"Backing It Up!"

"Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;" (Psalms 149:6)

  If we could, then we should, because the Lord never has told us it would be easy; but it is, if we are doing everything in Him! I have written between these two verses, 6 & 7, the words, "Praise/ Pray/ God's Word." I know that it is not easy to see how God is going to work certain things out, but it is easy enough to understand how He works. Yesterday I heard someone say, "The Truth is always the Truth, Always!" If you want to Truth, then read your Bible, because there is nothing else that compares to or competes against God's Word! This is about the Living Word of God, because not only is His Word alive, but it is still as powerful and meaningful as it was thousands of years ago; it never changes nor grows old, ever! I know that it might appear a little different, as many people are no longer carrying Bibles around; and I feel that is a topic for another day; but whatever form it might manifest in, the Truth never changes, it remains the Truth. The easiest way to say this, is that we are simply the messenger; that's it, and nothing needs to be said beyond what is being said: Just speak the Truth, and let the Truth speak for Itself. People either except it or reject it, but we are called to simply speak it out, and then we let God do what He does best: He changes their hearts! Don't you realize that for yourself? I know I do for me; because before He changed my heart, I was lost; no matter how many times I read the Bible, even the simplest messages did nothing, no mater how slow I might have read them. You know how that works, because if you slow down your words to someone that does not speak your language, it only makes words they don't understand slower, it does not change their interpretation of your words; it just appears more foolish. God does the work in us, and then His Word comes alive to us; just like that, all of the sudden, everything makes sense and has meaning! So, it is not up to us to explain or interpret God's Word to people, because just as it was for a man that actually knew the Word well, he still could not see It clearly and with power...

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:1-3)

"The Gathering" -2

"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." (Psalms 149:5)

  Forgive me for hesitating, because there are just some things that are a little too hard to figure out; at least from a human point of view. I know we deal with certain issues from time to time, it is just part of living in these tents; sometimes they need to be mended, sometimes they require cleaning; and there are times when the thing just does not seem worth anything at all. But God, He is more about the things that matter the most; which just so happens to be the things that we loose sight of the easiest. As I was reading chapter two of Revelation, I could help thinking about the good things being mentioned, yet how they were overshadowed by those things that were bad. It reminded me of what Jesus was saying about putting new wine in old wineskins. Maybe it might be good for us to be kept apart as we are, so that we might appreciate it more when we can soon come together! It is more about old customs and the way that we just get use to doing certain things, almost as if they are the things we are expected to do, without even having a particular reason. Looking back to the first verse, and then placing this verse along side of it, when can get a little clearer picture of what is being said: This is all about God doing something new; as it is His custom to do, especially when there needs to be some sort of an awakening in His people. Sometimes it is not the obvious things that He cares about, but it is the things that are subtle and that are worked into generations; little habits and things that are not even noticed to be sins; but that are things which just distract us, or cause us to stop doing the things that are important to Him. If there was anything of any value to these things we walk in, it is when they come together to praise their maker! If there is anything that might cause us to take more time examining these torn-up and weary tents, it is the fact that we are made to focus upon them, as if they are alone and set apart! We are never alone...

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and his great glory afterward." (1 Peter 1:7-11) NLT

"The Gathering"

"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." (Psalms 149:5)

  Don't quite know what this is about, except that it has to do with a chicken and her gathering her little chicks together; other than that, it was a dream about just being ready, and leaving the rest up to Him! As some of you might know, I was raised in a household that studied with the J.W. organization off and on. We would sometimes go to other church gatherings, but for the most part, it was the one organization that offered a sense of working for salvation that made it feel more about merit, verses the free Gift version of salvation that was based upon acceptance. Maybe it was more about being a part of the process; which is actually now something I totally do not understand; because in reality, each and every one of us are already part of the process, because our sins are what He died for! The word, "Glory," is a word that speaks of splendor and honor; something the actual "saints" do not have without having it given them from outside of their own selves. It might not make much sense to some, but knowing you have very little to do with the salvation you are given, actually makes you more appreciative of the Gift; because the scales our not in our favor otherwise: we all fall seriously short of Glory! That said, there is one thing that brings everything into perfect perspective: Triumph! If you are the least bit familiar with how the J.W. organization works, you know that it is based upon fear of not being part of that organization; in other words, you don't question what is said, and you don't pay any attention to what anyone else might say. If you know anything about what the Bible says, it is  all about asking questions and seeking out answers; something that God has encouraged each and everyone of His children to do: Ask, Seek, and Knock, are not just idle things that do nothing, He wants us to make it personal and exciting! So then, where does the Triumph come into the picture? It is in the Body of Christ! We are really nothing on our own, because without each other there is no Body; there is just different organs and parts that cannot function one without the other. As strange as this might sound, our beds are the places where unity is felt; because they come in the form of dreams and visions. It is much like that strange dream I had last night, the one about the Hen and the chicks. If there is one thing that I took away from that dream, it was that it really does not matter where we are or what we are going through, His wings are big enough to cover up and take us in! We just need to be ready! Besides, having your sins totally forgiven makes for a really good night sleep. Maybe that might be what having our lamps filled actually means, to be joyful in glory? If there is one thing that might cause us to feel ashamed, it will be a hint of no Triumph. The last I check, and I have checked it quite often, Jesus finished the work, once and for all...

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:1-6)

"Levitation"

"For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." (Psalms 149:4)

  Okay, just so you know, I was starting Revelation yesterday, so it was surely at the forefront of my mind; but the word did pop into my head the night before. As many of you know, because I have shared it on many occasions, I always seek out a Title for every post, before I actually start typing anything, even the Scripture. If it is something obscure or flashy, I will look it up; but if I don't know why it is being presented, or how it works into the message, I will ask God to show me what it means and how it applies. He never disappoints! Yesterday was a little dicey, as it was something on my mind anyways; any time I am starting into Revelation, I start preparing myself for some sort of action; maybe reaction, is the more appropriate word. Anywho, I was gently praying for God to give me a title; it was gently asked, because it was asked during my prayer time; which I hardly ever make about anything else but praying for people that I know: and out of nowhere the same vision came into my mind of that "Ax Head" floating up to the surface of the water; thus, we have today's Title! Now that you know how my mind works, maybe you can relax long enough to take part in this message! To be straight on message, I will simply say the definition: NOUN; "The action of rising or causing something to rise and hover in the air, typically by means of supposed magical powers." We all know it is not magical, but it is surely not by anything we are capable of doing on our own! The simple fact is that God is the One that lifts us up! This first portion of the verse talks about how God makes His people favorable in His sight; not because of what they might do or even how they might react! That alone should be enough to simply blow our minds! God reminded me of something very special that is another reason He hates divorce: Because God will never say, I am done loving you! I cannot even begin to image the great lengths that He will go to in order to take care of His children; because I can already see what He did to provide salvation for all sinners. Imagine what He will do to take care of and provide assurance for, all of those that have accepted His free gift of salvation! As high as it might be that we are able to go, we will never be able to reach high enough to disrupt God's grip upon our lives, not a chance! As much as we can, we need to stay humble! However possible, we are going to remain to be humble; either by choice or by force, He will beautify the meek with salvation...

"Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a name by the LORD'S own mouth. The LORD will hold you in his hand for all to see -a splendid crown in the hand of God. Never again will you be called "The Forsaken City" or "The Desolate Land." Your new name will be "The City of God's Delight" and "The Bride of God," for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his bride." (Isaiah 62:1-4) NLT

"Revelation"

"Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp." (Psalms 149:3)

  "Please don't pay any attention to the man behind the curtain," which was what the so called great and powerful Oz said, as he was discovered pulling levers and making all sorts of spectacular things appear outside his hiding place. I know it might seem strange, but there is something we need to know about how incredible this blessing is, and why it is we need to believe every single word God has given in His Word! First off, the word, "Revelation, " is a word that means to uncover, or, "To Take The Cover Off." It is really no surprise that many people who read the Book of Revelation are somehow expecting to find some hidden treasures or mind blowing secrets exposed; when in reality, it is the Revelation is of Jesus Christ: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS! Basically, the point I am trying to make, has a lot to do about distractions away from the Truth; the Truth being the One we all must keep our eyes upon, and quit focusing on all the bells and whistles. Case in point, the case of David's short period of being disappointed with God, because God smote Uzzah for putting forth his hand to stabilize the Ark. (2 Samuel 6:6-10) The word for "praise" above is a little different than most, because it actually takes on the characteristics of "the dance" that is referenced after it. It is more or less the kind of dance where you are letting yourself get loose, as they say, "cutting the rug." If you were going to make some sort of sense out of what that might look like, it would be to detach yourself from any and all distractions, and just dance like a fool, not caring who was watching or what others might think. I think a human example of that might look like, would be from the movie, "Courageous," and the part where the main character would not dance with his daughter in public, but after she died, he went to the same location and pretended to be dancing with her; looking far more foolish dancing alone. But, the point of that is, he did not care! Before he felt foolish to dance in public with her, not now, he could care less about looking foolish; he cared more about experiencing a moment remembering his daughter. So, if you are looking for a connection between all of this silly talk, it would be the part about, "To Cover," which is the opposite of, "To Take The Cover Off." In other words, do not think it is foolish to stand up for what you believe; the foolish thing you can do, is to believe in something you are not willing to stand up for; then you really look like a fool...

"And then it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet." (2 Samuel 6:12-15)

"Reflections"

"Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King." (Psalms 149:2)

  Most of us that have been around and in the church for any length of time, we have been able to observe how easy it is for someone that might say one thing, yet do something else, to be totally and completely unaware of their hypocrisy; never mind what their reaction might be if you try and point it out. Not that we are going to compare this verse with what that looks like, because it is not what I intend on doing; but that is somewhat of a comparison to the opposite side of the coin, if you will, of what this verse is speaking into my heart. If you know how this works, Zion is pretty much the region  in which the mountain called Jerusalem was named; and thus the area of the Temple, also known as the City of David. I know this might be a stretch, but we are never going to be the finished product that God has made, until we are transformed from these corruptible bodies; it is just a fact, this thing called sanctification will not be finished until we are given our glorified bodies. Paul gives us a little look at what that actually means, saying, "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) You should know by now how much I love looking into mysteries and discovering things that are unknown and so hard to figure out. We that might try to discover where that wormhole might go, tend to refer the experience to the, "Swirling Eddies," because there is just no telling where all the layers of information might line up and expose a definitive conclusion to what we are seeing. Maybe it's just me, but the way I see it, hypocrisy is pretty much lived out in almost every single one of us, in one way or another. If you can't see that, maybe examine what it means to be washed as white as snow, and then compared your current life to that, as try not to see the mud that shows up in the beautiful white snow. Pastor Bryan always refers to it as Ownership, saying, "If you don't own it, then you cannot actually give it away." Yes, we shall all be changed! But that is the mysterious part of what the New Creature is all about! The King has made us for His Kingdom, and we are all grafted into the nation of Israel, which are, The People Governed By God! Isn't that something to joyfully sing about...

"Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood and more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." (Isaiah 54:4-5)

"Taking Stock" -Too

"Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints." (Psalms 149:1)

  I have written below this verse, "Sing of new things!" I think it is rather interesting how the two different factors work together, the singing of new things unto the LORD, and His praise being sung in the church, as if the praise is more congregational. The way I see it, those new things are more personal, as is our relationship with God; the intimate things that God is working in our lives, one on one; most of which, is really just too difficult to explain, let alone, sing about. But the old things, the things that never change, those are the things we come together to celebrate and sing about as a group; the doctrinal and foundational things of our faith, something that is shared in each and every one of our lives, together as one. I believe that this is so vital in our understanding of how our walk in the Lord works; because we might not all have the same experiences, but we all have the same love, the same faith, as we share in One Body the hope of His calling; yet individually, we all are different members of the One Body, none more important or less necessary as another! (Ephesians 4:1-16) And yet, in the same regard, we are instructed to use the New Things together, as in the way we communicate with one another. Edifying one another, encouraging one another, and praying for one another, that our eyes would by fixed upon Jesus and the eternity that awaits us. I try to remember to do this whenever possible; but sadly, I fail miserably at making it consistent and constant. But that does not mean we should ever give up! At one point in time, I had a string tried to the finger that I point with, just to remind me what things I need to remember to talk about. If I heard another brother or sister talking about worldly struggles or worry, I would point up into heaven and remind them where our home is actually located, and that this place here isn't it. Paul continues sharing this point, as he takes about A New Way of Thinking; which is pretty much what it means when we are taking stock in this New Life we have been given...

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:17-24)

"Taking Stock"

"Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of the saints." (Psalms 149:1)

  Before I get too carried away in this, I am reminded again about that time in jail when there was about twelve of us inmates gathered in a circle, without any instruments or accompanying music, singing out and marching in step, and singing that song, "Father Abraham, had many sons; and I am one, and so are you; as we go marching on!" That is more than just relevant to what I am about to talk about; it is the entire point of what it means to be a New Creature in Christ, because we are all one big happy family! I say happy, because our joy is made abundantly possible by the salvation and security that we have in Christ; but our happiness is produced in the way that we share in this great adventure together as brothers and sisters in Christ. This is something that we are all a part of, to work out our differences, to express to each other our challenges, and to share and praise God together for all the victories we have in Christ. Is it all happiness and feeling good? Unfortunately it is not; not yet anyways: but our joy must remain! There is such a huge difference between joy and happiness; something that is akin to the difference between feelings and facts. Jesus was sharing something about what this might look like, as He shared about, "Counting the Cost." It is much like a man building a house, or a General that is preparing for war: The major aspect of the endeavor, whatever it might be, is to assure that the resources are there to complete whatever it is that you are setting out to accomplish. Fortunately, in this thing we call, A New Life in Christ, all of the resources are firmly in place! We never need to be concerned about running out of resources because He has taken care of all of that for us; but we do need to keep running the race! Even when it feels we are failing, He has not failed! Even when we don't feel worthy, He is Worthy enough to include us! Even when we don't feel as though we deserve it, He paid the price in full, and we cannot earn it! When Jesus shared about, "Counting the Cost," He started out talking about bearing our own cross and following after Him; which pretty much represents us changing our whole frame of mind; which means, those things we previously put stock in, such as personal relationships with others and the financial securities of this world, they are no longer number one: but Jesus Christ must be first and foremost above all else, and those things will work themselves out! Does that mean we no longer care about anything else? Absolutely not! What it does mean, is that nothing else is going to cause me to give up on following the Lord...

"Because God's children are human beings -made of flesh and blood -the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power over death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested." (Hebrews 2:14-18) NLT

"A Hymn of Praise"

PSALMS 149

  As many of you know, nothing that happens here is able to take away your salvation. That is pretty much a promise that can never be taken back! As this Psalm represents something so vital, I have to enter into the subject matter with the foundation established off of that last Psalm, which was all about our Creator; because just like that very important first verse in the Bible, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth," so too, redemption is something that must be accepted and believed in, in the very same way. That said, there is one small little problem that must be dealt with, over and over, sometimes almost daily: God's new creature! If you ever find yourself asking, "God, why is it that you love me?" you are not alone! Why God needed to do what He has done, is not just for us; because nothing gives God more joy than redeeming His people. The problem some of His people have, is that of not feeling as though they deserve redemption; or if they do feel that they deserve it, then they focus too much on the material, and less upon the spiritual. I was listening to a message yesterday that was about Elijah when he fled to Mount Horeb. It reminded me of Peter, as he makes that very anointed statement after Jesus asked, "But whom say ye that I am?" With confidence and boldness, Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" (exclamation added) And almost immediately after saying those words, he rebukes Jesus for saying that He needed to die upon the cross, and that He would be raised again on the third day. (Matthew 16:13-23) If it means anything at all, the material things are nothing but obstructions in our spiritual vision, nothing worth anything in the spiritual world! When Elijah was hiding in the cave, he had his eyes set upon the physical, not upon the spiritual. Plain and simple, there are two very distinct points of view! As hard as it might be to realize this, but those two points of view are so very close together, they almost overlap, and yet they are miles apart. I know that really does not make any sense; but neither did it make much sense why Elijah was hiding in that cave...

"And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, "What doest thou here, Elijah?"" (1 Kings 19:9)

"Created to Please God"

"He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalms 148:14)

  Whether we are serving Him in the our daily lives, or we are part of a ministry, we must be trying to please Him is everything we do. Whatever we do, we must do it, as unto the Lord! (Colossians 3:23) I actually have this written at the end of this Psalm in my Bible, "We are created to please God." It is not really as much a servant kind of a thing, as much as it is a pleasure to be made part of; as it should be something that gives us pleasure, not because we are trying to get rewarded, but because, He is our reward, already! That is something we really need to be settled in, that there is really nothing more to be expecting from God, as in the pleasures of this life or even the provisions we so often look to receive; He already has done abundantly more than we could ever ask for, as He has given His all in order to give us eternal life! We could look at this in the way you might think of marriage; much as it was for Adam to need Eve, as God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a help meet for him." (Genesis 2:18) Paul refers to this in Ephesians 5:32 as a great mystery, because there is something that connects us to God, much the same as the husband and wife that become one in the marriage. So too, the word, "submit," that is used when Paul says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord," it is more of a response to a position than it is to obedience or submission. The real thought is that of having a responding love, based upon the love that is being given, not because you need to be loved, but because you are loved; and nobody can love us as much as God has loved us! What else is there to say, other than we are loved beyond all measure! I heard a message yesterday that involved a leader in Israel who was asked how you can prove that there is a God, and the man simply said, "By looking at Israel!" God surely loves us more than we could ever begin to love Him back, no matter how hard we might try; but He just wants us to know that He loves us, and He is pleased with that...

"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 show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7)

"High and Lifted Up"

"Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven." (Psalms 148:13)

  Just so we are clear, "them," is everything! Nothing is left out, because in God is life, the life of every single thing, whether it be substance or creature; nothing that exist ever was before God created it, and nothing that was created, was created without Christ! When I first heard this, it changed my whole view of who Jesus was, and what a powerful thing it was for Him to be crucified upon that cross. I was once asked, with much sarcasm, Why would God need to come down here and die on a cross? I was not reluctant in my response, because the answer is really quite simple: Because only He was worthy enough to pay the penalty for our sins! The sacrifice needed to be spotless and Holy; nothing else would do! Sarcasm or not, the question is still the same and the answer is simple; how or why a person might ask it, it really doesn't matter: the answer that is declared will, and always will, be truth! Nothing can change the truth, and the truth remains. Back to that second day of creation: it is not just that there was a separation created, it is that the separation existed from the beginning! Even before God created the separation, His holiness and glory was always higher than anything which was created; plain and simple, nothing created could ever be an equal to the Creator that created it. I can't get that song out of my head, "What a Friend we have in Jesus!" Son of God, and Son of Man; both God and Man in One! Reading Isaiah 9:6, it says very plainly: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Pastor Bryan spoke yesterday of a Bridge Builder and how a Carpenter looks at a dead piece of wood and sees life. Yes, God surely does want us to know Him: He wants us to have fellowship with Him...

"There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God, and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say, "When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people." Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means Christ also descended to our lowly world. The same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself." (Ephesians 4:5-10) NLT

"Chosen and Servants"

"Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:" (Psalms 148:12)

  Talk about the complete package, at this point I am beginning to wonder how many there are, and if there are any that are left without some form of salvation. I know, it's not possible, because Jesus spoke more about hell than He did about heaven; or so it has been said! I am a little bit hesitant to take that line of argument; because I know for a fact, Jesus was from heaven, because He kept saying it over and over: and because He was from heaven, He spoke of it often and with many different forms of communication, both straight talk and parables. I have heard Pastor Jon teach about heaven being much like the Temple, where there is the Inner Court and the Outer Court; the Inner Court being a place for those that served the Lord, the Outer Court being a place for those that served them selves. Whatever it will be, it will be a place where God will wipe away every tear; so there will most likely be nothing there that anyone will complain about, absolutely nothing! One thing I know for sure, God is merciful and is all about love. There is something very special about mankind, something that God did when He created man that is all together different than everything else. Whatever it was, it was enough to cause Satan and a host of other angels to revolt and go against God. I can't imagine how or why anything, no matter how powerful they might think that they are, could even entertain the thought of going against the Creator of heaven and earth; but it happened, and there will be a price to be paid for doing so! There are so many things that I wish I had done different; but there is nothing that I wish I could do over! Sure, there are things I wish I had never done, but if there is one thing I have learned over all these years, you cannot throw away the bad without throwing away some of the good also. We simply need to count all of our blessing and ask forgiveness for all the sins; trusting that God works all things together for the good! I am really not sure how that works, but then again, that's not my area, that is up to God to take care of; and last I checked, He is really good at taking care of business...

""Listen to this message from the LORD, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The LORD, who scattered his people, will gather and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock. For the LORD has redeemed Israel from those too strong for them. They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the LORD'S good gifts -the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and herds. Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone. The young women will dance for joy, and the men -old and young -will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. The priests will enjoy abundance, and my people will feast on my good gifts. I, the LORD, have spoken!"" (Jeremiah 31:10-14) NLT

"Rule and Judging"

"Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:" (Psalms 148:11)

  Maybe there needs to be something to be said about respect, as in, who it is that has the final word. That might not appear all that important to some, especially those that are higher up in the chain of command; but whoever it is, no matter how powerful they might think they are, they are still going to answer to the KING of Kings and LORD of Lords! That really goes a long way, that thing referred to as respect; if there is one thing that each and every one of these cases of people have in common, it is to have respect in some form or fashion; if that is, they want to be prosperous and respected also. Of all those that might have some form power, there is absolutely no comparison to the power of God, who not only has the power to take your life, but has the power to cast your soul into hell; no one else has that form of power, not even close! (Matthew 10:28) "I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world, then stand with the world and be judged by God!" That is not just a quote from Grace, the character in God's Not Dead 2, but an actual way of living, no matter what you are being faced with. You might have heard, "Break my heart, for what breaks yours," but this is more than just a catchy phrase or a slogan, or even a part of a favorite song; that is what having respect for God is, and why it is something to put into practice. If you stop and think about it, it broke God's heart to have His Son die upon the cross; the result of His death is what gave Him joy, but the process was seriously heartbreaking! Jesus too, endured the cross; which does not mean He enjoyed it, but that He tolerated it and suffered trough it, regardless of the amount of pain and ridicule they might have placed upon Him! Now, you think about what that pain and suffering was for, and then ask yourself whether or not sin should break your heart also; because it was our sins that put Him on that cross, each and every single one of them! Isn't it interesting that Jesus died of a ruptured heart? When they came to break His legs to speed up His death, He was already dead; and when they punctured His side with the spear, blood and water came out, signifying that His heart ruptured: He died of a broken heart! You want to talk about respect: Every single knee will bow, to the Ruler and Judge! And know you know why...

"Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things; thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell." (Psalms 86:8-13)

"Life and Covering"

"Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:" (Psalms 148:10)

  It is basically the opposite of, "Risk and Reward," because there is no risk! This is 110% about the power of God; there is no debate, only Truth; you either believe or you don't, because your opinion does not change a single thing: It will always be the Truth! There are just some things that never change; as we witness the miracle working power of God, the work will only work for a little while, because people forget the power of the miracle, and always need another miracle to happen. The great example we have of this is shown to us by the children of Israel in the wilderness. Imagine what it might have been like, being led by God, a cloud by day, and a fire by night! We might not have such a visual covering to lead us, but we have the Holy Spirit within us, who is willing to lead us, just as sure and obvious as the cloud and fire, if we will just allow Him. Yes, some things never change! The title above represents all of this amazing created life that lives without worry; they do so, because they do not know worry; it simply is not part of what they are or how they live. They simple live and are cared for by the God that created them! I am constantly amazed by the "creeping things" that are so good at what they do; as someone that has been in Pest Control for almost 40 years, it never stops blowing my mind how they find what they need to survive; and if they cannot find what they need, they will simply adapt to survive on what is available to them. Simply amazing how God created them to be able to do that on their own; without laboring or making much fuss about it, at all. Imagine what a difference it would be to not worry about this 'tent' that God has provided for us, but to simply move about doing whatever God was leading us to do! Imagine how much more time we could have being busy about our Father's business, if we were not constantly concerned with what we will eat, or wear, or where we would sleep! I know, I am seriously weird and full of crazy thoughts; but you have got to admit, there is really something to worry and the physical condition of the body. I am absolutely convinced, God will watch over us and take care of us, if we commit ourselves to Him, without wavering! It is extremely simple, but it is so so hard! Stop chasing after miracles and be the miracle that God has created; then you will experience real life...

"Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life -whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over the bigger things?"" (Luke 12:22-26) NLT

"Power and Reward"

"Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:" (Psalms 148:9)

  Maybe it is just too soon to know, but there are people that are being pressed to make some very real and life-changing decisions. All I can say, if you are listening; whatever you decide, make sure that it counts on the Lord and not upon the world! Sometimes it is just too easy to take the side or way which has the most visible resources. I know this from experience, so don't think I am just speaking out of thin air. Even when we are trusting God for leading and guiding our life decisions, we can be fooled and tricked into making the wrong choices; it is really all a matter of interpretation on His Word, because there is the way that points to God, and the way that points to the world. Case in point, would be when Jesus was tempted by devil in the wilderness; each and everything that Jesus was tempted with, it was something to be looked at or seen. The rocks to make into bread; the cliff to test God's power; and the ownership of the world, for an easy way out. Oddly enough, these three things were also related to the three areas of sin that caused Eve to give in to eating the forbidden fruit. But Jesus, who not only knew the Word, He was the Word; He had the perfect answer to destroy the argument and to make the devil flee away! The one thing the God has asked up to test Him on, is the giving of our tithes and offerings. What makes that different from throwing ourself off a cliff, so that He might save us? Well, for one, He has not asked us to throw ourselves off of a cliff; so why would we want to test Him in that regard? It is really much more thrilling when you cannot see how it is going to turn out; you just trust and obey, letting God take care of all the particular details. The more we think about all the details, the more we question how it's going to get done...

""The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD'S name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."" (Isaiah 55:10-13) NLT

"Passion and Purpose"

"Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:" (Psalms 148:8)

  Getting back to this thing; as much as I hate to see all that is going on, it still does not discourage me about how things are going; nor is it really something I am worried about. We must not loose sight of the fact that God still is on the throne! Each of these things we witness above are things that come upon the earth and cannot be stopped; they can be cleaned up after, but you cannot stop fire from happening; a lightning storm can cause a fire in an instant. After theses last several fire seasons, I have become a little more aware of how dangerous and unpredictable a ragging wildfire can actually be; you really do not want to be in the path of it, and the path goes in all sorts of different directions. If you think about it, if God can use our mistakes for His opportunities, what might He do with the things that are His? This might be something to meditate on and pray about, because the elements, even the stormy wind, obey Him! Don't get discouraged about what you see happening all around you, because this should be a reminder about just how vulnerable we actually are. I can recall one point in my childhood, when we thought the sun was moving towards us. It was actually something else going on, like flareups or something to do with the sunspots or something like that; but for several months, I remember feeling very discouraged about the fact that there was nothing we could do; that there was absolutely no where on the earth we could hide, because the earth was going to be consumed by the sun. Anywho; even that would not worry me now! That might be my biggest fear of how I might die, to die by fire; but if it were to happen that way, I am pretty sure that it would be instantaneous and painless. Besides, it will only be this body that gets destroyed; which is only just a borrowed tent to dwell in. Above all else, we must remember that God will fulfill His word; no matter what it might look like or how little it all might make sense; God will keep His promises...

"God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:23-28)

"Heart of Reconciliation"

"Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:" (Psalms 148:7)

  As I was praying about this verse, wondering what it was God might speak into my heart; my heart became the subject of our conversation. I recalled the final answer that I gave to Pastor Bryan during our interview, and why that answer was what it was: because our hope is not just in eternal life, our hope is all about being reconciled to God! It was the LORD God that called David, "A man after God's own heart." And, as I though about that this morning, the heart of God is to reconcile us back to Him! I remember when that play came to our church, "Toy Maker and Son," that is showed, with a simple message, how it was that the Father and the Son both desired those that created to be saved and to have fellowship with Them. The answer I gave was no doubt the Holy Spirit speaking, because the whole point was that of David physically and instantaneously living out that which was in his heart: that is what hope looks like! It doesn't even need to be discussed or thought about; you just jump up and dust yourself off, because your heart knows first hand where you are going! If you think about it long and hard, David could have had some serious doubt; after all, he had a faithful friend killed, just to cover up his sin. But he was strongly reminded, his sin was not hidden from God! Fortunately, he also knew God's heart, he knew God's promises were sure, and he knew what he needed to do to be right with God. When you also think about his answer, "For against You, You alone have I sinned," there was only One who observed everything that he did and knew the intentions of his heart; how he plotted and deceived; making every effort to hid what he had done. Still, with all of that, he knew that God had forgiven him, and that he was still going to one day be reconciled to God! That my friend is what faith looks like: the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: and God says, "Come, let us reason together"...

"But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the place thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears." (Job 28:12-22)

"Confirming The Truth" -Too

"He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass." (Psalms 148:6)

  You Know! That is pretty much the most confirming thing there is, that we know the truth, because the Truth lives within us! John makes a very specific statement in his second Epistle, saying, "Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son." (2 John v.9 NLT) It is much the same as his saying in 1 John 2:19, "These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong to us." (NLT) That word, "stablished," is a word that speaks about more than just establishing something; it speaks about "To Stand" as in, to set firmly and to sustain, for ever! As much as it might get old, I must say it again: "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!" That does not even need to be argued, because it is the truth; confirmed over and over by all of the prophets and apostles, and by millions of saints! If that does not do it, the word, "decree," is like a Rock! It is a law, much like the law of gravity states, "When a rock falls from the sky and hits you, it is going to hurt!" There is no way to change the outcome, because the outcome is definite! Why do people that come to Christ turn away? It is obviously not because of what He offers, because there is no other place where what He offers can be found! Truth be told, it is simply because they were looking for something else; an easier life, maybe; or maybe some way to feel better about their self, to feel comfortable and secure; maybe to have peace, but without any threats or trials. Last I checked, none of those things were written on His nail-pearced hands! In this life, there is only one thing that does not change, our position in Christ! Are you in? Then you know it! If there is something that you doubt, then affirm it! That does not mean you need to know everything; you just need to know the cross is where your sins were dealt with, and because He rose, you have eternal life! Everything else is left for this world to figure out, because those two things are all that really matters...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And lets run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4) NLT

"Confirming The Truth"

"He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass." (Psalms 148:6)

  HE is Risen! Yes, there is no way to deny or change what He has done; though many have tried to do just that, for thousands of years. It is still provable, as much as it was back when it happen. If you doubt that is a fact, then I challenge you to search out the truth on your own and find out for yourself what the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior really means, and why it is so important. You know, there have been people throughout the ages that have searched for and tried to find the hidden secret to eternal life; without Jesus, there is no possibility of finding it, but once you have Him in your heart, you know that you have it! Oh, there are times of doubt and periods we go through that we question our security and our salvation; but who has changed in those times, because God has always kept His promises! I find that there is an easy answer to doubt: When in doubt, check it out! Those are the times when we carefully consider what it all means; even weighing the options and settling things in our hearts and minds. There is absolutely nothing wrong in that; in fact, God encourages us to make our calling and our election sure; because the more we go after God, the more He goes after us, and in a very good way! There are so many different ways that God can use and touch our lives; but the truth will always point to Jesus Christ: He is the beginning and the end; the question and the answer are both all about Him. Case in point: Where did life begin? God said, "Let there be Light!" John, speaking of John the Baptist, said, "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe." (John 1:7) There, is a small little tiny bit of a clue, because it is not until we come to the Light that we can actually believe; just like that tiny little mustard seed of faith, that little seed needs to surrender and die, before it can become alive and grow; to grow large enough that it becomes like a tree; a tree large enough, the birds can come and rest upon it! You know what birds represent? Many things, that is for sure; but the one thing they are know for is picking up seeds and carrying them away; eroding the truth, taking away little pieces of truth, little by little. We must stay in the Word, because without it becoming a constant part of our life, we will loose faith. You may not know this, but most of the men that are pastors, are committed to being a pastor because it keeps them in God's Word. It just becomes a committed discipline, and for the most part, it actually works! Paul admonishes Timothy, saying, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Timothy 2:1-3) Any time that Paul uses, "Christ Jesus," he is referring to the Resurrected and Glorified Jesus Christ! HE is Risen, Indeed...

"Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?""
(John 11:25-26)

"Doors Shut"

"Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created." (Psalms 148:5)

   As with anything that might be considered holy, if it is holy, it is because God has made it so, to be holy as He is holy. We don't get to make the rules here; the rules are established by God, and those rules give glory to His name, one way or another. It is a little like that saying, "So let it be written, so let it be done," once God commands it, its done! I know I have shared on this before, but it is important and needs to be shared again. To the question of whether or not anyone can loose their salvation, it is really not possible to loose something that is not yours; because our salvation belongs to the Lord! Sure, we hold onto it, and we make use of it; but it belongs to Him, and as such, it is His to loose or to keep secure: and He never looses anything! If we have been born again, we are born in the Spirit, which is eternal; that means the life we have been born into changes from the here and now, to the beginning and the end; it is a whole new ballgame, where all that was before has passed away, and all things are new, and they are of God! (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) It is a little bit like what is said about marriage: "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." (Mark 10:9) It was Jesus that said those words, as He was asked about divorce, and whether or not it was lawful for a man to put away his wife. If we are truly honest, divorce is nothing less than giving up! It is the same reason that God hates it so much, because He never gives up on us! I am under the careful belief that our free will is surrendered once we give our lives to Him. I say careful, because we must be careful to remember it! If you have ever read that little book, "My Heart Christ's Home," then you understand what I mean. When He knocks at the door, and we let Him in, He shuts the door! Our ability to practice our free will just got altered; no pun intended! We know Who's we are, because our lives have been drastically change; we know that even more when we are squeezed, because the stuff that comes out is of God...

"Say this to those who worship other gods: "Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens." But God made the earth be his power; and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. Those idols have no breath or power. Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven's Armies is his name!" (Jeremiah 10:11-16) NLT

"Open Doors"

"Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens." (Psalms 148:4)

  I couldn't help but think about my marriage, and how it was I was determined to have an alter call during the wedding ceremony. I was inspired by a book that I read after I had became a Christian, by Brother Andrews, called, God's Smuggler. What this might have to do with anything, I really don't quite know; but I don't really ask too many questions why anymore; I just hold on and enjoy the ride! It might have something to do with the windows of heaven; or in the case of what God is speaking into my heart, the doors of heaven; meaning the doors that God opens and closes! The greatest lesson in this is found in the Book of Acts; two such instances, one that released someone from jail, the other one, that released the jail from prison. We sometimes have no clue what God is doing or why it is that He allows us to go through certain trails; but that is not our concern; even though we try to make it our's to know! Our number one concern is to obey what God says, simply by doing what He says to do; we make it hard to do that, when we start trying to figure it out and trying to find a way that makes sense to get it done. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense! I remember hearing something that someone said, I think I shared it before: "If we can do it ourself, God won't do it; but if we cannot do it, God gets it done!" Or something to that affect. One of the things that Brother Andrew shares in his book, was how they did church in some of the areas where it was forbidden; that they had plenty of funerals and marriages; sometimes, multiple times for the same persons. So when I mentioned to Pastors Jeff and Jack that we wanted to have an alter call at our wedding, they both looked at each other and then question how that might work. The office door was open, and Pastor Mike and Pastor Dan were walking by, as they were coming back from lunch; so, Pastor Jeff called out to Pastor Mike, saying, "Mike come here for a minute;" then he asked me to tell Pastor Mike what I wanted to do at my wedding. I really did not say much at all in the the way of explaining, I simply said, "I won't to have an alter call at my wedding." And Pastor Mike said, "That sounds like a wonderful idea!" So, Pastor Jeff turned to my wife and I and said, "Here is the Pastor that will be marrying you both!" And immediately, Pastor Dan popped his head in the door, and said, "And I will perform the music!" Anywho, I hope you get the just of what this is meant to say; because we don't really have any control over the opening and the closing; that is totally and completely God's area of expertise! You want to know why that might be? It is because He knows who and what will come through any door that He opens; and He knows what doors to shut to keep them out. We don't even know where the door is, let alone which door needs to be opened or shut! Not to change the subject, but the "water' spoken of above, it also means piss. Don't ask me what that has to do with anything, because I have no idea. But one thing I know for sure: If it looks like things are going to get messy, it is because God's cleaning it up...

"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." (Genesis 1:6-8)

"Fellow Worshippers"

"Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light." (Psalms 148:3)

  As powerful as it might be, the sun is still subject to the rule and the power of God. I know that there are those that worship the sun, as if it has power to do anything but give off light and energy; but it too is subject to the commands and precepts of the Creator of heaven and earth, just as we are; there is nothing at all that is outside of God's control. As Pastor Bryan was sharing about Passover yesterday evening, I could help but think about the fact that the children of Israel were instructed to dress as if they were ready to depart; as they had marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb, they stayed behind those closed doors, dressed ready to depart. I can't imagine what it might have been like, to be standing there, listening to the screams in the distance, as the LORD smote all the firstborn not protected behind those closed doors. This is some pretty serious stuff, much the same as what each and everyone of us are charged with, as those around us that do not know Christ are subject to death. I don't think that it is without a reason that they were dressed that way; even though they were not actually allowed to leave their homes. Neither is it not for a reason that we are still here; as God uses those who are called to prepare a way for others to be saved, each and every day! Another thing that Pastor Bryan mentioned last night, was how Exodus was really not about His children's exit from Egypt, but about them entering into worship with Him. Worship might take on many forms and practices; but the main point of all worship, is Who it is that we worship! Everyone is going to worship something or somebody, that is just a fact of being alive and subject to death. As a matter of fact, there are those alive that might even worship death; as I know that I was once such a person, pushing the limits of drug use and weirdly looking forward to death. Isn't that amazing, how that is no longer an issue! The more I think about it, we all called to standing just as those children of Israel were, as that death was happening all around outside, they were dressed to depart; not to depart into death, but prepared for a journey, even for an adventurous journey! I get to see people that might be faced with some sort of death; whatever it is that they might be faced with, if they are a believer in Christ, the first thing I do is to remind them that they are not going to die; death has lost its sting! As much as I hope and pray that will do the trick, it does not always change their point of view; at least not right away. In reality, the closer we get to dying, the closer we get to real life; life eternal with Christ! As you gaze up into the night skies, remember those stars you see are worshiping also. Remember that God has placed them there to remind us of His promises; as with everything else around us, especially the sun and the moon; keeping their distance and fulfilling His purposes...

"And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; if ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me." (Jeremiah 33:19-22)

"Host of Most"

"Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts." (Psalms 148:2)

  Not to be controversial, or even pragmatic; but when did the church become nonessential? Just kind of wondering how that came about, because last time I checked, we were a Christian Nation that was founded upon a belief in God; or has that somehow changed over the last 12 years? Anywho! Who are these, "His hosts," and why should we care? It is interesting that the psalmist issues this command, because it is hardly even something that is necessary: the angels in heaven are always praising God! The actual word, 'mal'ak,' is word that speaks of messenger or representative; and the last time I checked, that would include any and all of His saints, as well as all those that exist in the unseen world. I have got to be straight and honest about what we are witnessing: the current time is a time when the saints throughout the world are celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and for the very first time, that celebration is being altered and banned from happening within our churches. Don't get me wrong, I really kinda like the steaming live service; but the celebration part of it seems a little off. It started with limiting groups to 250, then it went to 50, then 10; what is it now? I don't even know! Personally, I want to open up my home for some sort of gathering. I have the perfect living room to host at least 10 people comfortably and spaced at least 6ft apart. Heck, I even have 3 Rabbit-Air filters in my living room, to help and purify the air. I heard something yesterday on the news that surely did not make any sense, that there was talk among some, of trying to say that the churches should stop doing Live-Streams or broadcasting services. Does anyone else out there have spiritual antennas? Because mine went up immediately! No, I am sorry; but there is a smell of someone else at work here; can't you smell that smell! I like what Matthew Henry says, as he tries to explain why this request is even necessary, at all: "But what is meant by the psalmist's calling upon them, and exciting them to praise God, is not so easy to account for. I will not say, They do not heed it, because we find that to the principalities and powers is known by the church the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. 3:10); but I will say, They do not need it, for they are continually praising God and there is no deficiency at all in their performance; and therefore when, in singing this psalm, we call upon the angels to praise God (as we did, Ps. 103:20), we mean that we desire God may be praised by the ablest hands and in the best manner, -that we are pleased to think he is so, -that we have a spiritual communion with those that dwell in his house above and are still praising him, -and that we have come by faith, and hope, and holy love, to the innumerable company of angels, Heb. 12:22." So, as you might see, all of us and all of them, we all get to Praise Him together...

"Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, harkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul." (Psalms 103:20-22)

"Heaven of Heavens"

"Praise ye the LORD, Praise ye the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights." (Psalms 148:1)

  I cannot begin to count the times that I have gazed up in the stars at night, trying as hard as I could to see something, anything that would show me a sign or a reason for what I was looking at and why God made it so vast and wonderful. As remarkable as it might appear, I really don't think it can hold a candle to where God dwells! Paul gives us a little taste, as his description of heaven was that which was based upon sound, not sight. (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) How do you describe sound? And if you could, would it be the same description to everyone that hears it? What we must do, more than just imagine that there is a heaven, is to be a part of heaven. I know that might sound a little mystical and odd; but it is the only way that we can set our affections on heaven, by making ourselves a part of heaven! Jesus told those that followed Him, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." (John 14:1-4) This, in a nutshell, is Jesus presenting ownership in heaven to those that follow Him. There is a place, a place where there are many mansions! If that wasn't so, Jesus would not have described it as such! And, if you can believe it or, He is preparing a place for you; yes, You! If that were not so, He would have not said that also! I am of the option that those places are already prepared and well kept; He is simply waiting for His Father to give the order, "Go and get your Bride!" And then, wherever He will be, we will be also! The way is absolutely simple, because Jesus makes it abundantly clear: You believe in God, believe also in Me! Don't be troubled...

"Sing, O Heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me." (Isaiah 49:13-16)

"Praise the Lord!"

PSALMS 148

  Be that as it may, is also our response to anything and everything that might appear to be tragic or devastating in our lives, regardless what it is, we praise the Lord! Matthew Henry ends his commentary of Psalms 147, saying, "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world! Even so, Father, because it seemed good in thy eyes." As we come to this Psalm, it is easy to see that there is praise expected from everything and anything; rocks included! Not to change the subject, but I hope you saw the connection I was trying to make between what Jesus answered that command of the Pharisees with, and His proclamation to the city of Jerusalem. Let's just say the connection had to do with the title: Appointed Decisions. If you are looking for a reason that God might allow something as widespread and catastrophic as this virus to take place, the list is long and reasons are numerous, too numerous to even number. I witnessed something a few months back, it took place in the People's House of Virginia; as they passed a bill that allowed the doctors to kill a baby that might have been delivered at full term, they were all dancing around rejoicing, as if they all had just won the lottery. That might not seem reason enough, but it is just the thought of how much joy was displayed; spontaneous joy, if you catch my drift. On average, there are 125 babies aborted every single hour, in this country alone; The Land of the Free and the Brave; or so they say! That alone is reason enough, if it was just happening here. But that is just my opinion: Be that as it may! Because I know a lot of people will not agree. It can't just be about money; although, I am sure it is for some. It is something that is sinister and spiritual; something that is very closely related to the pagan rituals performed years ago. Who in the world sanctified human life? Ya, I thought so, nobody here on this earth did it, because it was sanctified by God! He created us, and He sanctified the life that He has given us! As we shall see, going though the verses that He has written, there is nothing that is not obligated to praise Him; every single thing in all existence was made by Him! Oh, and in case you did not know this, the Him is none other than Jesus Christ...

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3)

"Appointed Decisions"

"He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalms 147:20)

  Be that as it may, is something that is sometimes used in response to an excuse; at least it was in my house, when ever I told my mom a reason I did something that I should not have done. As if my reason was going to change the punishment; when, in most cases, the punishment just got worse! I could help but think of Saul, when he told Samuel why he disobeyed God, by not killing everything; saying, "They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed." (1 Samuel 15:15) You have got to take notice of something here, because Saul said, "thy God," and not, "our God." That is what this verse is speaking into my heart this morning, which falls very close to the reaction of the Pharisees, as they instructed Jesus, saying, "Master, rebuke thy disciples." (Luke 19:39) The first thing we need to understand, more than anything else, is that God makes the rules! We don't get to decide what the rules are, and we don't get change the rules to fit our desires. What we want really does not matter, unless what we want is what God wants! God really does not leave anything out, because He tells it like it is: You do what I say, and you will be blessed; you don't do what I say, and you will be a mess! Personally, I believe that counts for everyone, including each and every one of His children! The question might be, Can you be saved and still wreck your life? Oh, my goodness; that doesn't even require much thought at all: because it happens all the time! If you need a little example, look no further than Samson; who is actually listed in the Hall of Faith. There is absolutely nothing that we can do that God does not already know, even before we think about doing it; He already has an appointed decision, ready to answer for the things that we have done. Case in point, was the answer Jesus gave to those Pharisees, saying, "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." (Luke 19:40) Immediately after that, Jesus was coming near to the city, and beholding it, He wept over it...

"Saying, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."" (Luke 19:42-44)

"The What If"

"He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel." (Psalms 147:19)

  So, we are a little bit like a kite; in the way that God makes us, lets us go, guides us using the wind to push us up and down and all around; and then when we get tangled in a tree, He gets us out, mends us, and lets us out again. Don't ask me where that came from, I was just waiting for God to give me something inspiring to share. Most of the kites that I have made, they get used once or twice, and then they get lost in the garage or attic. I heard a little message yesterday that seemed pretty amazing, which has to do with the times in the Bible where it says, "And the LORD God changed his mind." As if God could, or even would! If He knows all things, from the beginning to the end, why would He need to change His mind? Have you ever been promised something by your parents, and then they use that promise as leverage against you, in order to get you to obey? In a weird and mysterious way, that is pretty much what I see this verse is really talking about. You know, having been a parent myself, and having done the very thing that my parents did to me, I know for a fact that they never really meant that they did not want to give me what they promised; that they were just hoping that I would do right, so they could fulfill the promise that they made me. If that is what happens to our earthly fathers, imagine the joy and pleasure it gives for the Father that loves us unconditionally! I use the BlueLetterBible to look up the meaning of many of these words; and it could be a mistake, but the Blue Letters on the page after, "word," are listed twice. If it is intentional, I can understand it, because God usually does need to tell us to do something more than once. Basically, the point I am trying to make, has to do with the promises God makes to us, when He changes us; and then all the things He prescribes and decides to do to us, in order to carry them out...

"So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?" No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?" When the potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentles. Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, ""Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before."" (Romans 9:18-25) NLT

"To Be Consumed" -2

"He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the water to flow." (Psalms 147:18)

  If there is anything worthy to be said about this, it would be the pause. Sometimes, it is good just to hit the pause button; especially during the most important part of the movie; and most importantly, if there is some sort of distraction going on. I am one of those people that likes to pay attention to any movie that I might be watching; and if I am showing a movie, I get annoyed when the people that are watching it with me are not paying attention also. I know, I am just weird. Anyway, this is not just a once and done kind of experiment; this is God making good on a promise, that everything is Good! If you are like me, those of us that like to try and see the good in any situation, we tend to like to look beyond the circumstance and view the destination. It is a little like that scene in Willy Wanka, when that were all in the boat, freaky out over all the stuff flashing all around them; all the while, Willy Wanka is smiling because he knows where that ride is going to end up. The most important thing for any of us to know, is that each and every circumstance is a chance to give God the glory! Anything, and all things; no matter how critical or out of control it might seem; God does not change, and His message remains the same! Did you know, it really doesn't matter how bad it gets, people are still going to either curse Him or praise Him? It is really not the fault of the circumstance; it is all about a matter of the heart: if they love and worship God, the circumstance will warm their heart and cause them to trust Him more: if they have no respect for God, the circumstance will harden their heart and cause them to curse God, even if they know that cursing Him makes it worse. You really can't make this stuff up; besides, it is pretty much all recorded in the Bible. Maybe it comes down to who "them" might be; because them is a pretty much all of the children, those spoken of back in verse 13; or it is His word that is sent out; or it might just be those that try to stand before His cold: Who could it be? If you want to know what I think; I think it really doesn't matter; because if you are His, it's all good; but if you aren't, not so much...

"Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that's the way it was before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba Father." Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir." (Galatians 4:1-7) NLT

"To Be Consumed"

"He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow." (Psalms 147:18)

  As for as the word, "cold," goes, there might be a little mystery associated with that word after all; if you are into the principle of preparation, as in, God's preparation of His servants to listen or take notice. I know, you are probably thinking that thing I hear so often: Here you go again, spiritualizing the text! Well, it is really not anything that I might be ashamed of, because if truth be told, it was the Holy Spirit that actually wrote everything we are reading; so let us let the Spirit speak! Actually, I was thinking of something that is pretty cool, as in, "the cool of the day." We can find that phrase in the garden, as Adam and Eve hid themselves from God, because they were ashamed. This might be a little hard to visualize, but if there are any indications of conviction, I am pretty sure this process matches up pretty close with what both of them felt in the cool of that day! Personally, I know for a fact when I sin, so I hardly ever need God to remind me when it happens; neither did Adam and Eve; they were totally and completely convicted, so much so, they tried as hard as they could to cover up their sin. Just so you know, both Adam and Eve are going to be in heaven when we get there, because they were forgive of their sins! I know it might not have looked so good at the time, but there was something that took place, which caused there to be repentance and forgiveness. That said, there is still a little matter of consequences; something we tend to sometimes overlook. How do I know? you might have asked? Another little discovery; one that was actually made by Adam...

"Then the man -Adam -named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. Then the LORD God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!" So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:20-24) NLT

"No Doubt About It!" -Too

"He casteth forth the ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?" (Psalms 147:17)

  Hope is not just looking for something to happen, it is living your life based upon something you know in your heart is for sure! No matter what, none of this matters; God is on His throne and is ultimately the one that is in charge! I really hope that you believe that, my dear brothers and sisters. The is more to the little bits of God's Word then we could ever realize or understand. Not to get all weird on you, but sometimes just a word is enough to change somebody's life, forever. That is what I believe this word, "morsels," is actually representing within the context; because it's really not about what any particular word might mean: it is about it means to you and me in the moment that God flashes it upon our hearts. Which is exactly what Isaiah was saying within the, "line upon line; here a little, and there a little," line of thinking; because God's Word is alive! And precisely that reason, makes His Word come alive in the reader; like any encounter with anyone, the encounter moves on and the moment always changes; it is new with every new encounter! But the most amazing thing about this encounter, is that God never changes; it is we that change, moment by moment, with every new thought or experience, we change; so let us change for God! Anywho; I don't want to get carried away, but it is a lot like when Jesus said, "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed," because it is really about how big our faith is, it is about how Big our God is, Who we put our faith in. Which brings me to this second part of the verse: "who can stand before His cold?" No big mystery on the word, "cold," because it means cold; the mystery is in the word, "stand," which means a whole lot of different ways and things; all of which represent any and every way that anyone could feel confident or secure in anything else but in God! You do know that Job is believed to be the oldest Book of the Bible, right? You have really got to wonder why God puts certain things in certain places; here a little, and there a little! Precisely why we need to read our Bible precept upon precept; line upon line: because God speaks to us between the lines; through every little letter, or pause, or syllable, there is a chance for encounter, because His Word is alive...

""Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gathered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen."" (Job 38:28-30)