Saturday, August 31, 2019

"Appreciation"

"Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God, praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant." (Psalms 135:2-3)

  This might be the one thing that I have noticed, that really makes me wonder: how those that serve, many of whom are much appreciated for their service, but they count that service for everything that they are obligated for, including giving tithes. Their giving is completely between them and God, and I would never expose them or call them out by name; but tithing is a form of worship, and it is our way to show gratitude for all that God has given us and blessed us with. Having had been the one who entered the offerings into the church computer for many years, I had a chance to see who gave and who did not; you would be surprised to see that those who served in the church were not all that faithful to tithing; real tithing, which means 10% of your income, not 10% of what you have in your pocket. I am sorry if this might seem as though I am being judgmental, but this is a thing that has irritated me, because I know firsthand how God honors His word when it comes to giving. Personally, I make a point of counting every single dollar that passes through my hands; if I have touched it, used it, or even lost it, it is counted as something that gets tithed. You know how they say, "You can't out give God," well, it is totally true and I can prove it! When that widow threw those two mites in the offering, what were they for? They surely did not matter much to the Temple treasury; but they sure did matter to the Lord! I have actually heard a brother say, "The pastor said not to give if you give grudgingly, so I don't give when I don't feel good about it." Did you know, if you don't give your tithe to the Lord, you end up giving it to the devil? Okay, maybe I am being a little drastic and over exaggerating an issue; but God calls it the, "devourer," (Malachi 3:11), which is the same description that Peter gives to the devil, "as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) Any way you choose to look at it, whether it is all about giving or just singing praise, it is all about worship! And those that serve in God's house are the first ones that are expected to worship...

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:34)

Friday, August 30, 2019

"Preparation"

"Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD." (Psalms 135:1)

  I feel that I really do have something to say; mostly because, I know that God is in control, regardless of what things might look like or how ever long it might take. For those that might not get what I am talking about, it is about preparing our hearts for God to do something; in season and out of season, whatever circumstance and in every situation. If you stop and think about it, that is one of the most important aspects of a pre-tribulation rapture belief, that we are prepared for Jesus to snatch His bride up at any moment! That whole concept of, "A Thief in the Night," is just that, you don't know when it will happen, just be ready! This is the big difference between the True God and idols: God truly does stuff, idols have stuff done with them. The whole point being made is that of being prepared for God to do something; as faithful servants, we praise Him for what He is going to do, because we are His servants and we know who He is and all that He has already done. He made heaven and earth! I know that there a whole lot of people that might not believe it, but not only did it happen just like it says, it was gloriously done! What do you think "name" is talking about? Is it the name He is called, as some might think; or is it His reputation and His authority? I heard Paster Mike speaking about this, saying that praying in the name of Jesus was not some kind of magic word that gets stuff done, but it was speaking in the authority of, as one who is of the law might say, 'Stop, in the name of the Law!' The renown, the infamous, the glorious name; where there is no denying the power and majesty that He deserves! Besides, what can anything else do for you, that He can do? We don't need anything else, He has already given us everything that we need; so what then are we being prepared for? It is all about readiness...

 "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to understand, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3:14-18)

Thursday, August 29, 2019

"The True God and Idols"

PSALMS 135

  As I was saying, if we have anything that stands between us and God, then that thing is an idol! Some people think idols are just statues or relics that they can pray to or try and worship; but an idol can be anything that comes between us and the true and living God. Maybe something that you love a little too much; maybe even something you work to achieve; maybe even a service you might count a little too much on for blessing you; because as James proclaims, our blessings come directly from God, the Giver of every good and perfect gift! This might be a touchy subject, but it is one that should cause us to inspect the things we hold near and dear, discovering whether or not anything we cherish is more important to us than our love for God. I actually heard a message about that yesterday, which was about when Jesus said, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26) It really was not about hating anyone, but was about loving Jesus more than anything or anyone else! Jesus went on to talk about counting the cost, as in, making a determined effort to prioritize everything in your life, making sure that your love for the Lord is at the top of your list. Do you remember what He finished this little conversation with? He talked about "salt". That's right: after speaking about hating all, counting the cost, and forsaking all that you have, He mentions salt, saying, "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill: but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Luke 14:34-35) What is that property salt has that we like? It makes things taste better! How is that anything that is connected to our love for the Lord? You know, if you put salt on your food, you really are expecting it to taste better...

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

"The Least of These." -Too

"The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion." (Psalms 134:3)

  Okay, so there are some things that connect the three of these Psalms together; obviously, the last Psalm started with that same beginning, "Behold," as this one; but the next starts with the word, "Praise," three times in the opening verse. Interesting enough, I heard a message yesterday that actually made the point I was trying to make, ever so slightly, that we must be Spirit led; living our lives in the way that puts others first and not taken easily to being offended. It is hard, but it is what we must do! If ever there was something that we must put into practice, 'Others First,' is the thing that we must be about, regardless of how we might feel; even if we don't like doing it, we pray for God to help us do it! The message I heard was based upon the parable Jesus spoke about after He said, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." (Matthew 19:30) It is commonly called, 'The parable of the Laborers,' which is based upon the vineyard owner who goes out early and hires people to work in his vineyard; and then keeps hiring other people throughout the day; even up to the very last hour. Then, we he starts to pay those he hired, he begins by paying the last, giving them the full days wage; which caused those that were called first to expect to be paid more than they were originally promised. I think you get the point; but the connection is given by what happened before, when Peter asked, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" It might surprise you to know, James was more familiar with what he said, "The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy," then you might otherwise think. For most of his life, he had grown up not respecting his brother Jesus; not believing He was who He said that He was, and even saying that He was a little nuts. That said, there was a drastic change that had come over James after Jesus rose from the grave; enough to keep him on his knees! This is about not loving this world, but loving God! Jesus spoke of this by saying, "No one can serve two masters," which was in reference to serving money and God. James makes reference to this in the beginning of his Epistle, saying, "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away." (James 1:9-10) For those that might not know what, "flower of the grass", means; it is that little yellow flower, which many refer to as a weed, a dandelion to be exact, that spouts up out of your perfect lawn. Wow...

"For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts." (1 Thessalonians 2:4) NLT

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

"The Least of These"

"The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion." (Psalms 134:3)

  Before you try and figure out what is being said, I need you to think about the One that said, "Be Blessed." I was listening to Dr. Chuck yesterday, and he was sharing about when Jesus called out for Lazarus to come out of the tomb, "Lazarus, come forth." The same voice that called for Lazarus to come forth, is the voice that said in the beginning, "Let there be light!" It is amazing to me how that works, because the power of God can make anything that is a nothing, into something that is everything; He has that ability, because He is God! I like the way this Psalm started, with the word, "Behold." It is like that term, "Hold onto your hats," said to prepare you for something that you did not expect or were not anticipating. If we are still talking about that title, "Those Who Serve at Night," then this is a tribute to those that serve in adversity and in obscurity, not wanting to receive, but just give, regardless of the cost, and even against all odds. The main meaning of "Zion" is parched place, a place that is dried out; which is a lot like those dried bones from Ezekiel 37, which God asked him, "Son of man, can these bones live?" This was the condition of us before Christ entered in and brought life by His Spirit, we were just the same as those dried bones; no spiritual life, whatsoever! What did the dried bones have in common with the valley in which they laid? Hopelessness! If you read the encounter between God and Ezekiel, the thing that brought hope was the Word of God, as God said, "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:4) When you read the Bible from cover to cover, God always uses that kind of introduction or closing to the things which we need to pay close attention to: "He who has an ear, let him hear," or in the case of this Psalm, "Behold." Do you know what God means when He says, "Today is the day of salvation"? Just like those dried bones, He is making you hear! Yes, that is what it means, this is your opportunity is listen, because He is giving you the ability to hear His voice; so don't pass it up! We all know why Jesus made sure to call for Lazarus by name; because He only wanted Lazarus to come up out of the grave. By the way, Jesus took His time getting to where Lazarus was, because He could have gotten there in time to make him well and prevent him from having to die in the first place; but what's the fun in that? Your darkest day is God's chance to say, "Let there be Light"...

"Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off from our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:11-14)

Monday, August 26, 2019

"Beyond Ourselves"

"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD." (Psalms 134:2)

  To be perfectly honest, I think we spend way too much time on ourselves; focusing on how we look, how we are going to make it through another day; what we are going to eat, because that might be a pretty big one for me! This verse is perfect for us getting our attention on the One that matters: God! Instead of making it about yourself, we need to make it about Him, and about what He thinks of you. The thing about a sanctuary, is that it does not need to be a church or a temple; it can your own body, as far as that goes, because you are a Temple of the Holy Spirit; a thing that is set apart, separated and dedicated for service to God. Obviously I have had one too many cups of coffee this morning, but it is said that coffee sharpens the mind. The problem with that analysis, is that a sharp object does not have a very wide surface, so you only can see small sections of things at a time; FYI. Anywho; Who is it that matters more than anyone else? Pastor Bryan was teaching and sharing yesterday about hope; walking us through Paul's opening of his first letter to Thessalonica. I remember something that a doctor told me while my wife was still in the hospital, he said, "Where there is life, there is hope." He made that reference to the condition of my wife and the fact her still being alive was a reason to hope she would get better. Maybe in this life, that is the way that it works; but in our spiritual life, it is just the opposite: Where there is Hope, there is Life! That pretty much sums up Paul's opening to his letter, as he was expressing the life in him as well as in the church of Thessalonica. Our hope in Christ gives life to our everything! It is our hope that keeps us going...

"Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4)

Sunday, August 25, 2019

"Beyond Doubt"

"Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD." (Psalms 134:1)

  My first impression of where this was going was not going to end up so pleasant; especially if we were going down the road about what goes on in our dreams at night. I will say this, there are some real ugly and nasty demons that are behind some of those images; but with a word, they can be swatted right out of the room; if you are so inclined to ask for that to be done. The word, "Night," is pretty much what it sounds like it means, the night time; which, if you are interested, is also the time of adversity and periods of darkness; of gloom, and even a protective shadow. I was thinking of a verse where Paul is talking about Moses and the veil he wore over his face; the primary reason that he wore it, was not so the people would not see the glory on his face, but that they would not take notice when that same glory had faded away. This might seem a little strange, but we must accept the fact that we are wretched and seriously broken! Paul goes on to say how the same veil is done away in Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:14) In other words, that is part of the testimony of God's glory, in that we are changed; even what we are, it is not what we become, and God gets 100% of the glory! If there is anything to be learned from Solomon's life, it is that everything turns to vanity; it is just the nature of our human heart. We are what we are, but He is more than enough to correct our deficiency! I guess what I am trying to say, if you are so inclined to listen, is that we must remain standing, whether in the day or in the night; whether we are strong or weak, because it is all about who He is that matters the most! The biggest tool that the devil has against us is discouragement; where he uses the things that we do wrong to discourage us from serving the Lord; to make us feel as though we are broken and wrecked beyond being used for God's glory; when just the opposite is the case! Why do you think Jesus hung out with sinners! If you don't think that you are sick, you will not seek a cure...

"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which is purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." (Ephesians 3:8-12)

Saturday, August 24, 2019

"Those Who Serve at Night"

PSALMS 134 [A Song of degrees.]

  This is the last of the 15 Songs of degrees; and as Matthew Henry puts it, "Some make this Psalm to be a dialogue." Oddly enough, the word, "degrees," also has in it the meaning, 'stories,' thoughts that pass through your mind, the things that rise up in your mind. Forgive me if I might get a little too personal, but sometimes the nighttime thoughts that rise up and pass through our minds are things that should not ever be imagined, let along dreamt about. I find it a little interesting that this Psalm is here, right here in this place which we find it, between a Psalm that has a title, "Brotherhood," and another Psalm that is titled, "The True God and Idols." Just so you know, the Editor of my Bible considered himself, "A lover of God's Word," and who's goal was to enhance the reader's knowledge of God's Word; emphasis on "Word," with a capital "W." There has got to be some connection between the way that the Psalms are arranged and the way that our spiritual journey unfolds and evolves. The normal way that it usually happens, is not what God intended; we are not meant to retire from serving God, and we are not meant to pretend that the battle does not matter any more; we are meant to finish well! Life seriously has ups and downs, as does the spiritual journey; but there has got to be something that is constant and never changing, which is God's Word! If you really think about it, the whole point of a dialogue to happen, whether or not it is between two believers, the priests and those that get ministered to, or between us and God, it is to keep the story going; to enhance the plot, to explore the characters and all the motives, and to make the story personal and engage ourselves into the whole conversation; conversation to mean the reality of Heaven. By the way, speaking of Bibles and stories, as I was reading my NLT Bible yesterday morning, I discovered, "The Stairway to Heaven." I thought it was just a song, but it is an actual Person...

"Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" "Come and see for yourself," Philip replied. As they approached, Jesus said, "Now there is a genuine son of Israel -a man of complete integrity." "How do you know about me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, "I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you." Then Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God -the King of Israel!" Jesus asked him, "Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." Then he said, "I tell you the truth, you will see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth."" (John 1:45-50) NLT

Friday, August 23, 2019

"More Further" -2

"As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." (Psalms 133:3)

  Interesting enough, the dew that descended is that which has already happened, as in, it is already done! God's grace is already afforded to us, waiting for us to use; but the most wonderful news of all, is that it never runs out! It's like a debit card attached to a bank account that never gets depleted! Say, How do I get this, because I want some of that? I was listening to a message the other day, it was about the fact that looking to Jesus does not require a way or a particular means, but only requires a look, as in, look to Him with anticipation and the need to look. Jesus told Nicodemus, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent if the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up," because it was just that easy! You want to be healed and live, then look to Jesus! It is the same exact thing that brings us the grace card, that debit card that never runs out: just like you just look up, to get grace, you simply step out and use it. It's already there, waiting to be used; we just need to be available and He will make it happen. The second part of this verse is about just that; that God has commanded the blessing, it is already said and done, we must just simply walk in what He has already given us. This is something that we don't even need to ask for, because He has made it all ready available to us; it is what is already expected of us, as part of the commandment He has put forth. How else can I say this, but to relate the old and new covenant to each other: where the old covenant was base upon the Law of Moses, but the new covenant is based upon love. There is really no difference between the two, because they both require dependance upon God to be fulfilled; and the amazing part about that, is that they both have already been fulfilled! Won and Done! Do you think it is any easier? Can you love God the way you should, easier than keeping the Law? Not without the Holy Spirit living inside you, you never can! Even then, you must still constantly yield to everything the Spirit gently tells you to do. I wish some times the Spirit would be a little more persuasive, because the gentle voice sometimes just isn't enough! But I think you get my point; that point being that He has given us everything that we need, and then some, but we rely on our own strength more than we should. Paul puts it into a battle kind of way, as the flesh and Spirit are always fighting one another; which is why He also says that we must reckon our flesh crucified with Christ; then too, that battle is already won! But I can't do it! It is like that stupid flesh keeps getting resurrected and never dies! There is the more reason for the past participle of descended and commanded, because He goes more further...

""Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."" (John 5:24)

Thursday, August 22, 2019

"More Further"

"As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." (Psalms 133:3)

  Not that it doesn't matter, but the way we display our love for one another, is not just for our benefit; it is to represent the body of Christ, with Him being the Head, over us and empowering us by His Spirit; if, that is, we are yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit! If you look up, 'Grammar Girl's,' choice selection for using 'Further,' or using 'Farther,' the suggestion is to use further because farther has some restrictions; FYI. The general idea is very similar to when Peter asked Jesus about forgiving his brother seven times, thinking he was actually setting the bar for forgiveness. If you recall, Jesus blew that little suggestion right out of the water, saying, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:22) Does that mean we need to keep track until we get to 490 times that our brother offends us and we forgive them? Absolutely not! It means that you do not keep track of how many times, because your Father in Heaven does not keep track of the number of times you have offended Him and asked forgiveness, sometimes for the very same thing! There are two very distinct words that are related to these two mountains: "sanctuary," and, "fortress." If you take this part of the verse apart, the dew of one mountain has a little different character than the dew of the other: one is a covering, and the other comes down. Much the same is the way those two distinct words operate; because the way I see it, the covering is like a blanket of security that is new every morning, much like God's mercy, each and every morning; while the coming down is like power given from on high, much like God's grace, and it too has no limits or restrictions. Let's be clear about this one thing: we are not going to be successful forgiving our brothers or sisters as we should, without first yielding to the power of God in our lives to do it! Just as we are not going to love God as we should without His help to make it happen; we simply cannot do it! Like that big giant rock God tells us to move; we push and we push, and we might get a few muscles built up in the process, but until we ask Him for help, we are not going to make it happen...

""This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."" (John 6:50-51)

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

"Purely Devoted"

"It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;" (Psalms 133:2)

  We must remember who it is that we are serving, because it is not about serving ourselves; we must be purely devoted to serving Christ, and Him alone! Maybe a good reminder might be the words that Jesus cried out from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" There were about three messages I heard yesterday that all had something very important in common, that they spoke about the work Jesus did on the cross and how He took our place! It should have been me! He did not just pay the ransom; He became sin! My sin was placed upon Him, and He took my place, dying for the sinfulness of my heart. When you look at it like that, you begin to understand what was being uttered and why it was such a big deal. To put it another way: His death was brutal and horrific, to say the least; yet He gave Himself willingly for the privilege of paying the price for us. It was the only way and it needed to be done; if we were ever going to be made right with the Father, then the penalty for our sins needed to be paid, by Him, and Him alone! Now, contrast that, the brutal and horrific death that He suffered, to the act of sacrifice we can make towards dwelling in unity with one another: Do you see any kind of resemblance? What it does have in common, is that we must die to ourselves, to our selfish nature, to the need to have it our way, and to be totally devoted to His way. Besides being free from the torture and agony of what He suffered, we are able to enjoy real sweet fellowship, simply by forsaking our own ways and giving our pride over to Him. It is really kind of silly to even try to compare the two, but that is the beauty of the Gospel! It is like trying to compare heaven and hell, asking ourselves, "Which one should I choose?" Well, which one will feel better? Do you see the meaning of the "precious ointment?" Head to toe, to the cross we go...

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:" (2 Corinthians 5:21-6:3)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

"Furthermore"

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalms 133:1)

  To say that the night was interesting would be putting it mildly. As I went to sleep last night, I thought about the title of this post; having song the words of this verse maybe a thousand times, it was the title above that kept flashing to the forefront of my mind. It makes me think about the meaning of communion, not just the what communion means in remembrance of what Jesus did for us, but what it means when sharing this walk and all that goes with it, with those that walk along the same path. It is hard to forget someone once you have spent a day with them talking about eternal things and the struggles of staying focused, keeping our eyes on Jesus; there is a communion that takes place which touches the soul and is magnified by the Holy Spirit. Much the same way that taking of Communion sparks a remembrance of what Jesus did on the cross; that His body was broken for us, as He gave His blood for our sins! The word, "dwell," that is used above, has many of the same meanings that we might think of when it comes to our walk with the Lord; words like, abide, remain, to be inhabited, to make to dwell. A big portion of the Lord's prayer, that actual prayer He prayed in the garden, had to do with this same word and everything associated with it: To be as one! We have examined the meaning of dwellers before, such as those that are referred to as earth-dwellers, meaning those that are attached to this earth; that those are people that live for and serve the earth, as if this is where they will remain, even after they die. As a Christian, I believe and have determined to make Heaven my home; that is where I expect to be going, and that is where my King and Lord is waiting for me to come home to; not here, this is not where my dwelling place is found, because I am a pilgrim in this place; which means this is a temporary place, a place I am simply traveling through. I might not be the best at explaining myself, but the point of fellow-travelers that come together and get to share about home, that is the thing that kept going through my mind, what seemed as all night long. That is what we do when we come together, and that is what we do when we partake of Communion! What Jesus did on the cross, He did for us to get to go to Heaven...

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Monday, August 19, 2019

"Brotherhood"

PSALMS 133 [A Song of degrees of David.]

  To make excuses for the lack of sleep, might just be another way of me saying, I am tired and weary of all the ugliness in the politics of this nation. When did it become alright for the people in the House and Senate to speak against the duly-elected President, who they are to give respect for being the President? Even if you disagree with his politics, you still owe the Office the respect that it deserves. I just needed to get that off my chest, because this Psalm is about "Brotherhood," and if there is going to be unity in the way we respect one another, then there must be something that can be common ground on which we stand. In the church, that common ground is our belief in Jesus Christ and the message of the cross. We can agree to disagree on the little things, such as salvation being subject to being Baptized, or whether or not the Rapture will be before, during, or after the Tribulation; but as to whether or not Jesus died on the cross for our sins, rose on the third day, and ascended to heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father, on that we must all agree! There are some other minor things that people might feel need to be thrown into the list of major, but according to Paul, the cross and the resurrection matter the most. There must be unity in the body of Christ! Without that basic principle, there is really no difference between the way we act as followers of Christ and the political people that fight among each other. It is believed that David penned this Psalm when the two Tribes came together, which was eight years after David became the King of Judah. There was really no reason for the bloodshed between brothers, but it was an all out war that took place between Judah and Israel; and it was all based upon the disagreement on whom they should follow! How about we make Christ Jesus the one we follow! Everyone else can just be considered fellow followers of Christ, and we can remain kind to one another in the process...

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you: but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Corinthians 1:10)

Sunday, August 18, 2019

"No Idol Thing" -2

"His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish." (Psalms 132:18)

  I am sorry to be quick about this, but I have driven all night and need to sleep soon. The thing about what Jesus was getting to, is not really about Peter and what Peter said; in a wonderful and mysterious way, it is about the revelation of who Jesus is and how it is given to those that have been chosen to receive it. This is no small thing; because without the eyes of our hearts being opened to the truth, no power on earth can help us to see the truth and simplistic message of the Gospel; and, in that same regard, no power on earth can blind the eyes of our heart from that knowledge once we have received it; especially once the Holy Spirit dwelling within us confirms it and seals our heart. This is all 100% the work of God; no idol can do what God can do; no idol can do what God has done...

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and justice henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Saturday, August 17, 2019

"No Idol Thing"

"His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish." (Psalms 132:18)

  Matthew Henry has the last verse broken down into two portions, Growing Power and Lasting Power; over this verse, he has, Complete Victory. As I have said before, the title over this Psalm in my Bible is, "God's Temple," which, according to the Scriptures, we are, each and every one of us that are in Christ, we are a tabernacle for the Holy Spirit, which means we are all Temples of God. There are some things we will never totally understand in this life; some things are just too far out of our reach and some things are not even meant for our lifetime. But God works all things out in His time; we are just responsible for the role that we have been given and how we will represent Him in and through our life; there is no down time, no retirement for God's saints, and no vacations in the ministry of the Holy Spirit upon our lives. We might try to make it otherwise, but it is not like you can just turn off and turn back on the power of God in your life. Jonah tried, and you see how that worked out for him! Believe it or not, but the tale of Jonah is one of the favorites for young children's Sunday School lessons; kids, especially very young ones, are just fascinated with the concept of someone living inside a whale, in all sorts of cultures. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is a small part of this that is closely associated with something Jesus spoke into Peter's life; something that some have used incorrectly, but, nonetheless, it is something that is incredibly important to the way that we can appreciate how important it is that we realize, we are never not His servant...

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:15-18)

Friday, August 16, 2019

"No Mistakes"

"There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed." (Psalms 132:17)

  I guess you could say, it is all about being in and staying in the right place: Abiding in Christ! What a difference a little perspective makes on the will of God, because with God, there are absolutely no mistakes; what God does, He does with purpose, and there is nothing that we can do, He has not prepared for or made allowance for, or even turned it into something ordained and anointed. If that does not prove that God is in control, I really don't know how else to explain it. When I was starting that massage on the Book of Ruth, originally I was going to title it, "Meet David's Grandparents." But then, by the time I got to the end, there were so many more spokes on the wheel, it was more involved that just Boaz and Ruth; this involved Lot, and Judah, and Rahab, and even Bathsheba; we have no idea the amount of people involved to put everything together. God's plans are well planned, they are very well thought out, and His thoughts are far above anything that we could ever imagine. I am sure we would discover some more, because the beginning started with Adam and Eve; Adam named his wife Eve, which means, "The Mother of All Living." Which reminds me, I was speaking with a niece of mine the other day about her not dying, and she did not understand my point. Where did we go wrong? Was there something left out from the message, because eternal life is the message!  If you really want to know how that looks, Righteousness equals Salvation, and Salvation equals Eternal Life! He is our Righteousness! Yes, for those that might not know, Jesus Christ is our covering; He is the Garment that must be worn, which is why we must Abide in Him. There is a lot of stuff to put together from all of this; but one thing you will not find is a mistake...

"Then took him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him." (Luke 2:28-33)

Thursday, August 15, 2019

"The Wedding Garment"

"I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy." (Psalms 132:16)

  Usually I would have had this done by now, but Disneyland whipped me out; can't wait to get home and back to normal. To the point of yesterday's post, the main point was something that I did not really want to get into, but for the sake of transparency, there are moments that I wonder the reason why, and say, How long Lord? Yes, you guessed it: I pretty much get the same answer that Paul received: "My grace is sufficient for you." Do I have it all under control? Absolutely not! But God has me in His control; as unwilling as I might be sometimes, He is still in control. It's like that long and sometimes diverted plane ride; the destination is still the same, but the flight might have to change direction, depending upon the weather, traffic, and barometric pressure. Since we are on the subject of change; there is a point that Jesus made about changing clothes; a point that we should all try to understand. We find this parable in Matthew 22:1-14, as Jesus is sharing about a huge wedding feast, where the guest were brought in from the highways. Because they were not prepared for such a royal event, each guest was given wedding garments to put on, that suited the occasion. In verse 11, we see the king saw one of the guest did not have on the wedding garment, and he said, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" Believe it or not, we are both the priests and the saints! Matthew Henry sums this up with: "God gives more than we ask, and when he gives salvation he will give an abundant joy." Peter puts it like this: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9) In that, Peter uses the two words that Jesus speaks in Matthew 22:14, saying, "For many are called, but few are chosen." I am pretty sure that it is important to put on that wedding garment...

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Their is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male or female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:24-29)

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

"More Than Satisfied"

"I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread." (Psalms 132:15)

  There are some things in life that require us to feel need, in order to appreciate the value of what we have been given; love is one of those things, in all different forms and conditions. I guess the easiest way to explain it, might be to understand the meaning of the word, 'provision.' It is not just about having food, it is about hunting and catching your prey, especially provision for a journey. How else can I explain it, except by using love? When it comes to God's love for us, His love has that sort of property where in must be caught or hunted; it might be easy to accept the fact that He loves you, but to make that fact become something useful in this journey, you must own it and make it your own. There are just too many factors and distractions in life that will make you think otherwise; unplanned adventures that will test your ideas of what love should look like, let alone, what it should feel like. I am really sorry if I am loosing you; I probably lost you at the opening sentence; maybe even the opening word, "there." I guess the point is useless to be made personal, because without others being involved, it does not make any sense. That is all part of the journey; we are not our own, and we are meant to serve one another. You know one thing that Jacob was famous for, was for building wells. He had an abundance of sheep and goats; so many, that nobody wanted to share their wells with him, so he had to make wells for himself, just about everywhere that he went. We see one of those wells in John 4, the encounter with, "the woman at the well." The point that Jesus made to His disciples, saying, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work," was that of being satisfied by doing the Father's will, and by sharing the love of the Father. I remember the very first Bible Study that I ever put together, it was based upon one special word that was said of Jesus and His need to go through Samaria, the word, "must." That is the point of what I am trying to get at, although skirting the edges ever so gently; we must be able to own His love in order to share it! If it is not ours to own, we will not feel as though we can give some away. There is something about the things that we have of the Lord: you can never give too much away...

"Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine substance: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10)

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

"Cause To Rest" -Too

"This is my rest for ever: here I will dwell; for I have desired it." (Psalms 132:14)

  So, if it is God speaking, then what should be our reply? More likely than not, it should be pretty much the same! Just like Peter's reply, 'Where else shall I go? you alone have the words of eternal life!' This is my rest for ever, and ever more; I am staying right here, in the ever-loving-arms of my Lord and Savior; because I have found the fountain of Life! We all know that is not exactly how it went down; but I feel perfectly safe saying it: I have found Jesus! Isn't that what the first disciples said, as they told everyone that they cared about? "We have found the Messiah; come and see!" There is no more need to look for anything to fill that giant void in my heart; it has been filled, and my sins are forgiven; and I am good for eternity! How much more rest do you need? That was pretty much Paul's conclusion, as he tried to show the finality of all that had been accomplished through the cross of Christ. You have got to appreciate the importance of Paul's assessment; having grown up in the law, and having taught others in the ways of being set apart for God, he had to have a certain appreciation of the rest he had found in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the wonderful work that was accomplished on the cross. What a heavy weight had been lifted? If only he could get his fellow Jews to understand and believe. Surprisingly, even in that quest to turn those that you love, there is rest found in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for that too is His desire. You want to feel real amazing rest, share Jesus with someone that the Holy Spirit tells you to share with; because if you don't, your rest is going to be a little disrupted for a while; believe me, I know what I am talking about. Anywho; that is it: nowhere else to go, and there is no desire I have to go anywhere else; I have found my rest...

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Monday, August 12, 2019

"Cause To Rest"

"This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it." (Psalms 132:14)

  I was so tempted to start this verse with the word, 'For,' because it seemed to reinforce the previous verse, and complete the previous line of thought. But then again, God has a way of making His point without the need to make a rhyme or reason; it is just the way that He does it, take it or leave it. That is pretty much the point: God has established the place; if we want to meet Him, then there is the place we find Him; and He is eagerly willing to meet with us, in His established place. Of all the things we can try and figure out about God, the terms of where to enter into His rest are the things that He has made abundantly clear and easy to understand. The title for today's post as two very different meanings; one is that of making something to happen, the other is the reason that it works. In other words: God has established the place of rest, so we I have a place to enter into that rest, and we have the cause to rest, because we need it! Basically, it all comes down to one simple fact, that everything God does or allows to happen, for us or to us, is because He loves us. We might not get the perfect picture, or even see the need, or the reason why; but God's masterpiece involves more colors and detail then we could ever imagine. Our's is not to reason why! That's the beauty of His rest, that we don't need to worry about anything but loving Him; everything else will take care of itself. We have a cause to enter His rest, because He will cause us to rest. You know that crazy question people always ask: What came first, the chicken or the egg? The chicken did! God made the chicken to lay the egg! What a stupid question...

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in the ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body be the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Ephesians 2:14-18)

Sunday, August 11, 2019

"Rest Assured"

"For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation." (Psalms 132:13)

   If you want to know the truth, if you just love God, really love Him and believe He loves you, then everything will be okay for you, no matter what this life dishes out. Back to the point about the Temple; it is you and I that we are talking about, we are His Temple, because He dwells in us, His children. Paul makes this point in 1 Corinthians 6:19, saying, "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" Our bodies belong to God; therefore, we are God's Temple. "The Zion of the Holy One of Israel," which means that it is sacred to Him! He has chosen it, and desires to dwell in it! You can't make this stuff up! Which makes me wonder where all the false doctrines originate and why so many people fall for them. I have heard Pastor Mike say, over and over, that the reason Satan revolted and was able to get other angels to follow, was because of the special treatment God intended for man. We are extremely special in His eyes; He created us to be near and dear to His heart; so much so, that it was His plan all along to take us residence within us, that we and He could be one. Crazy, I know, right? Why would the God of all creation what to dwell in us? You are loved by God, don't ever doubt that! There is no other way to explain it, other than the fact that He loves us, so so much! And the greatest and most wonderful news of all, is that He has chosen us; He has chosen me, therefore I rest assure in the fact that everything is going to be okay, even when I doubt myself, He is mightier and more faithful than I can ever be. Who is the One in control, is it me or God? I have said it before and I will say it again; the sign above the entrance into Heaven has two sides, the one you see coming in, and the one you see once you are in there: "Whosoever," and, "The Chosen"...

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: have predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved: in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." (Ephesians 1:3-10)

Saturday, August 10, 2019

"The Place of Rest"

"If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore." (Psalms 132:12)

  Do you ever feel as though you have painted yourself into a corner? Let's try and figure this out: the title above this Psalm in my Bible cleaning says, "God's Temple," so why so much focus upon the throne of David? Well, that might be a pretty deep subject; one that could take several days to examine the whats and the whys of the matter. Or, we could just stay focused upon the main thing and let God work out all of the things that we usually concern ourselves with. Pastor Jack kept repeating something the other day, as he was talking about what our responsibilities are as believer's; he kept saying, "God will do the things we can't; the things we can, He won't!" The point was that of stepping out and doing something; like people who are wanting a job, and then they wait at home for the phone to ring, saying, 'I am waiting for the Lord to answer my prayer for a job.' The best thing we can do to get a job, is to make getting a job, a job! What that looks like is getting up for work, and then working to get a job! Relate that to the average person that might go out once a week for three hours and knock on doors; not a lot of things to be impressed about that kind of determination, even if we are trying to impress ourselves. Here is a little trick, if you are looking: Don't do it for you, do it for the Lord! Crazy as it might sound, but if you are doing all that you can for the Lord, and you still have not landed a job, a job will land on you! Actually that is not something I just made up, it comes from Matthew 6:33, Jesus saying: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." The short of the long of it, it is what we can always do! No matter what situation or circumstance we find ourselves in, we can always seek the kingdom of God; we can always worship the Lord; we can always serve Him with all that is within us! Instead of going to the Mission for a handout, go to the Mission to hand out food! Don't be idle waiting for something to happen, make something happen by serving the Lord. Right about now you might be wondering what this has got to do with anything from this verse above? Well, what does this verse have in common with God's Temple? Some things must to taught, and some things must be sought...

"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 3:16-17) NLT

Friday, August 9, 2019

"The Master's Place"

"The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set up thy throne." (Psalms 132:11)

  Yes, this is talking about a legacy and a royal line; I am pretty sure we get that; but, as with most any portion of Scripture that we examine, the "Sword of the Spirit" is like a dagger that "cuts to the heart!" I like the way Matthew Henry breaks it done: "These promises relate to the establishment both in church and state, both to the throne of the house of David and to the testimony of Israel fixed upon Mount Zion. The promises concerning Zion's hill are as applicable to the gospel-church as these concerning David's seed are to Christ, and therefore both pleadable by us and very comfortable to us." In other words, This Word is for you! If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you can plead this promise upon your life, and you can stand comfortably in the benefit that it brings! Why is that made possible? It is because He is faithful to keep His promises: He has exalted His Word above Name, because His word is what gives His name authority and power. This is John's opening remarks to his Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." It was by His Word that He created the heavens and the earth; it is by His Word that He establishes and keeps His promises. There is no greater feeling that we can experience than to be set free from the bondage of sin. David uses the illustration, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:12) He can only proclaim this promise because God has established it to be so; and because God has established it with His Word, we can accept it, believe it, and stand in the comfort that it brings! It is really not that hard to understand: The servants place is in the Master's house; if you truly want all the benefits of living in the Master's house, then stay in your place; because He is always there in His...

"Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:16-20) NLT

Thursday, August 8, 2019

"A Servant's Place"

"For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thy anointed." (Psalms 132:10)

  I truly don't expect everyone to get the message; and I understand that there are some that do not appreciate the importance of not being offended or moved by apprehension or being discouraged. There are things that happen in every aspect of life, especially in a marriage relationship and in ministry, where we might hurt over something said or not said, but this too will pass! I fell in love with both characters when I was putting that study together, but Ruth and Naomi were people with a servant's heart. Understanding Naomi's statement about retuning empty, the loss of your husband and children truly leaves a pretty big empty hole in someone's life; so I can let that statement pass, as did Ruth; who I envisioned having a second or so the ponder being invisible, but snapping back into her role of being support for someone that she loved dearly. This is a pretty interesting view of what it feels like and looks like to be ashamed or have no merit; as if there is nothing of inherent value in what you say or do. We are talking about a communication between a man and his God; what is it that we can bring to the table, or how important are we in the presence of the Creator? I truly believe that Ruth was not offended at all by Naomi's comment. She might have taken a second; maybe a double-take in Naomi's direction; but in her heart, her place was to serve her mother-in-law as if she were her own mother. I would liken it to Peter's response to Jesus, when Jesus asked, "Will ye also go away?" Peter spoke up, without hesitating, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." (John 6:67-69) This is the point of Solomon's statement, to remain steadfast and sure, even when in doubt or in obscurity; even when made to feel offended or overwhelmed! You know, it must be hard for a spouse to keep on trying, when their mate rejects the God that they love; but the servant's place is to remain humble and true to their calling; even when it might hurt, the hurt will pass too...

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." (Galatians 6:14-16)

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

"A Servant's Heart"

"Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy." (Psalms 132:9)

  No matter what your ministry or calling might be, there are requirements that must be established in a persons heart; much like the example Jesus gave about, "counting the cost." It really does not matter, this verse covers every single area of ministry and all believers, from the senior pastors, to the new believer. There have been so many, what I call mistakes, that I look back on and wonder, If I had only done it this way! Correct me if I am wrong, but how is it a mistake, when we are servants of the Lord? When I was blessed to give the Mother's Day Message at a friends church a few years ago, I chose to do the message on the Book of Ruth. I started out sharing about the big mistake that was made by a man named Elimelech to leave his home for Moab, based upon the famine in his homeland. Especially because the name of the land he left meant, House of Bread! We know the story, how it turns out that it he dies, and then his two sons die, and Naomi his wife is left with her two daughter-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth. After having been devastated by her loss, Naomi decides to go back to her homeland, and Ruth is more than persistent to go with her. There was one point in this message that I felt incredibly overcome with passion, and I literally had to cover my face and ask God to please help me gain composure. It was the point where Naomi first entered Bethlehem and the people noticed her, and they called out her name. She responded, "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?" (Ruth 1:20-21) The reason that I lost it so badly, was the thought of Ruth's feelings, as she heard Naomi say how that she had returned empty! When we give our lives to the Lord, we become His property, (as if we never weren't,) and He allows us to make mistakes; but our mistakes turn out as His opportunities towards His purposes, in our lives or with our lives; it is all about His glory. So there you have it...

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

"A Sanctified Place"

"Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength." (Psalms 132:8)

  You ever wonder why it is that you feel so funky after a moment of feeling rejuvenated and at peace with God? It is a lot like the vail that Moses wore; it was not so people did not see the shine on his face, it was so they would not notice that it left. This is actually a verse the resembles the end of Solomon's prayer, which is found in 2 Chronicles 6:12-42. It was a very powerful time, because when he had finished his prayer, "fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house." (2 Chronicles 7:1) There are so many things that I don't understand about how God works out His purposes in people; let alone what He is working out in mine. But this much I know, He is faithful to complete what He has started! We might not think it is working; we might not even think we are involved in making a difference; but it is not something that we can actually see working, at least not the way that we think. Here is a really good example of what I mean: that Solomon was so anointed and devoted to serving God, yet it was not too much after, that he was consumed with the world. But God! God was not finished with him, nor did God abandon him. That is the thing about Israel that must make us take notice: They might have abandoned God, but He never abandoned them! The phrase, "This too shall pass," is believed to have been attributed King Solomon, when he was feeling blue. Back to the point of Paul's statement, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice;" this is about a place that is sanctified because the Lord is in it; not because we have made it, and surely not because of any special anointing we might have felt or experienced. The reason that it matters what we think about and the way we view any situation, is because it is God's purpose for our lives that matter most; not what we think is going on, or the way that we might feel. I cannot begin to tell you how frequently I have thoughts of discouragement, because it hurts my heart sometimes thinking about things as they were, and comparing them to things as they are. But God has a purpose in this; what that actually might be, I don't know completely what; but like Paul says we should do, I focus upon all the good and count it all joy, because God is in it...

""If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."" (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Monday, August 5, 2019

"A Convenient Place"

"We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool." (Psalms 132:7)

  You know what I am thinking; I know you have me figured out by now. Besides the fact that it was God that called me and snatched me up out of the darkness, He alone has made a place for me to enter in; I could never provide a place, it is His, and I need to enter into it on His terms. There is the big difference in the way some people worship God; there are some people that would like to bring God into their environment and on their terms, as if you can set up a tabernacle for Him anywhere that is convenient, and then He will enter in. That is not how it works! We are the ones that enter into His Tabernacle, one that He has established, at His footstool! You want to talk about convenient, there is nothing more convenient then that. Well, with one little exception: you must be holy! What? How are we able to do that? That is God's grace! When our sins are forgiven, He does not just put those sins behind us, but He puts us into the category of holy and righteous: Justification! It does not matter where you are, what you are doing, or what time of day it might be; He is always there to accept your cry for forgiveness. You will not be disappointed! Don't wait for your next church service or chance to go forward when called; He is calling you when you hear His voice! You want to talk about convenient; it really does not get more convenient then that. I cannot tell you when to go, but I can let you know that it will be God that calls you. He is the one that reaches out to us, and then we come to Him. If I had not been called, I never would have went; but He touched my heart and made me step out of my comfort zone, and step into His Light...

"Jesus replied, "Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming -indeed it's here now -when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."" (John 4:21-24) NLT

Sunday, August 4, 2019

"Let the Son Shine In"

"Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood." (Psalms 132:6)

  Maybe I get a little over excited, but when I feel God tugging at my heart, especially when it is about matters of the heart, I am reminded of the purpose, that it is His, and His alone. This is a verse that addresses the hunting down of the Ark, as the children of Israel felt it needed to be in the Temple for God's glory and presence to be in that place. I am sorry if there might be days when I am not understood; I have got to admit, that there are days when I hardly understand it myself; but when it comes to matters of the heart, and my heart trying to understand the heart of God, I get a little confused in my understanding. Call it hard-headedness, which is what I have been told all my life: "Richard, you are so hardheaded!" Anywho; when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, there are some things that are hard to understand: no matter how much you think you know, it is not about what you know that counts; it is about Who you know! More importantly, that He knows you! You know, if you want to get to know someone more deeply, you have got to get real and truthful with that person; it is no different with our relationship with the Lord. He already knows everything there is to know about you, so it is impossible to hide anything from Him. This is touching on the point of mercy needing more faith than grace; we have got to get past the part about being forgiven, before we can accept the part about being justified. What do we have available to prove that God forgives us? First and foremost, we have His Word! Do you know why God magnifies His Word above His Name? We can see the reason written within writing: "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." (Psalms 138:2) You know that expression, "My word is my bond,"? Well that is why we can trust Him, because He has established it that way: His Word is Solid! Everything else you think that you know; the very existence of your being, that earth that you walk upon; even the air that you breath; it is all totally and completely just a figment of your imagination compared to the Word of God! I can't help but think of something Jesus said, three times He asked the people, "What went ye out for to see?" (Luke 7:24-35) We are such a fickle bunch, with our emotions controlling most everything that we do. The thing that makes us different from the rest of the world, is not our stability, because that is not within us: But He is the One that never changes, so if you are going to look for something stable and unchanging, instead of running around trying to find something that satisfies your interest, you had better start getting real with Jesus; because He is as real as it gets...

""To what can I compare the people of this generation?" Jesus asked. "How can I describe them? They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, 'We played wedding songs, and you did not dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn't weep.' For John the Baptist didn't spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, 'He's possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it."" (Luke 7:31-35) NLT

Saturday, August 3, 2019

"A Place For The LORD" -2

"Until I find out a place for the LORD, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob." (Psalms 132:5)

  Be that as it may, the LORD has far more grace and mercy, than I have the ability to spend on my own selfishness. With that, let me ask you: What takes the most faith to believe in, God's grace, or God's mercy? I truly wish I could share what God is speaking into my heart, because that is the part of God we need to realize: His mercy is always new and available in a moment, but it is accepted totally by faith! (Suddenly I feel the need to pray.) The part that put it into perfect perspective is the not the 'place' but the part that says, "find out." We can see God's hand working through grace, as He pours out blessings and leads us through all sorts of life experiences; but mercy is felt with peace and rest in God, by knowing in our hearts of hearts that we are forgiven and placed in a right relationship with our Heavenly Father! This requires more than just faith in God's forgiveness, this requires that we totally and completely believe that He loves us. This is a place where we can enter in, because we know the God of Jacob loves us: The Mighty God of Jacob! The God that not only changes a man's name, but He changes a man's heart and gives him the hope to believe in something greater than the things that are seen, the things that are realized in our daily lives. In a nutshell, this is not just about us finding a place, but this is about us being found in Him! Do you believe it and can you receive it! That is the point of what I believe God is speaking into my heart. Another thing Pastor Jon was sharing about, was how much we allow the things that come into our hearts and minds to alter our ability to rejoice in the Lord. Maybe we just don't feel worthy enough to be sanctified; maybe we don't feel that we are able to be that man or woman that God has called us to be. But God, who makes dry bones come to life, who raises the dead, and who holds all things together; He is the same God that is living inside you, waiting for you to see exactly Who is worthy and able! Because if we are waiting for it to be you or me, we are never going to find that habitation for the mighty God of Jacob...

"For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:18-22)

Friday, August 2, 2019

"A Place For The LORD"

"Until I find out a place for the LORD, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob." (Psalms 132:5)

  Until we can seriously make Jesus the Lord of our lives, the rest we are looking for is not going to be felt; we are going to struggle with each and every single area of our life, until we can actually give Him all of it! I remember something that my mom would talk about, how she believed that Jesus did actually sin, because He lost his temper and drove out the money changers from the Temple. I truly believe that she received that belief from the J.W.'s, from her time spent fellowshipping with them; because you cannot even come close to that understanding by just reading the Bible on it's own. To help make that point, there are so many verses in the Bible that clearly say: "He that knew no sin, was made sin," but the problem is that there are many cults and groups that do not accept the deity of Jesus Christ. This is a pretty good example of the passion of the Lord to not only clean out the Temple, but that the Temple would be place for the people to be made clean. No, I am not saying that the actual place can make us clean; this is about Sanctification, which means that there is reverence and respect for the place where God is given habitation. I say that with all seriousness, because it is up to us to open up our hearts and give Him the place and space to inhabit it; to clean out all the stuff that is offensive and displeasing, not only to Him, but to the power of the Gospel message. The message that Pastor Rick spoke on last Sunday was a good example of what I am talking about; that the place where restoration though Christ is found, it is not found in any particular place: It is found in Christ, and in Christ alone! The power of the Gospel message is that of His Church, that which is His Body! Each and everyone of us that are His, we are all part of His Body; a Body of believers that have something in common with one another, and each and every one of us must watch out for and show concern for the other. I was listening to a little bit of a message from Pastor Jon yesterday, as he was speaking about Paul's letter to Philippi. He said over and over, with the congregation repeating him, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." Then he went on to talk about the 'What Comes Next,' part of that process. I am so guilty of letting the world rob me of my joy, not day in and day out, but more like, minute by minute! It never ceases to amaze me, how that I can have so much joy in my heart one minute, but then let the most ridiculous thing ever, simply take that joy away...

"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds though Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:5-8)

Thursday, August 1, 2019

"Blindsided"

"I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids," (Psalms 132:4)

  Yes, I could have just lumped all 5 of these verses into one big post; but what is the fun in that! We all know that David slept between the time he made his vow and the time of his death; because David never did build the Temple, Solomon did. But, here is the thing that makes all things relevant in the Kingdom of God: In his heart, the Temple was built for God! God pretty much did the same thing with David that He did with Abraham; He made is all about someone else, other than just David! We see this taking place in 2 Samuel 7:11-16, where God tells David that he will build him a house, and then He says this: "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom." (v.12) This is the introduction of non-other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to David, as David's seed! We have Jesus given description of throughout the Bible; some say, from the very verse of Genesis; but not like this, this is the first, besides the "seed" of Eve, where there is definitive royal bloodline; not just the seed of Abraham, but the descendant of King David. Who can sleep though that! Here is David, sitting in his house, having been given rest from fighting and all the distractions that come with planning war; to get a chance to ponder all that God has blessed him with, a beautiful house, a kingdom, all the people united together again under him; his heart begins to feel the need to do something for God. Imagine that for just a moment, and try and think of anything that anyone could actually do for God; not do, as towards other people, but to actually do something to provide anything for God, the Maker of everything! How about making the Maker? Now that is a pretty heavy duty proposal! Sure is, and again, Who made the proposal; none other than Him...

"He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee, thy throne shall be established for ever." (2 Samuel 7:13-16)