"He Cares!"

"In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." (Psalms 138:3)

  If you thought it was hard to get past the hurt, don't feel bad about that, because there are so many Scriptures that share the same experience. This might just be one of those Scriptures! First off, the point about David sharing how God gave him strength in his soul, that might be the greatest example given, besides Jesus agonizing in the garden, of what it means to get through the pain. I really don't know how else to explain it, because I can honestly say that I know what I am talking about. I have shared this before, but there have been days when I cried so hard, my body was literally shaken. My heart hurt so bad, the pain of what I felt shook me to my very core. But God answered my cry for help, and instantly the pain was gone; pain being the part where you can feel your heart being ripped apart! My heart still hurt, I still had the same situation before me, but I was numb to the hurt by the strength that God gave me; strength enough to rejoice instead of crying; strength enough to actually praise Him for the experience that He was bringing through and the chance to feel closer to Him. Isn't that really what it's all about? To draw closer to the One that gives you life! And I am not talking about the life in this body, because this body is seriously dying; but my soul lives on and on, way after this experience is over. Life still hurts, but so does working out and actual work; pain is what you feel when you focus upon the hurt. Another way to try and explain this, is that the hurt is what you learn to live with, whether that is physical or emotional, it is part of life, it is part of what takes place in relationships, it is part of growing old. I can try all day to explain it, but unless you can see it, your not going to understand it. To take this in another direction, it would be the reason we must learn to forgive one another, because the hurt caused is hardly ever forgotten, but it must be looked over. In other words, you focus on the eternal, which leaves that hurt far behind...

"For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

"KING of the WORD" -2

"I will worship toward the holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified the word above all thy name." (Psalms 138:2)

  So, when you think about trusting God, how far will that trust go? and is there a limit to your giving Him all of your life? Seeing that the point to this, is that it is a prayer, then this is more than just David declaring how good and faithful God is; this is David expressing to God how thankful he is that He is so good and faithful, because He is! As I said yesterday, it is the fact that we are set free from guilt and shame, that is what real freedom feels like; because you can be at the very top or at the very bottom, but if your sins still hold you in bondage, you will not know what it's like to be free. That is the amazing thing about God's Word: He said it is so, so that makes it so! Come on, tell me you get this, because I only have so much time to get this point out! If the Judge says that you are not guilty of a crime, what matters more, the name of that Judge or what that Judge says? No one can speak louder to the fact that you have been forgiven, absolutely no one! That said, we know what He is and what He is all about, so there is a need to praise His wonderful name; because in this case, His name does matter; especially when we are talking about the KING of Kings, and LORD of Lords! If you really what to see how that looks in reference to the WORD of God, read the first 18 verses of the Gospel of John; read it like you are really wanting to know the KING of the WORD! There is a reason that we must study God's Word, because it is like studying the universe; if you don't study the universe, then all you see is a bunch of stars; if you don't study God's Word, then all you will see is a bunch of promises and warnings. You have got to be able to see who He is and why He loves you so very much! You have to fully understand why it is that you must trust Him, even to the very end; because truth be told, that is not the end, only the beginning...

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth of Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." (Micah 7:18-20)

"KING of the WORD"

"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)

  This is a little quote from Pastor Bryan this last Sunday, as he was teaching out of 1 Chronicles 17. He shared about David's word, calling it, "the word of the king," and then about God's response, calling it, "The King of the Word." The verse we have here today is important for us to pay attention to, because it shares a part of David's heart that continually gave him strength, when he had nothing left to hold onto, he had God's Word! If you are like me, in the midst of every storm and every terrible circumstance, I hold tightly to God's Word; the harder the storm pounds against me, the more I hold onto the Word's of God that He has spoken into my life and that amplify His voice above every single speck of doubt and discouragement that might try and creep into my heart. You have got to believe that God loves you! In and through all the storms, He loves you and no intention of harming you, even though the storm might hurt. That is where we get confused and start to feel discouraged, when will feel hurt. And believe you me, there are days when it hurts so badly I just want to die! It is in those times of misery and bewilderment, that I hold on tightly to what I know to be Truth. Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then ye shall be my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32) This might not do something to relieve the hurt, but it sure does something to relieve the pain! When Jesus is speaking about us being set free, it does not speak about being set free your circumstances and your terrible storms, it speaks about being set free from condemnation and shame. Paul said it best, as someone who knew firsthand what shame and the feeling of being condemned was like, he declared it with boldness, saying, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1) When are we talking about? Now! What that means, is everything at all times; whether you are discouraged or at the end of your rope, that Word is for Now! Back to the silly questions that were asked yesterday, and taking it into a personal situation, When God says that you are made new, when does that newness start? We really need to get a grip on God's Word...

""Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."" (Matthew 24:35)

"And Away We Go"

"I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee." (Psalms 138:1)

  So, just in case you might have missed it, we were talking about the Word of God; simple thing to remember about how that works: God says it and it is done! No ifs ands or buts! Here is something to ponder, if you want to stimulate your mind: When Jesus made the water into wine, was it wine in those water-pots, or did it become wine when it was poured out? How about this: When God said, "Let there be light," did the light just appear, or was it waiting for something to reveal it? What kind of hocus-pocus kind of stuff are we talking about! God said it, and it was done; end of story! It really does not matter how it happen or what was required to make it happen: God does what He does without or with whatever He chooses: He is God, and everything was made by Him, and He can make something, anything, from nothing! It is a little like trying to have a conversation with anyone that does not believe the accounts in the Bible are true, say like the account of Adam and Eve being the only two that God created. How do you make sense of the doubt? Don't even try, that is my best advice; because we need to focus upon what God says, not what is said by those that don't believe what He says is true. This is something that I believe David is trying to get us to focus upon, to make all doubt and speculation be gone; don't even give it the light of day! This is how we praise God with a whole heart, by not paying any attention to the doubt and by not giving any value whatsoever to the speculation. It is all about God's Word being truth, and everyone else that does not agree with it is either a liar or someone that has bought into the lie. There is how we get boldness to sing before gods, because there is really only One God, and He is the one that we sing to! If you need a really good example of how this looks, I would remind of the three your Jewish boys, named, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego...

"Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego? do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (Daniel 3:14-18)

"A Prayer of Thanksgiving"

PSALMS 138 [A Psalm of David.]

  Do you feel lucky? Isn't that the voice of the world and how they expect us to respond with a yes, just in order that we give a little hint of denial to the power and majesty of the God we so faithfully serve? This Psalm is filled with some very important nuggets; some of which, you can, as they say, take to the bank! In other words, if words had worth, then these Words would be worth a very large sum of money! I like how Matthew Henry leads this off, as he says, "It does not appear, nor is it material to enquire, upon what occasion David penned this psalm." This is a psalm of thankfulness of God's word, that God keeps and upholds His word, even when we might not be able to keep ours! It is interesting to see how that works, because if we think God is shocked by our inability to keep our word, the promises we make, or the covenants that we enter into, He most definitely is not! He could have informed you at the time of your promise, you were going to fail; to be more specific, He could tell you the day and the hour it was going to happen; because there is nothing hidden from Him and nothing that He needs to learn! That is the basis of this thankfulness! As David reflects on what God has done, he anticipates what God is going to do, and the result is a thankful heart; a heart that says, O, it is so good to be loved by such a Wonderful God! Not that it might shock anyone, but this is a Psalm that many of the Pastors, that I have listened to and respected over the years, have used to explain the reason we must focus upon the teaching of God's Word. Don't doubt me when I say this, but there is some serious opposition to teaching God's Word. Seriously! I am not going to name any names, but there have been people I have shared with, which are moving out of the area, and I always ask them if they have located the church they might be attending yet in the place they are moving to. I don't know about you, but I don't move anywhere that I don't know where I am going to be feed! Anywho; when I bring up Calvary Chapel and the reason I love going to them, no matter where I might be going, the conversation seems to get a little weird when I tell them that it is because they teach the Word. Every once in a while I will visit a Calvary Chapel that might not be committed to line-by-line teaching; but truth be told, most of my visits are on Sunday's. I know it is the midweek service that is more in depth and digs for the nuggets; Sunday's are usually explanations and celebrations of what has been, or will soon be revealed: Which, in case you might have not been paying attention, is where David is taking us...

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 1:6)

"Present Work"

"Happy shall they be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." (Psalms 137:9)

  It might not be easy to understand, but it is all about purpose and fulfilling the work that God is doing, presently, not what has been done in the past, but in this moment and beyond. At the start of this Psalm, we could see the memory of all the work God had previously done; the memory of all that was and how it was; which in and of itself is not that bad to reflect upon, but counting upon it for the way things should happen now, there is where we can become, shall we say, a little disappointed. In the example given by Matthew Henry, God's plan to carry out what is being spoken of in these few verses, was to be carried out by a man named Cyrus; who God referred to as His servant, His shepherd, and His anointed. (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1) I guess what it is God is trying to say, is that He gets to determine what it takes to make His purposes work, because He knows the outcome of everything that comes next! And yes, even those things which happen from the things we do, or don't do, those too He knows the outcome of, hundreds and even thousands of years from when they happen. Crazy as it might sound, but there is a certain pleasure that comes with doing something that you know you are created to do; which is what the happy refers to in these last two verses. There is always a work God is doing, as the Scriptures say, "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." (Psalms 121:3) Even in the 400 plus years of His silence, He still was always working and preparing for His Son's arrival here on earth; just as He is preparing now for His Son's soon return. It will be something hard to watch; it will be something even harder to try and live through; but nonetheless, it will be His doing it and His purposes that will be fulfilled from it. Heaven is from where He carries out all of His plans, so looking for the answers to be manifested here are pretty much meaningless. Everything that is here is temporary and changes; but He always remains the same, He never changes! His Word too never changes! No matter what the world might be doing, and whatever direction it might be going in, His Word remains the same; which, in case you need to know what that means, it means that His Word works in us today, just as it worked in others yesterday, and just as it will work others tomorrow; and it is all according to His purposes, not ours. Remember this: that it was God who sent the armies of Babylon to carry His children away; it was God that held them in captivity; and it was God that sent Cyrus to deliver them and rebuild Jerusalem. All according to His purposes...

"For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then we do with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intersession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn of many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (Romans 8:24-30)

"Present Tense"

"O d aughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us." (Psalms 137:8)

  Whatever you might think of what is going on, there is a reason for it to happen, just as there was a reason God allowed His people to be taken into exile in a foreign land. The point of what I believe is being said, is that there is a living movement that is born out of each and every social injustice; call it whatever you want, I will call it the devil's strongholds. If you have ever read any of Frank Peretti's books, then you might have discovered that he has a certain subject that goes from one book to another; somewhere with that novel there is going to be the subject of abortion. Not exactly a topic many people want to get fired up about, especially when it comes to sermons from the pulpit; but it is something that is the property of the devil, his most evil and violent means to establish strongholds in personal lives, communities, and nations. This goes back thousands of years, and it, believe it or not, is one of the most sacred hidden abominations there is in our modern world. If you don't think it is, you really do not need to dive too deeply into the practices of our pagan ancestors to see that there is a resemblance in the motivations of offering sacrifices involving infants and babies. These are the most innocent among us; especially those that are still within their mother's womb. Beyond that, we are taken to a whole new level of respect towards human life; never mind the respect we owe to the God that created and gives us life; because if He gets mad by man spilling his seed, imagine what He feels towards the taking of an unborn life! Yes, it's complicated and there are so many women that have been affected by the lie of what it is that is within them; but what we are talking about is human life, something that goes on, way after the death of the human body. You really want to know a secret about life after death? Nothing is hidden from God; absolutely nothing! What we do in this life, just as with our eternal soul, it never dies either! You start a reaction, it goes on and on, way after your human life is extinguished, the good or bad thing that you have done continues living. This is why God's judgment is not carried out until the very end, to judge everyone based upon the final result of everything that they have done. Think long and hard what that might look like; because the Good News takes all of that stuff and wipes it all away; every last thing is washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ! When all of the books are opened, there is one Book that cancels everything out! O how good it is to be a whosoever...

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)

"Uncovering the Lie"

"Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof." (Psalms 137:7)

  As you should know by now, I am very hard-headed when it comes to certain things; so making me change what I believe is truth, is not something that is easily accomplished. Funny thing was, the same topic I spoke of yesterday morning was discussed in real time, even down to the very same Scripture from 1 John 2:19, without, I must add, much explanation or reason not to acknowledge it as a fact. There was a verse talked about, the one in which Paul speaks of a fellow servant that has departed the faith, having loved this present world; which is exactly the point I made yesterday: We cannot love this world and love the Lord also; to do so will only make us double-minded and without a sure foundation. This is something that the enemy wants to do, it tear away the foundation of the church, the primary reason that the Good News is just that, Good News! We must stop judging one another and start celebrating the victory that we have been given in Christ! That is precisely what the devil wants the world to see, a coldhearted and pious group of people, more in love with themselves than they are at loving to see God change peoples lives. That is what Jesus had to deal with, each and every day of His three years of ministry; Jewish leaders that could not stand to see Him doing good! What a stunning example of what we see happening here and the way they are treating President Trump; the more good that he does for the people here in the country he was elected to govern, the more he is made to be the villain and enemy of the world; the established government world of controlling people! Sorry if that offends anyone, but there is a serious problem in this country, as well as many other countries of the world: Career Politicians who have power and power is never enough power, because they continually need more power. President Trump broke the rules; he won the election that was meant to be for the establishment to win; an outsider that did not want to be part of the establishment, something that they cannot allow and will not stand for! This is really not all that much of an issue, that is if you are following the times and looking for the Lord's soon return; but it surely does make those of us that love that which is good, feel as through we are sick to our very core. The way that our children are being used and abused; the way that our rights are chipped away, from day to day; and more that any other time, in my lifetime, the church is being either silenced or made to conform to this present world. Anywho, that is the attitude of the Jews here that care about Jerusalem; they are sick to the core and want to see God do something, like they know He is able to do...

"Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothes stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in great strength? "It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who has the power to save!" Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? "I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. Their blood has stained my clothes. For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. I was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm, and my wrath sustained me. I crushed the nations in my anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground, spilling their blood upon the earth."" (Isaiah 63:1-6) NLT

"To Know His Joy"

"If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." (Psalms 137:6)

   I prefer to rejoice, if I have a choice! We always have a choice; no matter what might be pressing into us, making a choice to push back, makes the people around you see that there is something more important that keeps you, other than any of this stuff. Do people ever ask you, Where does that hope you have come from? If they don't, they should! We own something more important than all the treasures of this life; more than life itself, because it is something out of this world! That is maybe the most important part, that it is beyond the reach of anyone, and no one can touch it or take it away from us; dare I say, not even ourselves. I here Pastor Mike make mention of this all the time: "You cannot loose your salvation; but you can throw it away." Maybe that is true; and maybe it is just something we will need to wait and see what happens. Personally, I don't particularly buy it: If you throw it away, then it was never really worth having in the first place; because if you have tasted what is Good, how in the world could ever really want to be rid of it? I will still keep an open mind, when it comes to other people; but as for me, this is too real to throw away, even if I have doubts, those doubts are the things that must be thrown away, not the Truth! I still stick by John's answer to that question, as he says: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19) It is really quit simple to understand, you either love the Lord and hate the world, or you don't; because if you love the world, you cannot love the Lord! Look at the last five words of that statement, because there are a couple different ways to look a John's description of what was manifested in those that left; the one that I believe is being put forth is the Way, meaning that they were not all in and about going in the same direction. It is a lot like Paul's description about our conversation, where conversation is speaking about where your heart is located and in what direction you are thinking towards. It is what controls your behavior or conduct; it is the thing that makes you tick! Do you really want to know something amazing? When you count it all joy, you actually feel stronger! It is really strange the way that works, because the whole point of the tongue clinging to the roof of your mouth is that of being parched or weak. It is the joy of the Lord that gives us strength! Next time you feel like throwing away anything to do with following Jesus, think about what really gives you joy, because there is no greater joy that knowing where you are going...

"According to my earnest expectations and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:20-21)

"Know His Strength"

"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning" (Psalms 137:5)

  In this current culture we are living in, is it any wonder that there are still some churches that can really speak out for the Truth? We know that the last days are upon us; even that is something that is rarely spoken outright and in public, for fear of either offending your fellow Christian or for fear of being called a nut. In many places, there are laws in place where you cannot tell someone that they are living in sin; if you do, then you could actually be arrested or fined. As I was thinking about what God would have me share from this verse, I was reminded how powerful God actually is, and how important it is that we do not forget His strength. Do not judge the strength of God by anything that is associated with man; especially when it comes to supernatural things that happen through people, not even the supernatural things that might happen through anything associated with this planet. God is so much bigger than what you think you know! That said, He is also personal to you and I; He knows every single little thing about us; which in and of itself is a pretty awesome example of just how strong and powerful He is. For me, this is about the times when God shows up and changes things. It might be something subtle or something big; it really does not matter what it is, because the matter is us! As big and powerful as He is, He shows up for us! It is not really about Him being this awesome powerful force; it is that this awesome powerful force cares so deeply about each and every one of us! I cannot get over some of these highly educated pastors, the ones that think they know more than anyone else and have it all figured out. Why can't they just accept what the Bible says is truth and not try to justify what God says with man's knowledge? Oh, I get it: It's about pleasing man, not God! If you study the Scriptures, those that spoke the Truth were always persecuted and made fun of; while those that said what men wanted to hear were lifted up and praised. This is actually a pretty serious set of circumstances; because there is someone more important that wants to hear what you have to say; and He does carefully listen...

"A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O LORD of Heaven's Armies, what joy for those who trust in you." (Psalms 84:10-12) NLT

"In The Know"

"How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?" (Psalms 137:4)

  Sometimes you just need to go with what you know! Have you ever wondered where the stars go during the daytime? They never left from where they always were, they are still right there, just as they were, but waiting for us to be able to see them again. Amazing how that works, but the same thing is true with God: He is always right there, waiting for us to see His glory! It really does not matter where you are or where you think you ought to be, God is everywhere and anywhere you are seeking Him; if we can just wait upon Him to reveal Himself. As much as I would like to, I cannot just quit doing what I do; there are consequences for not showing up to appointments, especially when they have been waiting for two weeks, and they are nearing the end of their inspection periods. But, believe you me, there are times I just want to get away and go hide under a rock, the Rock to be more precise. Something Pastor Bryan mentioned yesterday struck a cord, as he spoke about how David had hid out in Ziklag for fear that Saul was going to take his life; Pastor Bryan mentioned briefly that David had lied. Most important thing to know about lies, is that lies are of the devil, the father of all lies. (John 8:44) What part of Saul is going to kill me is a lie? If God has said, "David, you shall rule my people," then from where did David get the idea he was going to get killed by Saul? I guess to all comes down to who it is you are going to believe, God or the devil! How often I get caught in a lie and don't even know it, not at first anyway. It sometimes takes me a few hours to figure it out; maybe even a few days, if I have been on a binge. But the devil is pretty good at making me think that God is done with me, for whatever reason or for whatever sin. Silly me, how do I fall for that same stupid lie, over and over again? At this point in David's life, he had six hundred men, and there families, that were following him; he was leading a small army and had very devoted people all around him. Why then should he live in fear? Another point Pastor Bryan touched on, was that of trusting God; regardless of what you might think or what you have previously felt or experienced, you must trust in the Lord to have your back! This includes the times when you are out of sorts, out of the area, and maybe even out of God's will; no matter where or when, He has your back! If He has told you that you are His child, you are His child! He takes care of His children; that is no lie...

"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one -for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one -for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us." (Romans 8:31-34) NLT

"Religious" -Twain

"For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion." (Psalms 137:3)

  We that have the Truth living in us, know the voice of God; clearly He speaks to those that are His children, and the more we listen, the more clearly we can hear Him speak. This is not just about listening to God, this is clearly about us not listening to anyone else when it comes to truth and spiritual matters; especially when it comes to matter that involve worshiping God and giving glory to His name. Here is what I believe God has shown me; literally, He showed me this around 1:30 this morning, as I was awake and trying to make sense of all the stuff running through my head. As Paul was sharing, those that are lost cannot see the Truth; they cannot understand the power of God's free gift of salvation, because it is no where close to their understanding. This is why Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) The kingdom of God is established within the life of a Believer; it is the New Birth of that Believer which brings a spiritual awakening, because at the moment of his or her New Birth the Holy Spirit enters into their heart. From that moment on, the voice of God speaks into our lives; giving us direction, instruction, Scriptures, boldness, and love, the likes of which we have never known before. There are so many more gifts of the Spirit to cove, but I think you get the point. Using this Verse as a reference, I believe it shows us the difference between the religious aspects of doing God's work, based upon us being told by the world; and the difference to be applied when it is God that is telling us what we should do. The world tells us to do it for their entertainment or profit; if they cannot see the Truth, then anything we do that gives glory to God is nonsense and foolishness. They are only doing so to be entertained or because there is something in it for them. But when God says for us to do it, it is because He wants His glory to be revealed, whether to show off His treasure or to add more treasure to it! Oddly enough, the Title of today's post was given to me by reminding me of something I learned in school, at least 50 years ago. It was about Samuel Clemens, who was known by his pen name, Mark Twain. The picture given me as a child was on how he came up with that name, based upon how they measured the distance between the bottom of a ship and the ocean floor. This is the picture God gave me about how we must measure Truth with God's Word; each and every step we take, with every situation, and with every new thing that we enter into: Is it going to give glory to God! The religions of this world are just that; they are religions for the people of this world; but we are not about having religion, we are people that have a relationship with the Creator of this world; who, not only is the Creator, but is our Heavenly Father, and has shown us how much He loves us; something that not everyone can see clearly, because the world is in the way. Not only are we called for a purpose; we are called by God for His purposes, the purpose of reconciling the world to Him, and not for the purposes of this world...

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of this world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory to the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

"Religious"

"For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion." (Psalms 137:3)

  There is actually an easier way to get to the truth; it is a way that separates what the world might say we should do, and what it is that God tells us to do. The most important thing for the believer to do, is to understand where the line is drawn between the two. I heard part of a message from Pastor Jack yesterday, where he was sharing about a young man in his church that had came up to him and said, "The Lord told me to quit my job." Talking about jobs, I thought it was interesting how that came about, because there was a very good lesson, just in case anyone is hearing the same thing. Pastor Jack continued by saying what his reaction was, as he asked the young man, "This is a pretty big step of faith; how are you going to pay your bills?" To that the young man answered, "God told me that you would know what I should do and that you would help me." Pastor Jack replied, "No, you should have figured that out on your own, before you quit your job; or at least waited for God to provide you with something else." To the one who might be planning such a move, let me tell you a little secret: God will always open the door to something else before He closes another one! It is the same way for churches, as in, should I stay or should I go? The answer is quit simple: If God is asking you to leave a church, for whatever reason, then before you do anything, ask Him to show you where you should be going. It is really quite simple; not that there isn't a little faith required, because any move you do requires putting your faith in God, if you are wanting to follow the will of God for your life. In the case of Abraham, for instance, he was told to leave the land of his father and mother, and that He would show him the land that awaited him; a land that had promise, backed up with blessings upon blessings, and with the ultimate declaration: "And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." So, if you hear God say anything like that, who needs to actually know where it is that you are going? Besides, this is about listening to God! Some people listen to God by flipping through their Bibles and landing on certain Scriptures; and some people try to hear from God by listening to the noise around them. God still speaks in "a still small voice." The point of that is quite simple too: God has so much authority, He does not need to shout! It is very similar to the illustration of Jacob wrestling with God; it only took God's finger to change the subject...

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greek seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

"Heavy Hearts"

"We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof." (Psalms 137:2)

   Precisely what is needed, something to cry about that actually does something! James has a way of saying this, maybe a little misunderstood by some, but none the less, it is cleansing to our souls when we actually take the time to do it; that is, if you have the time! We find the Scripture I am talking about in James 4:8-10, where he says, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." I guess the thing that brings it all together is those last four words, "in the midst thereof;" seriously, literally brings it together! As I mentioned before, this is a point where you see the contrast between those things which are and those things that could have been. To some, it might be a cross-roads, a place where you stop to reflect upon how much you have given or not given to God; whether that be your time, your money, or your baggage! Is it 10% of all that you have? He truly has asked for the tithe of your finances, that we know; but what about out time and our baggage; does the same 10% count for that also? I would hope not; but I think it might turn out to look that way, if we are just being honest. I know where I stand, as I was reminded of it yesterday when I was having dinner with my in-laws. I mentioned about my devotions, and how I tried to give Lord the first two and a half hours of every day, dedicated to prayer, reading, and this blog. And then, I reflected on the other twenty-one and a half hours, which was not so much about doing anything for God; at least not on a constant set of guidelines. Reflecting upon my daily routine, it is mostly being consumed by work; which I hardly feel guilty about, because we all should be working for our livelihood. But, my work is time consuming, to say the least; it starts by 8am and finishes by 8pm, every Monday through Friday; and when I am not working, I think about the work I still need to get done. That is the time, but what about the baggage? Lord, please tell me it's more than 10%...

"What is causing quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong -you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself and enemy of God. What do you think the Scriptures mean when the say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud, but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world." (James 4:1-8) NLT

"Sitting Down"

"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion." (Psalms 137:1)

  Maybe you don't have any of those regrets mentioned; but regardless, I know for a fact, nobody out there has lived a perfect life. The Bible makes that fact perfectly clear: "There is none righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10) The first thing that we must understand about this Psalm, is that it is not a melancholy piece of literature about being without hope; it is about our greatest hope, the fact that God loves us and is with us through thick and thin; that no matter where we are and how messed up our lives might look, we can look to God for restoration and redemption, no matter what! This is nothing more than a pause, a place where God places His hand upon your shoulder, and simply says, "Can we talk?" That is what Zion represents in the spiritual sense; where God takes what belongs to the world, and He conforms it to His property and for His glory! Ironically, the world does just the opposite; taking everything that God has made that is beautiful, and turns it into something dark and sinister. Absolutely not! That is what we must say, when it comes to letting anything get between us and our God, we must not let it happen; even though it still happens all the time! If anything, this is the point where God calls us Friend! When He steps away from us being servant or child, and says, "Friend, can we get a few things understood?" That was pretty much what Jesus did, asking Peter there times, "Peter, do you love me?" The first two times were about unconditional love; but the third time, the love He spoke of was conditional: Do you love me as a friend! God is not your enemy, no matter what catastrophic trial you are facing; even if it involves death! "Do you believe that?" That was the question Jesus asked Martha, regarding the fact that He was the resurrection and the life. Well, is it so? Because friends don't lie to one another, and they surely don't abandon one another! You think about the implication of what that means, because if we are talking about God being our Friend, if He wants to talk to us, we need to listen! Don't say you don't have the time, because that is the furthest thing from the truth...

"And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." (Zechariah 13:6)

"The Mourning of the Exiles In Babylon"

PSALMS 137:1
"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion."

  Not sure about what to make of your situation? Is it because you are being harassed by the enemy, or are you being chastised by the Lord? There is a very big difference in the way we view any trial or circumstance our life might be forced into; because God does not allow anything to happen to us that He does not allow; and if God allows it to happen, He does so because He loves us and wants to draw us closer to Him! I will repeat something I have said, over and over: Nothing that happens to us here in this life is significant enough to matter in the light of eternity; absolutely nothing! When Solomon said, "Everything is meaningless," it pretty much means that it means nothing, not compared to what we have between us and God! For the last couple of months, the topic has pretty much been about idols, which are the things we place between us and our relationship with the God that truly loves us. These are the things which we allow into our hearts and minds that become important enough to us, that we allow those things to disrupt our communication with God; but more importantly, they disrupt the way we see God and His love for us and our position within His love towards us. I really don't care who you are or what your position in life might be, you are never as strong as you think that you are. If the enemy can persuade a man like David, or distract a powerful king like Solomon, what makes you think he can't get to you? That is the whole point in what we allow in! If you allow it to come in, you are opening the door to the enemy; plain and simple! You have heard the term, "Guard the door to your heart," which is actually from Proverbs 4:23, which says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Issues of life, be they small or great, are all of the things that stir our minds and cause us to wonder; and wondering leads to wandering! You can see this put into perspective just two verses away, where Solomon says, "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." These are the things that we must settle within our hearts: Is God for me, or against me? To answer that with all the best evidence that we have available, we don't need to go any further than His Word! If you truly want the answer, then it is right here, written in blood, the blood of His Sacrifice that He has made for you! Yes, that's right, He loves you; no matter who you are or what you have done, you are never insignificant or beyond the reach of His love, ever! To be perfectly clear, this is clearly a verse I believe we can all associate with some issue or circumstance within our own lives. It speaks powerfully into what we have all experienced at one time or another, when we have sat down by the rivers of Babylon, and we have wept. We wept by those rivers, which are filled of all the lusts in this world; wept, reflecting on how different our lives might have been, if we had just listened, if we had just obeyed, if we had just allowed God to change us...

"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them . Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." (Proverbs 4:20-27) NLT

"Appreciative Children"

"O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:26)

  As I was praying about this post last night, I thought about what it must have been like to witness all of those signs and wonders for forty years, growing up in the wilderness. I was being serious about those shoes, because the Bible actually says, "Yet the LORD says, "During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet." (Deuteronomy 29:5 NIV) In case you were unaware, I usually do not reference the NIV, nor do I ever study out of it; basically, the reason that is so, is because I call it, 'The Nearly Inspired Version'. There are just some things that do not quite reach the bar of drawing the line; as a matter of fact, some of the more important lines are a little blurry. And besides that, almost everyone I know that is living in a strange relationship, meaning they are either gay or dealing with the question of being one, is using the NIV for their spiritual guidance. I'm not saying that everyone who reads it is messed up; but the first thing I look for when I see a Christian who is stuck in that lifestyle, is what Bible they cling to; 99% of the time, it's the NIV. Anywho; what a difference 40 years can make in the life of a child of God; but you would think they would notice how long their clothes and shoes lasted them; or maybe they just didn't pay much attention to the little things like that? But wait just a minute! Didn't Jesus say not to think upon those things, What you would wear? The term 'gay' was just recently used to describe that alternative lifestyle, but originally, it was meant to describe a carefree, cheerful, bright, and showy life. Oddly enough, that is not the only thing which has been been taken over, the rainbow is now a symbol used as a sign for that movement; a sign that God gave to Himself that He would not judge the world with a flood, ever again. Which reminds me, what is this I hear about the people who are pushing the Climate Change idea: That the world is going to be destroyed by a flood! Talk about anyone that is a denier; what a strange time we live in; no one appreciates all that God has done! Well, hopefully you do not fit into that category, because no matter what happens here, the God we serve is the God of Heaven! We can watch this world spin out of control, and try to avoid getting hit be the debris or taken out by the uproar; but do not forget where your true home is located, because it's not here! That is my final say on that matter; whether you are dealing with anything, other the Lord Jesus Christ, between you and your Father in Heaven, it is time to set the record straight and make your stand sure: Are you going to confess Him, or deny Him: It is time to show your appreciation for what He has done...

"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shown them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even the eternal power and Godhead; so they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves; who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:16-25)

"Apprehensive Children"

"Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:25)

  Maybe the problem may not be discouragement, but the lack of trust? We are just flesh and blood, so isn't only natural that we put limits upon how far out beyond these capabilities we are willing to go? Pastor Rick was sharing yesterday about what it takes to be a great leader and loving God; and he used the example of King Saul and King David to show the contrast between a man that has his focus upon himself, and a man that is focused upon God. What a difference a little direction makes when it comes to where our focus is! It reminded me of when Peter tried to walk on water. His first response to seeing Jesus walking on the water was to want to come out to join Him; but then he awoke to the reality of what he was and how impossible it was for him to do what he was doing. With God, everything is possible! Jesus said of the little children, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3) What pray tell does any of this have to do with food? I grew up spoiled, when it came to going hungry; I actually cannot remember a single day when my parents might have said, 'We don't have any food to feed you!' I do remember having to go to bed without eating, but that was because of my actions and not because there was not any food. I guess the best and quickest way to say this, is to just come right out and say it: We are children of God! Duh! Something else Jesus said, while He was talking to a woman at a well: "But the hour cometh, and now is, when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24) This gets back to that point about direction of focus, because, as God's children, we have already been converted because Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. There are two completely different directions for our focus to be placed, one is the flesh, and the other is the Spirit of God. Just like Peter's reaction, there is apprehension in how far we can go, if we can even have the courage to step out of the boat! What pray tell could possibly get in our way? Such is life! It's this constant battle we have between the flesh and the Spirit; which is precisely why Paul says that we must crucify the flesh! We are a New Creature because God has called us out of the darkness and into His marvelous Light; it is God that set this conversation in motion, and it is God that will get us to the finish line...

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." (1 Peter 1:13-21)

"Almost Everything"

"And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:24)

  Before you go, let me remind you who the enemy is, and why it makes this one simple word, "redeemed," more important than everything; compared to this, everything else is absolutely meaningless! Jesus made this point, using fear as the motivation, saying, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) We have several different factors that cause us to get distracted from the race before us: our own weakness is the main thing that attaches to many of the big ones. We have an enemy that, although he cannot read our minds, he can observe our weaknesses; and the biggest tool in his toolbox is discouragement. What discouragement does in the heart of a believer, is to cause that believer to loose confidence in God's love and forgiveness. To better illustrate what this might look like, it is like a child feeling as though he or she is not loved as much as another brother or sister; as if there is something wrong with them that makes them less loved by their mother or father. Jesus concluded His statement saying, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31) The point I believe God is trying to get me to see, is that our redemption far surpasses everything; it supersedes every weakness, every failure, and even every sin, past, present, or future! The word is hard to express, because it speaks mostly about breaking away, or tearing apart, or to be broken off: to be torn in pieces! These are all very strong ways to describe what is considered to be very violent actions; but if you think about it, I mean really put some soul-searching thought into it, what the Father allowed to happen for our redemption, was some very violent actions against His Son! One other word to consider, is the one that makes it most personal to you and to me: it is the word, "snatch," as in, to be ripped up out of the jaws of hell! I am convinced that there is nothing that can snatch me from God's hand, because He has redeemed me! Oh, I have flaws and weaknesses, as does anyone else this side of Heaven; but if He knows every hair on my head, He also knows every flaw and weakness I have; He has known them all along! If the enemy wants to try and discourage me and make me feel ashamed before my Heavenly Father, there is something else that has been torn to pieces, and that is the million pages that holds the list of my sins! Jesus made this happen: My Redeemer Lives...

""Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."" (Matthew 10:32-33)

"Lowest of All"

"Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:" (Psalms 136:23)

  This is so hard! What was I thinking, and where did I think this was going to end up? I heard part of a message yesterday, it reminded me of something Pastor Mike said during communion service last Sunday morning; he said, "When I was younger, I thought that the older I got the less I would sin; but  now that I am older, I find it harder to quit sinning." The message was about Paul' reference to himself a couple of times in his epistles; the first reference he said, "I am the lowest of the Apostles," and his later reference was, "I am lowest of all the Saints." I don't really think that we sin more or anything like that, but the older we get, the closer we get to heaven, the more sin is evident and the more focused we are on not sinning. To put it into a simple illustration, we could imagine as if we are arriving at a train station from a long and exhausting train ride; up ahead in the station is someone waiting for us that care deeply about, and that we have not seen in a very long time; and the closer we get to them, the further we feel that we have been apart. I know that might seem like a stupid illustration to some, but the sin in our lives gets magnified the closer we get to holiness! I was very serious about the Beautifully Broken thing I said yesterday, because we must truly believe how much God loves us, just as we are! We might not understand why, or see the point of Him caring so much; but it is who He is, our Heavenly Father, and He loves us so very very much! This is actually a very good place to be, because the opposite of this is pride; as in, I am proud of who I am. Paul make a statement in the end of his letter to the Galatians, saying, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." He makes this very important statement after sharing about how much we need to help one another, by bearing one another's burdens; and that we must never be weary in well doing! The point of what that might look like, is that we do not look for a reward for the things we do for one another; because when we look to be rewarded, even if that is just acknowledgement of the good that we have done, then that in itself leads to pride! I know it's hard, but it requires us forgetting what if anything is owed to us, and not expecting anything in return; the reward for what you do is waiting for you in heaven; because anything you receive here is going to get burned up...

""Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 12:8) NLT

"Fairest of All"

"Even a heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:22)

  Well, is that a deep subject, or what? I mean, we could circle that Mulberry Bush for the entire day, and still not be fit enough to leave the house. As crazy as it sounds, God is so deeply in love with us, He never gives up on us, even when we give up on Him! This is more than just being spoiled; this is about having a Master that does not accept the words, "I quit, or I give up!" Not as far as being His servant, that's for sure! That said, He does love to hear us say it, when it means we are through trying to do it on our own. Do you know, there are actually inmates in prison that love to be there? You might not believe it is so, but there is something about just needing to be told what to do and when to do it, that some people just cannot live without. You think about when God first made man, He placed him in a garden, filled with all sorts of things to give names to, to stimulate his mind and to give him the ability to become creative. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, although it was forbidden, it was named by God, as was the Tree of Life. Isn't interesting how little we need to tell our children about what is good and bad? They seem to already know it: when you walk in on them doing something that is bad, you can see it in their faces, they know it is bad. That is the object that God tried to keep away from man, the knowledge of good and evil! We just do what God says for us to do, and that is all we know to do! Crazy, I know, but it will actually be the case one fine day, that we will be living that kind of Life! There shall be no more curse! No forbidden tree! I don't know about you, but there is so much peace I get from knowing that we are chosen: what a difference it makes to be taken in by the Creator, because He has not just opened a door and let you in, but He has made the Door, brought you to It, and pulled you in! Don't believe me? Wait and see; because just like Israel, we are His chosen people too. So where were we? I think we were headed towards something that might be considered vanity or pride. This might be that one thing we pretend we are not, but it still becomes us, no matter how hard we try to reset. I am beautifully broken! That is what I have figured out, and I am keeping it! Good news about that, is that I have a Creator that not only made me, knows me, and loves me, He is also going to fix me...

"He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah." (Psalms 47:4)

"Simply Spoiled"

"And gave their land for a heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:" (Psalms 136:21)

  Maybe I should give out more information with the post of the day; and I would, if it was something I could see clear enough to talk about. We have got to understand this one very important thing, if we are going to change, that we are now a New Creation; the old, dead to God, spiritually dead person is gone: Behold, all things are NEW! Stop thinking with your heads, literally, and start walking in the Spirit! You know those arcade games that have the lighted foot-pads, the ones you have to step on to the beat of the music; that is what it looks like to walk in the Spirit: every step we take, we take with the beat of the Holy Spirit lighting the way! You only get good enough to win the more you practice doing it; and that is no joke! We have come to the point of this Psalm were I believe God wants us to turn our attention to Him; to the way that He loves us, the way that He cares for us, and the way that He cleanses us. I searched the title, which I do now and again when the title is a little catchy; and this is actually a thing, believe it or not. I sometimes forget how spoiled I can get by God's blessings. The more I get, the more I feel I am entitled to. Isn't that how it usually ends up? Not to change the subject, but I seriously fear for this country and how spoiled so many people are here. I doubt that any more than 50% of this country could actually survive on their own without someone taking care of them. What a difference from when people settled here and they had to make life happen on their own. Anywho, I don't quite know what to make of it, because it just comes too easy! The more you get handed to you, the more you forget about the hand that feeds you, and focus upon the stuff! There is something that Jesus said, (just a side-note to the real problem, but the problem is easily fixed,) as He was sharing about how we should not worry about what we eat, or drink, or wear; He said, "For after all of these things do the Gentiles seek." (Matthew 6:32a) In the King James Version, that is written within parenthesis, which is a sentence inserted as an exclamation, much as the sentence and example that I placed above. The real problem is that of being an Earth-Dweller, verses a Citizen of Heaven. The Gentiles are those that are the earth dwellers; so stated because they live, eat, and die for the earth. We, on the other hand, are not to be like those Gentiles, because this is not our home; our Home is in Heaven where our Heavenly Father resides, and where Christ Jesus is there preparing a place for us, a glorious new home, for all eternity! Talk about being Simply Spoiled! What can compare to the Treasure that awaits? All of this stuff is temporary and is going to rot away. Yes, all these earthly things, that is what the world is made of...

""They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased. Our ancestors captured fortified cites and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings."" (Nehemiah 9:24-25) NLT

"Kept Away"

"And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:20)

  You know, I do depend a lot on Matthew Henry to give a little input into some of what I might share on, but for this particular journey, he has not been much help. That might be because I have left the reservation, like about twenty verses ago; but I will finish what I started, none the less. Just in case you missed it, yesterday was about how we analysis particular things in our lives, making choices on what to do based upon the thoughts in our heads. Stop trying to figure out what God is doing, and just be available for Him to do a work in you! This is very similar in nature, because instead of thoughts, this is what we see with our eyes. The thought process can get extremely out of control, if we let it; but what we see with our eyes, we don't even consider anything else but what we see. Infidelity is made of this, because the eyes sees what it wants, and the thought process is totally focused upon what is seen, not on any consequence or negative reaction. When it comes to taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, this is something where we need to give those thoughts to Him, voluntary and willingly. It is a lot like answering a wrong number, where you just had Him the phone, saying, "This one is for you, Lord!" There is really sometimes no time to think about, just ask Him to turn it off, and just like that, He will. For this visual encounter, sometimes we just need to run! You would if you knew what a trap it was and who was behind it; you wouldn't even hesitate, it would be a natural reaction; that is, if you could see the situation with spiritual eyes wide open. I have had my share of close encounters, but fortunately have never taken the bait; not that I did not want to, but He always will make a way of escape, if we choose to take it. This was the most fertile land in the region; it was also know for giants, as Og actually means, 'long-necked.' Don't ask, it has been a really long night. I either had food poisoning, or the flu, but I have been up most of the night feeling as though I needed to throw up. Strangest dreams ever! Okay, maybe not ever, but it was pretty strange. I had this dream that God gives us some sort of gut pains when He wants us to stop and take notice; almost as if He is making us hesitate by controlling our bowels or giving us irregularity. You know that old expression, "I had a feeling in my gut," well that is a pretty gentle way of saying it. But, if you want to get right down to it, whatever it takes, is sometimes not enough...

"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 stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:15-17) NLT

"Swept Away"

"Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:" (Psalms 136:19)

  Not to be a pest, but you do realize the difference between those two ideas, love and judgment? I mean, if it comes right down to it, a free gift is a gift that cannot be purchased, so why do we try and force our children to purchase something that is free? I'm just saying. Besides the fact that Jesus paid the price for our sins, He also provided the way for us to have eternal life. If you recall, the point of Adam and Eve being kicked out of the Garden, was to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life. This was a pretty big deal, and we sometimes need to be reminded how important eternal life is to the salvation we have been given. Sometimes I wonder what we will do with eternity; will I be able to play golf, or snowboard, or will we just stand around and talk? I know, go ahead and say it, "You are a pretty strange dude!" Well, I have been called worse; but seriously, this king was a pretty bad dude, but no match for God! Picture this king's name meaning the motion you make with a broom, as you sweep away the stuff in front of you, as you walk forwards; because that is what his name represents. I know you don't believe me, but I really don't think it is possible for me to make this stuff up! Strange little idol this is; so much so, it always gets swept under the rug, only to stay hidden in our hearts and peaking out at us from time to time. This is what some might call, "Over thinking!" It is when you are given an opportunity or a chance to make a difference, and you start thinking about all the things that could go wrong or a whole host of other situations. These little things we place in our hearts and minds, they really never go away; we might think they do, but that is only because we have covered over them, and they are out of sight. I would think of this as the opposite of being forgotten; which for lack of a better word, it means to be exposed! Yes, this little dude needs to be brought out into the Light! The area where a Amorites dwelt were mountains, and later became the area occupied by the tribe of Judah. We all know who hails from the tribe of Judah, Right? If you want to know what gets done with all of those pesty little idols, picture that sweeping motion mentioned above, and the big giant paw, the paw of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! We can have any thought or question overruled, by just giving it over to the One that rules forever...

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For our weapons of warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

"None as Famous"

"And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:" (Psalms 136:18)

  So why am I doing this, this thing I do? I hope that it is for the right reasons, because, man O man, it is unbearable at times; so much so, that some mornings I can hardly see this screen. One thing is for sure, God is speaking! Something that Pastor Bryan was showing us yesterday, mostly involving the children of Gad. It was about the fact that they decided not to go to the other side of the Jordan, which was, long story short, the same as not wanting all of the blessings God has available for our lives. Like, who doesn't want all of God's blessings? You would be surprised to know who, because in a strange sort of way, we all have a little Gad in us. If you could put anything to this, famous or not, it would involve the things that are most important in our lives. I say famous or not, because there are some things we have that are the most important, but they are also the most hidden. Without getting too carried away by what motivates someone to quench the Holy Spirit in their own lives, let's just say that it is mostly about change and fear to go where you have never gone before. It may also involve a little laziness, but that's a topic for another discussion. Today, this is about the things that are most important. What is it that we might place more important than having Jesus do something amazing in our hearts? The descendants of Gad chose pigs over Jesus! Pigs, of all creatures; the one animal that loves to wallow in the mud to make themselves feel comfortable when it gets hot. Maybe that best suits the motivation, or lack thereof; not wanting to be made as clean as we can possibly be! You know that famous saying, "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen," well, this might be taking it a step further, saying, 'If you don't like heat, don't go into the kitchen.' The kitchen is where things get cooked! That is pretty much what the other side of the Jordan represented, because it involved the children and what they would become! What is it that we show our children? What do we make known to them regarding the God that we serve? Who becomes more famous in their lives, the God that loves them, or the God that judges them when they are wrong? We need so much Jesus in us, that the world, especially our children, can see Jesus in us! Because the Jesus that is in us must be more famous than you or I...

"Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don''t believe me. The proof is in the work I do in my Father's name. But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from my Father's hand. The Father and I are one."" (John 10:25-30) NLT

"None Greater"

"To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:" (Psalms 136:17)

  If you recall, the people had to forgo the promise land for a generation, all because they feared what might happen to them; all because there were giants in the land! Do you face any giants that might be causing you to fear moving forward? This was a pretty powerful moment for the children of Israel; and I say that sarcastically, because all of the sudden they were basing what might happen to them on their own power, and not God's power! These are lessons that are never really settled in the human heart; no matter how powerful of a battle God has fought for you before, the battle ahead is always more frightening or different than the battle before. But God, He is the same God! He never changes or weakens His mighty arm! What could it be that causes this to happen in our heart? Is it that we forget what God has done, or maybe we feel less worthy of His protection? If you have settled this in your heart, I wish you well with your strength and your ability to trust God in every trial; but if you are like me and almost every other believer, and you get blind-sided now and again by something that just looks too big to handle, take heart, because God is greater! They say, "God will never give you more than you can handle," the closest Scripture that comes close to that line of thinking is found in, 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Excuse me if I bust your bubble, but there is nothing here that is speaking about anything close to us being able to handle anything! As a matter of fact, taken in context of the verse before and the verse that follows, this is about us not trying to do anything within our own power, but by the power of God! Verse 12 says, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." And verse 14 says, "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." Ironically, this Scripture is based upon the children if Israel and the way the murmured against God in the wilderness, even after they saw mighty signs and wonders! Silly humans we are for thinking we can do anything without God, even fighting the flesh. If we can't get past the flesh on our own, what makes us think we can take on anything spiritual? So, if you are interested, the idol here is power; it is the power we think we might have to take on the giants, forgetting that the battle belongs to the LORD...

"If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:12-13) NLT

"Green Pastures" -2

"To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:16)

  Just so we are clear, what want means to the believer is nothing more than wanting to obey the LORD and to walk in the power of that obedience; nothing else really matters, but that we do what God wants us to do. This is what Jesus meant when He told 'Nic at Night,' "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:21) It is not just a matter of coming clean and repenting; it is about pleasing God because you know how much He loves you and that you want to love Him back! You need to see the meaning of this word, 'wilderness,' because it is not just about a desert, even though it always is a desert, and yet it's not when it comes to our spiritual dependance upon God; in other words, nothing else can take God's place when it comes to spiritual things, be they whatever aspect of our lives in which they apply. Jesus clearly said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) We truly have no need at all for anything else, if indeed we are seeking His kingdom first and foremost. The main meaning that 'wilderness' represents, is that of "an uninhabited plain country, fit for feeding flocks, not a desert, a pasture." He leads me into green pastures, is a reference to Him leading me into the places that best provide for my eternal soul. The whole point about what want represents as an idol, is the fact that we are always wanting something more than God is actually wanting for us to have. This goes all the way back to the very beginning, to the Tree in the midst of that Garden; the Tree that became an idol, because it became that which was wanted, even though God said not to eat of it. That might be a hard thing to swallow, but to be perfectly honest, Jesus lost many followers when He tried to but this into perspective, by using His own body and blood. You either want it or you don't; there are many other things that can take the place of it, but nothing, absolutely nothing can actually take its place...

"Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, "Where is the one that brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people? Where is the one whose power was displayed when Moses lifted up his hand -the one who divided the sea before them, making himself famous forever? Where is the one who led them through the bottom of the sea? They were like stallions racing through the desert, never stumbling. As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led your people, LORD, and gained a magnificent reputation."" (Isaiah 63:11-14) NLT

"Green Pastures"

"To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:16)

  Not to change the subject or anything, but I hope some of you saw the couple of videos from the court case in Texas. Talk about grace; there were a couple of powerful 'Grace Cards' being handed out in that courtroom! So, you are probably wondering about this title and what this might have to do with God leading His people through the wilderness? Did you hear the story about their shoes? Talk about something not getting old; the things that God can do in our lives, they never get old; even if they might seem to be punishment for our actions, there is still a whole lot of mercy! Anyway you look at it, if you are in God's care, no matter where you are or what you are going through, you are being cared for by God! This is not about a wilderness journey that results in wasted time or being lost; this is about God raising sheep in His pasture; it just so happens that the pasture He choose to raise them in was considered a wilderness. Unfortunately, it was His children that mostly thought of it as a wilderness! What kind of idol are we looking at today? Want to try and give it a guess? There was something I tried to learn, some 37 years ago; but I think it requires a little more practice then I have time enough to waste on perfecting and making it work. I learned it from a brother, I am sure is currently been with the Lord, for almost seven years, who's name is Zig Ziglar. The general idea was about how we never really enjoy where we are at because we are always wanting to be somewhere else; a little thing he referred to as, "Stinkin-Thinkin." I remember him using and illustration about a neighbor named Mod, who's house he went to for "good cookin." She made a batch of her wonderful biscuits one day that turned out no higher than a silver dollar; and he asker her, "Mod, what happened to your biscuits?" She said, "They squatted to rise, but they got cooked in the squat!" You know where this is going; at least I hope you do! You obviously have heard the term, "The grass is always greener on the other side," well that is the point of where this is going: it's a little thing called, Want! We never enjoy what we have, because we always want more than we've got; we never enjoy where we are at, because we always want to be somewhere else; and we never do with God has given us, because we always want what someone else might have! That is what we call, Being cooked in the squat! I literally bought a whole bag of these things called, "Round-To-Its," and passed them all out. I always kept a pocket full of them, and as soon as I ran into someone that started to speak as though they were waiting for something else to happen in order to do something, I would hand them one of those "Round-To-Its" and say, here you go, here is a "Round-To It" so you can get started right away! Yes, it is all about want...

"The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along the right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever." (Psalms 23) NLT

"Emptiness"

"But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:15)

  Just in case you know the facts, the facts are important to eliminate doubt and discouragement, we just need practice repeating what we know; the best way of doing that is by sharing what you know with others. Just saying; incase you were interested on why I brought it up. One of the positive things about taking those aside that are new believers and giving them some instructions about reading their Bible and finding a good church, is that of getting something inside that newly cleaned house! In other words, we can't just quit doing something and then do nothing; we must replace that which is gone with something else. This is what Paul is speaking about in Romans 6:15-23, the fact that we have been made free from sin, so now we must become slaves of God; that before we were under the power of sin, and we yielded our bodies to uncleanness unto iniquity; but now, being set free from sin, we yield our bodies to the things of righteousness unto holiness. What we see in the case of the children of Israel, is that, even though the enemy was defeated by God, powerfully taken out of the way, the children of Israel still longed for those things that they had been delivered from. Not just the things that they liked, because the longing for the things that they liked also brought with it the bondage and the misery; which didn't seem so bad, now that they were delivered from it. Amazing how that works, but it is just the flesh trying to have its cake and eat it too. This is why Paul says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Maybe the problem is, is that it is just too easy. I mean, if it wasn't a gift, but something you needed to labor for, maybe it what be something we did not so easily take for granted. (Just talking to myself here, so pay no attention!) That is why I believe Paul's next line of thinking turns from slavery to a wife being separated from her dead husband; because freedom allows us to make new choices, without fear of breaking the law! Anywho; it is easy to see where this is going, and why emptiness is something that we want to stay far away from! Don't allow it to happen; don't allow yourself to become idle, lazy, or complacent, because you will not do very well as a child of God. Which, by the way was the point to that closing portion of Scripture yesterday, that we are His children because He has made us His children; and as His children, He can do whatever it is that He needs to do, because He knows best what we need, even if what we need is going to hurt a little bit or for a little while. As a child of God, we are separated from the rest, which are those that are not His children. That is the partition we are involved in, that He has parted the Way for us to be more like Him; add to that, the fact that He has defeated our enemy, what more do we need, but to start filling our lives with the things of Him. Talk about things that we know or don't know....

"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." (1 John 5:18-21)

"Partition"

"And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:14)

  It would be wonderful if we could say this settled it for His children, but that was not the case; they were made to pass through the mighty parted sea, and yet, it would only be a short while for them to forget and murmur about God trying to kill them again. I know that things are a little different for us now, since we have the Holy Spirit abiding in us; but they had signs and wonders; and not only that, God was leading them by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire. What more could He do to show His power and might? You must remember that this was prior to the Ten Commandments, but they were still under the curse, that which was the result of Adam's sin. This is the big difference between then and now: Jesus had not yet died for their sins! There are so many things that we do not understand or know; but this much we do know, is the God that created us loves us! There is absolutely no disputing that! We might fail and do things that might even anger Him, but He is a God of mercy: mercy enough to forgive every sin of every single person that has ever lived. We just need to be able to rest in that mercy and believe that He loves us, despite our failures and our stupid rebellions. The greatest lesson we see in this, is the fact that He made them pass through the midst of the sea. O, it might be something that some portray as showing them gladly moving forward; but the whole point of, "made," is that He forced them to go through the midst of the parted sea. Which brings me to another point about "Israel" and what it means: "God prevails!" Long story short: If you are His child, you will make it to wherever He wants you to go! If you don't think that is the truth, then you can wait and ask Jonah. No, wait a minute: If you get to ask Jonah, then you will already know, because you will have made it yourself! Then you will know for sure, God made it possible for you to get there, even though you might not have deserved it, or earned it; which is something that we could never ever do: You can never earn your salvation! It is a Gift from God, and guess what happens when you accept God's Gift; He does not take it back. O, there are so many things that we do not know: which, my dear friends is another idol, that of knowing or lack thereof...

"For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him? That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name? That led them through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble? As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest; so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name." (Isaiah 63:8-14)

"God's Strong Hand"

"To him which divided the Red Sea into parts: his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalms 136:13)

  If you think it is easy, think again; our motivation is sometimes based upon protecting ourselves first and foremost, even though we might think we are trying to surrender over to God's will. Yes, you are very close to the idol of these last two days, because this idol is non other than doubt! That's right; it is the excuse we give ourselves to fail: If I only had more faith, then maybe I would obey more easily and not try to have it my way. Tell me something, do you ever think to yourself, 'Maybe I need to be left behind, just to prove to myself that I will stand with Jesus;' or how about this: 'If the rapture does happen, and I am still here, I know that all my doubt will vanish!' If anything you have thought comes close to them, then I truly believe you are a believer! To see the pattern of what is happening, you only need to look at the example given by the God who loves you, more than you will ever truly know! He has given His all for you: Can you say the same for how you treat Him? None of us can! Yes, this is about doubt that we really don't want to get rid of; the thing that we keep hanging around, just so that we have an excuse to rebel and fail, when ever we want to. Go ahead and call me crazy; tell me how much you think I have gone off one too many limbs. But, if you are interested, I believe that is about dividing something else into parts! I started this blog to be a living journal: which for all intentional purposes, was me saying that I wanted to see where God takes me, as well as sharing my journey with whom ever wanted to tag along. Yes, I have a way to track some of you; but I seriously think I don't see the complete picture. This is exactly what I believe God is speaking into my heart: we do not get to see the complete picture! But God does! He knows everything there is to know! And, there are some things that He knows, that He wants His children not to know. What is so wrong with that! To get right to the point, Faith is something that has only one side, the side of Trust! You either trust God, or you don't; plain and simple. If it is God's will that this or that happens, then so be it: He knows best what I need, much more than I know. In other words, you can doubt all you want, but if you do, make sure the doubt is based upon you, not God! Look at the example given, and how for many days, the children of Israel saw all sorts of signs and wonders; yet when they reached the edge of the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army hot on their trail, they said what: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us along, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness?" (Exodus 14:11-12) I hope you got what I was trying to say, because the biggest problem we have is our flesh! Not only does it want its own way, but it also gets in the way, and causes us to doubt that God loves us...

"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 6:15-16)