"Just Because"

 "Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like." (John 2:23-25 NLT)

  "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. "But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."" (Jeremiah 17:5-8 NLT)

  Most people need to be given something more than just words; they need to see proof, enough to know whatever it is that they are going to trust, is actually trustworthy and isn't going to let them down. Be that as it may, there is this thing called, "Believing in Jesus Christ," which is not like any other thing to believe in; those that believe in Jesus Christ are changed within! Some, may not even know for sure what has taken place; some will be transformed into a completely different person.

  In the NLT, this portion of Scripture is used to introduce Nicodemus, as it has the caption, "Jesus and Nicodemus," above the paragraph of verses 23 to 25; and no new caption above the beginning of Chapter Three. I went to bed last night planning to follow that example, taking it to mean that this was the lead into that conversation; but, because there was this thing, "many," as in, more than one, I figured it was best to consider there might have been more than just Nicodemus interesting in knowing more about Jesus Christ! 

  Back to the topic of what comes first, faith or believing. To begin with, believing is based upon a simple thing called notion; notions don't always turn out as we expect, but that does not always stop us from believing in them. When I was a child, I had a notion that I could put a cardboard box in a tree, get inside that box, and then push myself out of the tree; and I believed that the box would protect me. I no longer believe in that box, because my notion was wrong! 

  I can tell you, without much hesitation, believing must come before faith! My notion did not bring the result that I was looking for, so even though I believed in the box at first, after trying it out, I put no faith in the box thereafter! On the other hand, had the box performed that which I believed in it to do, that would have given me faith that the box would surely work. 

  The flip side of that, is what we call, "Blind Faith," which is where we have faith in something that we may or may not believe will work, because we have not tested it out. In other words, we go blindly around convincing others that boxes will save them from a fall, based upon a preconceived notion. The faith I had was not real, it was not true, because the box does not work! 

  But, we have Jesus! We can always put our faith in Christ, because that notion we had to believe in Him was true! When you first accepted Christ into your heart, it was because you believed that He was what you needed to be saved; once He came into your heart, you found out that what you believed in was true: He saved you! Your faith is not blind, because now you can see...

"But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet says, "LORD, who has believed our message?" So faith come from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ." (Romans 10:17-18 NLT)  

"Of Course!"

"But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." (John 2:21-22 KJV)

  "But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." (Galatians 3:22 KJV)

  There is this age-old question: Which came first, the chicken, or the egg? Well, if you are going to be following the Holy Scriptures, the answer has been made quit clear: "And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth." (Genesis 1:21-22 KJV)

  So, could it be, we could ask the question, Which comes first, faith, or believing? It is really not all that unreal of a question; although I have had this debate with fellow believers several times in the past. The whole notion of blind faith, is pretty much based upon what you believe; but if you ask the blind man, as did the Jews, he would say: "And he answered and said: Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25 KJV)

  Did this blind man need to be convinced that he was made to see? Believing that he could see was no problem at all, so the faith was not blind, in was based upon proof that something had happened in his life; something extraordinary and that could not be easily explained. Now the question needs to be made more about relationship and less about the mechanics; in other words, Does your faith in Jesus Christ help your belief? 

  Simply put, you can believe that the moon is made of cheese, but until you actually taste the surface of the moon, you will never know if what you believe is true or not...

"Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!" (Psalm 34:8 NLT)  

"Say What!" -2

 "Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?" (John 2:20 KJV)

  "Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."" (Mark 10:27 NLT)

  We have entered into a time when lies are easier to believe than the truth. It is almost as if the world has become so full of itself, that there is no respect for life, for basic principles of goodness, and the idea of family, as we have known it, seems to have been given over to the powers to be. Not to be out of line, but it would appear as though we, as a whole, have given up on life. 

  Now that I have said that, let me give you another observation; or if you will, the Truth! God is still on the throne! We are being strengthened as the church, just as it has always been; when the church gets crushed, New Wine is made from the crushing! Those that teach sound doctrine are sharpening their Swords and the messages are getting more to the point! Lives are getting saved! 

  Just a little reminder about what really matters the most. Besides that, many of the churches that I have heard about, they had seen offerings increase, ministries flourish, and people showing up to serve. These are not just little things that are part of what churches do, in this current culture, these are signs that God is still doing a work in His Church! 

  As to the mention of believing God can do anything, it pretty much depends if you believe everything in the Bible is true. As it is said, "If you have an issue with Genesis 1:1, then you will take issue with just about everything else." Do you believe it? It pretty much starts right there, because if you can't believe that God can do anything, then how is He going to give you eternal life...

"So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:23-25 NLT) 

"Say What!"

 "Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?" (John 2:20 KJV)

   "For with God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37 KJV)

  Obviously they did not understand who it was they were speaking with; as it was, if He was sent from God, as He truly was, they would have maybe considered God in the question! Typical. That is pretty much all I need to say of that. 

  If you really want to know, it is my belief that God is truly looking for men and women to honestly trust that He can do anything, no matter how difficult it might appear to be: Nothing is impossible with God! I am most likely not a very good example of that man, as I have seemingly lost some of that trust; or at least, it feels that I have given up on seeing my wife restored to perfect health; at least in this world!  

  Not that I do not believe God can do exactly that, restore her completely, because I am more than confident that He can. But if you really want to know, I keep thinking the problem might be with me, as I must need to be kept in this state of holding on, waiting, hoping, and anticipating something is going to happen. Yesterday I even had a thought, sparked on by something Pastor Richard said, that maybe, just maybe, God is waiting for me to quit. 

  Something to think about, but if you really stop and think about it, that just might be what we are living for and towards: God is saying, 'You keep going, and I will keep providing life!' Wow, what do you say to something like that? I have made it my promise to keep this thing going as long as Marianne is still with us, and then I get faced with something like that.

  Anywho; God is more than all that we need in any situation; regardless of what might be the cost or how difficult the circumstance! Whether it is life or death; life breaths life, but death breaths eternal life with Him...

"I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else - not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself." (Ephesians 1:19-23 NLT)  

"The Great Sign" -To

 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19 KJV)

  "That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon, and out hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:1-3 KJV)

  Having this testimony written upon our own hearts, we have authority to overcome, as it were, the powers of darkness; not because of what we are or have become, but because of the victory Jesus Christ has won, which allows us to walk in that victory, because He lives in us! These things are not just a hope: we do not need to hope for that which has already happened; these are those things that Jesus declared are what we must do, saying:

   ""All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."" (Matthew 28:18-20 KJV)

  In so much as we have this promise, it is more about practicing the actual act, as if it is within you, then it is about waiting for some sort of sign or praying for strength to get it done. Not that being prepared is such a bad thing; but if Christ is living in you, then you have all that you need to get it done! He works through you; as Paul so clearly states, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV) 

  Besides that, Jesus was focused and His actions were well planned out. He made a whip from some ropes, drove out the animals, turned over the money changers' tables, and then commanded the people who sold doves, to get those birds out! There was no disorder or uncontrollable anger; He did what was needed, and He would do it again...

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 KJV) 

"The Great Sign"

 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19 KJV)

  "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to brings you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NLT)

  Just so you know, Jesus really did not need to show them any sign; He is the sign! Just the fact that He drove out those who obeyed His commands, should have been clue enough, He had the authority! As to my sarcasm yesterday on there question; they had it out for Jesus every since He spoke out against their jealousy, when they wanted to throw Him over a cliff; this was just the meat they would use to try and prove He was not a real prophet. 

  As to this sign, I have reason to believe that this is by far the greatest sign Jesus could have gave; as it not only speaks to who He is, but it also shows them what they are about to do, in the near future. Yes, He was well aware of what they were going to do; He didn't even need to question them or use the word, If! The Prophet had spoken: 'You will destroy this Temple, and in three days, I will raise it up!' 

  Booyah! He aced the request! Not exactly the request they were expecting; they were looking for a sign that demonstrated His connection with the Father; of which they were not willing to see, even if He were able to show them. That is really not all that uncommon, especially in the current culture within many churches today; if we don't get dazzled by something, then we don't feel all that enthused. People are more excited at sporting events, then they are leaning about Jesus Christ and His wonderful work! 

  Something for another day; which just so happens to be everyone's answer. Today is the day, don't wait any longer! If there is something missing in your relationship with God, it needs to be fixed; you cannot wait any longer: He stands at the door, knocking...

"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, your judgment against me is just." (Psalm 51:1-4 NLT

"Who Sent You?"

 "Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?" (John 2:18 KJV)

  ""But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes."" (Malachi 3:2 NLT)

  A wonderful and beautiful way of looking at this question, if that is the way you want to look at it, is to imagine that the Jews had nothing to fight about, they simply wanted to know where Jesus received the authority to clean out the Temple. That is really not too hard of a question for such a bold move; not that it was something that happened before or they had a manual that told how to deal with such a thing, if it were to happen. 

  The basic principle to make, if we are looking to be taught anything from every bit of the Bible, is to be on guard; asking ourselves this same question for each and every new or strange word, whether it is just a simple sermon, a principle, or a practice. That is really not too much to handle, to just question where it might have come from, and who it is that made it up. 

  I have been know to get carried away with some wild ideas, like, who Mark is, or the three men I believe were responsible for the Book of Hebrews. These are basically notions that are taken from little hints, not based upon facts, but simply things that seem to make sense of what does not make any sense. That is what I believe we are looking at: some responsible people, who would like to simply know, what gives Jesus the right to clear out the Temple. 

  If you are paying attention, the little footnote in the NLT, "Concern for God's house will be my undoing," is pretty much the truth. This is a striking moment for both sides to begin working on those who will control the outcome; the devil being one of the sides; the Jews being them that are being worked upon. 

  That said, I will take this moment to say this very simple word: Guard your hearts and minds, because the world is moving into the church...

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

"Who Sent You?"

"Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?" (John 2:18 KJV) 

  "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." (Hebrews 3:1-6 KJV) 

  As much as I would want to, I can really take no credit for anything, except to be responsible for my sin. James says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:13-14 KJV) 

  That word, "enticed," is a very interesting way to explain being baited, or basically, caught by bait; much like you would catch a fish, by putting on a flashy and colorful lure, something that might catch their eye, causing them to throw all caution to the wind, and take the bite. Interesting how it works, but it is all dependent upon being drawn away by your own lust! 

  In other words, if you do not go towards it, then you will not be enticed; but how is it possible to not, seeing how it is something we have been conditioned to do! Do you really think it is within your ability to withstand temptation? I am really pretty sure that it takes more than flesh and blood to overcome the flesh and blood's desires; something a bit more longer lasting, that gets to actually bring us through and beyond all of this, temporary pleasures. 

  Don't ask me why I started off on that, when I meant to be started off on giving an answer to the question of the Jews, Who sent you? Basically, that was the question they were asking, 'By whose authority are you doing what you are doing? And give us a sign to prove who He is!' 

  Anywho, there is the answer to my question: Whose are you? If we are of the house He built, then we belong to Him; and in His house, we have authority to protect the house, based upon His authority! Long story short: How often do you use that authority that you have been given...

"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." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 KJV) 

  

"Give Us a Sign"

 "But when the Jewish leaders demanded, "What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it." "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." "What!" they exclaimed. "It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?" But when Jesus said "this temple," he meant his own body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said." (John 2:18-22 NLT) 

  ""Then the LORD said to me, 'What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.' "But you may wonder, 'How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the LORD?' If the prophet speaks in the LORD'S name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared."" (Deuteronomy 18:17-22 NLT) 

  In this modern world of thrills and pills, it is really sometimes hard to notice a sign, let alone try to figure out what any sign might have been meant for or where it was intended to work. Think of what this sign was in the eyes of these Jewish leaders, as they wanted real proof, like right then and there proof, that Jesus had the authority to do what He did, as He had disrupted their manner of business. 

  Yes, you heard me right, business! You see, there was absolutely nothing they were doing to bring the people closer to understanding God's love and His desire to have fellowship with His people. As a matter of fact, they made money off the people who brought sacrifice; making them buy the animals from the Temple, as if the animals they had brought were unworthy or blemished. Even the people who brought money, they too were taken advantage of, because their money was only good enough if it was the currency accepted by the Temple treasury. 

  Not that it is any different today, because there are certain rules and practices which get placed upon people today; they come seeking real fellowship with God, and are given a list of things that they are required to perform; do's and don'ts all about whatever that particular church might require. All the while, the real fellowship they require is not found, because they skipped over the One that makes the real fellowship happen. 

  This is by no means a blanket statement, because not all churches are the same. But more and more, there are churches, right and left, that are seemingly trying to not offend, if you will, the sinner! Be that as it may, we are all sinners; each and every one: but someone in the room needs to be the adult, put on the pants, and bring some order into this mess, like really soon...

"When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshipped and praised the LORD, saying, "He is good! His faithful love endures forever!"" (2 Chronicles 7:1-3 NLT) 

"A Little Hint" -Too

"And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." (John 2:17 KJV)

  "And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?" (Genesis 4:6 KJV)

  Sometimes to understand what the root of the problem is, you need to go all the way back to the beginning. Zeal might be what is needed to get things done, but it is also the thing that might be your downfall; it really depends on where your heart is, and, believe it or not, who you really care about most! There is something about Jesus and what He came here to do, more than anything else, He came to do the will of the Father! 

  You know you're on the right path when others come first; but the principle reason for your choice, is to please the Lord! It is what you must be, first and foremost; yet it is also really really hard, especially when you are given no other choice but to be humble and turn the other cheek. By the way, turning the other check is not a way to signal the other person to hit you again, it is a way to make the other person feel embarrassment and shame; much like when someone will ask you to carry something a mile, and you go two miles, without them even asking. 

  My mom always used the term, "Kill them with kindness!" Basically that is what you see; you hate, and you become consumed with hate; you love, and you become consumed with love! Pray for more love...

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8 KJV) 

"A Little Hint"

 "And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." (John 2:17 KJV)

  "Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words." (Psalms 119:137-139 KJV) 

  Basically, it all comes down to the heart; to be or not to be, as quoted, that is the question! Tugging at your heart, is nice, but zeal, that is the thing that makes men and women need to do something; without even putting much thought into it, it just has to be done. That is the basic principle of what takes place, as it is the heart that overrides logic or think, making it more about passion and a uncontrollable hunger to do whatever it is that you feel is right. 

  Now, what might be happening, or not happening, is based upon passion, as in zeal. Do you not see the difference? Maybe it's just me, but it would appear that there is an uncontrollable hunger to consume all that is right in this world, setting things in order for something; what, I don't really know, but I have some ideas. Anyone wonder why the sudden quest for news and information on UFO's? A distraction, maybe; or maybe more like a reason for something to be explained, without involving God. 

  Regardless of what you might think about this or that, stay in God's word! If it does not flow, then let it go! Besides, there is something more practical and real, which is heaven! If heaven is not real in your heart, then you will not be passionate about it, nor will you be willing to fight for it; as the writer, or writers of Hebrews said, "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Not just an assumption!) 

  Anywho, I need to get packed and ready to go! Literally, I am going to try and relax for a few days and get a little rest; maybe even play a few rounds of golf, and spend some alone time with my wife. Lord willing, I will be back tomorrow with the rest of the story; good, bad, or indifferent, it is sure to be from my heart...  

"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29 KJV) 

"No Other Way" -2

"And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise." (John 2:15-16 KJV) 

  "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow the was washed to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:21-22 KJV) 

  So, here is the thing that Pastor Jon was trying to illustrate, maybe as far back as twenty years ago: Cain had an issue with following God's requirement for sacrifice, as he thought it was cruel and inhumane to kill a innocent animal as a sacrifice for sin. I think it is rather interesting how that plays into this current culture and the unbelievable stupidity that people feel that the planet is more important than the lives of their fellow human beings! 

  Maybe you cannot see the similarity in the this verses that; but it all comes down to what we are as human-beings, created in the image of God, verses that which does not have a soul or have the same connection that we have to the One that made them. For Cain, not only was his offering wrong, as it was the works of his hands, but it was also cheap, in that it did not included a sacrifice of blood. Basically what that actually represented, was that Cain did not think his sin was really all that bad, so it really didn't require much for it to be covered over or forgiven. 

  It really puts a little different light on Jesus cleansing the Temple, and the motivation of why using sacrifice for anything else than what it was meant to be, was something that God was not very happy with, to say the least. Add to that, the fact the Cain was a farmer, while Abel was a shepherd; there appears to be another disconnect in the mix, because that there really wasn't the same connection to the sacrifice being given. Go figure! 

  About that other message, to help brighten your day. It was about how Eve named her children, as both her and Adam were expecting the Savior to come and right the wrong that they had done. When Cain was born, she named him what she did because she thought he was the One; the actual wording was that of, I have received The Man of the LORD. As Cain had grown, into a child, she discovered that he couldn't have been the One, because he was so sinful; born in sin and not even needing to be taught how to lie. 

  And then there came Abel; "breath," is pretty much that meaning; like, Wow, another one like the other, just another man; and here we go again...

"But God commanded his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." (Romans 5:8-11 KJV)   

"No Other Way"

 "And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise." (John 2:15-16 KJV)

  "We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient." (2 Corinthians 10:4-6 NLT) 

  Have you ever wondered what righteous anger looks like? Nothing can be truly understood if it does not have something else to standup next against; and if there is a way, other than what we see here happening, then there must be some sign, which I do not find! There are several illustrations that come to mind; not all them have quite the passion that Jesus had; but then again, no one else was quite like Jesus! 

  I know that we are not really meant to get uncontrollably angry, but we do. And I know that the Bible clearly says, "Don't let the sun go down on your anger", yet we sometimes do. How then do we learn to be angry, yet sin not? If I had to think of something easy, it might be something like praying before reacting; or maybe, asking yourself, What would Jesus do, before you actually say or do anything when you get angry. 

  That said, who even assumed that Jesus was angry? That might be what is seen through the eyes of those who might not know who He is; but for those that know who He is, this was Him cleaning house! If you came home and found some wild animals eating the food in your kitchen, would you be justified to grab a broom and start chasing them out of the house? Being polite and asking them to leave, may or may not work; but grabbing something to get their attention, that just might work. 

  Not to change the subject or anything, but I heard an old message yesterday from Pastor John; I know it was old, because he used Ben in the message, and he said that Ben was only 10 years old. He was sharing a message about Cain and Abel; crazy thing is, I heard another message about Cain and Able later on in the day; a totally different subject, but based upon the same characters. 

  In Jon's message he shared about the sin offering of both Cain and able; one was good, and one was not so good. Both offerings were good in their own eyes, but only Abel's offering was pleasing to God. If you want to get technical, where did it say in the Scriptures, prior to the sacrifice, what was meant to be sacrificed? Was the blood offering from Abel the first of it's kind? I think not...

"And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." (Genesis 3:20-21 KJV) 

"Another Day"

"And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and dove, and the changers of money sitting:" (John 2:13-14 KJV) 

  "Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:35-40 KJV)

  I hate to say this, but I have always been ashamed of myself for not having chosen a different path. After I had been released from jail, I was pretty far in debt to the man that I worked for; something to the tune of about $8,000 or so: $5,000 plus for my lawyer, and another couple grand for the house my wife and son were staying in. He kept my job open, gave me books to study and sharpen my mind for when I came back to work, and even gave me encouraging advise on hitting the ground running. 

  If I did not see it coming, it was because I was focused upon my family; planning what was best for my wife, and for the longer journey ahead. I spent less than a year paying him back, while also keeping up with my bills; on what was about $600 a week, I gave $60 to the church, $200 to my boss, and made due with the rest. When I was almost free from what I owed, he sold me his truck; another $3,000 was tacked on; but it was only a matter of a couple of months and I had it all under control.

  It was then I discovered that I liked what I did. Not only did I like it, but I put all that I had into being the very best at it; working 12 hour days, Monday through Friday; making the weekends strictly for spending time with my wife and son; by the end of 1982, everything I owed had all been paid off. I should have stopped right there and felt the freedom of not owing anyone; but it almost felt as though I needed debt to motivate me and keeping pushing forward. 

  I hope someone out there is taking this in; because if you are able to understand this, it is what some might refer to as an addiction. I was called a workaholic by some, and a wiz-kid by others; but it never really dawned on me that my life was being motivated by money. Having been influenced by highly motivated people in sales, I decided that sales was what I was best suited for; and there I went, setting goals and outselling all those around me, by a lot. 

  This is not just a thing that happens to those in the world; it also happens a lot to those that are in service to the Lord. Whatever you do and wherever you might be working, if you start focusing on the money, then the money becomes your focus! It really does not matter how you make it, but when your making it increases, so does your lifestyle and the choices you make about living. Before you know it, you are stuck in another world; living in something that comes with comfort and satisfaction of having things and the freedom to do whatever makes you happy.

  Can you see what I am saying? It is not really all that mysterious, because we just like to feel we are the one who is driving the car; the, Jesus is my copilot, type of lifestyle...

""Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."" (Matthew 6:19-21 KJV)     

"Jesus Clears the Temple"

"It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers' coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace." Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house will consume me.""  (John 2:13-17 NLT) 

  "Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." (Psalm 69:9 NTL) 

  Maybe you haven't thought about how this is important to some of those that deny Jesus is God, but it is, as there are some which use this as a proof that Jesus had sinned; as they say, His anger proves that He is a sinner, just like us. There actually is a footnote in the NLT for the quote in John 2:17, that says, "Concern for God's house will be my undoing." 

  Growing up, this was one of those things I misunderstood as something wrong, as if what Jesus did was something against organized religion, or as something which was proof that the church was not meant to ask for money. I know it sounds weird, but having grown up being taught what I was taught, things were just not always shown in the proper Light! 

  This is proof to me that we need to prove the Scriptures! Not that we need to prove what the Word of God says, but that we need to search for the proper meaning, which is not going to be proven wrong by anything else written in the Word of God! If it says in one verse, Jesus is God, then anything written that might seem opposing that verse, needs to be determined as meaning something entirely different. 

  If you are just a little bit skeptic, then you need to park right there and get yourself fixed! In a really weird sort of way, this is a good illustration of what Jesus was demonstrating when He cleared the Temple; as it was, the place which was to be used for worship, was made into a marketplace. In the simplest way I can say: The place which was meant for honoring God, was being made into a place where God was being used for profit; which is using God to honor men! 

  Regardless of what you might have experienced in your own churches, if you are in the business of serving God, then you are in the wrong business; the gift of being God's servant is that He takes care of all your needs, which isn't a business, it is an honor...

"But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:9-10 NLT)  

  

 

"Little Rest"

 "After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and they continued there not many days." (John 2:12 KJV)

  "Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And the evening passed, and the morning came, marking the sixth day. So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation." (Genesis 1:31 - 2:3 NLT)

  Mama always said there'd be days like this! What a strange and creepy thing looks like, is just about all I need to say! If you don't understand what I am talking about, then you haven't been paying attention to everything that is going on in this crazy world. 

  Correct me if I am wrong, but the Lord seems to rest just before He is about to confront something that involves a spiritual battle; not that He is in the least bit worried about what it soon at hand, because there is absolutely no threat of anything happening to Him. Lies are always worried about the truth; truth is never worried about lies! 

  I caution anyone listening to what is being said: Stick to the Truth! Do not pay any mind to the lies, and make every effort to declare and reinforce the Truth! This is not just about God's Word, this is not just about having church; this is about not being deceived or persuaded to give up and give in, because it is a real and present danger. 

  Anywho, we are in for some real fun, if you like carnivals and going to the zoo. Which reminds me of why I have even started this thing, this thing that seems to keep me going to the cross: this is about the closest thing I have to something normal, even if it appears to sometimes feels strange and creepy.

 If you really love seeing good overcome evil, it is because you know that it always will! That is not just what God says in His Word, it is what the Word does, over and over again...

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

"Confirmation" -2

 "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." (John 2:11 KJV) 

  "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." (Psalms 1:1-2 KJV) 

  If you did not get what that meant, it is because I did not complete what was being said, for good reason. When we are saved, we are saved completely and all at once; from the moment we come to believe in and ask Jesus to come into our hearts, we have become a new creation in God; there is no turning back, because to work was not of us, it was totally and completely a transformation performed by Him! 

  This is the miracle of the water to wine, as it is complete, through and through! Does that mean we have no more desire for sin? No, not in these sinful bodies; but sin is now something we are well aware of, and when we do sin, we are well aware that we have! It is now a question of serving, as in, who will you serve: the flesh, which will want to enjoy sin, or the Holy Spirit that is alive in you, that cannot stand sin, nor does He let us feel comfort when sin abounds. 

  The whole point in what must be done, is not done by us! If you are dealing with sin, it will not be dealt with by you choosing not to sin; although there are multitudes of those who say differently. This is the thing about would, because it is a lot like try! You can try all you want, but when it is at the forefront of your mind, you would most likely still be stuck on stupid! 

  Much like the water being made into wine, this is something the Lord will do in you, causing that which is not of Him, to be changed into something that is of Him; and it is all made available when you give it over to Him! Not a piece of it, or the major part of it; but the whole thing! Just like those water-pots being filled to the brim, it is all or nothing when it comes to sin! 

  Like I am some sort of expert! Far from being what I should be, but not unaware of what I must do! We all know what we lack, and I am pretty sure we all know what we need to do; try is not part of the solution, because try is simply saying, you don't need God to make you right...

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-5 KJV)  

"Confirmation"

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." (John 2:11 KJV)

 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shinned in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV)

  Basic is the truth of God's glory, as it is displayed in pretty much every single part of His creation. The same power that changed the water to wine, is the same power that called the light out of the darkness; that same power called the stars to appear  in the heavens, and spoke into existence all life that is upon this earth.

  Oddly enough, the one thing which was different, was that He formed man from the earth's soil, and then breathed life into that which He formed. To be clear, it is not a mystery about what He made us for, as it has been made abundantly clear in the entire content of His Word; what is the mystery, is why He did not make us without a perfect love for Him: instead, He gave the will to make a choice! 

  This is simple enough to understand, but it is really hard make happen all by itself. In other words, He couldn't just speak us into existence, we had to be made to love Him on our own. It is really a lot like that word Paul uses in Ephesians 5:33, "reverence," spoken of a wife's responding love to her husband. Which Paul also confirms to be the reason for such a great mystery: The Mystery of One! 

  Anywho, which one is this first miracle pointing to, the Creator or that which is created? I know you know the answer, because it is the number of days in the beginning...

"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragon and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the dessert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise." (Isaiah 43:18-21 KJV)   

"Some Really Fine Wine"

 "When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew,) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom. And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." (John 2:9-10 KJV) 

  "I have entered my garden, my treasure, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spices and eat honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk." (Song of Songs 5:1 NLT)

            WARNING - The following information may be harmful to your health! (Not really!)

  I have heard many Pastors and Teachers try and say that the wine which Jesus made from that water was Non-Alcoholic and was basically just like grape juice; to which, I will do what I always do, and wonder what their motivation is in trying to make that case. It is pretty obvious by what is being said, that when the people are intoxicated, the not so good wine to usually given out; basically because when they are well lubricated, taste really doesn't matter anymore. 

 You can choose to believe whatever you want to; it is really more about the taste. Good wine requires time for all the wonderful flavors to come forth; cheap wine or worse wine, well it just works, but does not bring much of the wonderful flavors. Besides that, nonalcoholic wines have gone through another process: they have been dealcoholized; which basically means that the alcohol has been taken out or removed. 

  Some things are just better left alone; but even then, if this were the case, then the process of making the wine Jesus made would have taken even longer. No matter what, this was something that I believe still shows how everything was made: everything was made as it was meant to be: GOOD! What that actually means, is that God made everything just as it is; a tree was made a full-grown tree; and animals were made as fully grown, male and female animals, which were ready to pre-create. 

  The earth, which has layers and layer of so-called growth rings, was made that way and created with everything in it, just as it is to this day! If God wanted to make waters divided by lands, then that is what He designed it to be, as said: "And God said, Let the waters under heaven be gathered together onto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so." (Genesis 1:9) 

  So, then there is man; made as a man, but without his mate. What was God's reasoning in the pause? was there some cause for the pause? Something I believe is a topic for another discussion, because it might be a little too intoxicating to talk about! 

  It is man that has the issue with what was what and how; God does what He does, and then we try to make it all make sense; which turns out to basically be nonsensical: which pretty much means that the GODNESS is taken out; which absolutely make no sense, and is non-sense...

"Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshipped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshipped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." (Romans 1:22-25 NLT) 

"And Let There Be Life!" -2

"And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it." (John 2:6-8 KJV) 

  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)

  As I was trying to ask the Lord for this portion of Scripture to help amplify the message I was feeling, it was incredibly hard for me to understand the simplicity of the message that God was putting upon my heart. Which, believe it or not, is really not all that uncommon, as we are so easily taken to the place where we want to complicate the message; whether to make it more detailed, or to make it more about trying harder; as if it is through something we do, that we are made new. 

  How many times must I walk down this same road, as if  there is some sort of sign I might have overlooked or failed to pay attention to? We get up, carrying this bed, and then find another place to put it down, making it become another resting place. It might seem a little confusing, but it is really not that at all; it is just a simple matter of the heart! 

  First of all, the picture presented here, is that the servants filled the water pots to the brim! It was not until the water pots were filled to the brim, that Jesus said, "Draw out now." In other words, the pots became full, and then the water became wine! There was no more room for anything else but what was going to be made new! 

  Obviously, this is something that can be made complicated; the more you think about it, the more you think about it! But for this wine to be really really good, it needs to be free from the stuff that is not very good; there can not be room left over for anything else but new...

"Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God be being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." (Galatians 5:2-4 NLT)