"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)