"The Abundant Life"

"Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me." (Psalms 142:7)

  In contrast, nothing is more refreshing to our soul then when we are set free from whatever it is that has held us captive; but you have got to want to be set free! I was thinking of the man sitting by the pool of Bethesda, and Jesus saying, "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6) It was the compassion that He had for him, knowing that he had been in that condition for thirty eight years; not just the condition of his being lame, but the lack of want and determination that he had to be cured. Sure, he seemed to have an excuse for not having been able to make it down into the stirring water; but maybe he should have been a little closer to the edge of the pool; at least then he could have just flopped himself down into the water; unless he was unsure that it would actually heal him. Believe it or not, but the power of victory that we have is something that we determine on our own. In other words, the victory must be lived out! We are more than victorious when we allow God to work in our lives; but we have got to want it to happen, because He isn't going to make you do it. He might place you in a situation or cause you some discomfort; but it is our heart that needs to change in order to live presently and with a purpose. Don't try to figure out why I am saying what I am saying, because it would be the same as the questionable look the lame man gave to Jesus; as if to say, 'Why would you ask me that?' I can just picture the look in Jesus' eyes, as He looked at him, His eyes were saying, "Well, do you really?" And then He spoke: "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." Not that we don't already understand this, because only common sense tells us, the man still needed to rise up on his own; Jesus did not just grab hold of him and lift him up. But, there is no denying that the man was healed, he just needed to realize that it had happened by getting up. What comes next? Take up thy bed, and Walk...
Happy New Year!

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." (Isaiah 61:1-3)

"There is No Equal"

"Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I." (Psalms 142:6)

  As you probably know by now, the sixth verse of almost any Psalm, if I can make it about man, in any shape or reason, then there is where I will take it. This is one of those verses that shout out the reason, because it completely shows the shape of those that might be persecuting or coming against us; and believe you me, there is no comparison to the LORD Almighty! Oh, they might be stronger than me, and they might yield more power; but in comparison with God, there is nothing that they have in their toy box that can compete with Him. Looking at the portion of this Scripture that says, "brought very low," it is something being made clear, in that the state of low is not a negative state to be brought down to; actually, it is very constructive and beneficial because it causes us to look up and see the strength and the power of God. It is somewhat surprising how that works; that when all of our others options have been extinguished and we have nothing left that we can do on our own, there is where we find the greatest power of all, in God! All of our plans and all of our resources mean absolutely nothing, if they are not God's plans and His purposes. This is a very clear picture of where it is the safest place to be, totally and completely dependent upon the LORD; there is absolutely no more of a safe and secure place on this earth, no matter where we try to make it, or how deep we might go! The picture is of a miner ascending down into a mineshaft; when he gets to the bottom, there is where he finds his treasure. And the greatest treasure of all is not spent here on this earth...

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor and other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)

"So Not Alone"

"I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living." (Psalms 142:5)

  Somewhere along the way, there will be trials and tribulations that we are going to face; it is just a fact, because it is part and portion of this fallen world, the curse and the cause of sin. The word, "living," that is being used is the same word used in Genesis 3:20, when Adam named his wife Eve: "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." We tend to forget sometimes that this is a fallen world, especially when we are enjoying life and have no worries to speak of; no worries that tear at our easy life that is. Here is the thing about living, it requires life to be maintained and sustenance to stay alive. In case you haven't noticed, there are more and more people living on the streets; there are seemingly more and more people losing control; and there are more and more attacks of random violence. None of this is just a coincidence, these are surely the last days and a sign of the times we are living in. Don't forget about the joint maneuvers going on in the east, between China, Russia, and Iran; this too is no coincidence, because these three are the forces that will be leading the charge against God's people, Israel. I look forward to hearing Pastor Bryan share on this topic over the next several weeks. We must encourage one another and keep looking up! The world around us might look as though it is out of control, but it is just the living out Biblical prophesy and what we are sure is to happen. This is not something to be afraid of or worry about, because we have refuge in the Lord, no matter what might happen; we are so not alone! I pictured the children of Israel as they were inside their houses the night that the first born were killed in Egypt; the same idea is what I believe God wants from us, as we are protected by the blood of Christ Jesus, we must be dressed and prepared to depart; yet at the same time, maintaining what is required to keep on living...

""No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?""
""(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought of the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."" (Matthew 6:24-25 & 32-34)

"A Lone Soul"

"I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul." (Psalms 142:4)

  There are more distractions we have today then back in David's time; the more stuff we have, the more we have to take care of, pay for, and try to get rid of. I had a period in my life, before I got saved, where I had focused upon the, 'Concrete Jungles,' as I called them; places where people were utterly dependent upon a life where they could not survive without the system moving along as it currently does. Not only do they rely on the funds to purchase what they need, but they need those things in place to purchase; otherwise they would be without. It is a little scary to think about; but then again, so is the thought of there being no God to turn to in time of need! How anyone could ever want that, I cannot imagine myself feeling that alone. Even in my worst days, I still knew that there was a God who created me; I may not have understood who He was or how much He loved me, but I still had a knowledge that He was there, wherever there was. It is pretty interesting to think how a soul works and whether or not there is any difference in our body once it leaves us. Is there a way to detect it being gone? I have always wondered if it might weigh something; even if that was less than could be detected on the average scale. Anywho; this is pretty much what I have wondered regarding my soul, as David here is making an observation of his own soul, realizing that as a soul, there was no one besides God that could care for his soul; absolutely nobody! On the other hand, there is another example of what Jesus went through as He hung upon that cross; because He was abandoned and left by those who followed Him; no one understood what He was going through or why He was being crucified upon that cross. The people all around were either spiting on Him or weeping for what was happening to Him; but none of them knew the mighty work that was being done before them. I can't imagine how He must of felt; in His deepest darkest hour, there was only One that knew what He was actually going through: Only One...

"Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and aquatinted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:1-4)

"Plots Along the Path"

"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knowest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me." (Psalms 141:3)

  There is more than enough proof we have that God is watching over us; all you need to do is to start counting all of your blessings, and you will soon realize that you are not alone. This is no different than the last verse, in that David acknowledges God knows everything he is going through and all of his emotions he feels inside; because the path is not just a road or and passage way, it is the trodden way, which is pretty much the same as that expression, "To walk in another man's shoes." In other words, God not only knows everything about you, but He sees the road that you are headed down, including every single trap alone the way! If you stop and think about it, how many times have you missed your turn or overshot the exit you meant to get off on? I'm not saying that God was controlling your every misdirection, but it is pretty much the idea that is being put forth. God knows what lies up ahead; one more very important lesson to why we need to carefully listen to everything He says, even if you may not agree or feel like doing what He is telling you to do. There are so many examples of this throughout the Bible, it is impossible to begin listing them all. Besides, who is to say which is right and which is wrong, because in the way God works, those things that might appear to be the wrong choice that was made, turns out to be the way God works things out. I'm just saying, in the words of someone that knows a little something, "Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Genesis 50:19-20) Even those things that are done by listening to the devil, God can use them too; they just might not turn our so good for the person that did the listening. If you know what I am talking about, because there is always a price to pay, not for falling into a trap, but for seeing it and going in anyways. I surely wish that there were things I had used a little better judgment on before stepping in, but that is what it is, or was, or however you want to look at it. What matters most of all is what we do today, not what we did yesterday, but right now! Today is the day of salvation! You cannot change yesterday, and tomorrow might not ever happen; today is what matters in how you listen: focus upon listening today! Step back and take a look at this verse, realizing that David is talking about, not where he is going, but where he is at. It really does not matter where you are at or how difficult your situation might appear; God has not only your back, but He also has everything that lies ahead...

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

"Never Alone"

"I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble." (Psalms 142:2)

   Because He is able and willing, that is why this is even possible! More importantly than this, is the fact that He already knows, not only what we are going through, but He knows the pain and fear that is in our hearts. This kind of stuff is what blows my mind, as I just ponder all the ways He loves us and care for every single thing about us. Here is what I felt this morning as I was praying, that He listens to my complaint; even though He already knows what I am going through and how I feel about it, He still listens and hears me crying out all of the stuff that He already knows all about. Have you ever had a father that did that? I have not; my earthly father was really never around; and my step-dad never had the time enough to listen, when he was sober. If he did listen, it was only long enough to say that he didn't care, or that I would get over it and I should just go do my chores to get my mind off what is bothering me. Just the fact that I know God is always there for me, is more than I can comprehend; yet it gives me so much comfort to think about. And, He reminds me while I am thinking about it, that He is paying attention to me thinking about Him! That song just came into my head, "What a friend we have in Jesus." I know sometimes I can get a little wordy, and that sometimes I may not say enough; but when we get to speak with our Heavenly Father, every word is listened to, and every word we do not say, He already knows...

"Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." (Psalms 62:8)

"An Object of Pity"

"I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication." (Psalms 142:1)

  If you have ever been in this sort of situation, then you might know what the experience is like; not having anything else to do but pray, and just wait for the whole thing to be over. Imagine what it might have felt like, just in case you don't already know. You are trapped inside a cave, hiding and not sure if those outside are wondering if you might be in there, if they even are planning to storm inside at any minute to kill you or arrest you, or maybe just drag you out. I have had these sort of experiences in my youth; both with the law out to get me, with enemies wanting to cause me serious harm, and with a angry drunken step-father wanting to use me for target practice. You really can not imagine how it feels, but it is much like a nightmare that you just want to make it through and come out alive. All three of those examples above were pretty much caused by my own stupidity and anger; but David is where he is because of Saul's heart being turned against him, and consequently, being turned also against God. Yes, he was still the king, and because of that David was reluctant to come against him. For David, much like it was to be in the cave, he just needed to wait it out; to wait for this period of being hunted to be over. Not to argue over the little things, but the point about "voice" has me a little curious, especially since the word speaks about it being a loud voice, like a thundering voice, or a proclamation. Maybe the point is more about an overshadowing inner voice, as in the way you might drawn out everything else, by forcibly putting every bit of thought and emotion that you have inside you, and crying out to God from within. I'm just saying, crying out loud would no doubt blow your cover. Besides that, the word supplication is speaking about someone that has no way out, to be an object of pity, where there is nothing you can possibly do to change your situation; your only hope is for God to rescue you or change your situation. Wow, that sure sounds like something Glorious to celebrate, if that is something God might do...

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tiding of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:10-14)

"In Times of Trouble"

PSALMS 142 [Masehil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.]

  It is really not surprising that we find ourselves dealing with this today, as it was then, it is still that way today; as it will be tomorrow also, for there will be no perfection until we are enjoying eternity with the Lord, wherever that might be, in His presence is all that really matters! Last night I was thinking about this Psalm and the cave part of this title, "A Prayer when he was in the cave." That word, "Masehil," is one that should be familiar, as it is part of many other titles before; it basically mean that this Psalm is meant to give instruction, or that this is something to contemplate; which is really no different than almost everything in the Bible, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. The most important thing to remember about the Bible is that it is God's Word; it is His Story that He has made available to us though various authors, but all of which were inspired and spoken to by God Himself. There are several points that I feel need to be made as we go through these seven verses; the most important being that God will not abandon us, no matter where we might end up hiding, and no matter what we might be hiding from. Have you ever had one of those days where you just want to crawl under a rock and hide? Don't feel ashamed if you have, because it is not something that does not happen to the strongest among us; we are never as strong as we think we are, there is always going to be something to frighten and teardown anyone; no one on this planet is beyond having trouble, in one form or another. If you think I might be wrong, think of Jesus in the garden the night He was arrested; there was no one stronger than Him, yet He wept so bitterly that the Bible says, "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44) If someone might ask you, Why did God need to come down and die for us? There are at least three very important reasons that He had to do it the way that He did: First of which, was the fact that He had to become a man in order to save mankind; He needed to become flesh, in order to save all flesh! Secondly, He needed to be human to be sinless; to be tempted as man, so that He could overcome temptation! Thirdly, because only God was qualified to save us; a perfect sacrifice required a spotless Lamb! Oh ya, I forgot to mention what I was thinking about last night; because it was how Jesus was actually born in a cave, which is what we will celebrate tonight...

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the three days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:6-7)

"Sure Preservation"

"Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape." (Psalms 141:10)

  Before I get too carried away on this, let me just say that there are only a few things that can cause us to be discouraged enough to want to give up; tribulation is not one of them! I know that there are some out there that will disagree with that observation; but if you are truly trusting in the Lord to get you through, the storm only makes you hold onto Him harder. But don't take my word for it, because that is something you need to live through on your own to really understand how it works. As for this verse, as with most of the Psalms, there is somewhat of a summary, exclamation, or climax that is given in that last verse, as to show what the main point was or how it should be sung. These are songs, each and every one of them were written to be sung and used for worship. Matthew Henry makes an effort to express how and why each Psalm should be sung; and for this, his commentary is stating: "The mercy and grace of God are as necessary to us as they were to him, and therefore we should be humbly earnest for them in singing this psalm." There is one major thing that we must go away remembering, that faith is only realized when it is tested; if you cannot verify that the faith you have is real, then how are you able to exercise it and get stronger in it? When praying for the preservation from evil, it is important that we understand evil will still exist; both in our hearts and in the world around us. I was laughing at something Nancy Pelosi said when confronted by a reporter on why she hates President Trump; see was totally offended and stated how she doesn't hate anyone, because she is Catholic and only has love in her heart. If only she could see herself speaking to that reporter, because if that wasn't a brief demonstration for hate, I really don't know what it was; if she would have had a gun, she might have shot him. As I said before, evil comes in many shapes and sizes; we don't have any control over it, if we cannot yield to the Spirit when He speaks. As much as I would love to say that I have it all under control, as soon I am willing to say that, I will become totally out of control! We must remember that our strength comes from the Lord, not from ourselves. As soon as we start counting on our own strength, we are walking on very thin ice, to say the least. The first thing about what is being said, is that we cannot stop evil from happening; plain and simple, it is something that cannot be done, because it is all around and within every one of us. What we can do, just as David is showing us here, is to pray earnestly for God to intervene, both within and without. This is not a onetime prayer, to pray once and it's done. Just like we constantly need God's mercy and grace in our lives, so too we constantly need to be preserved from the evil of this fallen world. It is a lot like the Manna from Heaven; it must be gathered every morning, because if you try and use what you gathered yesterday, it is hardly any good. As soon as we start counting on what we might think we know or have learned, we miss the opportunity to experience what God is teaching us now. It is really all about surrender; because true surrender means that you have no control...

"The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh to his stead." (Proverbs 11:8)

"Soul Preservation"

"Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity." (Psalms 141:9)

  No matter what, I believe that God will get me through and safely to the other side. It is a matter of trusting Him and believing that He will keep His word; because His word is amazingly sure and will surpass all of that this life might dish out, without a doubt! Just in case this Psalm is only about the trial David went through as he was running from Saul and those that were out to destroy him, it is still based upon the same principles that govern our new life in Christ. David was anointed to be king, so that means that God chose him, before He anointed him; and since God chose him, then God would see to it that he would be king, no matter what! We get distracted too much over the things that God allows us to go through that are intended to strengthen us for what might be ahead. You might have heard that saying, "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger," it turns out that we actually do get some positive changes after going through some sort of trauma, especially when we have faith in God! If nothing else, what we go through allows us to help others that might be going through the same thing; nobody knows what to expect from trauma like those that have lived through it already! To the point of the snares, as in the ones that David is asking God to keep him from; they are more about the power behind them, then they are about an actual trap; because in reality, if God has every intention of getting you to the other side, then no snare or trap is really going to prevent that from happening: not if God has anything to say about it; because if it has already been said, then you can consider it already done! You want to talk about power; nothing or no one has more power than God! This point Jesus made when He was telling how His sheep hear His voice, and they follow Him, as He said: And I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." (John 10:27-30) As I was watching the movie, "Overcomer," last night, there was a point in the movie where, after she prayed to give her life to Jesus, the teacher that led her through the prayer told her to read the first two chapters of Ephesians and to write down everything that it said that she was in Christ. What a good lesson to follow! I have been involved in all sorts of experiences with telling people what to do after they accept Jesus into their heart, but I had never really heard that recommendation before; it was amazing to watch as she focused upon the words and wrote each one down, taking ownership of each and every one of them. There is absolutely no snare or trap that can undo that...

"The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." (Proverbs 13:14)

"But, Trust in God"

"But mine eyes are unto thee, O God, the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute." (Psalms 141:8)

   As funny as it might sound, this life does have meaning and gives us something to believe in; because we can see God's hand of redemption, if we are so inclined to look beyond the gloom and the despair. As to the closing yesterday, if you might have noticed, I choose my words as I was led to say them; as it is, we must still love this world, but it must be in line with God's love; because if we do not love those who are lost, we will not have the compassion in our hearts to reach out to them and try and convince them how much they need Jesus! Look at the words in John 3:16, as it says, "For God so loved the world," it actually is talking about God's love for His creation, which was this place He made for you and for me, that we would love and cherish Him, our Creator. I was listening to Pastor Mike yesterday, as he was speaking about what Heaven might look like. Oddly enough, he said that that place we will actual be spending eternity in will be more like this earth, but better. I have thought about it, some days really hard; but there are certain things I believe will be amazingly different; for one, will be the fact that there will be no need for the sun, because the light we need will come from God Himself. That alone tells me that there is going to be something totally different about where we are going to spend eternity! I know that there a many things that might not make sense; but if you really stop and think about it, we only need to hold onto the things that do make sense, for those are the things that matter. No one needs to tell me that I am a sinner, because it is pretty obvious that is so; so, when it comes to needing a Savior, I really have no argument that I do. Add to that, the fact that God knows what I need to be fixed, and that He provided His own Son to make it happen: Why would I not choose to accept His free gift? Everything else, both before and after that, I really don't need to know every single particular aspect of how it all works; I just need to believe and accept God's gift, and hold onto Jesus with all of my might! Besides, it is my soul that I must be looking after, just as it is God's concern over also. Anything that we might be going through, whether it be life threatening or we are totally healed, none of that matters a single bit in eternity. Oh, we might have a few more years, but in the long run, our eyes need to be upon the Lord, because whenever He is, that is where I want to end up. To be crystal clear, the real preservation from evil, is found in where my soul might end up, not in how this body is preserved; this body is gong to be replaced with a new one; a glorious one. Besides, what were the commandments of Jesus; were they not: Love God and love one another! (Lord, please help me love as you love; because I cannot do it without you!) Amen...

""If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth in you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."" (John 14:15-18)

"Graciously Cared For"

"Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth." (Psalms 141:7)

  Of all the things that might get us concerned and worried about death, dying should not be one of them; as far as death is concerned, it should be something that gives us hope and anticipation that the faith we have devoted our life to, will soon be fulfilled. Think of what it means to be a Lumberjack, how it is that everything you do and produce is done for someone else to destroy or make something out of; you job is to provide the substance they will do something with, day in and day out. There are simple things that make life worth living, and providing for others is one that makes the most sense. If you examine the life of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, all three of them were men that provided for other people; making their lives all about doing what they could to be productive with what they were given, but at the same time, living for that which was to come after this life. Abraham's focus was said to be elsewhere, as it says, "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10) Jacob had wells that he dug, many of which were taken by others; but all of which were remembered as the well Jacob had dug. It is really more of a mindset than it is anything else; literally, it is setting your mind on something else, that place yet to come! That is how you prevent yourself from becoming attached to anything here, because anything here is not going to go with you when it is your time to go. I really don't know how else to explain it, because there must be a detachment in our heart from becoming too attached; so the best thing to practice is giving it all away, in one way or another; and the best way to do that, is to not count it as yours to begin with. In this we find preservation from the evil that comes by loving this world...

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in hm. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17)

"Pleasantly Sweet"

"When the judges are overthrown in story places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet." (Psalms 141:6)

   There are some things that I feel are just too hard to express with words, especially when they really do not make any sense, whatsoever! As I was watching Fox and Friends this morning, they were showing side-by-side video of those in Congress speaking against the President and the President at his rally in Detroit. Ten or fifteen seconds of a accusation would be shown, followed by about ten seconds of something the President was saying at the rally. What completely and utterly different points of view! Then, as if there was something more that could be conjured up, the Speaker was shown making some kind of a threat to hold onto the Articles of Impeachment until the Senate is made somehow a better playing field to judge in their favor. I am pretty sure this Country has seen the last of our democracy; those that hold the power, become more powerful by ruling the people! This is not something to get worried or upset over; it is simply just another example of what the last days we live in look like, so do as President Trump said in the beginning of the year: "Hold on and enjoy the ride!" As I was reading this verse this morning, I could not help but think of what Jesus said as He was scolded by the Pharisees, as He made His triumphant entry into the city, riding on a colt. They scolded Him for not rebuking all of His disciples for saying, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven and glory in the highest." Jesus replied to their request by saying, "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." (Luke 19:40)
We might not understand everything that is going on, nor do we need to. People ask us, "How can a loving God allow all of this pain and suffering?" What is there to say, except that it is the result of the choices made by man's wicked heart. God wants us to live a certain way, but man chooses something totally different; how is that God's fault? In a strange and subtle way, this is the way I see this verse, and why it is so hard to express in words; because the illustration of God's love cannot be contained in words, just like it is hard to express how all of this makes any sense! God loves us, and it is up to us to believe that He loves us, however difficult it is to understand; He proved His love by sending His Son to die for us, and for that, there are not enough words to express...

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk on the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming as a living stone, disallowed indeed by men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices , acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded." (1 Peter 2:1-6)

"Preservation Oil"

"Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities." (Psalms 141:5)

   Not sure where to start, but I am pretty sure where this will end. The 23rd Psalm has a very close relationship to all that is being said; mostly because this is more about the outcome, and less about what is involved in the process. In reality, that is where our heart needs to be, focused upon the end result, and not worried about anything that is happening along the way! When we are praying for preservation from evil, it includes evil on all sorts, and on all different levels; including what goes on in our own heart, especially when it comes to how we react to the things that might come against us. If you recall, David was more than able to have taken Saul out, if he really wanted to; but he was not willing to go against God's anointed, even at his own expense. The very next Psalm will give some insight into one of those instances. There were several times when those that were with David became concerned about his choices, especially when he chose not to take Saul out when given the chance. Besides, it is our sin that will cause the breaking of our head, not the reproof. As Matthew Henry puts it, "It shall not break my head, if it may but help to break my heart." The thought here is really quite simple; because God does listen, and because David's intent is to be made right with God, at whatever cost, the intent of those that carry out anything against him, no matter how or who it might be, God will use it for his good; and any mischief they planned against him, would fall back on them. I guess it really goes back to faith, as in, faith that God has chosen you, that He has a plan for you, and that He will fulfill that which He has begun in you. If that is what you believe, then nothing that happens along the way will change your belief. Even though you might have moments of doubt and periods of wanting to give up, He will sustain you, in one way or another; whether it be by using the righteous, or by using the wicked; either way, if He allows it to happen, and He has a plan for you, it is going to be for the good! I was listening to Pastor Mike praying for someone that had a loved one dealing with kidney cancer. There was something he said that really made me aware of how fragile this life really is, yet how powerful the life we have in Christ is in comparison; that is, if you truly believe it to be! That is truly our preservation oil, to be His and to know that whatever happens, you are always His, even to the very end...

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:7-9)

"Careful What You Eat"

"Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." (Psalms 141:4)

  How wonderful it is to know that God watches out for us! The point of what this makes known to us, especially those of us that are taken into places where, let's just say, there might be some sort of temptation that presents itself; we need to know that the Lord is more than able to watch over us; if we are inclined to listen! I have an idea that this is more about staying pure, than it is about being protected. The amount of temptation around us today is overwhelming; I really cannot believe how much difference a few decades can make in the way people absorb evil, as if it is no big deal. It all begins with a little compromise; just a little plot within our own hearts, to somehow design or make a wish, even if it is somehow not obtainable. This is the opening of what David is asking God to do, to stop his heart from plotting or pondering any evil thing. That is where it starts, by allowing those things to begin to take root in our hearts. When we do that, we begin a process of feeding that thing, which then becomes a practice. I know you know what I am taking about, because there is really nothing uncommon in the human heart. There might be degrees of wickedness; but the bottom line, is that all wickedness still has the same result, death! Yes, it is true; it might not be physical death, but death has all sorts of characters, be it spiritual, material, or even emotional. To put this is terms that might be a little easier to comprehend, the word, "dainties," is a word that is speaking of costly banquets. In other words, there is something that is forfeited in the process of fulfilling the banquet of desire: The Cost! A little something that gets overlooked by desire and the practice to fulfill more desire; because once the that banquet gets started, it seems the food becomes more abundant but also less fulfilling...

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

"Need to Succeed"

"Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." (Psalms 141:3)

  Of all the things to talk about, what we talk about, is one that needs to be held in check. As weird as it might sound, these are the things that cause us to be salt that has lost it's flavor: what we say is very important, because you cannot take it back! Once you express yourself in a certain way, that is it, as the story goes: The cat is out of the bag! I truly wish there was some way to erase some of the things I have said, because in the heat of a moment, it is really hard to control what might come out of my mouth. Call it frustration, or just call it anger; either way, when the right buttons are pushed, things can get very horizontal, to say the least. This is not just a silly little thing that needs to be dealt with; this is a vital part of what needs to be under control. And if it is happening to anyone, especially on a regular basis, you really need to check yourself, because your salvation might be in question. James addresses this several times, the first of which is as he addresses the issue of works, saying, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain." (James 1:26) I really doubt James is saying that the person cannot be saved, it is more that the person does not practice what salvation looks like; the power that comes with being saved! You know that old song, "There is power, power, wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb!" This is nothing more than us asking God to keep us in check; which is what we must do, and we need to do it well! As James explains it, a little later in his letter, "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:8) This is something that we need to have God's help in, because otherwise, we cannot control it on our own. I think it has more to do with our ability to forget sometimes what we are, whether that might due to unconfessed sin, or just a real serious lack of fellowship. But it must be something that we overcome, because it can seriously destroy our testimony, to say the least. That word, "vain," which James uses is speaking about empty and devoid of force or success. In other words, it has no power! How can anyone practice a religion that does not work? Come on, and think about what this looks like; because those watching are trying to figure you out! Remember, this is about, "A Prayer for Preservation From Evil," which is not just speaking about the evil we face, but is also talking about the evil within...

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." (James 3:2)

"The One Who Listens"

"Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." (Psalms 141:2)

  Not any religion can confirm God is real, let alone that He listens; but having a relationship with God, there is no doubt whatsoever in the hearts of His children! As I watched some of Fox News yesterday, Jesse was interviewing some people, I believe in was at a Costco, and he was asking them if they know who's birthday we were celebrating. One of the kids he asked, said, "Santa's." Obviously the kid did not know who Jesus is; but the current world we live in has a way of covering up the truth, especially within the public school system. I wish it could be different, but we all know it is going to get worse. Here is the point I believe we need to get from this, that God does listen! It really does not matter where you are, or what you are currently doing, God will listen when you cry out to him; whether you are in jail, the hospital, or in the belly of a fish, God will hear you and He listens! David realized that he was unable to attend services, but that did not prevent him from hanging out with God! That is what it means to have a personal relationship with God; we are able to fellowship with Him wherever and whenever we need to call upon Him. He wants us to fellowship with Him, so much so, that He sent His Son to eliminate the barrier between us and Him, our sins! John makes this point perfectly clear, as he says, "And this is the confidence that we have, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us." (1 John 5:14) If you don't know what the will of God is, it is to be honest before Him, and to reverence His Holy Name! These are the two things that are displayed with the incense and the lifting of hands. Having been in the Pest Control business for over 30 years, I know a little thing about fumigations, so I can tell you with certainty, it will kill almost any pest. Just as will being honest before God, because John also tells us who God will forgive us, and cleanse us of all of our unrighteousness, when we come clean before Him. (1 John 1:9) We commonly refer to the Scripture as, "The Christian's Bar of Soap." Our righteousness is like filthy rags to God, but our confessions are like sweat incenses...

"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be a testament is due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith a verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." (1 Timothy 2:3-8)

"Making Peace with God"

"LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee." (Psalms 141:1)

  Sometimes we just need to clear the air, asking for a chance to plead our case; if there is something that we feel needs to be said on our behalf; because chances are, we need to learn something! But isn't that how it works! It just doesn't matter what I might be going through or how hard I might think the trial is, once I cry out to God and start complaining about whatever it is, it isn't long before I realize that that my cries are pretty pathetic. Not that I have any control over the pain or anything like that, because it is really all just about perspective and our level of relationship with God. When we are being attacked or going through something that gives us any level of pain, our first thought is to wonder what we might have done to deserve whatever it is we are going through. Was it something I did? or maybe, it was something I didn't do? To be perfectly honest, if we didn't do something that God prompted us to do, we did something: we sinned! Yes, I am sorry to inform you; if you do not do what God wants you to do, it is the same as us doing what God does not want us to do; either way, we are not doing what God wants. That is what it means to be a servant of the Lord: you do what He wants you to do; which includes doing what He wants, and not doing what He says not to do. Wow, what a concept! It is really more about respect, as in, giving the Lord the respect He deserves; especially if you are asking Him to give you His attention! This is pretty much David's heart in the plea being made, because there is so many things that we need to feel bad about not doing, it is only natural to plead that God would listen, even though we might feel unworthy of His attention. There is many that make this out to be written when David was dealing with Saul and the issues of being hunted down; something that would make anyone suspect of where they might stand with God. But, it is all meaningless and totally useless, once we come clean with God! When we are feeling as though He does not hear us, it is then we need to cry out the more! We must never walk away in anguish or dismay; but we must cry out more, pleading and asking for Him to hear our cries! It is really quite simple to understand, that there is nothing He wants us to do more, than to cry out to Him for help; after all, He is our Heavenly Father...

"O God, be not far from me: O God, make haste for my help." (Psalms 71:12)

"A Prayer for Preservation From Evil"

PSALMS 141 [A Psalm of David.]

  My heart is pretty heavy this morning, not because of anything in particular, but just because it is. There are just so many things going on in this world that make me look up and say, "How long LORD?" This is not a time to give up! That is what I keep telling myself, because there are so many ways that anyone, even myself, can still make a difference; we just need to keep showing up, making ourselves available for God to use us, in any way possible. If you are wondering, this is the title above this Psalm in my Bible. It might seem closely related to the title of the last Psalm; and if it does, there is good reason for it to appear that way: Because this is the Psalm after the last one! I know what you might be thinking, and no, I am not upset over the impeachment hearings and the threat against President Trump. God is still on the throne and whatever is, is what must be; so there is nothing to worry about, whatever and whichever way things turn out. I will say this: The greatest thing that is happening in all of this, is that evil is being exposed for what it is, an illusion and a farce. No way to explain it, other than that. To put it into something more tangible, I will reference James and how he expresses the difference between righteousness and evil, saying, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) I mean, it is really all about a choice: Who are you going to obey? Hopefully it is going to be the One with the greatest power! The thing we must remember, is that the devil is allowed to do certain things, only because God let's him; he is the ruler of this fallen world, and as many say, this is the Devil's playground. That said, it is all temporary and has no bearing on the eternity in God's Kingdom. Which is why Jesus said, "Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven," because heaven is established, nothing can change the will of God! If you get right down to it, everything, including the devil, is created; and if anything has been created by God, it can also be destroyed or altered by God, if He so chooses! So you tell me what is real and what is an illusion; because there is One that never changes: Ever...

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, you 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. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver: who art thou that judgeth another?" (James 4:8-12)

"Cause To Abide"

"Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence." (Psalms 140:13)

  Whether it is persecution from within, or it is from without, there is really only one thing that we need to stay focused upon: Where do I stand with the Lord? That is where relief comes from, when we know first and foremost, "It is Well with my Soul!" Seriously, there is really nothing more that you need to know, then that the Lord is on your side! After that, nothing else matters, nothing else can matter: Nothing else will matter! No matter who might turn against you, He never will, if your faith is in Him! This is something that I wish we could take with us, make a part of who we are, and never let it go; but it is really not all that easy to do. It doesn't matter how strong we might think that our walk is, because every day is another day we learn to walk again. How often we need to learn the same lessons, over again; it just will not end until we are safely in the presence of the Lord, face to face. In this life we will have tribulation; in other words, it is not going to be perfect! We are not perfect, and the harder we try to be perfect the more we discover that we are not! But I know someone who is; and because we are able to abide in Him, we are made perfect in Him! Isn't that what this is all about? The Good News to the world, is that in this fallen world, filled with imperfect people, those that call upon the name of Jesus are made perfect in Him. So who are the righteous and the upright? They are those that abide in Christ! Funny how it works that way, but Jacob's name has so many different way to express what it is we get to experience, just hanging onto Jesus. Not by our works, but by what He has done, we grab hold and don't let go; and if you find yourself having lost your grip, then call upon the name of Jesus, and He will pull you back unto Himself. That is why we give thanks, because it is never really our strength we need to depend upon, it is His...

"And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst and more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all the tears from there eyes." (Revelation 7:13-17)

"Justice Follows Need"

"I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor." (Psalms 140:12)

  As many of you know, this is really not about bing totally accurate in everything I say; although I do try to maintain a certain degree of staying within the lines: this is more about me having a discussion with God and sharing my heart on a daily basis. I called it a living journal, because it is something that I felt led to do; and thus far, I have not sensed God telling me otherwise. It really does not matter how many might be hanging around, because this is primarily between me and God; I am just using you to keep me accountable to faithfully show up, every single day, whether I feel like it or not. Is that relevant to this verse? I am pretty sure that it is, and I am here to prove it! To be quite frank with you, we need each other, sometimes, more than we know. Paul uses the term, "The Body of Christ," saying this about our function and responsibility to one another: "For the body is not one member, but many." (1 Corinthians 12:14) I know it might seem a little silly, because we are all quite aware of the teaching from this portion of Scripture; it is something we have need of that is causing me to bring it up. In the following verses, Paul uses the example of importance, as in: Since I am not the hand, but I am just the foot, I really don't belong to the body; or, since I am the ear, and not the eye, I am really not worth anything? As he does, he concluded each segment with another question: "Is it therefore not of the body?" It is a little silly to think of such things, but then again, it still happens. He then switches the shoe to the other foot, saying, "And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." (1 Corinthians 12:21) Do you see my point? There is something about humility that cannot be ignored when it comes to being one in the Body of Christ! I guess what it is that I feel God saying, is that you really cannot abide in Christ, if you cannot by one in His Body. If you don't get that, it is probably alright; but you have got to know the reason this is something to think about. The "cause" and "right" are not the doing of the afflicted and the poor; it just turns out that way because they are faithful, even in persecution! Don't know if you were aware of this, but Religious Persecution also happens within the Body! As a matter of fact, I would guess that it might happen more from within, than it actually does from without. All the more reason that there is a need for relief, more than there is for deliverance...

"Now when John has heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."" (Matthew 11: 2-6)

"Evil Pursues Sinners"

"Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him." (Psalms 140:11)

  Not that it is a surprise or anything, but there is a little thing called justice; and justice will always be served! I actually took this title from the end of Matthew Henry's commentary on this verse; please forgive me, if that bothers you that I did that. I thought it was rather thought provoking, to say the least. It caused me to think back to all of things I did wrong in my youth, and how, every time I heard a police car close by, I thought that they were looking for me. If you could associate this to anything that might be easy to explain or talk about, there is something closely familiar with how this works along side what happens when we lie about something or make up something to try and get ahead in this life. Taking one of the definitions for the word, "violent," it is closely associated with falsehood, or injustice; a false witness; or wrongfully doing something to make yourself better off, over that of another person. Much as was the case in the life of Haman, who plotted and lied in order to have Mordecai hung on the gallows, only to be hung himself on the gallows he had made. I mean, if you wanted a good illustration, that is pretty much a some-it-all-up kind of one to use. I would like to rather associate this with something positive, Psalms 23:6 is what comes to mind! I mean, really, the whole of Psalms 23 is more like it, but verse 6 is the thing that sums it up. Verse 1 starts it off, saying, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." If you think about it, there are many of the Ten Commandments that are fulfilled within this one statement. Even Paul uses this analogy to explain how he knew that he was a sinner, saying, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." (Romans 7:7) No, this makes perfect sense! If you want to be pursed by goodness, which is pretty much the same as be followed by goodness, then the Lord needs to be your Shepherd! If there is anything we can do that is humanly possible to do: Be one of His sheep, and abide. I like the message Pastor Bryan shared the other day, it was one I shared on before, but with a little twist. He shared the story about the big rock God told a man to move; and that the man spent all of his life trying to move that rock; and one day he asked God, Why did you ask me to move this rock, when you knew I could not move it? And God answered, Look at you body...

"Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed." (Proverbs 13:21)

"Certain Destruction"

"Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again." (Psalms 140:10)

  Just so you know, David was not just a king, and a preacher, he was also a prophet. I grew up with something like this kind of scene hanging over my head; actually, we even had illustrated books that gave this exact picture, showing rocks on fire falling from the sky and the earth opened up with fire down below. I believe the book was called, "Paradise Lost," which was one of the books us children were made to read; or at least see the pictures. The nightmares I had as a kid, some hard really hard to explain. One in particular was of my step-dad taking all four of us kids out on the driveway, stuffing our mouths with newspaper, and lighting us on fire. Talk about weird; the J.W. religion is one that has no guarantees of redemption, and with that, knowing what kind of person we are, that pretty much means certain destruction is waiting; unless, that is you stay in fellowship and keep going door to door; or at least sit in front of the Post Office with a rack of magazines. Forgive me if that offended anyone; my heart actually goes out to those trapped in that religion, because they pretty much make it almost impossible for anyone to leave. I had those people on my heart, from the moment I was saved!  It is really hard to explain, if you have no experience in dealing with it; but there is actually a spirit that has hold of them, and it is the spirit of the anti-christ! If you are not familiar with what that is, it is the spirit that denies who Christ is, that He was God in the flesh, and it refuses to believe in the power of the cross! One of Jesus' half-brothers had them pegged pretty good, because he knows how they operate, and as Satan did to Eve, they try to catch wives and mothers at home, while their husbands are at work! Anywho! Let me flip this to the happy and wonderful side of life; because truth be told, the prophesy above is not going to be part of our future! If you abide in Christ Jesus, there is nothing that is written for the enemies of God that is going to be associated with you! Besides, rocks on fire falling from the sky, that is God's judgement on an unbelieving world, which is illustrated in Revelation 8 and 16, after the large crowd in heaven. So whether you are a pre-tribulation believer, or a mid-tribulation believer, your good! You know what we call the post-tribulation believers; they are called, post-toasties...

"And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory." (Revelation 16:8-9)

"Stay Covered"

"As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them." (Psalms 140:9)

  If you have been through something ugly and devastating, then you probably know how the Lord can turn devastation and ugliness into something you never expected to see. This is why we do what we do! The God we serve is always more than able to flip ugly to beauty, devastation to restoration, and take the thing that was breaking your heart, into something that tears down strongholds! Actually, the first thing I thought of as I was reading this was the curse the devil received in the garden, as God said, "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:14-15) Whether you believe it or not, but that was God's plan all along; the whole thing, from the temptation to the fall, it was making something, breaking it, and then making it brand new. I know that might be something of a controversy, to say the least; but if God already knows the beginning to the end, He knows what is going on in between, every last detail. Which is exactly why we must pay attention to what God says! Paul uses the example of how God places His truth within us; which is that truth we receive from the Spirit that dwells in us, guiding us and showing us spiritual things that we otherwise would know nothing about. (Ephesians 3) It is this same Spirit that comforts us, helps us, and convicts us; making us both conformed into the servant we need to be, while at the same time breaking all of those bad habits we keep going back to, over and over again. The process, in case you have forgotten, is called being sanctified. When we came to Christ and gave Him our life, we were justified by His blood; all of our sins were washed away! This might be hard to imagine, but the word "ALL" is actually a word that means ALL! Now, if you want to feel any better about where you are at with God, I would have you know that if you have been washed in the blood of Christ, your sins have been removed! This might be hard for some to imagine, but God does not go by time, as we know time to exist; He lives in eternity! What that might look like, if you could see it, is the final stage of what we are to become, He sees it already! Yes I know, there are just some things that are too hard to imagine; but God can turn anything upside down...

"Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made." "So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified." (Esther 5:14 & 7:10)

"Stay In Strong"

"Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah." (Psalms 140:8)

  I could not help but think of Jesus' comment to Peter, when He said, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22:31-32) If you are in the midst of something, no matter how terrible or out of control things might seem, as long as you keep the faith, you will be converted! Maybe we need to explore what that word, and see what, "converted," actually means, and maybe it will shine a little light on the request David is making, as well as his praise, or if you will, pause to lift up and exalt the LORD. Basically it is a word that means to turn or return; to turn back, if you will, to the worship of the true God! You see, when Peter failed, his failure was based upon his actions, not the actions or circumstances of the Lord; he never quit believing in the Lord, but he was miserably disappointed in himself. So, in the turning part of Peter's life, it was him turning back to Jesus; not to fact of who Jesus was, or what Jesus could do; but that Jesus still loved him, despite his terrible failure to do what he thought he could do for his Lord. It really does not matter the shape you might be in, as long as Christ Jesus is the Shape you represent! You just keep your faith in Jesus! We are always going to disappoint ourselves, I don't care how strong you might think that you are, you are never as strong as you think you might or could be; but Jesus is, has been, and always will be the strength that we need, no matter what the circumstance and no matter how out of control it might seem; He has, can, and always will overcome! We might fail, but He never does; we might give up on ourselves, but guess what, He never gives up on us. Besides, when we are weak, then we are strong...

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 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 12:7-10)

"Go In Strong"

"O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle." (Psalms 140:7)

  I may not have anything close to David's experience with Goliath, but that does not mean I cannot relate to what he experienced; because that same Spirit which was motivating him, motivates me and that same message lives in all of us! The question we must ask ourselves, is that of our ability to hold onto it, regardless of opposition or fear? There is really only one thing that we must be afraid of, and that would be a fear of losing favor with God. Fortunately for us, it is a good fear and a false fear, all in one! It is a good fear, because we are more equipped to watch or monitor how we treat our relationship with God; it is a false fear, because God will never abandon His children! Let me share a little something that is on my mind. I bought a dog; not just any dog, but a challenging and demanding dog to try and raise and care for. As I shared yesterday, sometimes we do things on our own and end up with regrets; buying this dog might have been the story behind that observation. Anywho, it is done! I bought a 8 week old German Rottweiler, named him Buddy, and now he belongs to me. Now he is going to be 9 months old in 9 days, and I am frustrated beyond belief. After spending $2,500.00 for obedience training, I discovered that the I need training more than my dog! He is about the most lovable thing you could imagine; also the most stubborn and destructive thing I have ever owned. I cannot give him any sort of mattress or pillow, not even any kind of stuffed toy; because if I do, he will simply tear it apart, eat the stuffing, and then have bowel problems for weeks. I have thought about giving him away almost one or twice a week; sometimes, one or twice a day; I just get so frustrated! Can you see where this might be going? It is very similar to our commitment in marriage and the fact that we must make a commitment! For better or worse, I bought him, and now I am committed to making sure he becomes the best he can be, despite how I feel or whether or not he easily obeys me. There is a very powerful lesson here, whether you see it or not; because there are some things that are more important than the way we might feel, whether that feeling is frustration, fear, or failure, we must be fortified by commitment! So, the point of all of that, crazy as it might seem: is that God is committed to us, for better or worse is not even an issue, because He knows Best; and Best is always better! That is the strength of my salvation; and salvation is the helmet I wear...

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)

"Perfect Favor"

"I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplication, O LORD." (Psalms 140:6)

   On a more positive note, this is where real relief is found, in knowing that God has your back! To be more confident than ever in where you stand with God, you must be perfectly honest before Him, and not pretend that you something that you are not. Why would anyone think that they could pretend otherwise? We know that there is nothing we can do on our own, even if it is something that is easy to figure out. If you think that you can independently do something without asking the LORD what He thinks, it is most likely going to be something you will regret. And no, this is not off the subject; this is the subject! This is everything that David is trying to say, all rolled up in one simple perfect favor: LORD, hear my supplication! Do you need to get schooled in the basics of how that works? Because it hurts to be going through those kinds of lessons! God speaks, we listen and obey; then, when we speak, God will listen! Isn't that what John says, as he assures us that God hears our prayers: "And this is the confidence we have in him, that if ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." (1 John 5:14-15) The key to perfect happiness is that of being and doing as much a humanly possible according to His will, plain and simple! If you are doing what you are doing according to His will, then if something is wrong, it must be right! You really can't make this stuff up, it is just that God works all things to the good, according to His purpose, not ours...

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." (Lamentations 3:21-25)

"Perfect Portions"

"The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah." (Psalms 140:5)

  Be that as it may, is pretty much the thought we see here today; not because of what they do, but because of what they are, The Proud! Pride comes before destruction, as the story goes! If we are going to get really technical about what is going on, we need not look any further than the ruler of this current world; because his goal is to take down as many of God's children as he can, one way or another. This is no more than a red flag of what lurks ahead; as it should be for each and every one of us that call upon the name of Jesus. As Peter declares, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) To take a little out of the play book, there is something we need to know about what Peter is saying here, because even though we might not be able to see him, we can absolutely hear his roar; which basically means, that if we are sober and vigilant, it is pretty easy to detect it when it is him that is walking about. As John says, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4) As to the point of the tile, "Perfect Portions," everything listed in the verse before us today, snare, cords, net, and gins, is associated with portions in one way or another. It is just the way things work out, whether you are ready for it or not, the trap is set around your own patterns and desires. We just need to learn to be perfectly honest with our selves and  own our imperfections. In other words, don't try and pretend you can handle anything! You can ask Peter about how that worked out for him, if you doubt that it is true or not. Because you might have been successful before, does not mean that you no longer have a problem to watch out for...

"The elders which are among you I export, who am also an elder, and a witness of the suffering of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a willing mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5:1-7)

"Straight Walk"

"Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings." (Psalms 140:4)

  Please forgive me if I have assumed something that is not taking place, because I am pretty sure that religious persecution is something we are going to expect to go through; that is, if we are actually doing the Lord's work. Remember what Jesus said we should remember: "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." (John 15:20) It is actually not that hard to figure out: If we are making any sort of impact in this world for Jesus, then the enemy will have something to say about it; if we are not making a difference for the Lord, then the enemy will simply leave us alone. You have got to see this from the perspective of someone who is trying to live out what they believe; otherwise, it is just someone else getting picked on. This is not a game! There are lives at stake and it only takes one person to make difference for a multitude of people! The way I see it, is that there are two very distinct ways that this plays out: One, is the way of the Master, where we know where we are going, that our going is against the ways of this world, and that we should expect there to be persecution along the way. And two, is the way of disaster, where we think we know where we are going, until we run into opposition or a trial, and then we try to redirect what way we thought we were going. Jesus clearly said, "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT) Besides, this is not about us being removed from religious persecution or avoiding have to go through it: it is about relief from religious persecution, which is simply a little comfort along the way...

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." (2 Corinthians 4:7-10) NLT

"Straight-Talk"

"They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders poison is under their lips. Selah." (Psalms 140:3)

  I seriously did not known that was a thing, but I am using it anyway. If you have studied the Bible to any degree, then you might have witnessed that the thing which brings people to follow through on temptation is to compromise on something that God has said, or something that they know would not approve of. We really do not need to be told we have done wrong, it is written on our hearts what is right and what is wrong. Paul tells us this in his opening of Romans, as he explains why sin will be punished, saying, "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 it unto them." (Romans 1:18-19) Because this is so, there is really nobody that has an excuse, because as the Bible says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) It is crystal clear, because sin is missing the mark; and how can you sin if there is no mark to miss? Not to get off the subject, but we are talking about Religious Persecution, and last I checked in on the noise of what might be happening, there is a serious effort in the works to silence the churches from speaking out against certain social issues. It is not my place to judge anyone on the way that they choose to live; but it is my place to tell someone about Jesus and the forgiveness of sin. Sin is sin, regardless of what you might be into, it is all sin if it goes against God's commands for how we should be living. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone; otherwise, we need to focus upon the Message, letting God change the heart of a person; something that is impossible for us to do, because we are basically in the same boat! This is probably the easiest way to explain what it is we need to understand David is speaking about; because there is a spiritual battle that is going on anytime their is any opposition to God's Word. The easiest way that we can not be fooled or deceived by anyone or any group of people, is to know what God says in His Word, period! If it's not in the Bible and if it does not alien with the Message of the Bible, then do not let it be anything that can change or affect your mind. Compromise is always something that is used to set us up for what we cannot see coming; unless we stay focused upon basic truth, we can make some seriously wrong choices. That being said, we have an Advocate in Heaven! So if we do mess up, even though everyone here might condemn us, as long as we are abiding in Christ, God never will...

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)

"Wonder Wisely"

"Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war." (Psalms 140:1-2)

  Yes, I know: What is more hard to understand, the title, or the fact that I grouped these two verses together? Well to be honest, the title just popped into my head as I was praying; the grouping of the two verses together was based upon the fact that I do not understand what the title means; at least, not at this moment. And yes, the title above this Psalm in my Bible is the title for yesterday's post; just in case you were wondering. Wow, I wonder if that could be it? If you notice that David used the word, "Deliver," to start out his request; but maybe God does not want David to be delivered, maybe God wants to use him to break them apart? Strange as it might seem, but most of those that gather together to form some sort of evil war, they really are not all aliened together in their hearts. Truth and righteousness will always bring people together and form a more perfect union; a lie and evil intent will group people to gather as a mob, but they have no idea in there hearts what it is that they stand for, except that they just want to be evil. As many of you should know, spiritual warfare is not like anything we might experience in physical warfare; although all war is ugly and kills, spiritually fought warfare is not fought on the physical battlefield. We might not know who is being used by the enemy, because we cannot see the enemy and know his intentions; but we can prepare ourselves for the battle by reinforcing our hearts and minds. This is going back to what I closed with yesterday; that we must fortify our minds and strengthen our hearts against the attack on God's Word! And believe you me, there is currently a great attack going on, if not to shut God's Word out of the conversation, to distort and downplay any sort of definitive meaning. Did you know that there is an actual group of people on this planet that believe the earth is flat? If there are people who believe that, there are people who can believe anything! Let's just say for the sake of conversation that this was about Saul, and Saul was the evil and violent man. It would make perfect sense; but on the other hand, David would never do what it took to stop him. Instead, he needed to focus his thoughts upon the spiritual aspect of what he was dealing with, and that involves matters of the heart, which only God can see or interpret. And as I said before, those that band together motivated by evil intent cannot stay bound together under one tent; which is why they continually gather together, because they really have no clue what it is that they represent...

"The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night. Why are you scheming against the LORD? He will destroy you with one blow; he won't need to strike twice! His enemies, tangled like thornbushes and staggering like drunks, will be burned up like dry stubble in a field. Who is this wicked counselor of yours who plots evil against the LORD?" (Nahum 1:7-11) NLT