"Wrong is Never Right"

"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalms 104:35)
Whether or not you agree, that is totally up to you; but there are plenty more reasons to be right, then there are to be wrong. All the wrong reasons are temporary and will all be forgotten; except, that is, for all the pain and tragedy that they will bring. All the pleasures of this world will never truly satisfy. If you think that I am wrong, then you have not truly listened to Solomon's testimony. He had it all, and yet, he found no satisfaction in any of it; it was all just a vapor, that provided no nourishment to his soul. As previously mentioned, this Psalm was a continuation of the previous one, the one about "God's Love." This one has the title, "God Is the Creator," and as such, it should remind us that He has total control of everything, including our lives. Sure, He might let us get away with a little mischief now and again, but the bottom line to our very existence, is that our lives are in His hand. Not that you should be afraid of that simple fact; you just need to be aware that you are not going to be getting away with anything. Your life is an open book before the LORD! The word "consumed," reminds me of a message that I heard yesterday, one where the passage of Scripture was, "God is a consuming fire." This is not something negative, at least not for those that want to be consumed by God. Because God is love, when we are consumed by Him, we become lovely and know love. That's what fire does, it puts things on fire. Isn't that really what it is all about? The Creator of every single soul that has ever lived, every single sinner that has been born in sin, He has made it possible that they are sinners no more. It is really not a matter of consuming sinners or eliminating all of the wicked; it is more about changing lives. After all, the wicked are only wicked because they refuse to make Him Lord of their lives. Once they are converted, all wickedness is gone! It is as easy as the choice to rejoice; it all comes down to choice. "As far as the east is from the west," could actually be the direction, the choice we choose to follow. Sometimes I get so confused; it is really hard to make sense of it all! Do I have a choice, or have I been chosen? Guess we will find out. But in the time before that time might come, make sure not to choose wrong; and if you do choose wrong, make sure that you get made right...
"Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's!" (Psalms 103:1-5) NLT

"Right is Always Right" -Too

"My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD." (Psalms 104:34)
Now, when it comes to being glad, this is not to be contested! It's not like we have a choice, as some might consider; we are to rejoice because we have been given something to be glad about, something that this world can never give us, and it can never take it away. I know I have shared this before, but it deserves repeating. It is a lot like when God was speaking to Job, saying, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me." (Job 38:2-3) This was not just God asking a question, this was God demanding a little respect for having created Job in the first place. I mean, we can look upon our situations and feel sad all that we want, but when it comes to God, all of that stuff needs to be sit aside, because none of it really matters. Another example, would be when Jesus heeled the man on the Sabbath, the one who He asked, "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6) Jesus told the man, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." He did not just say to rise up and walk; no, He told the man to also pick us his bed. That might not sound like it is all that important, but it was the Sabbath Day, and any kind of labor was forbidden. There are certain things required of us that trump our situation, where we are, or even what day it is that we might be living in. What day are you living in today? If it's a day that has you feeling down or discouraged, then get out of it, because you do have a choice. Put your focus on the Lord, the Creator of your very life, both old and new, and live in that day where nothing here on this earth can even come close to the joy of being with Him. So, what is it that might be robbing you of the joy of the Lord? Is it your current situation? Okay, let's just say that it is; and let's just say that you feel lost and completely out of options; how does that make you feel? It might be easy to stay in that moment, but you have a choice! Somebody loves you! He cares what you are going through and He is there for you to reach out and touch Him. He will even carry you, if that is what it takes; but He demands the respect of your gratefulness; so, be glad in the LORD...
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:4-8) NLT

"Right is Always Right"

"My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD." (Psalms 104:34)
I will liken it to the way we see Him providing for us, even when we do not feel provided for, even when it seems like things are dying on the vine, or the harvest never really happens. There is more to life than holding out for this or that to happen; there is more to our relationship with the Lord than material blessings. Have you ever found yourself basing your relationship with God on your material blessing? You know, when you feel that you are living right or wrong based upon how well you are being blessed? 'I must be doing something right, because God sure is blessing me!' Is that what you think? Always count your blessing, but do not ever count on them to gage your relationship with the Lord! It is not only wrong, but it will take you somewhere you never want to go. Think of it like you might think about your spouse, or your best friend; you are best off to only think about the good qualities they possess, and not thinking of any of the bad. Yet, how many times do we find ourselves doing just the opposite? 'If I could only change this little thing about them, then they would be perfect.' Maybe not what you do? Okay, my bad. Anywho; it is the challenge we have to make our meditations of the Lord "sweet," never bitter. When Jesus spoke about drinking His blood and eating His flesh, it was really more than most people who heard it could understand or deal with; but it is a lot like marriage or going into battle, you are not stepping into something half-hearted or with reservations; it is all or nothing! That is basically what those wedding vows are meant to represent; we change, our relationships grow apart; our lives get taken off track and we forget why we fell in love in the first place; but the vows addressed all of those issues, before they ever happened. Just because you could not see yourself feeling this or that, does not mean that the vow did not count. Can't see it? Okay, then here is the other illustration, the battlefield. Who would step onto the battlefield without the intention to fight? And if you are going to be willing to fight, who would not fight with all of their might? That is the meaning of "sweet!" It is more about pleasant and agreeable; to be willing to enter into the meditation receiving everything as pleasant, even if it might be bitter, and agreeable, even if we might disagree. There must be a oneness, and we are the ones who must bend and change, not the Lord...
"My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short. Don't wait in ambush at the home of the godly, and don't raid the house where the godly live. The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked." (Proverbs 24:13-16) NLT  

"It's Who He Is"

"I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."
(Psalms 104:33)
I must confess, yesterday was not a very easy posting day; but it felt good to be reminded of how much this, that some might consider a burden, is more than just a blessing, it's me getting to know a very small part of what unconditional love is all about. That is pretty much the point Isaiah was trying to make; we do not deserve any of it, but God still does it! He cannot help Himself, He loves us so much! He is not looking for anything in return; there is nothing that we can do that will cause Him to love us more or less, because He is the One who has created us, He already knows every single little thing about us; He knows us better than we know ourselves. This is why we celebrate all that He has done, it is more than enough to ensure that we make it through to the other side; and all that we need to do is rest in all that He has done! Some days I get it, and some days it is just so overwhelming, I forget that it is already done. Do you get where I am coming from? If we had some sort of godliness in us, some kind of righteousness that made us perfect, we would probably be no use to God. He needs to keep us humble, knowing how much that we still need Him and how much His grace is sufficient for our lives. You might not believe this, but my wife is the most perfect woman that I know; she is the most perfect person, sinless and totally innocent of any wrong. It is my duty as her husband to care for her, not because I want to or not, but because I must, she is my wife! That is the small little part of what I am talking about. Whether or not Jesus wanted to or not, what He did for us was what He had to do; must trumps want every time! It might not all make sense to us now, but still we must trust that it will all work towards the good, to the Father's perfect will. After all, we are just the clay; we are molded and shaped, marred and mended, broken and reshaped again; but we are always in the Potter's hand...
"O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in the parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and your glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy." (Psalms 63:1-5) NLT

"Shaken and Stirred"

"He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke." (Psalms 104:32)
Okay, so that was rather interesting, you think! Actually, I think God was preparing my heart for the task I took on yesterday, cleaning out the garage. I looked at stuff that has been in boxes for over 20 years; every where I looked, my heart was broken. I have never groaned so much in a single day; over and over, each memory I exposed kept reminding me of the things and people that I miss, and the mistakes that I wish I could take back, and all the things I did not do, to the best of my ability. We serve a God the loves to bless His children, even if we are hard headed and reckless. Some things that we suffer through are things that are meant to get our attention, while others are meant to correct our direction; but all things are meant to work towards the better; at least that is what God says in His word. Today I feel the need to ask God to give me the faith to believe it, that it all works towards the good. It's not that I don't want to believe it, because there is where hope is found, and hope gives me the chance to rejoice in what is to come. That is it! Stop focusing on all that which you have way to fix or go back and correct, and start focusing the eternity that waits ahead! When we focus upon the place that we have in Heaven, then what is behind us does not matter, and what might happen between here and there does not seem so important. What really matters is place that the Lord is preparing for us; nothing here on this earth can compare to that. But I do miss my son. I miss that I had a chance to say that I loved him. That is the one thing I do not neglect to tell my wife; over and over, all day long, I tell her how much that I love her. It is all that I can do, is to express my love for her, and to look for some kind of a reaction. In that regard, I feel tremendously blessed...
"Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand." (Isaiah 64:1-8) NLT

"Indigenous"

"The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works." (Psalms 104:31)
I am sorry if you thought I was speaking of salvation, because it was about the peace and the joy that comes by fulfillment of purpose. What good are you otherwise? We are marked, created in the image and in the power of the resurrected Christ Jesus, and it is something that we need to work at in order to hide what we are in Christ. If you are a child of God, you are not junk! Get your life out of the gutter, because you do not belong there; you are only there because you are not fulfilling your God given purpose. (I pray that is not just for me.) We serve a God that does not make junk! To think that He would have made the mistake by calling you, is nonsense, because it is impossible for God to make mistakes. Every single one of us has been chosen for a specific purpose, whether good or bad, who can tell; but we are all part of His glorious masterpiece, and that masterpiece is good and perfect! It does not matter what you have done, or how many times you have done it; what matters is that you surrender your life to the Lord. Give Him all you got, and then some! Maybe that is where many of us have made our mistakes, by starting out giving Him all, and keeping whatever comes next. It is all His, it was never ours, even the stuff we have gained over the years; it is all rubbish, no matter what it might have cost, it will all burn in the fire. That is what Jesus was talking about when He said to store up treasures in Heaven, because the stuff we store up here will all go away, but whatever is stored in Heaven will remain for eternity. It is all about being glorious for the glory of God. No matter what that might represent for you, as long as you are giving glory to God, then you are on the road to redemption. The most important thing that we do is the ministry of reconciliation. Does what you do reconcile people to God? or does it repel people away from God? Salt and light are for bringing people into God's Kingdom, not driving them away. One thing is for sure, "the LORD shall rejoice in his works," so what part of His works do you want to be? Good or bad, who can tell? You can, for starters! You can hide nothing from God, and He does not hide things from you. Everything He wants you to do, you already know, you just need to do it. Be faithful in the little things! Taste and see...
"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21) KJV

"Who I Am"

"Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth."
(Psalms 104:30)
On any given day, the Creator of heaven and earth, He continues to amaze me by the way He causes me to take notice of His great love for all of us that are His children. I think part of what makes that happen is the fact that I am His child; being a child of God creates in us the ability to notice others that are also His children, because we are all one big happy family. The word "spirit," as it is used in the verse above, could also refer to the Holy Spirit, however, in this case I believe that it is referring to something else; something more in line with the way we are, one in Christ, and one in God. It is more about the breath which was taken away in the previous verse, which is the same word being used here for spirit; that which means being a life, that which makes us move; that which causes us to think, to ponder, to love, to hate; to do most anything that you can think of, it is all part of being alive. Jesus used two different symbols to illustrate what a new life in Him should be, that we are to be 'salt' and 'light.' Both of these symbols represent something which is used to make something better; salt, to increase the taste, and light to expose the darkness. We don't need to be taught these specific traits or abilities, it is what we do, it is what we are, it is part of the life we have been given. Yes, these are the result of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, but in the context of what is being said, it's more about virtues and character. I think it could best be explained by Isaiah 55:3 & 4, which is where God speaks about the "sure mercies of David," and how He has "given him for a witness." This is who we are, people that have issues and deficiencies, yet people that are children of the King, the Ruler of heaven and earth. We carry weight by the justification that we have been given; and the weight that we carry is that justification. It is not something that we have earned, so it is not anything that we can brag about or flaunt; but it is something that we can share without any worry of loosing it. Actually, the complete opposite is true: we might loose it, if we don't share it. That's a scary thought...
"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all the future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness towards us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:4-10) NLT

"My Hidding Place"

"Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust." (Psalms 104:29)
Beside the fact that there is really no where else to go, our Lord is the source of the peace and joy that we need to be the blessed people that He has created us to be. It might not appear as though we are there yet, but we are never really any more saved than the day in which we were first born into His Kingdom. Between that time and the day we depart this earth, there is really nothing different in the distance between us and eternity; it was all made assured on that day when we first believed. That is pretty much what I am feeling God speaking into my heart today. This is really not a verse that speaks of something that is wrong or negative; this verse is speaking about what is right and truth; it is where we want to be in our understanding and our relationship with our Heavenly Father. This is the cry of Jesus from the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" His cry was not a cry of His Father forsaking Him, for He understood better than anyone else that the curse was being broken by His death on that cross; His cry was a cry of victory, of completion, and a quote from the beginning of Psalms 22, a Psalm about "Anguish and Praise." It might not seem as though those two words should go together, or that being used together as an expression should make any sense whatsoever; but the truth be told, they are the two words which describe the accomplishment of God's redemption. If God hides His face from us, then we should feel troubled, to say the least; but that is not going to happen, not for those that have been washed to the blood of His Son! In that moment, as Jesus hung there upon that cross, that was the last time that God looked upon my sin, as He turned His face from the Son, seeing Him take upon Himself the entire sins of the whole world; and not just the sins of that time, but the sins of every generation, from Adam to the very last child to be born upon this earth. All of our sins were placed upon Jesus Christ! For those that have been washed in His blood, our sins are gone! As for the second part of this verse: we are not afraid! Much like Paul spoke about in his manner of looking upon his death, saying, "For me to live is Christ, and it die is gain," we are between two places of existence; anguish and praise is the banner we are waiving, for all to see...
"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to this present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released fro sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" (Romans 8:18-25) NLT

"In Due Season"

"That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good."
(Psalms 104:28)
This is a very interesting verse, and if you are into researching correlating verses, good luck with that, because the B.L.B. says that there are none. Sometimes it just takes a little nudge; just a little hint from the Holy Spirit, saying, 'Listen up, and pay attention.' I don't know about you, but I tend to be a little impatient when it comes to expecting God to do things that I ask for. It is not that I am wanting something to happen right away, because change is always something that makes me uneasy; it's more about me wanting the result to happen right away, which is something that is somewhat of a process. If you ask God to give you patience, then He will put in situations that will build patience; if you ask Him to help you depend more on Him, be prepared for the ride of your life. You know that saying, 'Be careful what you ask for;' well, things will get really real. That said, God will never give you more than you can handle; at least not without His help! Therein is the key to unlocking this verse, it is about not only depending on Him, but it is also about waiting for Him; the two go hand in hand. If we are going to depend on God to do something in our life, then we must also be patient for Him to do it; that is part of being dependent upon on God, God always knows the right time to make things happen. We can't expect to know when we need something if we are dependent upon God to give it; besides, most of the things God will give requires them to be gathered. In other words, they are usually something that requires us to do something on our own. If God says speak to those dry bones, then that requires us to speak; if God says to leave the land of our fathers, then that requires us to pack up and leave. Nothing is going to happen if we do not do what God might ask us to do. But God, who is all powerful and mighty, is faithful to do whatever it is that He will do next, once we take that step of faith. It is God's way of saying, "Do you trust Me?" Abraham might not have seen to promise, but he sure was blessed by putting hope in God to perform it. We might not see the result of what we ask Him for, but the road to getting there will sure be wonderful, if we just have hope! We can never loose sight of the hope that God has given us! No matter how discouraged you might feel, or how disappointed you are in your outcome, while you still have breath, there is still hope...
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are faithful ones, whose souls have been saved. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (Hebrews 10:35-11:1) NLT

"The Price is Right"

"These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season." (Psalms 104:27)
Not that I need to mention this, but again, there is someone who can not only calm the raging sea, but He can also tame the might dragon! This should not only cause us to be dependent upon Him for His great strength, but it should also encourage take us through each and every trial or disappointment. There is where the real difference is revealed, within the trial and in the disappointment. What, you don't ever feel disappointment? You mean that you have never asked for something, nothing came, and you were not disappointed? Sometimes the answer is no, and sometimes the answer is wait; but there is always an answer! This is probably the hardest part of our walk of faith, to wait. Abraham had to deal with it, David had to deal with it; almost every single saint or prophet in the Bible, at one time or another had to wait; and in their waiting, almost all of them were disappointed in one way or another. Even Paul, who preached about being satisfied in the moment, even he at one time in his walk with the Lord, was disappointed. It was when he was in Tarsus, the place where he dwelt for four years, until Barnabas came to encourage him to help minister to the newly converted Gentiles. When I say disappointed, it is not that we are always disappointed with God's response to our situations, it could also be our own disappointment with ourselves. Am I really strong enough? can I really do this? is there really a change that has taken place in my heart? First off, we are never as strong as we think that we are; we will always let ourselves down when we count upon our own strength or think we can overcome something on our own. Secondly, we can absolutely do anything, even the most impossible things, through Christ, who dwells within us; so the answer is no, but it is yes in God! And most importantly, the third thing is a matter of faith: it is not a question of, if there really is a change that has taken place, but of who it is that has changed me. We really need to stop looking at ourselves and start looking at Jesus! We can never be good enough to be saved; if it were possible, then Jesus would not have had to come and die upon the cross. Sadly enough, when we observe our own lives with righteous judgment, we find ourselves lacking what it takes to justify God's love and grace. But isn't that really what this walk is all about? We must believe and accept the fact that the price Jesus paid was enough, no matter our failures and no matter how much we might feel disappointed in ourselves, the price that He paid trumps all of that; nothing can compare to the price that was paid to deliver us from our sins! It was our Creator that hung upon that cross; there is and was and never could be, any greater Sacrifice made; and that Sacrifice was enough, and we have been clothed in His righteousness...
""Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? "And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don't worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom."" (Luke 12:27-32) NLT

"The Price to Pay"

"There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein." (Psalms 104:26)
Are we still in the sea, or is this still about the heart? I am really not sure; but one thing is certain, we still do not have control of whatever it is that we are dealing with, it is controlling itself, and having fun doing so. The word "play" speaks more about laughing, as in something that mocks and toys with someone, as if it were a sport. Can you think of who that might be? Well, based upon the closing Scripture from yesterday, I think it is pretty obvious who this is and why he plays upon the hearts of God's servants. Let me break it down into something that we can better understand. The opening of this verse is much more about the word "go" than it is about the word "ships," although the two are not to be considered separately. Go is nothing more than the life one travels, our walk, what leads us, what carries us away, our manner of life, etc.; I think you can get that picture. While "ships" are the vessels or the shipmen; seamen if you will, which are specific to the way of life one might travel. These are not to be confused as the same, because the life one travels and the way of life are two totally different directions. Two people could be traveling the exact same way, and they could be going through the exact same circumstances, but the life they live could be totally opposite of one another. If we are speaking of matters of the heart, our hearts are governed by what they are given over to the most; if we have surrendered our hearts over to the Lord, then they are governed by God; if our hearts are given over to the cares of this life, then they are governed by the world. Either way, the same temptations come upon each and every one of us, but it is what governs our heart that will determine the result. And you can bet "leviathan" will "play" upon our hearts! This is a real and present danger, one that we cannot take lightly. We must constantly guard our hearts; taking serious the enemies determination to catch us giving into the desires of our hearts. When we give in, even in the slightest way, there will be temptation; that thing which you desire, there it will be, showing up in your life, almost as if it was meant to happen. It is a lot like Eve, and the fact that she was even there, standing there next to that tree. Now imagine if Adam was standing there with her: What kind of a message does that give you? We really need to guard our hearts. The "ships" are not just vessels, they are vessels that carry us to and fro; they are the vessels govern our desires and the choices we make, based upon which way the wind is blowing...
""Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw? Can you tie it with a rope through the nose or pierce its jaw with a spike? Will it beg you for mercy or implore you for pity? Will it agree to work for you, to be your slave for life? Can you make it a pet like a bird, or give it to your little girls to play with? Will merchants try to buy it to sell it in their shops? Will its hide be hurt by spears or its head by a harpoon? If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows. You won't try that again! No, it is useless to try to capture it. The hunter who attempts it will be knocked down. And since no one dares to disturb it, who then will stand up to me? Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine."" (Job 41:1-11) NLT

"Hard to Swallow"

"So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts."
(Psalms 104:25)
Sure, we can make it all about the ocean, if that suits what you are looking for. Isn't that what feels best, to make it about something other than what might cause us to take notice of ourselves? Not today, today it's going to be weird and freaky; today it's about what we cannot control. Such is the case with the "great and wide sea," it is surely something that we have no control over, none whatsoever! We can utilize its resources and divert some of its water with dams and jetties, but when push comes to shove, it will always win in a battle. Today I would like to reference this sea with the likeness of our hearts; which just so happens to be as uncontrollable as the sea. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Most people do not really think that their heart is such; as if what God says about the heart applies to the people that are twisted and filled with wickedness, but not them, their heart is good and always filled with good intentions. Yes, it's all good, that is until a storm hits; and then it's like the ragging sea, something that is no longer under your control, at all! "Wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts!" Do you see the connection? "Who can know it?" We have no idea what we are capable of, not until the beast takes over, not until the storm is out of control. The darkness that resides within the human heart is a lot like the bottom of the ocean; a place of the unknown, where all sorts of things hide out, and have a life of their own. These are things that we must come to terms with and accept as if they are so. I know it might be hard to swallow, but if God says that it is so, then it is something that we need to take seriously. That said, I happen to know someone who controls the sea, His name is Jesus! If He can control the sea with just His word, imagine what He can do in us with His Spirit. But, it takes us realizing that we need Him to do it. Ask Him to guard your heart, to change your heart, to put a new heart within you; whatever it takes, just ask Him to make it happen. It's a lot like the trip across to the other side of the lake, cry out to Jesus, "Lord we perish!" and then let Him calm the raging sea. Get serious, because this is something you cannot control...
"The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?" "Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman said. "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'" "You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves." (Genesis 3:1-7) NLT

"The Creator Is God" -2

"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches." (Psalms 104:24)
Okay, so I realize God speaks to us on so many different levels, through all sorts of different situations, and by a multitude of sources; but sometimes it gets me going over every thing that I posted on in the morning, reaffirming how He works. The word "manifold," which is something of a number, like becoming many, or to be or become great, makes me think of a manifold on a car engine; the principle is quite similar, because the manifold takes all the exhaust from the individual cylinders and diverts them into one pipe. That is pretty much the way I see God working; as many different speakers are sharing the word, some are present day, others are recorded, but the massages somehow all overlap. There was a caller into Pastor Mike the other day that asked about this very same thing, asking if they all had some kind of a manual that they went by that caused them to all be on the same page. Mike answered back by saying no, but the other pastor jumped in by saying yes, that the manual was the Bible. Take yesterday for instance, one of the very first messages that I heard was about people who run their churches with signs and wonders being the focus and purpose of meeting together, and how that kind of assembly is always needing to be outdone. It is a little like being addicted to porn, you cant just settle for this or that, it always needs to stimulate more than the time it did before. Pastor Jon, his was the greatest; and I know that his messages are like from twenty years ago, but nonetheless, it was spot on. He was sharing about all the different patriarchs of the Bible, and how they all had some good and bad features; but that they all sort of built off one another, much like the trait of the father was passed down to the son, but the son would convert it into his own trait, and so on and so on. Then he converted it into the way churches are governed, using much the same logic of the example above; how they need to tweak what was done before to make things more interesting and appealing to those that attended the services; and so on and so on, until you can't even tell if God is still involved in the services, at all. But then he stepped it up again, by saying that he becomes like those patriarchs every day, all day long, minute by minute; living out the good and bad traits during the different phases he goes through each and every day. With so many variances to our lives, to our attitude, and to the way that we feel, there needs to be something that is always the same...
"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him."
(Ephesians 3:8-12) KJV

"The Creator Is God"

"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches." (Psalms 104:24)
Do you want to turn it up a notch? I don't know about you, but I get a little hesitant every time there is a call to do anything that involves revival or some kind of spiritual awakening. I am not sure that is something you can plan for, like saying, 'Come out Friday night, we are having a revival here at the church.' There is a church here in this town that makes claims like that all the time, but many of their experiments of spiritual awakenings turn into events where people loose control of their senses, and do things that might seem weird or out of the ordinary. I need to be careful what I say, because there are people who desire to see such things, as if that's what it is all about, God showing up with signs and wonders. Where does it stop? That's the thing about God's Word, it is never old or without a new revelation; His Word does not ever have an end, it is never without giving us something to take out of the meeting or Bible Study; that is, not if that is what you are looking for to happen. We need to come expecting God to speak. That is why I am always taking notes. I heard Pastor Jon say, 'If you don't have a pen and paper in hand, then you are not expecting to hear something worth writing down,' or something to that line of thinking. Here is something that I have learned over the years, that we never give up! Even though we are feeling out of sorts, or even though our faith might seem to have faded away, we never stop believing that God is not through with us, we never give up on His promises, and we never ever think of leaving Him; as if we could! Where are you going to go! You can't hide or run away from God, it is just totally impossible! So, here you are, stuck in a place where you have no other choice but to continually surrender; regardless of how you might feel about it, because truth be told, it is not about feelings! I am sorry if I have busted someone's bubble, but feeling are what makes us what to give up. Feelings destroy marriages and cause our youth to take their own lives. We feel unloved, unwanted, or unneeded, and next thing you know, we are looking for a way out. Love is not about how we feel, it is about how we make others feel; if you want to make it about feelings, then there you go; make it about making others feel good and loved...
"Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." (Ephesians 4:31-5:2) NLT

"Light Introduction"

"Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening." (Psalms 104:23)
Actually, I think it might be fitting to take a peek back at the beginning; after all, if we cannot accept the introduction, we surely will not receive the revelation. It is really not about works. I know that James makes a pretty good point of it, but he is not speaking about performing works for the sake of doing something to please God; he is talking about our desire to please God will bring forth works. There really is a difference between the two; the horse pulls the cart, not the other way around; we don't get closer to God by doing works, we get closer to God and works will happen. The closer we get to God, the more we will desire to please Him, that is how love works! If someone does not wish to do this or that in order to please their Heavenly Father, then the desire to draw closer to God is not really there. It's like saying, 'I like where I'm at, but thank you anyway.' I think I have been there a time or two; in fact, I might still be there now, if truth be told. I think if we all take a good look at our lives, we can always find something there we still want to hold onto. I could not help but think of something Peter said; it was when Jesus asked the disciples, "Will ye also go away?" Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." We might not get all the answers, mostly because we really don't even know all the questions; but we know Thee Answer, and that's enough for now! Jesus did not say He was a way to God, He said that He was The Way; He did not say He was a truth, He said that He was The Truth; and He did not say He was a life, but that He was The Life! Where else are we going to go! Why would anyone think of leaving Him because they might not understand or because they might not want to change something about their life? Is Heaven for real or not? Is it forth dying for, that is the question! I heard someone say something yesterday, I think it was Pastor Mike V, and he was describing all of the stuff that Jesus went through, saying, "I can only imagine that if something so drastic had to be done to save us from hell, then hell must be some kind of a devastating place." Maybe that is why Jesus spoke more about hell than He did about Heaven. I am pretty sure that it is a place that we should want to avoid; in case He did not mention it. That is why we strive for perfection, not because we are perfect, but because Jesus is perfect, and we want to be like Him...
"Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God -truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those that hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way that you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption."
(Ephesians 4:21-30) NLT

"Testing the Light"

"The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their den." (Psalms 104:22)
Yes, it is odd, to say the least. I heard a caller, yesterday, who called in about her pastor telling the church how they needed to sell everything and give it away, memorize the Bible, and be perfect; stating the she knew people who have left the church, and even now, she is thinking of doing so herself. The answer given was good, good enough for someone that is saved and in love with the Lord; but I did not get the sense that it was the answer she was looking for. It just so happened that I was in the town she was calling from, and all the while, I could not help but think that I knew the pastor she was speaking about, and I know that he has a right heart for God. She mentioned that they were on schedule to be in the book of Revelation, but that he skipped over that book and went back to Genesis. If you know how I thought I knew this pastor, then you can understand my concern for his church. There were some things that Jesus said which caused even the disciples to wonder; things like cutting off your arm and plucking out your eye, or eating His flesh and drinking His blood; or what about the camel going through the eye of a needle? never mind the one about hating your mother and father or brother and sister. These were all things that speak of the importance of getting to heaven and avoiding hell; however, none of them were things that are literally done. Nor do they need to be done! Do you know why that might be? There is really only one way that we can be saved: we are saved by the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world. Jesus answered the Rich Young Ruler, saying, "Sell all that you have and give it to the poor," but He did so because his possessions were standing in the way from him surrendering his life to Him and making Him Lord. In another instance, a scribe had said, that loving God with all that is within you and loving our neighbor as thyself, was more than all the whole burnt sacrifices and offerings; to which Jesus replied, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." This she quoted as if even doing this was not enough, and she was correct in her assumption. The scribe was not far off, because there is no way that those things can be done without surrendering our lives to Jesus. People will look at what they think they know they must do, while ignoring what it is that they need to do first. We cannot clean ourselves up to come to the Lord; we come as we are, and He makes us clean...
""God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believe in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear that their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:17-21) NLT

"Always Needy"

"The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God." (Psalms 104:21)
Okay, so maybe there are still some things that I need to get worked out; and maybe it is not okay to be okay about the darkness that might still exist within; but it's not anything we can change, only God can do that; we are all just a work in progress. If for some strange reason you don't think that applies to you, then I would hate to be you, because not needing God's help can be somewhere I would never ever want to be. We are totally and completely dependent upon God! Try to get this picture, how a young lion roars after their prey; what animal is going to stick around for that? Seriously, how does a lion expect to catch anything by roaring after it? No, the only meat they will get doing that is by the chance of something stricken or lame, something that does not have a chance to get away. It comes from not having experience in the hunt, but it also comes from thinking that they are more powerful than they really are, more equipped to take on whatever it is that comes before them. That is where we find ourselves more times than not, thinking that we can handle the battle on our own, especially if the battle has been previously fought. The devil is not stupid, he knows our weaknesses and he knows what it will takes to cause us to stumble; he cannot read our minds, but he can surely read our lives. We must never think that we can take on the devil; it is never something that we should even consider. But rather, we trust in God; He alone is able to overcome, it is He who lives in us that is the one to fight the battle; we are but a vessel, and a weak one at that. You don't agree? Okay, maybe you have found the keys to super strength and abilities; good for you, not! In the world of the supernatural, we mere mortals don't stand a chance; I don't care how many Marvel movies you watch, you cannot compete within the spiritual battlefield without God fighting the battle for you. We would do well enough to fight off our own person passions and desires; even then, we lack the ability and the stamina to always be faithful. As the writer of Hebrews said, "Ye have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Hebrews 12:4) No, we need the blood of Jesus each and every day; it is only by His blood that we remain worthy! We must remain humble and diligently dependent upon the Lord to fight the battles for us. The mature lion learns to sit and wait quietly for it's meat to come to him...
"What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending upon the strength of human armies instead of looking to the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. In his wisdom, the LORD will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against wicked and against their helpers. For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the LORD raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together. But this is what the LORD has told me: "When a strong young lion stands growling over a sheep it has killed, it is not frightened by the shouts and noise of a crowd of shepherds. In the same way, the LORD of Heaven's Armies will come down and fight on Mount Zion. The LORD of Heaven's Armies will hover over Jerusalem and protect it like a bird protecting its nest. He will defend and save the city; he will pass over it and rescue it."" (Isaiah 31:1-5) NLT

"Despite the Darkness"

"Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beast of the forest do creep forth."
(Psalms 104:20)
Yes, this is still about how God is the Creator; He is the Creator of all things, there is nothing at all that God has not created; the monsters, too, are His creation, just so you know. Does that sound a little hard to believe? Sadly enough, it's true, but it is not totally His doing; some things will just not fall in line with His will, at least not on their own. The darkness always gets a bad name, as if it was something outside of God's ability to express Himself by. When was the last time you were able to get out away from the city lights at night, to witness the stars in the sky? When we first moved here, back in 1990, there were so many more stars in the sky. I know that they did not go away, but they sure are harder to see with all the lights that have been added to the city. There is something that needs to be made clear, that God is not the one who brings out the evil, He is the one who is able to control it and to overturn its destruction. Somehow evil always thinks that it will win, but God will always have the last word; God is so much more powerful, there is nothing created that can ever try to overrule Him, there is nothing that even comes close to His great power, absolutely nothing! Is there even a question of who's side you should be on? If that might be an issue, then you have no idea how powerful God really is, or what He is capable of doing. Yesterday we had a special treat, as Pastor Pete spoke, as Pastor Bryan gave the message at his church. I came to church expecting to hear about the book of Philippians, and felt a little disappointed when we are told to turn to John 6:25. I was reminded about something that we should never ever loose sight of, that we are sealed for ever and there is nothing that can take us out of the Father's hand. We are the property of Jesus Christ; each and every one of us that have believed upon the name of Jesus, that have called upon Him to be Lord of our lives. He says in His word that we have been given to Him by the Father, and He will in no way cast us out! It is out of our hands! What kind of crazy is that! Yes, you can do whatever you want, but why would you want to miss out on all the wonderful blessings? Why would you even consider lurking around in the darkness, when you can experience His glorious light? There might be a fine line between those two worlds, but if that fine line is Jesus, it's a line that cannot be broken. Please don't misunderstand me, if you are willfully sinning and that sin does not bother you, then you need to be saved from your sins, because you are still in bondage to them. But if your sins have you concerned and are a problem that you feel a need to correct, then you are in the right place, because that's where God can manage to get some work done, despite the darkness that still abides in us...
""I am the LORD; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don't even know me, so all the world from the east to west will know there is no other God. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does those things. "Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the LORD, created them. "What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you're doing it wrong!' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be?' How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father, 'Why was I born?' or if it said to its mother, 'Why did you make me this way?'"" (Isaiah 45:5-10) NLT

"All Around Goodness"

"He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down." (Psalms 104:19)
I never said that those who do wicked do not deserve punishment; just because God can use wicked men for His purposes does not mean they are not subject to condemnation. There are a few wicked men that I know of who have more than likely been redeemed; like the worst king Judah ever had, Manasseh, the son born from Hezekiah during his fifteen year extension of life. Actually, there were two wicked men that were associated with that fifteen year extension who were converted, King Nebuchadnezzar was another, as a result of Hezekiah showing off the treasures of his kingdom. But do not think for a moment God was not in control; everything was ordained by God; everything was spoken of before it actually happened. Maybe that's the part we don't get. If God says something is going to happen, we should actually stop and think about what that means and how it will change our lives. Adam might have done well in doing so; Eve was deceived, but Adam willingly sinned. He knew full well what he was doing, yet he chose to do it anyway. God is still doing good things, even in the midst of horrifying badness. He does this on very large scales, as well as on very small and personal ones. Each and every devastating act of wickedness, God can and does use for the good; some way, some how, God will use it for the good, for His purposes, and to bring about His will upon this earth. He performs this in our person life as well, we just might not get a chance to witness all the results, but we can be assured by His word that it will happen. Abraham's mistrust in God bringing him a child through Sarah created Ishmael, but God used the descendants of Ishmael to save the whole tribe of Israel. (Genesis 37:28) Actually, if you do a quick study of how complex mistakes we make turn towards the good, it is almost hard to keep up with; a spider web of never ending process and results, that only God can figure out or bring about. Do you have devastation in your life? Does it seem as though there is no hope? Your devastation is God's opportunity to make something good; the lack of hope is God's open door to provide a wealth of good things to come. We might not witness it, not here, not now, but God is on the Throne making good things happen all around. Believe it...
""The day is coming," says the LORD, "when I will greatly increase the human population and the amount of animals here in Israel and Judah. In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the LORD, have spoken! "The people will no longer quote this proverb: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker of the taste.' All people will die for their own sins -those who eat sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker. "The day is coming," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD. "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the LORD. "I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already," says the LORD. "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." It is the LORD who provides the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night, and who stirs the sea into roaring waves. His name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies. and this is what he says: "I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!" This is what the LORD says: "Just as the heavens cannot be measured and the foundations of earth cannot be explored, so I will not consider casting them away for the evil they have done. I, the LORD, have spoken!""
(Jeremiah 31:27-37) NLT

"On Every Level"

"The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies." (Psalms 104:18)
As you might have figured out by now, those that might plot to destroy and to go against God, they too are all part of God's great purpose. Actually, there is nothing that goes on here that God is not aware of, nor, that He has not already determined it's outcome and is using it for His purposes; not a single thing. This is One amazing and powerful God that we serve, He can take any and every thing that happens here, and He can turn it around to suit His purposes. I was thinking about how many times that I have messed up my life; some of those times, I seriously wish there were ways to do things over. But God's peace came upon me, almost as if He was telling me that everything was alright. Even though some of those things made me sick to my stomach to think about, making me groan inside for having allowed myself to do them, God was somehow telling me that His grace was enough to override every last one of those mistakes and wrong doings. I was thinking of Adam and Eve, how Adam appeared to throw Eve under the bus, as he blamed his eating of the fruit on her, as if she made him do it. And as I was thinking of that, I could not help but think of Jesus' answer to the Pharisees regarding the putting away of one's wife with a writing of divorcement; He said, "Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." (Matthew 19:8) You see, it might have seemed that Adam blamed Eve for his failure to keep the one thing that God commanded, but in reality, Adam blamed God. That might not seem like such a unbelievable thing to understand, not if you were looking at it from Adam's point of view. For him, everything was spiritually perfect prior to God giving him Eve; sure, there might have been some physical issues; everything else had a mate, but where was his? Again, God does not miss anything that goes on here; not a single little thing, not even the thoughts of our hearts. We plot, we deceive, we do whatever it is we can think of doing; yet there is nothing hidden from God, even if all of those things go no further than our minds, He still knows the real desires of our hearts. But you see, even the greatest of man's mistakes, God can still turn it around and use it for good. So, what the heck does any of this have to do with wild goats and conies? Maybe it's just about the high hills and rocks? After all, the real message is about refuge...
""But," some might say, "our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn't it unfair, then, for him to punish us?" (This is merely a human point of view.) Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? "But," someone might still argue, "how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?" And some people even slander us by claiming we say, "The more we sin, the better it is!" Those who say such things deserve to be condemned." (Romans 3:5-8) NLT

"Purpose Driven"

"The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house." (Psalms 104:16-17)
I am sorry if you might think it strange, but this just won't stop until it has fulfilled the purpose God has intended for it to do. Purpose is a very strong ingredient, but it gets its strength from the other two ingredients; without those other two, purpose is only as strong as what it is poured into; and if it's not God inspired, then it is not going to last or amount to much; at least no anything that gives any glory to God. Just because a person is purpose driven, does not mean that they are going to do what is good and right; Hitler was a man that was purpose driven, his purpose was to create a superior race of people. That was something that turned into pure evil, so much so, that the whole world took notice and needed to step in and snuff it out. In case you have not heard, it's not about you or me, it's about God's purposes! God called Abraham to fulfill His own purpose through him; God chose David to fulfill His purpose through him; God changed Paul to fulfill His purposes through him. That is how it works; we don't bring our purpose to God, He brings His purpose to us. Even if we might not like it, it does not matter; if it is God's purpose that we have been called for, then it is God's purpose that will be done. Moses is a pretty good illustration of how that works. If you study the entire life of Moses, his life was all about God's purposes for the children of Israel; even from his birth, being delivered from death by winning the heart of Pharaoh's daughter; being taken up out of the water and placed into a position of authority. God's hand was all over the whole of his life, planed out from the very beginning of time. That is pretty much what God is speaking into my heart, it's all about His plans and His purposes. The birds nest in the trees, but they do so because He planted those trees; and because He planted them, they are going to perform His purposes; for what they are, what will nest there, and for His glory; it's all about Him...
""This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches. And all the trees will know that it is I, the LORD, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree to grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I said!"" (Ezekiel 17:22-24) NLT  

"Key Ingredients" -2

"And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart." (Psalms 104:15)
Yes, it is true, God's word is what strengthens our hearts. Do we really want the truth? Maybe not like we think that we want it; we want to know that it's all going to be okay, so in that regard, that's the truth that we seek after. But I believe that God would have us explore the truth with an open heart; letting every layer of doubt be removed, and letting God's great mercy continually override every single fault in our lives. Are we called to be holy? Absolutely! God calls us unto Himself, therefore it is required of us to be so. The question is more about being holy; to which the answer is layered between effort and failure; repeatedly, on each and every side. It's not that hard to understand if you continually remember that God's mercy is more than enough. I heard a message the other day, it was from Pastor Matt. He was speaking about how Israel only ever occupied 10% of the promised land, and then he related that to how many of God's promises that we ever claim for ourselves. We would be pretty well of if we actually claimed 10% of them, and then lived by that. I know that I have shared this before, but Abraham continually doubted God would provide him the child, and that God would make him a father of more children than the stars of the sky, or the sand of the seashore. It was not until God's agreement with Abraham, the covenant that God alone signed. It was at that time which God had spoken to Abraham about how his seed would be a stranger in a land not theirs, and that they would serve in that land four hundred years; and that He would deliver them out of that land, bringing them out with great substance, (Genesis 15:13-16). It was then that God's promise became real and personal; so much so, that Abraham had made a spot in his heart for those children and all that they would be going through. It was no longer a matter of if, it was now a matter of when. That is how it needs to be with us. God's word is His Word! Each and every promise is there for us to claim and to hold onto; make them real and personal...
""Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors. Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes out from the mouth of the LORD."" (Deuteronomy 8:1-3) NLT

"Key Ingredients"

"And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart." (Psalms 104:15)
Just in case you were not listening to the message, it was about 'purpose,' something that God has intended for man from the very beginning. When we loose sight of that, we tend to give up and feel discouraged, even at the sign of being blessed. It is kind of strange how that works; it's almost as if a sign of blessing speaks to the chance of being back in the race, a race that we no longer want to be in, mostly because we do not feel as though God can use us anymore. As I was driving down the freeway yesterday afternoon, I was listening to Mike and Mike speak to someone about suicide. It caught my attention because Pastor Bryan spoke of it also this last Sunday; as we were finishing up the last chapter of 1 Samuel. All of the sudden I was thinking about what I would do if I became homeless. I know it sounds strange, but for some reason it was somehow relevant to the conversation. In my mind I played out the craziest plan: that I would find the busiest and trashiest highway I could, go down to the Highway Department, and request a sign be posted for my service to clean up that stretch of highway. The sign would say, Highway Cleaned By: "Some Homeless Guy." I know it sounds crazy, but you imagine the possibilities in that situation; a person could become an instant celebrity; people would quit just throwing trash, and they might start throwing a little money. Anywho, here I go again, spiritualizing the text; as many have accused me of doing. There are three key ingredients listed above, "wine," "oil," and "bread." This might seem rather off the radar to some, but the way I see it, these are the three primary ingredients to a man or woman's calling and ministry.
The wine represents the Spirit of God, the oil is the anointing, and the bread is God's word. The wine is easy, for it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are moved; 'glad' is another way of saying that you are joyful or rejoice; it is stronger than laughter, it is more about having a joyful brightness. When we are filled with the Spirit of God, we are easy to spot. If you don't think so, then try walking into a place where you don't belong, and notice the looks that you get. The oil is anointing, because that is figuratively, richness. You know, before all of this stuff we collect, a man was rich by how many children he had; but that was back in the day when children were a blessing and raising them was a purpose. Richness is closely associated with purpose; as is the anointing for any particular service, as a king, or a knight, or a priest. When you know that you have been anointed for what it is that you do, then your face will literally shine while you are doing it. I'm just saying; which reminds me, need I say more...
"These people have left the churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don't know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn't have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us." (1 John 2:19-25) NLT

"Did You Know?"

"He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;" (Psalms 104:14)
If you really wanted to get technical, there is so much more to this than we think that we know. It is God that produces the desire in us to draw near to Him; on our own, we would most likely not even give Him the time of day. That's pretty ironic, considering that it is God who gives us our days here on this earth. We think we live and die based upon our own manner of living, or by chance; but it is God that gives and takes away, everything, including life. As far as we can tell, our life is all about trying to stay alive and be happy; that's the way most of us were raised, so it is pretty much all that we know. But Jesus spoke of a completely different life, I life where happiness is found in faith, the faith of knowing that God loves you and has a purpose for your life. That is probably the biggest single issue among the youth of today, they are confused about having purpose. Never mind that they do not know God loves them; how can they know that He loves them if they have no belief in a Creator. If everything is all due to chance, then chances are they are just here. That is a pretty lonely place to be, especially if you are going through something that you don't understand or that is overwhelming. As I was praying about this verse this morning, I could not help but picture David sitting out under the stars, thinking upon how God makes everything work together. Beef stew is probably what was on his mind at the time; then again, it could have been something altogether different, something like trying to understand why God loved him so much. Do you ever find yourself thinking about that? Wondering why God would love you so much, even though you are so disrespectful of His great love? I am sure that is just me, because no one can ever disrespect the love of God. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that cause us to take the greatest notice. Maybe because the simple things are the easiest to understand...
"Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground." So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground." Then God said, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground -everything that has life." And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!" (Genesis 1:26-31) NLT

"Poured Out Upon"

"He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works."
(Psalms 104:13)
Besides caring for all of our needs, God wants us to need His fellowship and spiritual blessings. To look at this from a spiritual point of view, it is almost too graphic to communicate in words; but in a certain type of a way, it is an intimate personal relationship, much of that as a husband and wife would experience on their honeymoon. Sorry if that is not something you can imagine, but it is really not meant to be a sexual matter; it's more about experience, how God's spiritual blessings are always new and refreshing, far better than anything even a husband and wife might encounter in their deepest moments of passion. It is believed among many that Paul was once married, but after his conversion to Christ, his wife left him, or some such thing. Regardless, Paul remained single; he even preferred being single because it strengthened his personal relationship with the Lord. I don't think that Paul thought about the physical pleasures anymore, he was too busy focusing on the spiritual pleasures that he enjoyed with the Lord. That is where I wish I could be; Lord knows, I try to remain there more times than not. My wife and I do not have that kind of relationship anymore, so it's not really something I try to think about. I figure I still have another couple decades, Lord willing and unless He comes back. It's been over 14 years, what's another 20 or so. Anywho, this is about God's Spirit being poured out, much as it was back in the time of creation, Genesis 1:2, which says, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Getting into the whole reason is far too complicated for this kind of a setting; but let's just say that God was producing something from nothing, and He was making it a reflection of Himself. Isn't that what He does with us? We are meant to be made in His image, to love and be able to love as He loves, to create and imagine with our minds, and to be able to have an intimate relationship with the One who created us. That is where we will really be satisfied...
""And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.""
(Matthew 6:28-34) NLT

"Cared For"

"By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches."
(Psalms 104:12)
It is easy to become dependent upon this worldly system, not that there is anything wrong with making a living and providing for your family, but things have gotten to a point where the majority of the worlds people are dependent upon others to provide food and water for them. Maybe I have been stuck in the city so long that I just see things a certain way, but it is easy to see how helpless people are in the big cities where disaster strikes and there is no food or water; things get pretty ugly real quick. That does not mean that I am going to plan on raising livestock or planting a garden; at this stage of the game, I would rather store up 25 Year Storage Survival Food, the kind that you just add water to and it becomes a meal. But really, there is absolutely no way that anyone can prevent from going hungry; no matter how hard you try, not even if you had money enough to burn, if the system stops working the way that it does and if your stored food is destroyed, you're going to go hungry. That said, I still don't worry about any of that, God is my provider; I believe that He will always be there to care for me; whether or not I and filled, that's a whole different matter. Paul had a few things to say on this matter, because he knew what it was like to go hungry, but he also knew what to meant to be satisfied in whatever state he was in. Birds are such amazing creatures. They sing so pretty, people love to have them around their homes, so they are always provided for. You would be surprised how many homes that I go to where there are bird-feeders all around the outside of the home. And the one thing you will always hear are the birds singing in the trees on those homes. I get some here, but not like that; my house is on the side of a mountain, so they are just naturally outside, but mostly just at certain times or seasons. I guess the point of all of this, is to know how much God cares for us and provides for our every need. We might not get all that we want, but He will certainly provide for our needs...
""That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life -whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"" (Matthew 6:25-27) NLT 

"Limited"

"They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst." (Psalms 104:11)
For all that God is limitless in, we are not. We might think that we have some sort of ability to obtain this or that, but in reality, we hopelessly helpless without God's hand of protection and provision. If you think that I am wrong, then imagine what you would do if God stopped holding up the sun, or if the world were to stop turning. I know there are people who don't agree, I meet them all the time. They think we are alone in this thing called life, and that everything just evolved over hundreds of millions of years; as if there was time enough for there to be mistakes, and time enough for life to get it right and evolve into it's self. I think they might need to start adding a few more zeros onto the end of that line of thinking; but if they did, the sun would no longer exist! I know that this verse is speaking of animals, but to understand the need that we have for God's hand to continue to hold things together, there really is no difference between us and them. As far as life is concerned, life all comes from the same source, God! If you have some sort of other opinion, then maybe you should read the first seven chapters of Genesis again, placing yourself in the characters that lived and died. We have no power whatsoever to control life and death. They might be working on it, and I see headlines all the time that point to some sort of progress; but I seriously doubt God would allow such a thing to happen, even if it somehow could. That is why Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden, to stop them from having access to the Tree of Life. God limited the amount of years that man would live in this fallen state; and after the flood, it was really limited; about ten times the amount of time as before the flood. The less time we live, the less time we have to try and be naughty...
""Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes? I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland. It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it. The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass. "Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall? Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you? Given its strength, can you trust it? Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work? Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor?"" (Job 39:5-12) NLT

"Limitless"

"He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills." (Psalms 104:10)
Just because it is short, does not mean it won't speak volumes. That is pretty much what I had upon my mind and heart this morning as I woke. The key word in the verse today is, "sendeth," as in, He sendeth! Whatever it is, it really does not matter, whether it is to bless or to correct, it is He that will send it, therefore, it will be good! Both James and Peter speak to this, without reservation, they do not hold back from letting us know that all good things come from our Heavenly Father, even that which might sting a little, if it is meant to get our attention, then it is all for the better. God's intentions are always to make us into a better person; much like any father in the world that care about his child, if there is some sort of punishment that is being administered, it is not to punish, but it is intended to be for correction. What matters more than anything else is what happens to our soul; never mind the stuff that the world might be able to put upon us, it the soul that needs to be looked after. All those different directions and ways listed over the last four days, that was all about God's ability and His determination to get us through, to get us to the other side, and to make us into the precious jewels that we are intended to be in His Kingdom, not here on this earth; although, this earth matters for His glory and for the testimony that our life is meant to be, ultimately, God cares about us, each and every one of us that are chosen to be His children. And because we are His, He will go out of His way to assure that we are safe and secure, all the way to the very end. The "valleys" are low places, if you will; they are places which run between the hills, the hills being those places which are higher and places of enjoyment. The valleys are not bad places, although they might appear to be rather low and sometimes the places we look forward to getting out of; they are the places where He sends the water, the springs, the stuff the nourishes and refreshes our souls. If we could see the benefit of what they provide, then we would willingly come down from those hills to be refreshed in the valleys; much like a hiker would come down from the mountain path to drink from the stream below. Unfortunately, that's not how it works, not while we are on the hills; but ABBA knows best...
""When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are perched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground. I will plant trees in the barren desert -cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine. I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means -that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it."" (Isaiah 41:17-20) NLT

"How High"

"Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth."
(Psalms 104:9)
I think I know what is happening, this is God reminding me of my first love; that day when I fell in love with the Creator of my soul, the One who placed Himself upon that cross to die for me. That had to be a very difficult thing to do; not just for the Son, but the Father too had to have felt the blow of watching His Son be torn apart by men who enjoyed what they were doing to a innocent man. Not only was Jesus innocent of any wrong doing, but He said to Himself, He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it; so He was not only innocent of any wrong, but He was a champion of all that was right and just. I'm sorry, excuse me if I take a moment. I could not help but think about that time when Jesus wept, how He wept for all the pain and suffering that we fear and go through, all because of sin and the death that it brings. Regardless of who you are, you are a part of the curse. We might not remember that, as we go about our busy lives; but the curse was begun the day that Adam sinned in the garden; death was begun and has continued all the way through the ages. There is something special about this verse, it speaks to God's promise to never again bring a flood upon the whole earth. There are some who would like to assume that the waters did not cover the earth, but I believe that God caused the earth to be completely covered, every mountain peak was gone, and everything that breath air died, even the birds of the air. That was a pretty big deal for God, it repented His heart, which means that His heart was broken over all the loss of life that had to take place, all because of man's sinful hearts. The next time that God would judge the sins of the whole world, He would do it by placing the penalty upon His Son. No more flood to cleanse the world, it would be cleansed by the blood of His Son; except this time, it would be cleansed for good! When Jesus said, "It is finished," He was speaking about the power of sin being defeated, once and for all. From that moment on, sin's curse was broken; when He rose from the grave, death's power was defeated; and when He ascended up into heaven, we were once and for all time released from the curse and given power from on high...
""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. "O Storm-bettered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli. I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shinning gems, and your walls of precious stones. I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near. If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat. "I have created the blacksmith that fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!"" (Isaiah 54:9-17) NLT

"How Wide"

"They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them." (Psalms 104:8)
It pretty obvious by now that we are talking about more than just water; but if you wanted to get more technical, water and God's word have very much in common with each other, on so many different levels. Don't ask me why, but wide is the word that I was given, without much illustration, at that; but let's see where this goes. As to the mention of faith, our faith is only as strong as the one that we are putting that faith into and how our heart believes that to be so. I don't know about you, but if I spend more time acting as if God is not here than I do acknowledging that He is, then in my heart I really don't give Him the kind of presence that He deserves. I guess it all comes down to the kind of relationship that we think that we need to have with God in order to get by, and in order to make it into heaven. Do I need to always be near Him? or can I fade in and out, as if I am visiting Him now and again? I guess it really depends on the life that I wish to be living. If I want to live a godly life that is spent serving Him, then I need to spend the majority of my day acknowledging His presence. There really is something that needs to be said for the kind of relationship this new life brings with it, because it is not intended to be flicked off and on like a light switch; real power comes from walking constantly in the Light. I know it might seem as though I am making this more than it should actually be, but that's only because it is something that is hardly ever considered. When it comes to counting the cost, it is really not a once in a while thing that we do; it needs to be continually put into practice, something that is well established in our lives. Maybe that is what "wide" is meant to mean, that it is spread throughout every nook and cranny of our lives. We cannot have faith in some areas and not in others; we cannot assign God's presence to only certain particular parts or places in our lives...
"Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads. By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud, "I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all the people. You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding. Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it. My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge. Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it."" (Proverbs 8:1-11) NLT