"Can I Get a Witness?"

 "He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light." (John 1:8 KJV)

  "Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD? Who can ever praise him enough?" (Psalm 106:1-2 NLT)

  Before I try and explain the weird title, let me first complete a little bit of explanation of something from yesterday's post. See here what Matthew Henry says, regarding John's witness: "He prepared men for the reception and entertainment of Christ and his gospel, by awakening them to a sight and sense of sin; and that, their eyes being thereby opened, they might be ready to admit those beams of divine light which, in the person and doctrine of the Messiah, were now ready to shine in their faces." 

  You see, (no pun intended,) if you're in the right mood for receiving the sun's radiant light to shine upon your face, you will feel radiant by the rays of the sun! This is a perfect example of the use of "Sun," in Malachi 4:2, which says, "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." To those that may want to understand what this represents, it is a presence of the Light, much as with the moon; the light of the moon is the reflection of the real light, which is the sun.

  Without the sun's light beaming upon the moon's surface, the moon is only partly shown, or not shown at all; but it is the light of the sun that make it bright and therefore it too becomes a light in the darkness of the night. Anywho, that is the long-short version of my explanation for today's title. To be perfectly clear, it is not about what God might be asking, but more about what we might be asking of God. We tend to be people that are always expecting something new and exciting to shine into our lives, when the best things that can be demonstrated to us, are what God can do in us and through us. 

  We say, 'Show us a sign!' God says, "Show Me your faith!" It is really not rocket science; if you take a step of faith, you will be shown a sign; if you do not take a step of faith, you will only be shown the door! If you want to see a miracle from God, be the miracle...

"He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then Paul said, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." (Acts 19:2-6 KJV) 

"To Bear Witness" -2

"The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe." (John 1:6 KJV)

  "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for they that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name." (Malachi 3:16 KJV)

  As far as I can tell, this witness is more than just a chance to reach those that are lost, because, as it turns out, God has full knowledge of those who will be His children; as it is said: 'God cannot learn, because He knows all things already!' But, God is full of love and mercy, therefore He offers redemption to each and every person, whether they want it or not, He gives everyone an chance to say yes or no. 

  The Light does not need any introduction, as the Light is a Witness unto Himself; but, because Light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot comprehend it, nor does it even want to, we have the witness of John the Baptist: who points the way to the Light, preparing the heart for a chance to receive what the Light has to offer. 

  The one who knows he is a sinner and sees his need for redemption, will most likely run towards the Light and want to be healed. Those that do not think they are sinners, will feel offended by the Light, because the sin they do not confess is exposed, therefore they will not accept what the Light has to offer and will remain in their sins. 

  No man or woman knows his or her chances to be in or out of redemption; but every single person knows whether or not they are actually saved! If you do not know for sure that you are saved, and you want salvation, then today is the day to make it happen! You never know what tomorrow will bring, but right now is the best opportunity to say, YES!, to God's free offer of Salvation! Just ask Him right now: Confess that you are a sinner and believe that Jesus Christ has paid the price for your sins; that He rose again to give you New Life; and now walk in that Life! 

  As for the Scripture from Malachi 3:16, it is just a reminder of what we can look forward to and why it is really important that we share what we know as often as we possibly can. Share with your spouse, your children, your friends; any and every chance you can get, to be ready in season and out of season to give a witness to the Light, that everyone you might meet will have a chance! God has given us a ministry, whether you might know it or not, it is to share our personal experience with the Light! 

  If you don't think that is your reasonable service, I think you need to think again; the Holy Spirit that is living within you wants to be poured out! Living Water must flow; if there is no flow, well, let's just say that there is no real power created to generate Life...

"And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." (Malachi 3:17-18 KJV)  

"To Bear Witness"

"The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe." (John 1:7 KJV)

  "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:19 NLT)

  So, if you have been wondering about anything going on in the churches, as if there might be some sort of hidden agenda to what is in the works; there is nothing new, as far as spiritual battles, that has not been going on for centuries gone by. However, there are many more ways to color a pig, so to speak, so the love for this world and the desires of the flesh have been magnified greatly. And I am talking about what is happening within the churches! 

  Not to be a party-pooper, or anything that might disrupt what is going on; but it just is what was said would happen, and it is surely happening. Besides all that nonsense, we are called to remain faithful! It is not up to us to change anyone else but ourselves; but it is our responsibility for the example we set for others to take notice of, that they might desire the hope that is within us. 

  There are two very distinct ways that one might read the Scripture we are looking at today; either one is correct, as they both are true and important. It is so hard to keep the witness of Christ's love towards others in this current culture; somehow, some way, someone is going to push the wrong button in your heart, and you are bound to have a bad day. That said, I believe with all of my heart, that with prayer and God's grace, even our worst mess we make, God can and will turn it towards good! 

  It basically comes down to this one truth: Our mistakes, are God's opportunities! I was reminded of something yesterday that can give us great hope: David was a man after God's own heart, because he was willing to not make excuses...

  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 KJV) 

   

"The Witness"

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John." (John 1:6 KJV)

"And it cam to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Luke 1:41-45 KJV)

  Besides this, there are many other instances where life before birth are spoken of in the Bible; but this one section of Scripture is a remarkable illustration of God's calling upon a person's life, even before that person is brought forth into the world. That is most comforting to know how this works, because there are certain times we need to be encouraged, especially when we doubt that we really matter at all, in this crazy life here upon the earth. 

  I have used this Scripture many times to defend that there is life in the womb; that the person who lives inside of any woman is already a life, just waiting to be released out into the world. There is further proof today that life actually does start at the moment of conception; although, the powers to be are not letting that proof be widely spread. I have heard, that at the moment of conception, there is light that is sparked inside of the womb, and in that moment, life is begun. 

  It is just a hunch, but I would venture to say, that is the making of an eternal soul. But then again, what do I know about anything? I have always wondered if you could measure the weight of someone that is dying, and if the machine used could measure the bodies weight down to a milligram of weight, if there would be any change at the time of death. Is it even possible to tell? or would that too be explained away as only dead weight? 

  Anywho, this is more than just about life within the womb; this is about the man that is in the womb and his ability to know something prior to being born! Yes, you heard me right: this is showing that John, although not yet even taking his first breath, actually knew and could acknowledge the presence of the Lord! The one of whom he was being sent to proclaim, has just entered into the house, and he leaped for joy! 

  Might I step out on a limb, as if I need anyone's permission; but what I think of any of this is really quite simple to understand: An eternal soul is a life! As a matter of fact, the soul is more of a life than is this temporary body! And if I may, that would explain many different things about what we witness in the future, because the eternal soul has the ability to see things that have not yet taken place. 

  Sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't...

""Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher; and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! "But don't be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell."" (Matthew 10:24-28 NLT)  

"The Voice"

 "God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world." (John 1:6-9 NLT)

  "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6 KJV) 

  This is not that day, but it shall soon come; the great and dreadful day will be when God pours out His wrath upon the world; which will happen after Jesus removes His bride, who will be the believers all over this earth! I hope that you are ready; I am praying that I am ready! When He comes, His coming will be as a thief in the night: which means, we must do all that we can to be ready, fortifying the door, locking the windows, standing guard and staying awake; all those things that are required to be prepared. Wow, do I need to get some insurance! 

  Seriously, this introduction to John is the forefront to prepare people to listen; if you will, it might be closely related to the worship that is administered by the Worship Team at the beginning of the service, just prior to the Word being shared, so the the message might be received. Does it work for everyone? Absolutely not! Neither did it work for everyone when John was proclaiming his introduction of Jesus Christ. Thus is the reason for us mortal minds to share the message to everyone, so that those who are meant to hear the Word, can actually hear it and receive it! 

  Please pay attention to what is being said, because, "the true Light," gives light to everyone! Yes, that's right: EVERYONE! Everyone is given a chance to receive the Light; but not all will receive it, and most will totally reject the Light, because they prefer their darkness instead. We are to be a voice to all the world, because everyone needs to hear the Good News about this salvation that is freely given! 

  That said, another very big problem that is found throughout the world, is that of religion! Yes, you heard me right: religion is another big issue that deters people away from the cross of Christ. It is not that they cannot see the offer that is being presented, because most of them do; the problem is that they do not understand why it does anything, or if it even does, it does not take away from the practice of trying to earn salvation, at least in some form or fashion. 

  I have someone that is near to me, stuck in the J.W. cult; she would withstand almost everything that I said, and when I said something she would receive, or could receive, she would hold back from making any sort of choice, taking the matter to her Elders instead. I give this example only because the same practice is performed is regular religious churches also; except it is more out in the open and much more to the fact, or so called facts.

  Please do not get offended by what I say, but if the Word of God is not being taught, completely, then you are not getting taught the Word of God! You are getting bits and pieces, but the rest is the thoughts and opinions of men, and in some churches, women. The Voice we must be listening to is God...

"Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than theses."" (Mark 12:29-31 NLT) 

"The Overcoming Light" -2

 "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:5 KJV)

  "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like eagle's." (Psalms 103:2-5 KJV) 

  Let's be clear: the only way to comprehend the Light is to understand what the Light is really meant to do and why the Light is so important for our eternal soul! This is most likely the most important issue that is surrounding the churches today, not only within the younger generations, but those of older generations as well. The enemy of your soul wants you to feel as though you have been deceived or denied from the real pleasures of life, just to get us to desire some of what the world has to offer. 

  I know that I have good days as well as bad days, as I am only human; but even on my worst day, I will never forget to ask God for forgiveness and to make today a day to start fresh and clean. I have been there before, in a slump, a period of not communicating or trying to reach out to God. It really doesn't take much effort to do. Whether it is intentional or not, it just is something we slide into; one day leads to another day, and before you know it, you are rising up and going straight to living a daily life without even asking God to bless your day. 

  A lot can happen over 40 years; some things are very good, and some are very bad; but in the midst of all that we allow to happen, God is more than faithful to allow for new beginnings! That is where our ability to comprehend the Light comes into play! In that instance, understanding is pretty much thrown out the window, because it is more important that we believe, regardless of what we know or don't know; we simply believe and trust God is true, no matter what! 

  Yes, but I don't understand what He is doing? some might say! Join the crowd of witnesses! Most of which did not get to see results in their own lifetimes; none of which saw all that God promised. But it is really not about the results we might get in this world: it is about the hope we have towards the next...

"All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." (Hebrews 11:39 - 12:4 NLT) 

"The Overcoming Light"

 "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5 NLT)

  "The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone - as though we had never been here. But the love of the LORD remains forever with those that fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!" (Psalm 103:13-18 NLT)

  There are a few different ways the verse above can be looked upon; but the understanding part of it, it is the part that is a complicated situation: 'Every knee will bow and confess that He is LORD!' Just to be clear, I have been amazed by this verse, as I have tried to comprehend why darkness tries to hide from the Light. It is amazing to me that people cannot understand why they get so offended by the name of Jesus; it should cause them to examine their motives, or at least take a deeper look into what makes them feel so evil when they get exposed to the Light! 

  Then again, "there but for the grace of God go I." A famous and complicated quote, one that should cause anyone that doubts that God does not have power over every man's soul, to think again. This is more about understanding Who, than it is about understanding what; because God is not just a force to be reckoned with: He is a God of love, with understanding and compassion! When you understand that, you don't try and hide from the Light, but you run towards it, longing to be exposed with His overcoming rays! 

  At least that is how we are meant to come to Him; if we are really one of those that fear Him! Some will not understand that kind of logic; most will not take fear as part of understanding who God is, and why it is impossible to hide or try to flee from Him. You cannot hide, you cannot flee! The darkness is never gone when the light is turned on in a room, it is just how it works when light overcomes the darkness; when the light goes out, the darkness remains. There is the fear of the Lord realized in our hearts; as we come to an understanding of why we must fear that He never leaves us! 

  That you Jesus! For you have said that you would never leave us nor forsake us! You will assure that we get to the other side of this! You made a way, when there was no way; and you will go out of your way to keep me in your Light, because you called me into your Light to begin with...

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he has called  - his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 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." (Ephesians 1:18-20 NLT

  

"Life of Light" -2

 "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone." (John 1:4 NLT) 

  "For we are not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain." (2 Peter 1:16-18 NLT)

  There is something else that is evident in the Light, that is the knowledge and spiritual truth we can see, as He allows us to actually see and know His glory! Yes, we all were blind and in darkness before we were born again; some of us might not remember how much in darkness we were; but if it was not for His mercy to call us to Himself, we would have never found our way to Him, at all! 

  Remember how hard you searched for answers, asking the stars to show you something, looking for the clues in every form or substance. Some of us had no clue what we were doing. And without God leading us to Himself, we were, as the Scripture says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way." (Isaiah 53:6a KJV)

  You see, before I was redeemed, my mind was made up; I really thought that I had it all figured out, that I could do it all on my own. This was also the situation in Paul's life; or should we say, Saul, the one who had determined that he knew it all! Do you remember how Jesus revealed Himself to him? It was in the form of a Light! A Light so bright, it caused him to be blind! Reminds me of something Jesus had said to Nic at night, "Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." 

  These are some very interesting times that we are living in, and I pray we all pay attention to all that the Scriptures warn us about, because there are powerful forces at work to try and distract us. Stay in the Word, hold fast to that which is Truth, and remain in the Light! How we remain in the Light, is to be wrecked, to know that we are vulnerable and need a stretcher! 

  I never what to find myself saying, I got this! In the words of Peter, in his powerful moment, and then started to sink: "Lord, save me." Please Lord, help me to keep my eyes on you...

"He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:10-12 KJV) 

"Life of Light""

"In him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4 KJV)

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 1:3 KJV)

  Something I learned the other day, that the upper portion of the human heart has an electrical pulse or connection. Not quite sure what that means, but someone told me that their doctor showed them it, and that it looked as if it produced some sort of electrical current or spark. I know, sounds a little weird; but I felt it was a timely conversation.

  Basically, what we are looking at today, is Life that is in Himself. Or as Matthew Henry puts it: "He has life in himself; not only the true God, but the living God." The difference between God and god, is that God is not created, He has always existed; a god, however, is created being, meaning that it, in no way is a match for God, ever! Hopefully you get this, because there are only a few ways to get you to see the Light!  

  Having been on the other side of the fence, I can tell you from experience that there are only so many chances we get to make the right choice. Oddly enough, because I was not all that interested in church, the choices I had were offered by people asking me to sit with them in a study group, or to join them in a little prayer group. As I have shared before, church to me was just organized religion; something I felt as though I wanted to stay far away from. 

  But, on that day, there was a light; something inside of me somehow got switched on, and I felt as though I needed to go towards the Light! Do you understand what I am saying? There was a knock on the door, a knock much different than any other; this was like a do or die knock; one that I felt like I needed to answer! The number of times I could remember before, seemed as though they could have been counted on one hand; but none of the others were as important or urgently answered than this one day: on a Sunday morning in September of 1981...

"The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam - that is Christ - is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people and like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever." (1 Corinthians 15:45-50 NLT)

"Maker of Everything" -2

 "God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him." (John 1:3 NLT)

  "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." (Hebrews 2:10 KJV) 

  Do not be fooled by strange and misleading examples of what God might look like; it is pretty much certain that His appearance will be such, that every single person that looks upon Him will be made to surrender all that they are at His sight. There are so many different ways that people try to imagine how He might appear; what form or manner He might take, as if His brightness and glory cannot be looked upon, unless He covers Himself from our eyes. 

  I know I shared on this before, but I had the honor of leading my wife into the Sinners Prayer, within two weeks after I gave my life to the Lord. I was so overwhelmed by my new understanding of who Jesus was, I could not contain myself from telling her what had happened to my life and how much it meant to me that she could see Him also. The whole point of why Jesus came, was not just to show us the way, but to present the Way! 

  Had we known how to make ourselves keep the law, we might have had some kind of a chance to be right with God; but we were totally and completely lost and without hope, until a way was made for us to be made holy! Doesn't that make you see how God presented Himself to us? The more I think of this, the more I feel like crawling under a rock and hiding my shame! "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." (1 John 4:9 KJV)

  I might not have certain things all figured out. I might not even have anything at all figured out. But I know the One that does! Before I can even think about issuing some kind of a complaint, or making a request that some sort of trial be made comfortable or manageable, I need to remember what God has already done for me! What an amazing God we serve...

"This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But is we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us." (1 John 4:10-13 NLT)

"Maker of Everything"

"All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:3 KJV)

  "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1 KJV)

  At this point of the conversation, I don't really think that I need to say much more than what has already been said; if there is something here that is missing from the evidence, I'm pretty sure, anything, most likely includes heaven and earth! But, for the sake of anyone that might be a skeptic, let's see if there is some sort of other explanation for this to be a contradiction in the text. However, I believe that John started his dissertation with, "In the beginning," to associate the reader with the beginning of creation, as written! 

  Again, I must make mention of the fact that this is not the common belief in many Christian churches. If you were to ask the average Christian who created heaven and earth, they would simply say that it was God. If you happened to inform them that the Creator of all things was Jesus Christ, they might look at you a little sideways, and ask you where you came up with that information. You could point to this verse in John 1:3; but chances are, even as I speak, they would somehow say that this verses is speaking about God, whom the Word was with, not about the Word that was with God. 

  In that case, I would venture to say, I think you might have skipped over a very important part of the last message: "And the Word was God!" There is only One God! To which, the NWT has that particular wording, "and the Word was a god," which is highly rejected by those that know how to interpret the Scriptures. The J.W. organization believes there's is the proper interpretation because no article appears before God, as if it should clearly say, "the God." The problem with that comparison, is that every other reference to God would also need to follow the same principle; throwing off many of the New Testament writings, such as Romans 1:7, where Paul says, "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God." 

  As to the point made about the cross, the bulls-eye point out about how it even matters. You most likely have not heard, but there was a time for the cross to be used for execution, and it was not before, and it was not used after; the stake was more exclusive, and was more popular for executing people, whether they were left there to die or set on fire. According to history, the Romans discover the cross technic why conquering a country that used it; they perfected it and it became known as one of the most brutal ways to be put to death. 

  If this is taken to be part of every thing, then it would make sense that Jesus was instrumental in the making of the cross that He would die upon. Not to be weird or anything, but that is a pretty strange assumption to make, don't you think? "Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy." (Isaiah 54:16 KJV) Then again, it really does make perfect sense...

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7-9 KJV)

"Son of God" -2.0

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God." (John 1:1-2 NLT)

  "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 John 5:20 KJV)

  Without knowing the truth, the truth about who Jesus really is, the cross just becomes an object of torment and where a sacrifice was poured out to ransom us, as if God was just paying a price for our sins by providing His Son to pay the ransom. This might did it for some, as it was what I was raised to think it all meant; not really understanding that the real truth involved much much more! This is about the God that created everything, from the very beginning, giving of Himself, a Part of Himself, to come here to be punished and killed in the flesh, to save the flesh that He created! 

  Basically, if I had to paint a giant bulls-eye on the main attraction, it would probably be the cross; not so much the piece of wood that He was killed upon, but the whole notion of why it mattered that it was a cross and for what reason that He had to place Himself upon it, in order to save us from our sins. Who was Jesus Christ saving us from? In light of what we understand that He is, He was saving us from judgment, by whom? Interesting thought, but the rainbow illustration is pretty accurate; if it where a bow, where might the arrow be pointed? 

  When God flooded the earth, saving only Noah and his family, He judged the entire earth for their evil and wickedness. The next time that God would pour out His judgment on the entire world, He would take that judgment upon Himself, and it would be upon a cross, as a sign of His mercy! There is really nothing left that is going to be judged, as far as sin might go; but the only judgment left is that of not receiving the mercy that is being offered! It must be all or nothing; because the cross is the sign of just that, everything from north to south, and east to west; everything is covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son! 

  With that, there is something else that has interested me, if you are interested in the science side of everything. It has been said that God is three distinct Persons, because everything is three and has three very distinct parts, all the way down to the smallest thing. We ourselves have three parts: body, soul, and spirit; so why are we so unable to understand the thought of a Holy Trinity? If God were to make man in His image, what might that image represent? Obviously it was not holy man? Well, maybe not yet!  

  I know that I don't know hardly anything worth speaking about, except for the power of the cross of Christ. This is why Paul said what he said, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." (Galatians 6:14-16 KJV) 

  To be frank and to the point, if you have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, there is no more judgment for your sins; that is the bottom line of what peace with God represents; complete forgiveness: you are as white as snow, there is nothing left that needs to be done for your sins to be forgiven! How many more ways can it be said? You are either a Saint, or you ain't...

"Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up the the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:1-6 NLT)   

"Son of God" -2

 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1-2 KJV)

  ""The LORD formed me from the beginning, before he created anything else. I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began."" (Proverbs 8:22-23 NLT)

  If you want, if it suits your understanding; Before God could do, God formed the Word that would carry out what He did. There is nothing different in that from the way our minds work, in that the brain tells the body what it must do with commands; by saying, if you will, what must be done, the action or reaction is done. I mean, if you are looking for some sort of scientific example, then there are better ways to show how the brain might make things happen; but to be put into something logical, this is the easiest way to show how there is only One, yet and the same time, more that One. 

  Take note of John's follow up to his reference about, "the Word was with God," saying, "The same was in the beginning with God." John is really not repeating himself, as if to stress a point: John is simply making the case that the Father and the Son were always One. However you want, you cannot have the one without the other; they were always One! I know that there is some that might not get the simplicity of what is being said; it is not because they cannot, but it is because they refuse to accept it as so. 

  To that point, this is why John says what he says, because there are some that will not accept it! As is explained by Matthew Henry, saying, "Let none say that when we invite them to Christ we would draw them from God, for Christ is with God and is God; it is repeated in v. 2: the same, the very same that we believe in and preach, was in the beginning with God, that is, he was so from eternity." This is really not all that uncommon, because there are many that do believe that they are being drawn from God when they are invited to Jesus Christ. 

  There could be nothing further from the truth! Yet, when we are dealing with the result of what is happening in the heart when we are inviting Christ in, there is two different reactions that take place: one is that of awakening to the Spirit which is coming alive in us, the other is that we are becoming aware of the sinfulness of our lives. When these two things happen, there are some that get wrecked, and there are some that get healed; either way, their life is going to be charged. 

  If you are asking me which one is better, I would probably say it is the one that gets wrecked; they are the ones that will need to be taken away in a stretcher, while the other will leave walking on their own...

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

"Son of God"

"In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1-2 KJV)

  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:" (Genesis 1:26a KJV)

  There have been times over these last, almost 40 years, where I have had doubts about who Jesus really is; call it creepiness from the past, or blind spots in my understanding; whatever it is, I have had to rebuke it as if it was from the devil, trying to destroy my faith. That is real, I hope you know! When Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat, He was trying to show Peter that what he was about to experience was not something he could overcome on his own. What strength does wheat have against getting crushed and then sifted? None!   

  We have weapons at our disposal to be strong enough to overcome being mislead; but we must be aware of the things we are fighting against: "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) 

  I am pretty sure that Peter had no idea what he was in for. Most likely, he shrugged it of, thinking that his strength was enough to overcome whatever this was that Jesus was talking about. That is absolutely the wrong attitude to go into a spiritual battle with the devil! I heard part of a message yesterday, where Pastor Mike was sharing about how roosters crow; and he said that they usually don't crow twice in the same moment: indicating that Peter had a warning about what he was doing, because it crowed most likely after the first time he denied Jesus; then it crowed again after the third time. 

  Why is this something we need to be aware of? Because we have a battle waging around us for our minds and our eternal souls! It is most apparent when we are doubting the power of God in our lives; but it is also most lethal when we are doubting God's power in anything! So you do the math: if you are doubting God's power, remove all doubt, or else prepare to be sifted! 

  Speaking about math, I learned something interesting almost 40 years ago: God prefers multiplication over adding! We say, 1 + 1 + 1 = 3; but when it comes to looking at God, it's: 1 x 1 x 1 = ONE...

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our glorious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:12-16 NLT) 

"The Word Became Flesh" -(John 1:1 -18 KJV)

 "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (v. 1-5)

 "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (v. 6-9)

 "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world new him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God. (v. 10-13)

 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for he was before me. (v. 14-15)

 "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (v. 16 -18)

  To be perfectly clear, I only study out of the original King James; mostly because that greatest resources to search for the meanings to the words are more numerous and easily found. Besides, I am really more fond of the way it is written because it leaves the definitions more open for interpretation, not giving just one view to suite any particular translation. That said, I do enjoy reading the New Living Translation, as it is a easier read. I just need to be cautious of some of the interpretations; as I also do when reading the New King James Version. 

  For the last 32 years, I have been reading and studying out of The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible; which is a Spiros Zodhiates' original and complete system of Bible study. Back in the day, it was my quick and easy reference to word meanings, especially when witnessing to any J.W.'s that might have stumbled upon my home. Usually they only showed up once or twice; after that, I think they marked my home as a place to avoid visiting. 

  I have been more than excited to the fact that Jesus Christ was here as God in the flesh; it was not only the most important part of my salvation, but it overwhelmed me to think about Him, as the Creator of my soul, coming to die upon a cross, to save the souls He created. Not only was I overwhelmed by what that meant, I was empowered by the Holy Spirit, almost immediately, to share the truth about who Jesus is, and why that fact to so very important to our salvation.

  Not all believers have that same belief, if you did not know that. I you are reading this blog, and you too are not convinced Jesus Christ is God, then please stick around and hear me out; because I am 110% positive that the Bible is Truth, and the Truth about Jesus Christ is clearly seen in and throughout the Word of God! Besides, what do you have to lose? 

  To anyone that might be studying with the J.W. organization, I only want to mention how much you need to know that God loves you! So much so, that He has provided a way for to be saved, free from that worry about you earning your way into the kingdom. You can never really earn your way into the Kingdom of God, because the price is far more than you could ever earn, no matter how many books you give out, or how many doors you might visit. Jesus had to come and pay the price, that none of us could afford to pay! 

  As we shall see, He died on that cross, free from sin, that we might be freed from our sins! God's one and only perfect sacrifice, once and for All...

"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:17-18 KJV) 

"The Gospel of John"

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1 NLT)

  I was very fortunate to have been told to start off my new life in Christ, reading The Gospel of John. From the very beginning of John's Gospel, he makes us aware of who Jesus Christ was, is, and has always been: The Eternal God! As previously stated, I was not aware of this previous to the day, in September of 1981; as it was, most of my religious upbringing was spent with the J.W. organization, so this particular news was not told to me. As a matter of fact, it was highly refuted and looked upon as if it would cause you to be cursed if you even tried to accept it as the truth. 

  As to the specific date of my salvation, I have somewhat tried to figure it out, but not with great care or interest; I know it was a Sunday, and I know it was around 10:00 to 11:00 in the morning; but other than that, I am okay with knowing what I know is sufficient. Besides, the particular date might cause me to favor that specific date, almost like my physical birthday; I would just prefer not doing that, because everyday is new day when we are walking in Christ Jesus! 

  The very first thing that I realized in John's message, is that John was in awe of who Jesus is; almost as if he needed to reinforce the message of  who Christ was; thus he started his message with a prologue to get the reader prepared for what he was about to share. This prologue is the first 18 verses, as John shows who Jesus was and is, how He was manifested, why He came, and what we should expect by His coming: New Life! John also make sure to mention that all things were created by Jesus; thus, also ending his message by saying: 

 "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:25) 

  Whether or not this goes anywhere, I really do not care. As previously stated, over and over: This is only a journal that is posted within a blog; just my living journal of whatever I feel God is sharing to me, in me, or through me. I know it's not much, but it feels good to be doing it, at least most days. There are some days, however, I wish I had never started it .Regardless, my wife is still here, God has not taken her home yet; I pretty much committed myself to at least doing this every day she is still with us.   

  Does that mean I will quit when she goes? Not really; it only means it is an option; if there are real options in the lives of Believers! We have an obligation to share the Good News; the only option that we might have is how we reach people; besides that, even those options are totally and completely ordained by God. If God is not moving and guiding us, we need to stop and ask Him to do so by making Him the Pilot of our vessel, not ourselves!  

 This is real, it needs to be real, because God is real...

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

"Coming Soon!"

"Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains." (S.O.S. 8:14)

  "He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20 NLT)

  Besides all the craziness that is going on, the thing that matters the most, is all that is going on with the churches and Israel. If there is any type of indication to the time being soon at hand, then I believe what is going on in the lives of those that are His chosen people is that sign of indication. Regardless of what you might like or dislike about what is happening in your community, you must continue to be salt and light; it is more than just being a witness of your belief; it is your witness that must show forth the power of God! 

  At first I was going to title this last post, "ONE," as in to two became one, to be of one mind; most of which, is to be of One Love! It is this longing to be reunited that makes for the love to be realized as a living thing that must be satisfied and complete. We know that we truly believe, because we earnestly long to be with the One we Love! As Matthew Henry says, "Those only that can in sincerity call Christ their beloved, their best beloved, can, upon good grounds, desire him to hasten his second coming." 

  It is this, somewhat yearning for and expectation of being reunited, that convinces me that Solomon made this masterpiece towards the end, not the beginning of his ministry. And yes, I am certain that it was a ministry; a ministry that has been looked upon and talked about millions and millions of times over, throughout the world. Even Jesus referred to Solomon's glory, saying of the lilies of the field, "And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (Matthew 6:29)

  Personally, I believe it is more about what we long for to come, then it becomes more exciting as we see that day draw nearer. It happens to be, that which we observe the more dearer, is what we see clearer, the more we get nearer! At least I see myself more focused upon seeing Jesus, the closer I get to seeing myself depart from this world. We will soon be reunited, soon enough! Complete is more like it: to be looking forward to the day, as Matthew Henry says, "It is good to conclude our devotions with a joyful expectation of the glory to be revealed, and holy humble breathings towards it. We should not part but with the prospect of meeting again." 

  Anywho: This was more than just a slight adventure, it actually caused me to pay attention to those around me, those that I pray for daily, those that I believe to be lost, and what it is that Christ has told us to do: To be witnesses unto Him! The power of the salvation that is freely offered through Christ Jesus, is the most powerful and eternal gift that can be given; and we get to be part of that! There is really nothing else that comes closer to satisfying the longing, than the ministry of reconciliation of a soul to it's Maker! 

  An interesting end to a very spectacular Song: but is meant that way, because the Song has not ended...

"THE SONG OF SONGS, which is Solomon's." (THE SONG OF SOLOMON 1:1)

"Young Woman"

"Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices." (S.O.S. 8:14) NLT

  "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10-11)  

  So, I guess you might have figured out by now that there is nothing we can possibly do to pry God's hand from holding unto our lives! Will it be His glory that is displayed when this is all said and done? You can bet your life on it! He is faithful to complete everything that He starts; He leaves nothing undone; there is nothing He does that is not already written into His plans and purposes. Does that mean we are free to do what we want? Not in the least! We do not know our outcome or the condition of our heart; but He does! 

  During the night, a long night at that, I heard this voice calling out, saying: "Make your calling and election sure!" At first I did not know what to think of it, as I thought it might have been warning me to stop dreaming about stupid dreams, and maybe it was; but then I realized the verse I was going to be sharing on this morning and the famous last verses from Solomon's, anonymous writing, Ecclesiastes. In these two closing verses, the Writer, "the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem," he writes: "Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." 

  In the case of our calling and election, both are the act of God upon our lives: He calls us to Himself, because He loves us all, every single soul that is born into this world has a place in His heart; and every single one, one way or another, gets a chance to answer His call. The election is also His, as He has chosen each and every one of His children; which just so happens to be those that have accepted His call upon their lives. It is so, because it happens; but it happens just as He knew that it would! The thing that makes it so mysterious and exciting, is the fact that we are unaware of who we are, until we have become the chosen ones; then it is no more a mystery, but instead, it becomes more and more exciting! 

  These are the things we must live with and hold sacred within our heart! Does that make us perfect? If you think you cannot sin, then no, you're far from being perfect! But if you know that you should not sin, your chances of being perfect have become reasonably possible. If you are aware of your sin and receive God's gift of forgiveness, you're assured of being perfect, without a doubt! How do I know this, and what proof is there that it is so? Because the Bible tells me so!!!

  The biggest problem we have as a Believer, is to stop believing that God keeps His promises! Not that we can prevent ourselves from doubting, because everyone doubts at one time or another; and some seemingly doubt all the time. The real question then becomes about what your doubt is in, yourself or God! If you know that you're chosen by God, then when you doubt if God has really chosen you, who are you hurting in the process of your doubt? 

  I hope and pray that this becomes apparently real in the lives of all those that believe, because it is real! You can hold unto faith, just as easy as your ability to hold onto your favorite sin, if you will...

"Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen." (Romans 16:25-27) NLT 

"Because I Say!"

"Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it." (S.O.S. 8:13)

  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall ye do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14)

  Before I meet the real Jesus, all my prayers were pretty much directed at the Father, saying, "Dear God, please hear my prayer." Did He hear me? Amazingly, I do believe in my heart that He did; I really do think He has always heard my prayers, ever since I was old enough to call upon His name, He has heard me! Does that mean that I saw my prayers always answered? No, not in the least. What it did mean, and still does now, is that I was able to call upon my Father and feel good in knowing that He heard me. Isn't it wonderful that we have such a loving God, who really does what to hear what we say! 

  I don't know all the answers; and quite frankly, I don't really think I want to know, especially the answers to my prayers! If I had everything that I asked for, honestly, I think I would have lost out on some very special moments and discoveries, that I otherwise might not have had or lived through. We really don't have a clue what is best for us to live through; but I think I can say without a doubt, God's ways are so much higher than ours! When we do ask God for peace, does He just bless us with peace? 

  To make some sense of what I believe is being said, the concept is much the same as asking any thing in the name of Jesus; in which, it is a little misunderstood, because in His name has been given to mean, we say, "In the name of Jesus," as if that is the magic phase that gets things done. To me more correctly understood, if Jesus Christ is the Word of God, then your request that will be answered if it lines up with God's Word. In other words, if we are dwelling in the gardens, as it so interestingly applies, then the conversations we will have will be conversations that are towards and about heaven. 

  It is really not about prayer, because when we pray, usually our prayers are intended to be for or towards something here on earth. This is about speaking with God, just as you would speak to your friends or a loved one; not as if He is way up there somewhere and you hope He hears you; but you talk and share with Him about the things you know that you both have in common. Paul speaks of this in Philippians 3:20-21, after speaking of those that live for earthly gain, saying, "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." 

  If we are really asking any thing in His name, then whatever we may be asking is in line with His life, His passion, and His Words! Case in point, right after saying those things in John 14:14, He says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) And then He goes into the abiding, as if, We abide in Him, and He will abide in us! Which pretty much means that if we abide in His Word, then His Word will abide in us; in so doing, we will always know what we should be asking for, because even if we don't know the thing we ask, we are given peace to ask anything that is in His will. 

  Besides that; I cannot asked anything in the name of Jesus, that Jesus himself would not ask...

"For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore live is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of thy sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed." (Romans 13:9-11)  

"Young Man"

"O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it too!" (S.O.S. 8:13) NLT

  "The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown. In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king, accompanied by her bridesmaids. What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as the enter the king's palace!" (Psalms 45:13-15 NLT) 

  Knowing God! Isn't that what this is really all about? If you do not know Him, then how can you possibly try to love Him? Our relationship with God needs to be the strongest and most committed relationship that we have: stronger than the one we have with our wife, our brother, our best friend; if it matters at all, even ourselves! There is no one alive that should matter more than God; our own lives are included. 

  Yesterday afternoon I had the chance to listen to a message about ministering to young boys and girls that are locked up and behind bars for things they might have done; some of which were barely 12 or 13 when they were put into the system. The voice I was listening to was that of a woman, but it could have been the voice of a man; either way, there was something that needed to be said, and she was the one that was needed to be saying it. 

  She shared how she got started in the ministry of speaking to kids that were locked up, especially to young women that were trapped in the system. In case you did not know this, we call it a system because it is a mechanism of complex parts, most of which are made to form the framework of who you are and then brand you, whether or not that is what you are. How do I know? Because I once was in that system; and by the grace of God, I was taken out! 

  It started when I was eleven, as a friend and I had stolen a couple cap guns from K-Mart and went next door to Thrifty's to get an ice cream cone. As we were in line, an armored truck pulled up in front of the store; my friend saw it and went out to greet the guard as he stepped out of the truck. I heard the cap gun go off, and then saw my friend being tossed into the store, flying into the wall. Long story short, we spent the next eight plus hours at the police station, being accused of as decoys for the real robbers; and they were not going to take no for an answer. 

  When my mom came to get me, I saw that she was very upset; but her condition was more about fear for me, and the friction to take place once we were home. My stepdad had been drinking, and he had a tendency to over react; and that's putting it mildly. My friend ended up getting it worse than me; so much so, that within a week or two, he had shot a police officer that had been driving through the projects after curfew. That was the last time I remember seeing or hearing of my friend.

  From the time I was eleven until the time I turned eighteen I was on probation, had been locked down, in and out, for probably at least one third of those seven years. When I was seventeen, I was just released from a Fire Camp, after being down for almost 16 months; within one months time I was arrested again, and given the choice of going to Youth Authority or leaving the State. I went to Texas to live with my grandfather and tried to change my life. 

  When I turned eighteen, I worked on enlisting in the Navy, but needed my probation officer's help to encourage them to let me join. In the Navy, I quickly became heavily involved with drugs; not that I wasn't before, but my use of drugs and sales, had taken on a whole new life; a life that seemed was out of control. I ended up getting arrested for possession with intent to sell, for PCP; got fined, put on probation, and released back to the Navy. Eventually I was let go of by the Navy, as I refused to quit dealing and using drugs.

  Then I met my wife! We had this one thing in common, we loved to get high together; besides that, I was trouble and she was a Flower! Neither one of us wanted to get married, so we settled on living together and raising a son. I did what I knew best: I sold drugs. Before long, the deals were getting bigger and bigger; what started as selling ounces turned into selling pounds. In the summer of 1980 I was arrested again for the last time; went to court for almost a year, and was allowed to report for my one year sentence in June of 1981. 

  In September of 1981 I meet Jesus Christ at the cross, and I was set free from the system! I shared part of my story, because this message I heard was about a young girl, almost 18, and had been locked down for five years. For her, that was the safest place for her to be, as her mother was addicted to drugs and had pimped her daughter off to pay for drugs since she was a very young girl. This is not the fault of this little girl; but the system really does not care or look for the fault, it simply tries to deal with the problem. The real problem is that this little girl needs to feel as though she is worth something to somebody; she needed to know that she is loved!    

  Do you know that God loves you? Is it absolutely clear to you that He dearly cares for you and only wants what is the very best for you? Even if your life does not seem to be going the way that you want, is His love still apparent and real in your life? This is all so temporary and short! The funny thing is, there was one more thing my wife and I had in common: we both believed we were going to die before we reached the age of thirty...

"Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he is never to die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:5-11) NLT