"Drawn Out of Darkness"

"He brought them out of the darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder."
(Psalms 107:14)

 I truly hope that you caught that one part of the closing Scripture, "Mark well the path by which you came," because that is pretty much the point I was trying to make about not being able to loose our salvation. Realistically, there is no way for a true child of God to shake off that well marked path; it is  like that song by Daniel Amos called "Glory Road," anything else is utter destruction and we can't back out now! What else are you going to do? At the very least, you keep focused upon the saving grace, and just hope that it all works out in the end; but if you really want to experience all of the blessings that come from serving God, you must serve Him only, and stop serving yourself. Oddly enough, we might thing that we are just serving ourselves, but in reality, the enemy has us bound up in something totally different. The easy way to see this illustrated in a way we might understand is by looking at the  three temptations that Jesus was tempted by in the wilderness. The first of which was "bread," the second was "power," and the third one was "glory." The first thing that the devil will cause us to do is to be focused upon provisions and substance; what we need to live on and how we feed our families. Jesus clearing tells us in Matthew 6:32, "For after all these things do the Gentiles seek;" in other words, those that do not believe to God's ability to provide for all of their needs, are the ones who are concerned about provisions and substance. The second distraction that the devil will pull us into is that of power, or the lack thereof. Power is a very tricky thing to deal with, because it is something that really cannot be seen until it is used; so it is totally hidden, knowing its strength or weakness remains unknown until you flip the switch and turn it on; which simply means, until you test it! Faith is the only thing that we have that no one can touch. So if we cannot trust God in the little things, like provisions and substance, how will we trust Him in the bigger things, like jumping off a high pinnacle and expecting Him to catch us? The third thing is the most complex of all, glory. There is something we do not understand about God's glory when we are not walking in faith: we are part of His glory! Seriously, how can we doubt God in the little things, not experience the power of His resurrection, and then not be drawn into worshiping something else? There is really not a fine line between serving God and serving ourselves; it is a pretty big substantial gap...

"Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don't participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light."" (Ephesians 5:6-14) NLT

"Then, They Cried Out!"

"Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses."
(Psalms 107:13)

 Why do we let it go on for so long? There are a few more "O's" yet to come, but the most contrasting thing that those "O's" represent is the circle that we continually keep walking in. There is this one verse from a song by Daniel Amos, called "Safety Net," and it says, "Shot like a bullet till kingdom come." That is how I see God working in my life: He loads me into His musket, fires me off by the power of His Holy Spirit; yet I somehow stop moving in His power and into my own, and fall to the ground. Then He comes and picks me up again, loading me into His musket and firing me out again. If only I could remain in His power always! To be perfectly honest, I could really stand to remain in His power through an entire day; but something always happens to get me thrown off; some tree pops up out of nowhere, and there I go, down on the ground. Obviously I can get a little dramatic at times, but there is some truth to the circle of life, especially when in comes to our spiritual life. I am not kidding when I say that the children of Israel illustrate the normal Christian life; God has given us this to illustrate His unconditional love for us, and to show us that He will never stop accepting our plea for forgiveness, ever! Listening to Pastor Mike and Pastor Leo yesterday, they seemed to get several calls about "loosing our Salvation." There is only one way that I believe we can loose this gift that we have been freely given, and that is to reject everything Jesus has done; much like trying to say that He never really saved us, that it was just a stunt and a farce. I am not sure that I can see that happening, but if it were going to happen, that is where I could see it making a difference. Otherwise, if you are born into the Kingdom of God, guess what! You are stuck there forever! You cannot undo what Christ has done! If you choose to throw away all that He has promised and live the way that you want, without any concern for what God wants, shame on you, you will reap what you sow. I don't know how that will all work out, but I do know that there is an Inner Court and an Outer Court in Heaven; so you can read into that what you will. As long as we have breath in our lungs, there is always a choice, to cry out to God...

"But now this is what the LORD says: "Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you," says the LORD. "Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. There is hope for your future," says the LORD. "Your children will come again to their own land. I have heard Israel saying, 'You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the LORD my God. I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.' "Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?" says the LORD. "I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That's why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him. Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came. Come back again, my virgin Israel; return to your towns here. How long will you wander, my wayward daughter? For the LORD will cause something new to happen -Israel will embrace her God."" (Jeremiah 31:18-22) NLT

"Bound to Failure"

"Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down and there was none to help."
(Psalms 107:12)

 Personally, I like to think that it is good for us to feel a little pressure and hardship; at least enough to keep us counting on the Lord for help. There is something being taught here about the way the Father will make us depend upon Him; it is a lot like we might do, telling our kids how to do something, and when they won't listen, we let them fail trying to do it their own way. It is really not that hard to see how God allows us to experience failure, He does so that we might figure out He knows best. I have written in my Bible after this verse, "They try all else;" which informs me that there is more to this statement, like, "Then." Isn't it silly to avoid doing it God's way, until you have ran out of every other option and find that no one is able to help you? There is only one reason for this to take place, much like the kid that does not want to live by the household rules of their parents, they leave home and try to make it on their own; so too, we might not agree with something the Lord wants us to do, so we will try and make it happen on our own; whatever it is, a marriage, a business, a way of life; even something as simple as a new relationship. Whatever it is, we are not bound to failure, not if we turn everything over to God. We can make some of the biggest messes of almost every situation or endeavor, but God can take any mess we make and turn it into something beautiful. But it is going to require that we surrender completely to the Lord! Surrender is not something that comes easy, so if you think that it is, then you have not yet experienced complete surrender. As a matter of fact, failure is as much a part to surrender as anything else. It is not untill we have come to the end of our own resources and options, that we can totally see that there is no one else but God to help us. Maybe then we can learn a lesson about listening and following God's instructions; and again, maybe not...

""A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and be began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into the fields to feed pigs. The young man became so hungry that eve the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."" (Luke 15:13-19) NLT

"Rebellion Leads to Bondage"

"Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High:" (Psalms 107:10-11)

 Or you could be just as happy as an old dog, doing the same; I have seen old dogs that still find the energy to go get that stick. The next mark in this Psalms is here, pointed to the word "rebelled;" it simply says, "Leads to Bondage." What we should be, is bound to the Lord Christ Jesus; there is where our hearts and minds should be held captive, not by the things of this world. First of all, there is no way that anyone who is of Christ should sit in darkness and in the shadow of death; we are called out of the darkness, and we have bee given eternal life in Christ. Such as us, who have been transformed and delivered, should never sit in darkness, even if darkness is where we are placed, we are a light! And as far as the shadow of death is concerned, even in the midst of dying, we have something that overshadows death, eternal life! So then, from what does this darkness and death get the strength enough to hold us, that we should sit there in it? There is a point in our relationship with God where we must choose who is the master over our lives, God or this world. We cannot serve both! The counsel of God is the way that God instructs us, individually, in each of our hearts. When we despise His counsel, He is no longer the "Most High" in our lives; we have placed Him lower than something else, something that we prefer more over His words and wishes that He personally has let be known in our hearts. These really don't need to be big areas of rebellion, so they might not even be something we are totally and completely aware of. But, if we are suffering with depression and the fear of death, then there is something that has us bound, other than the Lord Christ Jesus. I might not be a counselor or expert, but I know Jesus; and when Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed! There is no need for some twelve step program when we are in Christ; there is no need to any medication when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. These are all the things that the world is dependent upon, because they lack the deliverance of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Am I saying to stop your program and give up your medication? No! It's not that easy! You have been given a worldly crutch to help hold you up, you must first replace that crutch with Christ; He will instruct you when to let go and stop. Don't jump out of a moving car until it is safe to do so! But, you can trust this one important thing: If Christ has set you free, then you are free indeed...

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:20-23) NLT

"That We Be Satisfied" -Too

"For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalms 107:9)

 As to the need that our soul be filled, it is vital that we fill it with the things of the Lord; His Spirit is a given, but we need to fill it also with His word, on a daily basis. I have been watching my little 6 month old nephew, who seems to have withdraws if he does not get his mother's milk when he wants it. I wish it was like that for me needing God's word to nourish my soul; like I could care less about anything else but getting feed by the Word! There is another vital ingredient that we need, praise! Praise comes in many forms and through many different expressions. We can sing, we can exclaim, we can worship in giving or serving, we can praise God just by the way that we live; but the one thing that we sometimes forget about is sharing the Lord with those who need to know Him. I good example of what I am talking about was Jesus and the woman at the well. When the disciples showed up with food for Him to eat, He said that He had already eaten. So they wondered between them, who had given Him food. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "My food is to do the will of the Father." I know that there are a whole lot of Christians that do not feel led to share the Good News with people, they think that is something to leave up to the pastors or the ministers serving in the church. But it is like leaving out a vital part of your dietary need, like fruits and vegetables. You can most likely survive without them, but your health would be so much better if you eat them. The best way that I can make this point is by looking a the word "longing," as in "the longing soul." Some might think it strange, but it speaks about running up and down, especially of those who eagerly seek any thing. There is just something about sharing the Lord with someone that makes feel like a puppy chasing a stick: we are excited to go get it, the Master throws it, and we bring it back to Him. That is a little odd, I know; but there is something important within that illustration about our being eager to go find whoever it is that God wants us to share with, and then we reconcile them to Him...

"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from  human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"
(2 Corinthians 5:15-20) NLT

"That We Be Satisfied"

"For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalms 107:9)

 There are several "O's" buried here; whether you have an "O" or "Oh," I guess that depends upon your particular edition of the King James Version; personally, I prefer the "O" way because it seems more of a statement of fact than a response. As to my experience that day, all twelve of us marched around in a circle for at least fifteen or twenty minutes singing that song; and it seemed as natural in that moment as breathing to stay alive. That is what I believe God wants us to be, spontaneous in our worship. Not that we be out of order or disruptive, but that we are free to express our love and thanks to Him, not hindered by fear of being different or out of sorts. That is what this verse is speaking into my heart this morning, are need and our desire to be absorbed by God's Spirit. For sure it is a need, for each and every single one of us; but is it our desire? Is there some apprehension within us to allow the Holy Spirit to absorb all that we are? Personally, I feel the need to hold onto some of my freedoms, if I am being perfectly honest. But is that what it means to be satisfied in the Lord? I am thinking that there might be some things I need to pray over, because I don't think it does. The Lord wants all of us, not just the parts of our life that we feel like handing over. Oddly enough, the things that we might hold onto will never satisfy our hungry soul; the more we fill up with them, the more hungry our soul is for the things of the Lord. We might not realize that is what is happening, so we naturally try to add more of the junk that does nothing to satisfy our soul. The meaning to the word "satisfied" is more about fulfillment than it is about having enough. It speaks to the whole experience of knowing that you are not only being filled, but you are pleasing God in the process. That is what that second part of the verse is putting forth, that we have done what the Lord desires of us, and it makes us to feel complete or filled with goodness. The meaning of "goodness" is way too complicated to express in a single post; only to say, it means that we are agreeable. Can you see the importance of being agreeable with God? That is the true meaning of a soul that is satisfied; there are no issues between us and the Lord...

""Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink -even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk -it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. "Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David."" (Isaiah 55:1-3) NLT

"That We Be Made Right!"

"O that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalms 107:8)

 You probably would not believe me if I told you, so I will just praise the Lord, and quietly keep it to myself. But I will say this with all honesty and with a clear conscience: every morning I pray that God will speak into my heart, asking Him at least two things; what is on His heart, and what does He need to speak into mine? Other than that, I will say that I did not know Billy went home to be with the Lord till after yesterday's post. Besides, the Holy Spirit speaks, and the more we listen the louder He will speak into our hearts. As to this verse we have before us today, taking in the fact that we know how much God loves us and is more than willing to rescue us, put us on a right path, and faithfully get us to that final destination, then it is safe to say that this is our reasonable response! I'm just saying; if we have something to be thankful for, then maybe it is about time that we give Him thanks and stop complaining about stuff that really does not matter in the long run. We cannot stop this evil that is in the world, and according to what I read from the Bible, it's only going to get worse. But God is doing wonderful things, regardless of all that seems to be going on, He is building a Kingdom that is not of this world, piece by piece and person by person. Pretty soon, and hopefully very soon, that last Gentile will be added and that trumpet will sound! When I read this verse, I think about the time when I was first born again. It was about October in 1981 and I was still incarcerated, but felt as free as a bird. We were meeting at the Little White Church that was located within the compound, yet it was not a regular service time; there was about twelve of us there, standing around in a circle, holding hands, and praying for the service that would soon be taking place. All of the sudden, we all started to sing, "Father Abraham had many sons, Many sons had father Abraham." You can only imagine what happened next; "O"...

""Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore -too many to count! There would have been no need for you destruction, or for cutting off your family name."" (Isaiah 48:18-19) NLT

"God's Way is Always Right!"

"And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation." (Psalms 107:7)

 I don't know about you, but I love to not only have a play on words, but numbers also. If the number of man is 6, then verses 6 would be on us; it is what we must do, our part is to cry out to God! Not as one that is complaining or even wanting the torment to stop, but as one that just wants to feel safe in the arms of the God that is powerful and loving; a God that truly does care and will ultimately rescue us from this fallen world. So then, what is 7? God's way! His way is always right, even if the entire world does not agree, it does not matter; "When God leads, it's the right way!" That is what is written in my Bible next to this verse. It is important for us to know where God is leading us, but not to know the details of the journey. The place where God is leading us, just as He led the children of Israel, was  "a city of habitation." It is a lot like the story of Jesus telling His disciples that they were going over to the other side of the lake. He told them where they were going, but did not mention that there would be a storm along the way. Don't worry about how God will do this or that, just trust that He will make it happen! Do you realize how much effort we waste focused on the wrong part of the journey? Our focus needs to be upon the destination; leave the driving and the details up to God! He always knows what is best for us, yet we tend to want to somehow participate in the directions. Like the spoiled kid in the back seat, constantly asking to stop at every point of interest. There are reasons for the storms, just as there are reasons for the times that we are held captive. What ever state that we find ourselves, if God is leading the way, the way is always right. Rich or poor, free or bound, healthy or sick, full or hungry; none of those things actually make a difference in the destination! The main point of what this "city of habitation" is speaking about, is a dwelling place; a place where we will finally sit down, where we will assemble together and dwell there. We are not earth dwellers! We are heaven dwellers, that is where our home is located, not on this earth; we are merely passing through. Any and everything that happens along this journey is temporary and does not effect the outcome of where our dwelling place is; waiting for us to show up to, and finally sit down...

"It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith -for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God."
(Hebrews 11:8-10) NLT

"You're Never Out of Reach"

"Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses."
(Psalms 107:6)

 I like puzzles as much as anyone else; but that closing Scripture from yesterday was on my heart all day long. I hope it ministered something into someone else also, because the point was pretty obvious about the stupidity of not only worshipping something created, but something that you can control and manipulate and burn, and then asking it to rescue you, that is just ridiculous. What will that do for you, except maybe keep you warm from the cold. Pastor Jon was sharing something yesterday that I am sure was not received well on the day he shared it. He was speaking about people who complain about God not seeming close, even though they try to draw close to Him. Jon insisted, "One of you is a liar, and I'm sure it's not God!" There is a simple truth that must be told: either we only think that we are drawing close to God, or there is something else between us and the LORD. Maybe both of those are strongly connected. That is why "distresses" are important and needed in our lives; they wake us up, clear our vision, and draw us close to God. It is a word that speaks of narrowness and anguish. How big is your God? Is He big enough to do whatever it is that you need? Oh yes He is! He is always there, right there in every situation and in every circumstance. But the question is, do we truly know what we need? I know that I always know what I want, but my wants are not always the same as my needs; as a matter of fact, most of the time my wants are just the opposite. I want to try and eat a 44oz ribeye steak; but my need is to give my stomach a much needed break. I said that because Saturday I cooked a steak that size, and it turned out amazing; as close to perfection as anything I have ever enjoyed in any restaurant. Anywho, it is distress that makes us stop whatever it is that we are doing and cry out to the LORD. If it can work for Manasseh, then it can work for you or me! But rest assure, if you do draw close to God, He will draw close to you...

"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 he 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

"No Matter Your Condition"

"Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them." (Psalms 107:5)

 It might be short, but it packs a powerful punch! I know this feeling; it is when your breath just does not seem enough to carry your spirit, as if there is something lacking in the air to make it to feel satisfied. There is a spiritual hunger and thirst that must be satisfied, not only the physical body. It is the part of us that longs for fellowship the God and other believers; that something that makes us feel as though we are not alone and that everything is going to be just fine. This verse piggybacks the last one, speaking on the "solitary way," which makes one feel destitute on the road they are headed. This is why I believe the fellowship with other believers is so important; not just sitting in church or hanging out in a congregation, but real intimate fellowship, where we are sharing our fears and our trials with one another. We are all in this together, and we all pretty much share the same struggles against sin; some a little more drastic, but sin is sin, no matter how you slice it up. This word "fainted" is actually not what you think, because it speaks mostly about covering up, or to cover over; to be wrapped in darkness. For those of us that are born again, there is a Light within us, the Holy Spirit. If we fail to remain in fellowship, to read God's word, and to speak regularly to the Father, there is something that happens to the Spirit within us, He gets covered over. He is still there, waiting for us to let His Light shine through us, but He is quietly waiting for something to change in us. We are the ones that must act; we are the hinderance that keeps holding Him back! At this point in our walk, we seriously need God to rescue us from our own complacency. This is where we feel independent and think we have it all figured out. We forget how much we need to be rescued, even in our born again state, we still need rescued, more than ever! The greatest hindrance to the Holy Spirit shinning within us is our willingness to sin; to sin willingly, even though you know He is there, even though you know He is saying don't, even though you know that it offends Him. You need to be rescued, for sure...

""The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint. Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves in into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine. He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain. Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then -yes, it's true -he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, "Ah, that fire feels good." Then he takes what's left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. "Rescue me!" he says. "You are my god!"" (Isaiah 44:12-17) NLT

"No Matter Where You Are"

"They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in." (Psalms 107:4)

 Yes indeed, God truly does rescue us! So, just in case you might have missed the point, Manasseh will also be in heaven when you get there. It was him being carried away into captivity that saved him; it totally changed his life, so much so, that he was on fire for the Lord until the day he died. I was spoken to this morning, as I was being lazy in bed, that Manasseh is listed in the family record of Jesus. I already knew that, but God had to remind me, and I get the feeling that everyone listed in the family record was redeemed, no matter who they were or what they had done. God has a way of rescuing those that he has called and chosen; even if it requires them being rescued on their deathbed.
Do you think that is unfair? I am just glad that He rescued me! If He chooses to rescue anyone else right before they die, why should that cause me any concern? It is that parable of the Laborers, the one where householder goes out early in the morning to get people to work on his vineyard. He promises to pay them a certain amount, and they are totally fine with the amount he promised; that is until he hires others throughout the day, and the last group that he hires gets paid first, that same amount! Oddly enough, we do kind of have a jealous streak in us. The word that describes the way they wandered, is closely associated with the explanation to why, in that "they found no city to dwell in." The word is "solitary," in which their life is a waste, living in a desolate place. We were all once totally just like them, living a wasteful life in a desolate place. But God rescued us from desolate place and gave us a new life, a life that is reserved for us all in a wonderful place, with a family that is filled with chosen people. Each and every one of them are from all sorts of walks of life, with all sorts of backgrounds, some too terrible to speak about. But God rescued each and every one; some during the prime of their lives, some at the end of their lives, and some, before their life even got started...

"By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with wipes. Others were chained in prison. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us." (Hebrews 11:33-40) NLT

"No Matter Who You Are"

"And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south." (Psalms 107:3)

 Maybe the greatest challenge we deal with, big and small, is the question, "Why me?" I mean, if you have been walking in the Lord for any amount of time, you must have dealt with that question now and again. It is mostly caused by doubt; not so much about doubt in the Lord, but doubt in ourselves. If there is one thing that God has shown me through these many years of ups and downs, it is that feelings seldom have anything to do with what faith is meant to be about. We can wake up feeling so distant from the Lord, or we can wake up feeling as close as we ever have felt before in our lives; but those feelings have no relationship with what faith actually is all about. Our faith is not based upon feelings, it is based upon truth and love. Truth never changes, and love is forever. So what if you don't have a ministry that seems all the important, you are important to God because you are His child. So what if you have failed in almost every endeavor that you have felt called into, He is unfailing enough for you both. Most of what we live out in our lives is for learning how amazing the Lord is, not how important or successful that we can become. I heard at least two messages yesterday that spoke about a certain character from the Bible, his name was Manasseh. One of the messages was from J. Vernon McGee, so you know that it was not recently given. The challenging thing we seem to be stumbled by is the fact that we sometimes feel as though we lack change, at least the kind of change we think we should be feeling. We might think by now that our ability to resist sin and temptation would be stronger, or our ability to share the Lord with people would be greater. I think that God will use our weaknesses to demonstrate His power and might; after all, He is the one that chose us, we did not choose Him. Manasseh was the most horrible and evil king that Judah or even Israel ever had; and his birth was the result of Hezekiah's extended fifteen year life. If you are not familiar with that story, Hezekiah was told that he was going to die, but he cried out to God for more life, and God granted him his request. His son Manasseh was not the only bad thing to come out of those fifteen years; but it was the other big mistake that changed his son. Go figure...

"And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth."" (Revelations 5:8-10) NLT

"Just Say That It's So"

"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;"
(Psalms 107:2)

 This is really not all the complicated; it is a lot like that comment made on the Nutrisystem commercial: "You eat the food, you loose the weight." The problem that we have is not in our ability to praise Him, it is the sin in our lives that makes us feel unworthy. There is where we need to stop making this about us, and we need to make it about what He has done for us. We are not going to shake off this sinful nature, not like that! We are unworthy, and we will continue to be so until we are taken out of these bodies and removed from this fallen world. But in the mean time, we must give Him the praise that He deserves for redeeming us, and we must choose to live holy lives. Does that mean that we will be holy? I'm sorry, but we are holy already! He has made us holy by His holiness, it is not something that we work on doing for ourselves; it is something that He does in us. Before He saved us we did not have a choice, now we do; now we can choose life, because life has been given to us; now we can choose to be holy, because He has given us a right standing with the Father. So what do we do with that? We stand! We make known all that He has done, for all to see; and if there is anything contrary to our testimony that is hindering us from making what He has done clear to everyone, then we ask Him to take it from us. But one thing is for sure, we cannot allow our hangups to prevent us from praising the Lord; because He does not have any hangups at all! Written next to this verse, says, "Let those that are saved say so!" Have you been redeemed from the hand of the enemy? Then the first verse is for you to declare! "O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever!" That is what it means to be saved, that we are free from judgment and condemnation. We are made white as snow by the blood of Jesus Christ, and His blood covers all of our sins, every last one...

"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 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 hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:11-14) NLT

"Our Merciful God"

"O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 107:1)

 Just for your information, understanding and knowledge go hand in hand; I know several people that know a whole lot of stuff, but they lack understanding, which is needed to put what they know to good use. Something that I believe Solomon was writing about when he spoke of wisdom; you can know a whole lot of stuff, but if you do not understand what you know, then you are just a fool filled with knowledge. Three things are spelled out for us here today; to give thanks to God, for He is good, because His mercy endures for ever. Sometimes the trials we go through might not even be for us, they could be for someone else that might be watching our life, wanting to see just how real the faith that we claim actually is. We are better witnesses of God's goodness when we are being tested then when we are being showered with blessing; who wouldn't appear happy when they are being blessed? But you start to rejoice while your stuff is being taken away, then people take notice. That is pretty much what giving thanks is all about, it is to praise and to celebrate the goodness of God in our lives. Whether or not we feel like rejoicing is not really the question; we give thanks because of who God is, not because of how we might feel; and God is good, all the time! I really missed the radio for about three days. You go without something that feeds you spiritually for a period of time and you can begin to feel weak, maybe even a little discouraged. I heard at least three messages yesterday that spoke on this subject of giving God praise through the trial. We know that it is what we are meant to do; we might even practice our reactions in our head, just to prepare ourselves in case something might happen; but doing it and thinking about dong it are sometimes worlds apart, literally! Is He still worthy of praise in your trial? I sure hope that He is, because you need His mercy with or without the trial; the trial just reminds us how weak and vulnerable we really are; but our God is always strong! Whether you are going through the worst trial of your life, or you are being showered upon with tons of blessings, your need for God's strength is always the same; high or low you are still the same, weak and vulnerable...

 "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

"God Rescues Us"

PSALMS 107

 What I can't understand, God gives me understanding in part, and the part He gives me the understanding in, it is enough to carry me through. We really do not need to know the whole picture, because the faith and trust that God wants in us is always based upon the unknown parts of what we do know. This Psalm is one the the few Psalms in my Bible that have been marked up from the start to the finish. It is marked up in black ink, which tells me that it is most likely from within the last fifteen years or so; when it was exactly, I really do not remember. Something that is marked up as much as this is, probably should have been dated. The title of this post is the title for this Psalm from my Bible. It causes me to stop for a moment and remember all the times when God did actually do what is stated in this title. There are more times than I can remember, because some the times when He rescued me were squandered. I hope that at least some of you can get what I am talking about, because it is way too personal to get into. In a nutshell, the children of Israel were rescued time and time again; they are the perfect example of that which I do not care to talk about. God rescued them, they failed to take advantage of the new start, ended up back in another situation, cried out, and God rescued them again; and so it goes, on and on and on. You would think that after so many times of failing that they would understand their need to surrender; but our faith is never really as strong as we think that it is. As a matter of fact, the stronger we think that our faith is, the quicker we find out that its not. You know that old adage, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall," I am pretty sure that is talking about ego, not size. I think that it is best to stay as humble as you can possibly be, that way, when you do fall or get humbled, the fall isn't that far from where you were. Sadly, I don't think that we have it in us to stay humbled; as soon as we get some sort of elevation, we tend to want to hang out there. There is always a stairway to the top, but the way down is usually an express elevator...

"My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:1-5) NLT

"Book V"

"Psalms 107 to 150"

 We can agree to disagree on many things about the Bible; but one thing, we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should never find ourselves in disagreement over, is that the Bible is God's written word. Yes, it was written by men, but it was written by men that were inspired by the Holy Spirit; and each and every word that God has allowed to be gathered together, by various sources and methods, is put together just as He has established it to be. As far as the grouping together of these Psalms, you know already what I believe, and that we are free to disagree on. Whoever did it, is really not all that important, except that we know the Holy Spirit was leading and guiding whoever it was. It is very important that we all agree on this basic truth of origin. This is our Sword, the instrument that we use in battle against any and everything which might want to rise up against the faith of what we believe and what our hope is established by. Without these written words, on what basis do we argue against the enemy, or on what basis do we fortify that which we believe. These might be complex questions to some, but not for us that know the truth; for us, the answer is always the same: "Because the Bible says that it is so!" How do we know anything? Because it is written here for us to know! There really is no other answer, you either believe that it is so or you don't. If you believe it to be so, then you must defend what you believe; if you don't believe it is so, then you don't believe. It is not any more complex than that! If you think that you need to argue with someone about the facts of the Bible, you really don't; they either believe or they don't, and there is nothing you can persuade them with that will make the change their mind. It is only the Holy Spirit that can show them the truth, and for their mind to be changed they must first be born again. As to this grouping of Books, one through five, I have no clue as to what they represent or why they are grouped in this way, except that each of the groups are concluded with "Amen, Amen," or "Hallelujah." To me, that is the perfect illustration to what every life experience should be about to the person who is a child of God. No matter what circumstance or situation that we might encounter along the way, our ending will always remain the same...

""I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony. But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And just as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.""
(John 3:11-15) NLT

"Our Amazement In God" -2

"Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalms 106:48)

 If we could learn to understand that God knows all things, not just to consider it, but to really accept it as fact, then we can possibly feel a little more secure in our walk with Him. Israel is most definitely God's chosen people, there is no reason that we should need to feel offended or threatened by that fact; they are God's way of illustrating His love of a people that constantly reject Him and mercy to a nation that has trouble being obedient to His commands. It will all make perfect sense one of these days, but in the meantime, we must remember that Israel is God's people, and that we are grafted into them. I think that we forget to consider that, about how it is that we who were not God's people are actually made God's people because of Israel. You do know that Jesus was born from Israel, right? There is really no way to deny the fact that Israel is a key factor in our salvation; no matter where you are from or what nation you believe that you belong to, the New Jerusalem will be where you end up. As to the point that I was making from yesterday's post, Adam was a type of Christ, just as Paul tries to illustrate in the Book of Romans. But for Adam to be in love with his wife in the way that I saw it, he did what he did regardless of the outcome, just as long as he was in whatever state she was. This is not something that is easy to illustrate; I am not sure that I do it any justice. Except to point out something very similar, in that Jesus Christ had to take on our sins in order to pay the punishment in our place. How that connects to what I believe God was showing me, I really don't know. But this much I know, that we are the bride of Christ, and He was willing to do anything to make us whole and to be joined to Himself...

"Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight be the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died -from the time of Adam to the time of Moses -even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and  God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ."

(Romans 5:7-15) NLT

"Our Amazement In God"

"Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalms 106:48)

 Regardless what you might think, God's love for us surpasses far beyond anything that we could ever do or dream of doing in our flesh. Sure, there might be punishment and consequences for the sins that we commit, but God is always more than willing to save! As I laid in bed this morning singing to my wife, I was spoken to by God; actually, He began speaking to my heart before my alarm went off at 4:00, 3:45 to be exact; but it wasn't until I turned it off that I began to give attention to my wife. God was showing me something rather interesting, and I prayed to be able to share what He was showing me. The vision was about the fall in the garden; more specific, it was about the difference between Adam and Eve and their willingness to partake of the forbidden fruit. Whether or not Adam had previously been tempted by that same serpent, the Bible does not say; but I am willing to bet that he was, prior to Eve, most likely. But the biggest difference between Adam and Eve and their ability to be deceived was the understanding they both had of God; who God was and all that He was capable of doing. Adam could have never accepted the lie that he could be like God, not the God of all creation. He had to name all the animals, but to create one of them was far outside his pay grade. Besides, Adam was created first, so he was quite aware how things were made, because God made him a woman. The most interesting thing that I saw, was how Adam wanted to eat that fruit more than Eve did, however Adam never had because his love for God was greater than his want to partake. But then God had to go and create for him a woman! A real game changer in his relationship with God. Here is what I believe had happened is change Adam's choice, Eve ate of that apple first; and because Adam loved Eve so much, he was willing to be in whatever state she ended up in. He never left off loving God, but his love for Eve changed the rules, at least in the way that he saw things. Even after their fall, God was still willing and able to save them both. I am more than certain that we will see them in heaven. Whether or not they both have bellybuttons, that we will need to wait to find out. I tend to think that they will, just because of the way that God makes things the way that they are, not the way that they could be...

"For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening -it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." (Hebrews 12:10-13) NLT

"Our Amazing God"

"Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise." (Psalms 106:47)

 Matthew Henry has the last three verses grouped together as how God appears to His people after they cry out from their chastening: 1. As a God of mercy, 2. As a God of truth, and 3. As a God of power. As I like to reference them, these are the three things that are pillars by which our lives are changed; the fact that He is a God of mercy, allows us to continually cry out, no matter what we have done or how far we have moved away; the fact that He is a God of truth, gives us something to hold on to, regardless of the circumstances or situations we might find ourselves in; and the fact that He is a God of power, gives us hope that nothing here can prevent Him from completing His work in us, not even by our own doing, because we can never undo what Christ has done in us. Make no mistake about it, if you belong to Christ, you no longer have power over your eternity in Him; you are stamped, 'Property of Christ Jesus.' These three things are put forth in this verse, as we acknowledge our need for God's mercy, which is the Way, "Save us, O LORD our God"; as we hold tight to the Truth as the truth, as He gathers us under His wing, to give thanks to His holy name; and hope in the Life, which is the triumph in His praise, having defeated sin and death. This is all of our journey, each and every one of us, some more sinful than others, some weak and some strong, but none any better than the other, for we are all members of His glorious body; from the least to the greatest, we all are a vital part of the same Glorious Body...

""Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, 'It will fall to the king of Babylon, through war, famine, and disease.' But this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land."" (Jeremiah 32:36-41) NLT

"Our Amazing Journey"

"He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captive." (Psalms 106:46)

 If ever there was proof of God's protection and direction in the lives of His people, then this is the one form of that proof. This word "pitied" is a pretty interesting word, a word the pretty much speaks of a womb, as odd as that might sound. The thought is one of the kind of compassion a mother feels towards the baby that she has in her womb, as the baby moves and grows inside of her. Amazingly, it is God's way of showing off His wonderful design. I know that I am sometimes far out there, maybe even pushing the borders of reason and stretching beyond the limits of sound doctrine; but this thing God is speaking into my heart this morning has merit. It is the Lord showing us how it was that He could sleep while that boat was going through the storm; meanwhile, His disciples thought that they were about to die. If you have a purpose, then you are protected; and even if that might mean you are going to die, then that too would be your purpose. Jesus could sleep because He knew what His purpose was, it was to die upon the cross, not out on a lake. He had no fear of death by drowning, because He knew that was not the death He would die. Most likely that was also Paul's thought, as he shook off that snake, as if nothing had happened. Paul knew that he was going to Rome, because God told him that he would. God also showed him that the journey would not be without peril and destruction, but that no life would be lost. So, what could a little snakebite do! That is the picture that God is showing me here, that the womb is the journey and death is the delivery. God protects us and guides us in this protective sack, just like the mother's womb protects the child within her. When it is time to go, it is time to be delivered; but just as the child is delivered into this world, we too are delivered from this world, at our death. God has a way of moving us towards the place He would have us be. The journey might be ruff, and the difficulties might seem overwhelming, even sometimes life threatening, but if God has a purpose for your life, then your life has purpose, and there is hardly anything you can do about it...

"I Prayed, "O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today. "But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the LORD our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery. For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem."" (Ezra 9:6-9) NLT

"Our Account" -2

"Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: and he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies." (Psalms 106:44-45)

 Okay, so I don't get this wrong, I actually wrote it down while I was driving down the 5 Fwy yesterday morning. The Lord reminded me of something very special, that although He is not a respecter of persons, those that are chosen not only know they are chosen, but He also foreknows that they will know. It's kind of crazy, but that is pretty much how it is; God already knows that we will know that He knows us and that He chose us to know Him. So, what that actually means, in case you might not have figured it out, that we already have an account! Crazy as it might sound, our account was always there, even before we were even born; it was always there waiting for us to use it. A really good example for this is Jacob and Esau; the two twins, one that God loved and one that God hated, because one of them would know that they were chosen, and the other could care less. Much like that man who did not put on the wedding garment, he could care less about pleasing the host, because there was really no attachment between them, at all. Just as Esau thought it nothing to give up his birthright, all for just a bowl of soup. As much as I want to, I can't hardly figure it all out; it's like it is right there for me to grab hold of, but as soon as I reach out to hold onto it, it is much to large and complex for me to hold onto; the closer I get, the harder it is to conceive. Anywho, we must celebrate this fact that God has chosen us; believing that it is for His purposes that we have been chosen. We all have a purpose, some small and some great, but together we all make up this great big beautiful portrait we all are a part of. Have you ever painted one of those portraits that have the lines with all the different color codes inside of them? There is a good picture, color codes, some large and some small, but each and every one is special to the portrait...

""For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don't truly honor me. "Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy. For someday the people will follow me. I, the LORD, will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west. Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again," says the LORD." (Hosea 11:7-11) NLT

"Our Account"

"Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: and he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies." (Psalms 106:44-45)

 Just put it on! I could stop right there and say nothing more, but that's not how I roll. This is not just done for me; although I deeply want God to speak to my heart each and every morning; this is for someone else, anyone else, it just does not matter, as long as God speaks. Jesus finished off that parable of the Wedding Feast, by saying, "For many are called, but few are chosen." That word "chosen," is the Greek word 'eklektos,' which is most likely where we might get our word, 'election.' It means to be picked out or chosen; Christians are called the "chosen or elect" of God. If you could, imagine this difference in the two words, "called and chosen," to be the response of the recipient. To put it into terms that most anyone can understand, it would simply be the difference between those that are just invited to the party, and those that know they are invited because they are unique and special. It is not that God has chosen to make the difference between who is called and who is chosen, because He is not a respecter of persons; but it is that those who are called know that they have been chosen, and not just for the sake of being chosen, but for a purpose. We all have a purpose, and everyone is called. That most famous verses from the Bible, John 3:16, says, "whosoever believeth," so it's not a matter of if anyone might be called, because calls all people to Himself; unfortunately, not every one answers. But, on the other hand, those that are chosen are the ones who ask God, "What must I do?" There is the great difference between the two. The man who chose not to put on the wedding garment had no regard for the host of the wedding wishes, because all those who entered were meant to be dressed for the occasion; yet he chose not to participate in the desires of the host, even though the garments were freely given for him to put on. This is pretty much how we are in our "affliction," we are an enemy or adversary, narrow-minded and hard-hearted towards the things of God. We cannot actually help the fact that is what we are, it is pretty much the way that we came into this world; broken and separated from God. That is what the Gospel message is all about; not only are we called to the Wedding, but when we enter into the Wedding Party, we are dressed for the occasion and we belong to be there. What an amazing difference that makes, not only in our walk, but in our security in Christ...

"Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant -the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live."" (Luke 1:67-75) NLT

"Accountability"

"Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity." (Psalms 106:43)

 If only we had the fortitude to hold God accountable, which is what I believe that He wants to see in use. What that means, for those of you who might not know any better, is that we trust Him enough to be able to rest in His promises, even through the adversity and the pain. Do you really believe that God loves you? He does not need to prove His love, because He has already done that; but He does want us to make it personal. We can find it easy to accept God's love for the world; we can even find it in our hearts to believe that He died for the sins of the world; but did He die for me? does He love me? or am I just one of many grains of sand in the sea? There is where I think we get off track, by making God seem far off, not because He is not close enough, but because we are not. We can get the impression that we don't matter all that much; after all, there is only about 7.5 billion people here, so what makes me think that He is all that interested in me? Do not underestimate the ability of God to love you! Going back to the very first verse in the Bible, read it and believe it! If God is big enough to create all of this, He is surely big enough to love you! They are still looking to find life on some other planet; even some God fearing believers have held out for the discovery of alien life. And why not? What kind of God would make all of that for this little blue speck? Amazing, isn't it? He knows all those stars by name, just like He knows you and I. Each and every one of us are special in His sight. Maybe that will be the question asked, "Did you believe that I loved you?" What was up with the wedding garment from Matthew 22:11-12? The man which did not put on the garment was speechless when ask, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" The way I see it, the wedding garments were being handed out at the door; after all, all of guest were being called in the wedding right off of the street, so there really was no one prepared or dressed for a wedding. Did the man just not feel like putting one on? or did he miss the whole purpose of why it was so important to his Host? We need to put on the righteousness of Christ! We have been delivered for a purpose, which is what that word "counsel" is putting forth; the children of Israel missed the part about being chosen...

"Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they that delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction."
(Psalms One) NLT

"Reliability"

"Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand."
(Psalms 106:42)

 It really could not be much clearer than this. "Subjection" is a word that speaks of being made humble, as in, to bow the knee, or to be brought low. Whether or are willing to or not, every knee will bow down to Christ Jesus, one way or another. Therefore, it is best to choose to be willing! I say to choose to be willing, because sometimes we think we are willing, but there are things we hold onto in our lives that stop us from being totally willing; but if we choose to be willing, then the Lord will work many of those things out of our life. It might sting a little bit; it could also get a little messy; but what is a little pain and ugliness compared to an eternity in hell? Yesterday we were in 2 Samuel 11& 12; that point in David's life where everything seemed to begin to go downhill. If you don't know the story, it was that hour in his life when he felt entitled to the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Pastor Bryan made a pretty good point about his feeling of entitlement; not too many will be wiling to explore that side of David's fall. We hear how David was in the wrong place, or that he was alone at home when he should have been out in the battle; but feeling entitled to sin, that is a subject of the real power of the flesh, this flesh that is so willing to be pleased, no matter the cost. Personally, I believe that this was part of what caused Adam to fall, the feeling of entitlement. It was part of what the serpent used to persuade Eve, saying, "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." The feeling of being entitled is pretty much us saying, 'I deserve this, regardless what anyone says, I think that I have earned it.' Maybe that might not sound like such a big deal to you, but it is to me. If you knew my situation, having been forced into abstinence for the last fourteen and a half years, I sometimes feel as through I am entitled to pleasure myself. Not something that I care to talk about, but I think that I understand how feeling entitled must feel like. About now, you might be wondering about the title, "Reliability". Based upon the source, God's holiness and power is not something that we control. We do not control the amount of accountability in our relationship with God, as much as we might think that we do. We cannot just flip a switch and somehow be free to do whatever it is that we want, because God is always right there, watching and seeing everything that we do, even the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. This is why David said, "I have sinned against the LORD," because he forgot in his moment of pleasure the holiness and power of his God. How can you count on God when you need Him, if you fail to acknowledge His presence when you don't want Him around...

"O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I am far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!" (Psalms 139:1-7) NLT

"Believability"

"And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them."
(Psalms 106:41)

 Not that it makes any difference, but the word I have chosen for the title is a noun; it is basically the substance of the word believable, which is a adjective. So, in that regard, what part of believable would God rate in your meter of accountability? It is really not that hard to figure out. Pastor David said something yesterday that he was quoting for someone else, he said: "Don't move on until you get this part." I had to write it down, and then right after that, I wrote, Genesis 1:1. If for some strange reason you don't know what Genesis 1:1 says, it is pretty much the Standard by which all of our belief is based upon: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." If this point has not been settled in your heart, "Don't move on until you get this part!" Everything that we could ever count on from God is predicated upon the belief that, number one, He is truly God, and number two, that He can do anything! If that has not been firmly established in our heart, then our accountability meter for believing in God is insufficient and we will be held accountable. Think about how this might work: if you ask God for patience, does He give you patience, or does He put you in a situation where your patience is tested or tried? If you ask God for strength, does He just give you strength, or does He place you in a situation where your strength must be fortified and used up? Now, take away our asking, and imagine what God would do if He was just doing what is best for us. If we were believing more upon the gods of the heathen than we were in Him, what would be His reaction? Yes, I think you are getting it! Our ways are not His ways, because He is so much higher than we are! We poor out our love because that is all that we have; but God controls everything! He can move the mountains, bring down the stars, shake your life right off that faulty foundation; it doesn't matter what you do or where you might try to hide, His love will find you and He will Rock your world...

"Finally, they cried out to the LORD for help, saying, "We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God, and we have served the images of Baal." The LORD replied, "Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they oppressed you, you cried out for help, and I rescued you. Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not rescue you anymore. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!" But the Israelites pleaded with the LORD and said, "We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies." Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the LORD. And he was grieved by their misery." (Judges 10:10-16) NLT

"A Real Relationship"

"Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance." (Psalms 106:40)

 What harm can it do, is more than merely a question we should consider; when it comes to our relationship with God, there is nothing hidden from His sight, there is nothing we do that He does not see and hold us accountable for. Accountability is the meter or standard by which God will judge everyone. When we have a real relationship with the Living God, we are held to a higher standard when it comes to accountability. It is just a fact or the proof of the relationship; much like any real relationship that we might have with anyone, the closer we are, the more honest and committed we are to loyalty in that relationship. Don't think for a moment that God had disowned His people; that is not what this text is putting forth. God will never stop loving us! It might seem like it is so, but He never is the one who changes; we are the ones who change in the relationship, not Him. There is the biggest difference between a relationship that we have with each other and the relationship that we have with God, He does not change! There is absolutely no comparison between how we treat each other and how God treats us. When we get angry with each other, we look to get even; when God gets angry with us, He looks for a way to gain our attention and trust. Sadly enough, to get our attention and trust usually requires taking us out of our comfortable lifestyle or causing us to cry out for His help. That is what a real relationship should look like; where the person that gets offended by the other, does not look to repay the offense, but instead looks for a way to forgive the other person by making them uncomfortable by what they have done. You know how that works? It's called love! If someone you love and care for offends you by their actions, you love them back; if they offend you again, you love them back more; the more and more they disrespect your love for them, the more you continue to pour out your love. Soon enough, they are no longer comfortable in the way that they have treated you, and you have won their heart. Is that how God's wrath works? I guess it all depends upon your relationship with God...

""But as soon as they were at peace, your people again committed evil in your sight, and once more you let their enemies conquer them. Yet whenever the people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times! "You warned them to return to your law, but they became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations, by which people will find life if only they obey. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen. In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn't listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them. But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!"" (Nehemiah 9:28-31) NLT

"Misconstrued"

"Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions."
(Psalms 106:39)

 You do realize that it is only going to get worse, right? Not quite sure how it all ties in, but social media plans a really big part in the spiritual warfare that is stirring up the hearts and minds of our youth. It seems to be the biggest link between the largest group of people, and I know that something connected to so many people at one time has got to have some kind of connection with the dark and sinister forces that are working in this world. When you analyze this passage of Scripture from that point of view, it takes the object created and gives it power, the kind of power that takes control over people. Okay, I know this sounds extremely nuts and out there, but this exactly what this verse is speaking about. This word "defiled," is really not that hard to see that it means to be contaminated, much like someone that might be affected by something they have been too close to, or held too closely for too long. Much like the title of this post, there is a power involved with the invention, the kind of power that is highly misunderstood. What is the harm? A question people ask all the time, especially when what they are doing is something that seems to be common and normal with the rest of society. Anytime we give something in our lives the power to control our thoughts and actions, that thing, whatever it might be, will begin to control more and more of our life. I know it sounds like I am making a big deal out of nothing, but it is like a plague; and if you could only see the spiritual conduit, then you too would know exactly what I am trying to say. Okay, let me take this on from another direction. We have an enemy in this world who wants to feed as many people as possible the wrong information. If you don't know who it is that I am taking about, he is the "father of lies." He is very good at what he does, and he uses the things we are most attached to or interested in to get us to listen to and accept his lies. If you don't think I am telling the truth, then simply look at Eve: what was Eve doing at the tree in the first place? What was the harm in looking at the tree? God said not to eat of it, but somehow she added not to touch it; but no one said anything about not looking...

"One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. "Come with me," he said, "and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality." So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. A mysterious name was written on her forehead: "Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World." I could see that she was drunk -drunk with the blood of God's holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement." (Revelations 17:1-6) NLT

"Taken By Force" -2

"Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood." (Psalms 106:37-38)

 I am sorry for getting political, if that is what we are calling it; but we tend to allow ourselves to be ruled by whatever it is that gives us stuff. I was thinking about all the homeless people I see on the streets here in Redding, and how so many of them look like they have mental or spiritual issues. How is that so? Believe me, I am hardly an expert at anything, except maybe finding Termites; but it would seem to me that there is some kind of condition that the mind must have in order to tolerate the life of living on the streets. When you throw all rational thinking out the window, it makes room for all sorts of alternative things to enter in, even spiritual darkness and demons. When I was listening to some clips from a few of the democrats yesterday day, as they were commenting on the Presidents speech, I truly believe that is what has happened to them. The force that we want to be taken by is the Holy Spirit; it is God's Spirit that must rule over our lives, and anything that prevents that from taking place must be defeated. If we fail to allow Him to change us, then whatever else we are allowing to control our lives will be what changes us, not God. That's is a pretty scary thought, but it is true. The children of Israel are our example of this; they show us what happens when we take God's control over us away and give it over to something else. Things can get really sideways, really quick! There is a spiritual battle being waged, not only here in America, but throughout the entire world. The devil knows that his time is getting short, and he is really ramping up the fires. For me, this is good news. I am looking for Jesus to come and snatch His church off of this earth; each and every day we draw nearer and nearer towards that day. Did you not get that feeling? Do you not believe He is coming soon? That is what 'Rapture' means, to be taken by force, and that is what will happen to those who are alive and remain, we will be snatched up...

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) NLT