"Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God"

"So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, "My Father is always working, and so am I." So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

 "So Jesus explained, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

 ""I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life. 

 ""And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when the dead will hear my voice - the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don't be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will."" (John 5:16-30 NLT)

 My only hope is that I did not leave out a word, or misspell anything, or add anything; but that it is exactly as Written! By this, is most likely the match that set the hatred on fire! I am pretty sure that there were a few blood-vessels showing in some foreheads; and He still is not finished tearing down the world that they have built around themselves! 

 As I was typing, I almost had the urge to highlight all the, "So's," just so everyone could feel the power of the needle being punched through their souls, pulling the thread of knowledge that was so far above anything that could ever have imagined! I finished watching a movie last night that I could not watch Sunday night, because I was too involved in spiritual battles. I know that sounds a little crazy to some; but this stuff was real, and I know it was, I assure you! 

 I have five Rabbit Air filters in my home; one of which is in the bedroom. When the lights go out, as a courtesy to the darkness, the main filter lights do not come on; these puppies were on, and the main light was red, and the motors were running at high speed! I did not full asleep until around 2:30; as I was too busy watching a Light-show going on all around be and outside my home.

 My Rott, who's name is Buddy, and is really not afraid of anyone except me, was whimpering ever so slightly; most likely because there was a 12 foot high angel in the room that was guarding my door! Yah, go ahead and laugh, because I actually laughed too: every single time those pesty demons tried to act up, POOF, there goes the filters again! 

 Anywho, you can take that for whatever you want; but I know what is the truth, and somebody was trying to stop me! When anyone takes from or adds to God's Word, the Word being those things that do not change or alter, then they have opened the door for the devil to use that misrepresentation as a chance to lie; based upon the lie, which has already been established, he now has ground to stand upon and challenge the Truth...

""My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."" (ISAIAH 55:8-9 NLT

"He Said What!"

"Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole." (John 5:14-15 KJV)

  "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19 KJV)

 Tell me that is dealing with the Book of Revelation only, because there are some serious infractions that I see all over the place in my own life! Not to jump too far ahead, but the end of this chapter really does not give percentages or portions; it is pretty much yea and nay! Also, I couldn't help but think about my own life, 38 years ago, where it might have been that I quite believing the Word? Not that I don't believe the Bible is the Word of God, because I do with all my heart; but somewhere alone the line, I started adding and taking away whatever I felt good about changing: FYI. 

 Let's backup a few verses and revisit something this certain man might have said: "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk." Really! Because if I am not mistaken, Jesus clearly said, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." Big difference, or little difference? You tell me on a scale of one to ten; which one of these is the True Word of God! Do you know what that does to the credibility of God's Word? 

 I spent almost all day and night praying about this, as well as the health of my mom and dad; actually Marianne's mom and dad, but there is really no difference. Marianne and I prayed for hours together, and she never tired of praying! And, as God is my witness, when I would begin to pray for her, she would take her gaze off of me and sigh very loud, looking the other way! 

 I took my NLT and opened to John Chapter 5; reading slowly and correctly, correcting myself on every single word, I explained this story to her and illustrated for her how I felt it was very important that we understand: Don't mess with God's words! Do you know what that means? Do you know who the author is that rewrote certain Scriptures? Maybe only by changing one or two words; but one word can change the whole meaning of the Book! 

 Without getting to carried away with myself, because I know it can drag on and on: I am a people person; always have been, probably always will be. It is not that I like to hang out in big crowds or anything, but I watch people's lives: sometimes, almost intently; maybe even too much, if you maybe get my meaning. I find that if you study people too long, you start judging their character or the way they care too much about themselves. 

 By the way, if anyone might observe me taking notes during the message; you just might notice that I have this stupid habit of writing notes down before they have been given. What a stupid man I am! I have always done that too when talking to people; finishing their sentence for them, while usually getting it totally wrong. You would think by now I would learn a lesson. The verse above has given a little motivation: Read the Bible first, and then talk about it; not the other way around! 

 I truly believe what I have been told about the fall: Adam sinned, Eve was deceived, and Satan lied. That said, I also believe that Eve was deceived twice; by the Serpent at the tree, but before that, by Adam, who touched and handled the fruit! Hate me if you want, but she is a woman; if the man will not take care of his house, she will create some way to get it done. But, she needs to get it right! But don't take my word for it, Adam did name his wife Eve, after the fall. (Please forgive me, Lord! I just can't stop this sinning habit of mine.) 

 Really don't know how much more of this I can handle, but I love what it does, more and more! Maybe you did not get the saying my mom said, but it had to do with: You made your bed, now lie in it! Or is it lay; no, I'm pretty sure it is lie...  

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5 KJV)

"All About Jesus" -To

 "Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus has conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place." (John 5:12-13 KJV)

  "Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: "Peace and prosperity to you! "I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end. He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."" (Daniel 6:25-27 NLT) 

 And then, there is this question about the Man; who I feel as though they might have already known, yet they just wanted to tear this guy down; whom, they surely knew very well, seeing he was spending so much time around the Temple. But, that is just my take, so you can take it for what it is worth: Nothing! My mom would say something to me, that I really didn't understand, but I felt as though I knew what it meant; if that makes any sense to anyone listening? 

 Not quite sure if it was a cartoon or a movie with one or two of those famous dead comedians; but there was this guy laying on a bed of nails; and I would think to myself: "Who in their right mind would make a bed like that!" I don't think I have seen that for several years; then again, maybe it was just a dream...

""When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before. "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud."" (Daniel 4:36-37 NLT)

"All About Jesus"

 "Then they asked him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place." (John 5:12-13 KJV)

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

 Now about that mat! A good lesson to learn, if that is even possible, is not to draw attention to yourself. It is not about you and I, it is all about Jesus! Obviously, this guy who was cured, while he carried his mat around, he was drawing attention to himself. He was just doing what he was told, so it was pretty hard to avoid being noticed. 

 You have got to wonder about the motivation of some that might do some things just to get attention, like walking around with a Bible tucked under their arms, or walking around dragging a cross everywhere, or a host of other things that make people look upon them, if for no other reason, but to try and figure them out. Did that ever dawned on me? Had I wondered if I prayed for my food, if anyone might notice? Is there anything that I do, that I don't think about what people might think? 

 I can't help but think of Malachi 3:16, where it speaks about, "a book of remembrance," and how all that we do is recorded by God, especially those things we do that involve drawing attention to Him! Whatever you do, make sure that you are doing it for Him, whether it is practical, natural, awkward, silly, confusing, or just plain stupid, make sure it is Him that you are showing yourself to! 

 To be perfectly honest, I do more things that are silly or confusing, saying, 'Lord, did you get that? because I sure didn't!', knowing that God has a sense of humor. Even the other side, I have to catch myself after I do something great, and say, 'Wasn't that pretty spectacular, Lord?', reminding myself not to try and think too highly of myself. 

 Whatever you do, never say, 'I got this,' because that is when you really get to see God's sense of humor, at your expense! Did anyone notice how the Jews ignored the cure? They were just focused upon that stupid mat...

"Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Hebrews 12:1-4 KJV) 

"The Authority"

"The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk." (John 5:10-11 KJV) 

  "Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven." But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, "What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!" Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk'? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, "We've never seen anything like this before!"" (Mark 2:5-12 NLT)

 I may have had some more to say regarding yesterday's topic; but it would have been much of the same and would have driven a wedge further into a scar that does not need to be opened. The most important issue that must be clarified, is that of the need to be cured! You must know in your heart that you need to be saved! It is the reason that you are opening your heart to Jesus Christ, Period! 

 Moving on, this poor guy is just dong what he was told! Most likely, he was feeling pretty good about what he was doing, not thinking about Sabbath Day laws, the thoughts of those around him, or even what those Jews were getting upset about. To him, this seemed about as natural and as proper to do, as it was to be able to stand up! 

 Maybe that needs a little more clarification, because without a doubt, there was nothing natural going on this man's life in this moment; the only thing natural about his story, was his amazement that he was cured. What was absolutely a miracle and totally changed his life, only that was what mattered; no law, or thoughts of doing wrong; no concern for what people thought of him walking around with his bed tucked under his arm! 

 That reminds me of something that was real and amazing in my life, which I really didn't think too much about, as it seemed totally natural: I put my little pocket Testament in a safe place, and I received a real full size Bible; and it went with me everywhere I went! Where I would go, it would go! When someone would ask me about it, I would open it up and read it to them! It was natural and proper...

""After this time had passed, I Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshipped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom  is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, 'What do you mean by doing theses things?'" (Daniel 4:34-35 NLT)  

"Oh, Okay!"

 "And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath." (John 5:9 KJV)

  "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV)

 Okay, so we have heard this story many times before; it surely demonstrates the power that Jesus has to yield things, or people, or spirits, to His commands, so we really don't need an explanation to help in that regard. But, this certain man, does not even know who He is! What say you about that? Curious to know, if it even makes a difference at this point or not; or does it make the story so much more encouraging? 

 I have probably heard this message taught at least twenty or thirty times; between this message and the one regarding David and Goliath, I really don't know if there is one I have heard more about, in the last, almost, 40 years of walking with the Lord. Maybe, 'Nic at Night,' come in a close third; but this illustration about what it is like discover Jesus, after you experience His power to save, it still takes my breath away! 

 Just so you know, I have had some serious talks with a few opposing people over the years; but when it comes right down to it, the horse always goes before the cart! I need to watch what I say, because I really don't want to get ahead of myself; as if that doesn't ever happen. That said, I have heard speculation that this certain man's condition was due to sexual sin, some sort of STD, that cause him to be impotent. 

 Anywho; this is no doubt a really good example of Jesus being able to heal, with or without permission to do so; even without the person knowing who He is! Which brings me to the thought about salvation, as to whether or not you can be saved with out the knowledge of your Savior? Some say, before you can know who Jesus really is, you must be born again. Based upon the verse, John 3:3, where Jesus tell Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 

 That is pretty much well and good, if that is you wanting to explain how salvation works; but the very first thing that you need to be born again, is a reason to be born again! You need to know that you need salvation! You see that need, and you are ready to say YES! We can workout all that other stuff later; but I see my condition, and I need it now; not after I learn how it works...

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17 KJV) 

"Three Steps" -2

 "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." (John 5:8 KJV)

  "I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." (Psalm 9:1-2 NLT)

 Just in case you were wondering, the bed that is taken up, is pretty much his cross; it is as though Jesus is telling him to take up the cross, which his bed has now become, as a symbol of the deliverance. That which once held him, he now holds, carries, and displays, for all to see and wonder. 

 When the Lord saves us, we are made into vessels that must be used; you can be used as a vessel that pours out, or a vessel that stores up; one is made for serving others, while the other is for serving self. The deliverance is spontaneous and complete; just as the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt all at once; but Egypt was not completely taken out of them! 

 I know it is not as easy as I try to make it out to be, because it really is not, if you don't want to do what is right. There is a constant struggle between the flesh and Spirit; but the Spirit must be moving in your life! I can tell you without a doubt that my flesh never stops moving; it makes its desires know, loud and clear; therefore, I must constantly obey the Spirit more; the more you move in the Spirit, the more you are going to overcome the flesh. 

 All that and more, we still are trapped in these needy vessels! They want to be filled, to hold onto that which is stored up, and to selfishly claim any hidden treasures as its own. Everything belongs to the Lord! Absolutely everything is His; He bought and paid for our very soul; we are the property of Jesus Christ! 

 Okay, so there you have it; you seriously don't have to worry anymore about anything, because it all belongs to Him. Doesn't that make you feel better? Well, it should! No matter what happens in this life, which is actually a very short life, we have eternity to be with Jesus; our eternity is secure in Christ, so what can happen? 

 Be a vessel that can be used, while the using is good! Whatever that might look like, it really does not matter, as long as you are being used, always stepping forward! Even if you step three steps forward and two steps back, you are still moving forward. Did you notice that Jesus calls it well done, not perfectly done; He is the perfect One, we are His vessels...

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputing: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain." (Philippians 2:12-16 KJV)  

"Three Steps"

 "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." (John 5:8 KJV)

 "The LORD says, "I will guide you alone the best pathway for your life, I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control." Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!" (Psalm 32:8-11 NLT) 

  On a brighter note, this is a perfect picture of what it means to be transformed, by the Word of God! I know that my title says three steps, but in all seriousness, there is one step to be healed or delivered; the other two steps are about demonstration and completion! When Christ has made you brand new, you are a new creation; now you will be demonstrate the power of God in your life, walking out, sometimes crawling, the victory that has been won in Christ! 

 Is it easy? Depends on your point of view! If you keeps your eyes on Jesus, it is incredible and always full of amazing adventures, but never a burden or a disappointment. But if you keep your eyes on this world, it can be overwhelming and out of control; like a merry-go-round, where you just keep waiting for it to stop or find a spot where you might jump off. 

 As to the bed; Jesus could have told him to just rise up and walk, leaving his bed, since he wasn't going to need it anymore. Isn't that what we might expect to happen? Maybe it was for someone else? Just in case, maybe it was for Jesus to use it somewhere else? Maybe all three! Isn't exciting to see how God works! You think your burden is something that weighs you down, but maybe it actually lifts up someone else!

 Better yet: Maybe Jesus will use your little burden to glorify Himself...

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." (Isaiah 55:12-13 KJV) 

"A Likely Story" -Too

 "The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me." (John 5:7 KJV) 

  "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14 KJV)

  Maybe it appears a little too easy, but pride is most likely our biggest issue when it comes to forgiveness. We can try to explain it in all sorts of different ways, but until we realize that one little issue stands in the way, we will not be able to overcome the monster of unforgiveness.

 Yesterday Pastor Bryan gave a really good history story of the, "skin of the kids", something I never had seen before, most likely because I really wasn't looking for it. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just go back and ask people for forgiveness the moment we felt as though we needed to; instead of just keep throwing the matter under the rug and hoping it will just turn to dust. Sooner or later the rug gets lifted! 

 Anywho; I am pretty sure that this will resurface again, as it is not something we can try to ignore; but in the process, there is something that is being overlooked in the answer: Do you want to be whole? Maybe I like this terrible feeling; it is all I know, what else is there? Please, don't say you don't know what I am talking about, because I am pretty sure this is a real thing for most, if not all of us, in one way or another.

 David was called, "a man after God's own heart," yet he failed to ask his son Absalom for his forgiveness. Was it so hard to admit that he was wrong? I am pretty sure that it is important enough to be dealt with; it pretty much has a life of its own...

""So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the alter in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the alter. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God."" (Matthew 5:23-24 NLT) 

 

"A Likely Story"

"The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me." (John 5:7 KJV) 

  "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18 KJV)

 To take a little walk with God, for just a moment, imagine that you were just wanting to be enlightened and wanted to know what it is that He was looking for in a believer. I know it might not appear as though it is practical to do; but in all seriousness, it is exactly what I believe that God expects for us to do. Why else did He make His word available to us, but that we might know His heart! 

 The certain man is now impotent! Powerless, is more like it; even though that might be the correct condition of his health, when it comes his ability to be made right with God, it is an understatement, because he cannot even scrape himself off of his mat! Does anyone know how this must make him feel? 

 Not sure if there is another way around this, but it would appear that this certain man might hold some things in his heart; things which are like anchors that keep holding him down, knocking him down, and keeping him from even wanting to try to get up again. Does anyone know what this might feel like? 

 Now imagine if there is one thing that you might have some ability to do, but might not think you do; and even if you did, you do not want to do, because you cannot bring yourself to do it: What should you do? Maybe sleep on it and try again tomorrow...

"Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplication: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgments with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." (Psalms 143:1-2 KJV)  

"A Certain Man"

 "And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:5-6 KJV) 

  "The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over." (Proverbs 4:18-19 NLT)

 We might look at this with a little humor, thinking that Jesus might have presented this man with a question that was remarkably silly; but in reality, this is really no different than any normal sin, whether it be the addition to a substance, the habit of lying, or even a compulsive sexual behavior. Nothing that we do ever seems to work to effect the change; it is as Proverbs 26:11 says, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness." 

 It might seem unfair to cast judgment upon this certain man, having been helplessly lost for over 38 years, it is obviously beyond his control to do anything about his condition. I myself have often joked about what I might have done, if I were in his situation; saying that I would have crawled to the edge, and when the water was stirred, I would have thrown myself over the edge and into the water. If it only that easy! 

 On the other hand, Jesus was asking a question that required an answer; a yes or no answer! You have to decide! This is a choice between you and the Lord, where the Lord says, Will you be made whole, or do you want to stay in your sin? Remarkable question, but it is remarkably questioned! Yes Lord, but I have this thing, you know, this thing I just can't let go; it is really not my fault, and it really never goes away! 

 I really don't think that was the question, of why you can't be made whole; the question was much more personal and to the heart, Will you be made whole? Basically pretty simple, if you get right down to it: Jesus is simply saying, Will you allow me to make you whole...

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV) 

"The Pool of Bethesda"

 "After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." (John 5:1-4 KJV) 

  "Judah's defenses have been stripped away. You run to the armory for your weapons. You inspect the breaks in the walls of Jerusalem. You store up water in the lower pool. You survey the houses and tear some down for stone to strengthen the walls. Between the city walls, you build a reservoir for water from the old pool. But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One who planned this long ago." (Isaiah 22:8-11 NLT) 

 There are several different thoughts on the point to this pool and the healing powers of the stirring waters; many of which are unimportant to the main point of this message. To be quite frank in the matter of what is important and what is not, physical healings do not do anything but prolong your days on this earth; the healing that matters most, is the salvation of your soul! 

 That said, this is a very interesting illustration of several different circumstances; on the one hand, you have an illustration of what we might be looking for to happen, whether interested in getting healed, or just hoping for a change in your situation; while of the other, what is the extent of the change, the power, the willingness, the self-reliance; the list goes on and on; and, as to if any of that even matters. 

 Even to this very day, there are times I still count the cost: having made a new resolution or commitment, only to self-destruct any plans, in the effort to not disrupt my comfortable life. Call it self-preservation, call it a lack of trust, or just call it sin; whatever it is, it is practically normal for most of us, whether we admit to it or not.

 God is so good to us! He refuses to leave us there in a state of hopelessness; He will not leave His children laying in a ditch or on the side of the road; and even if that is where you might find yourself, then you are there for a purpose! You are not alone, He is always with you, even in your rebellion and distrust, He does not quit!

 If there is one amazing principle to this, whatever you take away from whatever you learn, remember this: HE CHOSE YOU...

"Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family be bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT) 

"Jesus Heals a Lame Man"

 "Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five porches. Crowds of sick people - blind, lame, or paralyzed - lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, "Would you like to get well?" 

 "I can't, sir," the sick man said, "for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me." Jesus told him, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!" Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, "You can't work on the Sabbath! The law doesn't allow you to carry that sleeping mat!" 

"But he replied, "The man who healed me told me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" Who said such a thing as that?" they demanded. The man didn't know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, "Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you." Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him." (John 5:1-15 NLT)

  "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." (Psalms 51:1-4 KJV)

 Maybe you were looking for me to say a little more about, The Token? Well, it just so happens, this little portion of Scripture rolls right into that topic quite well! To be quite honest, this is a little bit of a favorite portion of Scripture of mine, to try and share what being delivered from addiction actually looks like. Which does not go over very well with those that believe in Twelve Step programs. 

 Not to say that Twelve Step programs do not work, because I know quite a few people who are highly dependent upon their success; but they are mostly all just one drink from destruction! To that point, my resolve to not miss a single day of doing this blog, may actually be closely related to that principle. I'm just saying; like that person with the 10 year chip: one drink and it is all she wrote! 

 Anywho: "Be ye holy; for I am holy," is something that is made possible because Christ has already made us holy! Before Jesus washed away all of our sins, it was pretty much a non-starter; we were never going to even come close to holiness, no matter how hard we tried! But we have been given a clean slate, and now we get to walk in the newness of holiness...

"Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." (Romans 6:12-14 NLT) 

"The Token"

"This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee." (John 4:54 KJV)

 "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." (Mark 10:15 KJV)

 If it could be understood, it probably would not mean as much to us as it should; the more we figure out how anything works, the more we try to conform it into something to manipulate or make it something we can do on our own. If you will, this is not a new miracle, but the continuation of that which was the first, the changing of the water to wine, which was the representation of the transformation; while this, is that transformation coming to life.

 I know you might call me bonkers; so what, I have been called worst. There is more to this than that of being the second miracle; just like there is more to being a Christian than that we are made brand new! Something that gets used up, is usually considered to be spent; but what God has given to us, can never be spent, to grows and grows the more it gets used and put into work. 

 Anywho, I don't want to bore you with things that you already know; so I will focus upon the question that I feel is reeling inside your head: What does Psalms 103:8-12 mean in any of this? Well, since you asked: Our transformation is manifested in righteousness, which is what takes from being separated from God, and into a right relationship with God: thus, we have been made brand-new; undeniably new! If you did not notice that you became brand-new, then you might have to go back and see what did not happen! 

 That said, the whole point about receiving the kingdom of God as a little child, is not child-like faith! Jesus complained to His disciples several times about their faith, saying, "O ye of little faith," not so much because they lacked the faith, but because they did not even try to use what little faith that they might have had. When a child takes his or her first step, it is like a miracle being put into work; but as they step out, it becomes more and more practical, natural, and something that is meant to be.

 Call it whatever you want, but it is basic Christianity 101: You don't become a Christian by going to church, just like you don't become a Big Mac by going to McDonalds: God makes you a Christian and then you become the Church...

"So think clearly and exercise self control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."" (1 Peter 1:13-16 NLT)  

"By His Word"

 "And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house." (John 4:51-53 KJV)

  "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11 KJV)

 Maybe one of the most sleepless nights I have had in quite a long while; that's what I get for staying in bed for over a 36 hours, my bed became very uncomfortable! Interesting enough, this is one of those times where Jesus uses a rebuke, to get the attention of the subject; or as Matthew Henry puts it, "Christ first shows him his sin and weakness, to prepare him for mercy, and then grants his request." 

 Now I know that not everyone will agree with me on what I am saying; it is only evident in the way so many churches are headed, that putting the word of God first and foremost, is not really the big ticket item on the church bulletins, or the highlight of the service, to study God's word. I hardly see more than half the people at church with a Bible; as smart phones and tablets have become the new way to show up for church. Call me old fashion, but I like to take notes, so pen and paper in my Bible, that's how I roll! 

 Besides that, God's word is so unending and enriching; why would anyone choose to not dig in and get fed? Excuse me for saying so, but it is not for the good of the church, that is for sure. I do believe that we are surely living in the last days. As I watched the news last night, I imagined what it would be like to be one of those people running for their lives, trying to flee the country to avoid being killed; and I thought of myself turning back to face death, imagining what that would be like. Maybe that explains a little about my sleepless night? 

 Before you scoff and shrug off that illustration, if your belief is grounded on something that does not change, or is not based upon smoke and mirrors, then it will not matter what happens around you, because you are always in God's care, not the world's care...

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:6-12 KJV) 

"No Fickle Pickle"

 "So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." (John 4:46-50 KJV) 

 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

 Sorry for the shortness of words yesterday; it was very difficult to do what I did, but I promise to make it up to you. About the strange thing, which I wanted so bad to get to yesterday; why anyone who says that they are a believer, and does not respect and honor someone that represents God, there is something that is wrong in the heart of that individual. Sad to say, they usually will not see it; and if you try to confront them about it, the result is usually not the one that you were hoping for. 

 Moving on to something more pleasant to talk about, this is a little more like a slight of hand, if you will, where Jesus takes the opportunity to create an example of what makes a true believer. A true believer is that which will believe based upon the Word! Signs and wonders are not the things which make a person believe, as they will not see signs and wonders all the time; and some signs and wonders are only for getting the attention of those that need to hear the word of God. 

 Besides that, there are false signs and wonders, which will take people down the very wrong path; so it is best to focus upon the Word, and not be caught up in the entertainment. This is the case with the nobleman, who believed the word of Jesus, not expecting to first see a sign. The sign which he was about to see was based upon the word that he believed! 

 This is so vitally important and something we must never loose sight of, ever! It is the Word in us that is the proof, the sign, the mighty wonder that we must look for; not something that might be flashed before our eyes, but something that is birthed within our hearts and minds...

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness." (1 Peter 2:1-3 NLT)  

"Isn't It Strange" -Too

 "Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans receive him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast." (John 4:43-45 KJV)

 "The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret." (Daniel 2:47 KJV)

 Well, it turns out that I am not well; so this post may lack a certain luster. Just so you know, this is by far the most I have yet felt as if I should skip this for today, but if I skip it once, then it is easy enough to do it again. So here you have it, something is better than nothing.

 The verse from Daniel is just a little something to remind us what an amazing and awesome God we serve. God is never going to leave us; we might walk away from Him, but He is always right here, waiting for us to turn towards Him... 

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words. in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:34-38 KJV) 

"Isn't It Strange"

 "Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast." (John 4:43-45 KJV) 

  "Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. Plant your seed in the mourning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don't know if profit will come from one activity or another - or maybe both." (Ecclesiastes 11:5-6 NLT)

 Please don't think that I was complaining about my situation; that was me just letting know what I have accepted and considered to be my journey; for whatever it might be worth, I am basically content in this journey, it just sometimes feel good to vent a little frustration. Much like the statement Jesus makes, "that a prophet hath no honor in his own country," He is not complaining, per say, He was just making them aware of a truth, as frustrating as it might be the way that it is; it is what it is, so He deals with it by avoiding going there, altogether. 

 That said, there is another scenario going on here, much the opposite of that which is spoken above; which is the reason that the Galileans received Him. In truth, even I like to see a miraculous sign now and again; but I do not base what I believe on signs and wonders. The closest I might come to that, is the sign of Jesus Christ be risen; which I did not even witness, but it undeniably happened! Other than that, I am fixated on the Word of God, which pretty much is a miracle in itself, having so many prophecies that have been fulfilled; most of which are exactly what was predicted, hundreds, even thousands of years before they even happened. 

 As to the little wisdom from Solomon, it makes us understand that we must remain busy, even if we don't know what God might be up to, it is up to us to stay expectant; which basically means, we expect that God is going to do something, whatever it might be, it is His doing that gets it done. Isn't it all about profit? Maybe you don't understand how profit works; but it is simply planting a seed, and then expecting that something will come of it, through prayer or watering, or through both...

"And he began to teach them, saying, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and rebuked him. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." (Mark 8:31-33 KJV)  

"Jesus Heals an Official's Son"

 "At the end of the two days, Jesus went to Galilee. He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there. As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. 

 Jesus asked, "Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?" The official pleaded, "Lord, please come now before my little boy dies." Then Jesus told him, "Go back home. Your son will live!" And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

 While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, "Yesterday afternoon at one o'clock his fever suddenly disappeared!" Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea." (John 4:43-54 NLT) 

  "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT) 

 Well, the good news is, that I made it through yesterday, and today marks another day! I know it is old news, but yesterday marked the 18th year since my wife first went into the hospital, never to be quite the same again. It was a day that I long to forget, yet I still remain in, as if it never ends. The hope of waking up and seeing it was just a dream, that left long ago; now I just hope daily that Jesus will come shortly and take us home. 

 I find it rather interesting how this particular encounter is so similar to another, yet so altogether different. But isn't that the way things actually really are? There really is nothing that might be exactly the same; there is always some kind of variance, some sort of twist that takes an alternate route; as if there is never the same mold that is used more than once. 

 Never mind my thoughts, they are pretty much all over the place and hard to gather into one basket. But, have you ever started a talk with someone, thinking you have so much in common, but then, as you dive deeper into each other's lives, you get a whole different view, realizing that the roads are almost completely opposite each other. (Not a question, really, just an observation.) 

 When I ever get that statement from someone, saying, "I know what you must be going through," I almost want to laugh out saying, "No, I don't really believe that you do!" Imagine the thoughts that might have been going on in this officials head, if it were you that Jesus said, "Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?" Would you suddenly feel as though you were asking for too much? or maybe feel as though you were seemingly too needy? 

 I cannot say that I know what he must be going through; but I know what he must be going through...

"Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, you mortals!" For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you - our secret sins - and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan." (Psalm 90:1-9 NLT) 

"Message Received" -Too

"And many believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (John 4:41-42 KJV)

  ""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 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)

 Okay, so we can basically understand what it means for the seeds that fell by the wayside; wayside is outside the target area, which is the heart! Which basically means that wayside represents the mind, or the seat of emotions, which means the feelings, such as sadness and happiness; conditionally, moods and the things that are affected by this world and our cares of this life. (I could probably go on for ever, but I think you get the point.)

 When the Word enters into your heart, it because real and alive; something that emotions and feelings that are governed by this world cannot alter, unless we allow it to happen! On top of that, we are given a Helper: the Holy Spirit comes into the heart of us, the moment we believe; so the worldly passions are contradicted by the Spirit's prompting in our life. We see things totally differently, then we once did, being now shown the truth, we can now use that which we have been shown to overrule that which is a lie.

 Does it guarantee we will not be deceived? No, it does not, I am sad to say. This is the other parts of the parable, those things that will cause us to make a unreasonable choice to ignore the truth! Be it the cares of this word, or persecutions, or peer pressure; the little things that mean nothing compared to the eternal life that we have in Christ! Stony hearts don't let seeds grow; the cares of this world will stop what does grow from maturing, leaving them to be choked out by the things that hardly matter. 

 The good seed, I believe is explained in the way that Christ is expressed by the believer: "The Savior of the world!" Not that it tells the whole story, but it includes the world into the story, which then makes the joy of the expression bigger than one's self! This is not a solo salvation that is being offered: you do not get saved to be saved just for yourself. Even the thief on the cross was saved to save others, and still does!

 Anywho, I am pretty sure that there will be more of this to come. In the meantime there is always time to pray for those that you need to show that you love; and then, to love them like you mean it...

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, and didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT) 

"Message Received"

"And many more believed of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this indeed is the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (John 4:41-42 KJV)

  ""Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me."" (Isaiah 45:22-23 NLT) 

 This is a pretty good example of something that I see happening now and again in our churches; it's what we might call, an unexpected awakening, which is many times brought on by a special message, or from a visiting pastor or preacher. Call it being blind-sided, if that is even a thing, or call it being caught off guard; but whatever you might call it, it mostly works for some people. 

 When Jesus shared about, The Parable of the Sower, it was important enough of a message for Him to explain, not only what it meant, but how it works, and why it happens. I have witnessed this myself, in what I would call a real-life manifestation of the birds that come and devoured up the seeds. If you are a little familiar with that parable, then you know what the birds represent. It acts almost like a dark cloud, especially when a large group come forward and rededicate their lives to the Lord. 

 Not to go into much detail, as it might offend someone that might read this; but if you have made a choice to change your life, there is always a part of you that will look for another door, another direction, or some other reason that you can back out of your commitment. The greatest tool that the devil has for any of these choices to be made, is to twist the Scriptures and contradict the message that was received. 

 In all seriousness, that is the easiest way that I can explain what I witnessed with my own eyes. Those that had received the message, and had made such a dramatic and tear filled rededication to follow Jesus, only needed one simple little lie to undo everything that happen; one little deceitful bird to come and remove the truth they heard, which caused the change, and the change was undone! 

 The greatest thing that we can ever do, what we must do, with all of our hearts, is to guard the message that we receive with all of hearts! Is that even possible? I truly believe that it is, if you have made it past the birds! Those were the seeds that fell by the wayside! Now it is a matter of what matters most and why you hold tightly to the message.

 Am I trying to say that the rest is up to you? If you have received the message and you believe it with all of your heart, then yes: We must guard our hearts...   

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority, Let no man despise thee." (Titus 3:11-15 KJV) 

"The Muster"

"And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days." (John 4:39-40 KJV) 

  "Take hold of my instructions; don't let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life." (Proverbs 4:13 NLT)

 As I was thinking about what it means to me, that God always keeps His word, I couldn't help but think of all the times that I have not kept my word to Him. When I say all the times, it is in general, because I have no possible way to count all the times; maybe I can count the times within the last week, but even then, I would probably leave out several moments or events. 

 You might be wondering about this strange title, "The Muster," as it seems to not make any sense; but it was the closest thing I could think of, having served in the military, I thought it might somehow work to show a turn of events. There are several types of muster that they have in the military: there is the general muster, which is usually just a calling together for instruction or a general inspection; and then there is a surprise muster, which is usually at the request of the commanding officer, so as to see the condition of his troops on short notice.

 To be perfectly honest, none of that seems to make any sense! That said, what I was really looking for was the caption of the word, Must, as in the reason Jesus went into this place to begin with; which then led me to the thought of, 'Cutting the Muster," as in, did to rise to His expectation once it all came together. Surprised or not, I am more than confident that Jesus was well pleased with the turnout of events; pleased enough to hang out and spend two days with them! 

 If I could, let me take a moment and share what a surprise inspection might have looked like. First off, you get the call, "All hands on deck," which means that you go right away, and you don't have any chance to comb you hair or hardly tuck in your shirt. Then once assembled and waiting, the commander comes out, walks through the ranks, and then leaves; leaving you wondering if you cut the muster or not. You will usually know within the next two days, in a form of special detail, like buffing a floor or cleaning a head, which means a bathroom. 

 If I have bored you with all of this, forgive me; but if you are interested in why it even matters, it is because of what we usually expect, whether it be from a certain church function, a prayer meeting, or just your routine Sunday Service. We must always expect God is going to be doing something, even if we don't see what He is doing, He is always doing something! 

 I guess what I am trying to say, is that we don't know what it is that will bring about a certain result; it could just be a person that came without even knowing why, who gets touched by a message, gets excited about what they heard, and tells a few people; and before you know it, there is some sort of a revival that takes place, without anyone expecting it to happen. 

 This is God's call to all, always: Be expecting to be called; even the least of these, He calls...

"The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife as a maid. One day the girl said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy."" (2 Kings 5:1-2 NLT) 

"Many Samaritans Believe"

"Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, "He told me everything I ever did!" When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world."" (John 4:39-42 NLT) 

  ""Pay attention, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I, the LORD, made you, and I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free."" (Isaiah 44:21-22 NLT)

 Yesterday morning, on my way to church, I was reminded of something I tend to forget, now and again. It had to do with God's Covenants; whichever one you would like to hold onto, it really does not matter which, because His Covenants are never broken; even those that He might refer to as old, they still are in force and never go away. He might modify or increase the worth or substance of them; especially the ones that might appear to have been taken away! 

 We cannot get God to change His mind, as some might think He sometimes does. If you start at the very beginning of this journal, I started out with the idea of looking at God's will, and the illustration of that which was shown in the extended life of King Hezekiah. I truly believe that God knows all things, so it is only made more interesting to me, when He appears to change His mind over something. Is there two roads that can be traveled? or do all roads lead to one? 

 I know, sometimes I can get pretty weird and carried away; but please don't think I am trying to make that an issue, because I am pretty sure I cannot prove anything. That said, when God makes a promise, He does not take it back: He cannot take it back, because of that fact that He is Holy and Righteous in everything He does; especially in those things that are linked to His Word! 

 It might not seem too hard to understand, if you could just pretend for a moment, you are there: if you feel as though you have been let down; stop, look up, and lift up the name of Jesus... 

"This is what the LORD says: "Was your mother sent away because I divorced her? Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors? No, you were sold because of your sins. And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins. Why was no one there when I came? Why didn't anyone answer when I called? Is it because I have no power to rescue? No, that is not the reason! For I speak to the sea and make it dry up! I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish. I dress the skies in darkness, covering them with clothes of mourning."" (Isaiah 50:1-3 NLT) 

"The Process"

"And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathered fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours." (John 4:36-38 KJV)

  "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11 KJV)

 Having been a part of several large church events where there is going to be an expectation of souls getting saved, I have seen the fruit of that expectation. Matthew Henry has a summary to this, saying, "See what reason we have to bless God for those that are gone before us, for their preaching and their writing, for what they did and suffered in their day, for we are entered into their labours; their studies and services have made our work the easier."

 I am feeling as though we have such a huge opportunity before us; not just because there is so much unrest in the world, but because there are more people praying and searching for answers. In the world there is nothing that will provide the answers they are looking for; but is Jesus Christ, they will find the real answer that they need! 

 What is it that we are looking for? Is it going to be found in the storm or in the calm? I was reminded of the storm where the disciples feared for their life, as Jesus slept; and how, by just three words, Jesus calmed the storm: "Peace, be still." Just like that, and the storm was dealt with! That is a perfect picture of what happens when we give all of our cares to the Lord; just like that, they are dealt with! 

 If you are wanting to try and wait the storm out, you will be missing a great opportunity to reach so many lost souls! If ever there was a time to move, it is while the storm is present, not after it passes! Pray for lost, pray for those that are of little faith, and pray for hearts to be softened; pray the Holy Spirit moves and speaks and wakens those that sleep, for God's word to penetrate the stony hearts, and for Christ Jesus to be revealed in majestic glory! 

 I pray we see the need, as we feel His urging; that love will rule the day...

"These were his instructions to them: "The harvest is great, but the workers are few: So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his field."" (Luke 10:2 NLT)  

"Statement of Fact" -2

 "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." (John 4:35 KJV)

  "Let all that I am praise the LORD. O LORD my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariot; you ride upon the wings of the wind. The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants." (Psalm 104:1-4 NLT)

 Long story short: It's a God thing! Maybe, therefore, there is doubt; sometimes, therefore, there is wait; these are men things! We live by a whole different set of rules, because it is what we do and how we see things; but God's ways cannot be determined by our ways, because if we could do it on our own, then it isn't God's way getting done!

 I know, you probably don't have a clue of what I am trying to say, because I can hardly understand it myself. But, it really doesn't take too much effort on our part to mess things up, as soon as we start setting timelines, or routine practices, or making up a schedule of how things get done. If you see an open door, you take as your opportunity to go through it; if you have a chance to pray over someone, you don't say, Let's get together later for prayer! 

 This isn't really all that complicated to comprehend; but it sure is very difficult to follow! Do you notice that there is a question mark after, "and then cometh harvest?"? Why is that a question, if it takes four months for the harvest, since that is commonly how it works? Man, O man, if I had a dollar for every time I counted on something to happen, but got disappointed that it did not! 

 Matthew Henry gives it a little kick down the field, saying, "They would have him to eat, v.31. "Eat!" saith he, "I have other work to do, that is more needful; look what crowds of Samaritans are coming out of the town over the fields that are ready to receive the gospel;" probably there were many now in view. People's forwardness to hear the word is a great excitement to ministers' diligence and liveliness in preaching it." 

 I think my mom would have used a very popular saying, "Strike while the iron is hot!" What if I just stayed at in my chair? What if I did not raise my hand? When you hear His voice, it is time to listen; when He says move, it is time to move! But, when you see that He is working, it is time to go to work...

"So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 5:16 - 6:2 NLT)  

"Statement of Fact"

 "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." (John 4:35 KJV)

  "Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the LORD. Tell them the LORD looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven to hear the groans of the prisoners, to release those condemned to die. And so the LORD'S fame will be celebrated in Zion, his praises in Jerusalem, when multitudes gather together and kingdoms come to worship the LORD." (Psalm 102:18-22 NLT)

 Before you think I have lost anything, you need to understand where I stand, and why. I believe with all my heart that life is sacred and we are not to disrespect that which God has established and sustains. It is God that gives and takes away; we must endure, and when our time has come, endure unto tomorrow! It has got to be that way for our tent, as well as for those that God has placed in our care: we are to be the caregivers, not the takers of life. Only God gets to take a life, in His time: PERIOD! 

 Okay, we can move on into this beautiful illumination of God's Word! It just so happens that I have this passage, or a portion thereof, displayed on my living room wall, which was something a group of women from the church embroidered when we moved the church from Palo Cedro to Shasta Lake. They were primarily mothers of some of the High School youth; many of which were living in Shasta Lake City. 

 Truth be told, not everyone was excited about the move; some of our Palo Cedro people were not all that willing to fellowship in Shasta Lake; much as this particular place that is being shown to us today, it was really frowned upon as a place to avoid. As sad as that might be, it is really not all that uncommon for those that might feel some people are below them, therefore they don't want to go down to their level, per say. 

 Anywho; here is the deal with this, spectacular view. As has been told, the view from where Jesus was speaking, in this exact moment, was that of men who were making there way up the mountain from the village below. Supposedly, it was the custom for the men of this region to wear white turbans on their heads; so you can imagine what the view might have looked like from above.

 In case you might be wondering where this is going; some say, It has much to do with everything else...

""Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right? Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his? All right, put on your glory and splendor, your honor and majesty. Give vent to your anger. Let it overflow against the proud. Humiliate the proud with a glance; walk on the wicked where they stand. Bury them in the dust. Imprison them in the world of the dead. Then even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you."" (Job 40:8-14 NLT)  

"Question of Origin"

"Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." (John 4:33-34 KJV) 

  "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV) 

  There are few things in this life that are worth sacrificing your life over; but when it is your purpose, it is something that takes on a life of its own. Not too many people get to know what that is like, because by the time they need to fulfill their purpose, they do not even realize that it was there, all along. In this I believe we see the proof of what it is that caused Jesus to have such determination to complete what He was sent here to accomplish. 

  We could try and rationalize the fact that He knew what was going to happen; which I believe is true; but it still takes something more to than just knowing, coming to terms with, or even being determined to carry it out. It takes the involvement of something that is greater than yourself; something that has given you the purpose, the challenge, or the reason to even have the determination to finish the work. 

 I don't want to pretend to know anything about the relationship that Jesus had with the Father, except that they were connected in a way that is way over my ability to comprehend. But what I do know, is that they were One before Jesus came, and they One we again when Jesus returned; what that looked like and how that works out, I have no idea. 

 John's Gospel tries to put some sort of image to that, as he starts by showing Jesus as the Word. Even then, it is still hard to show the connection established here on earth; except to say, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Other than that, the only other connection we have is this, the substance of what makes Him, completes Him, and causes Him to keep going forward, no matter what! 

 Then again, what the heck do I know; I'm just waiting for this crazy ride to be over...

"The LORD of Heaven's Armies says, "The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed - roots, branches, and all. "But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. On that day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies." (Malachi 4:1-3 NLT)      

"Soul Food" -2

 "In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of." (John 4:31-32 KJV) 

  "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." (Revelation 2:17 KJV)

  Just so you know, my plan for yesterday really did not go as expected. I might have forgot something that I have written between the lines of verses 13 and 14 of Revelation 2: "MUST USE THE WORD TO OVERCOME..." It is basic Christianity 101, yet it is also sometimes the thing we forget about, having somehow figured we are well enough equipped to take on any challenge. 

 If you don't quite know what I mean, it is easy enough to figure out on you own. If you ask God for more joy, you might and should expect to get some opposition, like things breaking, time running out, or just plain old stupid mistakes happening with every step you take! What can you say to that? Laugh and say thanks! Yes, it really does work! Jeremiah 15:16 is a special little jewel right in the middle of a very interesting dialog, as Jeremiah complains to God, "Woe is me!" 

 Sometimes we just need a little push or something to put wind within our sails. There is something more to reading God's word than just gaining wisdom! Anywho, I am trying again and again, much as I do almost every day; whether I like it or not, it is not going to get any easier or less combative. Do you know why that might be the case? 

 Just in case you don't, I have written something right before verse 10 of Jeremiah 15, which says, "You can't avoid the fight!" All the way to the very end: Swords drawn and ready...

""You have said terrible things about me," says the LORD. "But you say, 'What do you mean? What have we said against you?' "You have said, 'What's the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or trying to show the LORD of Heaven's Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those dare God to punish them suffer no harm.'" Then those that feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. "They will be my people," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."" (Malachi 3:13-18 NLT)   

"Soul Food"

"In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of." (John 4:31-32 KJV) 

  ""When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight."" (Jeremiah 15:16 NLT)

 Not to get overly excited, but I am somewhat feeling blessed to be living in this moment; there are so many things happening around us, and there are many people searching for answers. Do you see the work that is needing to be done? I am not talking about standing in the mall with a sign that says, 'The end is near,' or trying to pressure your friends and family to get onboard the bus; a joyful heart is what we need, to rejoice and be glad that our Lord is coming soon! 

 But seriously, I thought about some of my expressions of anguish and torment, wondering why it is that I choose to be upset over what I see happening, when I should be rejoicing! I really had to ask the Lord to forgive me for my bad testimony; while at the same time, that those I might have not effected rightly, will not get the wrong message from my bitterness. 

 This goes rather close of that closing Scripture from yesterday, as we sometimes let the giant issues of this world overshadow the great power of our God! Do not forget who is Boss! "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)

 Today I choose to rejoice! Simply put, it is a matter of choice: Will I be glad to be saved and have joy for the hope within me, or will I be depressed for the world, and have sadness for the freedoms that we see are being taken away? I tend to forget sometimes that I am free; no matter what, I have been set free and nobody here on this earth can take away that freedom that I have in Christ: absolutely no one! 

 So, I choose to look at this from a totally different perspective. People that are lost and scared need to see the hope that we have in Christ; it needs to be evident by the joy we possess, within the trials and adversities. That is how we reach them, not by complaining or voicing our oppositions to what's the matter; but making the matter about something greater and far more eternal, than this, that will soon be gone...

"Once we, too were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But - "When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."" (Titus 3:3-7 NLT) 

"The Messenger"

 "The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him." (John 4:28-30 KJV) 

  "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." (Hebrews 4:13-14 KJV) 

 Not to get overly wrapped up in the details of the waterpot, but there are more important things on this woman's mind than that of doing what she came up that mountain to do. Now, she has a mission! Maybe she was in shock; maybe she was just overwhelmed: but one thing is certain, she needed to let people know what she knew, and nothing else mattered. 

 I know the feeling, because I felt it then; and thank goodness, I still feel it now! You get something new and exciting, even though it might be something old, and you have got to tell someone what you know. I remember when I heard Pastor Jon share something about the furnishing of the Tabernacle, how that everything had to have a measurement, except one thing: the water basin used for cleansing. I couldn't tell enough people what this meant and how awesome it was to be pointed out. 

 You can imagine my disappointment when I had some opposition to my explanation of what the water basin represents; so I started keeping this discovery to myself. It is a lot like my fixation on who John Mark was; the response I get is almost as if I am a heretic for making such a claim. So be it, I will just keep it to myself! 

 That said, this is a perfect example of what needs to happen when we have discovered Jesus Christ; in whatever situation, whether we have known Him for years, or have just be converted: if we find out a way that freshly excites us that we know Him, we need to express it and get it out! The Black Hole, the Cell-Adhesion Molecule, the Water Pot that's size cannot be determined; anything and everything that points to Christ and His wonderful power that is displayed throughout all of creation; when we learn of it, we must let it out! 

  Dare I say, but this too important a message to not bring up: If we do not exercise sharing what we have been given, then we will not be given anything that matters...

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end." (Hebrews 3:12-14 KJV) 

"The Interruption"

"And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?" (John 4:27 KJV) 

  "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please." (The Song Of Solomon 2:7 KJV)

 There are some things that happen to encourage or motivate us to make a move, and then there things that happen to cause us to avoid doing anything at all. Which is which, may or may not be understood or known; but just in case you are wondering, this interruption was perfectly timed and anointed. Don't ask me how, because I don't have a clue; but these questions which were not asked, one to the woman, the other to the Lord, were in their minds, but not passed out of their lips. 

 I know you know what I am talking about; it is almost a natural reaction for our minds to think of the worst-case scenario within any event or outcome from an event; sometimes, we might even have the whole thing concluded in our minds, before we even have a chance to think of a question or even get an explanation. 

 Besides all of that, mumbo jumbo, this is something that I believe Jesus was well prepared for, and He knew was going to happen, way in advance! As I said in the beginning, Jesus knew that He must go through Samaria, and He knew that it was because He had to meet up with this woman. He new where to rest and wait for her; and He knew everything about her, before they had even met. 

 How do you think this case can be proven? What sign do you need to make this case real? My first case is quite simple: Jesus is God, He knows the beginning and the end of every scenario! If you need proof of that, then look to the man born blind, or the death of Lazarus; both of which were perfectly timed and anointed events. 

 My second case, it is a little more complicated and harder to prove; because there are Three in One, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; all Three working to get things done! And without a doubt, They all Three know what They are doing, with purpose!

 And thirdly: because it is wonderful to think about how good God is and how amazing He works...

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8 KJV)