"The Veil That Was Torn"

We must understand something about God's love, and what it was that makes the veil of the temple being torn so meaningful for our ability to fellowship with Him; and not only for the chance that we have for fellowship, but also for those that are not yet His children. It is this special thing that was performed by Jesus Christ on the cross, which was demonstrated visually by the veil in the temple being torn in half; a miracle all in of itself, and something that many must have marveled over. How can that which is not holy have fellowship with that which is holy? I always set in the back at church, and it is not to be close to the door; but to pray for someone that God puts upon my heart to pray for. Someone who I do not know, but that looks out of place, or uncomfortable being in that building. I pray for the pastor also; but in this case, I pray for the message to be delivered, and for the Holy Spirit to soften the heart of whom ever I am praying for. Time and time again, I see the work of God come to life; the alter call is given, and up goes their hand, or up they go to the front of the church. Prayer matters; it matters for us, and it matters for those that might be lost. We must be willing, determined, and steadfast in prayer for the lost; willing to take their case to heart; determined to love what they might become; and steadfast to see it happen!

"Pressing On Into War" -2

Just in case you were not aware, ours is a forward motion! Continually pressing forward, not into, as to war with the evil that is in this world; although there are many which call themselves God's children that do. Let me try and clarify something right now: if you see it, it is not our war! Having said that, I must also mention that what we actually see may be the result of that which is meant to be our war; those things which are close to our personal lives. But the battle will not be won on this level, and we will not be able to change lives without the work of the Holy Spirit. That is because the war we are waging is a spiritual battle; which requires spiritual attack, and something that is often left out of the equation: God's love! Why is it that we think we need to check God's love at the door when we are waging war? As I was praying about this today, I was reminded how Jesus was only angry at those that pretended to belong to God but did not. Even those that were demon possessed, He would love them, as He would cast the demons out of them; oddly enough, He was also kinda gentle in spirit to the actual demon, or demons, as the case may have been. But those that were masquerading as servants of God, He was not kind to them, and would call them for what they were, vipers; wolves in sheep's clothing; children of the devil; names that put them in their place, and that did not express any love for who they were. Not that we should take on that role, and start calling out Believers whom we think are not who they say they are; but my point was to show the love Jesus had for all the others. Jesus knew the hearts of men, we do not; there is the difference that we have in calling out those that are not His, even thou they claim to be. However, loving those that are lost, mislead, or trapped in sin; even those that are demon possessed, requires our hearts to be grounded in God's love. I must go back to something that I said before: God's love is what brings us the ability to love! And without God's love we are not His children!!! Because nothing, absolutely nothing, has the power to save, as God's love... "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whomsoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"Pressing On Into War"

Having said that, I am reminded that there is a battle that must be waged; one that requires our attention to the world around us. Not that we are waging war against the world, but that the world is waging war against us; breaking us down and causing us to take our eyes off of the prize; this is what the enemy does! It is hard not to care about those things that are taking place on this earth; things which fly in the face of all that is holy; things which keep us aware of the evil that is waging war against us. Thinking back to the time when John wrote his writings, we can see that things have not really changed all that much; they have only grown more sudden. In his day, many days would pass between what would happen and the news of those ordeals; in ours, we only need to turn on our news channels, or open up to our favorite news site on the Internet to see the battle wage. Is it any wonder that the church is not more in tune with the real battle that is taking place; one that is not for land or money, but that is for the hearts and minds of those that are not focused on the real battlefield. Oh, this is war alright, but not the war that some might think. It is war against our children and those that are not yet written in the Lamb's Book of Life. And what are the weapons that the enemy has at his disposal; weapons that he will use to his advantage that should not be his part of his arsenal? The church!!! Christians that waiver in their belief; children of God who do not love as God's child; Christians that do not love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength! Those are the weapons that we give him to use against us, the church, and ultimately against all those who do not know the truth. It is not just a matter of who is right and who is wrong; it is a matter of who is living as though it really matters! And because this war is so real, we must press towards that which is right; not giving into pride and selfishness. Selfishness that lives for today and the cares of this life; but rather, we must have a life that is living for tomorrow, and that which is to come. As for the battlefield, it is not what we see, because what we see happening in this world is only the result of what is going on in the real battlefield; our battlefield is a spiritual arena, one which is actually not visible in the eyes of the world; yet! I say yet, because I believe that they will see, and they will know who's side they are really on. Just as that vision of riding down from heaven was not to do battle, but to show forth glory like they have never seen; and will most likely be the only glory that some will ever see, except for at judgement day; however, I am not convinced that those who's name is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be able to see the Great White Throne and Him who sets upon it... "And I saw a Great White Throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them." (Revelation 20:11)

"Victory is Ours" -2

After much thought and prayer, I have decided that our battle is not with this world, so the need to have a sword in one hand is not for that purpose; it's purpose is for the work of the church!!! We do not battle flesh and blood, but the powers and rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places; therefore, we cannot try to defeat what is taking place in this world. However, our duty is the protection of the church; much like during the building of the wall in the book of Nehemiah, where the sword which they held in one hand was not to go out and battle the badness in the world, but was to keep anyone from stopping God's work that they were doing. I think this is the message that John is trying to make, as he does so with words; we must fight for our love to be real amongst each other; we must make that our battlefield, not the world, which is doomed for destruction, and is not our war; but the war of our own hearts and minds, that is where we are challenged by the enemy of God. As I was going to sleep last night, I envisioned riding down from heaven on a horse; thousands and thousands of us were mounted upon horses; everyone bearing a glorious golden sword in there right hands; and we were being lead by a Mighty King, who's brightness outshines the sun. And here is the really weird part of the vision, we were not actually going to battle, because there was no real battle; any battle that was to be fought, had already been won! So basically, we were showing up for all to know, You have no idea Who you are messing with!!!!

"Victory is Ours"

Be it here, there, or in the air! But looking at the things happening in this world right now can sure set us back, if we let them! However, we must know in our hearts that this is not our world any longer; it must be settled in our minds that we can not change this mess, we can only hope to change some hearts by sharing the Good News. In fact, reading the Scriptures that explain what shall happen in the end times, it shall only get worst; but we must take comfort in that, knowing that no matter how difficult things might become, we have somewhere else that we must be looking for; somewhere else that we are looking forward to being. I was tempted yesterday to share about some of the things that recently have been in the news; like the 95 year old lady who was being strip of her dignity for 45 minutes at the airport security check point. But I think we can see for ourselves what we can become; it is easy enough to see how things can get so out of control, and how terrorism from within can have several different meanings. Because that is really nothing compared to what shall happen to those that refuse to deny their faith in Jesus Christ, or to those that refuse to accept the mark of he who rules this world. It is just kind of hard to watch as the tapestry unfolds and knowing that the enemy will be having some victories for now; just seeing the glee in the faces of those in New York last week, as they came together under the eyes of the world, and spat in the face of God; it makes me wonder, are we ready? Am I ready for this that is going to happen? Should I plant a garden? Should I store up food enough for who knows how long? Or, should I just prepare my heart for being ready? I think the later is the only thing that is for sure, and that requires that I store my treasure in heaven, not on this earth; and what is treasure, but that which you think you need for another day? If we are going to be ready, then we must believe in Who holds the victory in His hands; and we must put all of our faith in His ability to take us through to the other side; no matter what!!! Do you believe that He will? I know that I believe that He can, but sometimes I think I lack the ability to believe that He will, for me. Who am I that He should love me? is the question in my mind. However, it is not there for long, because I must cast it out; asking God to forgive me for doubting His great love; a love that has no boundaries when it comes to those that are His. And that my dear brothers and sisters is the key: knowing that I am His!!! "For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth the Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4 & 5)

"Understood" -2

Now that we have that understood, I think we can move on to the next matter; but it is not really possible to do that unless we have understood how we are to move about in God's love. The next matter has to do with trials and our ability to actually be assured that we can have comfort in the midst of the trial. Maybe it's just me, but the way I see it, John is trying to explain something which is not easily explained, about how God's love does not only provide for loving others, but His love also provides for strength through any trial. In fact, I will take it even further than that, and say that God's love also provides the victory we need over our sins. I know I have shared on this before, but this is different, because this is about love. Do you love God? He will still love you, even if you said no, because He is all about loving those that have not loved Him. That is what makes this extraordinary relationship possible, in that He loves us despite ourselves; that His love for us is not based upon what we do; however, our love for Him is! In this we know that we love God, when we keep His commandments! What John is trying to tell us is that God's love is like a vacuum; where once you are in His love, everything that matters in your life is sucked into a whole new world, that is not of this world. No longer will you care to sin, because you love God; no longer can you hate your brother, because you love God; no longer will you have any fear of a trial, because you love God. And the greatest thing about this extraordinary relationship is that this love which we have towards God is not based upon our love, or our ability to love, but it is based upon His love which He demonstrated by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Sins which include our inadequacies to love the way we are meant to love, but that require a broken spirit to be washed over. Here is the thing that I see in this: the first major factor in our ability to face any kind of trial, is that we have first understood the love of God; without having done that, and without having lived out His love in our life, we are doomed to fail the test of even the smallest of trials; because His love is the strength beneath our wings, and if we are going to soar like an eagle through any trial, then like an eagle, we must learn to fly and to understand how these wings work... "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:1-4)

"Understood"

Having the understanding to know how we are to react to God's love in our offerings, service, or even our daily lives, requires a heart that is void of pride; something which we are all easily filled with. Maybe you are thinking, That's not me; I don't have pride in my heart! Well, good for you, I guess? But you must know something: pride is something which can appear out of nowhere; it is something which can take hold of you, and once you are gripped by it, it has it's talons in you. Okay; maybe you cannot see the thread yet, and the sinister way that the enemy works to pull the church apart, from the inside out. Always; and I mean always; anytime we are disputing with a brother or sister we must stop and ask God to change our heart; no matter what you might think about who is right and who is wrong, you must ask God to change your heart. I think you don't see the reasoning in that, do you? But the reason we are to ask for ourselves and not the other person is because of pride; we must be willing to be shaped by God, and pride is one thing which always gets in the way of God making us into His perfect image. However, our common tendency is to pray, Lord, change that person's heart so that they can see things the way that I see them; so that we can get along together. Amen. Have you ever prayed like that? And if you did, did it work? We must get one thing perfectly understood, the enemy is crafty, and uses our stubbornness to his advantage. Once we can realize this, and remember it during a time when it is being utilized, then we can begin to gain some ground back in the church; but until we do, we will continue to tear each other apart. Maybe you don't think it is all that bad, and I am making a big deal out of a few squabbles amongst the body? No, it is very real!!! The enemy has won on several occasions, and I have witnessed it myself within my own church body; time and time again, where the lives that have been altered, and some have even fallen from grace; all because of pride: too proud to be humble; too proud to give in; too proud to accept God's hand of instruction; too proud to love!!! John had seen it also, which was why he was so focused upon writing about it; over and over, he stresses the need to love one another, and to resist the trap of the enemy; because the enemy uses the disagreements that we have against each other for his advantage, by that wedge called pride being put between us and our understanding... "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (1 John 4:10 & 11)

"Understanding" -3

Wow; that was complex! But not really; because the thing which makes it complex is the lack of understanding; which therefore makes it hard to see the truth in knowing. You can give ten times as much as those around you, but if your motivation in giving is wrong, then how is that counted for good? Well, it is not; and it will in fact cause our heart to be hard as soon as there is difficulty or a challenge; not because we have given in error, but that our understanding was wrong in giving to be blessed. Therefore, when we are pressed in the matter of our error we become hostile towards God in that we were not accepted for our effort, even though it was wrong. Do you understand what I am saying? This is no ordinary relationship that we have in God! We are in a very extraordinary relationship which requires that we understand the abundant mercy and grace that we have been given, and to act accordingly. Not as the world acts, in doing those things which they do to be rewarded; but we are to be doing those things which we do towards God because God loves us so very very much! Okay; let me ask you this: do you think Abel was sacrificing unto God to be rewarded? Some will say that he was, and could even be able to justify that belief with Scriptures; however, there was no established practice for giving sacrifice at the time of his giving; and if anything, the only other example was that of Cain's, and yet his was wrong. So then, what motivated Abel to do what he did? Could it have been his desire to please God? That his desire to please God caused him to take something which was important to him, like the firstlings of his flock, and to offer it up to God. Okay; let me ask you this question again: do you think Cain could have traded some of his crops for one of Abel's sheep and that would have made a difference? Only if Cain's desire was to do that which was pleasing unto God in the purest sense; which would not have happened, because Cain lacked the understanding of what it meant to give an offering unto God. But what made matters worse, was that he did not want understanding in this matter, and did not pursue for it; if anything, he avoided it; because God had tried to give him understanding in the matter, yet he ignored God's instruction, and instead went in the way of sin. Do you know why? Why when we fight with our brother or sister, is there such a strong wedge that is placed between us? Pride!!! "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all of his thoughts." (Psalm 10:4)

"Understanding" -2

I hope that I did not through water on the coals of your giving; did I? But our attitude of giving, even giving of our tithes, is to be an attitude of praise; it should be given because God is good, not to ask Him to be good towards us. In Psalm 103, David's expression is of God's Love, and the praise that He is giving is that of thankfulness; which he expresses wonderfully within those two opening verses. Then David goes on to list all of God's benefits that are not to be forgotten, and in the next seventeen verses he listed them; finishing up with three verses of exhortation to all, that the Lord is to be blessed. This is not for blessing the Lord to receive His benefits, it's all about blessing the Lord because of His Great Love! Giving to God; praising God; serving God; or even serving our brothers and sisters, is not about doing these things to be blessed, it is about doing these things because we are blessed. In 1 Corinthians 14:20, Paul leaves off speaking about how he would rather speak five words of understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue, to speak about something which is in context, yet is also very much a root of all that might cause us to lack understanding in the Lord. He writes: "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men". If you dive into this passage and look at the words which Paul has chosen, you will find some very interesting teaching about living victoriously over sin. It is not that we lack the ability to be victorious over those sins that bind us, but rather, we lack the understanding to get it right! For example: in the word 'children' we find a word that means to be child like, or a babe; but within this context of what Paul is writing, and in the second use of the word, it means to be ignorant of evil. To see better what I am trying to say, let's look at the word 'understanding', which is the word 'phren', meaning literally the diaphragm, that which curbs or restrains; and figuratively, the supposed seat of all mental and emotional activity. Throughout the New Testament it metonymically means the mind, intellect, disposition, feelings; only in 1 Corinthians 14:20 is it translated as 'understanding'. This 'diaphragm' was regarded as the the seat of intellectual and spiritual activity; which determined the strength of the breath and hence also the human spirit and emotions. It precisely refers to the ability not only to think, but also to control one's thoughts and attitudes. It is the heart as the seat of passions as well as the mind as the seat of mental faculties. Therefore, what Paul is saying has to do with not being a child like person when it comes to understanding who we are in Christ; you can be child like when it comes to sin, whereas you stumble into it, and are not fixated upon it; but in understanding we must be 'teleios'. Yes, that's right; the word 'men' in Paul's writing is the word 'teleios', which means finished; or in this instance, it means knowing the truth...

"Understanding"

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:" (Psalm 103:1 & 2) Do you know how to stop a train wreck? Praise God! Praise Him like there is no tomorrow! Praise Him with all of your heart! Just Praise Him!!! Stop focusing on the negative; stop hating, and start loving; and the best way to get into the heart of Love is by giving praise to the God of Love. "If thou doest well, shalt thou be accepted?", was God's question to Cain; and for Cain to have done well, he would have left off from his hostile attitude, and started to praise God. This is the first step towards a repented heart, and until we get in a right position with God we will most likely not be in a position to repent; no, let me clarify that statement: unless we get in a right position with God, we will not repent! What is a right position with God? What does that even mean? Well; let me see; to start off on your knees might work for starters; or maybe prostrated on the ground, with your face as low as it can go. Getting to the point where you realize how much you need His mercy, and to the point where you know He can deliver it, if you are truly asking. Not as Cain asked for mercy in his response to God's judgement for him killing his brother: "And Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear." (Genesis 4:13) There was no remorse for his sin, only remorse for his punishment; he was not sorry for his crime; and there was no plea for pardon or expression of sorrow or regret. The beginning of understanding is the end of yourself: Cain was a selfish person who was about to be deprived of all his material belongings and driven into the wilderness; yet he did not have it in himself to ask for mercy; why? As I said before: Cain had not understood the whole meaning of God's mercy and what giving a sacrifice was all about. He might have had a clue, but not enough to get it right. The position that Cain was in was one of giving an offering to God as though the offering was for his investment into his work: Here God, here is the offering for that which I have produced; now bless it. This kind of offering is not uncommon amongst us believers; it's not right, but it is the common attitude of the heart as we give our tithes, or perform a service for God. The Lord loves a cheerful giver; meaning that He respects the giving of someone who is giving out of a heart of praise; not someone who is giving to be blessed...

"Misunderstanding"

I am under the impression that Cain was misunderstanding the whole thing, right from the start; and his problem was not so much that he did not understand, but that he did not want to understand. In Genesis 4:6 & 7, God asked Cain, "Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door: and unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him". Cain's sin began as all sin begins, with a hostile attitude towards God which leads to disobedience. Now that I have said that, I must explain what it means to have a hostile attitude towards God, because some may misunderstand that meaning and think it to be something that it is not. Hostility towards God is more than just anger, it has at it's root rebellion; which can cause a person to not want to understand why they are wrong, primarily because they do not want to know the truth. That might seem a little harsh, and if you were slapped by that statement, then I will take note of that; but the truth is, that those of a hostile attitude towards God are of a haughty spirit; which is someone who's heart gets more and more angry the more you try and correct them. What this creates is a train wreck that is being driven; if you can grab that meaning. What God was saying to Cain about "sin lieth at the door" is that there is a door; in other words, that there is a way to avoid sin; even though Cain had done wrong, the wrong that he had done could have been corrected, if only he had chosen to correct it; otherwise, he would be subject to the desire of what sin will do: "and unto thee shalt be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him". It is at this point in our hostility towards God that the truth no longer matters; mostly because our heart has been hardened by the sin and has darkened our understanding. Even if we wanted to try and understand, we could not; not because we no longer will want to, but because we no longer can. Do you see what I am saying? Strife that develops among us has only one cure, a repentant heart! If our heart is unwilling to repent, then there will be no understanding; there will be no understanding because sin has hardened our heart and has taken away our ability to manage the sin; and in it's place, we have crafted ways to manage everything around the sin. That is what I meant by 'A train wreck that is being driven'!

"Don't Stop The Flow" -2

By now you are either confused or enlightened; which one is it? One minute I am saying that we can not control the flow, the next I am saying we are responsible for making it flow; is that what you understood? God is in control of the flow, and He must always be in control; where we get into trouble is when we assume that we are in control, as if we have a say in such matters. Our role in this is to be steadfast and always looking up; as someone who is waiting for elevator to come down from umpteenth floor so that we may step inside. Having said that, I must remind you, and myself also, that our actions are vitally important to the work that God is doing in us and through us; in this we are responsible for not getting in the way of what God is doing, even though it might require us for Him to do it. Did not understand that? This part is easy to explain, and should not require much thought; but it does require a whole lot of love. Love that is greater than anything this world has to offer; love that wishes it could have the privilege to be used for His kingdom; love that wants to be an expression of His Love. This is no ordinary love, but it is a love that has been martyred already; how? because as Jesus has already died for us, so too we have died for Him. The old man has been crucified with Jesus Christ, and the New man is alive in Christ, living out Eternal Life in Him; already this is happening!!! Do we really understand that? I don't think that we do; otherwise, why would we constantly hurt one another? Do we still think that we have something to gain in this world? Do you want to know what I think? I do not think that Cain understood the meaning of sacrifice, and what it meant to the forgiveness of sin; yet Abel did; this is why Cain hated his brother. Cain could not understand why his offering was rejected and Abel's accepted; he could not get into his heart the concept of atonement for sin, and that the blood offering was not just an offering to give up to God, but that it was an offering to give into God; to lay down unto God, as in to ask for mercy in our praises. It was this lack of understanding which caused Cain to kill his brother; this is what causes us to strive amongst each other: not understanding what it means to sacrifice unto the Lord, and lay our life down for our brother. Do you know why Cain was so angry? It started with an anger towards God, in that God was not pleased with his way of doing what he did; and then it spread to jealousy towards his brother, because his brother did it properly. This is the same game that we play amongst each other; where we think it should be our way or the highway; and so, if we do not get our way, then we either set out to hurt one another, or pack our bags and go. Where is the sacrifice in that? This is why John called Cain "of the wicked one", because he had no concept of what sacrifice meant, and choose to seek his own way over that of the right way...

"Don't Stop The Flow"

"For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself." (Philippians 3:20 & 21) Conversation is not just words, but deeds and actions; we know this; we have been told this time and time again; and yet we fail over and over to carry out what we know to be true. Is not this also sin? I am convinced that it is; and not only is it sin, but it is sin which causes doubt towards generations. We are His workmanship, and as such, we must be putting forth the example of what it means to be living with Eternal Life in us; by doing this, we shall have Eternal Life springing forth out of us; splashing unto all of those that are around us. Does that mean we must live the life of a martyr? You did not know that? Yes we must lay down our lives for the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Which requires our attention to the actions we put forth as we are going through a trial; of any sort! Ideally, our actions will be set upon and towards those things which are eternal; however, these bodies are vile, and they are prone to make mistakes; therefore we must pay attention to our own actions very carefully; knowing that this is not just our trial, and that it is not just for our benefit that we are going through something; but it ripples out into so many lives around us. So; just as this could be an occasion to sin, it can also be; no, it is meant to be an opportunity to declared God's love; to show forth His eternal life that has been given unto us, that those around us can be privileged enough to get a glimpse of what Eternal Life looks like...

"The Pure Flow of Life Eternal"

Now that you might understand the workings of the spigot, you can better understand the way we try to control the flow on another level; which has to do with trials. Trials that are meant to shape us, and mold us into His perfect image; and we try and stop what He is doing within that trial by our actions. I know a little something about this, so you can know that I am sharing from experience; besides, it also has several examples within God's word. The number one way that we put our hand upon the spigot is by complaining when we are going through a trial. It is really hard, if not impossible to be a witness of someone who is living Life Eternal when you moan and groan about a speed bump. Yet, when we do complain about something which God has allowed for us to go through, what does that say for our belief in His love for us? I know God loves me, but today He is really being a prick! How about: God, I don't know what your doing, so why don't you just stop! Or: Lord, love me a little less! All of which are ways to express frustration in what you are going through, but none give glory to God and the work which He can do in you, and in those around you. When Jesus spoke about "a well of water springing up into everlasting life", He means to refer to that which is God's; in other words, God's eternal time clock is becoming your reality through the Living Water that is springing up inside of you. Therefore, when we make an issue of something which really has no effect whatsoever upon that which is eternal, we are placing our hand upon the tap, and we are closing the flow... "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart." (2 Corinthians 3:3)

"Change My Heart O God"

What do you think Cain should have done differently? Well, not kill his brother would work for starters. Have you ever wished you could change something about your life? Have you ever wanted to change something about someones else life? How about both at the same time? This is where we find Cain in the moments before he killed his brother; frustrated by the fact that his sacrifice was rejected, yet his brother's was looked upon with favor. This is the point in our lives where we must ask God to change our heart; where we must consider the things which are right, and then settle upon those things. I know that you have heard the story about how Cain's offering was one of works, and that made it unacceptable to God; and how that Abel's was a blood sacrifice, which made it one that God accepted. But, what if Cain had traded his crops for one of his brother's sheep; would that have made it different? It is pointless to think that we can not be changed, because we can; and when it comes to disputes with our brothers and sisters, we must! Look at Cain's heart, which was one that wanted to please God, and then was turned away from God when he wanted to kill his brother. We must change our heart! We must ask God to change it, and to settle our heart upon that which is right; otherwise we will become just as Cain, who was not at all concerned about his brother, until it became his concern; and then it became an obsession in his heart to hate his brother; not because his brother had done anything wrong to him, but because what he had done was wrong and his brother's was right. Now then; about that spigot; how do you think this has anything to do with that? I know, it really looks as though I have changed the topic altogether; but not so. Imagine for just a moment that Cain was not Cain, but that Cain were you: here you are expressing your love to God by offering Him the fruit of your labour, yet your not getting any acceptance for this effort; does God not love you? no, that's not it; do you not love God? no, I do not think that is the case either. The problem was in the sacrifice, and the fact that without the shedding of blood, no sacrifice is acceptable to God. So, at this point you are wondering what should I do; which is good, because you really do want to please God. And then you look over and see your brother offering one of his sheep up to God, and notice that his offering is acceptable to God; now what do you do with that? Well, if you are still wanting to please God, then you will want to offer something that is acceptable to God, and you will purchase a sheep from your brother; which will be what is required to continue in love and to build upon the fellowship you share with your brother. Or, you reject what is right, and in doing so, you turn off that spigot; stopping the flow out; and ultimately also stopping the flow within... But maybe this does not pertain to your situation? Then again, maybe it does! We are to be about loving our brother; which means that sometimes requires that we lay down our selfish pride, and look for a way to change our heart; begging God to change whatever it is that makes me angry with our brother or sister, starting in me!!! "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hatheth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:13-16)

"And Make Me Whole"

You are no doubt wondering just how it is that we could even try and control something that is out of our control? I have thought about this all yesterday and last night, and there still is no easy way to explain it; but I shall try. First off, something we all should be able to agree upon: to be completely whole, we must believe that Jesus Christ has made us completely whole; do you agree? If you do not, then you must not be whole yourself, and therefore do not believe that it is so. Nevertheless; when Jesus asked the man which was by the pool at Bethesda, "Wilt thou be made whole?", He did not ask him that question because He needed to know the answer, He asked him that question because the man needed to believe that he could be made whole. When Paul speaks about "as many as be perfect" in Philippians 3:15, he is referring to those of us that believe that Jesus Christ has made us completely whole. In other words; we who are living for the end of this journey realize that the end justifies the means; or, what we shall become justifies what we are in Jesus Christ. In this we are made perfect; not because we are already perfect, but because that is what we shall be. And the real kicker is, that with God, and His eternal clock, we are perfect today!!! Secondly, there is the matter of sin; which for all it is worth, means more than those sins which were once considered ungodly, but now includes those things which express God; which are love for God and one another. This is pointless to continue in if we do not agree that not loving is sin; and it is also pointless to think that you love God if you hate your brother. To really love my brother, then those things which might offend me that I think my brother has done, must be forgiven; and when I say must, I mean as though forgiving them is the thing I need to do that I might be made whole; because it is!!! Thirdly, and here is where many of us part ways; but the real proof of being filled with the Spirit of God is not in tongues, or in performing signs and wonders, but in love for God and each other. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are governed by the love of God; which is not something which we can control, but is rather something which must be lived out. However; we have made controlling God's love a part of our reasoning in matters that pertain to the church and in matters that pertain to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Say, Rich, this is hard to swallow! You are right, and I have not given it the justice that it deserves in sharing it the way that I have; but, we must understand something about our heart: "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." (1 John 3:11 & 12)

"Spring Up O Well"

"I have a River of Life flowing out of me!" That is the ticket!!! Yet, and I say this with some small reservation, there is a tap on this well; a spigot; a valve that controls the flow. As we have talked about before, in order for a river to be called a river it must flow; and in order for a well to spring up, it must be tapped. The reason that there is some reservation in my statement is because there are two separate ways to control this tap: our hands or His; I would prefer that it be His! Maybe we should understand what I mean by a tap? There are two meanings for this word, and they both are for getting water to flow in a certain direction: To tap into a water source and to allow water to flow from a tap. I do not mean to confuse you, but only to make a point: This tap which is tapped into The River of Life has been installed by God; therefore it must also be controlled by God, and not by us; however, that is not how we have made it to be! I can not show you what I see, but can only pray that you see it for yourself; who's hand is on the spigot to control the flow? Okay; so that might not have worked? How about this? If the well of water in us is springing up into everlasting life, how is that the indicator of who controls the flow? Give up? Life eternal is equivalent to the kingdom of God; which, in case you did not know, is not limited by time; nor is His kingdom limited by the things we think should happen, or by the things we think can not happen. In other words, God's kingdom has power; power to move mountains; power to raise the dead; power "to make the lame to walk and the blind to see". So; who should be controlling the spigot? Because for us, who do not know the power of His kingdom, although we think that we do, should not try and control the flow of something that is eternal...

"The Promise" -2

Much of what happens to our lives is dependent upon what we do with what we know! Do you get that? When Jesus spoke about never thirsting, it is the thought of never again longing for the answer; never again needing to be satisfied by a need to know; it also means that there is no longer a thirst for righteousness, which actually means a right standing with God. Now then; if we go back to 1 John 3:24, and take notice of something that John says: "And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him"; this is a two-way street. In other words; there is a reason that we are able to keep His commandments, and it has to do with dwelling in Him, and He dwelling in us. And when Jesus spoke about the well of water springing up inside of us into eternal life, in a nut-shell, He is speaking about power over sin! Much as Paul was declaring that being perfect is made possible because we have been made perfect by the blood of Jesus Christ, so that we can now press towards that which we have been made to be. So then, we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ because He has already made us perfect; yet we are still required to walk out that perfection He has given us. And as John continues with in verse 24, "And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us", is not only that evidence of the well of water springing up inside of us, but is also the power needed to live out the perfection which we are in. Having said all of that; and hoping that it made some kind of sense; let me now say, that the reason I believe we are not able to retain a heart that is pure is because of sin, unconfessed sin in our lives! Yet, on the other hand, the reason that we are able, even more than able to retain a heart that is pure, is because we are pressing towards that which we have been made in Jesus Christ, which is perfect; and there is only one way to be perfect, and that is to confess our sin!!! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

"The Promise"

"And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He adideth in us, by the Spirit He hath given us." (1 John 3:24) Although; even though I do not hold to that belief, I do believe that it has a place in our hearts. What belief are you wondering? the one from yesterday's post: that once God makes a man's heart pure, and then places His Spirit within that heart, that there is no way that heart can become impure. How can you not hold to a belief, yet believe that it is so? Well, first off, I did not say that it was so, only that it has a place in our hearts; which means that it can be so, if we make it so. Wow! Make it so? as if we now have some control over our eternity? Okay; let's think about this for a moment. In Philippians 3:12-15, Paul writes, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you". There are some simple answers to that which you seek; and the first has to do with a promise that Jesus made to the Samaritan woman at the well, in John 4:14, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life". My mom would always say, You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink. And for this I am grateful, and dreary, all at the same time; because I understand that the promise of 'a well of water springing up inside me' does not guarantee that it shall spring forth out of me. Looking at Paul words from the verses above, there are a couple areas that need attention; the first of which is the word 'perfect'; because in verse 12, Paul says, "either were already perfect (teleioo)"; yet in verse 15, he writes, "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect (teleios)". Two very similar words, but with two very different meanings. The second word, which means to be complete, has to be viewed by the person who is perfect as having already been established; while the first word, which means to complete, is viewed by that same person as the road to getting there...

"Keeping a Pure Heart" -3

If I had to pick a blog that I would finish with, it might be this one. When we are talking about 'Keeping a Pure Heart', the concept is really quite simple to understand; however, doing it requires help; help which requires the desire to be pure! God will make our heart pure by the removal of sin; I think we can all get a good understanding of that; right? In this process of the removal of sin is also the removal of guilt; guilt which was associated with that sin, and had made our hearts impure to begin with. However, the one thing that God will not do is to take away our free will, which is the one thing that can still prevent our hearts from remaining pure. This is where there might be a difference of opinion, because some might believe that once God makes a man's heart pure, and then places His Spirit within that heart, then there is no way that man's heart can become impure. I do not hold to this belief, because it is not quite that easy to keep pure. How do you explain the reason that we must press forward; keeping in fellowship; studying His Word to show ourselves approved; fasting and praying to know His will? all of which are things that require due diligence and effort on our part. Therefore, God can purify our heart, but we must endeavor to remain pure in heart; in other words, there must be the desire within our heart to remain pure; which will allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to do so. The real question we must answer, is whether or not our purification is a process, or is it instantaneous? How about both? Yes, that is my answer! His will for us is instantaneous; however, our will requires a process. Can you see what is required of you? Getting our will to alien with His will is what produces a heart that is pure. Or, a better way to put it: a heart that is pure will not desire sin, because a pure heart will wish to remain pure... "Wilt thou be made whole? (then) Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. (and) Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to you." (The words of Jesus from John 5:6-14)

"Keeping a Pure Heart" -2

Having a pure heart is pointless if we are going to continue in sin, that is for sure; however, there are some, even myself, which have tried; and I can assure you that it does not work. Now what am I talking about? Well, it goes something like this: you have asked God to forgive you for your sin, yet have taken that which causes you to sin, and have stowed it away for another day. I know that I have shared on this before, but this time it is about the heart, and love; something which we must keep pure. I should not need to say much more for you to get where this is going, and why the same result is not going to happen as yesterday; because it is. Those same two sources are going to tear you up, and as long as you are holding onto sin, there is nothing else that you can do about it. To really keep a pure heart we must want a heart that is pure! That sounds oddly simple, doesn't it? but it is true. God is more than able to make our heart pure; time and time again, if need be; however, the choice to keeping a pure heart is up to us, and no one else! So, what are we really talking about here? and why is love an issue? Really? is that your question? Have we not spent enough time on what love really means? and to who's benefit our love is for? Let me ask you this: do you think your love for God effects His love for you in any way? I think not! His love never changes, because He changes not; so try all you want, but you will not make Him love you any more, or any less. However; your love can be stronger and stronger, depending on the pureness of your heart; and if you are holding onto something that you know causes you to sin, then you have chosen to have a heart that is not pure... "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)

"Keeping a Pure Heart"

It is not surprising to me anymore how God makes me travel in circles; neither do I wonder what He will show me next, because I have grown interested in being surprised. When we are talking about a pure heart, it does not mean that we have a heart which has not sinned, but rather a heart that has no sin. The watchmen that went about the city and the keepers of the walls from the verses that I closed with yesterday are the ones whom we must fear, because that is the poison which can make us hold onto sin. What is sin? missing the mark is the best definition of what sin has become, and the mark can be missed in our relationships also. To be better equip to not miss the mark, an archer will practice hitting the mark over and over, that is called archery; which is what is required for one to become skilled enough to be called an archer. In our relationships, the point is the same; to be better equip to not miss the mark, we must practice hitting the mark over and over; and in love, that is how you are declared lover, (sounds dirty?). But really; hitting the mark every time will most likely not happen, which is referred to as sin; and when sin does happen there are consequences, sometimes minor, sometimes major, but most assuredly there are consequences. However, with God there is forgiveness of sin, to the point of forgotten; however not so easy for us, because we tend to hold onto and keep track of our misses; that is where the 'watchmen' and the 'keepers of the walls' come into play, because they continue to yell out, Sinner, as we try to correct our way. Two different sources are given here, although they both do the same function, which is to guard the city from intruders; or better defined for the purpose of this post: to declare sin and trespass by exposing it, in an effort to cause harm or attention to the sinner. These two sources are different because of their locations; one is upon the walls, looking for those that might be coming in; while the other is located within, roaming the city and looking for intruders. I have tried to determine which is which, but I am a little confused on how the enemy can get into the city, let alone become a watchmen within it; however, the way I see it, and in the context of what we are talking about, the one upon the walls is our conscience, and the watcher is the devil... "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is the commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave us commandment." (1 John 3:18-23)

"Trusting In Love" -3

Do I have your attention? or did I leave you somewhere wondering what I was talking about? It might seem a little hard to get hold of what I am trying to say, but it really is quite simple: in us is the ability to trust in love to the point that renders us unconcerned of our actions. Blame it on our hearts, if you will; but we can get to a point in our relationships where we no longer put forth the great effort to express our love, because we become so confident in the love we have been given. Much like the portion of Scripture which I shared yesterday, in which there was the lack of motivation to get out of bed and open the door, knowing that love would wait; however, it did not! I know, you are wondering where this is going? However, our love that is expressed to our spouse, much like our love expressed to God, is not just for the benefit of who we are expressing to, but is also beneficial to us. (Come again?) Okay; because we have this heart, wickedly wanting to please itself, we have the tendency to slip into a place where we are so confident of the love that we have, we stop putting forth the effort to be loved by loving; the old expression, "You don't bring me flowers anymore" has become a reality within the relationship. Now where are you? scrambling to the door to open it? wishing you could hit the reset button, and do that part of your life over? When we do this in our relationship with each other it can be devastating, because the one that is offended can retreat; which means that they may take interest in another. Hope is not lost, but there must be every effort to win back their heart to the point where they once again are confident to your love for them. When we do this in our relationship with God, it is not so difficult to fix, because He knows our heart better than we know it our self! However; and this is the kicker; the benefit we lost in the relationship with God was not His love for us, but it was our purity in our love for Him... "The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love." (The Song of Solomon 5:7 & 8)

"Trusting In Love" -2

"I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave no answer." (The Song of Solomon 5:2-6) Having tried to talk about what passion is to love, I felt drained and in need of a fresh dose of it myself; but there is something else that must be said about surrendering oneself, and trusting in love: it never misses an opportunity to be experienced. This is really quite strange to try and put into words, but much like the verse above which speaks about "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on?", it is that form of lack of surrender which I am trying to address. To better understand what the heck I am talking about, you should think of this more in the light of how we do, than what we do. A good example of that would be the response you might get from your kid when you ask them to do something, and they respond by saying, I don't feel like it, or some such thing. It is on a whole different level, but it is much the same; the difference however is that for us and God, it is not. Here we are talking about something of far greater importance, and if I was going to try and sum up what trusting in love really means, then I would explain it as so: to attach oneself, confide in it, and feel safe; confident, secure and careless: this type of hope is a confident expectation, not a constant anxiety. We can truly relax when we know God loves us and is in control! Having said that, let me take it to the next level of trust, which is our heart; because that requires the effort to get up out of bed and open the door...

"Trusting In Love"

Now that you have somewhat been taken to who knows where, let me assure you that love and death have more in common than you might think. Trust is one that comes to the forefront of my mind; because as in death, where we trust that there will be something waiting on the other side, so it is with love. Maybe you can't see it the way that I do? but spend a few years in my shoes and I think you will understand. First off, love must be invested into; in other words, you must make the effort to vest into that which you love, otherwise it is only something that you like, but is not loved with a passion. In doing so, investing that is, you will find that with this effort that is put forth there is a matter of trust which is established; not necessarily trust in the person being loved, but trust in the act of love itself. How is that possible? you might be wondering. Well, (one of those), because love is a passion, it involves surrendering part of yourself to experience it to it's fullest merit; in doing so, it is the passion which is involved that continues to fuel the flames of love; however, this passion must be vested in the love and not the other way around. This is where many fall short, and the main reason for divorce to be so rampant: love based upon passion, instead of passion based upon love. Love needs to be as sure as death! It must be always in the forefront of your mind, as if it is inevitable to happen; why? Because love is not based upon passion, that is why! It is a passion, however it does not depend upon passion to live; passion is dependent upon love; and love is forever!

"Taught By Love" -2

In case you were wondering, the word 'jealousy' in The Song of Solomon 8:6 actually means 'ardent'; which means that the proper translation should read, "Ardent zeal is as strong as the grave"; and ardent means passionate or intense. This is a very interesting Book in the Bible, and many avoid teaching on it all together. However, it's original title in the Hebrew was "The Song of Songs", meaning the best of songs; and it is best described as love poetry. The Jews referred it to God's dealings with His bride, Israel; however, early Christians saw it as representing the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. Either way it is packed with some very strong metaphors, which when taken out of context can make you blush while teaching this Book in front of a large crowd of people. That being said, I am learning something from not just God's love for me, but I am also being taught by the love I share with my wife. I say share because I still believe that we have a connection, although many cannot tell it is so; caught in the moment of surprise, neither can I demonstrate it for you; but hang out with us for several hours of sharing (as if I would permit it) and you would be able to see the connection. This shared love is something that can only be expressed by the act of sharing in it; in other words, it is pointless for me to try and explain this love to you, because it would be much like the second part of verse seven in The Song of Solomon chapter eight: irrational. In other words; you would not understand the rationality of my passion, nor the deeper meanings that are expressed; at least not enough to justify their importance to divorce reality, or what might be perceived as reality by those that are looking outwardly for reason. To put it bluntly, some would say, What an idiot!, and shake their head in wonder, as they don't even try to understand why because it seems so meaningless. However; just as the meaning of "for love is as strong as death" in verse six, to really know the passion of what is being experienced by love, one must be taken to that place; much as, to know what death is really like; well you get the picture...

"Taught By Love"

I have to confess something else to you, and anyone who knows me and my current situation knows that I have some battles; but I have learned only recently what it means to look beyond this life. Yes, it's true; for many years I have lived as a Christian man who was waiting to be taken from this place and to be with the Lord, only to recently realize that His love can give me the calmness I need within the storm. In other words, I really do not need to be yearning for heaven as if that were the relief from the fire; but that heaven could be within my grasp right now, just by knowing the power of His great and mighty love. I am not talking about being transported into heaven, although I do believe that has happened; but I am talking about being so content with knowing Him and His love that nothing else matters at all; absolutely nothing! That is what I mean by looking beyond this life. It is something which we are taught to do, that can only be learned by experiencing the Love of God all by it's self. I know that might sound a little odd, but that is the only way that I can describe it. All other things that could matter in this life are set aside, if not just for a moment, and there is nothing else but His love. Sounds a little weird; yes? I think that this is something that is brought about by the loss of fear; fear to be without is no longer present; fear to be lost can not be found; fear to be alone is not in reach. That is what His love teaches us to be: without fear! In this we find that the storm is not only welcomed, but it actually adds definition to the journey, and gives place for those that are afflicted by it to be brought into safety from it. Not only is there no fear from the storm, but there is a watchful eye for those that might be looking for relief within their own storm, because His love can overcome anything... "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth that bare thee. Set me a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned." (The Song of Solomon 8:5-7)

"No Greater Love" -4

Now that you might be confused and left wondering if I am on drugs, let me assure you that I am not; however, I must confess, that this portion of my life is more challenged than ever before. As I think about love, and what we take for granted each and every day, I have to wonder why so many people in the world do not love with a love that is sacrificial. I do believe that we have ability to love in a way that gives of ourselves, because we can see examples of that love in the pages of history; however, many listed there had been killed for love of country or some such thing. Right now I am thinking of the love between a husband and a wife, which must be one that is sacrificial in order to withstand the moments of neglect or the frustrations of being human. We can not have perfect lives, because this is not a perfect world; but we can have perfect love, because that perfect love is not of this world. To give an example of what I mean, let me try and illustrate what perfect love is: perfect love is love that puts the cares and needs of someone else above that of oneself; perfect love requires the giver to surrender the idea of measuring the love that they might give; perfect love is not based upon being responded to, but is based upon the desire to love, regardless of the result. This type of love is not of this world, because it does not have it's reward guaranteed in this world, but in another; it's benefit is given by the fulfillment of what love is meant to stand for. And when I say that we take this love for granted every day, I mean that we lack the desire to make it happen; or for a lack of a better word: to crave for the chance to love in that way. Crave is a pretty harsh word to use, but it is actually the word that best describes what I mean; because it is a word that expresses what it means to greatly desire something; to want it so bad that it hurts. This might be considered as heartbroken, or a heart that has an ungovernable passion to see it's self expressed; not caring what is in store for the giver, but only that it can give, and keep on giving. (Okay, maybe I am having flashbacks?) "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:13-16)

"No Greater Love" -3

Did we get there yet? Where? Doing the will of God, that's where! How can we actually manifest the 'will of God' in our lives? Love!!! But not a selfish love; which is one that looks for benefit to be towards the one giving the love, rather than the one receiving it; what? A sacrificial love is one because it sacrifices something for the benefit of another; that is what God's love has done for us. And greater is His love than even that, in that He did so without a desire to be accepted or even rewarded for His love towards us; but that we could know that He loves us, and that He would do whatever it takes to save us. Hold on; I thought God made a way for man to be saved so that they might have fellowship with Him? isn't that a benefit for Him? First off, that is not how God thinks, as someone who desires fellowship with someone else might think. Because He is Holy, and holiness is not a character which comes naturally with a fallen man; therefore He is not desiring to have fellowship with fallen man, but that fallen man might be restored to fellowship with Him; which requires the fallen man to become Holy, as He is Holy, so that fellowship may even be possible. Secondly, His love for us is because He loves us, as His special creatures, that He has made in His image; more special that even the host of heaven, because we have been given a free will and the right to choose to love. Thirdly, because of the fall of man, man's soul was separated from God's Spirit; which caused man to be spiritually dead from God, who is the Giver of Life; which caused hurt toward God's heart for fallen man that was condemned to destruction. So, God's benefit in this matter, is that man would be saved from eternal destruction by choosing to accept His Love. Hold on; I thought you said He had no desire to be accepted? You see, here is where we differ from God; because we do things to get rewards for doing them, yet God, He does what He does to reward those that receive His love; so His desire for us is that we might be saved; it just so happens that the way we are saved is by accepting His love. Now then; as far as we manifesting God's love in our lives, and what is required to do so: that is our sacrifice to God, which is to be Holy... "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." (1 John 3:1-3)

"No Greater Love" -2

Maybe the first thing we need to know about "the will of God" is what His will means? It signifies His gracious disposition toward something; in other words, the will of God designates what God Himself does of His own good pleasure. However, if we look again at John's writings, what John specifically said was, "but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever", which is talking about man doing what it is that God has done. Now I wonder what that could be? If I could just get past this mortality, then I could really understand how this works; but that is not possible, because as soon as I open my eyes I am still in it, and the vision is gone. Nevertheless, I will try and explain what I think He has shown me, and with a little luck, it might make sense to someone out there in cyberspace. The will of God when it comes to man is that which results from His process of determination; in other words, God, who being determined to provide a way for man to be saved from sin and all that comes with it, had only one way to to bring about that result, and it involved the giving of Himself, which was His Son Jesus Christ. Okay, but how does that relate to something that man can do? Right? Well (another deep subject) let's think about this for just a moment; because John, unlike Paul, does not make much mention of the Holy Spirit, although he does make references to all that the Holy Spirit does. That being said, we do have the will of God abiding in us when we are filled with His Spirit, because as with all things God, His will is also eternal; and that same will which resulted in the giving of His Son is still very much who He is and a part of Him. Now that we know the roundabout of what 'the will of God' is meant to manifest, we can better understand the heart of His will, or the center of why His will is so determined to save man from their sin; and that my dear brothers and sisters is Love. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"No Greater Love"

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:17) I guess what I am trying to say here today, is that God's love gives us more to look forward to than anything that is available in this world; period! And yet we are caught time and time again searching for some kind of fulfillment for this temporary earning; something that brings pleasure to a dying vessel, maybe even satisfaction. However, that is not the way it works; we can not satisfy the flesh, because it always wants more than we can give it. Within the verse above are two very different words; one points to destruction, while the other points towards eternal life. The first word which we see is the word 'lust', which is the word 'epithumia', and is not just a want, as in I desire something, although the word can mean that; but this is strong desire, or longing for. I find that in the times when I feel distant from God, are the times when I am longing for things here more than the things of heaven; it is that kind of longing, where you are wanting to satisfy something which cannot be brought into a state of fulfillment; and which creates an appetite for only more of the same. The other word, which is in the total opposite direction, is the word 'will', as in the "will of God"; which surprisingly is a noun, because it is the result of the will. The word we are talking about is the word 'thelema', with is from the word 'theo' which means to will; however, the suffix -ma indicates that it is the result of the will. Will, not to be conceived as a demand, but as an expression or inclination of pleasure towards that which is liked, that which pleases and creates joy. This that we are talking about here brings fulfillment, because it is based upon something that is greater than ourselves; something which can not be matched by our own fleshly desires; therefore, it brings satisfaction on a whole different level. Oddly enough, this same word 'thelema' is used in John 1:13, and is expressed as "the will of the flesh"; however, this same term is used in Ephesians 2:3 where it is referring to the desires of the flesh, or lust; but in John 1:13 it is referring to something altogether different, and that which sparks a ton of controversy among Believers. What makes this word 'thelema' so hard to understand, is not that it is opposite the word used for 'lust', which is how it is used in the verse we find in 1 John 2:17; but it is really how similar these two words can express desire, and can actually cause a life to move in a certain direction... "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12 & 13)

"Spiritual Adultery"

John is speaking about two types of love in 1 John 2:15, 'agapao' and 'agape'; "love not the world" uses the 'agapao' word, which means to esteem, indicating a direction of the will and finding one's joy in something or someone. This is the love that is expressed in Ephesians 2:4, "His great love wherewith He loved us"; and it brings with it strong affection. It also is the type of love which is used towards our enemies; love that expresses compassion towards another; which is different than 'phileo' love, which is to befriend them and adopt their interest; becoming friends on their level. It is this act of finding joy in something other than in God which is what I am talking about today; because that is what we will be drawn to, time and time again for fulfillment of joy. Which is really quite ironic when you come to think of it, because those things that we get joy from on this earth are not long lasting, and can only give temporary fulfillment. However, the joy that the Lord gives to us is eternal; meaning that His ability to fulfill joy within us never changes and is always available. The other love which John uses, 'agape', "the love of the Father is not in him", expresses God's willful direction towards man; "For God so loved the world" is a prime example of this love. This type of love, although seemingly close to 'agapao', is more the proof of love than the expression of love; therefore, it is to say that God's eternal love is not in us because of our affection towards that which is temporary, and that which is passing away. Therefore, this is what we can refer to as 'spiritual adultery'; which demonstrates man's ability to accept God's willful direction towards him, and yet turn right around and seek fulfillment of joy in the things of this world: instead of his joy being fulfilled by the expressed Love of God...

"Pray Always" -2

I am sorry for the abrupt ending yesterday, but I needed time to think about where God was leading me; and like I have said before, sometimes I do not know until I start pushing down on these keys. The reason for showing the type of condition that the children of Israel were in when Hezekiah began his reign, was because this world today is pretty much in that same condition. Not all of it; because there are some true Christians among us, but the majority of the world today is either serving false gods or have turned their back on God all together. Therefore, the things of this world, especially those things of commerce, are more geared for the majority than for the minority. Leading up to the time of Hezekiah's reign, the previous kings were obsessed with worshiping pagan gods; and the reason that they were, is because they thought that was where it was at; the popular thing to do that brought the most benefit to this life and their rule. Doing that requires a complete abandonment of God, primarily because it goes against God's commands; but more specifically, because man's heart gets harder and harder the further they transgress the will of God. To ensure that there is no disturbance to their fleshly pleasures, these kings had made the people of the land worship their gods also; making the holy temple of God as an old relic, and something which was for generations past. Pay attention to what the enemy is doing around you!!! Misery loves company; the devil wants to drag as many to hell with him as he can. Not to change the subject, but I really love Sarah Palin and what she is doing right now on her bus tour. One of my favorite books is called The President, which is about a very liberal president of the United States who gets schooled by the writings of our founders, and then changes his heart, accepts Jesus Christ, and begins to change the way he governs; only to find out that all those he has placed around him are determined to destroy him, because they are not willing to be changed themselves. In God's children that are here among the majority of those that are not His, is the ability to be separate and to stand out as the chosen people of God that they are; however, that ability is often made handicapped by the things of this world and the desires of the flesh. These are the things that we are to be praying about; these are the things that will cause those foolish virgins to not have oil in their lamps at His coming; ending fellowship with God because of the cares of this world... "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17)

"Pray Always"

"My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that ye should minister unto Him, and burn incense." (2 Chronicles 29:11) Hezekiah's charge to the Levites; when he began his reign in Jerusalem; when he was twenty five years of age. I thought this charge best fit the description of what Jesus meant by 'pray always' in Luke 21:36, because there is an obligation that we have, kind of like watchmen, to not only be prepared ourselves, but to serve God in the process. To best understand what it is that I am talking about, we should realize what the word 'pray' means that Jesus is using within the context of His statement. The word used is 'Deomai', which means to be reduced to want; to lack for oneself, to need; to make a request, ask as an inferior of a superior. Coupled together with the word 'always', which is the word 'kairos', meaning season, or opportune time; fit time, proper season; or time appointed. In the Bible that I use, there is a caption right above Luke 21:34 that says, Be Watchful; this is important to us that are living in these last days. Primarily because we are His chosen people, we have an obligation to watch for His return; it is not just out of necessity for ourselves to be ready, but also for the purpose of serving Him; which makes our position as those that stand before God all that more important. If you understand that these are the last days, and you have knowledge of the kind of events which must come to pass, then you must realize that this is the appointed time for prayer; not just a prayer, but prayer that is lifted to God as the incense burnt within the temple: constant, as in ongoing; so that there is always the smell of that incense in the air. Praying every time that there is a mention of one of these events which must come to pass may not be enough; how about praying at every hint of those things which are distractions, and that cause people to take their gaze off of God? This is where Hezekiah had found himself being appointed king: "For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs. Also they have shut the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel." (2 Chronicles 29:6 & 7)

"Caught Unaware"

"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:34-36) Pre; Mid; or Post; what is your flavor? For me, it's to be taken before that great tribulation; however, I do believe that there will be some us here that will go through that terrible ordeal; not willingly, but because that they were caught unaware. We really do not have an excuse to not be ready, except to just not be caring at the time of His coming. That is pretty much what it comes down to: not caring because you are so distracted by the things of this life here on earth. I know this to be so, so you must believe me when I say that this life is a snare to grip your very soul, and we must gather our senses, get on our knees, and pray that we are not distracted; because any one of us, no matter how strong you might think that you are, can become distracted by the things of this world. I know, you are thinking, Not me, I am totally prepared and will not be moved! Well, good for you! Maybe you should be named Peter, if that is already not your name; we can all call you Peter, because you are a rock of a Christian; after all, he was such a great example of saying what he meant and doing what he said; right? I would caution anyone who might think that they are bulletproof, and that they are beyond the point of being caught off guard: do not think that way, because that is right where the enemy wants you to be: self-reliant; not needing God's help to withstand the grip of the enemy. Do you know how a slip-knot works? much the same as a noose. My mom would always say, If you give someone enough rope, they will hang them self. That is pretty much the meaning of the word 'snare' that Jesus uses in the passage above; we can find ourselves being strung along by the cares of this world, not really knowing just how far we have drifted away from being fully reliant upon God for His protection. All the while, we have thought that we are still attached to Him by this rope we have fastened between us and Him; until, all of the sudden, snap! That rope which we have fastened has become a noose around our necks; working like a slip-knot that uses the force of our own weight to tighten more around our neck. And there is only one way to escape that kind of entanglement; which is to cry out for God to lift you up and to remove the rope. However; that will not be the case at the time of His coming; there will be no time for asking God to intervene in the removal of your snare that you have gotten yourself into. Only a stool shall be placed below your feet, that another may kick it out during the tribulation...

"Global Warning"

Here is how I see it: Al and Harold are both wrong! Jesus said we would not know the day nor the hour of His coming; that pretty much sums up the possibilities of being able to predict the day, let alone the hour also. And as far as all this 'Global Warming' stuff that our children are being fed in school, I believe it is a distraction straight from the pit of hell, to take them and us off our guard; to put the focus of what is causing these natural disasters onto something other than the 'End Times'. Because, Jesus also said we would be able to tell the Season of His coming, and if you haven't noticed, lately it is hard to tell when a season starts and ends; which makes predicting the day Winter ends and Spring begins pretty difficult, because here in Shasta Lake, I think we missed Spring this year. Therefore, we still cannot predict the day Jesus will be returning, even after knowing it is the Season of His coming, but we can be assured that His coming is soon. Thinking about this all night and this morning, I could not help but imagine the reason why the earth will react to His coming the way that it does; after all He created the heavens and the earth, why shouldn't they tremble at His coming? This will be no small event, because Jesus also said that if someone tells you He has come, or He is here or over there, don't listen to them, because as the lightning flashing across the sky, so will be the sign of His coming; which basically means that no one will be able to miss it when they are looking for it. However, I do believe that not everyone will see it, because they will not be looking for it; thus the main reason for the devils distraction, to place man's concern on logical answers to the reason for these great changes in our earth's condition. Personally, I think it is the earth's reaction to the soon return of it's Creator; He who commands it's rotation and it's balance. Co2 gases, nor any other thing that man can design will not be able to alter God's plan for the earth; but those that do not believe in God are not looking for the sign of His plan, nor do they believe that there is a plan. How sad is it to think that you are alone on a dying planet? I really feel for our kids in these public schools; between catastrophic disaster and gender identity, they really are getting dragged to hell...

"Keeping It Real" - In Him

In verse 13 of 1 John chapter 2, John uses the word 'Known' for the fathers knowing Him that is from the beginning, and for the little children knowing the Father. What we are talking about here is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! It is all about Relationship!!! The parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25, when Jesus spoke about the unprepared virgins, "I know you not", He was saying that I do not recognize you intuitively. The unprepared virgins were not rejected because they did not have oil in their lamps, but because they were not related to Jesus Christ! Them having the oil for their lamps was just a requirement that they should have prepared for in advance, because they should have known what their Lord required; and they would have known, had they had a relationship established with Him. Thus, these unprepared virgins were referred to by the Lord as 'foolish', which means a person that is morally worthless; much the same as salt that has lost its flavor becomes tasteless. This 'Known' which John uses here is the same word which Jesus used to explain to Peter "What I do (the washing of his feet) you do not know (intuitively because you are not what you will one day be in order to understand the deeper significance of My actions) now, but thou shalt know hereafter (it will be shown to you, it will be explained to you and then you will understand)". This is an acquired knowledge which is more than intuitive, because it has been established through relationship with something; where that from which it has been taught from, has been experienced. Therefore; had the foolish five virgins understood the importance of being prepared for the Bride Groom, then they would have been more careful to keep oil in their lamps; however, they were not in fellowship with Him at the time of His coming, therefore they were caught unaware...

"Keeping It Real" -too

"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have Known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have Known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have Known Him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." (1 John 2:12-14) Can you see a kind of pattern here? First off, God does not change, we do! So, when we are talking about keeping it real, what are we talking about? Well, it's not God, that's for sure! We are the ones that change, from one day to another; sometimes, several times a day; but He never changes. To put it in a little different light, let's just say that our lives here on this earth are less real than the life we have in Christ. Der, what? Okay; for example, everything that you know here on this earth, including your friends and families, everything changes; it gets old; worn out; rotten; dies or is consumed by death or fire; but God does not change, and neither does His Word. The thing which we must come to realize is that the changes which take place in us are not Him changing in us, but Him changing us in Him. Therefore, if anything is not real that has changed in us, it is not of Him, but is rather something that we might have mistaken for Him, which is most likely from the wicked one; meaning that it is not only not real, but it is also not true, because he is the master of deception. However; we that are in the Know, should be able to determine what is real and what is fake; because within us dwells God's Spirit and His Word; which are more real than even the master of deception. Therefore what we must keep real is ourselves...

"Keeping It Real"

"And hereby we do know that we Know Him, if we keep His commandments." (1 John 2:3) Yes, I know, 'Keeping It Real', really, does that try to compare really abiding in Christ to keeping His commandments? Well, let me see...; yes, I do believe that it does! As I said the other day, when we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, He represents Jesus Christ here on this earth; and because He does represent Jesus Christ, we then Know Jesus. And, not only do we know Jesus Christ, but we also have the Holy Spirit within us pleading the cause of Christ to us, constantly. Constantly; really? Well, again, let me see...; yes, He will never leave us or forsake us, so I guess that never might compare to constant! The problem is that the Holy Spirit will not force us to do anything, contrary to what some may think; so it is up to us to continue to yield our mortal bodies to the eternal light that dwells within them; otherwise we can find ourselves not abiding in Christ. That in of itself is a subject that has many different levels of concern, because we are not forsaken, yet we can forsake His voice; which means that we refuse to obey or keep His commandments. That is when we are finding ourselves on ground that sifts below our feet, which is the opposite of Solid Ground; which actually means that the path on which we are on is not the path on which we should remain, because it is faulty and unreal. What the heck are you saying Rich? are we on the path and then not on path? Well, let me see... "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in Him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him." (1 John 2:4 & 5)

"True Light" -3

"He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked." (1 John 2:6) Let me tell you, I really wish I had given this more thought about eight or nine years ago, because I really feel convicted in several areas of my life. One area in particular is my marriage; which I had considered to be one that was strong and Christ centered. However, looking back to some of the fights I would allow to take place between us, I can see now just how outside of Christ they were. Although I do kind of miss the old confrontations, which resulted in a different kind of heartache; unlike the heartache which I now experience, that has no hope in my resolving the matter. Nonetheless, Jesus Christ was not the center of those old confrontations, and He was not because I had not wanted Him to be the center during those moments. So did Jesus step away from our marriage during those times of darkness? No; He has promised to never leave us or forsake us; therefore, it is not He which was not present, but I who had step out of the light and into the darkness; why? Well, why do we do the things we do? Pride, and our desire to protect it. You see, the sickness of pride is not that it can not be quenched, it is that it does not want to be. And as many of us know from experience, arguments between us usually begin small and then escalate to wild proportions; only to be settled once heartache overcomes the pride; but does it ever really get dealt with? Not unless we specifically deal with our pride, will that issue be taken away; not unless we confess that sin, asking God to deal with that darkness within us, can it truly be vanquished from our hearts. Here is the thing about the True Light that shines within us, it is based upon Truth; which means that it is based upon confession and openness to God, which must include our willingness to allow Him to vanquish all the darkness that might lurk within us; even the things that we think we are allowed to keep...

"True Light" -2

"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now." (1 John 2:9) No simpler way to put it, really, because if God is all light, then how can we think that we are in fellowship with God while holding onto darkness? There must be a purposed desire in us to let God's light shine through us, and the only thing that brings that desire is the removal of darkness. Going back a few verses to the beginning of chapter 2, we can see what creates this removal of the darkness in our lives, and it's the desire to walk as Jesus walked. John starts out in verse one by saying, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." The thought he is getting across here has to do with the desire to sin not; that there is no desire to sin; however, if we do stumble into sin, we have a substitutionary Advocate who pleads our cause with the Father. It should also be dully noted that if we have the Holy Spirit within us, then He will also plead God's cause with us, which is where the desire not to sin originates. Having said that, I think the reason we can find ourselves sinning against our brother, is because we do not listen to the Holy Spirit who pleads God's cause with us, but instead let pride dictate our actions; which, in case you did not know, is sin. And sin that we commit in ignorance and in a moment of passion is sin that we so rarely completely deal with, because the root of that sin stems from pride we have within us that must be dealt with completely; otherwise we will just do it again to someone else, or to that same brother, but twofold...

"True Light"

"Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the True Light now shineth." (1 John 2:8) As I was pondering the idea that love in us must be unfiltered, it came to me that God's love for us is not, because He filters out all of our sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. We on the other hand are not capable of doing that, because we do not have that capacity within us; therefore, our only hope in being able to achieve unconditional love towards one another is to let God's light vanquish the darkness that comes between us. There is a real difference between light that is reflected and light that is true; because light which is reflected does not actually come from within, but is superficial, deceitful and false. Okay, I think you are wondering what I am talking about; yes? Maybe I need a whiteboard like Karl Rove so I can draw out the difference? but that would not work, because the only way to really see and understand is for the darkness to be removed, then the true light becomes apparent. In other words; we can not say the we are in the light if we have hate in our hearts towards our brothers and sisters; and if we are assuming that we are in the light, we are just receiving reflected light from association with the church, but not from fellowship with God. Which is why the light which we might have is not from within us, but has it's origin from without, and is not really a light which we possess. As we look closely to what John is saying in this amazing Book, we can see a certain pattern of thought which he is trying to express; one that is rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and can only be acknowledged by those whom share in that fellowship. That might sound a little limited, right? However, John tries to expand that limitation repeatedly by giving the reader an opportunity to accept God's offer of forgiveness, and to be vanquished of the darkness, so that they might possess the True Light...

"God is Light"

"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) God does not hurt us; God does not cause us pain; God is not out to pay us back for our mistakes. Do you get the picture? God is Light, and in Him there is nothing which is associated with unhappiness or ruin; as Light is not only the emblem of happiness but is also itself beneficial, darkness in like manner works unhappiness and death. So it is safe to say that the darkness John is referring to is not just a figurative term for sin, but also for the consequences of sin. Which means that it is not God who caused the hurt, but sin, and all that sin has ruined. Therefore, if we want to hold something accountable for the hurt in our life, then that which we must hold accountable is sin! But God, He is all Light, and He deserves our love, full on, and with no restrictions; which means that we do not doubt Him. Am I saying that love is associated with trust? I believe I am; yes indeed I am! We can not love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength without first trusting Him 100% with all that we are. Okay, so what about loving our brothers and sisters? Does the same apply to the love we have for them? Yes and no; because we are fallible, but God is not. However, the love which we have for our brothers and sisters is based upon the love which we have for God; meaning that all of our trust is placed in God, including the trust that is required towards them. In other words, we have all of our faith vested in God's ability to protect and keep us safe, even from those which might in ignorance mean to hurt us; therefore we are free to love them unconditionally because we trust God will provide for our protection, and we will not be vulnerable for abuse or have our love taken advantage of. So, the unconditional love that we have towards those that we might not otherwise trust completely, is based upon the complete trust that we have in God, because God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all...