"God Saves Us"

PSALMS 146
"Praise ye the LORD, Praise the LORD, O my soul." (Psalms 146:1)

  Just so you know, the Bare was my full intention, as it was about when we are in His presence, like Adam, we would not feel naked and ashamed. You do know what that means, Right? Anywho; this is pretty much the winding down, or up, depending upon your outlook and your belief in where you are going to be at the time of death. I hold to the belief that we are instantly in the Lord's presence. How that actually works, I don't know, so I am not going to try and figure it out; that is, what they say, "Is far above my pay grade!" All that I know, is that we do not lay in the ground feeling as though we are waiting; that thing in the ground is just a shell that once held my soul, something that is instantly taken up to the Lord. I have heard several different versions of what takes place; but Paul's is in the Bible and clearly has enough detail, it should be enough to satisfy most anyone's curiosity. Besides, the way things are going, it is becoming more and more clear that I might not need the plot of ground I purchased, because you cannot bury what is no longer around! The "soul" is pretty much the breath of life that is within us, that which causes this body to be alive. I have always wondered what might happen if you had a person on a scale at the time of death, and if there was any difference in their weight once life has left the body. Maybe it has already been done, I just have not heard about the results. If there is a difference, I would be willing to bet it is hardly detectable; much like the weight of a feather or a grain of sand. Excuse me, I am just a little strange and not quite right in the head; so if it seems as though I think up some pretty weird stuff, I will just blame it on the drugs from the 70's, when I did not know any better. But, in all seriousness: We need to begin to get our house in order! As much as I would like to put things off, I am feeling more and more certain that we need to be ready. It might not be something that we need to change our life over, but it is something we need to change the direction we are living. I do not believe that my soul will be laying in that horizontal position, so I do not feel I should be focused upon living horizontally. I am feeling more and more urgent to focus upon living vertically...

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 4:1-5)

"Ready for Bare"

"My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever." (Psalms 145:21)

  Having been able to share God's word, and willing to let His word speak into me also, I can say with all honesty that I know a little something about how God works when it comes to matters of the heart. If you think you might have a handle on a certain portion of your life, you might be surprised by some certain testing or temptations that will come upon you in that same area. James says, with certain great authority, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, nether tempteth he any man." (James 1:13) The anointing we have been given, if we so choose to walk in it, is enough to help us to overcome the temptations that can so easily overtake us; the problem we have, continually, is our flesh! Take it or leave it, it is always going to be the case, all the way up to the day the flesh is no longer an issue. Without getting into a long, drawn-out, and never-ending discussion about will verses trust, or why it is God cannot just make us love him, I will simple bring our attention to a certain character I believe David is speaking about, the mouth. James also shares a little about this too, referring to the tongue, as if it is unruly and unable to be tamed. Interesting enough, there is actually something we have been given, if we so choose to use it, which is more powerful than anything else in existence, whether here on this earth, or far far away into the utter most realms of heaven: the Word of God! James 1:18 says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, the we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." Those that might think that Paul and James did not agree on the subject of works, or any other matter regarding New Life, you really need to understand the difference in the way they both understood the flesh. Paul was raised with an idea that the flesh could be made righteous by the law; while James was raised knowing the Word manifested in the flesh, having been raised up with Jesus, the Christ! We could literally go on and on in that arena, but time does not allow it. The main point I believe that needs to be shared, is the mighty power of God's Word! The reason we fail to overcome the temptations that end up overcoming us, is because we have minimized the power of God's Word in that certain area on our life; whether it be love, lust, or leisure, if the Word of God is not Lord in that certain area, always and at all times, then the flesh will have the upper hand, when temptation comes. What is going to remain exposed when all is stripped away? The thought I had a little earlier was about the enemy being our flesh, and whether or not that was even possible. My conclusion, based upon the this verse and the last, is that our flesh is our, Friend-in-me! It is a little play on words; but it started with Friend and Enemy linked together; but since the flesh is to be counted dead in Christ, he gets to only hang around because he once was my friend; but he really doesn't get to have any say, because he is really only a memory of someone I once knew...

"Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him adideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." (1 John 2:24-29)

"Locked and Loaded"

"The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy." (Psalms 145:20)

  If there is anyway possible to be taken out from under this covering, I guess it would be to through deceit or by living a lie. Unfortunately, the devil has various ways to try and trick us or make us feel comfortable in our own foolishness, because if there is one thing he has mastered well, it is being the father of the fools. Psalms 14:1 says, "Only fools say in their heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good." (NLT) And then, Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." The real fool, if there is a greater fool than others, is the fool that knows the right thing to do, but chooses to do what is wrong! The fool that believes that there is no God is ignorant; but the fool that challenges God's authority, is suicidal and utterly wicked! One lacks real knowledge, while the other, all though they might have knowledge, reject understanding! Again, here we have what might seem to be two separate thoughts; but again, they are based upon the same actions, and are all about the same Person! What pray-tell is the action? Well; if you seriously give it some thought, it involves the heart. There is none that knows the heart better than God; He knows our heart, better than we know it ourself. We might think that we know what goes on in this heart of ours; but God knows every little secret thing, even that which we have not yet discovered; especially those things which we have hidden away, all the way from our very beginning. If you say that you love Him, He knows the truth, plain and simple. We can try and hide what we really feel or think; but if we are hiding anything from God, it is really right out in the open! Therein is the action and why they are the same; the Person is exactly who you think, it is God; the Beginning and the End, which means more than time, it means more than the creation of heaven and earth: it also means the New Life we have within us! I guess if there might be some hope for the hopeless, then there is no greater example given than that of Peter; the one who denied that he even knew Him, yet was asked three times: "Peter, do you love me?" His answer was pretty much spot on: "Lord, thou knowest all things! thou knowest that I love thee!" (Exclamations were added by me.) There are those who came to God looking for something that might make them better off then they were before, and some that might have come to see God work some sort of miracle; while some might have been hoping for change, others might have expected change to be complete: but the real life that gets a fresh start, is the life that is given to God, regardless of any sort of expectation or condition, but just because He is my God...

""My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."" (John 10:27-29)

"Near or Far!" -2

"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear them cry, and save them." (Psalms 145:19)

  As I was saying, briefly, that I was sorry if I misled anyone; because my intention was to share about well and trials, but obviously, the Lord had something else He wanted to talk about; and man or man, that was so amazing! This is something that I feel I needed to be reminded of, because we are so caught up in taking care of life, we sometimes forget about this New Life that is living right inside of us; unintentionally, no doubt, but regardless, He has promised that He would never leave nor forsake us, even if we might forget about Him, or worse, that we might forsake Him! There is nothing I can do that separate myself from His love; the more I study His promises, the more I understand and can easily except that as the truth. There are two separate thoughts being shown here, regardless of the colon between the two; while at the same time, they are one, because they involve the same exact action and the same exact Person! The bottom line to this wonderful and sometimes fearful journey, is that we arrive in the same destination and in the same condition that was intended from the beginning; regardless of all of this nonsense that might take place along the way, we are secure and saved in Christ Jesus! Whatever it was I was going to be, some 39 yeas ago, or even almost 62 years ago, is the same as I will be when I see Him face to face. We do not actually pick this, He picks us, and this is what we get! If you doubt me, then I can give you a small clue to look up and see for your self: John 21:17-25; which is the end of John's Gospel. As I have shared before, the Editor of my Bible has the opinion that John's Gospel actually started at John 1:19, which is where John was the he was first introduced to Jesus by John the Baptist. The first 18 verses are more of the preface to what was going to be shown, showing Who it was the Gospel was about. If you are so incline, you could study those first 18 verses on your own, and you might see for yourself how that is possible. Anywho, the verses that I wanted to share with you are the ones that I believe reinforce the message I believe is being put forth. We really need to learn to trust Him, and that He loves us; after that, everything is all going to be okay...

"He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them he gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John 1:11-18)

"Near or Far!"

"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he will hear their cry, and will save them." (Psalms 145:19)

   Have patience and be kind, is what my desire is for myself; it is what I ask God to give me almost every day, all week long. I really don't think I need much of anything else, except the one thing I never stop asking for, my wife to be healed! But, then again, the Lord is in the control of that, as I have totally released myself from the burden of worry and dread in that area of my life. That might not make much sense to some; but there are some things that are just way to far beyond our control. Praying for patience and kindness is one thing, because we all know that is something we strive for and put into practice to obtain; but what can you do about the severe illness of a loved one, when there is nothing left that you can do? Is there nothing more that you can do? Well? Did you know that there is something about wells and trials that they have in common? There are some very good teachings on that subject, Pastor Gayle has a very entertaining one regarding all the wells that Jacob dug and left everywhere. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what God can do with whatever it is that is tearing us apart; whether it is our own personal suffering, or the suffering of someone that we love, God is a Wonder Working God! Imagine for a moment that you are that dress, the one which is pictured in my post regarding Isaiah 6:1. It might not be easy; but neither is it for the dressmaker to perform such a splendid piece of work, while the fabric that is being used keeps moving and changing it's position all the time. In order to stop or help correct that from happening, the fabric is stretched out over a Manikin, as to help the dressmaker hold the fabric in place. I am terribly sorry for misleading anyone; because that was never my intention. If someone ever tries to tell you that there is nothing good inside you, and you must look outside of yourself for the real help that you need: Please, please correct them, with all sincerity, and say: I have Jesus living in me, and He is all that I need! Less of me, and more of Jesus; that is pretty much the true answer we are looking for...

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:

"Near at Heart"

"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." (Psalms 145:18)

  It might not make sense, but it really does not need to, because I know that God loves me! Whether you have been a Christian for decades or only a few days, if you have truly been born of the Spirit, you know exactly what this verse is talking about; because this what Jesus was sharing to the Woman at the Well, when He said, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23) Does that mean that we have to be perfect and anointed with oil, or have some knowledge of how to properly pray and talk to God? Absolutely not! It means when come to Him as our Father; knowing that He loves and cares for us, and knowing that we are so needful of His mercy and grace! I have written in my Bible after this verse, "Not in Hypocrisy." Jesus gave many examples of what hypocrisy looks like and why it is not a kidding matter, because the Father knows everything there is to know about us, so saying one thing while doing another, just does no get anywhere with Him. But, when we come to Him with a humble heart and knowing our great need for His forgiveness, He is more than willing to not only listen, but to actually draw near and bless us with His presence! Don't you experience that too? If not, you should; because it is something that every believer should be able to experience, both personally and corporately. If I am praying and do not feel as though there is a connection with my Heavenly Father, I immediately take a moment and start confessing my sins; and if I still don't feel as though we are connected, then I will just start praising Him and thanking Him for all of His wonderful ways and His works; which is pretty much what was expressed in that last verse. The bottom line of what this is saying, is that you be right before Him! I did not say that you must be right, or wait till you are right; but that you are right before Him, just as you are and totally and completely right before Him: humbly in His presence and not hiding a thing! Why would we even think that was even possible? as if God cannot see what we might try to hide? If you are really not experienced with having fellowship with your Heavenly Father, then you really need to get right into His presence; which pretty much means that you need to come into the Light; or step out of the bushes! Think about what this says in relation to what happened in the Garden; because it was not Adam who called upon God, it was God that called upon Adam; there is a pretty big difference...

"Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, whose waters fail not." (Isaiah 58:9-11)

"One Safe Place"

"The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." (Psalms 145:17)

  I don't need to tell you, because you should have figured it out; but yesterday's post was not exactly in line with the verse, if that is, we were meant to be talking about how God provides for all that He has created. But, on the other hand, if you want to know what matters more than food or water, it is no doubt a belief in the Creator that supplies, even satisfies our real desire! You might not think too much about it, if you are already a believer; but those that do not know God, they have a very deep desire to know where they came from. I can tell you from experience, that there is a very giant void that needed to be filled within me, before I accepted Jesus into my heart. It is really something the way that happens, how you forget about the details of the emotions and spiritual hunger that you felt, once those have passed and no longer of any concern. Then you start focusing upon the more practical things, like what we could have talked about yesterday, a desire for food and water. I am so sorry for any confusion, but if this is going to be about praising God, we need to go big, because if you looking for an easy life free from pain and discomfort, you have come to the wrong place! Here is another way to view that desire that needs to be satisfied, a desire to be cured, released from prison, or to be no longer hungry or cold. We cannot expect anything greater than our Master; but He gives us so much more than we deserve! I think it was J. Vernon McGee that I heard the other day, and he was fired up, speaking load and bold, like I had never heard him speak before. I think he was playing a recording from a sermon that he had given, because he was surely not sitting behind his Bible Bus Microphone. He started naming off all of the borrowed things that Jesus had, every single thing, all the way down to His flesh; even His cross was borrowed, because it was originally meant for one called Barabbas. You know, there is something about this life that just keeps zooming by, time! It seems that the closer we get to the grave, the faster it seems to grow closer. It is like skydiving, where you feel so free and wild soaring through the air, zig-zagging around and doing flips; but as soon as you get to the last 1,500 feet, or so, you had better start making plans for landing. Fortunately, my God has His hand opened wide to catch me! So, what happens next is no longer any concern or worry! If you really stop and think about, it really doesn't matter all that much what happens now either, because as I see it, we are all on borrowed time...

"For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD, and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them tale counsel together: who hath declared this from the ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:18-22)  

"Substance of Faith"

"Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." (Psalms 145:16)

  Maybe we cannot see everything; neither are we meant to, because if we could, we might not be able to handle that much information or knowledge. Which is probably why God only allows us a certain amount, because He knows our heart and what man might try to do with the knowledge he might gain. I was listening to a message yesterday that spoke about the atoms and how they were basically all just energy; that there is energy that is working and moving all around us, but with the human eye, we cannot see all the power that is moving in everything, seriously, everything! I use to actually use that example when sharing with a J.W. about the Trinity; how every single thing in existence has three parts, so why wouldn't God be an exact representation of all that He has created. After all, He did say, let us make man in Our image; exactly how does that work, if not for being, body, soul, and spirit? We surely cannot create something from nothing; but we can create something from something else; and man o man, are we ever creative! I can't help but think of Adam thinking of names for all the animals, how it must have stretched his mind and sparked the creative juices within that brain of his. Looking back to the 80's, how primitive things were compared to what we are seeing today. Actually, I witnessed something yesterday that was a little weird. The local grocery store that has a bank inside, which is close to the door; and as I was standing in line, there was girl that had her baby in a shopping cart; which she obviously use for her baby to sit in the cart. After she was done with her banking, as she tried to exit the store, an alarm went off, and the cart locked up as she was half-way through the door. This poor girl, she could make the cart go any further, and her baby was about to start crying. A friend of mine that was with me, was astounded, saying, What the heck! Apparently, if you have stuff in your cart, but do not have a receipt, you are not going to get out the door without being noticed. Just one more example of the technology that is being developed. And by the way, we are starting in a new era of working towards a cashless system, as China is thinking about stopping the spread of the virus by getting away from using cash, because the virus might be on the money that is exchanged from one person to the other. Anywho, we are in for some very interesting times, and it is really making me excited for Jesus coming back for His bride! There are talks among some about John's visions being something that was produced by heat exposure, or maybe from the ordeal of being boiled in oil; but it is more and more practical for those things he saw to take place; especially the mark he saw where you cannot buy or sell anything without having the mark! Actually, it might also be the case where you can't even get into the store without the mark; or the craziest thing ever, that you cannot go out in public because you are identified instantly by the mark not being detected on you. Just so you know, the chances of all the prophecies in the Bible actually happening, just the ones that involve Jesus' first coming, are off the charts impossible to have all been fulfilled. There are said to be 300 prophecies of His first coming; and the possibility of just 8 of those being fulfilled, is said to be 1 in 10 to the seventeenth power. If you don't know what those odds represent, look it up and see, because there is more proof of the Bible being real, then there is of the power that is all around us...

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:1-6)

"Faith with Substance"

"The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season." (Psalms 145:15)

  Before I go any further, I feel the need to clarify something that is very important: we that are living sanctified lives, are blessed beyond measure; not based upon the righteousness we might exhibit, no way no how. The Bible clearly says, "All of our righteousness is filthy rags to God," so that which is done for the sake of being righteous, is much about what Cain had done when he offered the harvest from his garden; it actually displeased God! The real question I think we are looking to find answers to, Is what constitutes a blessing? Maybe you might feel as though your life is a wreck, or that your marriage is on the rocks, or that you are suffering needlessly with some sort of an illness. All these things, and more, are actually the type of things we could count as blessings; if we are willing to be totally dependent upon the Lord! I heard a quote yesterday that reminded me of this very thing: "You never know God is all you need, until God is all you have." To be perfectly clear, "all," is clearly a reference to everyone, which means those saved and unsaved; those that believe to God, and those that refuse to believe in His existence; it can also mean every animal, unless we are talking about souls. It is said, "The eyes are the windows to the soul," which in this case, all souls are in the direct ownership of their Creator, whether they believe in Him or not! I know it might be hard to explain that to anyone who does not believe; but they choose not to believe because they do not want to bothered or feel that they need God; as well as the fact that they do not want to be told what they should do, or that what they do will require that they give an answer for. You might have heard the term, "Blind Faith," which is a term that many nonbelievers give to those that put their trust in God; but that is the beauty of the faith of those that have a personal relationship with the Lord, it is not blind faith! It might be blind to all that cannot see God, but to those that have been changed, this is a faith that can be held unto and felt, day in and day out. Even when I might not feel anything at all, I still know He is there, watching over me and somehow guiding my life. Sure, we could examine this as just basic food or nourishment; but what makes this something that needs to held onto, is the "Due season," which basically means, happy or unhappy time; or more importantly, a time that is proper. I guess the point I believe God is teaching me to pay attention to, is that it really does not matter what it is that I am going through, if I am truly believing that He is in control, then it is all for a reason. In that, we might consider, or be considered, to have some sort of blind faith; mostly because we cannot see all that God is doing, or why. Nonetheless, this is no way a blind anything; especially not the faith part of this journey, because if your faith does not have substance, then your faith is not worth anything at all...

"So do not throw away the confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (Hebrews 10:35- 11:1) NLT

"Living Sanctified Lives" -2

"The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down." (Psalms 145:14)

  Just in case you did not understand the complete message, we are seriously protected, beyond any sort of sin that might overcome us; if, that is, we continue to call upon the Lord for that protection! If you have any questions regarding the truthfulness of what I just said, then you simply need to observe the life of King David, and his most well known sin, the fall with Bathsheba. It might not be anything at all, but have you ever noticed or paid attention to where the Book of Ruth is placed within the Bible? If you have not, it is sandwiched between Judges and 1 Samuel. That might just be chronological, or it might be something God has ordained; because He sure went through quite a lot to make it happen! It is simply amazing how it looks on a chart, but Abraham's split from Lot was reunited with the union of Boaz and Ruth. I don't know about you, but it is amazing to me to see how God makes all of His plans seem so random, yet so well orchestrated, and well planned. Something that many people don't quite understand, is the way David reacted after the first child with Bathsheba died; because he went from praying and fasting while the child was still living, to washing his face and eating, right after the child died. Even his servants feared to tell him that the child died, for he had been laying on the ground fasting for seven days; they could only help but imagine what he would do once he knew the child had died. They said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not harken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?" After he inquired and asked, if the child was alive, they said he was dead; and immediately David rose up off the ground, refreshed himself, worship God, and did eat. After all that he had done and all that he had went though, with more to come, David never ever thought that God had abandoned him; neither did he even think about not being reunited with the child. I know, it might not appear like much; but it is really the most important thing that we can be, or do, or believe: That we believe God loves us! Why, might be a question that comes to mind: which might also be part of the reason he was a man after God's own heart: to search for the reason! Remember, this is David's Psalm of Praise; so when it comes to forgetting about the past, I might tend to believe David was thinking about his fall when he wrote these words...

""Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen you brothers." Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even die with you." But Jesus said, "Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me."" (Luke 22:31-34) NLT

"Living Sanctified Lives"

"The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down." (Psalms 145:14)

  Well, this is very interesting, to say the least; it is God's perfect timing and anointing, whether we are expecting it or not, He delivers to everyone that is searching for answers! Much as I am confident in my salvation, there is one Scripture that has bothered me over the years, just as Pastor Bryan might have been concerned over Philippians 3:13, I have been somewhat concerned with with Hebrews 6:4-6. A Scripture which has been used so many times to convict and destroy so many of our brothers and sisters; being taken and used a sword, instead of a testimony to the Power of God over sin! To put it mildly, there is really no difference in the sin of today and the sin of yesterday, because Jesus paid the price for all my sins, once and for all! Those that fall away, fall away from grace; they live convicted lives, where they are confused over the cleansing power of the blood of Christ; instead feeling as though it was not enough to cleanse their sins, because, somehow the life changing power did not work on them. Pure and utter foolishness! First and foremost, this is about a letter to Hebrews, which are those people who are accustom to living under the law of Moses and in giving sacrifices for sin. The common practice by which they were raised in and was pretty much the thing they knew, was to offer sacrifice for sin; you sin, you offer a dove; your sin big, you offer a lamb, and so on and on it goes. Jesus only needed to die once and for all, for every sin, for everyone, from Adam and on to the very end! Paul makes this case abundantly clear in Romans 5:19, saying, "For by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." That is where our faith comes into play, where we believe that Christ Jesus has made us righteous by His death on the cross; and because He was raised and sits at the right hand of the Father, He pleads our case when we ask, over and over, for forgiveness! It is all under the same sacrifice, once and for all! I say it is better to believe and receive the justification, which is also paid forward, from the cross, so that you can live out the sanctification, which is always paid backwards, towards the cross. Which ever the case, it is all based upon faith in what Christ has done, not upon anything that we can do...

"So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don't need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened - those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come - and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame." (Hebrews 6:1-6) NLT

"Living in the Forever"

"Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations." (Psalms 145:13)

  It might not be very obvious to some, but there is surely something shaking all around the earth; a little sign of the season maybe, or at least something to grab our attention. No matter what might happen, those that have called upon the name of Jesus will be saved. Does that mean we are free from harm or death? Absolutely not! We might physically get hurt or killed, but we are protected, more so than we even know! Both Paul and Peter give testimony to the security of the salvation we have been given, as Paul shares within the opening of his letter to Ephesus, a mighty crescendo towards the finished work of God, secured and raised up, higher than anything within this world could ever touch; and as Peter describes in his first letter to the churches, saying, "Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3-5) I actually have something written in by Bible right after Ephesians 2:6, which says, "He has raised me up!" I guess when need to wait and see just how much that actually means; but in the way I see it, the more we count upon the Lord to keep us secure, the more secure we actually are; or at least we feel that we are, and I surely don't mind the feeling! That is pretty much the point I have to share this morning, that to be sure of what God has said, makes us sure about where we are going to end up, no matter what might happen before we get there! Am I trying to say that once we are saved we are always saved? I think it is more up to you and your security; because if you don't feel as though you are secure, then it is up to you to lean more upon the Lord. We need to give Him our all, which means that some part of us is not still secured by this world! It pretty much goes back to what Jesus said about our treasure; because, no matter which time period you might have lived in, or how much you might have been given, it is all about where your heart is...

""Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."" (Mathew 6:19-21)

"Living in the Moment"

"To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom." (Psalms 145:12)

  A little bit of kindness, can really go a long way! Besides the fact that we have something to give, we have a responsibility and a purpose to stewart what we have been given. This is for me, as much as it is for anyone else; so please don't be offended if I step on anyone's toes. Which makes me think of something that I was reminded of, the saying, "But for the grace of God, go I." There is a little thing that is sometimes hidden in our hearts, mostly masked by the our focus upon living, verses the focus on the living; or in this case, the dying. "The sons of men," describe those that are common or mere human beings; mankind, as it goes, "from dust to dust." That is truly a bad state of mind; yet, it is pretty much the way many people live out there lives, without having the hope that lies within us! Just say it, believe it, and live it: I am a child of God! If need be, write it upon your hand, or where it upon your sleeve; whatever it takes, remind yourself of it as much as you can, and live it out in your life! If you really want to get involved, then think upon it every time you see or meet anyone that might not be someone that you say, "But for the grace of God, go I." Two very important facts can be taken from this verse that help us declare, "His mighty acts," and, "The glorious majesty of His Kingdom." First of all, the most important fact that is so relevant to our life, is that He has saved us: I once was lost, but now I am saved! There is a saying, "If you've been born only once you'll die twice, but if you've been born twice you'll only die once!" And the second, is likened unto the first: We have been given eternal life in His Kingdom! This is no longer our home, we are simply pilgrims, waiting for the place which is our home: As Abraham, "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10) I was reminded of a verse yesterday, as Pastor Bryan shared about how Philippians 3:13 has always been a verse that caused him to question his standing with God, because he always remembers the things of the past. It is really not that hard to do, to be reminded about something you might feel sorry about or wish you had never done. But, what Paul is making a claim to, has mostly to do with what God has done and is currently doing, regardless of those things that are in the past! This is the mighty act to cause us to be bold and to live in the moment, because it is not about those things of the past; but it is about God's tender mercies and His abundant grace: "But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before," which is the essence of mercy and grace...

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ." (1 Peter 3:12-16)

"Critical Moments"

"They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;" (Psalms 145:11)

  As funny as it might seem, to witness the foolishness of those that deny God and refuse to thank Him for the life they have been given, it should cause us to feel a little compassion for the road that will take them down, and the truth they are missing out on knowing. Anyone can be saved, no matter how far gone they might appear, God is always willing that all come to Him and surrender their life. Truth be told, it is going to happen one way or another, because God makes it abundantly clear, by His word, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." (Isaiah 45:22-23) So, if they want to know what it might look like to surrender now, or to surrender later; Now is the time where they are given a choice, later it will be mandatory! We are given so many opportunities to share the truth, as the lie is exposed all around us. It is more and more necessary to look for open doors, praying for God to open them up, and for hearts to be softened. If you know the path of Roman's Road to Salvation, then the need has never been so obvious and present; because it might appear to be a Road to lead sinners, but it is actually a Road to guide the messengers, meaning you and me! To the point of who "they" actually is, it is both, the works of God, and the saints that bless Him! We only need to speak the truth, God will manifest that truth in the heart of the sinner; and if they do not receive it, it is not on us, we have done our part. But God's Word does not return void! Oh, if only they knew how important that actually was in the choice they were given! Talk about critical moments: The Power of His Salvation, verses, the longevity of His Judgment...

Romans 3:23 - Man's Need, "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God."

Romans 6:23 - Sin's Penalty. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ  
                        Jesus our Lord."

Romans 5:8 - God's Provision. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
                       still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 10:9-10 - Man's Response. "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in
                                                           your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be
                                                           saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and
                                                           with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Romans 10:13 - God's Promise. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Comic Relief"

"All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee." (Psalms 145:10)

  Yes, this is more or less a time to laugh and poke fun at some of the stupid, so called, brilliant minds of this world; those they think that they know all the answers, and believe that this earth somehow just came about; anything that suits their denial of the Eternal Creator! Surprisingly, those that are the brainiest, are also those that are the dumbest, when it comes to common sense. In case you have not heard, we have somehow gone from an earth which was 50 years ago, millions of years old, to an earth which is now, billions of years old; the more complex the discoveries are to explain, the older the earth needs to be in order to explain the lie that they are living in. Personally, I seriously doubt that most of them buy into it; but it's too late now, they have built careers and received all sorts of rewards; so it is too late to turn back now. I have witnessed this first hand, so it is easy for me to make this observation. As most of you know, I am in the business of Pest Control; I actually specialize in the control of Termites. As part of our licensing renewal, which is every 3 years, we need many hours of continuing education; much of which involves sitting through teachings about the insects that we control. During most of these lectures, it is really hard for me to keep a straight face; most of the time I release some of my laughter by drawing or writing out my expressions, as to avoid actually laughing out loud and causing a disruption. The last class I attended, we were told that Termites evolved from Cockroaches; which I thought was one of the most cockamamie theory's that I had ever heard. Oh ya, and it couldn't be possible without having billions of years for it to happen; so, yes, before there were Dinosaurs, there were Cockroaches! Regardless of what you have been told, the amazingly complexity of this creation, is such, because it has a Amazingly Complex Creator! As I have said before, when it comes to the question, What came first, the chicken or the egg? the answer is written in the story of creation: "And God said, Let the earth bring forth", and it was so! Do you not know, God can make something from anything, or anything from nothing at all! Crazy as it may sound, but if He wants to, He can make a 7,000 year old earth appear as though it is billions of years old; just as easy as He can make dirty water, into the very best wine...

"This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools." (Romans 1:17-22) NLT  

"Merciful Father" -2

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." (Psalms 145:9)

  It might not come close to the actual story, the power, the substance, or even the result; but I do think it is simple enough to see how "all" is compared to those that he might know, and are counted as His own. The second part of this verse gives us a little better understanding of how important His mercies are, not only towards us, but how much He elevates them, as if they are His greatest works. Remembering back to when I had the chance to share on Genesis 6 and 7, I was reminded how much it grieved God's heart to do what He had to do. In Genesis 6:6, we have a word that tells us how much His heart hurt, saying, "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." To try and put that in some sort of a picture, is not very easy to do; except to show the example that Jesus gave us, in the moment that He wept; which is recorded in John 11:35. To help in the conclusion of that story of the engineer, if it might shine some light upon what makes His mercies so much more important than anything else, we could look at the illustration given in Luke 17:11-19, which was when Jesus healed ten lepers. Ten lepers were healed, but only one came back to thank Jesus for cleansing him. And we know what his thankfulness was worth; not only was he physically cleansed, but he was spiritually cleansed also; something that means so much more than getting cleansed of being a leper! It was no doubt going to happen that the story would get out; the engineer would have been written about, and the people who were on that train would have realized what was done; they would come know how he sacrificed the life of his son, so that they might live. There is no real comparison to the power and the majesty of what our Heavenly Father did for us, but the actions of those who realize what was done, those are what make tragedy seem pleasant; if that were even possible! A little further down in Isaiah 53:10, it says, "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him," which speaks more towards His will, then it does towards His pleasure; because His will is for all to be saved, but not everyone is all that concerned about what God wants and cares about; but for those that do, He calls us His children! A chip off the old block, as some might say...

"But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. Be bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." (Isaiah 53:10-12) NLT

"Merciful Father"

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." (Psalms 145:9)

  As mentioned yesterday, this is the difference between the personal relationship and love we can have with our Savior, and the Savior's mercy that is upon the world, as in, "For God so loved the world." Let me share with you how God works, as I was praying for God to give me something to be able to illustrate how this might look. Yesterday morning I was listening to Rush, being curious what he was saying about the elections the night before; and as he went to commercial, I saw the clock and that it was 11:46 and Pastor Jon would be sharing on another station; so I switched to listen. What I am about to share, I know that I will not be able to share it as good as Jon did, but I think I can at least get the picture presented the way that I saw it. In this story, there is an engineer who is in charge of raising and lowering a draw bridge which is for a train to go over the river. As it turns out, there is a Amtrak train approaching that is filled with passengers, and the bridge is currently up. The engineer knows that he must soon lower the bridge, but it just so happens that his 3 year old son is with him that day; and as he is beginning to lower the bridge, he discovers that his son is not with him. So, as any father might do, he panics and looks for his son: finding him down below, wandering around down where the bridge gears are located. He calls out to his son, but he either does not hear him, or is too distracted to pay attention. He finally realizes that he has no time left, and that he must lower the bridge because the train is to close to stop and there are many people on board that he must save; but if he lowers the bridge, his son will be crushed in the gears. With a extremely heavy heart, he pulls the lever, and the bridge comes down just in time for the train to go over, safely to the other side. As he just stood there, numb and terribly heartbroken, he watched as the train went by; seeing the passengers inside, many of them were looking and waving at him, as tears were steaming down his face; they were totally clueless to the horrific choice that he had to make, and how fortunate that they were that he made it. Anywho, that is that...

"Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our back on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." (Isaiah 53:1-5) NLT

"Meditate on This!"

"The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy." (Psalms 145:8)

  Just so you know, this verse is circled in my Bible, and the title above is written below it. There is more to this than just knowing how compassionate God is towards us; His love for us proves that, so it is not even a question that we need to consider. If anything, this needs to show us that He is deeply concerned about us, individually and personally; something that most people that do not know Him don't even think about when they consider who God is and what His love actual means. Yes, we might be able to say this represents the world in general, but if you left it at that, you would be missing a very special point that David is trying to make. Besides, he continues this thought in the next verse by including all; this one here is more about something you need to think as personal and specific to you! How can we be assured of this? and why is this so important? Matthew Henry has a little thing that he mentions, summing this up, as he says, "He is ready to give, and ready to forgive, more ready than we are to ask, than we are to repent." We should never ever think that God is not willing to forgive us, because He is all about forgiveness and showing mercy towards us. If you are looking for a reason to celebrate, then having received a personal pardon from the One that matters most of all, is the thing that should be something to get excited about. As a matter of fact, this is the reason that we can rejoice during any trial or persecution, because we know the reason is not punishment from God, not if we know that we are forgiven! 1 John 1:9 tells us this, as John says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It really does not get more personal than that! I cannot ask God to forgive your sins, and we cannot ask God to forgive the sins of a nation, a community, or even of a church. This is something that takes each and every individual to do on their own, between them and the One that is the Judge of their soul. Besides, if He knows the very number of the hairs on your head, He also knows the complete list of all your sins, every single one of them! That makes this that much more inviting, just knowing how much He is willing and ready to forgive, personally and individually...

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:4-9)

"Something to Celebrate"

"They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness." (Psalms 145:7)

  I know that my postings are not as consistent as they could be; something that most likely mirrors my inconsistent walk, because there are times when it feels like a sprint, and then there are times it feels that I barely crawl. That said, I know in my heart that God still loves me, because He never fails to speak into my life! I might not have followed the normal way of sharing Scriptures; but I never did intend for this to be any sort of a teaching, because it is more about what God is teaching me. It just so happens that I have chosen to share it, whatever it is, and however it might make me feel. This is maybe the greatest and simplest way to express what might take place in the heart of someone that shares God's work that has been done in their life. If you have not given out your testimony, then you might not get the point; but if you have, then you know that it is the thing that brings forth Living Water, where you can actually feel as though Jesus is not only living in you, but that He is flowing through you, and into the lives of others. The basic meaning of the term, "abundantly utter," is just that, to pour out, to bubble forth; like a spring of water is flowing out of you! The other day, I had a moment to share what I believe that it means to be, "in season or out of season," and because I have had several opportunities to speak from the pulpit, I can tell you, it is not about the time of year. This is not about sharing our stories, it is about sharing the Lord's Stories and His Great Goodness! What does that mean for you, is where you can express the memories of all that He does in your life; despite and regardless of what your stories might be, He keeps on doing a work within you! That is what makes me sing of His righteousness, because He keeps His word and never lets go of me; just as said that He would, over 38 years ago! When I share about Him now, it is still the same feeling and expression I felt back then, because it is Him that is living in and flowing through me, and He never changes...

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness and into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10)

"Brought to Light"

"And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness." (Psalms 145:6)

  A little different kind of speak; one that is more about disclosure or maybe even giving an answer to a question. Do they really need an answer? Well, that might depend upon who is asking and why it matters that they know the facts. I was thinking about the appearance of cloven tongues that appeared as fire, on the of the Day of Pentecost; as those that were Baptized by the Holy Spirit began speaking in the languages of those who were there from other nations. Besides their questions about how these Galileans could be speaking in their languages, they also had a question within them about what was being said. There was utterances of the wonders of God; no doubt, the Spirit was declaring the resurrected Lord, Christ Jesus! Obviously, not everyone in the room got the message, nor could they understand what was being said; but those that did hear, were more than just amazed by what they saw, they were really searching for the answer to what it meant. Call it confirmation, if that is the right way to describe it; but if you are feeling something needs to be answered, the answer really needs to fit. I know that I have mentioned this before, but I was asked a question by someone a few years ago; whether it was sincere or sarcastic, I really did not know; maybe a little of both. But the question was asked: Why would God need to come down here and die on the cross? At the time, I really thought that it was sincere and that she needed to know; but after I gave her the answer, she scoffed and said the answer did not make any sense. There is just something about needing to be saved, that can only be fixed by the proper Savior; if the Savior is not powerful enough to complete the salvation process, then how can we put all our hope and trust in Him? Those that did not receive the message, they only heard gibberish, and they could not see the point of what was being said; as far as they were concerned, it was a bunch of people "full of new wine." We cannot make anyone hear what we are saying, unless they have the question that fits what we are bringing to light. Maybe it is all about the need to be saved; because if you really don't feel hopelessly lost, then the salvation being offered does not fit the giant void, because you do not feel that there is one. That is really not a question, it is just a fact...

""Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house open a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the wind blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built he house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."" (Matthew 7:24-27)

"Bit By Bit"

"I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works." (Psalms 145:5)

  As if we could take part in this glorious work, it makes me wonder; but God allows us to not only participate, but we get to see the work He performs in and through the people around us. It might not be much, but the single soul that gets changed, can do some serious work, if the impact is great enough. In this I believe David is seeing the glorious working of God's heavenly angels, which, if you follow some of the writings of Frank Peretti's, they are very instrumental in the tearing down of the strongholds that are all around us. The work, "speak," that is used in this verse is more like meditate, if you will, it is even a word that speaks about complaining or putting forth thoughts. In other words, it is very similar to prayer, as in the type of prayer where you might be fighting a spiritual battle, or praying over a certain attack of the enemy. Maybe one of the most instrumental parts of any church service, especially a service that is geared towards evangelism, prayer before and during the service is extremely important. FYI; for those that are listening: When the pastor begins to close and is going to be giving an invitation, those that can pray, need to pray! I strongly believe that there are angels ready to take action, depending upon, and powered by the prayers of the Saints. The battle waging around us is spiritual and constantly changing in character. The enemy is crafty and deceitful; he is not going to work in the same way or with the same tricks every time. Anywho; we must do our part in this war that is waging all around us, praying and staying focused upon what is happening around us. With that, I think I will leave it at that; but please pray any chance you get before, during, and after the service! Pray before that God would prepare the hearts of those who need to hear; pray during that God would soften the hearts of those that hear His word; and pray after for those that have excepted the invitation, that they would be steadfast and grounded in the word that they have received...

"And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 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. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." (Isaiah 12)

"The Big Legacy"

"One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts." (Psalms 145:4)

  You might have heard some say that there are fewer and fewer people being raised up to carry the torch or continue on in the things that pertain to the Lord; but the church belongs to Him, so if there is anything amiss or lacking, it is up to Him to get things stirred up. I know this might give off another kind of message, one about sharing and passing the torch from one generation to the other; but that is a given, because that is the natural flow of how it works when we simply live out the love of God in our lives. Nothing can happen with what we might say or do without the Holy Spirit doing something in those that receive the message; besides, as was mentioned before, signs and wonders are really not what changes anyone's heart, they only grab their attention long enough to listen. There are some that put ministers of the Gospel in the same category of salesmen, as if they are trying to sell something to someone, in order to earn some sort of commission. To some, that might actually be the case; but for others, it is simply the thing that they must do! This is more the point of what I believe David is saying, because it not the work of one generation to change the heart of the next; that is a work that only God can do; just like it's not our job to save someone, we can only share the Good News, and then God does the work; without Him, the message falls on deaf ears. I know that there are some who will debate that line of thinking; but don't debate it with me, debate it with Jesus, because He is the One that declared it to be true; saying to Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) There has got to be help from God in the process of being born again; it just does not happen without the Holy Spirit! Back to the point which was made regarding the, "Hidden Secret," the thing that brings people into a very strong relationship with the Lord, is not the peace and the joy, but revelation of something that is discovered; something that is uncovered and exposed in our hearts, that hidden secret of what is missing and what has been found; and that is what becomes precious enough to grab hold of, and never want to let go...

"Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but, by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if the gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (2 Corinthians 4:1-7)

"Hidden Secret" -2

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." (Psalms 145:3)

   Escuse me if I take a little extra time with this, as I find it a little more interesting to talk about, seeing that commentary regarding this verse is a little thin. The word that has me interested in this, is the word "unsearchable," mostly because it has several different meanings; but mainly, that almost all of those meanings are declaring that there is something that needs to be searched out or found out. One such meaning that is a little different, is the thought of, "without number," which does not mean that it can't be searched out or found out, it just means that the search is never over, or that there is no end to finding out! Hidden secret is just one of the definitions that caught my curiosity, because I am so familiar with Paul's expression in Ephesians 5:32, where he says, "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." The reason Paul said that, was because he was quoting something said at the time of creation, and was also repeated by Jesus: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh." I really don't need to tell anyone that is a believer how that works, because we all have experienced what it is like to be One with our Creator; but what I am trying to get us to think about is how this experience never gets old or without learning something new about the One that made us. To help us realize how that might look like, John finished his Epistle by saying, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." Notice that he used the word, should, in place of the word, could; because his point is that they could not, because they are without number! Maybe, when that day comes, when we see Him face to face, as we see Him as He is known, we will be able to understand everything we need to, or could ever know; but even then, I am sure there will still be more and more to learn. Fortunately for us, we will have the time to search it out...

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselour? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For in him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be the glory for ever. Amen." (Romans 11:33-36)

"Hidden Secret"

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." (Psalms 145:3)

  It really is no secret that our God is an awesome God; at least not for those that know Him and call Him their God! To get right to the point: knowing the things of God is something that requires us to be in touch with His character and reasoning; which requires the Holy Spirit to reveal those things in us. I can still remember the moment I got saved, and how it was abundantly clear to me that I needed to be saved, in the exact place, and at that exact moment. There was no hesitation whatsoever; as a matter of fact, I was looking for any kind of an excuse to raise my hand or step forward. So, when that opportunity presented itself, I raised both hands, and was more than willing to participate in repeating that "Sinners Prayer"! Surprisingly, that was the first time of many that I have prayed that prayer; because the longer I live, the easier it is to feel the need for His forgiveness. Probably the thing that I dislike most about large congregations, is the chatter that happens when there is a move of the Spirit upon anyone in leadership to go forward and ask for forgiveness. I wish it wasn't that way, but the thing that prevents those in leadership from doing that, is pretty much for that same reason. They are concerned for what might be said and what the congregation might assume is going on in their life. James make a powerful request to the believers, not to unbelievers, but to those that have already been saved, saying, "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." (James 4:8-10) To understand the seriousness of what James is speaking about, he makes sure to mention that it is not a laughing matter. If you are not ready to get serious about the sin that is revealed in your heart, then to is only natural for your joy in be turned to heaviness; but if your heart has been made hard to sin, then it is actually something you must let happen, because your heart will resist it. James follows up this powerful request with a very stern warning: "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 is able to save and to destroy: who art thou to judge?" (James 4:11-12) That is the thing about this, so called, religion: It is all about a personal relationship between every individual one of us and God! There is only One to whom we will be held accountable to, so we had better do all that we can to please that One, and not be concerned with what anyone else thinks about it! There is the hidden secret, in case you are looking for it; because your not going to find it by trying to do good or trying to please others; it is just you and God, when it comes to the forgiveness of sin...

"To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the your men shall utterly fall: but that that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:25-31)

"Never-ending Praise"

"Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever." (Psalms 145:2)

  If you think about what it means to have eternal life, you have got to believe that it means an eternity in the presence of God. According to the way John saw the end result in Heaven, it was about something so beautiful and Holy, there was no other way to decride other than radiant diamonds and precious stones; gold and bright shining beauty, where the sun no longer was needed to light up the day, because God Himself was the light, and His Light was all that was needed. That is a picture of what we are looking forward to, and something that should strengthen our determination to run this race with everything that is within us. It would be wonderful if it was that easy to stay focused upon Heaven, but the cares of living seem to sometimes get in the way. Even though I have dedicated this time for prayer, reading, and blogging, not yet failing to keep it up, there is still at least 21 hours or more left in my day to mess things up. Usually within two or three hours after finishing this blog, I am at work and dealing with the world; sometimes, it is more about the world dealing with me! That is a simple way of saying that it really does not take much for the world to punch my buttons and cause me to loose the patience I have prayed for earlier in the morning. Epic Fail, is usually the term that is applied to that: You ask God to give you patience, and before you know it, you are being tested for patience, and learn pretty quick that you need a little more work. I hope you don't get the wrong idea about me, because I do have days that are better than most; it's just that my goal to keep my focus upon the Lord and all the fruits of the Spirit, sometime feel more like work than they should. As they say, "A apple tree does not need to work at making apples," but if determination is needed to run this race, it sounds as though there is a little work involved...

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, least thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he decieveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 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." (Galatians 6:1-8)

"Our God is Higher"

"I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever." (Psalms 145:1)

  As some of you know, my wife has been in her current condition for over 16 years now; and I have never given up asking for God to heal her. It really is not for my sake that I ask this, as I have become very happy in my role of caring for her and providing for all of her needs; but it is for her sake, that the Lord would make her able to communicate with us, and share her heart with me. Don't think that I do not have doubts, because I do; but my doubts are not in God's ability to heal her; but they are in whether He will, and that He has a reason not to heal her. Pastor Bryan has wanted me to share my testimony with the church since the end of 2018, when he asked me to pray about sharing Easter Sunday of 2019; but I did not hear anything from God, and I did not feel at all comfortable about doing it. As it turned out, Rod and his wife shared instead; and that was Rod's last Sunday to be part of the fellowship. This time I not only feel that God is saying yes, but it almost feels as though He is pushing me out there; almost like I am the scared kid behind the stage curtain, and He is standing behind me, saying, "Trust me, this is want I want you to do!" Anywho, this verse we are looking at has something hidden within it, that I hope and pray we can all grab hold of and never let go! I can only explain it with a vision that was shared to me by a pastor 25 or so years ago. In his vision, he was laying on the side of the road, terribly afraid and without hope; when all of the sudden he found himself out in the dessert, alone and feeling miserable about his life. Out of nowhere, a man appeared to him, riding a horse, held out his hand, and handed him a scroll; as he said, "You are a son of the KING!" I cannot remember what was written on the scroll, or if he had even shared the details of it; but what I do remember is that his whole perspective on his life had changed. No longer was he feeling alone, or afraid, or without hope; and all of the sudden, his life was spectacular and filled with joy and peace. And it was based upon the fact that he was a son of the KING! In other words, the word, Extol, although it is speaking about lifting up the name of the LORD, it also includes the lifting up of ourselves, in the process. We are God's treasure! We are all sons and daughters of the KING! If there was one verse that could bring this all into perspective, I think of Jeremiah 29:11, where God says, "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." The glorious part in all of that, is that it is His expected end and not our own! I have no clue what He is doing, let alone what to expect of the end; but this much I do know: He is God, and yet He loves me: I have been made, a son of the KING, and that is a pretty good end...

"Blessed be the God and Father of out Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trail of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9)

"David's Psalm of Praise"

PSALMS 145 [David's Psalm of Praise.]

  To the point of what praise actually is, it is something that takes our minds off of the process and the doings of life, and we focus upon and show our admiration to the Giver of life, on every sort of level. The last five Psalms were about prayer; even the one we just finished, as giving thanks to God, as it should be, is also a prayer and saying thanks for that which we know God is doing, just because He is faithful and never lies; so we can pretty much just believe it is going to happen: which brings us into praise, praise, and more praise! As a matter of fact, all six of these last Psalms are all about praising God and all of His wonderful works; works that are not only towards us and for us, but works that are done despite our actions and our unfaithfulness to Him. We have been studying the Fruits of the Spirit at our Men's Breakfast, Men at the Cross, and the most important thing we must understand about the Fruit of the Spirit, is that it is of the Spirit; it is not of us, but of Him that lives within us! God does not just save us and then leave us to live out this salvation on our own: He gives us His Spirit to help us and guide us through this redemption process, called, Sanctification. If you will, these are the praise times of our twilight years; the times of realizing that He is going to get us to the other side, no matter what it takes, or no matter how intense the winds might blow and the waves might roar; we have come to the understanding that He just must be praised, no matter, because we matter to Him! We have a upcoming Men's Conference of March 7th, which is an event called, The Greet RACE, and it is based upon Hebrews 12. The general idea is that of The Baton; which represents a race that is not of one winner, but one that consist of many that run as a team. God's Word is the Baton! We not only need to grab hold of it, but we must also run hard with it; but then, we must also give it! The race is really not completed without giving, or passing the Baton! Praise Him with all you've got, because He has given His very Best for you...

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

"Blessed By The Best!"

"Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people whose God is the LORD." (Psalms 144:15)

  There really is something to celebrate, in whatever shape the world around you might be in, because this is really all just temporary and not the place we call home. Matthew Henry points out that David makes an adjustment to his declaration, by starting out with happiness in such a case, the things of earthly blessings and a life well structured; but then changes his direction towards God and the fact that it is in Him where happiness is found, regardless of earthly blessings or a structured life. If you could imagine yourself being persecuted for your faith, would the persecution by something that you would celebrate, or would it be something you would complain about? What if you were stuck in a trial, one that never seemed to end: what then would your manner of such a case be? We really can't complain about anything, because nothing we could go through even comes close to what Jesus went through to save us. What power do we have to change our condition? Yet Jesus had the power to do anything, but He surrendered the power to save Himself! He was even mocked by those who should have known better, saying, "He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross, and we will believe him." (Matthew 27:42) If they only knew that it was their sins that keep Him on that cross! As David started this song, he focused upon everything good that God does and is to him; then he turns his attention to man, the weakness of man verses the power of God. After which he changes his focus, if you will, like looking up to heaven with a reflection back down to earth. There are so many things that are beyond our ability to change, but no matter what might be happening to us or around us, we can always change the way we see things! Is the glass half empty, or is it half full? If you believe in the promises of God, and you believe that He has promised them to you, the glass is always full! It might be part water and part air, but it is full none the less; even if it appears empty, it is still totally full...

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he poured out on us who belong to his dear Son." (Ephesians 1:3-6) NLT

"Peace Through Strength" -2

"That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets." (Psalms 144:14)

  Whether we are talking about a kingdom, a household, or the heart, this is the kind of strength that is required to hold it all together. It is one thing to believe and trust that God is doing what is needed in our lives to protect and guide us; but this is more about taking steps in the areas where you feel He is working and not complaining when you think that He is not. That is more of a thing than you might know, because He is always working, whether you feel that He is or not. We look for something to show us that there is a work of some sort, but peace is actually a work also; without peace, we really don't understand what hope feels like. It might be hard to see what you are hoping for, but it is easy to feel what hope brings! And we have that hope because our God is strong and faithful: He is mighty to save, and He never goes back on His word; but finishes the work that He has started in us! This is why there is no reason to complain, even if you might feel as though life isn't fair, or that you are somehow being neglected. The salvation that you have is more precious than life itself; you really cannot put a value on it, because there is nothing in this world that can take the place of being forgiven and given eternal life in Christ: absolutely nothing...

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but lose for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." (Philippians 3:8-11)