What Are We Sowing? (Revised/Reblogged)

 "Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Luke 8:8 NIV)

Jesus said, when seed (The Word of God) falls onto good ground, it will yield a crop (growth) a hundred times more than there once was. He also goes on to say, "he who has an ear to hear, let him hear." So why does Jesus relate this parable to his disciples and how does it apply to us today? The point being made here is two-fold; both on a spiritual level, but one pertaining to the wealth that God has entrusted us with and the other, the wealth of souls that God has entrusted to us. If we misunderstand God's intent, we sow discord and doubt into the midst of the congregations and fuel the unbelievers' attempts to thwart the Word of God.

First, we must understand that the resources (money) that God provides to us are to be used as seed to be sown in good ground.  If we are sowing seed (giving money) to churches in which there is no growth and in fact is being used to promote man’s kingdom instead of the kingdom of God, we do God a disservice. We are to be good stewards—weighing carefully how we use the resources God gives us and making sure that our use—will eventually bring glory to God.

We need to make sure that we are wise teachers (sowers) of the Word and our only agenda is to win souls to Christ; not to us. We must make every attempt to fulfill the commission given to us to go out into all the world, teaching the Word, baptizing in Jesus’ name so that all can come into the knowledge of the Truth (God’s truth, not ours).

The flip side of seeing growth and maturity is to see stagnation of both money and people.  Misusing the resources will eventually feel like money placed in pockets with holes—steadily being lost along the way.  Manipulating the Word for selfish gains will eventually see more space and vacant seats in churches as people leave.  For those who have an ear to hear, let them hear.

We must be good stewards of what God has given us.  Are we promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ (salvation, forgiveness, and love) or are we just having church? Are we utilizing the monetary resources to assist the poor and the needy, to promote the Gospel, or are we just having church fundraisers?  Church leaders must be accountable to the Word.  Church members must be accountable to the Word by studying for themselves.  Remember, he/she who wins souls must be wise.  They who anticipate seeing growth/increase must make sure they are sowing (or watering) in good ground.  We must be willing to do deep soul searching and introspection to make sure we are doing everything we can to glory God.  He that has an ear to hear, let him hear.

What are you sowing?  Are you sowing in good ground?  

(Revised and re-blogged from 12/13/12)

It's Me O Lord!

"It's me, it's me, it's me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer."

This song, learned many years ago, rose in my spirit this morning and it gave me pause to think. I spend a great deal of time praying for others--for situations--in their lives and on personal and global levels. When I started singing this song (in my spirit), I realized that I need prayer, too. So, if you feel the same way I do, this post is dedicated to you, too.

Father, in the name of Jesus,
I wake up each morning with gratitude, thanking You for all You have done.
I study Your Word and listen carefully to hear You speak, before I write one word
To be published, in an effort to teach, share and encourage.
I make sure that others know that I'm praying with and for them,
On a daily basis, and never ignore a request for prayer when I see it.
But Lord, sometimes the burden gets so heavy, that I become weak
In my spirit and know that I have to rely upon You to get through a day,
I count on You at every turn to give me the right words to say,
That will warn, remind, teach, encourage and point others Your Way.
Now, not knowing which way to turn for myself, I look to You to show,
Me how not to become so drained that I forget I must get refueled to know
That I can continue upon this path, into Your Word, and sharing You
Without caving to public opinion and political correctness or even thinking
About how others may interpret or misinterpret what is said, but as I lay
In my bed, pouring my soul out to You, I must know that what I do, matters,
If only to You. So, Lord this day, with Your permission, I take leave to fuel
My soul and put myself in position to hear You clearly without the noise of chatter
From people who do not understand that You are God and not a man
That should lie or keep us in the dark, not knowing what to do,
When in reality, all we have we can count on, is You.
Hear my prayer O Lord, give me strength to stay in the fight against
Injustice, Bigotry, Hate and Sin and with You on my side, I know, We win!
Thank You for listening to my heart, with these words before I depart--Amen!

No Shame In Hope!

"And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5 NIV).

Children are always hoping for something--that special gift for Christmas or birthdays, a special vacation place, good grades even though they did not work for them, or for a loving family--when left in limbo after abandonment by parents.

Sometimes, we call the hope--wistful thinking--we hope to get "it" whatever it is, but don't really believe it is possible. Well, we are God's children and in this instance, hope--steadfast faith in God and the unseen--is possible when we do not doubt. Our hope in God and whatever He has promised is not just wistful thinking, but on occasion, we hope for things we have not worked towards getting--and that is still wistful thinking--on our part.

Hope in God is never a waste of time. We know that He has poured His love into us and when we are obedient to His Word--we have the right to expect His working on our behalf. His Word tells us that, "eye has not seen nor ear heard of all the great things He has in store for us." If He has great things in store--laid up--waiting for us--then we hope to see it manifested in our lives and we wait and do all He has required us to do.

There are times when we get so caught up in doing what He has said to do, we often don't recognize His work on our behalf, but before we know it--our hopes have been fulfilled and we see what we desired. What a wonderful God!

How do we know when we are doing what God requires? Holy Spirit--the gift given to us to direct us--speaks to our hearts and reminds us what we are to do and how we are to treat others. When people do not understand what we do--that is because of their unbelief--and non-existent relationship with God. We must have hope in God and not people, because people often disappoint us, but God never disappoints. We are sometimes disappointed with God because of misdirected hope and unrealistic expectations, but that is our doing--not God's. When we rebel against God, we only hurt ourselves, not God!

But hope in God--leaves no room for us to be ashamed of anything we do or say--no matter how the enemy attempts to undermine our faith. There is no reason to be ashamed of our faith in the One who holds the fate of the entire world in His hands. Since we know He loves us--we have no need to fear what the enemy might do or what unbelievers may say--we are His children and He gives only good gifts to those He loves.

Wind Tossed!

"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:6,7).

Watching the waves of the sea roil, without consideration for anything in its path can be terrifying and yet it can also be spell-binding. The wind--the mass of air that no one see--can be an awesome wonder to watch. I've watched the wind--a tornado--tear the roof off of an apartment building right behind the one I was in. I've watched the damage of the wind--from a hurricane--turn lives upside down. I can only imagine how absolutely petrified people might become when watching a tsunami, fueled by angry winds destroy their livelihoods, homes, and lives. The wind--a force by which no one can control or see--has the power to change lives. 

Now, think about that power and how James compares doubt to that power. When doubt moves us from faith, we give doubt the power to change our lives and keep us from receiving that for which we have asked of God. In the beginning of this chapter, James is talking about asking God for wisdom, but he references something the Jesus said when He was teaching His disciples about prayer. "Whatever we say and don't doubt, we can have (paraphrase). "When we pray, we believe we receive and we shall have it," (Mark 11:22,23). Jesus shows us how powerful faith can be, but James demonstrates how powerful doubt can be with the illustration of the wind and waves.

The question we must ask ourselves is, are we wind-tossed or are we standing in faith, believing we can have what we ask of God? Perhaps, the answer lies in whether or not we can honestly say we have asked and received or we have asked and doubted (if only for a nanosecond) and not received. Therefore, "since faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen" we have two powerful forces working in our lives that no can visibly see--faith and doubt. If we stand firm on our faith in God, we shall see the "stuff" which is the evidence of God's working on our behalf, even though we didn't see how He did it. And like the wind (we see the results of wind's movement, not wind itself) so too shall we see the results of faith or doubt in our lives.

Whatever it is we need right now--we can ask of God, in the name of Jesus, stand firmly in faith that we will receive it and we shall have it. If we need healing--we ask and receive; if we need a financial blessing--we ask and receive; if we need direction--we ask and receive; if we need wisdom (the first request)--we ask and receive.  We shall have whatever we ask for when we do not allow doubt to deter (move) our faith! Glory to God for favor and faith to accomplish all He has planned for us! Hallelujah!

What The Lord Requires!

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"(Micah 6:8 NIV).

Whenever God is getting ready to do something extraordinary, He finds those who are willing to hear Him and speak what He says. Through the prophets of old and those who "speak" as God speaks to them now, He never does anything without giving us fair warning. The problem is--like those of old who went into captivity--we choose not to hear those God is using to warn us and when calamity hits--we blame God.

Listen to the prophet Micah! God has shown us what is good and acceptable in His sight--those things that we mere mortals can do and what we receive from obedience. What does the Lord require of us? To act justly--without bias due to disagreement, to love mercy--willing to forgive those who have violated a trust or committed a wrong against us, and to walk humbly before God--not thinking we are better than any other human being.

Are we listening? Do we understand what the Lord requires? Based upon my observations--especially on social medias--we have not heard, we are not listening, and we are certainly not doing what the Lord requires. There is such hatred spread in cyberspace for those with whom people disagree--by those who claim to be Christians. The fact that they can hate so openly, exposes them for the liars they are and who their daddy is--Satan. Where is the justice we show to those who disagree with us? Our opinions of them are bias and we allow that bias to grow into disdain and hate. The very words we write and the "cartoons" we use to depict our growing disdain reveals our true inner selves. Where is the mercy? There is little displayed towards those in elected positions--the leaders in authority. Were we not told to pray for those in authority so we might live a peaceful life? Obviously, we are not praying for those in authority because we're spending too much time, denigrating those in authority--unable to mask the hatred that dwells within in our hearts.

Then we dare to attempt to think ourselves better than others--claiming the name of Jesus, but actually demoralizing who Jesus is with our behavior. Jesus commanded us to "love one another" as He loves us. We cannot love someone and spew hate about them at the same time. Doing so makes us hypocritical and a liar. We cannot serve God and Satan at the same time--we either magnify and honor one or the other with our deeds, but we cannot honor both.

Micah and the rest of the prophets had a great deal to say--warning the people of impending disaster, but people didn't listen then and they are certainly not listening now. When God was silent for over 400 years, the people were miserable--because they chose not to heed those speaking--and refused to change their behavior.

God is yet warning, yet requiring us to act with justice, mercy and humility. Are we hearing Him? Will we ever do what He says in order to see what He has promised us as a nation or will we just complain and undermine the authority of leaders by promoting hatred? God help us all!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we pray for leadership all over the world. We ask You to speak to their hearts, giving them a word of wisdom and direction so all may live in peace and honor You. Fill them with love overflowing and stop the mouths of those who promote hatred against them. Lord, Your will be done in the lives of all--preparing us to reap what we have sown in the earth. Forgive us for our foolish and rebellious attitudes and help us to see You in Your glory so all we do, magnifies You and not us. Thank You for giving us chance after chance to get it right. Amen!

Today Is Your Appointed Time!

"See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jeremiah 1:10 NIV).

Everyday, most of us have scheduled appointments we have either written down on a calendar, in a planner or programmed into our phones. This is how we manage and budget out time so we can get things done. But notice I said, this is how "we" manage our time. Have we thought about what our appointments would be if we allowed God to manage our time?

Imagine how Jeremiah must have felt when The Lord spoke to him! The Lord reminded Jeremiah that before he was formed in the womb, He had plans for him. He also told him that he had no need to fear what others might say or think of him and that he would never be alone. Before Jeremiah could open his mouth to say anything, The Lord spoke and told him not to make excuses about not doing what He told him. And then, He told Jeremiah, "today, I have appointed you over nations and kingdoms" to expose all that is not right, tear it down and rebuild per my specifications (slightly paraphrased). Although Jeremiah had his doubts, he eventually fulfilled his role in God's plan for his life.

What about us? Have we heard God speak to our hearts and know without a doubt that He has plans for us--an appointed time--for which we must do what He tells us to do? Are we making excuses for not doing what we know we have heard Him say? When we know we are to speak God's Word to people, do we shy away from doing so because we think we are incapable of speaking or too young, or too old, too short, too fat, too thin, too tall, too ignorant, too knowledgeable about science to speak God's Word? What are the excuses that we're making?

In the 21st Century, we have an advantage that Jeremiah didn't have--technology. We have an avenue through cyberspace to speak God's Word through social mediums, blogging, emailing, texting, and even with the advantage, some are still making excuses. "I can't spell; I can't write; I don't know these people; they won't follow/fan me if I talk about God, etc." Excuses to be disobedient--now find reasons to obey, this day!

Since God is no respecter of persons, He will use anyone who is willing to be used to get what He wants done. With Him, "there is no male or female, Jew or Gentile," just willing people--who hear and obey. This day, right now, determine within yourself that you are going to hear what God says and obey. You are not going to make any more excuses; you are going to do what you have been appointed to do, without any regard to how people will think of you or what they might say. And if you feel as though you'll be persecuted for doing what is right--you're not alone and you're not the first.

Now get up and get ready--open your heart to hear God speak and then allow Him to give you the words to speak to others in order to expose evil--from the highest to the lowest in the nation, tear it down and prepare to rebuild with the values and presence of The Lord. This day--you have been appointed, gifted and anointed to do all the things God has given you to do! Today--let's get it done!

Heaven Sent!

"He shall send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah
God shall send forth His mercy and His truth" (Psalm 57:3 NKJV).

Before He put in an appearance,
On earth in the flesh,
A Promise was made to those of old,
Received and believed and committed to life,
That He would send from Heaven
The Pathway to salvation,
From the influence of the evil one,
Wrapped in Truth in Mercy,
Motivated by His Love for all mankind,
Determined to reconcile our broken relationship,
Pursuing us, yet giving us-a choice!
For you and me, He was Heaven sent.
And now nothing can ever dissuade us
From turning to Him--receiving His Love,
Grateful for His Grace and Mercy
And The Truth Of His Word!

The Gift That Keeps Giving!

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9 NIV).

No matter how many times I read this segment of Scripture, I am constantly amazed at how much God loves us. The gift of grace, showered upon those of us who certainly have not earned His favor, but have it any way. Wow! What an awesome God!

Since He knows us and our propensity to boast about "how good we are" or a number of other things we do to proclaim our salvation, He reminds us that it is not by "our works" (what we do or don't do) that saves, but because of His grace--the gift of the work on the cross--because of His love that we are saved. Why do we need to be reminded of this? Because of those who love to "try to control others" by constantly telling people who is or who is not saved.

Most of us know some of these people by what "they say." If a person does not agree with them, their constant rejoinder is, "you need to be saved." If a person has a differing view of scripture, "you need to be saved." If a person doesn't attend a certain church, "you need to be saved." If a person doesn't wear their clothes exactly right, "you need to be saved." If a person goes to a movie," you need to be saved." If a person watches television," you need to be saved." If a person doesn't read their bible every hour on the hour, "you need to be saved." This list could go on and on, but the point here is--they are the ones who have forgotten--we are saved by grace, not by works. They are the ones who are attempting to get into heaven by their works, not realizing their constant misjudgment of people will certainly not bode well for them.

Since I have accepted the gift of grace from God (not man), I am saved. I honor Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and try always to do those things that please Him. I do not know what others have done at any point in their life and I certainly acknowledge the fact that we are not all going to agree about a number of things--pertaining to salvation, but that does not mean a person is not saved. That judgment call is up to God, not me.

However, we do know that when people are saved, they do good works--helping others, encouraging others, praying for others, and warning others (not judging them). They do the works because they are saved; not because they are trying to be saved. The gift of grace--God's unearned, unmerited favor--is the gift that keeps on giving when we do the good works God inspires us to do for others.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of Grace that You give us, bringing us into relationship with You so we can hear and obey all You say to us. Thank You for using us in demonstration of the gift that keeps giving.

The Irrefutable Testimony!

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children" (Romans 8:16 NIV).

There are a number of people who are confused as to whether or not they are descendants of Abraham and entitled to all the benefits of being one of God's chosen. From the beginning, God chose those He wanted to call His own and bless. This relationship was based on a natural connection to Abraham through bloodline (the basis of most relationships claiming to be family). However, because many of the natural relatives were rebellious and disobedient, the connective relationship with God was broken and Jesus had to come to restore it.

When the relationship was restored through the work on the cross, all who chose to accept Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord became part of the family by adoption through Holy Spirit. Now, if we are adopted into the family of Abraham, and recognized by God as being part of the family, why on earth are we confused?

Instead of listening to those who are confused and allow negativity to reign in their lives, we must know for ourselves whose children we are. Imagine this event being played out in a courtroom. We have been charged with proclaiming we are joint-heirs with Christ (He's our elder brother) and thereby children of the most High God. All of the witnesses of religious dogma have been called to testify against us, but there is One who testifies with irrefutable evidence-the Word of God. Holy Spirit convinces our spirit that we are the children of God and as such, entitled to all the benefits and promises of God!

Do we dare believe Him? Absolutely, we dare and proclaim from the mountain tops and throughout the valleys that we are children of God. We have a right to proclaim God as our Father, Jesus as our elder brother and Holy Spirit as our guide and counselor in all matters. We have a right to receive all the benefits God promised the Children of Israel from the beginning. We can claim with assurance that God has planned our lives and He planned them with purpose--that we might prosper and have a future with hope. We can proclaim that whatever we put our hands to when we obey God, will succeed. We can rest assured of His promises of victory--being the head and not the tail, being healed by the stripes Jesus bore before being nailed to the cross, having an eternal resting place with Jesus when we choose to be obedient. We have a right to make these claims when we have accepted the adopting agent--our faith in God.

Now with the right to receive all the promises, we all put ourselves in position to receive all the persecution and negativity that was directed at Jesus. We must stay focused on Him and never lose sight of the prize in Christ Jesus--our hope must remain intact until the end when we receive our eternal reward. However, when we choose not to be obedient, we must also expect to receive the consequences that were also promised to those children who disobeyed.

Think about it! Are you proclaiming to be a child of the Most High? I have been accused of proclaiming an inheritance in Jesus--and the evidence provided by Holy Spirit is irrefutable! Hallelujah! I am a child of the Most High, entitled to all His many benefits!

Rising Light!

"if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday"(Isaiah 58:10 ESV).

How often have we seen people who are hungry--naturally and spiritually? Finding a way to help feed the naturally hungry is fairly simple (sometimes). We point them in the direction of a soup kitchen, buy them a meal, take sandwiches to the areas in which the homeless can be found, and some will even take people home with them to feed them.  At the end of the day, we feel we have accomplished something. We have--the rumblings and gnawings in their stomachs have ceased for a moment. But tomorrow, they will be hungry again.

Some of us have put ourselves in the position to comfort those who have been afflicted--by life in illness, abuse, or loneliness. We were there to offer them a shoulder to lean on or cry on when they needed. But when we left, they were left to their own devices.

Now the real question is--how many of us have poured ourselves out to those who are spiritually hungry--feeding them The Word and showering them with love, leading them to a Risen Savior who can quench any thirst and hunger, comfort, heal and counsel like no one else? When people are fed and nourished in The Word, have opened their hearts to Jesus, and accepted the outpouring of love being offered, they will hunger no more and the prophet Isaiah tells us that the light within us will rise and our gloom (feelings of despair will dissipate) shall be as the noon day (as bright as the noon day sun).

If we stop and think about how we feel when we help someone else, we'd have to admit that helping others, certainly makes us feel better about ourselves. At least that is true for many who do out of right motives--a simple desire to help. When we do things to be seen or for a photo-op or for any other ulterior motive, we have not accomplished much and what we do--is tarnished by our motives.

Before we do anything to help someone else, make sure it is being done to the glory of God and not for self-aggrandizement. God knows our hearts and instead of seeing a light rise within us, we may sink into a pit of darkness because of selfish motives that were intended to help no one but us. Despair not! Even when we mess up, God will pull us out of the pit--using someone else with pure motives--and give us another chance to have our lights rise!
Is your light rising or is it sinking into darkness?

Father, in the name of Jesus, help us see beyond our own needs and reach out to others who are in need. Help us to see the need to feed--naturally and spiritually so no one will ever hunger again. Continue to fill us as we pour out of our spirits, all You have poured into us, to all who will accept what we have to offer. Grant us continued mercy and grace as we do all to Your Glory!

Love, Obey, See Him!

"Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:22,23 NIV).

The manifestation of God's love towards us--coming down in the likeness of flesh in the person of Jesus Christ to save us from ourselves as demonstrated by the work on the cross.

The manifestation of our love towards God--keeping His commandments--loving Him and others as demonstrated by our actions towards Him and others.

The manifestation of unbelief--denial of God's existence, the work on the cross and God's love for others as demonstrated by those who denigrate and undermine those who believe.

At the end of this journey called life--we must all--believer and unbelieving--give an account for what we have done. God is not accountable to us--we are accountable to Him. As a believer and child of the most High, the only words I plan to hear from my Father are, "Well done, my child!"

What will you hear?

When we love God, we see His love manifested in what we do for others and in our obedience to Him.

Lord Jesus, help our unbelief so we may see You and the manifestations of Your goodness in our lives!

They Are One!

"If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father" (John 15:24 ESV).

When Jesus was talking to the disciples who were walking with Him while He was here on earth, He made several things abundantly clear to those who had established a relationship with Him--who He was, who we were, and who the Father is.

Most people know of this chapter of John as Jesus speaking to us about being fruitful and it is. However, Jesus also tells us (His living disciples) that we are friends and not servants, the world will hate us because they hate Him, and that the world (those who refuse to believe) "have seen and hated both me and my Father." If people can remember parts of speech from their elementary English classes, they would realize that the conjunction used--and--is referencing Jesus and the Father--seen and hated.

Why would Jesus say that? Realistically, in spite of some may choose to believe--Jesus and God the Father are One and the same. God is Spirit (we cannot see Spirit)--who enveloped Himself in flesh and came to earth in the flesh as Jesus (who could be seen). We know this is true because of all the references Jesus gives throughout the Gospel of John. In fact, it is because of His relationship with John that we are given such personal details about the man--Jesus and God the Father. Jesus acknowledges that the two are One, but as a man, He has submitted to the commandments of the Father so we would know that living according to God's Word is can be accomplished.  But then, notice how Jesus notes who He is by extension of God--"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7). What words? The words that the Father had already given to mankind and they refused to accept and live by; Jesus reiterated only what He had already taught as given to Moses.

In order to truly understand the relationship of God and Jesus, one must have a relationship with them. Discernment of a true nature does not come by merely reading a bible or praying or repeating what someone has said or written. Without a personal, intimate relationship with God, one will never understand why the Father and Jesus are One. But for those of us who have that relationship with Him, we can rest assured that the World will hate us and persecute us because they do not understand. We also know that we are over-comers, more than conquerors, victorious in all things that glorify the Father because of our relationship with the One who knows all and we know the end of the matter.

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us enough to give us understanding of Your Word and in choosing us to do the work of He who sent You to us, cementing our relationship for all eternity.

Standing In Right Relationship!

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble" (Psalm 37:38 NIV).

Many who come to know,
God in His infinite wisdom,
And learn how to show,
Others, they stand for what He says,
Rather than flicker back and forth,
Never knowing how to be a stable light,
Diminishing the dark, always ready to fight
The good fight of faith, head held high
When walking and voice strong when talking
About the goodness and mercy of The Lord.
Winning the battle without use of sword,
Made by hands, but by love and the Word
Of God which remains for all time,
No matter what man does or doesn't do,
God's Word will stand, His name remains
On the lips of all who know and love
Him and others, right or wrong. We are
Made strong in Him when we are weak in our
Own strength and we can defeat the enemy
With love and obedience to Him who created
All things and without Him nothing was
Or will be established in the earth, For it is
Through Him, we obtain our worth, winning
Souls, keeping them from the fiery hell that
Satan has planned for mankind since he dwells
In the hearts of all who choose to disobey,
And rebel against the All-knowing Savior,
Who came to save those who were lost, but
Now has given each of us a job to do,
And we must be about Our Father's business,
Making sure sinners know without Him they
Have no hope, but with Him all things are possible
When we stand in right relationship with God!
Standing Up For All God Says--Doing Things His Way,
Loving all--Him first, each and every day, My Commitment
To Him and all of His children so we can enjoy eternity together!

This Is How We Know!

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands" (I John 5:1,2 NIV).

John makes everything so clear to those who read God's Word with understanding. Our relationship with God and others is all about love. When we love God, we love all of His children and we keep His Commandments of love. For Jesus told us, the fulfillment of all the commandments were encompassed in two--Love God and love each other.

When we see and hear reports of people mutilating others, killing others, abusing others, misusing others, hating and disrespecting others, undermining the authority of leadership, those who are totally wrapped up in the deeds of the devil, we know the love of God is not in some people. For if the love of God truly lived in them, they could not harm another. If we believe that God is Love and He can do nothing other than love, then we must know that all the deeds of darkness are designed and deployed by the devil who promotes hatred of anything that God loves.

This is why, it is so easy to detect counterfeit Christians. They say one thing--proclaim they are Christians, and then by their very actions, demonstrate they have been deployed by the devil in everything they do. Instead of praying for leadership as we as followers of Christ are told to do, they mock and disrespect the leadership of this country. Instead of praying for peace, they promote violence and killing under the guise of protecting constitutional rights for owing guns. Guns don't kill people; people kill people with the guns. Instead of loving all unconditionally, they promote hatred of anyone who disagrees with them, and all who do not look or act like them. Instead of defending the rights of the poor and the needy, they promote foolish legislation that demoralizes and dehumanizes those in need. They have either not read The Word in its entirety or they have not read with understanding based on a love relationship with God. They profess a form of godliness that does not include the attributes of God.

Counterfeit Christians have made a pact with the devil to carry out his diabolical deeds. They have resolved to kill opportunities to help those in need, steal from the poor to subsidize the rich, and destroy any opportunity to resolve differences in civilized ways. They are deceptive and mislead others with false advertisements, yet they masquerade as the guardians of America, when they do everything they can to tear down Americans. All of these traits are indicators of Satan's influence in their lives.

Until we see  the love of God overflowing in everything they say and do, those who are truly in relationship with God, need to pray that God will reveal Himself to them and they will have an experience leading to learning to love.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for all who profess to know You, but have not received the Love You have for them. I pray they will receive, learn how to love and then love all, unconditionally and promote love, not hatred for the rest of their lives. I pray they will teach their children and grandchildren and all who know them how to love and not hate. I pray for peace in the nations all over the world and declare it done in Jesus' name.

The Real Church!

"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. "(Ephesians 1:22,23)

For the most part, whenever someone makes a reference to the church, they are inevitably thinking about a building or a denominational religion. As such, the congregants--those who gather together on a regular basis--become the focus of much religious teaching. We missed the entire point--of the church--when we think of it in this manner.

God, when He raised Christ from the dead and set Him at His right hand in heavenly places, put all things (everything--religion and unbelief) under his feet and made Him to be the head over all things to the church (body of believers) and we who are part of the body are filled with Him and everything He is.

That's a mouthful. If the fullness of Him (everything He is--primarily--love) fills all (of us) in all (situations), then we who believe (no matter under what banner or denomination) are The Real Church!

Forget about the denominations who are not filled with love because many teach "their superiority" over another denomination which becomes religious dogma. If there is no love abounding from the leadership, and no one encouraging love of all--it is a religious dogma that has no value or worth in heaven. With that said, here's something to chew on a few days or months--however long it takes for one to swallow (the bitter truth)--that none of our religious posturing matters to God.

If there is no love--Catholicism is wrong, Protestantism is wrong, all the denominations that espouse religious teachings that negate the importance of all believers and loving one another are "wrong."

The Real Church--the body of believers over which Christ is the head--is all who know how to love, unconditionally--and teach the truth of God's Word, encouraging others to love and live according to God's Word, not their opinions or religious dogma.

How does one know the difference? Religious dogma's goal is to control--everyone and what they do. Religious dogma focuses on the importance of the organization instead of the importance of relationship with Jesus Christ. Religious dogmas hold people in high esteem more than Jesus. Religious dogma refuses to admit there is no one group of believers who is greater than the other.

Relationship with Christ and other believers is important in this journey called life. Relationship is far more important than religious dogma that limits--what one can do with the knowledge of Christ and in how to treat fellow human beings. Those in true relationship with Christ and the Father, allowing Holy Spirit to guide in all things are the "real church" and it is a church without walls or boundaries--abounding in love, overflowing, in constant communication with God on behalf of all people, loving all.

Lord Jesus, help us to get to the place where we understand that we who believe are the real church when we know how to love and are in relationship with You instead of being in religions that do not know You or teach Who You are--Love.

Praise The Name of Jesus!

"Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven" (Psalm 148:13) .

Who is the "them" referenced in this statement? The them is everything and everyone mentioned in the previous verses--the stars, the heavens, the elements, the oceans, the earth, everything in the earth, on the earth, and everyone--young and old alike. In other words--all of God's creation should praise Him.

The birds sing their praises, the squirrels and I'm sure other animals praise Him; I just haven't had an opportunity to observe them all. The most amazing thing about animals is the fact that they do exactly what they were intended to do. The stars shine in the night, the sun provides warmth and light, the moon does what does, the clouds do their thing, the rain, snow, ice, all do what they were meant to do. Everything and every animal knows their role. What happened to us--the human beings--the higher order of intelligence--why can't we do what we're supposed to do?

Perhaps, for some--their intelligence deludes them into believing they are wiser than God. Perhaps, this is the reason they refute all belief in God. Perhaps.  Perhaps, human beings are not the higher order of intelligence; we just think we are.

But then there are some--who attempt to do just what we're supposed to do--love God and love others. We don't always do things right or perfectly, but our hearts are sincere and our desire is open before God. It is our openness to God that makes a difference between those who believe Him and those who don't. We who believe don't make excuses to not serve Him, we simply do it to the best of our ability. Those who do not believe use their unbelief to ignore Him and when we praise Him, they simply do not understand.

We were created to praise Him--to give Him all glory for it truly belongs to Him and Him alone. When we praise man and self more than God, we have created other gods. When we give credence to things rather than God, we have created other gods. Nothing made by the hands of man deserves our praise. For we cannot create anything we need in order to make anything--He has already created all that is created for our benefit, not our praise.

Lord Jesus, we give You all the praise for You are the only One worthy of it. We will praise You from the mountain tops to the valleys and raise our voices in praise of You until the stars and heavens rejoice with us in our praise to You. We will cause a movement in the oceans so strong with our praise that every deep thing in it will praise with us. No one like You, Lord! No one who could ever do the things that You do for those You love! No one can love us the way You do! No can provide for us the way You do! No one can heal us like You do! You are everything we need and You are more than enough!

That's My God!

My God is all that
I have ever needed.
He can move mountains
And shelter me from the rain.
My God can heal...
Broken bodies, broken hearts, and broken spirits,
Restore all and make them like new.
My God can do all things well,
And never influence evil or harm
Upon all who know and love Him.
My God can forgive all sin and trespasses
Against Him, self and others,
And give us new mercies every day.
My God is the creator of all things,
And without Him, nothing was ever created.
My God is all I will ever need
In this life to do all He has inspired me to do,
My God is bigger than any problem
I could ever face,
My God is stronger than all the evil
Forces combined.
My God loves me unconditionally,
And everyone else who comes to Him.
My God is not a respecter of persons,
What He does for one, He'll do for others.
What He speaks to one, He'll speak to others,
My God is more than enough
For me to handle life's challenges
And come through it all, victoriously.
That's my God!

Highway of Holiness!

"And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it" (Isaiah 35:8 NIV).

The prophet Isaiah, in encouraging the Children of Israel, reminded them that soon there will be a change in their circumstances when The Lord comes. The question that arises is whether or not this prophecy was intended for the First Coming and the literal descendants of Abraham or the Second Coming and for the Spiritual seed of Abraham. Since the First Coming is behind us, we can look forward to the Second Coming of the Lord.

Jesus, "I  go to prepare a place for you and I will come again to take you to be where I am." (through John). From this statement, we can see how what Isaiah said, would pertain to the Second Coming. On the Highway of Holiness, can anything or anyone unclean travel upon it? The wicked fools won't be able to find it because they have rejected Him and His teaching. Who then will be able to walk upon the Highway of Holiness?

The answer is very simply this: Those who have been in right relationship with Him, shall travel with Him upon the Highway He established and prepared for those who love Him and obey.
What is interesting to me about this segment of scripture is that it reminds me of those who purport to "understand Jesus' teachings about love" but they never get any further. All they want to do is to live life any way they want to live it and then justify it by saying, "just teach what Jesus said about love." They do not realize He said and taught so much more. His appearance did not negate what The Father had already said. In fact, His appearance and living among us proved that mankind could live according to God's Word without giving into sin. We choose to sin every time we do anything that is in opposition to God's Word. Jesus proved we could live a sinless life, if we chose to do so. It is a matter of choice.

Today, the choice is still before us. Will we all get a chance to walk on the Highway of Holiness? Our lifestyles--promoting holiness and obedience to God--will determine which highway we will travel on that great day--the day that Christ returns. Choose this day, which highway you will travel at the end our journey on earth!

To Whom Shall We Go?

"Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life" (John 6:68 NASB).

Sometimes when people hear truth and truth pricks their conscience, they would rather leave the person who spoke truth so they will not have to face themselves. This is the case with many of those who followed Jesus. When He spoke truth about His origins and His relationship with The Father, they could not handle it. They could not comprehend what He was said about a "spiritual" truth and misunderstood what He said based on their "literal" or "concrete" knowledge. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (6:63 NASB).

I have noticed that when I write truth, many who would follow cease to do so. I can only imagine that the truths that I write, prick their consciences and they would rather live under the assumptions of lies than deal with truth. What truth? The truth about living right before God. The truth about not re-defining or refuting what God has said. The truth about understanding the all of the Bible and not selectively determining that only certain passages of the Bible matter. I could go, but enough has been said for now.

I can only imagine how Jesus must have felt, but then He said He knew from the beginning who would follow and who would betray Him. I have often wondered why some choose to follow me; especially since my stance about God's Word has not been cloaked with innuendo and falsehood, but clearly revealed. I clearly understand what Peter meant when He said, "but where can we go and retain eternal life" (my paraphrase). The answer is quite simply--we can not have eternal life apart from a right relationship with Jesus Christ.

If we are afraid of hearing truth or seeing truth--it can only mean that we are not living according to God's truth--but man's. People get angry and incensed when truth strikes a nerve and they are forced to deal with their lies or behavior they know is not condoned by God. Sin--when exposed--tends to ignite hatred in those who are committing the sin and they attempt to make everyone else the villain, not willing to confess or admit their wrongdoing.

It really does not matter whether they confess their sin or admit it to others--God knows and it is He who determines their final outcome. God does not send anyone to hell--hell, like behavior, is a choice we make when we choose to disobey or deceive others about God's Word.

I choose to follow Truth and I would hope that those who follow me or friend me are on the same page of Truth as I am. But if people decide to "unfollow" me, I'll continue to pray that Truth will prick their consciences so badly that they'll have no other place to go, than to follow Jesus!

We Can Have What We Ask!

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you"(John 15:16).

Before the foundation of the earth was laid,
God, in His infinite wisdom, fulfilled plans made,
Choosing us, ordaining us to do His will
So we could ask, whatever we will,
In the name of Jesus and receive,
God's promises to those who believe.
He knew, Him, we would not choose,
But loved us enough so we would not lose,
Opportunity to having a right relationship,
With Him, who created all things, for us to enjoy
Knowing without Him, Satan, would have our souls to whip,
Influencing our minds, treating us like unwanted toys,
Bruised and broken and ready to throw away,
But Jesus died on the cross, thwarting all Satan's plans
Fulfilling God's plans to make sure salvation for man
Became a reality and not just a plan. Now choosing is on us;
Will you receive Him, as your Savior, today
And come into His knowledge of mercy that is just?

The decision to choose to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, is not always an easy one for many people and the reason is--their unwillingness to give up those things that keep them from living right before God. Some make excuses, some attempt to justify, but I am here today; I just want to testify of God's goodness for all He has chosen and ordained to bring forth fruit--in His name--telling everyone, everywhere I go--that Jesus is Lord and I know for myself that His promises are true; what He has done for me, He will also do for you because He is not a respecter of persons. What He does for one, He'll do for others.

Try Him. Shake off the attitude of unbelief and believe in His goodness and know that He chose you from the beginning--to give you life abundantly without reservation and all you need to do is repent, receive, and believe that Jesus is and always will be, with you and you'll never be alone. He loved you enough to die for you as part of the Father's plan, will you love Him enough to live for Him--starting right now?

Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask for hearts to be touched and souls to be won to the Kingdom for Your glory. We pray for them to find bible-based-teaching churches where their thirst for knowledge can be filled and ignited and fueled to share what they know with others, producing good fruit. We thank You for Your Word we can use as our guide for doing all things well at Your direction so others will know and receive You this day. Amen!

Ravaging Politicism (excerpt 4)

Parenthood

Parenting children in the 21^st Century is certainly more difficult than in past eras. The reason for the difficulty lies within the idiotic positions of authority being held by the idiots. Legislators have changed laws that prohibit a parent from truly parenting a child without the possibility of being hauled into a court system. Parents are afraid of their kids so they do not discipline them, they do not get involved with their schoolwork, they do not take them to church; they simply feed them (some of them) and put up with their nonsense until they are old enough to push out the door, whether they can fend for themselves or not. We should take a look at the animal kingdom to learn parenting. The animals (and I’ve watched some) take much better care of their offspring than humans—and we are supposed to be the “thinking” ones.

Think about this and then get mad, but get over it. We, as a society, have allowed amoral, idiots to determine how we raise our children and then we reward them by voting for the same types of idiots, again, and again. What does that say about most of us? Are we idiots, too? I am not about to respond to that one, but I will say this—“if the shoe fits…”

Legislators, who cannot control their wanton desires to bed other people, should never have any control over what parents do or how they do it as long as children are not being misused or abused. Most rational people understand there is a difference between discipline and abuse. There are only a few out there who cannot make the distinction and it is that few, along with sociologists who think they know best for everyone, but themselves, that brings us to where we are today.  A few people got carried away by beating a child and there was outrage and laws were changed and our society changed. When parents are not allowed to discipline a child the justice system will or the morticians will. Those are the only options led for children who have not been taught respect or self-control.

The prisons are about to burst at the seams with the number of those who cannot control themselves. The lack of self-control is a direct result of parents not being able to discipline their children. When little Johnny gets old enough and big enough to run Mama’s house, he generally does. Of course, there are exceptions. My household was an exception. I come from a cultural environment that believes in keeping a belt handy. When a kid gets too big for a belt to do the job, then whatever comes in handy will usually do the trick (just joking). No child, living in my house where I pay all the bills will ever live there with me and disrespect me or my rules. I do not care what the courts say or CPS or anyone else. My house, my rules and if they cannot abide by my rules, they do not need to live there and will not. I will not participate in the ravaging politicism I see exerted over people who are afraid of the system. Here I am System—Come get me!

Good Works Begun By A Good God!

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6 NIV).

Paul encouraged those at the church of Philippi by reminding them that God, who had initiated the good works they were doing, would see to it that they were accomplished.

If we look at what Paul was saying then, we can have the same confidence now about God. When He inspires us and motivates us into doing good works, He will make sure we will accomplish all that we start, if we hear Him. The key to seeing all that God has promised is in our willingness to hear Him and obey. God will never lead us down the wrong path because He has already established the path to our success. When we don't experience success in our lives, it is usually because we have veered off the path.

How do we veer off the path God has established? We either think we know better than God, are deceived by the enemy, or simply refuse to hear what God is saying, clearly. When He tells us to do certain things and we don't do them because they don't make sense to us, in essence, we tell God we know better than He does. When we allow the enemy to influence our thoughts and actions, we have been deceived and waste valuable time. And sometimes, we simply do not hear God clearly. We hear one part and do not continue to listen to hear the rest.

But God, who is faithful and just, will continue to steer us in the right direction even when we get confused and turned around from the direction He wants us to take. He never gives up on us and we should never give up on Him.

No matter what the situation looks like, when we know we are doing what God wants, stay on course. Don't stop! Never give up! Everything that God initiates will succeed, but the enemy loves to deceive us into thinking we are not succeeding. In those moments you feel like giving up--pray and seek God's direction, confirmation, and comfort. He will consistently confirm His Word to you and He will bring it to pass when we don't give up.

Father, in the name of Jesus, help us to understand that when we hear You speak to us and give us direction, we can place our total trust and faith in You to see it come to pass. We have no need to worry or be fearful of not succeeding. Thank You for hearing and responding to this prayer so we may do all things well to Your glory. Amen!

Understand Who's Talking!

"Do not quench the Spirit;do not despise prophetic utterances.But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;"(I Thessalonians 5:19-21 NASB).

When Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts or speaking through someone in order to alert us, we should not disregard what is being said. The Word tells us that Holy Spirit will utterances will be heard, but may not be understood in one's native language, but He will also give us the interpretation of what is being said. Whether or not people believe in "speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance" is not the issue. The real issue is whether or not we are willing to accept what we hear and are obedient to what was heard.

Speaking in tongues as evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit is "the evidence" not the tool by which any should use as a means to impress or influence others--as they will--not as Holy Spirit wills. We pray in "tongues" as Holy Spirit directs and when the "gift of tongues" operates in an environment of believers, the purpose is to edify (build-up) the body of believers. When the gift of tongues operates, so does the gift of interpretation and prophecy--these three work in harmony with one another. The gift of tongues is not an gift given for any individual use, but as Holy Spirit determines in order to keep believers moving forward in faith and hope of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 12).

At any rate, when people start uttering prophecy in various places--make sure you understand "who is talking"--Holy Spirit or them. If Holy Spirit is giving someone a prophetic word, the prophecy will align with the Word, not oppose or refute the Word. When prophecy does not align with the Word, know that the person who uttered it is acting out of flesh, not with the direction of Holy Spirit. This not a true prophecy, but a lie in the guise of prophecy (prophelying); the person is not prophesying. We are reminded in this passage of scripture to "examine" everything we hear.

When we determine that what is said aligns with the Word, we can accept it as good and "hold to that". When it does not align with the Word, we have no obligation to receive it as from God. Of course, the only way we'll know if the prophecy is of God is by knowing The Word for ourselves.

"Study to show yourselves approved unto God..." and to spot those who are prophelying--attributing what they say from God when it is not. Know that the enemy deceives others who are easily influenced with falsehoods and remember that he is the father of liars. Know who's talking when they talk by knowing The Word and by submitting to the leading and direction of Holy Spirit--He'll never lead you astray.

Ravaging Politicism (excerpt 3)

Morality

Expecting morality to be a foundational behavioral concept for anyone living in the 21^st Century is a waste of time; especially for politicians. Morality—they cannot spell it, have no idea how to live it, and probably could not find the word in a dictionary. That is just how foreign the word is to them.  However, let’s not leave out the rest of citizenry of our great country. If any were asked to define the word, most would not be able to give a credible definition and if asked and they were honest, they would not be able to say—they live a moral life (well, amoral would be accurate).

So why is it that we all get our underwear in bunches and knots raging and ranting about the idiot some of us elected, when their immorality is exposed? Did we not know? Could we not see? The people we elect to positions of authority are the same people that live next door to us, who fight and party and do all sorts of things. Why would anyone in their right mind think they would behave differently, if they were elected to a position? 

Well, perhaps part of the problem is that not many people in their right mind are even voting during election these days. I understand. When there is not a great selection from which to choose, why bother! I am seriously considering either not voting or writing in my own name for any election in which I participate in the future. The blinders are off—none of them are worth my time and energy for consideration. Our supposed democracy is such a joke that it is beyond laughable. We might as well just sit back and say whoever can raise the most money, tell the best lies, and manipulate truth the best can have the office—any office—since they are all as corrupt as the next one. What happened to the people who had integrity? What happened to people who respected themselves and cared about others? What happened to “transparency” with regarding to fundraising for elections? That’s a biggie! Only the rich are represented in our current democracy, the rest of us just have to put up with what we get—our voices do not matter in any election. The rich do what the rich do—whatever they want—and then allow us to think our voices matter.

Somewhere along the line, our voices should matter, but when that will happen depends upon everyone reading and sharing this. The people—all the people—need to stand united against economic tyranny and declassification of the middle class and the poor. After all, we are people—real people—with real needs. We need to have government officials who care more about the people who put them into office than their raunchy bedside manners with women who are not their wives. First, we would need to teach those “extras” how to respect themselves and not get used by elected cad. They would have to be told that they would never be more than an extra in the life of a politician, never the main character in the life of easy street. The real problem with this approach is—who is going to teach them when there are not many who understand what a monogamous relationship is or should be?

While we are trying to determine what to do about the extras, the elected idiots are creating legislation that promotes immorality for all who want to participate. Most of the laws legislating morality have been struck down in the name of “stupidity” (I could not say what I really wanted to say here).  Once again, it becomes a matter of being “politically correct” versus morally right. The “Superior Stupine Court Justices (those who think are arrogant enough to think they are superior, but really specially stupid) are co-signing the stupidity and we are left with a morally bereft society in which no one knows what the end is going to be. Well, there is One who knows, but many will not believe Him.