"Giving Glory To God" - 2

Maybe you are not seeing the big deal in what it means to recognize Jesus? Well, for starters, we must come to an understanding of what is sin, or what sin is. In the case of our 10 lepers, it was not to difficult for them to know what it was they were suffering from, because all of them cried together for mercy and a chance to be made clean. However, nine of the ten did not go back to praise the One who healed them; why do you think that was? As I said yesterday, those nine that returned not back to give glory to God were most likely Jews, and given that Jesus had instructed them to "go show themselves to the priests", they might have considered that their healing came from the obedience in following His command; because it says in the same verse, "and as they went, they were cleansed". But there is another aspect of their misunderstanding, and that could have been the Temple; where they may have figured in their understanding of the Temple, that in setting out towards it they were healed. Or, maybe they were just being ungrateful for their healing, but I do not think so; I think that they were ignorant of what healed them, or Who; and more importantly, they did not understand the healing that they received. Now, when it comes to sin; we must know what our sin is towards God; knowing that our sin separates us from fellowship with God. Does that mean that He stops loving us? No! What it does mean, is that He can not fellowship with us while we have unconfessed sin. Which brings me to my second point: we must know what is sin. Sin is anything that is contrary to God's Holiness, and it is anything which takes away from Glorifying God. So, in the case of our nine lepers that did not turn back and give Glory to God, was that then sin? or was it just plain ignorance? I am thinking that it was sin, because sin means 'missing the mark'; and there are two ways to miss the mark, you can aim somewhere else, or you can just not know how to properly aim; either way, you will miss the mark. In Psalm 100, which I started with yesterday, there is something very important which is said in verse 3: "Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture". The reason that this verse is so very important, is that we have a tendency to give ourselves credit for things that are good. In other words, we like to take credit when things go well, and put blame on others when things go bad. We also have, in the same line of thinking, a tendency to assume that our position in where we stand with God is based upon our own righteousness; this is really normal and easy to do without even thinking about it. However, that too is missing the mark; because the one leper who turned back to Jesus, had realized that he had been healed by Jesus, and that the only reason he was going to the priests, was to show himself clean...

"Giving Glory To God"

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations." (Psalm 100) There is something about giving glory to God that can really fortify our love for Him; consequently, causing us to have a disdain for the things which are contrary to Him and His Holiness. This effect is magnified my our earnest praise; which means, praise that is serious! As we look again to our story of the 10 lepers, Jesus had said something about giving God glory; we find it in verse 18, "There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger". There are a couple of quick points about this statement which I find interesting; one of them is the fact that Jesus used the word 'stranger' to describe this Samaritan. It would be apparent that those other nine lepers may have been Jews, and that the only one who gave God glory for his healing was a foreigner, or one from another nation; which brings me to the other quick point, and that is that Jesus said, "there are not found", which would also indicate that He was most likely speaking of being found among the Jews. The reason I find this to be interesting, is that the Jewish people felt that they were the true worshipers of God, and that the Temple was the only place for true worship to take place. If you remember back to the Samaritan 'woman at the well', and the encounter Jesus had with her about 'true worship'; Jesus said, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." (John 4:23) I find this especially interesting because the word that Jesus used for 'glory' has such a vast meaning; the word is 'doxa', and it comes from the root word 'dokeo', which means to think or recognize. My point in this matter is, that in order to worship God in truth, we must come to an understanding of who He is, and all that He has done for us. Which is precisely what this stranger did as he realized that he was healed, and who it was that healed him! He recognized Jesus!

"Keeping My Tent Clean"

"And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:6) I do not know if you noticed, but yesterday I said something which might have not been understood, which was that I propose a time 'to keep those things which clean out our tents'. This is really more important than you might think; because it is not only necessary for us to clean out this tent, but even more importantly, we must fill it with the right stuff. In other words, allow no room for any of that stuff which can cause us to go astray! So, another way to look at this verse in 2 Corinthians 10:6, is that we should be prepared to fill this tent with those things which are of God, as we clean out those things which are of this world. This is actually basic Christian training, which I was told about almost 30 years ago; however, with time and the experience of 'learning how to sin', I think this concept was shelved somewhere in a back room of my heart. Maybe one thing which I could purpose in my heart to do, is to praise God and give Him glory as I realize that obedience has been fulfilled? I don't mean a quick little thank you, but I mean a heart felt devotion time; a time of turning away from all else and giving Him praise! As I looked up this word 'revenge' this morning, I was lead to a portion of Scripture in Luke 17:11-19, where we see Jesus heal 10 lepers. If you know the story, you know that they were all healed as they started to obey His command to "Go show yourselves unto the priests", which is in verse 14. However, verse 15 says, "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan." I don't need to go through the whole 'Samaritan' thing again, but it is kind of interesting that they keep popping up like this? Then in verse 17, we see Jesus respond, "And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And He said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." Why is this little story so relevant to what I was talking about? Well, first off, this leper was healed of his leprosy, which was a outer healing, or a fleshly healing; yet after he turned back and gave glory to God for his fleshly healing, he was then given a spiritual healing, as Jesus declared "thy faith hath made thy whole". This is vitally important because "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal", (but they are spiritual), and "mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds". Now then, the word 'revenge', which Paul uses here in verse 10:6, means to take vengeance on, or to punish; which then tells me that there is some authority given which allows me to execute justice, and to defend the cause of Christ. That being said, in order to execute justice in the practice of obedience to God, I have nothing else to do except: Praise the One who has made me Clean !!!

"Cleaning My Tent" - 3

Right about now you might be wondering how we are to die to our flesh, yet also care for this tent? It really is quite simple; because even though they are one in the same, one is driven with a passion for the things of this world, while the other is only a tabernacle for our soul, which has a passion for Heaven, and is a dwelling place for God. This is the reason that cleaning this tent is so very important, because it is a dwelling place for God. And, if you really stop and think about it, one of the primary duties of a child of God, is to keep his or her room (tent) clean. It must be kept free from idols, and anything else that could be offensive to the God who is to dwell within it; otherwise, He won't; He can't, because He is Holy. I know that 'New Years Resolutions' are hardly ever kept, and it might seem silly to even try; however, this New Year I propose a time to keep those things which 'clean out our tents'. It's okay if no one else wants to join me; it is pretty much between God and myself anyways; but I want to proclaim a day of cleansing, so why not January 1st, 2011? When I look at my life, and the things which I have allowed, I can hardly tell the difference between myself and those that are of the world. This is what the Lord has meant by, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord". We must be separate, because this tent, although it is temporary, it also must be kept Holy; which means that it is our responsibility, as a children of God, to clean our rooms! And let me remind you of something, something which I know many of us are familiar with, and that is hiding stuff under the bed. It does not work!!! "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (STAND) (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

"Cleaning My Tent" - 2

"For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:" (2 Corinthians 5:1 & 2) The word 'tabernacle' which Paul uses here is 'skenos', which means a booth, tent, tabernacle. In the New Testament it is used figuratively for this frail and temporary abode of our souls. I can only try and wonder what my New body will be like, the one that is being prepared in Heaven; and as I do, I try and picture this statement which Paul makes about "a house not made with hands", and wonder what that really means. I do not claim to have all the answers, nor do I even claim to have more than One for sure, which is that Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven; but this 'house not made with hands' has my attention right now, and I will try and tell you why. When we look at the creation of man, which is depicted in chapters 1 & 2 of Genesis, there are actually two accounts for man's creation; the first is given in chapter 1:26-30, in which we read, "And God said, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness:" & "So God created man in His Own Image, and in the Image of God created He him, male and female created He them." I can only wonder why He would make something temporary, like this body is, to house something eternal, as He is? However, if you look at the second account of man's creation, which we see in chapter 2:7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." In this account we are given some really detailed information about the creation of man; for example, the first indication of the temporary house for man, was that God formed man of the dust of the ground, which shows the temporary nature of man's body, because this earthin vessel will return to the dust from which it came; however, and this is the real catchy part, "and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life", which shows the frailty of man's breath is in his nostrils, but the life that he has been given comes from God. Now then, when we are looking at the eternal part of man's creation, this is where our view of who we are must change; because, the way I see it, when God said, "Let Us make man in Our Image", that is what He meant to do; however, He is eternal, and to be made in His Image requires an eternal dwelling, not a temporary tent. With that being said, I am going to make a statement here, which you can take it or leave it, but I am going to say it anyways: But the way I see it, God was making a temporary everything, to be able to make us into His Image; which has several basic parts which go beyond temporary; to name just a few: eternal and Holy are the first two that pop up into my mind. The only part that I see from that which is listed in the account of creation, is, "and man became a living soul", which happened when God breathed the "breath of Life" into man's temporary nostrils. Okay, so what the heck is my point in all of this? Well, for starters; that even though this tabernacle is temporary, is it important and must be kept clean, because of what dwells within it; and yet, seeing the temporariness of this tent, we must be reminded of the actual dwelling place that awaits our eternal souls; one which is not formed from the dust of the ground, but is actually made in Heaven, where God dwells, and is made of eternal substances... "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

"Cleaning My Tent"

"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) As I was going to sleep last night, I thought about this verse, and as I began to pray about what it was God was showing me, I realized just how significant it is to 'be made the righteousness of God'. When you really stop and think about it, there is nothing more righteous than God, for He is Holy, Holy, Holy! Now stop, for just a moment and think about this: if we are made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, then what is this 'tent' in which we are dwelling in? As I thought about that last night, I was reminded of that famous bumper sticker again, you know, 'Christians are not perfect, just forgiven'; which I have not seen as often as I use to see it. But wait a minute, I think somebody did not get the memo; because the way I see it, we are made perfect in Christ Jesus, for the righteousness of God is about as perfect as you can get! So then; what seems to be the problem? Do you think it might just be this 'tent' that we are dwelling in? This temporary shelter that we are walking around in might be in need of a good old fashioned cleansing; I am talking about the kind that would be required for leprosy, which would require multiple times for the priest to come and inspect it, until it could finally be declared clean, and safe to inhabit. Really, what God had shown me last night, was a temporary Temple for God, much like the one which the children of Israel had to haul around in the wilderness, and setup everywhere they camped. And maybe, just maybe, it is our responsibility to keep this Temple of God clean, and in good working order; you know, like free from holes and looking as Holy as it possibly can. Now think about this: The priest who must inspect this dwelling to declare it clean; who is that priest? As I thought about that this morning, I was reminded of something else; we are called priests, and maybe one of the duties of being a priest, is to declared this tent clean! "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)

"Stand in the Victory of Christ"

"And having done 'all', to stand" (Ephesians 6:13c) I can not imagine what kind of life I would have without Jesus, because there is so much that I see in this world that could make my life seem miserable. However, it is the things in this world which grab my attention; and even sometimes, they grab my affections. Given what we looked at in the 'new creature', which in fact is no longer of this world, we can see that really the victory is ours to lose; in other words, we have the victory already present and established, but we must stand in that victory, which is Christ Jesus. If we find ourselves being defeated by the flesh, or by the sin which so easily can grab us, it is because we are not standing in Christ!!! As I was praying this morning, I asked God why I can drift off track so easily, and He showed me something which I already knew, but can easily forget; I must be doing something! What? That's right, I must be doing something for His Kingdom, or else I will be distracted by the things of this world. Okay, maybe He did not mean that I must constantly be doing something; or maybe He did! Because, as I look back to the times when I have stumbled, it is the times when I have been idle, and not doing those things which bring me closer to Him. 'Idle time makes idols'; that is the message that I received; and in case you did not know this, an idol is any thing which can stand between you and God. That can account for a whole lot of stuff, don't you know? After I have figured in this 'not so new' revelation, I again looked at the 'new creature', which this time I could see why this doing for the Kingdom thing was not just a part time thing; because the 'new creature' is all about the Kingdom of God; it lives for the Kingdom, longs for the Kingdom, and is of the Kingdom; therefore, it must be about the things of the Kingdom, always! Now then, as I continue to dwell upon this, I am reminded again of the verse 7:1, and the instruction which Paul gives, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from 'all' filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God". Because, this cleansing of ourselves, is likened to be cleansed of leprosy, where not only are you to be made clean of the disease, but you must take care not to get infected by it again; this may require us getting rid of all of our old clothes (habits!).

"Victorious In Jesus Christ" - 2

You know, there is something about the Word of God that just keeps on ministering to our needs; and I always get amazed by how He speaks to what we need, when we need it. Let me try and explain what I mean: "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His Knowledge by us in every place." (2 Corinthians 2:14) So, as I tried to find the place to reference 'Victory in Jesus Christ', I noticed something that I did not notice before; the last four verses of chapter two are grouped with the beginning of chapter three. Say I was a little off; or was God showing me something else first, so that I would better appreciate and understand where victory really comes from? Because now we have not only another promise, but we have the foundation to which all victory is won! Do you see what I see? Okay, let's try and walk through this together: First off, we not only have God dwelling in us, but we also have victory for every situation, and for every sin. This is not just because Jesus was victorious on the cross, but, because He is victorious in us; or better yet, because we are able to be victorious in Him who dwells within us. To which, I now have a better understanding of the next major promise that Paul declares, going back from chapter six, which is found in 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are new." This 'new creature' that Paul is speaking of is actually created by God (duh!); and when I say created by God, I mean that this 'new creature' is manifestly inherent in God. What does that mean? Okay, if you asked that; it means changed from evil to good; made superior and more splendid; and that is just speaking of 'new'. Because when you factor in the 'creature', which has been made new, what we are talking about now, is something that is totally separate from the old; as hard as that is to figure out! But, as Paul then goes on to explain in verse 18, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation"; of which we are ministers of, not just because we have been reconciled, but because we have been reconciled in spite of ourselves! "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

"Victorious In Jesus Christ"

Now that I can see plainly what it is that is restricting me, I have a new choice that is set before me; it is a simple choice of standing in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone! In other words; I can not even think about trying to walk in my strength, because I have none, that will do right; but the strength that I do have, is actually my weakness to do right and a strength to do wrong; or better said: a craftiness to sin. What do I mean by that, you might be wondering. Well, if you are, or even have to, then you are a better person than I; but, if you are like me, I do not just sin, like right out of the blue; my sin is usually well thought out, and planned, as to not be noticeable to those around me. So, if you were looking to find some kind of 'super saint' here, you need to keep on looking (good luck). Maybe now would be a good time to look at some of those other promises that are listed from chapter three, and up to: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1) To start with, we should look at the truth of who we are, or are not, in verse 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." What this tells me, is that God is the One who is sufficient; He is the righteous One; He is the Holy One; He is the One who is worthy; He is my All in All. This great news, coupled with the previous promise we looked at in verse 6:16, that said, "as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people", lets me know that He is dwelling in me; which means that All that I need to be sufficient is in me, but not of me, it is of Him. This is something which I must hold close and not let go of, because so, so often I am looking for something outside to strengthen me, and yet, He is my strength from within! It is those things which are outside that are temporal, and quickly fade away; but that which is inside and of Him, is mighty to the tearing down of strongholds. I think a good example of what I am talking about, would be when Elijah fled to Mt. Horeb, which is found in 1 Kings 19. In this example, you see a mighty man of God who is afraid of evil, and who hides in a cave; but God spoke, and said, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" It really is a shame, how we let the things which are so temporal take the place of His Eternal Glory...and if you know the story, then you know also the ending thereof...He is our All in All...

"Restricted By Sin"

Do you know what made that 'man of God' within me so powerful? I think I do: It was because he had no sin! That is exactly what made him Holy and set apart; and when I saw him coming up from within me, he appeared to be uncontainable, and yet, he was contained; contained by what? There is only one thing that can contain him, and that is sin; but it is not just 'the sin' that puts the genie back in the bottle, no, I really think it goes further than that; sin is just the result! What I am talking about is the desire for the sin; that is really what is containing 'the man of God' from bursting forth. It is the desire of this flesh, which wants to be kept satisfied; maybe not in the moment of celebration, but later on, after the lights are out, after the music has stopped and all is settled; that is when the flesh will get it's reward for being patient. Okay, I know: "Rich, you are sick!"; that's probably what you are saying; right? Or maybe right about now you feel a little sick yourself; as if someone just kicked you in the stomach? Because, that is how I feel! You see, this thing which causes me to be restricted is a yoke, and because it is a yoke, which is used to control me, it causes me to not go all the way forward; in other words, it is holding me back. This is how I see Paul speaking about being "unequally yoked"; and you could call it marriage if you want, because in a way, that is what it is; but sooner or later we have to divorce the things of this world, which means: quit fornicating, and quit committing adultery against God! That's what it is, don't you know? I hope you can see what it is that I am talking about. It is not necessarily the actual sin that is restricting me, but the desire for the sin, which lives on inside me, much longer than the actual sin; because, once I sin, I then repent (or at least confess) for that sin; however, where is the passion to sin no more? Or better yet: Where does it go? This is what I am talking about: the man of God that is within me, he has the power, he has the passion; but most of all, he has the Love for God to overcome the desires of the flesh; and do you know why he is so powerful? Simple enough: "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for you are the Temple of The Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1)

"Straitened In My Own Bowels"

This is critical stuff ! I am persuaded that the real reason for my stumbling, is not because of anything that I lack of God, because God has provided 'all' that I need. Again, this word which Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 6:12, "Straitened", is a word that means restricted, or crowded on every side. Now, as I think of the vision which I had yesterday of myself, and the man of God rising up from within me, this word seems to take on a whole new meaning to me. Because now what I can envision, is the cares of this world, the desires of the flesh, the sin which so easily takes me captive, all those things are restricting me from rising to the position which I need to be for that man of God to be that powerful, uncontainable, and victorious person that I saw in the vision. In fact, as I was thinking and praying about this last night, I could sense the Lord telling me that, it is almost as if I have purposely installed a governor on the level of victory that I have over sin. In other words; the point to which I am truly and completely victorious is never reached, not because God has not given me the tools and ability to reach it, but because every time I seem to be heading in that direction, and there seems to finally be a breakthrough, I push the pause button; or, if you will, I take a dive backwards. Maybe I am just strange, and I am the only one this seems to happen to; but then again, as I look at what Paul is saying here in this letter to Corinth, I have to wonder just how strange it is. Maybe the thing I must look at is what Paul meant by "Bowels", because he could have been talking about constipation; but I am pretty sure that he was talking about 'the heart of man'. And I am willing to bet that he was actually taking it to the next level, and was speaking about 'the heart of the inner man'; and in that sense, it would then apply to the passion of that inner man to be able to stand; and when I say stand, I don't mean to just stand up, but to able to stay standing, no matter what tries to knock him down! I am sorry, but I must continue this tomorrow, so until then, I will leave you with this to think about: What is the one thing which we have been given from God that would be associated with 'Bowels' ?

"Still Standing ?"

I have to wonder if the reason I fall is because of my lack of understanding, more than my lack of obedience. Because, when I fall, it is not because I have chosen to fall, but because I have taken for granted the reason, and ability for which I stand. (I wonder what that means also!) No, really; if you really think it through, and take into consideration all that Jesus has done for us in order for us to be holy, you would have to be brain-dead not to stay standing. I can try and show you the vision I saw this morning, but I know I would just mess it up; but here it goes anyways: I saw me, as dead, yet alive, and from within me, but not of me, arose a man of God, who was alive unto God with power, great power that could not be contained and had power over sin; yet, just as though you would put a genie back in a bottle, this man of God was contained by flesh, and the desires of the flesh. It was this vision which made me realize what was meant by, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;" because the touching of the unclean thing is like hitting that 'clear' button on that phone in my dream; it causes a disconnect between us and God! Let me go back to something from yesterday, which I should have spent a little more time on; it is the word 'perfecting', which I had given a brief description of but did not really elaborate. The word 'perfecting' comes from the Greek word 'epiteleo' which means contracted; to finish, complete, perfect; to practice, perfecting. In a nutshell, the best way to describe this meaning is found in Galatians 3:3: "Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Again, I go back to the vision I had this morning; it is not I who had the power over sin, but the man of God within me; yet, it was I who had the power to sin. In other words; when I sin, it is of the flesh, but when I am strong, it is because of the Spirit of God within me; so, in order to prevent the man of God within me from falling, I must not touch the unclean thing. (I think it goes something like that?) Let me close today with a couple verses from where that word 'holiness' appears, and you might be able to see what "perfecting holiness" means: "To the end He may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all the saints. Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:" (1 Thessalonians 3:13-4:5)

"Will The Real Man Of God Please Stand Up!"

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse (to purify from the pollution and guilt) ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh (temporal) and spirit (external), perfecting (complete or finish) holiness in the fear (reverence) of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1) You might be wondering what these bold words and things in parentheses are all about, or maybe you didn't even notice? To start of with, let's look at the word 'therefore', which makes us ask ourselves: what is it there for? In this particular case, we are to be asking ourselves, 'What are these promises we have, that we should to be purified from the pollution and guilt of sin?' As I have said, Paul has really been on the same thought since chapter 3, and between here and there, a lot of promises have been revealed. But, let's look at the most recent promises mentioned in verses 16 and 17 of chapter 6; where we can see that God, who is Holy, has promised to inhabit us, which means that our mortal body, which is temporal, shall become a temple for God to dwell in, and to take our relationship to the next level, God then says, He will be a Father unto us, and we will be His sons and daughters. That seems simple enough to comprehend; doesn't it? Okay, so why don't we take it to the next level, and look at all three highlighted words together: 'therefore, us, holiness', which are not that significant by themselves; however (try to follow), this word for 'holiness' is only used three times in the New Testament, and it is the word 'Hagiosune'. This is a very interesting word for holiness, because it actually means that it is a holiness which does not need to be proven; in other words, it is there and does not need to be proven because the qualities, or character of this particular holiness are part and parcel of sanctity. This is different than the other definitions of holiness, in that this is derived from the word 'hagios', which means Holy; verses the word 'hagiasmos', which denotes more of a sanctification, and requires verification and a result at each stage of the process. So; those three words together, placed in perfect English, would read more like this: Therefore we have holiness within us! (Could you see that coming?) Now, we look at the words in parentheses, which are pretty much self explanatory, given what was just revealed; but let's go over them anyways. Because we are indwelt with holiness, we must complete the process by purifying the temporal and external from the pollution and the guilt of sin, with a reverence for the God who dwells within us and has given us the holiness which we possess. (The Title just jumped up...)

"Yoked To Jesus"

So, maybe you can not see it that way; that's okay, I might need to see it that way because I am so unable to do what I should do on my own; and you are so strong in your faith, that your just plowing on down the road, wearing the yoke that you have been given. (You Think?) But the way I see it, Jesus has asked me to take His yoke upon me, and there are only so many ways that you can interpret that. One way to look at it, which is what I had previously felt, is that He has a yoke prepared for my life, which is custom fitted for me; and because it is for me, that is what makes it easy, and the burden associated with it will be light. Okay, that might work for a good interpretation, right? There is only one small problem with that way of thinking, and it is what I was shown so vividly yesterday; the problem is, that the work is then up to me, yet Jesus said, in Matthew 11:29, "and ye shall find rest unto your souls"; which if I really want to find rest, I know of only one place for rest to be found, and that is in Jesus. Alright, so maybe I am splitting hairs; but after that dream I had yesterday, I have to wonder what to think. I did not tell you the strangest part of the dream, although I did give you a hint; but the strangest part was that this phone I was trying to dial on, had only One phone number: 1-area code-number. But the problem was, that every time I went to place the call, there would be a problem with the buttons; and so I would get each button fixed, until finally I saw the 'clear' button after the area code, and then woke up. That coupled together with what I believe God was showing me in Paul's letter to Corinth, made me wonder about something very important: if I am coupled together with Jesus Christ, which means that His yoke is upon me, and we are coupled together as a team of oxen would be, and when I look back, could that be why the journey becomes difficult? Because I know that Jesus will not be looking back; and yet, when I am looking forward with Him, He is actually the one doing all the work; for He said in that same verse, "and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart"; which means that He will not require me to do any more than I can handle, and that He is actually the one doing the work; I just need to learn of Him. Now, as I look at what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:15 and 16, there are a couple of things which do not mix that I must take a real close look at. One of the things listed by Paul is in verse 15, "And what concord hath Christ with Belial ?"; in other words, what does Jesus have in common with worthlessness, wickedness, or lawlessness? Absolutely nothing, that's what! And then as we look at verse 16, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for ye are the temple of the Living God". Giving this, which is so vastly contrasted, and then coupled together with that strange dream, I have been reminded of something which is so vitally important to being coupled together with Jesus: I can not be coupled together with Jesus Christ and with the world; the two do not mix!!! (Clear!)

"Trusting In God & Yoked To Him"

"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:29 & 30) You know, the more I thought of it, the more I could see that anything in my life which I know to be contrary to God, is too much. I use to think of this 'yoke' that Jesus was talking about was a yoke that I would have on myself, much like an oxen is yoked to a plow; and then there I go, plowing forward, trying to keep a straight line as I go, and trying not to look left or right, and especially, to not look back. Dreams are really strange; and last night I had a really strange one. It had to do with trying to make a phone call, a really important phone call; the problem was, that the phone I had to use kept dialing the wrong number. As I looked closer at the phone, I could see that the reason I could not call properly, was because the buttons were all screwed up; and as soon as I got the right buttons in place, there would be one missing, or the area code, or, and this one woke me up, a button right after the area code that said 'clear'. This is my life; always trying to do things on my own; always trying to figure out how to get it right; and never really being able to. As I looked up the word 'yoke' this morning, I discovered something which I can now see is my basic problem, and that is, that the yoke I have been wearing is mine, not His. I know, it sounds crazy and maybe a little extreme; but really, as I looked upon my view of His yoke, it was not His yoke I was wearing, but mine; one that I had imagined Him placing on me, and then saying, "okay, now go". But it is not that way!!! That is how I have made it, but not how Jesus has meant it to be; because the way He has meant it to be, is for me to be yoked to Him, and Him saying, "come". Okay then (wiping away tears); so let me ask you what I have been asking myself: How much of something which is not of Him makes us unequally yoked? "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)

"Trusting In God - Always!" part 2

Maybe you don't see the connection between trusting in God and being unequally yoked? Maybe, the real problem might be that you may know what it means to be unequally yoked? As I thought about this for most of the day yesterday, I kept wondering, how much of something that is not of God makes us unequally yoked. Because, the meaning of the term is not just limited to marriage, or living with a nonbeliever; no, it really goes quite further than that. It can also be what we yoke our hearts to in place of our relationship with God; which, if you think about that, can count for a whole lot of stuff. This is what I need to remember (for myself), that when I find myself not trusting God, in any situation, I must ask myself: What have I yoked myself to that has drawn me away from God? It is quite simple really; if I am not trusting God, it is not because He has moved, but because I have moved away from Him; and if I have moved away from Him, it is because I have put something else between Him and I. Remember what we are talking about here; we are talking about people reading are lives, never giving up, and the fact that we have a job to do; in other words, we are here for a reason besides just ourselves. Knowing this, we must conduct ourselves as ambassadors of Jesus Christ; which means that we must trust God in order to properly represent Jesus; because Jesus Christ trusted the Father, so too, we must also trust Him. Yet, it is the things which are contrary to God which pull our hearts away from a close relationship with Him, and thus can cause doubt in our hearts; doubt which is not only based in who He is, but who we are in Him. It really matters to our standing with God, on where we are standing! To really be a child of God, which comes with it the pleasure of knowing you are His son or daughter, you must live like a child of God; and to put it as simple as I possibly can: We can not live like a child of God if we are yoked to something that is not of Him! "And what concord hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel ? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? For ye are the temple of the Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:15-18)

"Trusting In God - Always!"

I hope you know that I am writing this for me. No, really, this is the thing which I can find myself lacking in, on so many different levels: trusting the God who loves me, in all things, and always. I know what you are thinking: 'Hey Rich, you just need to trust Him.' Yes, you are right, I just need to put all my trust in Him and never look back. However, that is not in my nature; and as I said before, it is more my nature to try and figure out what God is doing; you know, so I can try to help Him plan things. That's me, the great planner, who plans everything; yet sadly, those plans that I plan do not pan out; in fact, I can not seriously remember any long term plans that I have made that have been successful. Therefore I have no other option than to trust God's plan for my life, right? Right? (I know that there is someone out there; somewhere.) Okay; here is the deal: I can not honestly give God thanks for 'all things' if I do not trust Him in 'all things'; and neither can you. Oh, we might be able to fake at good 'Thank You Jesus', or 'Praise the Lord', in the midst of something traumatic; but as soon as we get off in a corner, we cry out 'Why Lord?' Which is why the first thing required of us, and by first, I mean the foundation on which 'all' is set upon; but the very first thing that we must do, is believe that He is God! He is either God, or He's not! So the first thing required of us to truly trust in Him, is to believe that He is able, or capable of doing the things that only God can do. That seems simple and easy enough doesn't it? (Hello?) Doesn't it? Well, if you said yes, you are wrong; because this very first thing, is the very first thing that causes doubt. Maybe you do not agree? That's alright, because I am not here to argue; only to express what I believe. However, the reason the Bible starts with "In the Beginning God" is that way for a reason, because He is God; and one the requirements to be God is to have not been created; but instead to have been the Creator; which is why the very next word in Genesis 1:1, is "created". This is the foundation of the Bible, and if you can get past this, believing it with all your heart, then the rest will be simple and easy; but the first thing we must do is settle this question: 'Is He God, or not?' After we have the answer to this question verified in our hearts, we can then accept the next truth about God; which is the fact that He loves us! After listing all these things in verses 4-10 of 2 Corinthians, Paul says something which might seem off the subject; but given the situation which was going on in Corinth at the time of his writing, it really is to the point. "Oh ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels." (2 Corinthians 6:11 & 12) To understand the true meaning of this statement, we must first off consider what was going on in Corinth at the time, factor in what Paul was just talking about in that list of 'good and bad', look ahead to the next few verses; and, it might be a good thing to know what the word 'straitened' means. The basic meaning of that word, is to be restricted; in other words, to be unable to express yourself. Which is exactly what happens to us when we have doubt! "Now for a recompense in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what communion hath light with darkness ?" (2 Corinthians 6:13 & 14)

"Accepting The Very Best"

Sometimes I have to wonder: What is the Very Best for my life? I was going to title this blog 'Expectations', but the funny thing is, I think we are always expecting something; at least I know that I am. If you don't know what I mean by that, it simply means that we are always in the role of an expectant mother; waiting for God to birth something out of us. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think so. In fact, I actually think that it is part of being a child of God, because we know how much He loves us, we know also that He will not leave us unattended, and without the protection of His mighty hand; but we also know that He will not neglect us either; which means that He will not fail to raise us up, as His children. Much like the experience of natural child birth, there is pain involved in the birthing process; but the results are life giving. But also, much like the birthing process, there is that expectation of what that life given will look like; and this is where we must prepare ourselves for bending. In other words; we are not the ones who are in control, so we are not the ones who always get what we want; but we do (believe it or not), always get what we need. There is something else which comes with 'expecting', and it is called 'Trust'. Do I really trust that God is doing this for my very best? Is it even possible to try and figure that out? Well, I think I can honestly answer 'No' to both of those questions! Do you know why the first answer gets a 'No'? The answer to that is easy: Because the second question was even asked; that's why! I can not honestly say that I am trusting God, and then try and figure out what He is doing. But that is what we naturally do; it is in our nature to set up plans within our hearts and minds based upon what we think God is going to do. However, this is the challenge that is set before us: that we would always be expectant, but always bending; that we would be willing to receive the worst, but always expecting the very best; that we would accept what God has set before us, and know, with the trust of a child, that He is our Loving Father, and everything we must go through, whatever, and however terrible it may appear to be, is for our very best! "Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in strips, in imprisonments, in tumlts, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the Word of Truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things." (2 Corinthians 6:3-10) (Question: Did he leave anything out? Is what you are going through not somewhere in that list?)

"Thanksgiving"

The Greek word for Thanksgiving is 'eucharistia'; and in Paul's writings, and in the Book of Revelation, it means the expression of gratitude to God. You may notice that the beginning of this word is 'Eucharist', which is used in modern language for Holy Communion, embodying the highest act of thanksgiving for the greatest gift received from God, the sacrifice of Jesus! In the Book of Ephesians, chapter 5, Paul gives instruction on how to Live a Life of Love; which starts first and foremost as being followers of God, as dear children (v.1). The meaning of the word 'children' here is expressed by the word 'dear' which comes before it; it literally means that we are cherished and loved by God, as His precious children. Therefore, knowing that He loves us so, makes the task of following Him an easy one, because we know that He cares for those things that we need; and knowing that, makes us strive to stay as close as possible, within the reach of His loving arms. The next instruction given in verse 2, is about walking in Love; which requires sacrifice, and Paul uses Christ as the example of what 'sacrifice' really means. To put it in the simplest terms, we are to walk as those who give ourselves as an offering to God, for the sake of others. That is a hard pill to swallow, because we all know how often others take a back seat to our wants and desires; but this simple rule is key to the whole meaning of what Love is: Others! In verses 17 and 20, I believe there is another important factor in what is required to Live a Life of Love, and it involves 'Giving Thanks'; however, there is this word 'All' added into the text; which, if you remember, means ALL. If you thought you could pick the things to be thankful for, think again; because, as a Child of God, everything that He allows us to do, has us to do, or gives us to experience, is for our benefit; as crazy as that might sound. So, as I ponder those things which I have to be thankful for, I must also include the things which I might otherwise not be real thrilled about. A real good example of that would be, is the condition which my wife is in, and has been in for over seven years; and I am really not real thrilled about that. However, in this also I must give thanks; knowing that my Heavenly Father loves my wife and I very much, and only wants the very best for us; and in knowing this, I must be able to accept what is best for us. (But sometimes it is so hard!) "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:17-20)

"Speak"

As soon as I was finished with yesterday's blog, I had this thought come upon me about those who might say, 'But I don't feel like I have the Word of Reconciliation within me'. That is alright, because most people are in the same boat; but here is the thing: Speak and you shall know the Word of Reconciliation! 'Hold on there dude; I can't do that; what if I it does not work?' That might be your reaction to what I said; and if it is, that is natural also. This is what we must know about the Word of Reconciliation: it is of God, and not of us; so you can practice it all you want, but when it comes down to reconciling the heart's of men to God, there is only One who is the one who speaks, and that is God! However, we must be willing to open our mouths and let Him speak through us; knowing also, that it is Him who will be doing the speaking, we must also be subject to the power of the Holy Spirit, and in an attitude of prayer. Maybe there was a lot of stuff in that statement, and I should take it apart a little? First off, we must know that the Word of Reconciliation that is within us, and which can be uttered by us, is of God; in other words, it is not of us. Although we have been reconciled to God, and therefore know what it is about; it is not that experience, or the knowledge of that, which is used to convince others. If we are going to be doing it in that framework, we are doing the speaking based upon our own power, and not of His. That being said, God can speak through anyone, at anytime; so if He can speak through an Ass, and get someones attention, He can speak through us; even if we are speaking our own words. But, for our everyday conversations with those that we meet, and those that we wish to share Jesus with, the words which make their hearts turn towards Him, are from Him. Which is why we must be subject to the power of the Holy Spirit; which means, that we must be walking in the power of the Spirit. If we are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, then we will be talking by the power of the Holy Spirit; it's that simple, really! To be 'subject' to the power of the Holy Spirit, means that we are submissive to the Holy Spirit; which really means that we are not being submissive to the flesh. This is really important!!! Because, as you look at the word 'Word', the primary meaning of that word 'logos' is 'Intelligence'; and if we are speaking to someone about God's Love, we really need to be speaking intelligently; which God never fails to do! And then, we must always remember to pray! Not just praying for the words to speak, but praying also for the heart of those that we are speaking to; that their heart would be softened to receive the Word of Reconciliation; and be prepared for Reconciliation!!! "We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain. For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of Salvation have I succoured thee: Behold, now is the accepted time; Behold, now is the Day of Salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:1 & 2) (FYI: that word 'succoured' means HELPED!)