"A Love-Feast"

 "As the Father hath loved me, so I have loved you: continue ye in my love." (John 15:9 KJV) 

  "Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down onto God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT)

 Here is something that might seem a little interesting, seeing that there seems to be a world spinning out of control: God's love is not our love, because we cannot love as God has the ability to love! We must abide in Christ, just as it is for eternal life, so too, it is for tasting and knowing the love of God! 

 Yesterday I heard part of a message, that I did not get to hear the end of; but it had to do with Pastor Allen sharing about all the things we cannot change or alter. You cannot change your height or your sex; as much as some might think they can. As a matter of fact, the way he explained it, every cell in your body will have your sex, male or female, stamped on it. Even your bones, if they could be uncovered and examined hundreds of years after you had been buried, they would still indicate the sex that you were not the sex that you wanted to be. 

 Whatever it was that was the point, it pointed to the choice of the Creator, the One that makes you what you are. Any attempt of changing what He has made you to be, is in effect, rebellion against the One that made you what you are! 

 Okay then: What does that mean to God's love? How is the even relevant? As interesting as that might seem, it is all about the choices we make, primarily, the choice to be what God has made us to be! He has designed each and every one of us for His special purpose and for His perfect will. Any variance from that, in even the slightest point, can become something that is far away from what we were meant to be.

 I know, that seems like something disastrous and catastrophic, right? Well, it might be for some, if they do not surrender their complete lives to God! The little things we might think are insignificant and do no harm, are the things that can take us way off course! Just a little degree, one way or the other, and within the span of time, you can find yourself way off track and not knowing who you really are.

 To be perfectly clear: You are never too far off from God! You cannot change what God has made you to be; but you can find a way to avoid being that which He made you for; sad as that might sound, it can really happen! And, just like, He can put you right back on course; and He can also get you lost in His love! That is the most important thing about choice: We can choose God's way...

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but from the world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live for ever." (1 John 2:15-17 NLT) 

"Be a Follower"

 "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." (John 15:8 KJV)

  "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality." (Romans 12:9-13 NLT)

 After you digest this, think about all the things Jesus did, and how often He was distracted on the way, yet His way was always widened in the distractions! That is the thing I need to work on the most! Having time to help someone in need; having a heart that is willing to serve, even when it might seem like I don't have the time or feeling that my time is more valuable. 

 You know the drill, "What Would Jesus Do," is the question we should be asking, as we make our choices in this life. Should I go when called, even if there is no time to go? I know that might not seem like a very big issue; but it is, because God uses those that are willing to be used! 

 On a more serious note: God will also use you, even if you're not willing to be used; you just might not like it or enjoy the ride! Just ask Jonah, if you might doubt that is the case. If you haven't had a chance to read the Book of Jonah, it is really not a story that finishes well; as God puts Johah on the spot, by asking him a question, that we don't see Jonah answering: ""You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city."" (NLT)

 Don't get me wrong, because I help out when I can; I just feel as though I could be doing more than I do, because there is always ways to help, even if we don't see God working; He never stops working! We just need to make ourselves available, and we will see, it will never seem to stop...

""Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on the sand. When the rain and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."" (Matthew 7:24-27 NLT) 

 

"To Purpose"

 "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7 KJV) 

  "Teach me your decrees, O LORD; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me to walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you. Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good. I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness." (PSALM 119:33-40 NLT)

 Here is the thing I think we have got to get right with this verse: If our will is not in line with God's will, then this promise does not apply, "and it shall be done for you". If the word of God abides in us, then those things which we ask for will be in line with God's word. There is something there, as simple as it might seem, it involves what God wants for us, not what we desire, but for what pleases Him! 

 To sum up yesterday's message from Pastor Rick, regarding Isaiah and his vision of the LORD: "It is not about us, but God!" We are just a small part in this exceptional picture; a snapshot of one of His many children, all of which He dearly loves and cares for; non more valuable than another! It is His will that we must seek after, not our own; in His will we find mercy and grace, in our will we find things that break and fall apart! 

 As I have said before, the law of God is like the law of gravity; it pays to obey it and to not try to test it or ignore it! If you do not obey it, you will find that it does not lie, nor can it be ignored; you fall, that is for sure, because you cannot float through life without it! When we do pay attention, it pays! And in the process, we can actually see the effect to others around us who might not be paying attention and need some friendly advice. 

 The Psalm shown above is a pretty good example of what this means, as the requests are all about things which draw us closer to God and His will for our lives. In doing so, we find real happiness and peace; the kind of peace that the world cannot give, nor can it understand! 

 The title of today's post was taken from the Strong's translation of "will", as in, "ye shall ask what you will". The point is really pretty apparent, if we are looking at it in the right direction! Which reminds me of the direction we must stay focused on, which I tend to need to keep correcting myself on, over and over again: Keep your focus on Jesus! 

 Doing that, and the things of earth grow strangely dim...

"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:16-17 NLT) 

"Apostates"

 "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6 KJV)

  "But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his own brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion. When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord's love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness." (Jude 10-13 NLT)

 That sounds nothing like anyone I know; at least nobody I have any fellowship with or make to be anyone who I might listen to for advice. But they could be someone that among us! Which is why Jude takes the time to make this part of his letter. A letter that addresses and confirms that God the Father loves us and keeps us safe in the care of Jesus Christ! 

 Just so you know, there is a big difference between a Backslider and someone that is an Apostate. The Apostate is someone that renounces their belief voluntarily; the Backslider still holds to their belief, they are just not adhering to that which they believe. One has slipped back into the world, while the other has given their life back to the world. (Mostly due to the fact that they were never really sold out to Jesus Christ in the first place!) 

 Dr. Chuck had a saying, he would say from time to time: "If I can lose my salvation (and if I may presume to quote my impish old friend, Walter Martin), then I have a new name for God: "Butterfingers!"" That might sound a little harsh or bold; but, if you are working at staying as close as you can with the Lord, making it something that you depend upon, as if you cannot quit; then you have nothing to worry about, because you cannot lose something that you do not let go of! 

 And, even if you could, somehow lose it; Jesus isn't letting go of you; and even if He might somehow let you slip a little, the Father has an even tighter grip on you! If you have not known that by now, you need to take hold of it and never let that message go! 

 Basically, we are all responsible for the salvation we have, as to whether or not it is real and sincerely secure in Christ. That is something totally and completely between you and the Lord; as we should know for sure that our relationship with Him is based upon His love, and not based upon what we might expect Him to do for us. 

 There is the thing that really messes up a lot of people, the wrong reason to follow Christ! He does not promise that we have an easy life; but instead, that our life will be filled with challenges and trials. He doesn't promise us that we will be healthy and strong; but that we will suffer and become frail, like everyone else. He never promised that we would not sin; but He has assured us that we have been set free from sin, and that we should not sin anymore! 

 That said, I see the doubt in me is caused by the 'anymore' part of the agreement; which I have come to realize, was the covenant that God has made, sealed, and has delivered on, once and for all! I am not capable of being able to not sin, because this flesh is still hanging around and wants to be fed. But, I am capable of asking God to forgive me, whenever I do mess up! This much I know: He always forgives me! (1 John 1:9) 

 To be certain on what you believe, is true and cannot be lost: Christ is the source of you salvation, the sinless life was His, and His alone; there is nothing more you can do, to add to or take away from, what Christ Jesus has already done for you; and most importantly and eternal, He has promised: You will make it through this life, sinless; and you will be with Him, forever, on the other side...

 "But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminated their lives. Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault." (Jude 20-24 NLT) 

"Making it Last" -To

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5 KJV)

  "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27 NLT)

 So, there is this thing we must deal with, which is good, as long as it is followed and performed in the right attitude of the heart; that being religion-based faith. I know I will probably catch some grief from some over this, but one of the first things that I learned from the New Life experience, is that it is all about relationship with Christ Jesus, and not about religion. 

 If you are familiar with Jesus' parable of the, "Sheep and Goats," then you might recall that those who were the goats had figured they performed works worthy of rewards, while the sheep, although they had done works worthy of rewards, did not really count it as work. As a matter of fact, they didn't even realize it was something they had done for reward or to be congratulated for. 

 There is only one law that we abide by: the law of Love! It is because we have this special relationship with the Lord, that we can even know love, the kind of love that involves sacrifice and real forgiveness. Real love is not based on the performance of the one you are to love, but upon your dedication and commitment to love, regardless of how you are treated or not treated; being it whatever it is, you still love them and will suffer for that love, no matter how difficult it might be. 

 That is what I have learned over these last, almost twenty years! You do not give up on love! So, that said, if there is any connection between religion and the relationship, it is this: Rigorous and Relentless! What that means, is that you strictly adhere to what love stands for, and constantly push on, even when it hurts! 

 Other than that, we are blessed beyond measure, just to be loved by our Creator; the One who called us, knows us inside and out, and will ultimately judge us, based upon everything He knew, when He first choose us! You really can't get it any better than that...

"Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God's way. For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin."" (Romans 4:1-8 NLT) 

"Making it Last"

 "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5 KJV)

  "We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NLT)

 There is more to this than we could ever really realize, as far as this life goes; because the real fruit of what we might do, will not be fully known until we receive that Welcoming Committee in Heaven! It is all about being available when we are called! It could be something that we might have thought of as just a simple act of kindness, a passing word, or just small chance to share our testimony. We have no idea where it went or how far it had gone; but we will see the results in Heaven. 

 The old covenant that Paul is referring to, actually started back in the Garden, with the judgement of Adam. Moses brought forth the requirements of the covenant, but Adam was shown the results, as God said, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return to the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return." (Genesis 3:19) 

 I have thought about this often, believing full well that we will see Adam and Eve in heaven, as they were the first to believe that there would be a new covenant, looking forward to the day that God would make everything new. There had to be something that was shown to them, as Adam named his wife Eve after the curse was given; Eve meaning, "mother of all living." 

 Just so you know, most of the fruit which we produce, is not something we can account for or track in this life; it will be like ripples, continuing on and on, throughout the generations, long after we have gone. It is also the way it works for the bad things too, but hopefully not so long lasting. The Bible tells us that God will wipe away every tear, so, I have got to think that there will be some sort of eraser that makes all the bad things go away! 

 No matter what, we must stay connected! We might place our Bible on a shelf, observing it from time to time, and dusting it off; but we must stay in fellowship with other believers! We absolutely need our brothers and sisters, if for nothing else, but to at least be part of His Body and a member of His Church! I remember a men's fellowship we had one night in Palo Cedro, where we had pizza and shared about being members of the Body of Christ. One of the brothers, whom saw himself as someone who was not worthy to be a member, said, 'Well, if I am a member of His body, I must be a hemorrhoid.'

 I know, it takes all kinds; but we are all one big family...

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT) 

"Stay Connected"

 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." (John 15:4 KJV) 

  "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved." (Hebrews 10:35-39 NLT) 

 In a short and to the point response, we must stay dependent upon Jesus! Without thinking too hard about what we are meant to do, our main focus needs to be where we must be first and foremost: Abiding in Christ Jesus. If we are not abiding in Christ, we will be lost and without hope! 

 There are some that might think there is some contradiction in what was just said, as if, being in Christ must be something that cannot be separated; so how can we be lost and without hope? I am sorry to break this to you, but there are things that matter in this life, and then there are things that get sorted out in the life to come. 

 There is one thing that I have caught onto over the years, that we might not make it through this life without messy up; and there are some that might not make it through without giving up; but if you are the property of Jesus Christ, you will somehow still show up in heaven, one way or another. That said, why would you want to be lost and without hope? It just seems like a terrible place to be, when you could be secure in Christ and filled with joy! 

 Anywho, that's my take on the matter, you can take it or leave it, that is totally up to you. There are those that faithfully serve the Lord and finish well; and then, there are those that serve themselves, and sort of smell! That is something I just made up; but you can use it if you want; you can even use it in a sermon...

"But on the judgement day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames." (1 Corinthians 3:13-15 NLT) 

"Washing of the Word"

 "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." (John 15:3 KJV)

  "You were cleaned from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart." (1 Peter 1:22 NLT) 

 Not to change the subject, but there is something important about the Word, that might need to be part of the strength of the branches: Water! I know that I try hard to stay in the Word every day, but I could do better; an hour or so each day may not be sufficient; and listening to sermons and teachings throughout the day, if they are not teaching the Word, might not be good enough. 

 You would be surprised by all the churches that do not teach the Word, let alone, actually read it out loud as part of the service. They might reference a verse or two, as part of their message, but then the whole rest of the message is about whatever they want to share about. (Good thing this is not church!) 

 In a way, clean is referencing the pruning which Jesus spoke about in the previous verse; much like trimming off the waste or died part of the branch, as to not waste any nutrients on something that does not do any good. This is what God's word does for us, as we take in more and more, it nourishes the good, and cuts away the bad; making us clean, as far as the flesh might go, we are renewed day by day, in the washing of the Word! 

 To be perfectly honest, I really could learn a thing or two about loving people more; as if that is really something that is learned, because it really is not! We learn how not to trust certain things people do; we learn how to read people, sometimes wrongly; we teach ourselves to be short-tempered! We must be made pure, by the washing of the Word; meditating upon the Scriptures that are dealing with our issues, like it is something we need to do, or else! 

 That might sound a bit extreme, but there only two commands that we need to focus upon: Loving God, and loving each other! If you are not loving each other, you are not loving God...

"Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment - to love one another - is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shinning. If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates and brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness." (1 John 2:7-11 NLT) 

"The Husbandman"

 "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (John 15:2 KJV)

  "When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God's blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it." (Hebrews 6:7-8 NLT)

 As I was praying about this verse, I thought about those saints that are listed in the Hall of Faith, as to what some of them did, in order to be listed there in the first place. Some were there for major victories and standing up for God; while some were there for simply doing something because they believed in the power of God. 

 When it comes to serving God, there is something that I have found is paramount to being God's servant: showing up to serve! If you don't show up, you will never get a chance to be used; and if you are not used, then you become useless and have no fruit to bear. To bear fruit, simply means, to yield positive results. If there is something that you are doing wrong, even though you are bearing fruit, God can still use the fruit that you bear, as long as it works out for the good, making it a positive result.  

 If you need an example of what that might look like, you have two very different examples listed in the Hall of Faith, Samson and Rehab. Both of which had things wrong in their lives, yet they showed up to be used of God, and God used them for very important things; things that were positive towards God's glory! 

 As much as I would like to be doing something else, where God has me is where I need to be, because where I am is where He has me! Do not ever leave where you are, until you know that God is calling to be somewhere else. And when He calls you somewhere else, you need to go, because He tells you to go! 

 It might sound very simple; but sometimes it seems very hard to obey the call. Hopefully, if you did not go, He will call you again, giving you a second chance... 

"It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith - for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:8-10 NLT)

"The Planting" - 2

 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." (John 15:1 KJV)

  ""No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For I the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of morning will come to an end. All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory. The smallest family will become a thousand people, the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I the LORD will make it happen."" (Isaiah 60:19-22 NLT) 

 Having been shown the end of the story, we can relax a little, knowing that everything is going to be wonderful and glorious in the end. No matter what, those that love the LORD will be safe and secure for ever more! In the meantime, we must continue to abide in Christ, at all costs and no matter what! 

 When I say, 'No matter what,' I am speaking about our ability to doubt and be discouraged, mostly about our own faithfulness to follow and stay close to the Lord. I don't care who you might think you are, you are going to have times when you feel as though you don't belong, because you cannot be righteous enough to love God as you should. 

 As for that Tree, the one planted in the midst of the Garden; it was there to represent the law, just as the Law of Moses is there to show us how much we cannot keep it. I know I have said this before, but Adam was most likely fascinated by the fruit of that tree, long before Eve was created. I say this, because God to Adam not to eat of the tree, yet Eve had added, "Don't even touch it," to God's command. 

 One of two things were behind her adding those words; either Adam told her that God had said it, or she had witnessed Adam touching the fruit, and because of her intuition, felt it was best to not even touch it. When the serpent deceived her, neither one mattered; touching and eating were made right in her sight. 

 God's heart in all of this, was for Adam and Eve to ask Him for forgiveness! I know it sounds crazy, but there was only One that could make it all right, the One that forgives sin! Instead, they just blamed it on someone else, pretending that they were innocent, except for the fault of the others! Crazy thing is, Adam blamed God, saying, "It was the woman that you gave me!" 

 Here is the thing that I think matters the most in this story: That we never forget just how much God loves us, that He is always faithful to forgive us, and that no matter what, He will still love us! He truly does know you better than you know yourself...

"Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God. With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you."" (Isaiah 35:1-4 NLT)

"The Planting"

 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." (John 15:1 KJV) 

  ""And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."" (Genesis 3:15 NLT)

 As we look at this, somewhat complex verse, which has many layers of meaning, there is something that we must understand about what is being said; the Father planted the Seed, making sure that the Vine would grow, producing much fruit, and becoming the eternal True Vine! 

 That is a lot to get from this, but the husbandman is the one that buys the field, plants the garden, and then works the land to produce the crops. He might hire workers, call on others to lend a hand, and purchase equipment to care for the crops. But, without a doubt, this was a work that was well planned and had been in the works from the very beginning! 

 Something that is amazing to me, is that God had planted the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil in the midst of the Garden; which pretty much means that the Tree was in the middle of the Garden, making it hard to ignore... 

"For Moses writes that the law's way of making people right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith's way of getting right with God says, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven?' (to bring Christ down to earth). And don't say, 'Who will go down to the place of the dead?' (to bring Christ back to life again)." In fact, it says, "The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." And the message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." (Romans 10:5-10 NLT) 

"Jesus, the True Vine"

  ""I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 

 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a worthless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

 "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!"" (John 15:1-11 NLT) 

  "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great towards us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD." (PSALM 117 KJV) 

 One thing is for sure, without a doubt: If we abide in the Lord, we will never worry about being cast out! This is not just an assumption; it is a fact! As we look into the vine and branches illustration, it is most important to understand the simple fact, that no branch can survive without being attached to the vine, period! 

 The pruning of the branches, although it might hurt a little and for a short while; it makes us grow stronger and helps to create more fruit. I had this conversation with someone yesterday, speaking about what we should do when we are facing some sort of problem, or stuck in something that seems as though it doesn't look good. We should always anticipate that God is working something out, for good, and then anticipate that He is doing a work! 

 Oddly enough, once we can put that into practice, it can free up our minds to stop being worried about what might happen, and to start looking for what God might be doing. Sometimes it is just a simple little thing like being in a situation where we are able to share a testimony; sometimes, it might be an opportunity just be filled with joy, when you should be worried. 

 One thing is for sue, and we should never forget it: When we do what God might want us to do, God is always going to get the glory...

"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 from 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. 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 a 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 55:10-13 KJV) 

"Exit...Stage Left"

 "But that the world my know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence." (John 14:31 KJV)

  "For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shinning in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT)

 As we have seen, lies travel very quickly, and they grow and grow, into even bigger lies; while the truth, although it does not change, it moves slowly, being thwarted and suppressed, by the powers of darkness. You can quote me on that if you like, because at this point in the story, I could really care less about any sort of challenges to my opinions and beliefs. 

 Without getting too personal, I want you to know that the point I made above is the point I believe Jesus was making as He said, "Arise, let us go hence." Pretty much, it is the same as saying, 'Come, let's go get this over with!' 'Enough talking about what will be, it is the time it is to be done!' In no uncertain terms, Jesus was on the move! 

 The next three chapters are Jesus telling the disciples about the things that they need to know for holding their ground, if you will; abiding in Him, regardless of opposition, the power of the Holy Spirit, the sadness being turned to gladness, and then praying for them, as well as the church which will be born from their testimony. This I believe was all taking place out in the open, in the night, under the stars, as they made their way to the Garden where He would be arrested. 

 There are some who believe that Mark was at home, wrapped in his linen cloth resting, as Judas came with the guards and soldiers to arrest Jesus, but Jesus and the other disciples had already left on route to the Garden. Judas figured that was where they went, so while they headed out to get them, Mark got up and ran to tell Jesus they were coming for Him, without first getting dressed. 

 Interesting how this all plays out, because there is nothing that does not go as planned: Absolutely Nothing! What God puts in motion, does not get thwarted or turned aside; it might look as though it is happening, but the happening is just getting more complex...

"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We are knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, so I spoke." We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day." (2 Corinthians 4:8-16 NLT) 

"After This Manner"

 "But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence." (John 14:31 KJV)

  "You must have the same attitude that Christ had. Thou he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position as a slave and was born a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8 NLT)

  Maybe this has several parts, two for sure; but they are somewhat related. As mentioned yesterday, the devil had nothing on Jesus! He had tried to entice Him with worldly fame and power, as he tempted him in the wilderness; but it did not work. Now, he must try to destroy Him, in any way that he can! 

 I listened to a conversation the other day, actually, I heard it twice. It involved a man from, 'Voice of the Marter's,' as he shared about the work being done in North Korea. Apparently, South Korea is facing some stagnation in the growth of the church, after having been a thriving church for several decades; while North Korea has the church multiplying, by leaps and bounds, as they face harsh prosecutions. 

 The more real and obvious the enemy becomes, the more the truth of God is revealed! Isn't that very interesting? Here is another thing that I picked up on yesterday: the beast spoken of in Revelation, who most likely will be someone spiritual; although he gets stronger and stronger, when his power is made real and obvious to the people of Israel, they will see his true colors and will change their hearts and minds! 

 The devil had nothing on Jesus, because Jesus was perfect and had no sin within Him. Everything that is going to be placed upon Him, will either be lies or taking His words out of context. Nothing that Jesus was crucified for was true, expected one thing, and one thing only: He was doing what the Father had commanded Him to do...

"While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:7-10 NLT)

"Don't Waste Your Breath"

 "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." (John 14:30 KJV)

  "We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts." (1 John 5:18-21 NLT)

 The King James Version says, "Keep yourselves from idols," at the end of verse 21; which in some strange way, is the point of this post, the word, "Idol," which means something that has no substance, especially when it comes to God! I know, that might sound as if it changes the subject of what Jesus is telling the disciples; but in reality, Jesus is letting them know a couple of things the enemy, the devil: as he is the prince of this world, but he has nothing on Jesus! 

 The disciples most likely figured Jesus to be the Prince of the world, being He was the Prince of Peace. So, when Jesus spoke about the devil, as the prince, they might have flinched a little and lost their train of thought. Most likely, that was the whole point of why Jesus said what He said, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you." 

 Two things that we must understand, putting into practice the habit of speaking truth, and making it your goal to not speak idle talk! Both of which are very important in the Kingdom of God! We might not think it is such a big deal, maybe because of that silly saying we all grew up with: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." That might count for the receiver, but not for the speaker! 

 While we have breath in our lungs, we should not waste our breath on idle talk! But how much of that stuff comes out of our mouths? A lot like idols, idle talk has no substance, especially when it comes to God! We need to watch what we say, and be busy about our Father's business...

""A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgement day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you."" (Matthew 12:35-27 NLT) 

"Confirmation"

 "And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe." (John 14:29 KJV)

  "This is what the LORD says: "I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in darkness - secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name."" (Isaiah 45:2-3 NLT)

 As most of us know, this King Cyrus, was the one who help Israel; foretold by name in the scroll of Isaiah some 150 to 200 years before it would happen. It was that fact, it being written and then revealed to King Cyrus, that caused him to believe in the God that had chosen him, and it understand what he was to do for God's people. 

 Amazingly, much of what was told about Cyrus, was also a mirror image of the Messiah and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Even the few examples that are listed above, these are the signs of the spiritual things which the Lord did, as He leveled the mountains of our oppression, smashed the gates of hell, cut through the bars of our bondage to sin, and revealed God's precious love through the darkness of His suffering! 

 Anywho, I admit it, I am a little strange sometimes; so, don't think too much about it, I am certain that there is something good that might come from it, one way or another. I know that because that is what God does: Beauty for Ashes, as the Scripture says; making something which seems as though it could never be made right and turns it into the most beautiful thing of all! 

 Much of what Jesus told the disciples, they really did not understand; and the parts they did understand, they didn't like and felt sad over. How would it be possible for them to rejoice in something so dark and horrible, envisioning their Lord nailed to a cross? By the way, why do some have crosses with Jesus still on them? Hopefully they know that was only a temporary thing; meaningful and powerful, but only for a moment in time! 

 That was the whole reason that Jesus willfully went to the cross, for that which would happen after! As the disciples too would come to realize, as they would spend time with Him after He rose again, even having a meal with Him, and then watching Him ascend up into heaven. This is what makes the story so real, as they gave their lives in that truth, because it was the truth! 

 That fact alone, has caused many sceptics and nonbelievers to change their hearts and minds, and to become true believers in Christ. If there is something that is causing you doubts, then you need to get that settled in your heart and mind, like right now! It must be fortified in you, and you must, with all of your heart, believe that the Bible is 100% real: The Truth of God...

""Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth."" (John 17:17 NLT)

"Be Comforted" - 2

 "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." (John 14:28 KJV)

  "God has ascended with a mighty shout. The LORD has ascended with trumpets blaring. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm." ((Psalm 47:5-7 NLT)

 Love is not just something for us to strive for, it is something that we must live for; and if needed, surrender all for! That is what I believe was just the thing the disciples took from this; maybe not right then, but later on, after Jesus ascended up into heaven. When you think about the magnitude of what this meant, it is the fulfilment of many things which needed to be completed. 

 That does not contradict what Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished," because the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Himself, was the just the beginning! There were many more things that Jesus completed after that, and there are still many more things that are yet to be done; the rapture of the church is next, so hold onto your hats! 

 I heard a message, again from Pastor Jack, from the Scripture where Jesus tells the disciples, I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." (John 14:12 NLT) Because Jesus went to be with the Father, all those who believe on Him are given the Holy Spirit, the power of God living within us! 

 Because we are given the Holy Spirit, we are able to present and demonstrate the love of God in our lives. If we could only surrender ourselves enough, we could do much more than we could ever imagine; but as Dwight L. Moody said, "God doesn't expect the impossible from us. He wants us to expect the impossible from him." 

 This is something that is not based upon our ability or might or power, but upon God's! It is all about being filled with God's Spirit; the more of the Spirit of God that you allow to work within you, the more you will love and live out Jesus in your life! That might sound easy, but it is not! But is pretty simple, if you get a little help from God...

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

 

"Be Comforted"

 "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." (John 14:28 KJV)

  "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7 NLT)

 If is okay, I would like to share a Mother's Day message, being that is something being celebrated today. I hope it might be something that works into this message, because there is something that I feel God has put upon my heart.

 This point that Jesus is making, saying, "My Father is greater than I," is primarily based upon the fact that He was presently in the flesh; meaning that His body was subject to all of the pain, suffering, and even death, that might be put upon the human body. This is something that has always amazed me, that God would subject Himself to be formed in flesh, within a mother's womb! 

 He could have just appeared as a man, fully formed and ready to minister as the Saviour; but it would not have been the same, because then He would not have been like one of us. Imagine it, the LORD of LORD'S, having to be subject to all sorts of vulnerable situations; having to be nurtured, changed, feed, and raised up by a mother's love. 

 Let alone, the fact that He was totally fragile and subject to all sorts of injuries as a child growing up. But, isn't interesting what He grew up to do? Imagine that, as you picture the woman that might think they should abort their child, just because they didn't want them to be subject to the evils of this world. The simple fact that the act of killing an innocent baby in the womb, is one of the greatest evils; taking away the child's life, for fear that they might get hurt or killed! 

 Well, that is exactly what happened: they were both, hurt and killed! There is no compassion for the life, because the mother is convinced that there is no life, until that baby is born! What is wrong with this world? Why would anyone even imagine that life is not a life? 

 Fortunately, as I believe it to be, all of those unborn children were a life! And because they were not born into this world and because of their innocence, they are in heaven with Jesus right now! This is something I am very sure of, and I hope any mother that realizes what she has done, knows that to! You are not eternally condemned, and the Lord can still smile upon you as His child! 

 Mother's are amazing! As I have said before, my mother might have had her faults, but two things I can say about her heart for her children, as I know for sure: she never had anything bad to say about me, and I was always welcomed home, no matter what...

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!" (Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT) 

"Peace; Be Still" - Again

 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27 KJV)

 ""Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock."" (Matthew 7:24-25 NLT)

 As I was praying about this, I felt as though there were things in my life that I have taken for granted, things that God has blessed me with, that I should steward wisely and treat with care. Maybe it might not be the time to or place, but we have got to pay attention to what God places in our lives, whether that is the people around us, or the home that He has given us to live in. 

 That is really not a worldly thing, to care about those things, because it is not as if we put trust in them; but it is about respecting that God has placed them into our lives, and that we must not neglect the care that we are responsible to give them. There are my two cents on the physical things; now for the things that matter the most: Loving God, means to listen and obey Him! When we do not listen and obey Him, we will not feel the Peace that He has given to us; and, in the mist of the storm, we will be afraid! 

 There is the thing that is most important! Not that it is funny, but I really need to laugh at some of the things I allow myself to do, as if God isn't watching or caring about them. If we do not truly treat Him as if He is standing right beside us, how can we expect to trust He is there when we really need Him?

 The seriousness of that is no laughing matter! However, I heard Pastor Jack give a message yesterday about the time Moses struck the Rock, when he was only meant to speak to it. The Rock still poured out water for the congregation, as well as, for Moses and Aaron...

""Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever."" (1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT)

"Peace; Be Still" - Too

 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27 KJV)

  "This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."" (Romans 1:17 NLT)

 I feel as though I need to park on this verse for a little bit, as it has several things to say about the life I feel that I am living in, which could really stand to be shown what it means to, Be Still! That might not be something that anyone out there is dealing with, because I am sure that a lot of you have figured that out. But my greatest fear is that I tend to pray for God to do something, then set out on my own to make it happen; instead of waiting to see what God might do first. 

 If you don't understand what I mean, it has the simple illustration of learning how to drown; something I have shared on before, that is pretty much exactly what it says: You stop trying to save yourself from drowning, so that God can wrap His arms around you and save you Himself! 

 I say fear, only because I look back and see all those times when it has happened, wondering what my life might have looked like if I just let God do what He wants to do, instead of looking for the way to fix things myself. That said, there is something I believe in this that should never be forgotten: It is never too late for God to fix anything we have messed up! 

 That is the kind of peace that the Lord gives us, which the world can never ever come close to doing! We must believe that God can do miracles, those things that we cannot understand, but that He can do with just a wink or a nod! Something we can only really realize when we put all of our trust in Him, and not in what we or the world can make happen. 

 I thought about that thing they keep advertising about $26,000 payments for keeping your employee working during the pandemic shutdown. And then I thought about the fact that the government money that is giving out, is always attached to a cost; there is no free lunch! Someone else is paying for whatever they keep handing out. 

 Anywho; I heard this message yesterday that reminded me of something, as there are people that we might be praying for to rededicate their lives to the Lord; maybe even thinking for ourself, "I need to rededicate my life to the Lord!" But what we really need is Regeneration, not rededication...

""Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink - even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk - it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food."" (Isaiah 55:1-2 NLT)

"Peace; Be Still"

 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27 KJV)

  "I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let then not return to their foolish ways. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so the land will be filled with his glory. Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven. Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest. Righteousness goes as a herald before him, preparing the way for his steps." (Psalm 85:8-13 NLT)

 There are a couple of things at work here, one has to do with what the Lord gives, while the other is the way in which we are to receive it. In other words, is it going to be yours, and if so, what are you going to do with it! If the Lord gives you peace, the kind of peace that this world could never give, what then can trouble you or make you afraid! 

 We started the Book of Isaiah last night at church, blowing through the first five chapters. I wish we could have spent a little more time in the section that had all the, "Wow's," because much of that speaks very much to what is happening in our country right now. The biggest Wow, is the one most famously talked about, Isaiah 5:20, which says, "Wow unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweat, and sweet for bitter!" 

 First of all, there must be a separation between all the above, which has got to be something that makes the two opposites be opposed to each other. Then, it is our responsibility to take a stand for what is good and right and holy; while standing against that which is evil, and wrong, and wicked! 

 In case that doesn't answer your question about how peace enters into the equation, the peace that Jesus gives us is absolutely free and is abundantly given; but it does take effort on our part to hold onto it! We cannot continue living in sin, and have peace that passing all understanding, because will do not have the real understanding of the cost for that peace! 

 That is the point of most of the Book of Isaiah; that God blesses those that obey Him, but wow to those that do not...

"Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: "The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master's care - but Israel doesn't know its master. My people don't recognize my care for them."" (Isaiah 1:2-3 NLT)

"Needed Instruction"

 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26 KJV)

  "The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his commands." (Psalm 25:8-10 NLT)

 Whatever state you are currently in, feeling lost or having problems with direction, there is good news to help you get back on track: Pray that God would fill you with His Spirit! If that doesn't seem to work, then pray more fervently and with more humility and passion! Do not stop asking for what you need, because God is faithful to provide what you need; you have got to need it more than the stuff you are holding on to. 

 That is my take on this, if anyone wants to know. The Holy Spirit will not force us to do anything, but He will instruct us to do what is right. If we continually fail to listen to what He says and do it, then He will back off, letting you learn a lesson in what it means to listen. It is like this: You are headed for disaster, and you hear the word, "Stop," but you do not stop! That was not a suggestion, that was a command! 

 Oh, but wait; I said the Holy Spirit does not force you, yet He gives us commands; isn't that being a tad bit forceful? You know, I really wish He would be more forceful, because I am so hard-headed, I need to be made to do certain things. I think most of us are like that, as we have a list of things to do, but most of those things don't get done, until they must get done, or else. 

 Another thing my mom would say, "Don't put off for tomorrow, what you can do today!" That might not sit well with some, but if you are looking for instruction from God, do not wait for the right time: The Time is Now!!!

 Reminds me of the Scripture where Jesus says, "Follow me," and then some people start making excuses about needing to do something else first. There is absolutely nothing more important than following Jesus, whatever it is and wherever He leads you! We must have a servant's heart, which is willing to obey whatever we are told, no matter the cost. (Note to self: Obey!)

 This is about doing something now, not tomorrow! If the Lord is telling you that something needs to be done, then do it as if He is stopping you from going the wrong way! Repent and turn around, making the rest of your life guided by needed instruction...

"Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went to a friends house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' But I tell you this - though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. "You fathers - if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or is they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."" (Luke 11:5-13 NLT) 

"Fortified"

"These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you." (John 14:25 KJV)

  "We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you that we have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy." (1 John 1:1-4 NLT)

 The above words from John's first letter to the churches, was his introduction to what he was about to share. Here is the connection to the verse we have before us today, as Jesus was not just speaking about His current conversation with His disciples; but He was referring to all that He had spoken to them, from the beginning of their time together. 

 There is something we should commit to, and never ever back away from, no matter what: Jesus did everything that the Bible said, and He will do all that He said He would do! This must be something that is fortified within our hearts, because the world and all of the powers within it, will try to take that truth from us. But we must never let it happen! 

 If you have ever had your doubts about anything you have determined is the truth, then you have most likely had the experience of shaking it off, asking God to forgive you, and begging Him for strength to fortify your faith. It doesn't really count against you, having doubts, as long as you do not change your direction, walking away from your faith. 

 With that, I must let you know, you will not get away from the Lord that easily! He will not let go of you without a fight! If you think that I am kidding, you must know that you are always a child of God, once you have been born into the Kingdom of God! You might have heard someone say how you can walk away from your salvation, in you so choose to do so; that might be so, but then I would question if it was ever yours to begin with, and on what basis did you commit to the Lord? 

 I seriously doubt that someone who has really tasted the love of God, would ever really walk away from something that is never-ending and is as fortified, as God's love....

"Dear children, the last hour is here. You have already heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people have left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us." (1 John 2:18-19 NLT) 

"Reassurance"

 "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." (John 14:24 KJV) 

  "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fulness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." (Colossians 1:15-20 NLT)

 It might seem as though this is common knowledge, as if there is nothing more to see here; having been down this road before, the same old objects on the side of the road, just a little older and less cared for. I hope you see the connection with this and the verse before us today, because there is more this that just believing in something said; it must be cherished and protected! 

 Suppose you were listening to someone that you did not like or respect, if they might have said something that was very important or vital to you, would you have held unto what you heard, or would you have just ignored it, or forgotten what was said? If it was someone that you hated, then you would have taken what was said and made into something else; much like the Jews did for the things Jesus said. 

 I cannot lie, I did the same things before I knew who Jesus really was! If someone were to tell me something He said, I would change the meaning into something derogatory or meaningless. "In one ear and out the other," as my mother use to say. We only pay attention to things that make us feel better about ourselves, the other stuff gets thrown to the side and forgotten about.

 However, this is not the case for those who love the Lord! Even those things we don't want to hear or pay attention to, they will not leave us! You might know what I am talking about, as you set through a sermon about a certain subject. If the topic is about something you can relate to, your instant thought is to think about someone else that fits that topic, or the discussion. 

 Then, later that night, as you close your eyes to sleep, there you see yourself; realizing that it was you that the Lord was speaking to! They try to say that having Christ in your life is like needing a crutch to lean upon; well, I think it is more like needing a stretcher...

"Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things ungodly people do in secret. But there evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light."" (Ephesians 5:10-14 NLT) 

"IF"

 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:23 KJV)

  "But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:9-11 NLT)

 Now then, we have seen God's love, being unconditional and never-ending; does that give us liberty to sin? As Paul would say: "God forbid!" It is God's grace that gives us the ability to know and do what we otherwise could not, because He has given us His Spirit to help us. But we must allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives. 

 There are several different factors that are at work here, the greatest of which is LOVE! If there is any kind of example we could get, it would be Peter and the way Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?" Something we must take from that, is that Jesus kept on saying, "Tend my flock", as if there was nothing more, he could do that proves he loved Him, then to be faithful to feed and care for those who would be saved. 

 Our life is an open book for others to read; and we want this book to mirror that of the Bible! Does that mean that our life is to be perfect and without fault? Is that what you get from the characters in the Bible? There is only one who was perfect, and He was treated like a criminal and crucified on a cross! We might not be perfect, but we are justified in Christ, the one who paid the price for our sins! 

 We must be a testimony to the love of God, first and foremost; it is God's love that makes us love others, as He lives in us! Without God's help, we are helpless! He loved us first; thereby, we can respond to His love, by loving Him back: for most, that is the hardest thing to do perfectly... 

"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:8-10 NLT) 

"What is the Matter"

 "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" (John 14:22 KJV)

  "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." (Jude 1:1-2 KJV)

 There are some days when we need to just be quite and listen for what God might be saying, and then there are those days when we need to ask Him why we don't understand what He said. This might be one of those days, as it appears that there are too many opinions that are contrary to the Way, Truth, and Life!

 As to this, other, Judas; it would be hard to pinpoint exactly, but many scholars point out that he might be a brother of Jesus, and he is referred to as the brother of James, in Luke 6:16. The Scripture above from Jude, is there because Jude references that he is the brother of James; yet neither he or James refer to themselves as brothers of Jesus, but that they are servants of Jesus Christ.  

 The only reason I point this out, is the fact that both Judas' were pretty much on the same page when it came to their understanding of who Jesus might have been, as they were both looking for Him to be the one that would free the Jews from Roman rule. The point of the question gives Judas away; as he is looking at Jesus from a worldly point of view, but Jesus is speaking about spiritual things, that are not of this world. 

 Hopefully we don't do that too; but I am pretty confident it happens from time to time, with almost every believer! It happened to John the Baptist, as he was in jail. He once proclaimed Jesus, saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world," and then from jail, he sends a disciple to ask of Jesus, "Are you he that should come, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3)

 It was because of his circumstance that John doubted who Jesus was. This is really not that hard to happen, if we focus upon the here and now, taking our eyes off of the There and Then...

"But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God's Spirit in them. But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you keep yourselves safe in God's love." (Jude 1:17-21 NLT) 

 

"Real Love" - To

 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:21 KJV)

  "Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:10 NLT)

 As usual, the first message I heard yesterday was from Pastor Greg, and he was speaking about how Abraham was called a man of righteousness, even though he had blown it, time and time again! There is something we must know and hold close to our hearts: God loves us, even though we blow it, He loves us more than we could ever imagine! 

 There is really nothing we could do that would stop Him from loving us, which is what He wants us to know. That might be hard for many people to believe, but He has given us many examples of people who He loved, some of whom had some pretty terrible things they did, things that most people would say were unforgivable. 

 I can't figure it out, because it just doesn't really make sense, which is based upon my ability to love! I don't have what it takes to accept being taken advantage of and betrayed, without having a scar on my heart over it. But somehow God has the ability to erase everything and call us good and faithful servants! The things which were counted as wrong, He has the ability to make them disappear, as if it never happened. 

 There is really nothing we can say towards our own defense, because it is not ours to say! God is the Judge! He makes the rules and He says who is worthy and who is not, because He sees the outcome of every single person: their finished work, based upon the finished work of His Son! Did you receive His free gift of salvation? If so, it had to change your life! 

 I am going to say something that will not go well with some people, but I feel that it must be said. The point in which I believe Jesus is making, even though it is something that should be taken literally, it is something that matters more about being kept! He has told us what is expected of us, and we know what He wants us to do, but we sometimes fail to do them; but we still know what we were meant to do! 

 Does that mean you don't love Him if you cannot do what you were meant to do? Do you see how much He loves you, even though you sometimes mess up? Keep that front and center in your heart and mind, and it will change you, one way or another...

"So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am too human, a slave to sin. I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:14-20 NLT)

"Real Love"

 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:21 KJV)

  "Don't you remember thar our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his Son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not be faith alone." (James 2:21-24 NLT)

 So, 'a needle pulling thread.' Don't ask, because it just came to me as I was thinking what I should say and why I should say it. First of all, without even trying to make sense of what some people might say, sometimes as if they have an axe to grind; we have no righteousness outside of the righteousness we get from Christ Jesus! 

 I say that, mostly because I believe that there are some people who wear their good deeds on their sleeve, as if it shows that as proof of their love for God. Without getting too far into the logistics, meaning what plans and motivation are behind their actions, Jesus gave a parable regarding sheep and goats, which, if you recall, the sheep did not even know they did something special; while the goats, they expected that everything they did would be accounted for by God.  

 Not quite sure if they might know, but everything is about God's glory, will, and purposes! We are merely vessels that are part of something spectacular and glorious, that God is working out, for His glory! As Paul proclaims in Ephesians 2:7, saying, "So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness towards us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus." 

 Abraham believed that God would keep His promise, as if his son was the one that would carry on the plans He had chosen for Abraham. Therefore, Abraham believed that his son was safe, whatever it was that might happen, because his son was to be the one who would fulfill the plans of God. In other words: Abraham believed God! Regardless of the circumstance and situation, he believed God would find a way, even if there was no way; even if he went through with killing his son, God would bring him back to life. 

 That might be a lot of assumption, on my part; but it is the only way that Abraham could have had the faith to carry out what God asked him to do. Faith requires action, because we believe what God has said! Faith is not blind, because faith can see what God has said; even if we cannot see the results, we believe His promises...

"While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us His Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:4-10 NLT) 

"One Love" - 2

 "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." (John 14:20 KJV)

  "Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us." (1 John 4:11-12 NLT)

 There is something I forgot, something I feel is becoming more and more frequent, the older I get. We really don't get to the chance to experience the fullness of God's love until we are actually in glory; until then, we are able to feel the receiving side, the side that is expressed in the cross of Christ! Another little peek at the experience Job saw when he said that he had seen God, saying, "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I - and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things too wonderful for me." 

 We must come to the conclusion that this life is only temporary, a time to experience just a small glimpse of God's glory. Something that is far too powerful and spectacular for us to experience now; but when it comes time to experience it, nothing will compare, and everything will seem meaningless and forgotten! At least that is what I get from what the Bible says about heaven; wherever that might be. 

 As far as the struggles we might have now, they come and go, something we must expect to deal with until we are taken up into heaven. As we see in Hebrews 12:4, "After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." When this life is gone, the struggle will end! Until then, we need to love God and each other; and when we stumble, get back up and start doing it again and again! 

 On that day, we will surely get it right...

"You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For the heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggard back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Able." (Hebrews 1218-24 NLT)      

"One Love"

 "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." (John 14:20 KJV)

  "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT)

 As if this day is yet to come? I really don't think that we can really know the truth of God's great love for us, without it have already taken place in our hearts! This is a test: Do you know that Jesus is among you? Is He living inside you? And do have a personal relationship with Him, on a daily basis? 

 This is something I truly believe we must check in ourselves, before we totally wreck ourselves! Take the time to listen, as you read His word; making every effort to apply what He says to your life, asking Him to make it happen in you, come whatever may, allowing Him to be the Lord of your life, for the sake of love! 

 That was for me, I hope you know! There are some days when I am so caught up in work, I forget that I have Him with me. I know that might sound strange and there might be something wrong with me; but that is not strange at all. As a matter of fact, I can assure you that the average believer has times when they forget, not out of habit of forgetting, but out of habit of forgetting to stay in touch! 

 This is a relationship, which means that it must be kept up with, or it will be ignored and put to the side. I know pastor friends of mine, who need to serve the Lord in some sort of ministry, because they know how easy it is to get away from fellowship! They need to stay in it, for the sake of staying in it! We must never forsake the fellowship with our brothers and sisters; they keep us in the fold; outside of the fold, we are going to get lost or eaten up! 

 Paul, the Apostle, says that we should constantly pray; actually, he says: "Never stop praying." (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT) What that actually means, in context, is that we stay in character as someone who has a personal relationship with Christ Jesus! When we get out of character, we become ugly and unloving; so we must continually abide in Christ! Stay in character, as the Character is in you...

"Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 NLT) 

 

"This Much I Know"

 "Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also." (John 14:19 KJV)

  "Who then will condemn us? No one - for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us." (Romans 8:34 NLT)

 Having had much taken from me, it would be okay for me to be discouraged, as if that would actually make anything better, because it won't! As a matter of fact, the more we feel discouraged by something that might come against us, the harder it is to feel any sort of comfort, especially when we are looking for pity, which is a pitiful replacement for comfort.

 I have learned something very important over the years: God's grace is all that I need! The more I am pressed, the more I can feel the need to press into God; only He can be enough to satisfy what I need, even if the world is being pulled apart around me. We only have a few really good opportunities to let people see the faith within us is real; something some people are given, and then they blow it by falling apart. 

 Yesterday we had a guest speaker, Pastor Sandy Adams, who taught on the Book of Job. You would have thought by now that I would have heard enough about Job's troubles, as if the troubles were enough to make anything in my life feel less important. The main point of Sandy's message had to do with knowing why; as in, "Why did you allow this to happen, God?" 

 The point was rather interesting, because Job never did get an answer! As Sandy put it, "Job never got to read the first and second chapters of the Book!" Something bad happens to us, and we wonder, WHY! It was the first thing I did when I got home that night; I feel down on the floor and cried out, "Why, God?" I was so shaken up, that I shook so hard, I thought I was going to break apart or explode inside. 

 I know that I shared this before, but somehow, I felt something come over me, as if there was a calm in me, I had never experienced before. I went to bed, sleep only a few hours, and went straight back to the hospital to be with my wife. Right then and there, I knew that God needed to be praised, regardless of the circumstance, I needed to praise Him, just for being God! 

 I had brought my Bible, which I opened up and started reading to Marianne, even though she was pretty much in a coma. The nurse on duty told me that the position of her hands was not a good sign, because they were stretched out away from her body, indicating trauma to her brain. Well, I figured that was most likely true, and told her that she would be okay, and that trauma would subside. 

 After several days, her hands were no longer extended out, but were resting close to her side; and I felt as though God was going to heal her, no matter what the staff at the hospital would say. Now, after all these years, I am pretty much convinced that God left off working on her and has been working on me!

 She has pretty much remained the same; while I have been stretched in a thousand different directions; it feels as though I am a ball of dough, rolled out, stretched, rolled back into a ball, and then rolled out again and again; just to be able to praise Him, again and again! And guess what: I am okay with that...

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us." (Romans 8:35-37 NLT)