The Lord Is!

The Lord is my my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for name's sake.(Psalm 23:1-3 NIV)

A familiar passage of scripture reference should always be re-viewed for fresh introspection and although what I am inspired to say today may not be fresh for some, it will encourage others. We have no need to fear what the enemy might do when we know--The Lord is--everything we need.
Since David was a shepherd caring for his father's sheep, he knew exactly what a shepherd's role was--as a caretaker for the flock which would later provide for the family.

So what does a shepherd do? The shepherd's role is to make sure the sheep--all of the flock--are kept safe from harm, led to good grazing areas and by water. The shepherd makes sure that the sheep lack for nothing and when some stray or fall off cliffs, the shepherd is there to lead them back to safety or to rescue them, making sure they get back in the sheepfold unharmed.

Considering the fact that most leaders in the churches are supposed to model the role of a shepherd, are they doing so? Are church leaders feeding the sheep or fleecing the sheep? Are they concerned with the welfare of the sheep or do they only care about their own well-being? Are they guiding the sheep along right paths--The Word of God--or are they pimping The Word, selectively, to make the sheep think they are more than they are and emptying the pockets and bank accounts of the masses?

If we truly understand the picture that David paints for us of the role of a shepherd, we'd have to admit that many of our church leaders are not good shepherds--with a heart to please God. And this is why so many congregants are mislead, misused and abused by those in leadership for their hearts are far from God and when they distort The Word of God for personal gain--the enemy gets a foothold in the heart of the building which influences the sheep and they are lost.

But if The Lord is--our Great Shepherd--we are confident that all of our needs are met in Him. We know that He will never lead us astray, but will always lead us to rich pastures (or passages in The Word) so we'll be well fed and have our thirst quenched by The Word. When The Lord is our Shepherd, we can sleep at night without worry about tomorrow because we know that angels are guarding us throughout the night and we have nothing to fear. When The Lord is our Shepherd--He speaks those things to us that the Father says and we develop a desire to please the Father--knowing how He wants us to live, thrive and survive the attacks of the enemy.

The Lord is--our healer, our comforter, our provider, our counselor, our teacher, our guide through all the muck we face in life and when we hear and obey--we are victorious and nothing the enemy does, no weapon tossed our way, will have any effect on our lives or our desire to please God. The Lord is everything we will ever need and He will lead us to those He has anointed and appointed to lead His sheep--in all truth, according to The Word.

We need to know The Word for ourselves so when we hear someone say something that is not The Word, we'll know it and not be led astray, opening the door for the enemy to step in and destroy our lives. Know The Word--Know The Lord. If we don't know The Word, any fool can lead us astray when they make sounds like they know The Word, when they don't even know The Lord. Be wise, knowledgeable and realize that wolves (in shepherd's clothing) disguise themselves with just enough Word to get close enough to devour. If they are not saying what The Lord says and reminding people who The Lord is--run and don't look back!

Have You Tasted Him?

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NKJV)

When I cook, unlike many other cooks, I don't always taste the food I'm cooking, while it's still cooking. I don't have a "big spoon" to dish out samples to determine if the seasoning is right. I've been cooking long enough to know when the seasoning is just about right. And since I don't use a great deal of salt or other "spicy" seasonings, anyone who wants to add some after their plate is prepared is welcome to do so. And inevitably, someone either adds salt or pepper to the food on their plates.

The amazing thing to me is watching people who add salt and pepper or hot sauce or ketchup to food without tasting the food, first! How on earth do they determine what's needed to make the food more flavorable or palatable to their taste buds, if they don't taste it first?

Now, I also realize that we cannot judge how food tastes by looking at it. Everything that looks good does not taste good. I know this from experience. But then if we're going to judge a matter--rightly, we have to taste it before we commend or condemn it. I once thought a cake was going to be absolutely scrumptious--based on how it looked, bought a piece and gagged--trying to get it out of my mouth. And then, there are some dishes that didn't look very appealing, but tasted like a bit of heaven and had me drooling for more.

We cannot always rightly judge how anything tastes or how good a person is by looking at appearances. I've known some suited-up folks who looked professional and smiled at all the right times, but they were the devil's own and I've known some folks who only wore sweatshirts and jeans who were so kind and generous, they were absolutely unforgettable. Sometimes our eyes deceive us and we must take a closer look or experience a matter for ourselves before we judge it.

This is why it is so important for those who have experienced God's goodness to have a testimony and can encourage others to "taste and see" how good He is. "He's Sweet I Know" is a song, but it tells the whole story--sweeter than the honey in a honeycomb--that's how good our God is. No matter what our circumstances have been or may be, when we look to Him for the solutions to our problems, He never forsakes us or leaves us with no direction.

We have to trust Him and the only way most of us will ever trust Him is by trying Him--tasting His goodness for ourselves, but we need a witness to encourage us to "taste and see" so they'll know for themselves.

Let's get out and encourage others who have been discouraged by the events of life to taste Jesus for themselves and know He is good and we can put our total trust in Him. He is not a man that He should lie nor will He change His mind about who He is in our lives; He is worthy of our trust, love, and obedience to His Word.
O Taste and See just how good He is!

Don't Turn Back, Stand Firm!

Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. (Judges 7:3,4,21 NIV)

Sometimes, when we look at things with our physical eyes, we lose heart at the magnitude of the challenges that face up, but when we hear from God and obey, we can rest assured that when we follow His lead, all will be victorious.

I'm sure that Gideon had his doubts about a victory when God cut his army down from twenty-thousand to three hundred men, but God knew what needed to be done, whether Gideon understood it or not.

When we are faced with obstacles and challenges that appear to be too much for us, we must remember that with God going before us, He is more than the world against us. Instead of backing up or backing away from challenges, we must learn to stand firm, holding our positions, and waiting for The Lord to show up and show out!

This lesson is especially important for all who are trying to determine how they move forward with a diminished capacity of people or resources. We pray! We talk to God and then we listen and obey. We boldly hold our ground, feet firmly entrenched and faith immovable--and watch our enemies--flee or our obstacles move out of our way. This is the victory we have in Jesus--knowing our faith in Him cannot be deterred by anything the enemy puts in our way.

Sometimes, we have to close our physical eyes and ears (since the enemy wants us to be fearful of the things we hear) and open our hearts to see spiritually--no weapon formed against us shall prosper and we are victorious in all things with Jesus on our side--when we hear and obey.

Now is the time for every Born-Again Believer to stand firm--immovable, not turning back or away from the challenges that face or the situations that try our faith. Our faith--even if only as large as a mustard seed--is enough to keep the enemy on the run when we stand firm, refusing to back up or back away from promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We know not the hour or the day of His Return, but we do know that He's coming and until He does, we are the spiritual army that must be as dedicated as Gideon as his three hundred--determined to know no fear and will stand firm on God's Word and all He desires us to do. It is not in the greatness of numbers that God works miracles; it is in the faith of the few that miracles occur.

Have faith in God (not people for they will let you down) and know that God has our backs and we can continue our forward march to victory in Jesus' name. We cannot turn back--we must hold our ground and see the glory of the Lord--declare His victory in all we do that honors Him.

Felix, Festus, and Favor!

As Paul talked to them about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you," At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked to him. When two years had pass, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.(Acts 24:24-27 NIV)

In re-reading Acts, I find myself fascinated by those who were supposed to be leaders but were actually scoundrels, motivated by greed and the power of their position.

Paul was sought by those who preferred the law over grace--to kill him, just because of his faith in the Lord Jesus--a crime against men who wanted to control what everyone believed and did. This desire to control overs has caused problems for millions of people and is yet causing problems for people. We saw it with all the dictators in the land, and we see it again from those who profess to do God's Will, but have not demonstrated they even know God.

Our modern day Felixes, and Festuses come in the form of justices who sit on the Supreme Court and politicians and others in positions of authority, seeking bribes and favors--turning the Word of God into a joke and encouraging people to live in opposition to God says in favor of what they say.

Paul was left imprisoned for over two years at the whim of a man who thought that eventually Paul would offer him a bribe for his freedom, and when he didn't--another took his place and to incur favor with the Jews, left him imprisoned. When Paul appealed to be heard by Caesar, it would appear that Festus was incensed by Paul thinking him incapable of rendering a just judgment when no crime had been committed and none proven. Paul was right and Festus was left looking foolish before the Jews.

Today, how many people are being wrongly accused of crimes that no one can prove, but are remanded in custody by egotistical maniacs who abuse their position and power?

Paul's crime--belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and promoting the Gospel to the Gentiles. Jesus' crime--declaring to be the Son of God, healing the sick and exposing the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders. The penalty for their crimes was death, but the glory of The Lord put them into a position of righteousness that neither will ever be forgotten--Jesus because He is our Risen Savior and Paul because he refused to take the easy way and withstood the persecution after his conversion.

Are we willing to stand firm in our belief and confession that Jesus is Lord? Are we promoting the Gospel no matter what happens? Are we baffled and confused when the naysayers and doubters attack what we say or write in cyberspace and become discouraged? I would hope that none of these things shall move us from fulfilling the call of God in our lives! Whether we speak the Truth in public places or write it in public forums, we have no need to fear for our God--is victorious in all things and because we belong to Him; there is no Felix or Festus who can ever deter us and what we do, is not to gain the favor of men, but because God grants us favor with men.

We are not needed to give our lives in shedding blood for our bloodshed can save no one, but we can live our lives in such a way that all who see and watch us will know, our lives belong to Jesus and we will not turn back to be controlled by the dictates of mere mortals--no matter what their position is.

What Is Holy Spirit Warning Us About Today?

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. (Acts 20:22-24 NIV)

I must admit, composing a title for my commentary today was a bit of a challenge since a number of themes jumped out at me from these three verses. And before I finish, it's possible that Holy Spirit will have me touch on all I saw. I submit to His leading.

First of all, we see Paul acknowledging the forewarning of danger through Holy Spirit. In the days of the prophets (those messengers of God to whom God spoke directly before the arrival of Holy Spirit). They were also warned of impending danger and spoke to the people--some of whom heard and obeyed and others who did not. In fact, there were many who took upon themselves to be prophets and did as they were bidden to do by those in charge. These were the false prophets and unfortunately, we have many among us today--those who prophesy lies according to the dictates  of their flesh or the amount of money someone offers them.

But for those who are actually allowing Holy Spirit to lead and guide them in all things, Holy Spirit has been warning of impending dangers and once again--not many are listening and many more are choosing to ignore. When Holy Spirit spirit speaks, people should respect His voice more than E. F. Hutton and listen--closely and obey. He will never lead us astray, but there have been some who listened to E. F. Hutton and we hear from him, no more. I wonder why.

Then, we have those who claim that Holy Spirit speaks to them and we know by what they say and do, they lie. Holy Spirit will never speak on His own, but only those things given to Him and all that He says, will align with The Word. This doesn't mean that He'll speak to us in the King's English--that would be ludicrous unless we lived in England. No, Holy Spirit will speak to us in a language we understand and speak so that no confusion will exist. And though what He speaks may not be The Word--verbatim, the intent and principles will never change. Depending on where we are in our relationship with God, He may have to "paraphrase" The Word in order for us to understand it. In other words, He'll break it down to the lowest common denominator so we cannot say, we did not understand.

Considering the importance of Holy Spirit's role in the lives of Believers, I don't understand why there aren't more people saved and filled with His Spirit, living in right relationship with God. I can only surmise that the ridicule that accompanies anyone proclaiming God speaks to them, is justification for many to either ignore His warnings or they choose to keep silent. Neither is a good idea since we are all called to be "watchmen" and it is the responsibility of the watchmen to warn the people of impending danger. It is the responsibility of the people to act on the warning and when they don't, whatever happens is on them, not those who were courageous enough to warn.

Knowing what lay ahead of him, Paul chose to keep going--to keep testifying of God's grace--in order to fulfill the calling on his life. Do we have the same boldness to keep going--knowing that ridicule and persecution lie ahead of us? Knowing that not all will receive what we have to say? Knowing that every time we write a blog or respond to an article containing controversial content, we will be attacked by those influenced by the enemy? Knowing that the enemy seeks to engage us in meaningless conversation to keep us distracted from our mission? Are we bold enough to continue the race set before us and testify of God's goodness in spite of the naysayers and the doubters?

If our answer to any of the questions is "yes" then we have a testimony about how God changed us and put us back on the path He had established for us. Let's share the testimony with all who will hear and watch as we see The Word come alive for we are told, "we have overcome (the enemy's ploys to destroy us) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony."

Whatever our testimony is--the change from what we were doing in opposition to God's Word to living according to His Word--it is what people need to hear. We have the power within to know who needs our testimony in order for them to be overcomers and if we listen to Holy Spirit, He will indeed direct our footsteps, and govern our tongues so souls will come to Christ!

And When They Heard!

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, "Brothers, what must we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for  all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call" With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them. "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:37-41NIV)

What did people hear that convinced them they needed a Savior? They were reminded of God's message through the prophets, what David had said in his psalms, and Peter shared his experience walking with Jesus and how and why He was crucified. We are told that "their hearts were cut" meaning they were convicted--by the words preached to them--to change their ways.

What were the other words said to them? We are not told, but I am convinced whatever they were, the people were able to understand with clarity what was said and there were convinced and accepted the message. In the KJV, the 41st verse reads, "they gladly accepted..."

My question for the day is, how do people gladly accept a message from a preacher who does nothing but make noise? It is not the noise that makes people glad--or it shouldn't be--but the words of the message based upon the Word of God!

One of the reasons the "church" is in such sad shape is because people who attend the buildings are more interested in "making noise" and "having church" than in hearing someone capable of expounding the Word of God and making it relevant to our everyday lives. Yes, I'm talking about the "whoopers" and the "grunters" and the "screechers" and the music that is so loud no one can hear the message. None of the noise leads anyone to salvation; it merely serves to stir up emotions in people and get them so riled up they don't even realize they have not heard "The Word" because those who employ the "noise" method of preaching, usually don't know enough Word to teach God's people how to live. And this is how Satan has deceived the body of Christ--by "making some noise" that has no relevance to salvation.

It is The Word of God, preached and taught by those who have been called by God to do so--rightly divided and broken down to the lowest common denominator that people need to hear in order to make a decision to be saved and lived saved. When all people hear from someone who is supposed to be teaching them is noise or the repetitive use of song lyrics, see theatrics presented by the preacher in the form of jumping around, acting like they're having seizures, and moaning and groaning in a microphone--so loud the noise creates headaches--they don't respond to an invitation to be saved or to join the church.

When are we going to figure this out? When the last doors of all church buildings are closed? People don't need "noise" to be keep them in right relationship with God, they need The Word. We also do not need "cheerleaders" in the pulpit trying to "pump us up" to praise God. Every born-again Believer who knows how God operates, knows and understands His Word, praises God without encouragement, but that praise may not take the form of the shouting, running, and whooping that some are trying to ignite. Every day, I wake with a praise on my lips and thanksgiving in my heart because I didn't have to wake up.

Perhaps, the larger problem in many churches today is that the leadership doesn't understand the difference between praising God and worshiping God--especially in a building--designated the church. I do not attend buildings to "have church" by making noise; I attend to hear an encouraging Word from the Word and when I hear The Word, my heart is stirred--the noise only aggravates me.

When people hear the pure Word--no sugar-coating added or other synthetic sweeteners used--hearts are changed and souls are added to the Body of Christ--not just the membership of a local church. We should be more concerned about being "The Church" than in "having church" every time we enter the building.

The Desire to Control!

"Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching believers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses." After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the Gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No, We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." (Acts 15:1,5, 7-11)

The tendency within mankind's heart to control others has always been prevalent, but even more so in those who claim to know Jesus. This is one of the reasons why Believers--those who believe the work on the Cross and the Divinity of Jesus Christ--must know for themselves the plan of God for all men and women.

When we are in relationship with God and know and understand His Word--we won't allow anyone to hogtie us to traditions and rituals that by themselves mean absolutely nothing. That is not to say that all traditions and rituals are worthless, but we must check our motivation for doing certain things, especially if we think they have any power to save us. We are saved by grace and that by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing we do--no observance of ritual or tradition--can save us--other than believing that Jesus rose from the dead, after being made the sacrifice for the atonement of sin. We repent of our sins--turn away from them and allowing them to control us--and allow Holy Spirit to guide us in all things. He does not "take control" of us; we must give Him control and when we do, we will see the blessings of God in our lives.

Notice how we are told that "certain people" started a campaign to control others and then how the Pharisees (those supposedly now Believers) also wanted to control the new converts. We are not told who the certain people were, but we can guess these were the "religious" sect that converted, but wanted to hold onto to the Law--not fully understanding "grace" because their hearts did not fully belong to God.

Peter reminds them--"God knows their hearts" referencing the Gentiles and He had no thought to keep them in bondage to a law that Jews could not and had not kept. Funny, how no one likes to be reminded of their shortcomings and they all became silent. This reminded me of those who wanted to stone the woman supposedly caught in the "act of adultery" but no man was brought to judgment with her. After Jesus reminded them that all had sinned, they dropped their rocks and left--not one stone being hurled at the woman.

But perhaps a more important lesson gleaned from this chapter of Acts is the fact that the Believers met to discuss what was going on and decided upon a course of action. No one person made a determination as to how they should proceed, but the group as a whole made the decision. "Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (call Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the Believers." (Acts 15:22 NIV)

Are we choosing men and women who are leaders among us or are we simply allowing one or two people to control the masses and making messes of what should be an environment conducive to all to learn how to live, pleasing God, not man? Do we pray and ask God's directions for all we do in the church or do we allow others to control what we do? Do we seek God's directions to make decisions in our homes and everywhere else?

We ought to always pray and seek God's directions in order to stay on the path He desires us to travel and never allow any one person--to control what we do. For when that happens, they become dictators and we become puppets--dancing to their dictates, instead of living our best lives--guided by Holy Spirit.

Let those with their religious spirits control themselves before trying to control others. Allow Holy Spirit to guide all matters and know that we cannot err when we do.

Once Jews--Converted Christians!

"The Apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the Word of God. Now those who had been scattered in the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the Word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to The Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." (Acts 11:1, 19-21, 25, 26 NIV)

Let me say at the outset of this post that I know and understand that Christianity--a label for those who followed Christ then began with the conversion of Jews. This post takes nothing from the fact the Jews were and are God's chosen people and the rest of us who choose to Believe--the work on the Cross, the resurrection, and Divinity of Jesus are adopted into the family as an act of faith.

That being said, if we pay attention to the verses before the 26th verse--where people called those Jews who followed the teachings of Jesus--Christians, we will see that at first--they were simply--Believers--those who believed those who had walked with Jesus and in His purpose for coming down to earth.

Generally, what happens when we allow others to decide a label for us--we err in the teaching of truth. As with the label--Christian--we have come so far from the truth in teaching God's Word and His love that we have become an object of ridicule. One of the reasons we are ridiculed for our faith is the fact that there are too many divisions--too many denominations and sects--all promoting their own version of truth and veered so far off the mark that many are considered cults.
I recently read a blog, by Fred, who thought he was a Christian because he became involved with the Seventh Day Adventist, and because he was disillusioned by what occurred within the religious group, he has since converted to becoming a Jew, apparently not understanding that all original Christians were converted Jews.

We are not Christians because of the church we join or hold special religious beliefs. We are Believers because we Believe The Word of God and that includes following the teachings of Jesus. No matter how carefully one inspects The Word--no denominations will be found. Man--in his desire to control others--created denominations based upon micro-selection of Scriptures. In every religious group--their foundation is based upon one or two verses of Scripture because they did not understand how all the scriptures align and none to be ignored. And in some cases, the religious group is named after the person who chose to remove themselves from the fray of religiosity--only to perpetuate more.

This is how we come to have the Baptists--who misunderstood John's role--and his role was not his title. The Church of God--so named because someone misunderstood what Paul was saying in Acts 20 and in his letters to the church at Corinth. The Church of God in Christ--so named because someone had the bright idea to make a distinction to who they were by separating from The Church of God, but adding "in Christ" to the banner. Jehovah Witnesses--so named because they misunderstood that everyone who promoted the Gospel of Jesus Christ is His witness and the founders chose to re-write the bible to suit their purposes. This is important since they originally denied the divinity of Jesus and have for years, denied the virgin birth and so many other truths. The Methodists--so named after a person because of the method or strategy used to promote religion. The Lutherans--so named after Martin Luther--promoting a doctrine with some basis of truth, but not totally. And of course--The Catholic Church--who claims that Peter is their foundation, but deny priests to be married when Peter was married--all in an attempt to control others. And of course we cannot deny the horrors inflicted upon millions because they misunderstood The Word and warned others not to try to read it because it would confuse them. Religious persecution (forced conversions and beheading) did not begin with those in this century who are misguided, but with those who thought they were better than everyone else and chose to force their beliefs on others and killed any who resisted. 

There are so many other groups that it would take a book to discuss them at length and to point out how they have erred in their foundational beliefs. The truth is very simply this--for most Believers--we Believe The Word of God. We believe that mankind was so far from fulfilling God's purpose for us, that He decided to come down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to demonstrate His love for us. He chose to be crucified, died, and rose again--redeeming us--giving us a chance to live with Him for all eternity, forgiving our sins and providing us with His presence at all times in the person of Holy Spirit. The inspired word of God, rightly interpreted and promoted by those in relationship with Him, is what Believers believe. Anything other than this is spawned by religious spirits that bear no truth and have no relationship with God.

I am yet a Believer with no religious hangups and my desire is to please God only. My choice--is made with information and relationship, and not coercion as some would have others think.

Blessed Are We!

"Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one shoe sin the Lord will never count against them." (Romans 4:7,8 NIV)

Blessed are we
Who understand the Work on The Cross,
Not the wearing of a symbol, but the end result.

Blessed are we
Who escaped receiving the wages of sin,
Death--spiritually and physically,
When we received Christ Jesus
As our Personal Savior.

Blessed are we
Who have a testimony to share
With others to help them overcome
Desire to cave to temptation.

Blessed are we
To know God's love and to share
It with others, everywhere we go.

Blessed are we,
To have a model of perfection
Constantly in our midst when
We stay in His Word.

Blessed are we,
To have parents who love us enough
To tell us the truth and help us to do the same.

Blessed are we,
And our children when see them living The Word,
In spite of ridicule and the naysayers of doubt and unbelief.

Blessed are we,
To know Holy Spirit resides within,
Leading, guiding, counseling, and comforting,
All the days of our lives.

Blessed are we,
Who can rise with joy in our hearts
And a praise on our lips,
For the One who loved us enough
To die for us that we might have,
Eternal Life.

We are blessed!

No Shame In Our Game!

"Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character hope. And hope does put us to shame, because Gods' love has been poured out into our hearts through Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:1-5 NIV)

How are we justified and don't have to be ashamed? Our faith in the work on cross brings us into a place of redemption and relationship with Christ when we believe and accept His death was for our benefit. Since He hung on the cross, after being beaten for the sins of the world, we are forgiven and have no need to be ashamed of our past lives--before knowing Him--and have every reason to have hope in our present lives and for our future--as long as we don't turn back to those things that kept us out of relationship with God.

Whenever I get a chance to witness to people--wherever that might be--I make a distinction in my life's timeline--my time earth on earth. I had my BC time--before knowing Christ and how He expects me to live and my AC time--after knowing and understanding the work on the cross and receiving His love. I know without a doubt in my heart that if I had been the only person on the planet, He would have died for me and understanding that kind of love, fills me with desire to please Him, not people. Receiving His love and repenting from all that I had done, puts me in a position to live as if I had never sinned. How do I know? Because He tosses our sins into the sea of forgetfulness. If He's not going to remind us of where we were, we shouldn't allow anyone else to bring up past mistakes, either.

Now, in my AC time--I am yet being perfected--I have not arrived at perfection, but I'm allowing Holy Spirit to correct me daily. And this is the difference between those who know God and are in relationship with Him and those who know about God and keep doing the same "irreverent things" day after day. I know in my heart that if people really know God and have developed a relationship with Him, there are things they would no longer desire to do, since God's love--filled to overflowing ignites desires in us to love and please Him.

When we know who we are in Him and know what we have in Him--eternal life--we have no need to be ashamed and we can walk with our heads held high, not concerned with those who want to put our lives under a microscope to see what ugliness they can discover. They may discover our ugliness--that ugliness that existed in our BC time, but in our AC time--it means absolutely nothing. However, if they have never accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, their ugliness--no matter how perfect they think they are--remains for all to see because it has never been tossed into the sea of forgetfulness.

We cannot allow people--especially those who have never known our Savior--to keep us bondage to our pasts. They have no right to do so and we have no reason to be ashamed of who we have become in Christ Jesus. So, whenever anyone tries to make us ashamed of our pasts--we can look them straight in the face, holding their eyes fastened with faith in Him and declare--"There's no shame in my game since I am still under construction!"

A question arises for them to consider: "What's your excuse?"

Sincere Prayer!

"Then Hannah prayed and said:

My heart rejoices in the Lord;
In the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
There is no one holy like the Lord;
There is no one besides you;
There is no Rock like our God.
Do not keep talking so loudly
Or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
For the Lord is a God who knows,
And by Him deeds are weighed.
                                                        (1 Samuel 2:1-3 NIV)

When we continue reading this prayer, we see the heart of a woman who had humiliated by her husband's other wife--Peninnah--who had children, but Hannah had none. God in His faithfulness to Hannah, heard her prayers and saw her heart when she pleaded for a child and now the child, Samuel is given to The Lord, through Eli to devote his life to serving The Lord.

We see a prayer--in sincerity--acknowledging God for all He is and all He does and confessions of faith for all He will do. All of this by a woman who had been ashamed of being barren, but now rejoices in the birth of her son--a son she dedicated to the Lord--rather than keep him close for herself--keeping her vow to The Lord.

We are told in other scripture references that it is better not to make a vow to the Lord than to make one and not keep it. Hannah understood the importance of keeping a vow to God and her relationship--her wisdom in knowing that He had heard and answered her prayer so she would no longer be humiliated, motivated her, knowing she could now hold her head high--after the birth of her son.

Are we sincere with God when we pray? Do we acknowledge our own shortcomings and ask Him to help us overcome them? Do we acknowledge who He is and all He has already done in our lives? Or are we just praying out of tradition with no understanding or relationship with God--not really expecting anything to change in our lives? Or do we treat God like He's supposed to be our "sugar-daddy" and we only talk to Him when we want something from Him? Do we understand that prayer is communication with God and we should communicate with Him daily (as often as we want) and then we should listen to Him speak to us--through His Word or to our hearts as still ourselves to hear?

I thank God daily for allowing me another opportunity to get living right for Him--not because I'm so horrible, but I acknowledge my imperfections; my impatience with people who I think should know better about certain things and my moodiness over situations I cannot control. I acknowledge who He is and all He has done--in my life and confess His Word--over my life: By His stripes, I am healed and whole; There is nothing too hard for God and because I am His, I can do all things through Him who loves me and do them well; I am more than a conqueror and victory in Jesus is mine to enjoy daily; no weapon formed against me shall prosper--no amount of dissension, no matter how many people speak against me--nothing they say shall interfere with God's plans for me--their words have no power to change my destiny as God has planned it. I don't know about you, but this is how I pray.

God responds to our sincerity and our faith, not our emotions for our emotions are fickle--they change as easily as the wind blows. But He knows if our faith in Him is real because He knows our hearts. And since He knows our hearts, we might as well be real with Him. Pray--with a sincere heart and faith to receive His answer.

An Old Song That Needs Singing!

"Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He." (Deuteronomy 32:2-4 NIV)

For those who believe God is not speaking to us today, read His Word. This first stanza of a song, sang by Moses just before his death is yet relevant. In fact the entire song is relevant, but too lengthy to re-write for my purposes--today. The stanzas following the focus passage remind the children of Israel of their wrong doing, how they have forgotten God and all He had done for them, what was going to happen to them, and they needed to turn back to Him. 

The message of the song is yet true, today--right now--for all who think they belong to God, yet will not obey and live according to His Word.

We look at the violence and foolishness of the world and complain, wondering why things are happening the way they are. We only have to look into God's Word to get understanding.  And within His Word, He has reminded us, "with all of our getting, get understanding." To say there is nothing new under the sun would be redundant since I've already expounded on that recently, but let me reiterate this one point. Nothing that happens in our universe is a surprise to God since He knows our nature and we--as human beings--have not changed.

We witness His greatness in going marvelous things for us and forget as quickly as He did it. We cry unto the Lord when things are going bad and we are in despair and He hears and delivers us--always making a way for us to do better and as soon as we get out of one rut, we create another when we turn away from Him--again.

How many times must we repeat the lesson in order to pass the test? From looking at this passage of the song, we will repeat the lesson until Jesus returns, since we don't have the wisdom or at least don't exercise the wisdom God has given us. We cannot live any way we want to live and expect God to bless us individually or as a nation. We cannot receive His blessings and then turn away from Him, expecting Him to overlook our contrary ways. Yes, we are saved by grace--the unmerited favor He showers us with, but His grace is not an excuse for us to live in opposition to His Word.

It is because of His grace that we should desire more than ever to want to please Him, living our lives in alignment with His Word--not in opposition to it. We--who Believe--know we cannot adhere to the dictates of mere mortals and turn away from God's Word for we know--He will avenge Himself and nations upon nations will see what He does--withholding His protection from an unbelieving, unworthy nation of people who dare to defy Him.

The prediction of what happens to rebellious people given then in this song is still relevant to those who refuse to turn back to God. Their end has been established--destruction by nations that were never intended to rule over those who Believe God. "It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them" (v. 35).

"Listen, you heavens, and I will speak; hear, you earth, the words of my mouth" (v.1) It's time we proclaim the name of the Lord and acknowledge that He does no wrong, but He will allow wrong to happen to us when we are living wrong lives. His works are perfect, even when we don't understand, He is still God--our God--who is wonderful in all His ways!

The Way We Were!

"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:3-5 NIV)

Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were

Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
And if we had the chance to do it all again
Just tell me, tell me, would we, would we?
Could we, could we?

Memories may be beautiful and yet
So many memories too painful to remember
The way we were

When Barbara Streisand sang this song, it ignited thoughts of returning to a past time, understanding the good and the painful; however, when aligned with this passage of scripture, we are reminded that all of us indeed have a past, and some of it was not too pretty, and yet--we tend to criticize others for traveling the same path, we once took.

Why are we so critical of those who not have yet been introduced to Jesus Christ and certainly have not had time to develop a relationship with Him? It is easier to understand those living in sin who do not know Him more than it is acceptable for those who proclaim to know Him.  The saddest situation that one can see is for born-again Christians to support and promote a lifestyle contrary to God's Word. It would appear that they are more interested in returning to "the way they were" before knowledge of Christ and in keeping others in a position to know God's wrath, rather than His grace.

When Paul talks about our being dead in our transgressions--He references a point in our lives when we were spiritually dead before becoming spiritually alive--ready to receive what Holy Spirit has for us. Unfortunately, for some--being spiritually dead also lead to physical death caused by addictions and rebelliousness and a refusal to do what is right.

We see people on a daily basis whose countenances are bereft of hope and joy. They are simply going through the motions--not really enjoying life, and barely making it to see another day, with the same attitude. If we are truthful with ourselves, we recognize us--in some of those people we see--but thanks to someone who was praying for us or even noticing our bleakness--someone who cared enough to talk to us about Jesus, we are now living with hope and joy and we can smile for no reason, laugh out loud with a heartiness that is infectious and love people--no matter who they are. Thank God we are no longer the way we were, but we have been saturated with the grace of God, without regard to our former ways and we know who has redeemed us and saved us from ourselves.

Today, let's take the time and remember the way we were--before grace--and determine within ourselves to share God's love with others so they, too can know salvation through His Grace and have their spirits quickened through Holy Spirit. If we remember our journey to grace; our desire should be for everyone to make it to receive God's grace for themselves before He returns. That's love!

Is It Time, Yet?

"Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. I said to myself, God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed." (Ecclesiastes 3:15,17 NIV)

Most Believers who actually study The Word know the beginning of this chapter--a time for everything--and we often quote it in the midst of things we don't understand, but know that God has a purpose in allowing everything we experience to happen. But when we become familiar with certain passages of scripture, do we keep reading and wondering what was on Solomon's mind or for that matter, any of the others to whom God spoke?

God--who is without beginning or end--infinite in mercy and grace--who created all things knows that since the beginning of time--people would continue to do what has already been done--for there is truly nothing new--about the character of human beings--that God has not seen. We--who have only been around for a specified amount of time--have been allowed to see some things--some which amaze us and some which appall us, but we see them nonetheless.

We are amazed with the technological advances of men--whose minds have been ignited and imaginations fueled into creation of things not seen before by us, but where were we when God inspired those of ancient times to build irrigation systems and engineer buildings that are yet standing? The same God who inspired the ancients will inspire any and all who are willing to hear Him and for those who have never understood that inspiration--we will continue to be amazed.

We are appalled at the violence and societal decay that leaves such a stench that many of us can hardly breathe without inhaling the malodorous aura of a civilization rotting from the core of its being. This is nothing new! Civilizations have time after time--created havoc with God's plan and He allowed it so they would see the devastation they wreaked upon themselves. We have but to look at history--and how men who seek power over others because of greed--always decimate the masses and themselves in their folly.

Many people were (and still are) up-in-arms about the decision of the Supreme Court Justices who apparently have no understanding of history repeating itself and certainly do not demonstrate having a relationship with God. None of what we experience is new to God--He's seen it all before and in His timing--He has dealt with all of it. Most of those who choose to live in opposition to God's Word do not like the reference to Sodom and Gomorrah, but the truth of the matter is--they were not the only cities destroyed because of sexual sin, or any other sins and neither will they be--the only cities/regions destroyed because of sin.

When we choose to sin and then blatantly flaunt sin--we set ourselves up for judgment here on earth--and then comes the determination of our eternity--at the throne of God. At any given time--we will see the consequences of our actions--before Jesus returns. And if we see with spiritual insight as He reveals it to us--we see it now.

So, in His timing--the world--people from all walks of life, who operate in various roles and practice numerous religions--all will see God's wrath poured upon the earth and some--as in times past--will remain to share the experience with others for not all will perish--God must have a witness until it is time for His return to exact the final judgment upon the righteous and sinner alike. The question we must ask ourselves--is it time, yet?

Paganistic Superstitions!

"Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trust in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver and there is no breath in it." (Habakkuk 2:18, 19 NIV)

Mention of idols and their worthlessness has been made before regarding the foolishness of men who trust in man-made objects as part of their religious beliefs. Paganism has always entreated people to believe in images and other objects made by the hands of men and in our time--made by machines for mass productions. The mass production is to make sure those promoting the value of the object make money, but the "thing" itself has no value and can do nothing on its own.

When we pray to "things" rather than to our Holy God, who is unseen by the visible eye, but lives in the hearts of every Believer, we negate faith in our Holy God--giving precedence to the "things" we can either hold in our hands, or gaze upon with our eyes. The statutes carved out of stone have no life in them; the beads and baubles strung upon review mirrors have no life in them; the images of Jesus and Mary have no life in them--they are artist's perceptions of what Jesus and Mary "could have looked like" but no one knows for sure since there was no replication equipment available during the times in which they lived.

This is not an indictment against religious organizations who promote the use of things as part of their worship service--it is an acknowledgment that the things have no power--or value--and therefore should not take the place of having a relationship with God--who created the substance of all the things made. The real problem with the use of things is that people demonstrate a lack of faith in God without their use. God has come to the assistance of those who seek Him out of sincerity and He has used those "living, breathing beings" as messengers to speak to people, but He has never used anything that did not have life within it to do anything.

Now, some may argue that He used a desert full of dry bones to demonstrate His power and He did--not while they were dead and had no life, but He gave the dry bones life and He never told anyone to worship them, anymore than He told anyone to worship a thing. If we remember The Word--we would know that an entire family was destroyed because they had "hidden the detestable thing" in their tent--an idol used by the enemy to worship and God has said, we should worship "no graven image" or object. That is very clear. But because some insist on giving things power, their paganistic beliefs have led to all sorts of superstitions regarding things--broken mirrors, walking on cracks on a sidewalk, spilled salt, chicken bones, and ladders. I'm sure there are others, but these are things that come to mind. Notice--none of these things have ever had life in them or breathed on their own.

The very next verse of scripture in Habakkuk tells that the Lord is in His Holy Temple--one that we could not see for it resides in heaven, but through Jesus and the work on the cross--we are the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells--living and breathing in us.

We should not be afraid of "things" representing good or evil since they have no life, cannot breathe on their own, and they have no power to do anything. So--all the devil worshipers can worship their things and images, but those who profess belief in God should not be concerned about the images having any power because they have none. The real power of God lies within every heart of every person whose faith is in Him, not things!

Prasie The Lord!

"Every Day I will praise You and extol Your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.  For The Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory." (Psalm 145:2,3; 149:4 NIV)

This morning as I write, tired but rejoicing--over the victory won by our 18-member High School Marching Band, I have reason to praise The Lord, as do they all.

If people don't understand how important to recognize that all of God's Word is relevant to our every day lives, it is because they do not understand it or how marvelous our God is!

We have been steadily encouraging our diminishing band to think and work as hard as they can. Many were discouraged because of the small size, but one of the things I have constantly said to them is that it is not about the numbers, but the individual effort. Last night, their collective individual efforts earned them a Division 1 Ranking during the 2015 Band Festival of Marching Bands.
Our senior drum major was so shocked, his mouth fell open (his story), but I remained confident in the blessing of our Lord--honoring their effort because they played and thrilled the crowd with a dance coordinated by the band director. They were awesome.

Here's the link on YouTube: https://youtu.be/czsIdff-BeA

Since I was the one videotaping their performance, I must apologize for the shaky start of the video; I was trying to manipulate the camera around other people.

Though they are small number they are mighty in sound and courage in facing-off with other bands much, much larger than they are. God's grace and mercy abounds and prayers were answered--our band members are no longer discouraged, but encouraged.

We must remember that Gideon had his mighty army reduced to a handful so the army would not get the glory, but God. And considering everything this little high school marching band has endured, God indeed gets the glory for their accomplishment.

I pray that each of them will continue to do their very best--individually and collectively--not concerned with the numbers or the naysayers and doubters, but mindful of a God who is more than enough and it is He who gives us the victory in all situations.

Whenever we face obstacles, challenges, naysayers and doubters--all those who would attempt to discourage us and keep us defeated; we need to remember that there is no battle too hard for God and no victory withheld from those who love Him--whether in a marching band or marching through this journey called life. As long as we march to the beat of His Word and live according to the rhythm of His grace--we will know victory and for that--WE GIVE HIM PRAISE!

Consider This!

"Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it. Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other, therefore, no one discover anything about their future." (Ecclesiastes 7:11-14 NIV)

For if we function with the wisdom of God leading everything we do, we shall see all the good things that He has in store for us, but if we have not His wisdom, and simply rely upon the knowledge we obtain, we are subject to erring along the way.

God's wisdom is certainly greater than any mere mortal's imagination and if we ever get to a place where we truly understand this, the world will be in a better place. Yes, we learn things from trial and error, reading books written by mortals, exploring and discovering, but think about how much we could accomplish if we sought God--before we did anything--and allowed Him to lead us.

One of the most amazing things we see today is the "discovery" by some--who believe they were born in the wrong bodies. With this discovery after living as God intended them to live, they now want to change what God has done. "Who can straighten what God has made crooked?" People can try to change the externals of their existence, but the intrinsic, nature of God poured into each being, will never change. When we "think" we know better than God, we have succumbed to the enemy's influence and it was because he thought he was greater than God that he was thrown out of heaven. How can the creation ever become greater than the Creator? 

When we acknowledge our positional relationship with God, we obtain the benefits and advantages, but we also know that when it rains on one side of the street, it will also rain on the other--unless a person lives in Houston (I've watched it rain on one side of the street and not the other--fascinating). The point here is when the good times roll--economically and spiritually--for all the saints--it rolls for the sinners as well and when the bad times come--especially for those who were not wise enough to know--they would come--the sinners and saints have to deal with the consequences.

Economic downturns affect everyone--the good and bad alike. Nature's storms affect all--good and bad alike. Even if the affect is not a direct hit--the impact of radiating disaster affects all--and we all see the increase in food cost, fuel cost, energy cost and insurance rates--whether we live in an affected area or not. The effect of legalized sin affects all--from the change in marijuana laws to same-sex marriages and we see it on a daily basis. Because no wisdom was exercised before legalizing sins--we will now see the unfolding and revealing of the true nature of the beast and then--when the final effects are felt by all (the domino effect)--we'll understand that without God's Wisdom reigning over all we do--disaster is sure to follow.

Now, consider these things: seek God, and move in His wisdom! Will we be wise or will we be foolish? The choice is entirely ours to make.

Praise The Lord and Be Blessed!

"Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who is the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 134)

Who are the servants of The Lord?

All those who proclaim to accept the Work on the Cross as a means of reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ are the servants of The Lord--those who are obedient to His Word--proclaiming what He says to all. If then, we are servants of The Lord--giving Him rulership over our lives, why do we find it so difficult to obey--Our Lord--one who governs?

The simple answer is most people don't understand how Lordship functions as it once did in England and in other nations. It certainly doesn't have a place in the United States because we won't allow anyone to be "Lord over our lives" and we certainly won't allow Holy Spirit to govern us. When a person was "the Lord" over property (a region, however designated by a king), he was the authority in the lives of those who lived on his land. Here, in America, we seem to forget that when we accept The Word on the Cross, and Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we give Him authority over our lives. A relationship with Jesus is a matter of the heart, not the head (or mind) and we allow Him to govern when we accept His Lordship; if we don't allow Him to be Lord, all we've done is to be religious and ritualistic.

I'll be the first to admit than granting someone else authority over my life is challenging and almost impossible when it comes to mere mortals. Yes, I obey the laws of the land when they don't conflict with my relationship with God. But I will not obey the laws of the land when they are in opposition to God's Word. That's settled in heaven for me. But when we cannot obey God's Word because we are more concerned about what people think or being politically correct, then we are not servants of The Lord because Jesus is not our Lord and we therefore lie--if we say He is.

When we're in a worship service--who are we praising--God or man? Do we lift our hands in praise because we really want to honor God or we simply obeying the dictates of others who have tell us what to do?

Even if we're not willing to admit where we are in our relationship with God--He knows--He knows our heart. And He knows if we only lift our hands because someone else directed us to to do so, our hearts don't belong to Him.

I can lift my hands wherever I am--and often do so when I think about just how good He is. I don't need anyone to prompt me to lift my hands or raise my voice in praise of the God who loved me enough, to come down from heaven, hang on a cross and die for me--in spite of me--and still loves me.

O that men and women and children would really understand how wonderful it is to be loved when we are not worthy! O that those who proclaim to love Jesus would be more obedient to His Love! O that all would begin to worship Him in spirit and in truth! What a wonderful, blessed world this would be if all would honor Him as Lord, obey, and love! Give Him praise and be blessed!

Whose Words Are Heeded?

"Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." (Ecclesiastes 10:15-18 NIV)

For whatever reason--the masses choose to ignore the poor and humble, the quiet dignity of those who have no need to shout--thinking more highly of those who make a lot of noise, but their character is void of integrity and wisdom. Why is that? Our society tends to put those who make noise on pedestals and upon microscopic inspection, we discover--too late--nothing of substance in the noise-makers.

This is true of most of the politicians running for office--especially those vying for the position of President--but we can't blame them--we are the ones to elect the ones who make the most noise, the empty promises designed to tickle our ears and cause us to ignore wisdom speaking from those who are not as noisy, but quietly sharing the wisdom of sages.

There's a lot of noise being heard from the top Republican candidate right now--and people are buying into the bluster and clamor; he's feeding the frenzy because people are so unhappy with the sitting president. I'm certain that when others jump into the fray, they'll be just as noisy, at least some will and people will pay attention to them, but will they really have anything of substance to say?

At this moment--I'm not impressed with any candidate and this post is not really about politics, but it serves as a perfect analogy in demonstrating how we ignore the wise and give more credence to those "making some noise."

This is especially true of so many of our churches--the more noise is made, the greater some people think the leadership is. In fact--what I've discovered in observing the worship services of a number of churches is this: The musician plays loudly, the choir sings loud and long, and the preacher--gets up and ignites a shout, whoops and hollers, but the service is void of any movement by Holy Spirit because He couldn't be heard in order to lead them. And since Holy Spirit cannot be heard, only religious tradition is observed and no one learns anything of substance and those who enter the building--confused and empty of spiritual guidance--leave the same way, but they had a good time, making noise.

In the quiet of the night or a fleeting, illusive moment, if we listen carefully, and know The Word of God, we can hear Holy Spirit speak in the stillness and receive wisdom from on high. But in the midst of the noise--literally or figuratively, we can only hear "the noise" of complaint, confusion, chaos, and disdain--the noise of self-aggrandizement, haughtiness, and superiority--hearing nothing that will make a difference in anyone's life other than the maker of the noise.

If we want peace in our homes, our communities and in our nations, we must be willing to look beyond desire to hear the noise of those who make empty promises, and those of empty character, and seek the quiet wisdom of God's Word and obey.

Whose words are you hearing and obeying?

Where Are You, God?

"Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are desperate need. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" (Psalm 79:8-10 NIV)

Not only are other nations questioning where our God is--those who claim to Believe are asking the same question. Of course the naysayers ask the question to belittle and ridicule Believers, but when Believers ask the question--we know the nation is truly in trouble. Why?

If Believers are asking God, "Where are You?" they have not understood just how close God is to those who Believe. It's not a source of amazement for the unbelieving to ask the question, for they do not have access to Him through right relationship to know the answer to the question, but certainly--Believers--who understand God's Word and are in right relationship with Him, should never ask this question. We know where He is--He dwells within us.

However the real problem is not in knowing where God is--since He is omnipresent--He is everywhere at the same time, but in knowing that He gives "all people free will" and will not force us to do anything. Therefore, anything we do--without specific direction from God is subject to failing or creating disaster.

Many people are asking, "Where is God when mentally disabled or challenged people shoot others?" God is right there in the midst of the shooting, but He will not force anyone to do what is right. So, the gunmen--in every situation--act without benefit of God's instruction and they are prey of the enemy who hates all of us and when he can influence the minds of others to do evil--since they don't believe in God anyway, they do evil.

But we must understand--in order to do evil--we must have a mindset that "desires to do evil" or the enemy would not have any power over us. People have to submit to the devil's influence just like they have to submit to God's influence. It is a free will choice we make when we choose to be influenced by any source.

So, now the question should not be, "where is God?" but rather where are we in a relationship with Him? Do we truly Believe or are we just religious, operating in rituals of out traditions that hold no true meaning of anything? I'm sure, when we stand before Him on the day we are judged, we're going to discover that God will have more respect for the naysayers than those of us who claim to Believe, but never had a relationship with Him. He's told us that He would rather we be--hot or cold--and not lukewarm because lukewarm, wishy-washy people make Him ill (Revelation 3:16 paraphrased).

Instead of us raising the question as to where God is, we should raise the question--where are we? I can imagine with all of the stupid things occurring in the world, that God is asking the question, "Where are my children who claim to know me?" Why would God ask this question? Because if we are His children, we would know how important communication with Him is and our obedience to Him. We cannot pattern ourselves after the world and the worldly way of doing things; He has called us to a standard of Excellence because He is Excellent in all His Ways and if we truly belong to Him, doing things His way should not be a burden to any.

Where are you, in your relationship with God? God is right here--waiting to embrace us in right relationship with Him.

Save Us Lord!

"Many times He delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. Yet He took note of their distress when He heard their cry; for their sake He remembered His covenant and out of His great love He relented,. He caused all who held them captive to show them mercy. Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise." (Psalm 106: 43-47 NIV)

On an individual level--personal and unique to each of us--how many times has The Lord delivered us and in our rebellion, we turned again to do that from which we had been delivered?

And though this passage specifically referred to the Children of Israel with whom the covenant was made, does it not yet apply to "Spiritual Israel," all who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior? Every nation who has within its boundaries, Believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, is now Spiritual Israel and so this passage speaks to every born-again Believer.

What has held us captive? Some have been held captive to addictions--drugs, alcohol, sex, prolific lying, stealing, abusive behaviors, and all manner of things which keep us in need of a Savior. Some are held captive by people--chained by ideologies that have never worked and yet people keep trying to instill them or beat people over the head with them. Some are literally held captive at the whim of sadistic people who think they have a right to do whatever they wish to other people. Some could say America is being held captive by elected officials who either don't right from wrong or don't care. This is especially sad when many proclaim to know our Risen Savior, but don't have to a clue as to how to uphold The Word in all they do.

Some are held captive by spouses who use manipulation and threats to control.

And some of us are held captive by fear and doubt--we don't know how to move forward and don't have the courage or boldness to seek methods of setting ourselves free--through The Word and obeying Holy Spirit.

How on earth can we expect to see others delivered when we need deliverance? Can those in prisons--locked behind bars--help others to break free when they are not free? Can a drug addict assist another to break the chain of addiction when their own chains are tightened every time they use? Can a spouse (in particular a husband) try to teach someone else how to treat a wife when they haven't learned how to treat their own? Can a preacher instill living a holy life, according to God's Word, when they haven't figured out to live--openly, without fear of disgrace or shame because of their own actions?

It is time--long past time--for the church--The Body of Christ--to get its act together--living according to The Word--and seeing deliverance in the church! We cannot expect to see shackles fall off others when we the chains that bind us, get tighter every day we refuse to repent and relent--totally submitting to God. And this is why the world is in the shape it's in because those who proclaim to know Christ are not living Christ-like lives and so those who don't know Him, are confused by what we say when it doesn't match what we do.

"Let all God's people say, Amen!"

Now that we agree that we need to do something about the condition of the world--our nation, our neighborhoods, our communities, our families, our society, however we see it--let's get off our butts and do something about it. We've prayed, now it's time for action for prayer without action is totally pointless. Save us Lord!

The Reality of Religion!

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither is circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation." (Galatians 6:14,15 NIV)

In response to questions raised by the church in Galatia, Paul attempts to convince those who are manipulating others into being circumcised as a means of keeping the law to stop. He reminds them that those who are circumcised don't keep the law and therefore the law is pointless if it is simply a ritual.

There are many people today who try to impress others with their "religiosity" by one means or another. For some, it's who their pastor is, for others it's how often they take communion, and still others who think we are impressed by the denominational banner under which they worship.

If we could ever get beyond the rituals and get into the Relationship, the world would view Believers differently. Unfortunately, we're too busy trying to make sure we keep up with the rituals and because the rituals are divisive, we lose opportunities to witness to others about the work on the cross and God's love for all mankind.

It doesn't what position a person is in when they pray as long as they pray--sincere communication with God, not just murmuring scripted words led by others. I've never understood why anyone thinks a scripted prayer, written by another mortal would be more effective than sincere communication with God.

It doesn't matter what day we use to observe our relationship with God--there are seven days in a week and Jesus said He was Lord of the Sabbath--which means any day we choose to worship, is all right with Him. The reality is--everyday should be a day of worship.

It doesn't matter when we participate in communion or who serves it. Smith Wigglesworth served himself communion on a daily basis and he's considered one of the most revered men of faith. Whether we use wine or grape juice or water or any other liquid--the symbolism is important--not the elements used.

The reality of religion is that most leave out relationship in favor of rituals--that won't change a thing in our lives. Rituals don't deliver, heal, comfort, or guide. They are simply outward expressions devised by mortals to control others and to ridicule those who won't or don't participate.

There are no superior religions or religious groups of people. We are all in need of a Savior and unless we see Jesus as our Savior and accept the work on the cross, the rituals are a waste of time and effort.

So, whether we pray once a day or ten times a day--if we have no relationship with God--we have wasted our time. It is being in relationship with God that motivates our behavior and ignites our promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are not promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the midst of our religiosity--we are simply being religious and are ineffective witnesses of His Goodness.

It's time for a change--let's shed the rituals for right relationship with God and see the world come to know Him, through us!

Let Someone Else Tell It!

"Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth." (Proverbs 27:2 NIV)

If we're going to boast about anything, it should be about our relationship with God, for it is our relationship with Him that prompts our success.

Sometimes, when we read passages of scripture, we get things twisted when we attempt to justify the world's way of doing things and not doing them God's way. Whenever we have success in anything, the first thing we should acknowledge is that it wasn't because of us and the "I" we use to brag should be "He" since it is all about Him.

I am so thankful for Holy Spirit inspiration in the books I've written that He always gets the credit. Some call this foolish, but I know from where the ideas came and how they came together. It is not because of anything I know--for most of which I write about--I didn't know--until He revealed it. Then there are those who call my reluctance to boast about self--false humility or false pride. There is nothing false about my giving God glory over all He does in my life. I know there are some who think everything they accomplish is because of them and not Him. If that's the way they want to think--that's on them. I choose to give God glory because I know, He'll keep speaking to my heart, inspiring other works for people to enjoy.

But what's more important is that others boast or brag about what we've accomplished, and not us. There is nothing sadder than listening to someone constantly talking about what "they've done." Even with my classes, I stopped discussing my achievements as part of my introduction of who I am and decided to have my students discover who I am and what I've accomplished. Then, they write a paragraph summarizing what they discover. When we hold discussions about their discovery, it sounds so much better to hear it from them, than it would have from me.

I have found that to be true--at least for me--for other people as well. I can better appreciate a person's accomplishments when someone else is telling it. When they tell it--even though most think there's nothing wrong with their bragging--it sounds like a person who is needy of attention. When someone else tells it--it sounds like real appreciation and admiration for what has been accomplished.

Now, when we give God the praise for what He's doing in our lives--I don't necessarily see that as bragging on us, but rather Him. I know some will disagree, but I've reached a stage in my life where I know, I'm not needy for attention. If someone remarks on my achievements great, if not great. God knows and He's the only one who can lift me beyond my own ability and let me shine in His glory!

So, before we get so high-minded in seeking the admiration of others that we tell it all--let's allow someone else to tell it--how good and wonderful is our awesome God that He opens doors no man can shut and shuts doors, no man can open. Hallelujah, Jesus!

Fill Us Lord!

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:13 KJV)

Before The Lord can fill us, we must be emptied.

Distrust and anger must be a thing of the past.

Hopelessness must flee in the winds of yesterday,
Doubt and hesitation must be deleted from our minds,
Faith must be renewed by hearing The Word daily,
And when we remove self from achieving God's path,
Open our hearts and minds receiving directions,
Instructions, guidance, wise counsel, from Holy Spirit,
We become broken and contrite, willing Him to mold
Us anew, past forgotten, emptied out waiting to be filled,
With love and hope and desire to please Him, not others.

Compassion riding the waves of hope in our heart that we will
Hear, obey, and do all things that bring Him glory,
Receiving His favor and the favor of men, by obedience
And willingness--to become an empty vessel, making room
For Him to fill us with His goodness, peace, and mercy, and love.

We are emptied of self-concepts that defeat,
And wait with patience for You to Fill Us Lord!

Hypocrites!

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck of your eye,' when all the all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:3-5 NIV)

Why is it that the very people who can always see wrong with others, can never see wrong with themselves?

Always and never--absolutes that are seldom true for any person for any reason. None of us are always right and to say "never" is a pie-in-the-sky-dream that exists only in the minds of those who are so self-righteous they forget they, too, are mere human beings.

When people think they're the only ones who do things right--they usually do the very thing for which they criticize others--setting up a domino effect--because doing one stupid thing, leads to other stupid things being done.

When adults cannot listen or hear others who warn and speak truth, they open the door for all sorts of things to happen and then they want to blame everyone but themselves. Communication is key to any and every situation but when people refuse to talk--to confront issues--and instead allow anger to direct their thoughts, those thoughts lead to doing other things--injustices for others (especially kids), and then that injustice leads to provocation--provoking others to do even more stupid things until finally, the only thing left is a puddle of stupid--with footprints leading to disaster--all because people don't want to confront issues.

So, where does hypocrisy come into the picture? For adults who think they're above reproach and can only mete out unjust punishments, and then claim they are being led by Holy Spirit--they lie and when they lie about being led by Holy Spirit--we know which spirit is actually leading them. Holy Spirit does not provoke people into doing stupid; He does not unfairly judge a matter and mete out inappropriate consequences; nor is He afraid to confront a situation that needs resolution. Holy Spirit does not promote anger that seethes and increases into more stupid acts, but He reminds us of The Word and then when we hear Him, He guides what we say and do.

If we allow our emotions to guide us--Holy Spirit will not overrule them, but when we get the results of our actions--more stupid, then we should recognize that we didn't know what we were doing in the first place.

The simple solution to most problems is simply this--hear Holy Spirit or those who have been observant and see trouble and warned us about impending danger. Listening--avoids the subsequent stupid things that happen that could lead to serious consequences that cannot be reversed. We should all learn to think before we do and then we won't have time to focus on others--pointing out their faults when we refuse to see our own--being hypocrites.

Lord, help us to see ourselves before we ruin the lives of others in our quest to be more than we are. In our imperfections and flaws we have hope because of Your perfect love.  Give us a heart to love as You do, without blame or fault-finding.

Just Give Thanks!

The last two weeks have been filled with "stuff" that didn't need to be. But because God is who He is and I am His, I can still give thanks to Him for always being by my side.

It doesn't matter that people didn't do what they were supposed to do or what they said they would do, I was never alone and so I give thanks.

It doesn't matter that some of the same people who claimed to know how to do things, didn't do them--I still give thanks.

It doesn't matter that those who complained the most did the least, I still give thanks.

In all things we should give thanks. And though things didn't turn out exactly how I wanted them to--God knew and it was, what it was--all that He intended it to be.

I'm grateful for those who did do--what they supposed to do and what they said they would do. I'm grateful for the love of God, giving me strength to sustain energy to get it all done. I'm grateful for the joy He gives--even when we feel like frowning, He gives us a reason to smile.

Nothing is too hard for our God--even though our hearts may hurt over injustice, our bodies scream in pain fighting against the use of muscles we'd forgotten how to use and the joints that rebel over the extended use--necessary to accomplish all that needs to be done.

I'm suffering from brain-cell-leakage, today. Sinusitis, growing cataracts, distractions by the skin cell damage from the sun and too little sleep due to difficulty breathing while lying down. In all this, I am yet alive, giving thanks, just because--He didn't have to wake me, but He did.

Now, I have another chance to encourage someone, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, love on someone who feels unloved, and to give these older bones a real work-out, exercising the ability to lift my hands in praise and just walk out my thanks, looking to Him, the author and finisher of my faith.

When it seems like nothing is working out the way you wanted it to work--just give thanks--for whatever it is and know that all things work together for our good--even if we can't see it--God knows!

A Stronghold in Times of Trouble!

"The Lord reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9:7-10 NIV).

If the Lord reigns--not just in the atmosphere--but in our hearts, the world will know peace. Where there is no peace, we do not acknowledge who He is and do not allow Him to govern our lives. If He is not governing our lives--we fall prey to the influence of the enemy and allow his influence to reign in our lives.

But we don't have to. The Word tells us to "give no place for the devil" and we should heed the Word. But what does that mean?

It means that when we know certain situations or people can open the door for the devil to step in--we should avoid them. Now, there The Word tells us there is no temptation that can confront us that He has not made a way of escape. The escape route that many ignore--is the wisdom to avoid the situation in the first place. If we do not place ourselves or allow others to put us in a position where we can be tempted, we effectively keep the devil's influence out of our lives.

But when we don't--heed wise instruction and warnings--the devil's influence does not creep in--it walks into a situation because we have opened the door. When the devil does what the devil does--influencing others to do what is wrong--who is the guilty party? Is it the one who succumbed to the influence or the one who created the situation by opening the door?

People who have overcome addictions of all types, have nothing to prove to others and especially those who are trying to influence their judgment and behavior. It is not all right for anyone who suffers from addiction to put themselves in harm's way, nor should they put themselves into a position to be influenced by others to do so. When we do things that we know are contrary to Holy Spirit's influence, we cannot say, "this is just a test." No, that is just foolishness.

We would not put a known thief in a room full of valuables and leave them alone, expecting them not to take anything. That's not faith, it's foolishness. The same is true of anything we value--respect, integrity, honor--all should be more valuable than things, and yet we risk allowing the enemy to influence what we do, when we think we know more than God.

The Bible tells us that no one should say when they are tempted, they are tempted by God, but understand we are tempted by our own lusts. We are tempted because of pride and egos and when we allow pride and ego to get in the way of wisdom and making wise decisions, we have no one to blame, but ourselves.

And when temptation wins--the least we can do is to acknowledge how wrong we were in allowing the situation to exist in the first place and not blame others. This is not to say we should condone wrong, but we must accept responsibility for any wrong that occurs and set things right.

Human beings are not God and cannot know everything, but when we allow Holy Spirit to lead us in all things, we limit the opportunities for the devil's influence to operate and manage to maintain peace in our lives. The Lord is a stronghold in times of trouble and when we see trouble coming--we must cry out a warning and seek the refuge of God. If we don't heed the warnings--the stain of guilt is on us--and we need to get right with God while we have the opportunity to do so.

No Holy Spirit guidance--no peace in homes or lives or nations. With Him--as our counselor and comforter--allowing Him to speak into our lives--we have peace with all we meet.