." (Psalms 89:25)
Don't ask, because I have no clue sometimes what I am doing, nor do I know where this is actually going; I'm just alone for the ride. As I was praying about what God would speak to my heart about, I could not help but think of that bumper sticker that says, "Go against the flow," and shows a single fish going one way, while all the other fish are headed to the other direction. In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he instructs Timothy to 'Stir up your gifts God has given you.' To be perfectly honest, I did not really understand what that actually meant; I could not quite figure out how we can stir something up, except maybe to somehow mix it up with the world. Maybe that is exactly what Paul meant; that Timothy was to take the gifts God had given him, and he was to mix those gifts into his everyday life, into his everyday encounters with the world. Paul went to tell Timothy that "God has not given a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." I don't think that it is an accident when we have chance encounters with the world. God opens doors, and God closes doors; but in every opportunity that God gives us, we must be prepared to give a testimony of what Jesus has done. It does not have to be all that much, but it needs to flow out of us and into the world. Maybe our life can make a difference in the life of someone just by a smile, or a simple act of kindness; and then again, maybe God will lead us to share His word, or to pray for someone. That is what I see taking place; it's not so much that we do the opposite of everyone else, but more that our direction is all about life! If you actually consider what that means, it is a picture of the world all going in one direction, which is that of death and destruction, while our direction is that of eternal life. There are some within our stream that are bound to turn around and follow, if not but for a moment...
"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about the Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time -to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News." (2 Timothy 1:6-10) NLT

"The Up-Beat"

"But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted."
(Psalms 89:24)
I really hope you got that message yesterday, because for me, it all really came together with that last verse from the 2nd Psalm: "But what joy for all who take refuge in him!" Isn't that really what it's all about? To be perfectly honest with you, I do not realize that as much as I should; I mean, I know what I have been given, but maybe it's more taken for granted, more than it is actually lived out in my life. Think about what contrast was being put forth; the world powers being put under the mighty rule and power of God Almighty, while those who are eager to submit to Him are given liberty and peace. Not that it does any good, but don't you think their hearts might change if they just knew what they were up against? I was listening to a message yesterday about the Veil which was torn by God when His Son died upon the cross. That curtain was pretty massive, massive enough to require 300 priests to hang it; that's a pretty heavy piece of cloth. And yet, the moment Jesus died on the cross, that massive cloth was torn in half, from the top to the bottom. We know that this was done to show us that the divide between us and God had been torn apart, but we might not have figured out that the priests of the Temple most likely had sown it back together; after all, there was still about 40 years more that they would be performing sacrifices in the Temple. I can't but think what was going on inside their minds. How did they explain something like that to themselves? Moths? Lightning? How about the hand of God! Yes! It was the hand of God that had torn that curtain; just like it was the hands of God that were nailed to the cross! "I came for sinners," that is what He was saying! Sure, God was tearing down the divide, but He was also letting us in! No more would holy be off limits to man, because God had made the way for man to be accounted righteous and holy...
""Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more that I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I gave myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth."" (John 17:13-19) NLT