"I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." (Psalms 119:60)
It will all work out in the end, that is what I keep telling myself; what I keep trying to convince myself, sometimes with a heavy heart. I have seen so many wonderful men, and women, get knocked down; some of which were champions of the faith, who appeared to be unstoppable and on fire for the Lord. In this life, there are so many ways to mess up; and the devil is right there to help, at just the right time, with just the right temptation. This is the heart of what I make of this verse today, that it is all about the direction! I think of Joseph and the way he ran away from Potiphar's wife. It was not even that he was not in some way attracted to her, because I believe there was something there to give her the desire; but it was not well suited for the direction of his life that he mess around. If there was an example of what the character of a godly man might look like, then there you have it. Not many men in his position would react the way that he did; not many, sadly, do. It is important that we make haste and run away! That is exactly what Joseph did, he did not try to negotiate any longer; he made his point, the point was rejected, so he ran. Any time we give in for compromise, is a chance for our desire to take over, and then we chance giving into the flesh. It is really that simple. We cannot loose sight of the direction, at all cost. When Jesus spoke of this, He laid out some pretty strong examples; things like plucking out an eye, or chopping off a hand. These might have been meant to get our attention, but His reason for doing such things was all about the direction...
"What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." (James 4:5-10) NLT
Monday, December 31, 2018
Sunday, December 30, 2018
"The Heart of Man"
"I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies." (Psalms 119:59)
Sometimes we need a little push in the right direction! Even if you have been walking with the Lord for decades, it does not mean that you have learned the lessons to keep you in character; if anything, you have learned how to sin well enough, skimming by on God's mercy and grace. The thing about God's "testimonies," is that they never change; they are as fixed as that sun in the sky, and for very good reasons. What they represent are God's laws; always plural, and always divine. They testify of Him, every part of His character. And in relation to the human heart, they testify to the love of God, being fixed upon a man or woman, in need of being fixed! That is what we need to realize here today! We are seriously broken; our hearts are deceitful above all things! Even when we think we have it fixed, it still is desperately wicked, and is in need of being fixed some more! Paul was right, there really is no time to put down our guard, we will have to fight this fight right up to the very end. Maybe that is why so many give up and walk the other way? They just give up! Personally, I don't want to give up; I don't like to see people I know giving up. We must be willing to go the extra mile and encourage those that feel as though they have lost the race. If there is one thing that I have learned over all of these years, it is that direction is everything! Turn your feet in the right direction...
""And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."" (Luke 15:17-20) KJV
Sometimes we need a little push in the right direction! Even if you have been walking with the Lord for decades, it does not mean that you have learned the lessons to keep you in character; if anything, you have learned how to sin well enough, skimming by on God's mercy and grace. The thing about God's "testimonies," is that they never change; they are as fixed as that sun in the sky, and for very good reasons. What they represent are God's laws; always plural, and always divine. They testify of Him, every part of His character. And in relation to the human heart, they testify to the love of God, being fixed upon a man or woman, in need of being fixed! That is what we need to realize here today! We are seriously broken; our hearts are deceitful above all things! Even when we think we have it fixed, it still is desperately wicked, and is in need of being fixed some more! Paul was right, there really is no time to put down our guard, we will have to fight this fight right up to the very end. Maybe that is why so many give up and walk the other way? They just give up! Personally, I don't want to give up; I don't like to see people I know giving up. We must be willing to go the extra mile and encourage those that feel as though they have lost the race. If there is one thing that I have learned over all of these years, it is that direction is everything! Turn your feet in the right direction...
""And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."" (Luke 15:17-20) KJV
Saturday, December 29, 2018
"The Face of God"
"I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word." (Psalms 119:58)
The way I see it, our lives should reflect the life of Christ, in some form or fashion. If you get right down to it, if Jesus is the Light, then there should be Light reflection in us. Reading this verse, I could not help but think about Isaiah 6:5, as he was before the Throne of God, all that was wrong with him was made perfectly clear, and he declared, "Woe is me! for I am undone." This is pretty much what David is asking, that God's presence would be manifested upon him. The thing about any request such as that, is God's presence brings with it, Light and Holiness. There is no way that we can stand in the presence of God and not feel some sort of shame, because He is so Pure and Holy. As far as the precepts of God go, if we are governed by them, then we can also take comfort in them. Once we are made familiar with God's love and His desire over us to be conformed to His image, it is awesome to know that He is going to make it happen; one way or another, He will complete His work in us! This is probably the biggest threat in the church today, the discouragement of being human. Whether it be the way we look at others or at ourselves, seeing the human side of anyone is always going to bring disappointment and let us down. The best way I can illustrate what this means, is to magnify the second part of the verse, "Be merciful unto me according to thy word." This is not only for our own benefit, but for those around us and within our lives. Everyone should be given the same chance that we have for mercy; even those that do not deserve it, because neither did we...
"By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:20-25) NLT
The way I see it, our lives should reflect the life of Christ, in some form or fashion. If you get right down to it, if Jesus is the Light, then there should be Light reflection in us. Reading this verse, I could not help but think about Isaiah 6:5, as he was before the Throne of God, all that was wrong with him was made perfectly clear, and he declared, "Woe is me! for I am undone." This is pretty much what David is asking, that God's presence would be manifested upon him. The thing about any request such as that, is God's presence brings with it, Light and Holiness. There is no way that we can stand in the presence of God and not feel some sort of shame, because He is so Pure and Holy. As far as the precepts of God go, if we are governed by them, then we can also take comfort in them. Once we are made familiar with God's love and His desire over us to be conformed to His image, it is awesome to know that He is going to make it happen; one way or another, He will complete His work in us! This is probably the biggest threat in the church today, the discouragement of being human. Whether it be the way we look at others or at ourselves, seeing the human side of anyone is always going to bring disappointment and let us down. The best way I can illustrate what this means, is to magnify the second part of the verse, "Be merciful unto me according to thy word." This is not only for our own benefit, but for those around us and within our lives. Everyone should be given the same chance that we have for mercy; even those that do not deserve it, because neither did we...
"By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:20-25) NLT
Friday, December 28, 2018
"CHETH"
"Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy word." (Psalms 119:57)
Still sharing of the law of God, we look at the character of a godly man. When it comes our place and purpose in this world, nothing speaks more than character. What we are talking about in the way character is displayed, are the qualities distinctive to a man or woman who has God as their portion. It is a little different way of acknowledging that God is your everything. What we can gather from that meaning, is that without God in our lives, life does not have much meaning. It is like having been given a piece of land, but without any rights to that land, the land is pretty much useless and has no significant purpose, other than to look at and admire. God makes all the difference in the reason to live, no matter what experience or trial we might be facing, without God, it is really meaningless. In case you were not aware of this, we were all created to worship; the big difference is who or what we worship in. Even those so called atheist are believing in something; it takes more effort to not believe in God, so in all honesty, it is a religion, regardless what they might say. When it comes to God being our portion, there really is no one else we want to serve or listen to...
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15) KJV
Still sharing of the law of God, we look at the character of a godly man. When it comes our place and purpose in this world, nothing speaks more than character. What we are talking about in the way character is displayed, are the qualities distinctive to a man or woman who has God as their portion. It is a little different way of acknowledging that God is your everything. What we can gather from that meaning, is that without God in our lives, life does not have much meaning. It is like having been given a piece of land, but without any rights to that land, the land is pretty much useless and has no significant purpose, other than to look at and admire. God makes all the difference in the reason to live, no matter what experience or trial we might be facing, without God, it is really meaningless. In case you were not aware of this, we were all created to worship; the big difference is who or what we worship in. Even those so called atheist are believing in something; it takes more effort to not believe in God, so in all honesty, it is a religion, regardless what they might say. When it comes to God being our portion, there really is no one else we want to serve or listen to...
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15) KJV
Thursday, December 27, 2018
"Hope Sticks Around"
"This I had, because I kept thy precepts." (Psalms 119:56)
Seven words of wisdom! If we give up on God, we give up on hope; there is just no other way to look at this. If we are still focused upon the law of hope, as with faith, it is measure by placement; Where does your hope hang out? If it is in anything that you can touch or see, it is in the wrong place. Peter put it like this: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved: what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." (2 Peter 3:11) Seriously, are we living in the right direction? We are either expecting Jesus to come back soon, or we are are those that say, "The Lord delays His coming, live life as you will." I pray that I will be found ready! "Precepts" are the commandments of God. As simple as that might sound, it is something that we live out in our daily lives; and if hope has a law attached to it, then it also must be lived out. We cannot live out hope being double minded; it is like taking one step forward and three steps back, there is no progress: Every pilgrim must make progress! Whether or not you realize it, your life really does matter in the Body of Christ. Without a doubt, every single one of us are just as important as the other; so we should never say that we do not matter, because we all play a particular part. What is your part in all of this? If you don't know, ask God to show you what it is. To know your part and understanding your purpose are two totally different things. We only see the canvas from the canvas; we only see the very small portion that surrounds us. It is easy to have God show you your part, because part is only a small portion of the big picture...
"Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and we must love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God's Commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us." (1 John 3:20-24) NLT
Seven words of wisdom! If we give up on God, we give up on hope; there is just no other way to look at this. If we are still focused upon the law of hope, as with faith, it is measure by placement; Where does your hope hang out? If it is in anything that you can touch or see, it is in the wrong place. Peter put it like this: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved: what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." (2 Peter 3:11) Seriously, are we living in the right direction? We are either expecting Jesus to come back soon, or we are are those that say, "The Lord delays His coming, live life as you will." I pray that I will be found ready! "Precepts" are the commandments of God. As simple as that might sound, it is something that we live out in our daily lives; and if hope has a law attached to it, then it also must be lived out. We cannot live out hope being double minded; it is like taking one step forward and three steps back, there is no progress: Every pilgrim must make progress! Whether or not you realize it, your life really does matter in the Body of Christ. Without a doubt, every single one of us are just as important as the other; so we should never say that we do not matter, because we all play a particular part. What is your part in all of this? If you don't know, ask God to show you what it is. To know your part and understanding your purpose are two totally different things. We only see the canvas from the canvas; we only see the very small portion that surrounds us. It is easy to have God show you your part, because part is only a small portion of the big picture...
"Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and we must love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God's Commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us." (1 John 3:20-24) NLT
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
"Hope Endeavors"
"I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law." (Psalms 119:55)
Above all else, there is hope for a better tomorrow. Even in our darkest hour, it is the "name" of the LORD that we need to hold onto; His reputation, fame, and glory are those things that inspire us to keep holding on, even when all else is slipping away or gone. As crazy as it might seem, we are here for a specific purpose. We might not actually know what that purpose is; and I am not quite sure it is certain that we need to know. Just like the writer of Hebrews said of those who did not see the promise, so too it is for many of us, we do not see the work accomplished by our lives. If we hold onto the law of God, which is everything we know that keeps us dependent upon Him and His grace, then there will be fruit in our lives, one way or another. Hope is always just beyond our reach, making us stretch forward, and always pressing as far as we can possibly reach. I think what gives me the most hope, is that He chose me, not the other way around. He knows everything about me, and yet He still chose me to be part of His body; to be a member of His household, regardless of my faults and imperfections. When we get right down to it, none of us are qualified to take that position on our own. It is only by the grace of God that any of us are able to enter in. We all just need to be ever thankful and keep praying for one another; for the most part, that is our number one purpose...
"Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wise open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!"" (Acts 16:25-28) NLT
Above all else, there is hope for a better tomorrow. Even in our darkest hour, it is the "name" of the LORD that we need to hold onto; His reputation, fame, and glory are those things that inspire us to keep holding on, even when all else is slipping away or gone. As crazy as it might seem, we are here for a specific purpose. We might not actually know what that purpose is; and I am not quite sure it is certain that we need to know. Just like the writer of Hebrews said of those who did not see the promise, so too it is for many of us, we do not see the work accomplished by our lives. If we hold onto the law of God, which is everything we know that keeps us dependent upon Him and His grace, then there will be fruit in our lives, one way or another. Hope is always just beyond our reach, making us stretch forward, and always pressing as far as we can possibly reach. I think what gives me the most hope, is that He chose me, not the other way around. He knows everything about me, and yet He still chose me to be part of His body; to be a member of His household, regardless of my faults and imperfections. When we get right down to it, none of us are qualified to take that position on our own. It is only by the grace of God that any of us are able to enter in. We all just need to be ever thankful and keep praying for one another; for the most part, that is our number one purpose...
"Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wise open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!"" (Acts 16:25-28) NLT
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
"Hope Has Come!"
"Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage." (Psalms 119:54)
When we get right down to it, isn't this the reason we celebrate Christmas? For over 400 years the Lord was silent in the land and upon the face of the earth; and on that night, whatever night it was, He speaks in the cry of an infant. Since the foundations of the earth, this was the plan in the heart of God: to create man in His image, making him holy, and giving him a position higher than the angels. The word, "statutes," as mentioned before, means a prescribed action; in other words, God's will is not something that just happens, it is well planned out and is not up for negotiation. There have been examples of negotiations being made with God in the Bible; but my mom would let me negotiate with her over some of my chores; that didn't mean I changed anything, I just felt a little better about doing things her way, while thinking I was having my way. When I first started this blog, I shared about the difference between God's perfect will and whatever you would like to call the difference. Call it imperfect, if you will; but regardless of what you might call it, everything that happens is in line with God's perfect will; the Story ends the same no matter what happens here on this earth! It is a lot like this whole Global Warming scam; as if we could somehow change anything, the earth still belongs to the Lord! No matter what we might do, His will is going to get done, and in perfect order. The term, "My Songs," is joy and rejoicing in Triumphal Songs; songs in night, is one way to show it, as Paul and Silas sang their victory songs in their jail cell. It pants a picture of giving praise based upon what is the hope, not based upon what are the circumstances. In other words, this temporary place is not our home, and nothing that can happen to us here will change our position there, in the place Jesus has prepared for us. "The House" shown above, is nothing more than a tent, which is exactly what this body is, a temporary dwelling place, used for our "pilgrimage" through this life as a human being; a sojourning place; 'used of human life, in which man remains, like a guest, for a shorter time than he wishes.' When we are talking about real hope, the hope we need is not based upon anything here; the Good News that the angels declared was about man's Salvation, not about blessings that are here on this earth! That cry on the blessed night, was that of our Savior; a baby in a manger, who was not just born the King of the Jews, but the KING of the world...
"All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16) NLT
When we get right down to it, isn't this the reason we celebrate Christmas? For over 400 years the Lord was silent in the land and upon the face of the earth; and on that night, whatever night it was, He speaks in the cry of an infant. Since the foundations of the earth, this was the plan in the heart of God: to create man in His image, making him holy, and giving him a position higher than the angels. The word, "statutes," as mentioned before, means a prescribed action; in other words, God's will is not something that just happens, it is well planned out and is not up for negotiation. There have been examples of negotiations being made with God in the Bible; but my mom would let me negotiate with her over some of my chores; that didn't mean I changed anything, I just felt a little better about doing things her way, while thinking I was having my way. When I first started this blog, I shared about the difference between God's perfect will and whatever you would like to call the difference. Call it imperfect, if you will; but regardless of what you might call it, everything that happens is in line with God's perfect will; the Story ends the same no matter what happens here on this earth! It is a lot like this whole Global Warming scam; as if we could somehow change anything, the earth still belongs to the Lord! No matter what we might do, His will is going to get done, and in perfect order. The term, "My Songs," is joy and rejoicing in Triumphal Songs; songs in night, is one way to show it, as Paul and Silas sang their victory songs in their jail cell. It pants a picture of giving praise based upon what is the hope, not based upon what are the circumstances. In other words, this temporary place is not our home, and nothing that can happen to us here will change our position there, in the place Jesus has prepared for us. "The House" shown above, is nothing more than a tent, which is exactly what this body is, a temporary dwelling place, used for our "pilgrimage" through this life as a human being; a sojourning place; 'used of human life, in which man remains, like a guest, for a shorter time than he wishes.' When we are talking about real hope, the hope we need is not based upon anything here; the Good News that the angels declared was about man's Salvation, not about blessings that are here on this earth! That cry on the blessed night, was that of our Savior; a baby in a manger, who was not just born the King of the Jews, but the KING of the world...
"All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16) NLT
Monday, December 24, 2018
"Hope Endures"
"Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law." (Psalms 119:53)
Yes, it's true: there is one, only One to whom we must answer to, and He is greatly on our side! You must believe me when I say this, but I did not actually know the word, "Comforted," in the last verse was the very same word that was used for, "Repented," in Genesis 6:6. I knew that it meant to repent, but I did not actually know it was the exact same word. Let me tell you something about what the Lord has put upon my heart; because if you wish to analyze what hope and love have in common, the word "horror" comes to mind when you consider the result. Pastor Nathan shared about love, by saying, that real love was to lay down your life for others. It is that exact love that completes the circle, the circle of hope, peace, joy, and love. There are a couple of verses that come to mind in all of this, both of which are of Jesus sharing how that He came to turn one against the other, to divide brother and sister, son against his father, daughter against her mother. If you want to talk about horror, then here is the synopsis of what Jesus was speaking to: Yes, brother will turn against brother, son against father, and daughter against mother; but the horror in that situation, is that the one who knows the truth must be willing to lay their life down for the other! In other words: If you are going to get rocks thrown at you, pray that those rocks are soft! Actually, I took that from an 80's movie called "Peter and Paul". In the movie, Paul, played by Anthony Hopkins, gets stoned and dragged out of the city dead; then all of the sudden he jumps up from the ground and says, "Okay, off to the next city!" After that, Barnabas says, "Well, let's hope the rocks are softer!" If I could put a finger on the vision God has given me, it would be a lot like the three Jewish boys that were getting ready to be thrown into that Fiery Furnace; that it really did not matter if God were to save them from the fire or not, even still, they had a higher hope...
"With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed -cut off from Christ! -if that would save them. They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." (Romans 9:1-5) NLT
Yes, it's true: there is one, only One to whom we must answer to, and He is greatly on our side! You must believe me when I say this, but I did not actually know the word, "Comforted," in the last verse was the very same word that was used for, "Repented," in Genesis 6:6. I knew that it meant to repent, but I did not actually know it was the exact same word. Let me tell you something about what the Lord has put upon my heart; because if you wish to analyze what hope and love have in common, the word "horror" comes to mind when you consider the result. Pastor Nathan shared about love, by saying, that real love was to lay down your life for others. It is that exact love that completes the circle, the circle of hope, peace, joy, and love. There are a couple of verses that come to mind in all of this, both of which are of Jesus sharing how that He came to turn one against the other, to divide brother and sister, son against his father, daughter against her mother. If you want to talk about horror, then here is the synopsis of what Jesus was speaking to: Yes, brother will turn against brother, son against father, and daughter against mother; but the horror in that situation, is that the one who knows the truth must be willing to lay their life down for the other! In other words: If you are going to get rocks thrown at you, pray that those rocks are soft! Actually, I took that from an 80's movie called "Peter and Paul". In the movie, Paul, played by Anthony Hopkins, gets stoned and dragged out of the city dead; then all of the sudden he jumps up from the ground and says, "Okay, off to the next city!" After that, Barnabas says, "Well, let's hope the rocks are softer!" If I could put a finger on the vision God has given me, it would be a lot like the three Jewish boys that were getting ready to be thrown into that Fiery Furnace; that it really did not matter if God were to save them from the fire or not, even still, they had a higher hope...
"With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed -cut off from Christ! -if that would save them. They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." (Romans 9:1-5) NLT
Sunday, December 23, 2018
"Hope Loves"
"I remember thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself." (Psalms 119:52)
You know, not everything that is judgement is meant to be a bad thing: God's judgements are Holy and Righteous, and governed by Love! I remember doing a teaching in Genesis 6 & 7; primarily chapter 7, but 6:5-8 was the springboard to chapter 7. I have heard some try to say that "repented" means God was sorry He had made man, as if He regretted having made man at all. As Pastor Mike likes to remind us, every now and again: "God cannot learn!" Basically, what that represents is God's ability to know all things, before they will even happen! If that be the case, then regret is not hardly possible with God; how can He regret, if He already knew what was going to happen in the first place? As I tried to stress in my teaching, God says over and over, "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, died!" This was a very big deal to God, and it saddened His heart to see His creation have to go through this, but there was no other option. As Kirk Cameron shows us in one of his movies, the Rainbow represents more that just a sign God will not flood the earth again; it shows His bow being pointed towards Heaven! Wow! I can't imagine how much He repented having to send His Son down here to represent His judgments! That's right, sin was judged on that cross, once and for all! Now, in case you were not aware, those who get judged for their sin, it is not because their sins were not paid for, because they most certainly were! What an amazing God we serve! If you are one that has accepted God's free Gift of Salvation, then you too can comfort yourself, because your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Your sins were dealt with on that cross, never to be judged again, because they are gone! Where did they go? you might ask. Is there really a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? I seriously doubt it. There is only One Judge: Comfort yourself in that...
"Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given, you children of his servant Abraham, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones." (Psalms 105:1-6) NLT
You know, not everything that is judgement is meant to be a bad thing: God's judgements are Holy and Righteous, and governed by Love! I remember doing a teaching in Genesis 6 & 7; primarily chapter 7, but 6:5-8 was the springboard to chapter 7. I have heard some try to say that "repented" means God was sorry He had made man, as if He regretted having made man at all. As Pastor Mike likes to remind us, every now and again: "God cannot learn!" Basically, what that represents is God's ability to know all things, before they will even happen! If that be the case, then regret is not hardly possible with God; how can He regret, if He already knew what was going to happen in the first place? As I tried to stress in my teaching, God says over and over, "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, died!" This was a very big deal to God, and it saddened His heart to see His creation have to go through this, but there was no other option. As Kirk Cameron shows us in one of his movies, the Rainbow represents more that just a sign God will not flood the earth again; it shows His bow being pointed towards Heaven! Wow! I can't imagine how much He repented having to send His Son down here to represent His judgments! That's right, sin was judged on that cross, once and for all! Now, in case you were not aware, those who get judged for their sin, it is not because their sins were not paid for, because they most certainly were! What an amazing God we serve! If you are one that has accepted God's free Gift of Salvation, then you too can comfort yourself, because your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Your sins were dealt with on that cross, never to be judged again, because they are gone! Where did they go? you might ask. Is there really a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? I seriously doubt it. There is only One Judge: Comfort yourself in that...
"Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD. Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given, you children of his servant Abraham, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones." (Psalms 105:1-6) NLT
Saturday, December 22, 2018
"Hope Speaks"
"The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law." (Psalms 119:51)
You might be wondering how I came up with the title above; but to be perfectly honest, it was not the title that I wanted to go with; not even close! The first thing we need to understand about saying nothing, is it prevents those that want to mock what you say, to instead have to focus upon what you do. Typical, I know. I love the way God speaks, because there is really no other to make a point, but to use the tip of His written Word. Anyone out there that understands what I just said, you know it is the way that He gets to the 'heart' of the matter. Some might call it being blindsided; I will choose to call it, getting to the point. We can dance around the issue at hand all we want to, but when God wants to get our attention, He uses something insignificant to distract us, and then, jab! Right in the heart and He gets our attention! Matthew Henry sums up this verse by saying, "Those can bear but little for Christ that cannot bear a hard word for him." I cannot tell you the number of times I have neglected to speak out, even though I felt the Holy Spirit directing me to do so. For what? The fear of being laughed at? To be scorned? What was it that made me remain silent? Maybe it was the fear of not knowing what to say? If that be the case, I was being a bigger idiot than those I was fearful of speaking to! We have got to understand something of vital importance! When the Holy Spirit wants you to open your mouth, it is because He has something to say! I know this verses is David speaking about how the proud around him mocked him for his belief. David was a very religious man, and he was not afraid of letting people know how he felt. But, this is also speaking to our pride; how the pride within our own hearts stops us from speaking when it is time to speak. But more than that! Our pride keeps us from doing when it is time to do! To pray with someone that is suffering. To reach out and help someone in need. The simple little things that matter more than words. My mom always use to tell me, "Actions speak louder than words"...
"Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. "He saved others," they said, "let him save himself if he is really God's Messiah, the Chosen One." The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" A sign was fastened above him with these words: "This is the King of the Jews."" (Luke 23:34-38) NLT
You might be wondering how I came up with the title above; but to be perfectly honest, it was not the title that I wanted to go with; not even close! The first thing we need to understand about saying nothing, is it prevents those that want to mock what you say, to instead have to focus upon what you do. Typical, I know. I love the way God speaks, because there is really no other to make a point, but to use the tip of His written Word. Anyone out there that understands what I just said, you know it is the way that He gets to the 'heart' of the matter. Some might call it being blindsided; I will choose to call it, getting to the point. We can dance around the issue at hand all we want to, but when God wants to get our attention, He uses something insignificant to distract us, and then, jab! Right in the heart and He gets our attention! Matthew Henry sums up this verse by saying, "Those can bear but little for Christ that cannot bear a hard word for him." I cannot tell you the number of times I have neglected to speak out, even though I felt the Holy Spirit directing me to do so. For what? The fear of being laughed at? To be scorned? What was it that made me remain silent? Maybe it was the fear of not knowing what to say? If that be the case, I was being a bigger idiot than those I was fearful of speaking to! We have got to understand something of vital importance! When the Holy Spirit wants you to open your mouth, it is because He has something to say! I know this verses is David speaking about how the proud around him mocked him for his belief. David was a very religious man, and he was not afraid of letting people know how he felt. But, this is also speaking to our pride; how the pride within our own hearts stops us from speaking when it is time to speak. But more than that! Our pride keeps us from doing when it is time to do! To pray with someone that is suffering. To reach out and help someone in need. The simple little things that matter more than words. My mom always use to tell me, "Actions speak louder than words"...
"Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. "He saved others," they said, "let him save himself if he is really God's Messiah, the Chosen One." The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" A sign was fastened above him with these words: "This is the King of the Jews."" (Luke 23:34-38) NLT
Friday, December 21, 2018
"Just Sayin"
"This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." (Psalms 119:50)
Before we can even have anything to put our faith in, there needs to be reason enough to believe that something is there and that is some sort of prize or redemption to come our way. Paul puts it in a very simple way, speaking about the resurrection from the dead; that if there is no resurrection, what is the point! And better yet, if Christ was not raised, then our faith is in vain, and we are still in our sins; and all those that have died have perished. (1 Corinthians 15:16-18) I can't help but think of that rat experiment, the one where they were saved from downing. Those rats that were not saved, simply gave up trying to swim after only a few short hour; but the ones that tasted salvation, keep on swimming, holding out for the hope of being saved. Christ did rise up from the grave! If you need proof, then research it yourself; start with your own heart, and then convince your head! I go back to the very beginning, Genesis 1:1. It really goes back to the simple fact of the Bible being the word of God, and the truth of what is being spoken. Where does our hope come from? It comes from knowing that the Bible is the spoken Word of God, and throughout His Word, there is Hope! We can debate all the little technical details all we want to, and we can still go away frustrated in disagreement; but if you want to disagree on the merits of God's Word, our debating is over and we have nothing left to talk about. I will choose to not even into into an argument over the authenticity of the Bible; if for no other reason than to protect my own heart. I will lay out what I know, and pray for you, but I will not even consider your argument with any validity of truth. Call me cautious, but I know how the human heart works. It is the doubt we have within us that allows us to sin; it is any once of disbelief that will allow us to give up and drown, like a downed rat. It is that word "quickened" that spells it out better than I could ever do. Much like the question Jesus presented to Martha, "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. Believeth thou this?" (John 11:26) That is what His Word is for...
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:3-5) NLT
Before we can even have anything to put our faith in, there needs to be reason enough to believe that something is there and that is some sort of prize or redemption to come our way. Paul puts it in a very simple way, speaking about the resurrection from the dead; that if there is no resurrection, what is the point! And better yet, if Christ was not raised, then our faith is in vain, and we are still in our sins; and all those that have died have perished. (1 Corinthians 15:16-18) I can't help but think of that rat experiment, the one where they were saved from downing. Those rats that were not saved, simply gave up trying to swim after only a few short hour; but the ones that tasted salvation, keep on swimming, holding out for the hope of being saved. Christ did rise up from the grave! If you need proof, then research it yourself; start with your own heart, and then convince your head! I go back to the very beginning, Genesis 1:1. It really goes back to the simple fact of the Bible being the word of God, and the truth of what is being spoken. Where does our hope come from? It comes from knowing that the Bible is the spoken Word of God, and throughout His Word, there is Hope! We can debate all the little technical details all we want to, and we can still go away frustrated in disagreement; but if you want to disagree on the merits of God's Word, our debating is over and we have nothing left to talk about. I will choose to not even into into an argument over the authenticity of the Bible; if for no other reason than to protect my own heart. I will lay out what I know, and pray for you, but I will not even consider your argument with any validity of truth. Call me cautious, but I know how the human heart works. It is the doubt we have within us that allows us to sin; it is any once of disbelief that will allow us to give up and drown, like a downed rat. It is that word "quickened" that spells it out better than I could ever do. Much like the question Jesus presented to Martha, "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. Believeth thou this?" (John 11:26) That is what His Word is for...
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:3-5) NLT
Thursday, December 20, 2018
"ZAYIN"
"Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope." (Psalms 119:49)
If we get right down to it, hope is the thing that keeps us holding on. Without hope, there is really nothing to keep us pressing forward; just one more, and one more, and so on and so on we go. I'm just 'sayin,' if you don't have hope, you cannot cope! This would most likely focus upon the law of hope; just in case you were wondering. Yes, hope has a law attached to it as much as anything else. The law that hope brings with it, is the desire to see what you cannot see yet; you know it is there waiting for you, and sooner or later it will be yours. David is king, yet this hope in his heart is in something beyond an ordinary kingdom. We sometimes might forget that David, along with many other of the Old Testament saints, were looking for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. They looked forward to the cross, we get to look back to what Jesus did on the cross; but it is really all the same kind of faith. Regardless of when it happened, it is still dependent upon the belief that His death on the cross has paid the price for our sins; the blessed assurance that our sins have been forgiven and that we have been gifted with eternal life. I know it might not seem to some as the kind of thing that they can put all of their hope into; like where is the proof? How do I know that my sins have been taken away? I surely can't count on the proof of being sinless? Oddly enough, the same question was in the hearts of everyone that died in the wilderness from being bitten by those serpents. Those that died, failed to see the healing power in the Brazen Serpent that was lifted up; they sinned, they were being judged for there sins, and how was looking up at a Brazen Serpent on a pole going to change anything? Well, if you are told by someone representing God, that it will work, then faith starts by hoping it will work. Without hope, faith is useless...
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (Hebrews 11:1) NLT
If we get right down to it, hope is the thing that keeps us holding on. Without hope, there is really nothing to keep us pressing forward; just one more, and one more, and so on and so on we go. I'm just 'sayin,' if you don't have hope, you cannot cope! This would most likely focus upon the law of hope; just in case you were wondering. Yes, hope has a law attached to it as much as anything else. The law that hope brings with it, is the desire to see what you cannot see yet; you know it is there waiting for you, and sooner or later it will be yours. David is king, yet this hope in his heart is in something beyond an ordinary kingdom. We sometimes might forget that David, along with many other of the Old Testament saints, were looking for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. They looked forward to the cross, we get to look back to what Jesus did on the cross; but it is really all the same kind of faith. Regardless of when it happened, it is still dependent upon the belief that His death on the cross has paid the price for our sins; the blessed assurance that our sins have been forgiven and that we have been gifted with eternal life. I know it might not seem to some as the kind of thing that they can put all of their hope into; like where is the proof? How do I know that my sins have been taken away? I surely can't count on the proof of being sinless? Oddly enough, the same question was in the hearts of everyone that died in the wilderness from being bitten by those serpents. Those that died, failed to see the healing power in the Brazen Serpent that was lifted up; they sinned, they were being judged for there sins, and how was looking up at a Brazen Serpent on a pole going to change anything? Well, if you are told by someone representing God, that it will work, then faith starts by hoping it will work. Without hope, faith is useless...
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (Hebrews 11:1) NLT
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
"As You Know"
"My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes." (Psalms 119:48)
To be perfectly honest, these are never easy, these trials that we live through from time to time. As a matter of fact, they can test us in ways that we never thought we could ever be tested. Not that it is a bad thing; because if we knew what we were in for, we might just plan to stay away from whatever it was that was going to test us. Interesting how that works, don't you know? If we are still focused upon the law of trusting God, then what do you think this might be getting at? I will go back to something I have shared more than once, learning to drown! We know these waters, they cannot support us; and the harder we try to keep ourselves up, the more we seem to sink and feel like giving up. That is what it is like to try and be holy; as if we are trying to walk on water. It is not going to happen! At some point we just need to stop fighting and surrender! I do love God's commandments, as do so many of you. We would love to be able to stop from falling short, but the reality in all of this, is we do not measure up; if we did and if we could, Jesus would not had to do what He did to save us! Commandments and statutes are two different things; as one is that which ought to be done, while the other is the measure of what actually happens. Plain and simple: we are never going to be as good as we think we can be; but we can always be as good as God wants us to be! It is all a matter of how much we surrender; the more we give in to God, the more we experience what grace really is. Not just what grace means, but what it means to me, and to you, individually. That is what "statutes" is talking about, prescribed and appointed amounts of grace, for each and every single one of us. To get right down to it, trust is something that you must do on your own. You cannot take my word on how to trust God, it is something that you must do on your own, individually! No one else can drown for you, if you are going to learn how to drown, you are going to have to do it yourself...
""There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other."" (John 15:13-17) NLT
To be perfectly honest, these are never easy, these trials that we live through from time to time. As a matter of fact, they can test us in ways that we never thought we could ever be tested. Not that it is a bad thing; because if we knew what we were in for, we might just plan to stay away from whatever it was that was going to test us. Interesting how that works, don't you know? If we are still focused upon the law of trusting God, then what do you think this might be getting at? I will go back to something I have shared more than once, learning to drown! We know these waters, they cannot support us; and the harder we try to keep ourselves up, the more we seem to sink and feel like giving up. That is what it is like to try and be holy; as if we are trying to walk on water. It is not going to happen! At some point we just need to stop fighting and surrender! I do love God's commandments, as do so many of you. We would love to be able to stop from falling short, but the reality in all of this, is we do not measure up; if we did and if we could, Jesus would not had to do what He did to save us! Commandments and statutes are two different things; as one is that which ought to be done, while the other is the measure of what actually happens. Plain and simple: we are never going to be as good as we think we can be; but we can always be as good as God wants us to be! It is all a matter of how much we surrender; the more we give in to God, the more we experience what grace really is. Not just what grace means, but what it means to me, and to you, individually. That is what "statutes" is talking about, prescribed and appointed amounts of grace, for each and every single one of us. To get right down to it, trust is something that you must do on your own. You cannot take my word on how to trust God, it is something that you must do on your own, individually! No one else can drown for you, if you are going to learn how to drown, you are going to have to do it yourself...
""There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other."" (John 15:13-17) NLT
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
"The Way of Trust"
"And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved." (Psalms 119:47)
Once upon a time, is a time that should not be forgotten. If you consider how God instructed the children of Israel how they were to marked certain things with either celebrations or markers, it was because they needed to be reminded of what God had done. How easily we forget the victories in our lives and become overcome by the failures; maybe it is because the victories come and go so quickly, because the road to the victory is long, and after each victory, there becomes another battle. This is meant to be a journey and an adventure. I was reminded of that Sunday, as we were given a little taste of what joy is and why it is kept apart from the task of trying to be happy. Our joy is not found in worldly possessions and in getting all that we want; it is in the hope of being with our Lord, the Giver of our true inheritance in Heaven. Nothing can take that joy away, absolutely nothing! If we cannot reach it, how can anyone else? Seriously! Everything that God has commanded for us is for our benefit. He is not trying to make us suffer by keeping us from the things that cause us harm; He is wanting us to be set apart and holy, as He is Holy. We are His children and He is our Heavenly Father; as such, we need to adhere to the things that please Him. That is what is meant by the way of trust; it is a journey; it doesn't just happen over night, neither is it meant to. Things that we get to experience, however terrible they might appear, are the things that help us to grow in our trust in God. He knows best what we need, so when we find ourselves in the midst of something overwhelming, we try as hard as we can to trust Him; knowing what a loving Father that He is, everything will be okay. I was listing to a TobyMac song yesterday, called "Move (Keep Walkin')". It reminded me of all the times I felt like giving up, but didn't; instead, I just kept walking forward and pressing into God. That is what Paul was speaking about in Philippians3:14, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Before they referred to us as Christians, the movement was called "The Way." It is an adventure because we keep on moving, and He is with us as we go...
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7) NLT
Once upon a time, is a time that should not be forgotten. If you consider how God instructed the children of Israel how they were to marked certain things with either celebrations or markers, it was because they needed to be reminded of what God had done. How easily we forget the victories in our lives and become overcome by the failures; maybe it is because the victories come and go so quickly, because the road to the victory is long, and after each victory, there becomes another battle. This is meant to be a journey and an adventure. I was reminded of that Sunday, as we were given a little taste of what joy is and why it is kept apart from the task of trying to be happy. Our joy is not found in worldly possessions and in getting all that we want; it is in the hope of being with our Lord, the Giver of our true inheritance in Heaven. Nothing can take that joy away, absolutely nothing! If we cannot reach it, how can anyone else? Seriously! Everything that God has commanded for us is for our benefit. He is not trying to make us suffer by keeping us from the things that cause us harm; He is wanting us to be set apart and holy, as He is Holy. We are His children and He is our Heavenly Father; as such, we need to adhere to the things that please Him. That is what is meant by the way of trust; it is a journey; it doesn't just happen over night, neither is it meant to. Things that we get to experience, however terrible they might appear, are the things that help us to grow in our trust in God. He knows best what we need, so when we find ourselves in the midst of something overwhelming, we try as hard as we can to trust Him; knowing what a loving Father that He is, everything will be okay. I was listing to a TobyMac song yesterday, called "Move (Keep Walkin')". It reminded me of all the times I felt like giving up, but didn't; instead, I just kept walking forward and pressing into God. That is what Paul was speaking about in Philippians3:14, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Before they referred to us as Christians, the movement was called "The Way." It is an adventure because we keep on moving, and He is with us as we go...
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7) NLT
Monday, December 17, 2018
"Testimonies of Trust"
"I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and I will not be ashamed." (Psalms 119:46)
This is a pretty logical notion, to speak before kings about the testimonies of God; after all, it is God that puts those in office, so why would it not be a worthy conversation? I think we sometimes forget who is in control. The devil might have some power when it comes to this world, but it is God that sits on the Throne; He works things out for His ultimate plans and glory. When it comes to trusting God, David was proven time and time again in the area of trust. There were also times when he did not, but those were only brief and short lived periods of his life; most likely because he had placed his focus upon other things and became distracted. It is really not that hard for that to happen to any one of us, at some time or another. It only takes a very slight adjustment in our sight; one minute you are focused upon the Lord, the next you could be focused upon yourself; it's just that easy. As if God does not know every single thing about us, that He does not also know every single failure. He knows us better than we know ourselves! If you want to talk about trusting God, then you should place that little bit of wisdom at the top of the list. God chose me, despite all of my failures and imperfections; He loves me just as I am, because He has a plan for me that is far outside my imagination. This is the point Paul was making to the Corinthian church, God is in control; true wisdom starts with that understanding, and everything else follows that rule...
"King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: "Peace and prosperity to you! "I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how powerful are his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations."" (Daniel 4:1-3) NLT
This is a pretty logical notion, to speak before kings about the testimonies of God; after all, it is God that puts those in office, so why would it not be a worthy conversation? I think we sometimes forget who is in control. The devil might have some power when it comes to this world, but it is God that sits on the Throne; He works things out for His ultimate plans and glory. When it comes to trusting God, David was proven time and time again in the area of trust. There were also times when he did not, but those were only brief and short lived periods of his life; most likely because he had placed his focus upon other things and became distracted. It is really not that hard for that to happen to any one of us, at some time or another. It only takes a very slight adjustment in our sight; one minute you are focused upon the Lord, the next you could be focused upon yourself; it's just that easy. As if God does not know every single thing about us, that He does not also know every single failure. He knows us better than we know ourselves! If you want to talk about trusting God, then you should place that little bit of wisdom at the top of the list. God chose me, despite all of my failures and imperfections; He loves me just as I am, because He has a plan for me that is far outside my imagination. This is the point Paul was making to the Corinthian church, God is in control; true wisdom starts with that understanding, and everything else follows that rule...
"King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: "Peace and prosperity to you! "I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how powerful are his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations."" (Daniel 4:1-3) NLT
Sunday, December 16, 2018
"Real Joy"
"And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts." (Psalms 119:45)
This is really not a stretch; no pun intended. Whether you know it or not, even though the "Gate" might be narrow, the area that is on the other side of the Gate is wide, exceedingly wide! Paul quotes this Scripture in 1 Corinthians 2:9, saying, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Yes, it is abundantly clear, our joy is founded in the abundance of God's grace! He never ceases to amaze me; over and over again, as much as I might make a mess of things, He is willing and able to turn it all towards good. This is what God is speaking to my heat through this verse this morning. It is real, this incredible joy we have, because it does not get taken away by anything that can happen in this life, absolutely nothing! If, by some happenstance your joy has left, it is because you have made the choice to not count whatever is happening, in or around you, as something to be joyful about; plain and simple. If God has promised us that He will get us safely through to the other side, then His word is more than enough to assure us it will happen! This is the beauty of trusting in the Lord, because there is nothing that can go wrong, even if you happen to make a mistake, He is right there to make it all work out towards the good, one way or another...
"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." "But we are descendants of Abraham," they said. "We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, 'You will be set free'?" Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent part of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."" (John 8:31-36) NLT
This is really not a stretch; no pun intended. Whether you know it or not, even though the "Gate" might be narrow, the area that is on the other side of the Gate is wide, exceedingly wide! Paul quotes this Scripture in 1 Corinthians 2:9, saying, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Yes, it is abundantly clear, our joy is founded in the abundance of God's grace! He never ceases to amaze me; over and over again, as much as I might make a mess of things, He is willing and able to turn it all towards good. This is what God is speaking to my heat through this verse this morning. It is real, this incredible joy we have, because it does not get taken away by anything that can happen in this life, absolutely nothing! If, by some happenstance your joy has left, it is because you have made the choice to not count whatever is happening, in or around you, as something to be joyful about; plain and simple. If God has promised us that He will get us safely through to the other side, then His word is more than enough to assure us it will happen! This is the beauty of trusting in the Lord, because there is nothing that can go wrong, even if you happen to make a mistake, He is right there to make it all work out towards the good, one way or another...
"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." "But we are descendants of Abraham," they said. "We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, 'You will be set free'?" Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent part of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."" (John 8:31-36) NLT
Saturday, December 15, 2018
"Real Instruction"
"So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever." (Psalms 119:44)
If you ever are in need to know how to troubleshoot an appliance or equipment, there is the thing called the Instruction Manual; not only does it tell you how to operate whatever it is you have, but it also gives you tips to try and figure out what is wrong when it does not work properly. Nine times out of ten, it will turn out to be human error, like, is it plugged in, or, you have not properly secured the door or lid. Long story short, the Bible is our Instruction Manual for living; not only living in this life, but to obtain everlasting life. People are searching for answers all the time, but the real answers we need are found in God's Instruction Manual. The Creator of heaven and earth has given us His Instruction Manual pertaining to all that we need to know to find real peace, joy, and security; no where else will we find anything more satisfying than in His Book. Basically, the Bible is the only book we need to gain instruction from. If I was trapped on an island all by my self, and the only book I had was the Bible, I would know all that I truly need to know. I am sure that there are some math teachers who would disagree, but when it comes to knowing the things that matter most, "much learning does not teach understanding;" or so I have heard. If we are still talking about trust and the law of trusting in God, in all situations, then this makes perfect sense. There has got to be something we establish in our hearts, a certain mark or symbol that flashes a red flag within us in every circumstance. Fear is one of those flags for me, not fear itself, but the word fear, which I relate to, False Evidence Appearing Real. If you think about it, Abraham had a few battles with fear; so did David. We all do, now and again, deal with false evidence appearing real; when it appears that something might happen, but when all along, it was just our imagination. That might seem like a pretty simple illustration, but if you actually think about what we know verses what God knows, we really know nothing at all. It is best to just stick to the Manual...
"I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever." (Psalms 119:44) NLT
If you ever are in need to know how to troubleshoot an appliance or equipment, there is the thing called the Instruction Manual; not only does it tell you how to operate whatever it is you have, but it also gives you tips to try and figure out what is wrong when it does not work properly. Nine times out of ten, it will turn out to be human error, like, is it plugged in, or, you have not properly secured the door or lid. Long story short, the Bible is our Instruction Manual for living; not only living in this life, but to obtain everlasting life. People are searching for answers all the time, but the real answers we need are found in God's Instruction Manual. The Creator of heaven and earth has given us His Instruction Manual pertaining to all that we need to know to find real peace, joy, and security; no where else will we find anything more satisfying than in His Book. Basically, the Bible is the only book we need to gain instruction from. If I was trapped on an island all by my self, and the only book I had was the Bible, I would know all that I truly need to know. I am sure that there are some math teachers who would disagree, but when it comes to knowing the things that matter most, "much learning does not teach understanding;" or so I have heard. If we are still talking about trust and the law of trusting in God, in all situations, then this makes perfect sense. There has got to be something we establish in our hearts, a certain mark or symbol that flashes a red flag within us in every circumstance. Fear is one of those flags for me, not fear itself, but the word fear, which I relate to, False Evidence Appearing Real. If you think about it, Abraham had a few battles with fear; so did David. We all do, now and again, deal with false evidence appearing real; when it appears that something might happen, but when all along, it was just our imagination. That might seem like a pretty simple illustration, but if you actually think about what we know verses what God knows, we really know nothing at all. It is best to just stick to the Manual...
"I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever." (Psalms 119:44) NLT
Friday, December 14, 2018
"Real Truth"
"And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy word." (Psalms 119:43)
Even if I could, I don't think that I can unlearn what I have learned about the love of God. This is a pretty big claim, one that a certain cult I know and have had dealings in, does not believe in. In that fellowship, if you study in their books for several years, you will be in the light; but lay aside those Scripture Studies for only six months, and just read the Bible by itself, and you will be in darkness. 'What would we do without the elders teaching us what the Bible says?' How about you just listen to God? Better yet; accept Jesus Chris into your heart, and then let Him put His Spirit within you, and then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free from all of that nonsense. I did not need to learn the basic principles of the Gospel; from the very moment that I believed, the Spirit that was placed within me has confirmed truth in me. Even things I had no understanding in before were made perfectly clear; without someone needing to interpret or explain them to me. This is how the Holy Spirit works within us; He guides us, He comforts us, and He is our Helper, to interpret and understand the Holy Scriptures. When we get messed up, it is usually because we have listened to someone else about what is being said; and there is surely a whole lot of different interpretations out there. I watched "The Forth Wiseman" last night, for at least the umpteen time. If you haven't seen it, it is really worth watching. In the movie, Martin Sheen is trying to catch up with three other Wisemen to go and give gifts to The New Born King; but he is always late, usually because he gets stuck helping others. He ends up in a leper colony, for what was to be one day, but tuns out to be a lifetime. Anywho, he finally gets to meet with Jesus, and there is no mistaking who it is that he is looking at; he knew it was Jesus the second he saw Him. That is what the Holy Spirit does in the heart of a believer; we have confirmation to the Truth...
""And this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will theses words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I, the LORD have spoken! "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine in you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance."" (Isaiah 59:21-60:3) NLT
Even if I could, I don't think that I can unlearn what I have learned about the love of God. This is a pretty big claim, one that a certain cult I know and have had dealings in, does not believe in. In that fellowship, if you study in their books for several years, you will be in the light; but lay aside those Scripture Studies for only six months, and just read the Bible by itself, and you will be in darkness. 'What would we do without the elders teaching us what the Bible says?' How about you just listen to God? Better yet; accept Jesus Chris into your heart, and then let Him put His Spirit within you, and then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free from all of that nonsense. I did not need to learn the basic principles of the Gospel; from the very moment that I believed, the Spirit that was placed within me has confirmed truth in me. Even things I had no understanding in before were made perfectly clear; without someone needing to interpret or explain them to me. This is how the Holy Spirit works within us; He guides us, He comforts us, and He is our Helper, to interpret and understand the Holy Scriptures. When we get messed up, it is usually because we have listened to someone else about what is being said; and there is surely a whole lot of different interpretations out there. I watched "The Forth Wiseman" last night, for at least the umpteen time. If you haven't seen it, it is really worth watching. In the movie, Martin Sheen is trying to catch up with three other Wisemen to go and give gifts to The New Born King; but he is always late, usually because he gets stuck helping others. He ends up in a leper colony, for what was to be one day, but tuns out to be a lifetime. Anywho, he finally gets to meet with Jesus, and there is no mistaking who it is that he is looking at; he knew it was Jesus the second he saw Him. That is what the Holy Spirit does in the heart of a believer; we have confirmation to the Truth...
""And this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will theses words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I, the LORD have spoken! "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine in you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance."" (Isaiah 59:21-60:3) NLT
Thursday, December 13, 2018
"Real Value"
"So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word." (Psalms 119:42)
Sometimes the easiest way to express something is to live it; otherwise you are just going off what others say, instead of actually knowing what the heck you are talking about. That is pretty much the point given in this verse; combined with that which is said in the last, it expresses our need for this trust we have in God to be tested, in for no other reason than the experience of knowing that what we believe in is real and there is no way anyone can challenge our trust in God. There are plenty of really good examples of this throughout the Scriptures; no greater example was given than when Jesus was hanging on that cross. The greatest answer of all, was Jesus rising from the dead, just as He said that He would! As for those that mocked Him, as He hung on that cross, they had no idea how wrong they were and how little there mocking actually meant. What was the answer to their mocking? Victory over death, the greatest answer that could be given! The peace that we can experience is not found in victory over anything else, but in knowing that no matter what, we come out alive and better off, in a much better place, in the arms of our Lord. Do whatever you want to me, because you cannot take my salvation! That was pretty much the answer Jesus gave to Pilate's question, "Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?" Jesus said, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given the from above." You want to talk about what trust in God looks like, knowing Who is in charge, that is how we demonstrate our trust in the Lord. A close second for me, would be Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. When it comes to giving an answer to the trust we have in God, their answer would be a pretty good example of what trust looks like. If you really do believe that there is a better place that awaits you, then your answer is really quite simple...
"Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Adednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?" Shadrach, Mechach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."" (Daniel 3:14-18) NLT
Sometimes the easiest way to express something is to live it; otherwise you are just going off what others say, instead of actually knowing what the heck you are talking about. That is pretty much the point given in this verse; combined with that which is said in the last, it expresses our need for this trust we have in God to be tested, in for no other reason than the experience of knowing that what we believe in is real and there is no way anyone can challenge our trust in God. There are plenty of really good examples of this throughout the Scriptures; no greater example was given than when Jesus was hanging on that cross. The greatest answer of all, was Jesus rising from the dead, just as He said that He would! As for those that mocked Him, as He hung on that cross, they had no idea how wrong they were and how little there mocking actually meant. What was the answer to their mocking? Victory over death, the greatest answer that could be given! The peace that we can experience is not found in victory over anything else, but in knowing that no matter what, we come out alive and better off, in a much better place, in the arms of our Lord. Do whatever you want to me, because you cannot take my salvation! That was pretty much the answer Jesus gave to Pilate's question, "Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?" Jesus said, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given the from above." You want to talk about what trust in God looks like, knowing Who is in charge, that is how we demonstrate our trust in the Lord. A close second for me, would be Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. When it comes to giving an answer to the trust we have in God, their answer would be a pretty good example of what trust looks like. If you really do believe that there is a better place that awaits you, then your answer is really quite simple...
"Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Adednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?" Shadrach, Mechach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."" (Daniel 3:14-18) NLT
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
"VAU"
""Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word." (Psalms 119:41)
If we were going to assign a law to this section, it would be the law of trust; that if we will trust in the LORD, we will benefit from putting our trust in Him, and in Him alone. Even though we cannot earn our salvation, we still need to acknowledge it; it must be cherished and respected as the best gift we could ever be given. I hear Pastor Mike say all the time, "I don't believe you can loose your salvation, as you would misplace your car keys." Just so happens, yesterday afternoon, I misplaced my keys to my truck. I was just stepping out of my truck for a moment, as I was in the Home Depot parking lot and just getting out to buy a hot dog; so I tossed the keys on my center console as I went out the door. When I arrived back with my dog, and I opened the door, my keys were not there, they were gone! What a weird feeling. I really did not know what to do or what to think. Did someone see me keys and take them just to make me suffer? Did I miss the console and they fell between the seats? It was getting dark, so looking between the seats was a challenge. So many things were racing through my mind; as I was expected to be home in an hour to relieve my wife's nurse. I have another set at home, should I ask the nurse to leave now and drive 45 miles to bring them to me? What was I to do? "Lord, please help me", I prayed. Sure enough, they somehow fell into the back seat floorboard. Just that simple, I asked for His help and He opened my eyes to see where they were. This last Sunday, Pastor Caleb was sharing about peace, and how Jesus was to bring peace into the world; yet when He came, where was the peace? Interesting enough, the peace that Jesus brought was not the peace that the world was and is looking for, it has nothing to do with peace of this world. Sure, we can experience peace in the midst of whatever it is we might be going through, but that is because our hearts are not attached to this world; if they were, we would not have that peace...
"At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, "Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!"" (Luke 2:25-32) NLT
If we were going to assign a law to this section, it would be the law of trust; that if we will trust in the LORD, we will benefit from putting our trust in Him, and in Him alone. Even though we cannot earn our salvation, we still need to acknowledge it; it must be cherished and respected as the best gift we could ever be given. I hear Pastor Mike say all the time, "I don't believe you can loose your salvation, as you would misplace your car keys." Just so happens, yesterday afternoon, I misplaced my keys to my truck. I was just stepping out of my truck for a moment, as I was in the Home Depot parking lot and just getting out to buy a hot dog; so I tossed the keys on my center console as I went out the door. When I arrived back with my dog, and I opened the door, my keys were not there, they were gone! What a weird feeling. I really did not know what to do or what to think. Did someone see me keys and take them just to make me suffer? Did I miss the console and they fell between the seats? It was getting dark, so looking between the seats was a challenge. So many things were racing through my mind; as I was expected to be home in an hour to relieve my wife's nurse. I have another set at home, should I ask the nurse to leave now and drive 45 miles to bring them to me? What was I to do? "Lord, please help me", I prayed. Sure enough, they somehow fell into the back seat floorboard. Just that simple, I asked for His help and He opened my eyes to see where they were. This last Sunday, Pastor Caleb was sharing about peace, and how Jesus was to bring peace into the world; yet when He came, where was the peace? Interesting enough, the peace that Jesus brought was not the peace that the world was and is looking for, it has nothing to do with peace of this world. Sure, we can experience peace in the midst of whatever it is we might be going through, but that is because our hearts are not attached to this world; if they were, we would not have that peace...
"At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, "Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!"" (Luke 2:25-32) NLT
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
"To Long For"
"Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness." (Psalms 119:40)
The way I see it, we are almost a quarter of the way done with this Psalm; not that I am trying to speed through it, but four more verses and we are one forth done. Which reminds me of something I have been doing for the last thirty-plus years. I heard someone say on the radio, I believe it was back in 1985, that we sleep one-third of our lives. That seemed like a lot of wasted time, so I decided back then that I would only sleep one-forth of my life instead; and it has worked out pretty good. Actually, as it turns out, I probably only sleep about four or five hours a night, so I guess I am gaining hours the older I get. The word "longed" use in this verse is only used twice in the Old Testament writings. It is the word "ta'ab," which is used in the verse above and in verse 174 of this same Psalm. It basically means, "To Long For," or "To Desire." Because this is a verb, it requires an action; which basically means that it is really not past-tense, but it is actually ongoing. What that might speak into our hearts right now, is the simple fact that God is not done with us yet! "Being confident of this one thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." That is what we have longed for, what our inner man cries out for, as a groan, longing for the day when this fight will be over and our salvation will be realized once and for all. It is not a past tense experience, it is over and over that we live to get it right. That is why we never give up, because every day is a new day that we get to long after the precepts of God. If we are confident that the Lord will complete the work He has begun in us, then this is what we ask for, to be quickened or brought to life again! To have the fellowship with the Lord be the first thing on our minds when we rise up each morning, and the last thing on our minds when we lay down to sleep. After all, if we want receive anything from the Lord, then we need to ask Him as a friend: A friend in need is a friend indeed...
"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses." (Galatians 5:16-18) NLT
The way I see it, we are almost a quarter of the way done with this Psalm; not that I am trying to speed through it, but four more verses and we are one forth done. Which reminds me of something I have been doing for the last thirty-plus years. I heard someone say on the radio, I believe it was back in 1985, that we sleep one-third of our lives. That seemed like a lot of wasted time, so I decided back then that I would only sleep one-forth of my life instead; and it has worked out pretty good. Actually, as it turns out, I probably only sleep about four or five hours a night, so I guess I am gaining hours the older I get. The word "longed" use in this verse is only used twice in the Old Testament writings. It is the word "ta'ab," which is used in the verse above and in verse 174 of this same Psalm. It basically means, "To Long For," or "To Desire." Because this is a verb, it requires an action; which basically means that it is really not past-tense, but it is actually ongoing. What that might speak into our hearts right now, is the simple fact that God is not done with us yet! "Being confident of this one thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." That is what we have longed for, what our inner man cries out for, as a groan, longing for the day when this fight will be over and our salvation will be realized once and for all. It is not a past tense experience, it is over and over that we live to get it right. That is why we never give up, because every day is a new day that we get to long after the precepts of God. If we are confident that the Lord will complete the work He has begun in us, then this is what we ask for, to be quickened or brought to life again! To have the fellowship with the Lord be the first thing on our minds when we rise up each morning, and the last thing on our minds when we lay down to sleep. After all, if we want receive anything from the Lord, then we need to ask Him as a friend: A friend in need is a friend indeed...
"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses." (Galatians 5:16-18) NLT
Monday, December 10, 2018
"Branded"
"Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good." (Psalms 119:39)
Here is the deal we have all been given: Stand in the Light, and your darkness will be hidden; Abide in Christ, and your sins will be forgiven. David makes a plea for reproach to be turned away, a plea that takes into consideration the harm which might be caused from his own iniquities and the shame that he has put upon the reputation of the Lord. Oh, that we were more sensitive to what we do and how it might cause others to stumble. There are some things that just cannot be taken for granted, the grace we have been given is one of them. When it comes to asking and receiving, our hearts need to be right and sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is speaking, especially when it comes to the Light we have been given. As I have shared before, this Light is not something we can turn on and off as if it has a switch; we are branded with a mark, the mark as one of God's children, and there is no way we can turn it off. Does that mean we still cannot sin? Absolutely not! It means that we get seriously convicted when we do sin, because our sin does not agree with what we are in Christ. If we have caused shame to the reputation of our Lord, then we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading; whatever it is He might be telling us to do. When it comes to God's ways of making things right, His ways are always the very best, even if they might seem to be the worst. Beauty from ashes, and glory from shame; God's way of doing things will require us to die to ourselves and to let His Light shine...
"Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." (Romans 7:24 - 8:2) NLT
Here is the deal we have all been given: Stand in the Light, and your darkness will be hidden; Abide in Christ, and your sins will be forgiven. David makes a plea for reproach to be turned away, a plea that takes into consideration the harm which might be caused from his own iniquities and the shame that he has put upon the reputation of the Lord. Oh, that we were more sensitive to what we do and how it might cause others to stumble. There are some things that just cannot be taken for granted, the grace we have been given is one of them. When it comes to asking and receiving, our hearts need to be right and sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is speaking, especially when it comes to the Light we have been given. As I have shared before, this Light is not something we can turn on and off as if it has a switch; we are branded with a mark, the mark as one of God's children, and there is no way we can turn it off. Does that mean we still cannot sin? Absolutely not! It means that we get seriously convicted when we do sin, because our sin does not agree with what we are in Christ. If we have caused shame to the reputation of our Lord, then we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading; whatever it is He might be telling us to do. When it comes to God's ways of making things right, His ways are always the very best, even if they might seem to be the worst. Beauty from ashes, and glory from shame; God's way of doing things will require us to die to ourselves and to let His Light shine...
"Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." (Romans 7:24 - 8:2) NLT
Sunday, December 9, 2018
"A Brand New Day"
"Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear." (Psalms 119:38)
I was reminded about something very important this morning, that we are not only called by God, but that He has chosen us to be in His Kingdom. Excuse me if I was being distracted by my own infirmities, what a mess that can cause, if I focus too much on any of that. Maybe giving you a new way to look at this verse might help enlighten you, as the NLT has it like this: "Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you." Reassurance is something we all could use a little more of, as well as the need we have to remain in fellowship with other believers. If there is one thing I lack, it is fellowship; my desire is to be at Wednesday Night Bible Study, yet every time I plan to go, it seems there is another issue that stops me. If I am going to be serious about running the race, I had better start doing everything possible to run well. If it is understanding that we lack, we lack it because we have not asked for it. Sometimes not asking for it is not a lack of us not asking, it is a lack of knowing that we need the instruction. This morning I was awakened by a very strange dream, one in which I was carrying around a baby, and when I had a chance to rest, I lifted him up over my face, and the baby was me. Peter uses the word, "New born babes," to describe what we must be like when it comes to understanding God's Word. We will never be enlightened enough to not need to learn, no matter how much we study and read His Word. We should also never be in the frame of mind that we have our lives under control. The fear of the Lord is something that Peter figured out pretty quickly when he thought he could walk on water. The same is the case when we think we can handle things on our own. God will not be upset with us for asking for more strength and love, He wants us to admit that we lack what it takes. That is what I see this verse meaning, at least in my life; that I need to admit my failures, believe in His promises, and hold onto Him with all of my heart...
"For Jesus Christ, the Son of God does not waver between "Yes" and "No." He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God's ultimate "Yes," he always does what he says. For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding "Yes!" And through Christ, our "Amen" (which means "Yes") ascends to God for his glory. It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us." (2 Corinthians 1:19-22) NLT
I was reminded about something very important this morning, that we are not only called by God, but that He has chosen us to be in His Kingdom. Excuse me if I was being distracted by my own infirmities, what a mess that can cause, if I focus too much on any of that. Maybe giving you a new way to look at this verse might help enlighten you, as the NLT has it like this: "Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you." Reassurance is something we all could use a little more of, as well as the need we have to remain in fellowship with other believers. If there is one thing I lack, it is fellowship; my desire is to be at Wednesday Night Bible Study, yet every time I plan to go, it seems there is another issue that stops me. If I am going to be serious about running the race, I had better start doing everything possible to run well. If it is understanding that we lack, we lack it because we have not asked for it. Sometimes not asking for it is not a lack of us not asking, it is a lack of knowing that we need the instruction. This morning I was awakened by a very strange dream, one in which I was carrying around a baby, and when I had a chance to rest, I lifted him up over my face, and the baby was me. Peter uses the word, "New born babes," to describe what we must be like when it comes to understanding God's Word. We will never be enlightened enough to not need to learn, no matter how much we study and read His Word. We should also never be in the frame of mind that we have our lives under control. The fear of the Lord is something that Peter figured out pretty quickly when he thought he could walk on water. The same is the case when we think we can handle things on our own. God will not be upset with us for asking for more strength and love, He wants us to admit that we lack what it takes. That is what I see this verse meaning, at least in my life; that I need to admit my failures, believe in His promises, and hold onto Him with all of my heart...
"For Jesus Christ, the Son of God does not waver between "Yes" and "No." He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God's ultimate "Yes," he always does what he says. For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding "Yes!" And through Christ, our "Amen" (which means "Yes") ascends to God for his glory. It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us." (2 Corinthians 1:19-22) NLT
Saturday, December 8, 2018
"Emptiness"
"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken me in thy way." (Psalms 119:37)
If there was anything gained from that, it was hopefully our need to keep our eyes on Jesus. I will refer to that question as a "Polar-Bear-Alert." If you know what I mean, great; if not, then listen on. Maybe it has been a long time since your heart had been searching for answers; as with me, I was searching for hope in all the wrong places. Coming from broken home, one that had one too many sleepless nights, fearing whether or not death would come knocking at my door; I can recall how anything that brought any sort of temporary pleasure was better than nothing, and disappointment seemed to be the thing I became most familiar with growing up. And then I found Jesus! I know, it might not be politically correct to say that, because the people who forget where they came from seem to think that it was God who found them. No, I found Him; He had always been there from the very beginning, I just needed to open my heart and let Him in! This word for "vanity" speaks about emptiness, more than anything else. It touches upon the wickedness and iniquity, but it has the basic motivation behind those as a false hope to find pleasure in anything else but God. Can you recall what that looks like? If there is anything different about my life now compared to then, it is that hope is no longer disappointed. This faith that we get to share in is not, so called 'blind faith,' it is proven and well documented faith in our Risen Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus! There is no emptiness in this hope we have in Christ, it is amazingly full and quenches even the strongest hunger and thirst. Solomon was right, everything else under the sun is vanity, which means, it is emptiness! Only God can fill the humungous void in our hearts; a void that we were all born with, needing to fill. Now, as to the term, "Polar-Bear-Alert," it comes from a book by Jay Carty, called "Counter Attack." Basically, the premise he put across was one of filling our minds with that which counters the attack from the enemy, primarily by thinking upon the verse from 2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Just as with the question presented to J. Vernon, about the girl in a miniskirt, with that, Jay would have presented as a case for the "Polar-Bear-Alert." It is not just a matter of memorizing a verse; it is a matter of practicing our putting Christ first and foremost. There is no other way to tear down the strongholds in our lives, then to put Christ first and foremost, above all else. Just is case you did not know where the strongholds come from, they are built by you! It takes years and years of practice, but each and every time we allow the enemy to win, we add one more brick to the wall. I think that is why Paul added that little statement after, "And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when you obedience is fulfilled." Just as with the second part of this verse, we must fight back, not just be defending our minds; as with a runner who is training for a race, always push yourself harder than you think you can go...
"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." (Proverbs 4:20-27) NLT
If there was anything gained from that, it was hopefully our need to keep our eyes on Jesus. I will refer to that question as a "Polar-Bear-Alert." If you know what I mean, great; if not, then listen on. Maybe it has been a long time since your heart had been searching for answers; as with me, I was searching for hope in all the wrong places. Coming from broken home, one that had one too many sleepless nights, fearing whether or not death would come knocking at my door; I can recall how anything that brought any sort of temporary pleasure was better than nothing, and disappointment seemed to be the thing I became most familiar with growing up. And then I found Jesus! I know, it might not be politically correct to say that, because the people who forget where they came from seem to think that it was God who found them. No, I found Him; He had always been there from the very beginning, I just needed to open my heart and let Him in! This word for "vanity" speaks about emptiness, more than anything else. It touches upon the wickedness and iniquity, but it has the basic motivation behind those as a false hope to find pleasure in anything else but God. Can you recall what that looks like? If there is anything different about my life now compared to then, it is that hope is no longer disappointed. This faith that we get to share in is not, so called 'blind faith,' it is proven and well documented faith in our Risen Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus! There is no emptiness in this hope we have in Christ, it is amazingly full and quenches even the strongest hunger and thirst. Solomon was right, everything else under the sun is vanity, which means, it is emptiness! Only God can fill the humungous void in our hearts; a void that we were all born with, needing to fill. Now, as to the term, "Polar-Bear-Alert," it comes from a book by Jay Carty, called "Counter Attack." Basically, the premise he put across was one of filling our minds with that which counters the attack from the enemy, primarily by thinking upon the verse from 2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Just as with the question presented to J. Vernon, about the girl in a miniskirt, with that, Jay would have presented as a case for the "Polar-Bear-Alert." It is not just a matter of memorizing a verse; it is a matter of practicing our putting Christ first and foremost. There is no other way to tear down the strongholds in our lives, then to put Christ first and foremost, above all else. Just is case you did not know where the strongholds come from, they are built by you! It takes years and years of practice, but each and every time we allow the enemy to win, we add one more brick to the wall. I think that is why Paul added that little statement after, "And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when you obedience is fulfilled." Just as with the second part of this verse, we must fight back, not just be defending our minds; as with a runner who is training for a race, always push yourself harder than you think you can go...
"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." (Proverbs 4:20-27) NLT
Friday, December 7, 2018
"A Sinkhole"
"Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness." (Psalms 119:36)
Odd tile, if you are so inclined. Anywho, there are those things we like to call the Ten Commandments; one of those commands deals with this thing called "Covet," as in, "Thou shalt not covet." God starts out His list of these well known commands with, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and finishes it off, with, "Thou shalt no covet." What is the big deal about wanting stuff, you might ask? It is more about wanting the stuff you cannot have, that is the whole point of the devils big fall, wanting to be like God. It was also David's most grievous sin, to have another man's wife. Actually, it is an action that takes place in our heart; one that is fueled by desire. The quick and short definition is that of, "To yearn to possess or have." But in the context of what the LORD says, it is more about "unjust gain." Thus, the term sinkhole, because any such kind of gain is nothing more than that, a giant whole beneath what you think is solid ground. You do know that God gave us those commands to protect us, Right? Each and everyone of those Commandments were the core principles of living a happy and prosperous life; if you abide by them, you will have no regrets! Oddly enough, covetousness is not just the last of the Ten, it is somehow the root behind every failure to keep them all. Stop and think about what it represents, doing what we want, even when we know it is wrong; that is the core of what was behind Eve's desire to partake; her passion overruled God's command. This is really not as easy to understand as you might think. But, if we are going to avoid falling into any kind of covetousness, we have got to stay on the path! There are laws that just make sense; like, don't run into a brick wall, because you will get hurt; don't jump off of a ten story building, because you will most likely die. It really doesn't take a giant education to know the basics, especially when it comes to understanding what God says we should and should not do. I was listening to J. Vernon McGee the other day, and he shared the time a young man came to him and asked, "Jesus said, 'If you look upon a woman, you have committed adultery in your heart,' "What about a woman is a mini-skirt?" J. Vernon said that he gulped. I find that sort of funny, because the point speaks to something interesting about "covet." Anywho, it is best to just keep our eyes also on the path, not just our feet...
"Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God's curse. They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice." (2 Peter 2:13-16) NLT
Odd tile, if you are so inclined. Anywho, there are those things we like to call the Ten Commandments; one of those commands deals with this thing called "Covet," as in, "Thou shalt not covet." God starts out His list of these well known commands with, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and finishes it off, with, "Thou shalt no covet." What is the big deal about wanting stuff, you might ask? It is more about wanting the stuff you cannot have, that is the whole point of the devils big fall, wanting to be like God. It was also David's most grievous sin, to have another man's wife. Actually, it is an action that takes place in our heart; one that is fueled by desire. The quick and short definition is that of, "To yearn to possess or have." But in the context of what the LORD says, it is more about "unjust gain." Thus, the term sinkhole, because any such kind of gain is nothing more than that, a giant whole beneath what you think is solid ground. You do know that God gave us those commands to protect us, Right? Each and everyone of those Commandments were the core principles of living a happy and prosperous life; if you abide by them, you will have no regrets! Oddly enough, covetousness is not just the last of the Ten, it is somehow the root behind every failure to keep them all. Stop and think about what it represents, doing what we want, even when we know it is wrong; that is the core of what was behind Eve's desire to partake; her passion overruled God's command. This is really not as easy to understand as you might think. But, if we are going to avoid falling into any kind of covetousness, we have got to stay on the path! There are laws that just make sense; like, don't run into a brick wall, because you will get hurt; don't jump off of a ten story building, because you will most likely die. It really doesn't take a giant education to know the basics, especially when it comes to understanding what God says we should and should not do. I was listening to J. Vernon McGee the other day, and he shared the time a young man came to him and asked, "Jesus said, 'If you look upon a woman, you have committed adultery in your heart,' "What about a woman is a mini-skirt?" J. Vernon said that he gulped. I find that sort of funny, because the point speaks to something interesting about "covet." Anywho, it is best to just keep our eyes also on the path, not just our feet...
"Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God's curse. They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice." (2 Peter 2:13-16) NLT
Thursday, December 6, 2018
"A Footpath"
"Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight." (Psalms 119:35)
It is pretty obvious which way we should go; it might be the narrow path, but it is the one that stands out the most. To see this in the light of understanding God's law, it is much like trying to cross through a valley or meadow that is overgrown with weeds and brush; yet, stretching across the valley is a single path well traveled and preserved, one that is easy to follow, because it is not overgrown. This is what it is like to walk in the path of God's commandments; there really is not a whole lot of thought that needs to go into the direction you should take or what comes next, because it is all about God's way and pleasure, not our own. How often do we rise up in the morning and ask the Lord, 'What would you like me to do today, Jesus?' I mean, if we are being honest, we talk a good game, saying, 'Lord, take my life today, and do with it what you will,' and then we finish our devotions and it is as if a new day has just begun; that day we offered up to the Lord just ended, and now we are off the subject and onto something else. Maybe that is not your reality; maybe you are working full time in the ministry, so your day is all about serving the Lord. I pray that is your passion and not just a job. Sometimes we can get tangled up in the working part of doing anything, even if it's just raising a family. But God has given us instruction in just about anything we can be involved in, whether it is raising children or running a country. There is nothing in this world that is outside of the counsel of God! I know that many people think there is; as if all the new technology and gadgets we have give life new meaning, putting the Bible in some kind of a time period of years gone by. But it is really just all distractions to get us to take our eyes off the path; making false little paths all over the place and causing things as simple as raising children to be far too complicated for the average mother and father. We just need to stick to the path...
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children too. We know we love God's children if we love God and keep his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:1-3) NLT
It is pretty obvious which way we should go; it might be the narrow path, but it is the one that stands out the most. To see this in the light of understanding God's law, it is much like trying to cross through a valley or meadow that is overgrown with weeds and brush; yet, stretching across the valley is a single path well traveled and preserved, one that is easy to follow, because it is not overgrown. This is what it is like to walk in the path of God's commandments; there really is not a whole lot of thought that needs to go into the direction you should take or what comes next, because it is all about God's way and pleasure, not our own. How often do we rise up in the morning and ask the Lord, 'What would you like me to do today, Jesus?' I mean, if we are being honest, we talk a good game, saying, 'Lord, take my life today, and do with it what you will,' and then we finish our devotions and it is as if a new day has just begun; that day we offered up to the Lord just ended, and now we are off the subject and onto something else. Maybe that is not your reality; maybe you are working full time in the ministry, so your day is all about serving the Lord. I pray that is your passion and not just a job. Sometimes we can get tangled up in the working part of doing anything, even if it's just raising a family. But God has given us instruction in just about anything we can be involved in, whether it is raising children or running a country. There is nothing in this world that is outside of the counsel of God! I know that many people think there is; as if all the new technology and gadgets we have give life new meaning, putting the Bible in some kind of a time period of years gone by. But it is really just all distractions to get us to take our eyes off the path; making false little paths all over the place and causing things as simple as raising children to be far too complicated for the average mother and father. We just need to stick to the path...
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children too. We know we love God's children if we love God and keep his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:1-3) NLT
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
"Ask and Receive"
"Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." (Psalms 119:34)
As I was trying to say, what we hear from God is what we hold dearest to our hearts; it sticks around more than anything else. If there was going to be a law associated with this section of Scripture, it would be the law of 'Asking and Receiving.' Each and every verse is dedicated to asking God to teach me, change me, and strengthen me in His ways, laws, and precepts. This is something we do not learn in a school or Bible Study; these are the things we learn straight from God's heart to ours. As I have said before, David was called by God, "A man after His own heart," because he longed for the heart of God! Which reminds me of something important: Abraham did not get asked by God, "What will you do for me?" God made all of the promises, made the covenant, and even signed the contract, without any requirement from Abraham, except that he believe. As I heard a pastor say yesterday, "God is the covenant maker, we are the covenant breakers!" But if there is one thing that God will honor, it is a heart that truly wants to obey. Not that we can pull it off, but in the case of God's grace and mercy, effort goes quite far. Isn't that the case for Abraham? There needed to be movement on Abraham's part; he needed to pack up his things and move! That is our response to God: He provides the blessing, we need to take possession of it. That is all that is required of us, to take hold of the promises of God! What do you think makes God's day the most, a heart that grabs hold of a promise and then says, "See ya," or a heart that sticks around and asks for more? David was not the kind of guy that said, "See ya;" he was the kind of guy that wanted to be changed; to be changed into the kind of guy that deserved the promises of God. Even though we can't earn it, and we don't deserve it, we still need to appreciate all that He has done for us. And how do you think we show our appreciation?Long story short: To know our place...
"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waiver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:5-8) NLT
As I was trying to say, what we hear from God is what we hold dearest to our hearts; it sticks around more than anything else. If there was going to be a law associated with this section of Scripture, it would be the law of 'Asking and Receiving.' Each and every verse is dedicated to asking God to teach me, change me, and strengthen me in His ways, laws, and precepts. This is something we do not learn in a school or Bible Study; these are the things we learn straight from God's heart to ours. As I have said before, David was called by God, "A man after His own heart," because he longed for the heart of God! Which reminds me of something important: Abraham did not get asked by God, "What will you do for me?" God made all of the promises, made the covenant, and even signed the contract, without any requirement from Abraham, except that he believe. As I heard a pastor say yesterday, "God is the covenant maker, we are the covenant breakers!" But if there is one thing that God will honor, it is a heart that truly wants to obey. Not that we can pull it off, but in the case of God's grace and mercy, effort goes quite far. Isn't that the case for Abraham? There needed to be movement on Abraham's part; he needed to pack up his things and move! That is our response to God: He provides the blessing, we need to take possession of it. That is all that is required of us, to take hold of the promises of God! What do you think makes God's day the most, a heart that grabs hold of a promise and then says, "See ya," or a heart that sticks around and asks for more? David was not the kind of guy that said, "See ya;" he was the kind of guy that wanted to be changed; to be changed into the kind of guy that deserved the promises of God. Even though we can't earn it, and we don't deserve it, we still need to appreciate all that He has done for us. And how do you think we show our appreciation?Long story short: To know our place...
"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waiver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." (James 1:5-8) NLT
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
"HE"
"Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end." (Psalms 119:33)
If it is true, each and every one of us that are His children hear His voice; then why are so many of those that confess to be His children so far off the reservation? Listening to the call-in portion of CSN yesterday, I could not believe some of the questions that were asked, as if there could be some in the body of Christ that have that much misunderstanding of the Scriptures. If you want to know what I honestly think, I will blame it on the recent legalization of a certain substance; that must be what it is, because nothing clouds the mind like that stuff. This verse speaks of something that is very important to the average Christian's life: We must hear directly from God! Each and every one us that are in the faith, we need to have discernment when it comes to listening to teachings, no matter who it is that we are listening to. There are certain things I hear during the day that I might not agree with, and if I really need to know the answer to what is being said, God alone is the source of my answer. Does it stack up against His Word? You can read into certain Scriptures whatever you want, but if what you believe it says does not line up to other Scriptures, then the meaning you are getting is wrong. This is why I always take notes, so if there is something I do not know, something I have not heard before, then I can write it down and check it out later; besides the practice of writing down things helps me remember, certain things need to be written verbatim. It also helps to add a little content, just so you get the context of what was being said, right. Besides, the more we hear directly from God, the less that someone else can take away from what we have learned. If it comes directly from God, then it will usually stick with us, all the way to the end...
"Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard the the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our 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." (1 John 2:18-20) NLT
If it is true, each and every one of us that are His children hear His voice; then why are so many of those that confess to be His children so far off the reservation? Listening to the call-in portion of CSN yesterday, I could not believe some of the questions that were asked, as if there could be some in the body of Christ that have that much misunderstanding of the Scriptures. If you want to know what I honestly think, I will blame it on the recent legalization of a certain substance; that must be what it is, because nothing clouds the mind like that stuff. This verse speaks of something that is very important to the average Christian's life: We must hear directly from God! Each and every one us that are in the faith, we need to have discernment when it comes to listening to teachings, no matter who it is that we are listening to. There are certain things I hear during the day that I might not agree with, and if I really need to know the answer to what is being said, God alone is the source of my answer. Does it stack up against His Word? You can read into certain Scriptures whatever you want, but if what you believe it says does not line up to other Scriptures, then the meaning you are getting is wrong. This is why I always take notes, so if there is something I do not know, something I have not heard before, then I can write it down and check it out later; besides the practice of writing down things helps me remember, certain things need to be written verbatim. It also helps to add a little content, just so you get the context of what was being said, right. Besides, the more we hear directly from God, the less that someone else can take away from what we have learned. If it comes directly from God, then it will usually stick with us, all the way to the end...
"Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard the the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our 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." (1 John 2:18-20) NLT
Monday, December 3, 2018
"Run, Don't Walk"
"I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." (Psalms 119:32)
Not that it comes to any surprise, but God has a way of getting our attention; and when He gets our attention, we need to move, not tomorrow, but right away! Let me give you some brotherly advice: If you hear the Lord speaking, which is pretty much through the Holy Spirit that lives within us, don't hesitate to listen and obey, like right away! Not that the Holy Spirit will leave us, because I do not believe that He ever does; but what He will do, is to stop directing us, not because we have no presence of Him within us, but simply because we do not listen and obey what He says. If you are in doubt, pray it out! Ask God to give you more desire for His Word if you lack it; do whatever it takes to make yourself be obedient to His voice and to follow His commands. Paul spoke about this more than once, we just quote the most popular version of what he shared, how we need to run the race to win! We are not racing against one another, we are racing for our very lives, including the lives of one another! Someone that runs a race to win, continually evaluates all that he does, as to whether it benefits his winning or hinders it. If there is something causing you to slow down, you need to work harder to get it out of your life; if you can't shake it, then you need to ask the Lord to cut it out; and if you, for whatever reason, still can't get to out, then you need to do as many things as possible to counter the effects it has on your ability to run as fast as you can. God's grace is sufficient, and when we are weak, He is strong; but the ability for us to realize where and what it is that we need, is our desire to need Him more. The more we desire for Him to change us and strengthen us in His love, the more room we allow Him in our hearts...
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4) NLT
Not that it comes to any surprise, but God has a way of getting our attention; and when He gets our attention, we need to move, not tomorrow, but right away! Let me give you some brotherly advice: If you hear the Lord speaking, which is pretty much through the Holy Spirit that lives within us, don't hesitate to listen and obey, like right away! Not that the Holy Spirit will leave us, because I do not believe that He ever does; but what He will do, is to stop directing us, not because we have no presence of Him within us, but simply because we do not listen and obey what He says. If you are in doubt, pray it out! Ask God to give you more desire for His Word if you lack it; do whatever it takes to make yourself be obedient to His voice and to follow His commands. Paul spoke about this more than once, we just quote the most popular version of what he shared, how we need to run the race to win! We are not racing against one another, we are racing for our very lives, including the lives of one another! Someone that runs a race to win, continually evaluates all that he does, as to whether it benefits his winning or hinders it. If there is something causing you to slow down, you need to work harder to get it out of your life; if you can't shake it, then you need to ask the Lord to cut it out; and if you, for whatever reason, still can't get to out, then you need to do as many things as possible to counter the effects it has on your ability to run as fast as you can. God's grace is sufficient, and when we are weak, He is strong; but the ability for us to realize where and what it is that we need, is our desire to need Him more. The more we desire for Him to change us and strengthen us in His love, the more room we allow Him in our hearts...
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4) NLT
Sunday, December 2, 2018
"Adhesion To The Word"
"I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame." (Psalms 119:31)
After today, is really not the right answer God wants to hear; we should never put off for tomorrow what God wants to do today in our hearts. Don't ask me what that has to do with anything about this verse, because as of this moment, I am really not sure. The word "Stuck" means exactly what it says, to adhere or cleave to the Word of God; or in the case of His "Testimonies," they are His witness and His precepts, or laws! I truly don't know why there are some people who just love to jaywalk; apparently, they simply just want to break the law, any law will do, just as long as it gives them some kind of satisfaction of 'sticking it to the man'. I have literally watched people stand there and stare at the green light, and as soon as it turns yellow, or even red, they start walking, just so they can apparently break the law. These have mostly been homeless people, so I guess it really does not count, because they will most likely not be cited or arrested, unless they actually walk in front of the wrong police officer. As to the opening statement, if there is one thing we should learn about God's "testimonies," it is that they are spoken first and acted upon second. That should not come to a great surprise to anyone, especially anyone that has knowledge in the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. There are some people who actually think that you can throw out the Old Testament, because we are only concerned with the New Testament, as if the Old is just that, old and gone. Nothing could be further from the truth! If it is truth that we actually want, then we have got to adhere to the Old and the New, because they are all the same Word of God, and both are giving the same instruction. 'But wait,' you might be saying, 'I thought we were no longer under the law?' The Law has never changed, not one little bit! It still counts as the Word of God, and God never changes! What must change is you and me; and in the way that God has shown how He works, He speaks first and then there needs to be action. I guess the real question we must consider, is based upon His "testimonies," do you want Him to move or will it be you? He's not going anywhere, so I guess we know where this is going...
"I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true -it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God's children." (1 John 2:26-29) NLT
After today, is really not the right answer God wants to hear; we should never put off for tomorrow what God wants to do today in our hearts. Don't ask me what that has to do with anything about this verse, because as of this moment, I am really not sure. The word "Stuck" means exactly what it says, to adhere or cleave to the Word of God; or in the case of His "Testimonies," they are His witness and His precepts, or laws! I truly don't know why there are some people who just love to jaywalk; apparently, they simply just want to break the law, any law will do, just as long as it gives them some kind of satisfaction of 'sticking it to the man'. I have literally watched people stand there and stare at the green light, and as soon as it turns yellow, or even red, they start walking, just so they can apparently break the law. These have mostly been homeless people, so I guess it really does not count, because they will most likely not be cited or arrested, unless they actually walk in front of the wrong police officer. As to the opening statement, if there is one thing we should learn about God's "testimonies," it is that they are spoken first and acted upon second. That should not come to a great surprise to anyone, especially anyone that has knowledge in the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. There are some people who actually think that you can throw out the Old Testament, because we are only concerned with the New Testament, as if the Old is just that, old and gone. Nothing could be further from the truth! If it is truth that we actually want, then we have got to adhere to the Old and the New, because they are all the same Word of God, and both are giving the same instruction. 'But wait,' you might be saying, 'I thought we were no longer under the law?' The Law has never changed, not one little bit! It still counts as the Word of God, and God never changes! What must change is you and me; and in the way that God has shown how He works, He speaks first and then there needs to be action. I guess the real question we must consider, is based upon His "testimonies," do you want Him to move or will it be you? He's not going anywhere, so I guess we know where this is going...
"I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true -it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God's children." (1 John 2:26-29) NLT
Saturday, December 1, 2018
"Determination"
"I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me." (Psalms 119:30)
There is a very serious need that we must have, whether we are new to this experience in Christ, or if we have been saved for most of our adult life; we must be determined to follow Jesus! This is what it means to pick up our cross and follow the Lord; because there are going to be times when feel like quitting, there are going to days that make us overwhelmed by our failures, and no matter how strong we might think we are, we are never as strong as we should be or think we are. The way of truth is laid out for us in 1 John 1:5-10, where John tells us the simple facts of what we should be based upon what we are, and that what we should be, more than anything else, is cleansed by the blood of Christ! There is no other way for us to accept our condition, than to know we are nothing without Christ. If there are things that we need to confess, then with a determined heart, we need to confess them and be made clean; there is simply no other way to get around it. Picking up our cross is not about doing this or that to put burdens upon our lives; it's about dying to ourselves and letting Christ live in us. As much as I would like to be able to punch a clock or tally up the things I might do as cross bearing acts or points towards my salvation, it just does not work the way we might think. If you look at the parable of the sheep and goats, the goats were the ones that thought they earned their rewards, and sheep had served without expecting anything in return, they just did it because it was the right thing to do. The point about determination is not that of doing all that we can do, it is about letting the Lord do in us all that He wants to do. This verse reminds me very much of James 2:14-26, because it is one thing to choose to follow Christ, but it is altogether different when let Christ lead us and guide us. If we are truly following Christ, then there is going to be fruit, naturally grown fruit. Amazing how that works, there is no need to waste a whole lot of effort on doing the Lord's work, but there sure is a lot of effort that seems to go into dying to ourselves...
"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have a taste of the Lord's kindness." (1 Peter 2:1-3) NLT
There is a very serious need that we must have, whether we are new to this experience in Christ, or if we have been saved for most of our adult life; we must be determined to follow Jesus! This is what it means to pick up our cross and follow the Lord; because there are going to be times when feel like quitting, there are going to days that make us overwhelmed by our failures, and no matter how strong we might think we are, we are never as strong as we should be or think we are. The way of truth is laid out for us in 1 John 1:5-10, where John tells us the simple facts of what we should be based upon what we are, and that what we should be, more than anything else, is cleansed by the blood of Christ! There is no other way for us to accept our condition, than to know we are nothing without Christ. If there are things that we need to confess, then with a determined heart, we need to confess them and be made clean; there is simply no other way to get around it. Picking up our cross is not about doing this or that to put burdens upon our lives; it's about dying to ourselves and letting Christ live in us. As much as I would like to be able to punch a clock or tally up the things I might do as cross bearing acts or points towards my salvation, it just does not work the way we might think. If you look at the parable of the sheep and goats, the goats were the ones that thought they earned their rewards, and sheep had served without expecting anything in return, they just did it because it was the right thing to do. The point about determination is not that of doing all that we can do, it is about letting the Lord do in us all that He wants to do. This verse reminds me very much of James 2:14-26, because it is one thing to choose to follow Christ, but it is altogether different when let Christ lead us and guide us. If we are truly following Christ, then there is going to be fruit, naturally grown fruit. Amazing how that works, there is no need to waste a whole lot of effort on doing the Lord's work, but there sure is a lot of effort that seems to go into dying to ourselves...
"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have a taste of the Lord's kindness." (1 Peter 2:1-3) NLT
Friday, November 30, 2018
"To Witness Change"
"Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously." (Psalms 119:29)
If you have ever actually been involved with some sort of accident where two or more people are involved, then you will probably know how there will be two or more stories to the turn of events. I can recall a teacher lining our class in a line, having the first student whisper in the second students ear a certain illustrated event, and then one by one, each student would share what they were told to the next. By the time it reached the end of the line, it was hard to tell that it was the same event. Call it selective hearing, or the lack of attention to detail; whatever you want to call it, it is the result of a natural intention we have to lie. Maybe that might seem like a pretty harsh assumption, but if you stop and think about it, nobody needs to teach a small child to lie, they just naturally do it on their own. So, how does lying actually change the passing down of a story? That's easy: it's a little thing called 'embellishment.' It is to take something you have been told and add your own twist on it to make it more attractive or entertaining. This is something that can be quite costly within the church, because a simple mistake that is made by a brother or sister can quickly become something that it never really was; especially on a system commonly referred to as a prayer-chain. But I will not touch on that; it is a good thing to have handy, but it needs to be well monitored. It is no secret that David had an issue with lying, some people just like how it allows them to manipulate certain situations. But when it comes to making a change, lying is a lot like making ripples in water: they spread out in different directions, and they are bound to come back in your direction. Hence, the reason for this very important request: "And grant me they law graciously." Just in case you might have forgotten, we are witnessing "The Law of the Lord." Each and every portion of these 22 sections, based upon the Hebrew Alphabet, all 176 verses, are dealing with the Law of the Lord. We truly need pity when it comes to lying, because most of the time, lies when come back to bite us. The greatest part of this law regarding God's graciousness, is that He is our final judge. It is kind of like, let the chips fall where they may, because I will no longer lie to cover up another lie...
"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." (Ephesians 4:21-25) NLT
If you have ever actually been involved with some sort of accident where two or more people are involved, then you will probably know how there will be two or more stories to the turn of events. I can recall a teacher lining our class in a line, having the first student whisper in the second students ear a certain illustrated event, and then one by one, each student would share what they were told to the next. By the time it reached the end of the line, it was hard to tell that it was the same event. Call it selective hearing, or the lack of attention to detail; whatever you want to call it, it is the result of a natural intention we have to lie. Maybe that might seem like a pretty harsh assumption, but if you stop and think about it, nobody needs to teach a small child to lie, they just naturally do it on their own. So, how does lying actually change the passing down of a story? That's easy: it's a little thing called 'embellishment.' It is to take something you have been told and add your own twist on it to make it more attractive or entertaining. This is something that can be quite costly within the church, because a simple mistake that is made by a brother or sister can quickly become something that it never really was; especially on a system commonly referred to as a prayer-chain. But I will not touch on that; it is a good thing to have handy, but it needs to be well monitored. It is no secret that David had an issue with lying, some people just like how it allows them to manipulate certain situations. But when it comes to making a change, lying is a lot like making ripples in water: they spread out in different directions, and they are bound to come back in your direction. Hence, the reason for this very important request: "And grant me they law graciously." Just in case you might have forgotten, we are witnessing "The Law of the Lord." Each and every portion of these 22 sections, based upon the Hebrew Alphabet, all 176 verses, are dealing with the Law of the Lord. We truly need pity when it comes to lying, because most of the time, lies when come back to bite us. The greatest part of this law regarding God's graciousness, is that He is our final judge. It is kind of like, let the chips fall where they may, because I will no longer lie to cover up another lie...
"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." (Ephesians 4:21-25) NLT
Thursday, November 29, 2018
"To Wit"
"My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according to thy word." (Psalms 119:28)
It might not seem very humorous to some, but there are times when I truly do believe God is actually laughing at my foolishness. His humor is not that of making fun of the stupid things that I do; His humor is more towards my disregard to what I know is right, yet I still don't do it. I think I remember my mom having the same kind of humor when I told her I did what she said, and she knew full well that I didn't really do it; she would say, "Don't make me laugh, I know more than you think I know." Heaviness of heart is something that is closely related to unconfessed sin. This is not the kind problem we can correct on our own, although we repeatedly try to correct it, over and over again. We think, 'If I just don't do that anymore, then the heaviness will go away.' Unfortunately, the heart is not very responsive to inaction; which means, not doing something you are not wanting to do does not do anything to relieve the discomfort you feel towards doing it. If that makes any sense at all, it is only because it is true! If you are looking for a true remedy to the heaviness, it is called replacement! That's right! You want to find a cure for that heavy heart, for first step is confession, but the real cure is found in filling our hearts with the word of God! Jesus shared a little story, maybe it was a parable, but I seriously doubt it. He spoke about a man that had been cleansed of a demonic spirit, and after he had been cleansed, the demon returned finding the house all 'swept and garnished,' so he gets seven more spirits and returns; the state of the man is worst than before. (Luke 11:24 & Matthew 12:43) He could have been speaking just about unclean spirits, but I truly believe He was speaking about filling up the emptiness with the things of God, primarily, His word. There are many other things that count also, but in reference to the verses above, it is that word of God that will strengthen us and take away the heaviness. I guess if we wanted to make this something easy to relate to, it would be like our need to replace our sinful desire with a desire for God's word. In all honesty, not doing what you want to do does not bring much happiness; so the best thing to do, is to replace that something bad with something good and better; and this is where asking God for help is so vitally important...
""O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."" (Isaiah 40:27-31) NLT
It might not seem very humorous to some, but there are times when I truly do believe God is actually laughing at my foolishness. His humor is not that of making fun of the stupid things that I do; His humor is more towards my disregard to what I know is right, yet I still don't do it. I think I remember my mom having the same kind of humor when I told her I did what she said, and she knew full well that I didn't really do it; she would say, "Don't make me laugh, I know more than you think I know." Heaviness of heart is something that is closely related to unconfessed sin. This is not the kind problem we can correct on our own, although we repeatedly try to correct it, over and over again. We think, 'If I just don't do that anymore, then the heaviness will go away.' Unfortunately, the heart is not very responsive to inaction; which means, not doing something you are not wanting to do does not do anything to relieve the discomfort you feel towards doing it. If that makes any sense at all, it is only because it is true! If you are looking for a true remedy to the heaviness, it is called replacement! That's right! You want to find a cure for that heavy heart, for first step is confession, but the real cure is found in filling our hearts with the word of God! Jesus shared a little story, maybe it was a parable, but I seriously doubt it. He spoke about a man that had been cleansed of a demonic spirit, and after he had been cleansed, the demon returned finding the house all 'swept and garnished,' so he gets seven more spirits and returns; the state of the man is worst than before. (Luke 11:24 & Matthew 12:43) He could have been speaking just about unclean spirits, but I truly believe He was speaking about filling up the emptiness with the things of God, primarily, His word. There are many other things that count also, but in reference to the verses above, it is that word of God that will strengthen us and take away the heaviness. I guess if we wanted to make this something easy to relate to, it would be like our need to replace our sinful desire with a desire for God's word. In all honesty, not doing what you want to do does not bring much happiness; so the best thing to do, is to replace that something bad with something good and better; and this is where asking God for help is so vitally important...
""O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."" (Isaiah 40:27-31) NLT
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
"Point-Blank"
"Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works." (Psalms 119:27)
In order to truly understand the message that God is speaking, clearing the air is pretty much the first step in the line of communication. To put it in a way that is easy to understand, if we are holding on to things that God is telling us to let go of, our chances of hearing the message clearly are seriously hindered. I truly believe that we already know what God wants, deep down in our hearts, the truth is and always has been there; is it just a matter of our desire to let Him deal with it, or lack thereof. Here is the point of what I believe God is trying to get across: The more we give over to the will of God in our lives, the more we will understand and be able to communicate His redeeming love over our lives. It needs to be personal in order to be effective! Yes, it is true, we are not the one that we be able to win people over, the Holy Spirit is the one that needs to do the work; but we are the ones that are the instruments God uses to deliver the message. "Roman's Road" clearly makes that point: We are the "Sent" mentioned, whether it be a large gathering, or a one on one meeting with a friend, coworker, or stranger on the street; it is the message that God places upon our hearts that the Holy Spirit uses to close the deal, but it our mouths that must be willing to open up and declare the reality of what we know and believe is true in our own lives. I guess if I needed to point to one particular issue, it would be the lack of experiencing the victory Jesus won on that cross; If we are not living the victory out in our lives, it is hard to express how important a victory was won. In other words, the message we are delivering is here-say and not based upon our own experience or proof. The message lacks the power of being delivered because there really has been no deliverance experienced in the messengers life. Listen carefully to what the Lord is saying, because it is important that His message is made personal and not general. That is what I believe David is trying to express, that in order to express the message properly, we must understand it, and in order to understand it, we must have actually experienced it on our own...
"As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this regard. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"" (Romans 10:11-15) NLT
In order to truly understand the message that God is speaking, clearing the air is pretty much the first step in the line of communication. To put it in a way that is easy to understand, if we are holding on to things that God is telling us to let go of, our chances of hearing the message clearly are seriously hindered. I truly believe that we already know what God wants, deep down in our hearts, the truth is and always has been there; is it just a matter of our desire to let Him deal with it, or lack thereof. Here is the point of what I believe God is trying to get across: The more we give over to the will of God in our lives, the more we will understand and be able to communicate His redeeming love over our lives. It needs to be personal in order to be effective! Yes, it is true, we are not the one that we be able to win people over, the Holy Spirit is the one that needs to do the work; but we are the ones that are the instruments God uses to deliver the message. "Roman's Road" clearly makes that point: We are the "Sent" mentioned, whether it be a large gathering, or a one on one meeting with a friend, coworker, or stranger on the street; it is the message that God places upon our hearts that the Holy Spirit uses to close the deal, but it our mouths that must be willing to open up and declare the reality of what we know and believe is true in our own lives. I guess if I needed to point to one particular issue, it would be the lack of experiencing the victory Jesus won on that cross; If we are not living the victory out in our lives, it is hard to express how important a victory was won. In other words, the message we are delivering is here-say and not based upon our own experience or proof. The message lacks the power of being delivered because there really has been no deliverance experienced in the messengers life. Listen carefully to what the Lord is saying, because it is important that His message is made personal and not general. That is what I believe David is trying to express, that in order to express the message properly, we must understand it, and in order to understand it, we must have actually experienced it on our own...
"As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this regard. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"" (Romans 10:11-15) NLT
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
"Clearing the Air"
"I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes." (Psalms 119:26)
Of all the ways that there are to make our lives a little easier, the way to God's heart is really quite simple: we acknowledge that we cannot do this on our own, and understand that He has our attention, and then we prepare our hearts to hear from Him! It is not our voice that needs to be heard, but His; He only needs us to admit our ways don't work, and that we desperately need Him. I was listening to Pastor Jon yesterday sharing about when God called out to Adam in the garden, "Where art thou?" It is not that hard to think that God was judging Adam, at least for those that think God is just about judging and ordering and commanding; but as Jon was sharing, it was not what God said that matters, but it was the tone in which He said it. God had no need to know where Adam was; He didn't even need to know what Adam had done, because He knows everything about us, even the intentions of our hearts. What that means, in case you might have misplaced your understanding, is that God knows the plans we make in our hearts before we actually act them out. So you see, with God, our actions never come as a surprise to Him, even the stuff we do that might surprise ourselves. We might not know all that is in our hearts, but He surely does. All God was doing to Adam was asking him to check his condition, as if to say, 'Where are you in your relationship with me?' Obviously he was not in a very good place; he was hiding in the bushes and feeling very very dirty. In that, he did declare to God the way that he felt, he said, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." And God listened! Adam might not have confessed it, but God reminded him of what his condition was caused by: Not listening to what He said! It really does not matter how we sin; whether it is intentional or by accident, we are still guilty of the sin. Our greatest need is to be forgiven; fortunately for us, our God is more than willing to forgive, if we just confess that we are wrong and He is right...
"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy." (Proverbs 28:13) NLT
Of all the ways that there are to make our lives a little easier, the way to God's heart is really quite simple: we acknowledge that we cannot do this on our own, and understand that He has our attention, and then we prepare our hearts to hear from Him! It is not our voice that needs to be heard, but His; He only needs us to admit our ways don't work, and that we desperately need Him. I was listening to Pastor Jon yesterday sharing about when God called out to Adam in the garden, "Where art thou?" It is not that hard to think that God was judging Adam, at least for those that think God is just about judging and ordering and commanding; but as Jon was sharing, it was not what God said that matters, but it was the tone in which He said it. God had no need to know where Adam was; He didn't even need to know what Adam had done, because He knows everything about us, even the intentions of our hearts. What that means, in case you might have misplaced your understanding, is that God knows the plans we make in our hearts before we actually act them out. So you see, with God, our actions never come as a surprise to Him, even the stuff we do that might surprise ourselves. We might not know all that is in our hearts, but He surely does. All God was doing to Adam was asking him to check his condition, as if to say, 'Where are you in your relationship with me?' Obviously he was not in a very good place; he was hiding in the bushes and feeling very very dirty. In that, he did declare to God the way that he felt, he said, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." And God listened! Adam might not have confessed it, but God reminded him of what his condition was caused by: Not listening to what He said! It really does not matter how we sin; whether it is intentional or by accident, we are still guilty of the sin. Our greatest need is to be forgiven; fortunately for us, our God is more than willing to forgive, if we just confess that we are wrong and He is right...
"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy." (Proverbs 28:13) NLT
Monday, November 26, 2018
"DALETH"
"My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word." (Psalms 119:25)
Having wisdom can sometimes get in the way of our childlike surrender that is required for us to listen to what God is saying. If we don't listen well enough, then we end up being stuck in the lesson God is trying to teach us, never moving forward to the next lesson. If I was going to assign a law or principle to this, it would be the law of dull hearing; which is where we have hearing that is dulled by several different things, like pride, worldliness, hardheartedness, and too much head knowledge. Just as the last law was about our vertical relationship with God, always looking up to Him, this is about what is happening here, as we find ourselves cleaving to this world, in some form or fashion. I guess you could say that it is about fence sitting; but I would dare to say, it is more about holding onto the things God would have us give over to Him. I really do want to be ready when Jesus comes to take His bride from this earth. I am one of the pre-tribulation believers, that believe His children will be taken out of the wrath that will poured out upon a non-believing world. I also believe that there are some, a whole lot of some, that are half-hearted believers that are going to be left. These are those that are the dull of hearing, only hearing what they want to hear and shutting out the rest. Selective hearing, is what some might call it. I do not want to be that, and if I am, I pray that God would quicken me according to His word! That word "quicken" means to revive, or to bring back to life. If we are not moving forward it is because we have too much of a grip on something we need to let go of. If there is a lesson to be learned in all of this, it is that we cannot do this on our own. It is like that big giant rock that God has asked us to push; we try and we try, but we just can't push it. Then we finally give up trying, because we run out of faith; crying out to God, we say, "Why would you ask me to do something that I cannot do?" All along, God was waiting for us to ask for His help...
"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." (2 Corinthians 12:8-9) NLT
Having wisdom can sometimes get in the way of our childlike surrender that is required for us to listen to what God is saying. If we don't listen well enough, then we end up being stuck in the lesson God is trying to teach us, never moving forward to the next lesson. If I was going to assign a law or principle to this, it would be the law of dull hearing; which is where we have hearing that is dulled by several different things, like pride, worldliness, hardheartedness, and too much head knowledge. Just as the last law was about our vertical relationship with God, always looking up to Him, this is about what is happening here, as we find ourselves cleaving to this world, in some form or fashion. I guess you could say that it is about fence sitting; but I would dare to say, it is more about holding onto the things God would have us give over to Him. I really do want to be ready when Jesus comes to take His bride from this earth. I am one of the pre-tribulation believers, that believe His children will be taken out of the wrath that will poured out upon a non-believing world. I also believe that there are some, a whole lot of some, that are half-hearted believers that are going to be left. These are those that are the dull of hearing, only hearing what they want to hear and shutting out the rest. Selective hearing, is what some might call it. I do not want to be that, and if I am, I pray that God would quicken me according to His word! That word "quicken" means to revive, or to bring back to life. If we are not moving forward it is because we have too much of a grip on something we need to let go of. If there is a lesson to be learned in all of this, it is that we cannot do this on our own. It is like that big giant rock that God has asked us to push; we try and we try, but we just can't push it. Then we finally give up trying, because we run out of faith; crying out to God, we say, "Why would you ask me to do something that I cannot do?" All along, God was waiting for us to ask for His help...
"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." (2 Corinthians 12:8-9) NLT
Sunday, November 25, 2018
"The One I Love"
"Thy testimonies also are my delight, and my counsellors." (Psalms 119:24)
As much as I would like to say that it is so, there is always a much needed room for improvement. I could only wish that I could love God with all that is within me; as soon as I make that my passion, there is something in the road that catches my eye, and my passion changes. What I know most of all, is the God loves me! There is no way that I can't change that, it is just so. Now by knowing that, it is my delight to try and love Him back; try as I may, it is going to take every last ounce of me to do it. Maybe that is why Jesus said that we need to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, because it's going to take everything that we got to love Him as we should! By the way, I remember when John Chau was getting ready to go on his missionary journey, Pastor Bryan had him come up on the stage and the whole church prayed for him. He was very sure that God was calling him to go; and after seeing what happened to him, I somehow felt the confirmation in my heart. We don't know what the Lord is getting ready to do, but we do know what He said, He said, "Watch and be ready!" I have no desire to be left behind, but if it might happen, I would only pray that something breaks in my thinking and my will to love God; because if what they say is true, then I am going to have one heck of a battle loving God during what happens next. I hear it said quite often, "If you can't love Him without the threat of dying, what makes you think you will love Him, if you are threatened with death?" Something to really think about, that's for sure. John was very passionate about his calling, and all it is going to take is for that last lost soul to hear the Gospel. By the way, again; I heard something said on the radio the other day, a pastor said, "Jesus was not in the business of saving so souls; He was in the business of saving whole bodies." At first I thought he might have made a mistake, but if you stop and think about it, we will be getting a new body. Anywho, the whole point of this vertical law, is to keep looking up...
"Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:14-17) NLT
As much as I would like to say that it is so, there is always a much needed room for improvement. I could only wish that I could love God with all that is within me; as soon as I make that my passion, there is something in the road that catches my eye, and my passion changes. What I know most of all, is the God loves me! There is no way that I can't change that, it is just so. Now by knowing that, it is my delight to try and love Him back; try as I may, it is going to take every last ounce of me to do it. Maybe that is why Jesus said that we need to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, because it's going to take everything that we got to love Him as we should! By the way, I remember when John Chau was getting ready to go on his missionary journey, Pastor Bryan had him come up on the stage and the whole church prayed for him. He was very sure that God was calling him to go; and after seeing what happened to him, I somehow felt the confirmation in my heart. We don't know what the Lord is getting ready to do, but we do know what He said, He said, "Watch and be ready!" I have no desire to be left behind, but if it might happen, I would only pray that something breaks in my thinking and my will to love God; because if what they say is true, then I am going to have one heck of a battle loving God during what happens next. I hear it said quite often, "If you can't love Him without the threat of dying, what makes you think you will love Him, if you are threatened with death?" Something to really think about, that's for sure. John was very passionate about his calling, and all it is going to take is for that last lost soul to hear the Gospel. By the way, again; I heard something said on the radio the other day, a pastor said, "Jesus was not in the business of saving so souls; He was in the business of saving whole bodies." At first I thought he might have made a mistake, but if you stop and think about it, we will be getting a new body. Anywho, the whole point of this vertical law, is to keep looking up...
"Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:14-17) NLT
Saturday, November 24, 2018
"The One I Answer To"
"Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes." (Psalms 119:23)
And then there are those that accuse and speak against you, as if anyone else but God has the authority to point a finger at one of His own. This is another law in the vertical life, one that we should strictly adhere to, that we answer to God! If there is anything I have learned in all these years of walking with Jesus, my desire should be pleasing the Lord, not so much about pleasing people. Don't get me wrong, we should be about loving others and being a servant to those that God places in our lives; but when it come to who it is we answer to, there is only One that matters. Here is one of those verses where a single little word can make a very big difference in how we see how it works in our own lives, the word "in". He could have said 'on,' and most people would accept it as so, and then they would move on. But instead, he chose "in," which makes it more about his relationship with God and less about God's statutes. God's statutes are the things that are established or definite; the things that we can place ourselves into, things like His promises that are written about those He has called and chosen. There are actually bad forces at work in this world, besides bad people. There are actually so called princes in the unseen world around us, those that sit, as if they are in authority. We are not to fear what they say, or what might be said by their instigations. They too are of this world, and there is nothing here that can actually come against us; not in what matters most that is...
"The Jewish leaders replied, "By our laws he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. "Why didn't you talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?" Then Jesus said, "You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin."" (John 19:7-11) NLT
And then there are those that accuse and speak against you, as if anyone else but God has the authority to point a finger at one of His own. This is another law in the vertical life, one that we should strictly adhere to, that we answer to God! If there is anything I have learned in all these years of walking with Jesus, my desire should be pleasing the Lord, not so much about pleasing people. Don't get me wrong, we should be about loving others and being a servant to those that God places in our lives; but when it come to who it is we answer to, there is only One that matters. Here is one of those verses where a single little word can make a very big difference in how we see how it works in our own lives, the word "in". He could have said 'on,' and most people would accept it as so, and then they would move on. But instead, he chose "in," which makes it more about his relationship with God and less about God's statutes. God's statutes are the things that are established or definite; the things that we can place ourselves into, things like His promises that are written about those He has called and chosen. There are actually bad forces at work in this world, besides bad people. There are actually so called princes in the unseen world around us, those that sit, as if they are in authority. We are not to fear what they say, or what might be said by their instigations. They too are of this world, and there is nothing here that can actually come against us; not in what matters most that is...
"The Jewish leaders replied, "By our laws he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. "Why didn't you talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?" Then Jesus said, "You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin."" (John 19:7-11) NLT
Friday, November 23, 2018
"God, The Great Keeper"
"Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies." (Psalms 119:22)
Just in case you did not know it, I forgot to mention that "rebuked" is not something we should be afraid or ashamed of; it is God's hand upon us as His children; those that are His, He will reprove! As with the children of Israel being delivered from Egypt, God delivered them out of Egypt in a day, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of them. It really does not matter what happens to us in the horizontal life here on this earth, what matters most to us is what happens in the vertical life. There are some things more important than health, wealth, and pleasures. That great day when we will stand before God, in that day we must put all of our trust and hope! That is the day when the "Whosoever's" will be revealed: "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15) Which "Whosoever" do you want to be? The whosoever that believes in the "Only Begotten Son," or those not written in the "Lamb's Book of Life?" It would be nice to be removed from reproach and contempt, but even still, it is better to be kept in the might hand of God. Here is where it gets serious, when we start thinking that the reproach and contempt that man might put upon us is somehow related to how God feels about us; because nothing could be further from the truth. We must keep our focus upon the Lord! Abiding in Christ is our number one priority; and as far as Christ Jesus is concerned for us, it is His promise to never leave us nor forsake us...
"So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking for a home yet to come." (Hebrews 13:13-14) NLT
Just in case you did not know it, I forgot to mention that "rebuked" is not something we should be afraid or ashamed of; it is God's hand upon us as His children; those that are His, He will reprove! As with the children of Israel being delivered from Egypt, God delivered them out of Egypt in a day, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of them. It really does not matter what happens to us in the horizontal life here on this earth, what matters most to us is what happens in the vertical life. There are some things more important than health, wealth, and pleasures. That great day when we will stand before God, in that day we must put all of our trust and hope! That is the day when the "Whosoever's" will be revealed: "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15) Which "Whosoever" do you want to be? The whosoever that believes in the "Only Begotten Son," or those not written in the "Lamb's Book of Life?" It would be nice to be removed from reproach and contempt, but even still, it is better to be kept in the might hand of God. Here is where it gets serious, when we start thinking that the reproach and contempt that man might put upon us is somehow related to how God feels about us; because nothing could be further from the truth. We must keep our focus upon the Lord! Abiding in Christ is our number one priority; and as far as Christ Jesus is concerned for us, it is His promise to never leave us nor forsake us...
"So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking for a home yet to come." (Hebrews 13:13-14) NLT
Thursday, November 22, 2018
"God The Great Giver!"
"Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments." (Psalms 119:21)
Since we are still talking about the vertical law, here are some facts that we need to know about how this really works. For one, as nice and as pleasant as it is to think about, there is only one way for us to get into heaven, through Jesus Christ! The second law, which much the same as the first, is that there is nothing we can possibly do on our own to remove the curse of sin; that is what we were born with, and unless the blood of Jesus washes those sins away, we will die with the same curse! This verse is me, over and over! Oh, I know I was saved from my sins back in September of 1981; but there are still sins that I commit, some little, and some that I care not to even think about. But, here is the thing about what we have that is different from the ones who refuse to accept God's free give of Salvation, we are no longer under the curse! I might get a little pride in me for a season or so, but thankfully, it is God that called me out of the darkness and into His marvelous Light; which means, for those that might need a little help, that God will finish what He started! You know that phrase that everyone loves to quote when talking about giving money; well the phrase, "You can't out give God," takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to our eternal Salvation! There is nothing we can do to earn it, and there is no way that we can buy it; it is the only thing, worth more than anything, that we are all equally able to receive; each and everyone of us qualify to be a "Whosoever!" Talk about a thing to be thankful for on Thanksgiving! The Great Giver of all good gifts has given His Greatest...
"So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." This way of faith is very different from the way of the law. which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessings he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:9-14) NLT
Since we are still talking about the vertical law, here are some facts that we need to know about how this really works. For one, as nice and as pleasant as it is to think about, there is only one way for us to get into heaven, through Jesus Christ! The second law, which much the same as the first, is that there is nothing we can possibly do on our own to remove the curse of sin; that is what we were born with, and unless the blood of Jesus washes those sins away, we will die with the same curse! This verse is me, over and over! Oh, I know I was saved from my sins back in September of 1981; but there are still sins that I commit, some little, and some that I care not to even think about. But, here is the thing about what we have that is different from the ones who refuse to accept God's free give of Salvation, we are no longer under the curse! I might get a little pride in me for a season or so, but thankfully, it is God that called me out of the darkness and into His marvelous Light; which means, for those that might need a little help, that God will finish what He started! You know that phrase that everyone loves to quote when talking about giving money; well the phrase, "You can't out give God," takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to our eternal Salvation! There is nothing we can do to earn it, and there is no way that we can buy it; it is the only thing, worth more than anything, that we are all equally able to receive; each and everyone of us qualify to be a "Whosoever!" Talk about a thing to be thankful for on Thanksgiving! The Great Giver of all good gifts has given His Greatest...
"So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." This way of faith is very different from the way of the law. which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessings he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:9-14) NLT
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