Where Are The Watchmen? (Part 3)

Son of man, say to the Israelites, "This is what you are saying: "Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?" 'Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?" Ezekiel 33:10,11 NIV

If we are--born-again, true Believers and know we are Spiritual Israel--do we hear Ezekiel speaking to us now?

For those who are truly Believers and know their role as watchman, we hear and we must continue to warn the people to turn from their evil ways. Turn now, while they yet have a chance.

I'm going to go on the wall today, beseeching the Republican Congress to turn--turn from the wickedness that allowed them to sit in Congress today; turn from the evil they put into the White House, and turn back to God--acting with integrity and knowing how to live as Christ wants us to live.

Turn--from the evil that keeps them from seeing the devastation they wish to put upon the poor and needy, depriving them of the ability to live long healthy lives.

Turn--from the evil of greed and corrupt riches and see God in all they do, knowing our God is not concerned with material riches, but the state of the soul in all things.

Turn--from having a blind eye, disavowing everything revealed about the current evil that resides in the White House and all they do to erode democracy.

Turn--from being obsessed with power--illegitimately obtained with the help of Russian hacking and disinformation.

Turn--from disavowing truth with deflections, distractions, denials, and distortions created in the minds of evil people who will face truth.

Turn--from feeding main stream media misinformation and outright lies just to support talking points of a deluded party.

Turn--from misleading the gullible and creating an atmosphere for their continued frenzy of hatred and bigotry.

Turn--from the loyalty to party and turn back to loyalty to country, upholding your oaths of office.

Turn--from trying to appease corporate donors and the wealthiest of the population when it will bring ruin to many families.

Turn--from promoting attitudes of superiority, feeding the hate-filled frenzy of the white supremacists and other hate groups.

Turn--from thinking that God is not watching or has turned a blind eye to the lies and corruption bubbling over on a daily basis.

God is not mocked and knows the heart and intent of everyone--those who believe in Him, obey Him and those who don't.

The Republican-led Congress is not doing anything to benefit Americans, but to destroy American democracy to appease a madman who knows no truth, and will sell America to the highest bidder, which happens to be Russia--to compensate for his debt to them.

How long O Republicans will you not do your jobs? How long O Republicans will you allow 22 million Americans to suffer? How long O Republicans will it take for you to admit your role in the corrupted 2016 Election? How long will you deny participation in the most devastating corruption of a Presidential election of our times. How long? How long? How long will it take you to turn back to God--confessing, repenting, and resigning? Is saving face by going along with the foolishness more important than saving our democracy?

You have a responsibility to America to do what's best for all Americans and if you abdicate your responsibility, whatever happens to you is what you deserve.

I'm seeking the support of every American, regardless of political affiliation to support my run for president in the 2020 election. I am more than qualified to fill the position per Constitutional requirements and understand how government runs, have no Russian ties or Connections, no political baggage to lug around, love to read and write and don't play golf. I am wise enough to know what I don't know and to seek the expertise of those who do know and heed sound advice. My integrity does not have a price tag attached nor do I cave to intimidation or bribes. If this sounds like the type of person you want for president, please let me know I can count on you when I declare my candidacy, officially, at a later date.

Where Are The Watchmen (Part 2)

"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, 'You wicked person, you will surely die," and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will for die for their sin and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn them the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved." Ezekiel 33:7-9 NIV

Where are the wicked, O Lord that I might warn them to give up their wickedness? If we believe we are called to be watchmen, this should be our daily cry--where are they so we can warn them and not have to be concerned about their blood being on us.

This one truth I have learned long ago: My job is tell people what God said; I do not have to convince them, they have a right to accept or reject what is said. If I don't tell them what God says, then I put myself in jeopardy, and no one--absolutely no one--is worth me losing my mansion in heaven.

Therefore, I will continue to sing His praises and telling the world--every chance I get--confess, repent, and seek a better relationship with Him. This is especially true of those in the White House. Every day, more information is revealed that there is indeed collusion, coordination, cooperation, participation with Russia and that Russia has been instrumental in installing the current resident.
 Someone needs to sit down with history books, the Constitution, the Declaration of the Independence, and the Bill of Rights, read and understand in order to help this country move forward with a better understanding of what a Patriot really is. A Patriot cares about the country and will stand upright, ready to fight for country, more than aligning themselves with a president.

Here's the Word from God--though paraphrased for contemporary use--for all the GOP including trump and clan.

 

I will keep saying this until the evil is removed from the White House and sanity is restored across the nation. Though wickedness may reign for a moment, its time is coming and all the world shall see how God deals with those who commit wickedness against His people.

Please continue to read Ezekiel 33 for I shall continue with Part 3, another day. Sometimes, we simply need to meditate on segments until they are deeply rooted in our hearts so we'll know how to move forward.

In the meantime, I shall continue laying the foundation--alerting the masses that I'm running for president and seeking their support. I believe as an Everyday American, with no Russian ties, no political baggage and no celebrity status that I can and will serve Americans well.

Repent!

“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Acts 3:17-20 NIV

You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Acts 8:21-23 NIV

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” Acts 17:30-32 NIV

When we completely turn away from things that we know God does not like, and turn to Him, God honors our repentance and forgives our sin. If we do not repent and continue in the ways of ignorance and wickedness; He does not forgive us and will hold us accountable for our actions. 

For all those who think they have no need to seek God's forgiveness--they have only themselves to blame for the judgment that is sure to come.

Get into God's Word, know how He wants us to live and treat others--loving unconditionally, and defending the rights of the poor and needy and whenever we fall short--quickly repent and seek His direction and forgiveness.

What Have We Done?

Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away. “But let no one bring a charge, let no one accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest. You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother— my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.  Hosea 4:1-7 NIV

Do we not pay attention to the past--the history that is written or told--the events in life that destroyed, both the young and the old?

Did we not know how lies and falsehoods tend to overtake truth when truth is not repeatedly told and then evil influence rises higher than mountains, more destructive than swelling seas?

Were we not looking at how nations--once great civilizations--now no longer exist and if we noticed, did we not understand that if we do not learn from history--and the mistakes made--we are doomed to repeat it?

From the despicable Nero to Hitler and others--all with a mindset to rule--single-handedly, dictators and despots--destroying lives with lies and propaganda designed to make them look better when actually they were the worst of human nature. Did we not know that evil permeates the minds of those who are vulnerable and gullible and look to men instead of God for truth and then we have a mess on our hands that man cannot fix?

Narcissistic natures who tend to be megalomaniacs have a pathological tendency to lie and lie and lie and will say anything to convince others they are the only ones who are right and yet they are truly wrong and will destroy and convince others to join them in the destruction of mankind. Were we not paying attention or did we think we were so spiritually deep we did not need to pay attention? See how the enemy plays with the minds of those in leadership, enticing them to believe lies--though they have ears to hear--they do not listen to God.

And because those in leadership have failed to hear God and say what He says, about all things, we now enter a stage or phase that some will not survive--because of the lies promoted just to control the masses and now the masses will decrease in numbers until the only ones left are those the devil will engulf in the flames they lit.

What have we done? If we haven't figured it out--we need but to keep watching and listening and then doing nothing for the bottom will fall and all hopes crumble because we were too foolish to pray and humble ourselves--obeying God only, not man.

Is it too late to undo what we've done? God alone has the answer and now we will see just how many have the courage and boldness to hear Him when He speaks and do what He says, willing to move mountains to turn things around, so all will have an opportunity to prosper and thrive under the leadership of one who at least "hears and honors God" when He speaks.

Lord,

You said if Your people would humble themselves and pray, seek Your face, repent of their wicked ways, You would hear from heaven and heal the land. We humbly ask You to forgive us for thinking we did not need Your direction in all we do; especially in this election. Cover us with Your mercy, truth and grace and allow those who truly love You to provide remedy and relief so others won't suffer needlessly because Your elect leaders failed to tell people the truth.  You are the only wise God and we seek You to make a way out of this situation before there is no room for repentance by all involved in the travesty we see unfolding on a daily basis. You know our hearts and thoughts from afar and now we ask You to speak to the hearts of those who are willing to hear You and reset this course of destruction back on the path of Your divine instruction. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen!

Repentance and Forgiveness!

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:9-14 NIV

In order for us to receive forgiveness, we must willing to admit when we're wrong. If a person can never admit being wrong or in need of forgiveness, how can they be forgiven?

Many are those who always cry, "forgive, forgive" but that's only when it pertains to someone else, not them. And the other side of the coin is--the person who keeps doing wrong, never repents of the wrongdoing--never turns away from doing wrong--because they never admit they are wrong. Apologies--it would seem to some--are for losers and therefore--a winner never apologizes for anything--in their mind. So, if there is no admittance or apology, there can be no forgiveness for if there is--it is just a matter of words, not sincerity since true forgiveness, comes with a change of heart.

We are told--in The Word--that from the abundance of the heart--the mouth speaks. From that we can conclude by what we hear--what is in a person's heart. If all we hear is hatred and bigotry, lies and finger-pointing, then what we hear is what's overflowing in their heart.

If we attach a color to every trait or virtue--what color would our hearts be? We've heard of people having a black heart (pure evil), but is that what resides within us? For all those virtues that are positive--love, joy, hope, forgiveness, humility, and sincerity,--let's color them yellow. For all the negative traits--lying, hatred, bigotry, fear-mongering--let's color them black. Now, let's take a look at what appears to be a halo over people--is it light or is it darkness? Darkness does not drive out light, but light certainly drives out darkness so it would benefit all for us to have light in our hearts rather than darkness.

Not one of us--living past the age of seven--can say we've never done anything wrong. And as kids, when we did something wrong we were punished--if we had loving parents. As adults, we have to recognize when our behavior is not conducive to maintaining peace or when infringing upon the rights of others. When we do wrong--we admit it--apologize and seek forgiveness and let it go, not holding grudges.

When we repent--turn away from those things that offend God and turn to Him to stay on the right path, He forgives and never reminds us of all the wrong we've ever done. But the enemy--the prince of darkness--will always seek a way to get into our minds to remind us of what we've done in hopes of keeping us distracted. We don't have to let the enemy influence our thoughts or our deeds. We simply have to remember who it is we serve and serve Him with gladness and joy in our hearts.

However--if we never acknowledge doing wrong--there is no true repentance and therefore forgiveness is not received. For what we do not admit when we're wrong, God cannot forgive us. And if we say we're sorry for doing something when we are not--the lack of sincerity will be revealed in our continued wrongdoing.

Beloved, let's love one another with a sincere heart--allowing the light of hope and joy to override the darkness impelled by fear and hatred. God is love and if we love Him, we can love others for love resides in our hearts in abundance. And if we love, we can forgive when others admit their wrongdoing and we should not hold it against them.

It's Time To Repent!

Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! Ezekiel 14:2-6 NIV

The Word of The Lord!

If we keep our focus on Him--the Sovereign Lord--and worship only Him, we would not need to repent of detestable practices, but since we don't--we need to repent!

But many will say, "Repent of what? I've done nothing wrong."

When men and women see themselves as the only authority in their lives, then there is a need to inspect what they do, measure it against The Word, and see if what they're doing is based upon The
Word or their own desires. Once they realize--how out of order they are, they need to repent--turning away from whatever they're doing that is not like God and turn to God and do things God's way.

So, here's the list of things we need to repent from:

We need to repent from lying and spreading falsehoods just to make a point.

We need to repent from supporting, endorsing, and enabling those who are doing ungodly things.

We need to repent from promoting fear, hatred, and bigotry to win people's hearts with an ungodly strategy.

We need to repent from worshiping people.

We need to repent from doing ungodly things.

We need to repent from trusting people more than we trust God.

We need to repent from seeking the news media outlets for truth rather than seeking God's Wisdom and His Truth in His Word.

Once we repent from doing all the things that we know are not like God, and ask Him to forgive us, then we will see restoration--of civility, and the promotion of love and the establishment of peace.

Without repentance--totally turning away from ungodliness and a complete turn to God--there is no forgiveness. God knows our hearts and insincerity has no place in our lives when we are seeking God to guide us.

Believers know or should know the heart of God and His desire for all to love and live in peace. It's time for us to repent of any wrongdoing--according to God's Word--and do things God's way. We are His ambassadors--the example of who He Is--but if we are living in opposition to His Word--the world will never know who He Is and how much He loves all who come to Him.

A Divine Do-Over!

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:1-8 NIV

With many of the video games kids and adults play (we're Wii gamers), the player can start the game over if their score is in jeopardy. In life, we don't get many chances to improve our score when our decisions cause us jeopardy, but there is a divine do-over, that every person has an opportunity to receive.

We are born of a woman--a female whose reproductive system functions as God designed and that process includes a fetus living in "water" (amniotic fluid) until it makes an appearance in the visible world. This is the first birth. Because of our flawed and imperfect natures--prone to doing the wrong thing no matter how "religious" we think we are, we do not have the power on our own to change who we are. However, when we're born of the Spirit of Christ (the second birth)--having accepted the gift of salvation because of the work on the cross--Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, we get the Divine Do-Over.

I wish I had the time to really delve into this subject this morning, but I'll have to summarize because of my restricted time. If we look at the rest of this chapter regarding the life of Jesus and we get to the best known (hopefully) passage of scripture, we see why Jesus had to come. "For God so loved the world (the people in it) that He gave His only Son (He came in the flesh) so that whoever believed in Him would not perish, but have eternal life (after the first death). He did not send His Son to condemn the world, but to provide an opportunity for the world to be saved through Him" (John 3:16,17 paraphrased).

That was His purpose. The methodology was taking upon Himself the sins of the world and being crucified on the cross, dying (for a moment), being resurrected, returning to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, but leaving His Spirit in the earth realm so whoever receives Him, has within them the power to not sin, when we are obedient to His guidance. Hallelujah! We have opportunity to repent--from doing things our way which is usually the wrong way, and have divine instruction--daily--if we'll listen and obey--getting a second chance when our lives and souls are in jeopardy--a do-over--to get things right.

I am so thankful for the opportunity for this Divine Do-Over that I simply can't thank God enough for His love and mercy. Surely goodness and mercy indeed follow me all the days of my life. It was His goodness that kept me when I couldn't see through the darkness and His mercy that keeps me on the path of light and love--knowing without Him, I can do absolutely nothing, but with Him--all things are possible!

Victory in the name of Jesus over all the enemy has attempted to do in my life and in the lives of my family (biological and spiritual) and friends is my proclamation all day long! Now, let's dance--thanking God for the Do-Over!

Transform Us, Lord!

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.  Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:1-10 NIV [Please read it all for insight into  David's heart after he committed adultery with Bathsheba]

Before we can expect to see any change in any of us, we must be willing to admit where we have fallen short and then seek God's forgiveness. If we think we have never done anything wrong, we close the door on the transformation that only God can achieve in us.

None of us are perfect--though we strive for perfection as God defines it--not us, so there are areas in us we need to submit to God.

The first area in our lives that we need to submit to God is our "stinking thinking" so we can stop holding our noses. Yes, our thought life is what gets us into trouble and until we submit our thoughts to God, nothing will change in our lives. Why? Whatever we think about--extensively--is what we'll act upon.

David's adulterous act occurred first, in his thoughts--when he watched Bathsheba bathe on the roof top--had he been out with his army, he never would have been tempted. But then, he created a bigger mess having her husband killed. When the prophet Nathan pointed out to him that his deeds were not hidden from God, David repented and we are told that God saw David as a man after His own heart. In other words--when David acknowledged his sins and sought forgiveness--God was pleased. However, that does not mean that we should commit sin and repent in order to please God, but we do have an advocate when we fall short and He is always available to us. Our deeds are not hidden from God!

The second area in our lives that we need to submit to God is our tongue. We must watch what we say at all times. If we think first, then speak--chances are we'll not say things we need to retract or back pedal later. We are admonished to be quick to listen and slow to speak. James warns us that the tongue--the little member--can ignite fires and wars--simply because we will not control it.

The final area--that should be first--is our heart. If we submit our heart to God and allow His love to saturate our being, we'll focus our thoughts on Him, and we'll hear Him when He corrects us, and we'll learn to speak what He speaks. If we never submit our hearts to God, we'll never focus on the things He would have us to focus upon and if our thoughts are not aligned with His, we'll never speak what He speaks because we won't hear Him. We are in need of transformation and this psalm is a perfect--transformational prayer.

Lord, we are in need of help, forgive us for all the wrong we've done and lead us to the path where You want us--submitting to Your will in all things. Transform us, Lord so we'll be more like You--knowing how to love unconditionally all of Your children--without bias or fear or retribution from others. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

Prayer For The Nations!

Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. Isaiah 1:2-4 NIV

Is this how The Lord sees us today?

I can imagine--I have a very vivid imagination--that God is looking down upon the earth, shaking His head in pure amazement at how far we've turned from Him. I can imagine Him thinking about all He has done for the creation--mankind--whom He loves and yet time after time, we have forsaken Him in pursuit of our own carnal desires. I can imagine Him thinking about the lessons we have not learned from events of the past which will revisit us again. I can imagine Him thinking how He wasted His time, coming down and living among men, determined to show us how much He loves, by His death and resurrection. I can imagine the tears falling--in the rain that decimates--because He is so sad with our plight in life. I can imagine Him turning His back to us, stopping His ears so He won't hear us--just as some of us have stopped up our ears and won't hear Him. I can imagine the pain He must feel--when our sin--deliberate actions--opposed to His Word--piercing Him even sharper than the nails that held Him on the cross and the spear that pierced His side. And I can imagine--that the blood flowing--all across the land--is the result of the anguish, He feels--gushing out from Him-- because we will not obey. I can imagine and I'm sure I'm not the only one!

Will we ever learn? Do we not see how our behavior causes God to grieve for us?

There is so much devastation across the globe that has led to loss of life and hope that the only way we can recover is to submit to God, completely. And if we don't, we'll continue to reap the just reward for our behavior.

Father, in the name of Jesus,

We stand before You--guilty as charged--of all You have asked us not to do as Your Children, and repent of our sins. Help us O Lord, to be mindful at all times that You and You alone are worthy of all praise and that we can grieve Holy Spirit when we refuse to obey. Help us to learn from the history recorded in Your Word so we'll not see the captivity of Your children by enemy forces. Help us to understand that every Word--written by inspiration--and recorded has a purpose for our lives. Help us O God to know with certainty when You speak and help us to quickly obey. O God, You have told us repeatedly what we must do in order to receive the blessings You have in store for us. Speak to the hearts of all who belong to You, and ignite in them--repentance and complete submission to You, so all can benefit from the obedience.

Father, You have said in Your Word, that if, "Your people (we) who are called by Your Name, will humble themselves and pray, seek Your face, and turn from their wicked ways, then You would hear and heal the land."

I am Yours and will not seek to please another. I'm seeking Your continued mercy and guidance for all the land and submit to the direction and leading of Holy Spirit and will speak as You give me direction to speak to all who will hear.

Keep us O Lord from receiving the full brunt of Your wrath because of our disobedience and disregard of Your Word. Forgive the ignorance in the minds of all who do not know You and create in them a heart and desire to know You and become one of Yours.

All this we ask and thank You for in Jesus' Name, Amen!

Have We Sought Atonement For Our Sins?

But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” Ezra 10:13,14 NIV

When the people (exiled groups) were assembled in order to determine why God was angry, the conclusion they came to was that there were so many "foreign" women in their midst. Now, the reference here is not about being a stranger in a strange land, but about someone who does not know God or worship Him as the Israelites had been taught to do. I'm clarifying this for a reason since we know--under Grace--not under The Law--we are still discouraged from being "unequally yoked" with unbelievers.

Why does God not want Believers and unbelievers joined in matrimony? It is a simple matter and one in which most of us would shy away from expressing--aloud. Remember Eve's influence over Adam in the garden? Instead of him influencing her--she enticed him to eat the forbidden fruit. Since that time--it would appear--women have held enormous influence over men, especially in the area of disobeying God. Even sadder is the fact that gullible men allow themselves to be led into disobedience and open the door for sin to reign.

When Ezra brought the people together they decided that the officials should determine what to do--the men who had not been influenced by the strange women--and it was determined that the men who had married the strange women needed to send them away so they could seek atonement from God for their sin.

Is there anyone who can officiate over such an assembly today--one who would hear from God and inform the people that in order to turn God's wrath from them, they would need to turn from sin and separate themselves from those who enticed them away from doing God's Will?

None of us are perfect and without sin in our lives, but that's why grace is ours today. Jesus has made atonement for our sins and we choose--just as they did in the days of old--whether we obey God or not. We cannot blame anyone--especially not women--for the decisions we make because Holy Spirit is available to all. Whether it is a woman or man who leads anyone astray from the path God has established, we need to separate ourselves from them and seek God's forgiveness so we can get back on the right path.

It is truly unfortunate that we do not allow those who have been entrusted in positions of leadership to hear from God and inform the people. Instead, we employ secular mechanisms to make decisions and usually end up going astray, and when things go wrong, we wonder what happened. Have we learned to seek atonement for our sin or do we keep heading in the wrong direction, led by our fleshly desires?

Until we learn to do things God's way, we will never experience a time when His wrath is turned from us. It is time for us to repent and turn away from doing things our way and choose to do what He would have us to do.

Moving Forward With Greater Determination!

The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand, and this is what it said: “There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’ “You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.” I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.” They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. Nehemiah 6:5-9 NLT

Most Believers know the story--Saballat's envy and deceptive ploys to stop Nehemiah from building the wall. And for those who don't know--any good translation of the Bible will reveal the plot to deceive and thwart, but when God has put something on our hearts to do--nothing the enemy does, will matter. When Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer, prayed and repented for the people, he went before the king with his request to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem. "And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests." Nehemiah 2:8 NIV.

The first chapter of Nehemiah contains his prayer and why he was praying. The second chapter reveals his requests and the king's response. After that--the story unfolds as the challenges, the belittling and persecution those who were working on restoring the wall endured. And when Sanballat conspired to stop the rebuilding, God strengthened all the workers involved and by His spirit--kept Nehemiah encouraged and determined to complete the mission.

Perhaps, there are some people today who want to have something restored in their lives and need the courage to complete the mission--regardless of the challenges set before them. Perhaps, there are some already in the process of completing a mission and need encouragement to keep going to finish the task.

Perhaps, what is getting in their way, is the lack of repentance and submission to God's Will. Prayer--for all involved in the task--and repentance is in order. When we speak to God in sincerity, recognizing our shortcomings and the wrong paths we've taken, He is faithful and just and will hear and honor our requests.

Now, we have a job to do. God has put on our hearts a variety  tasks that only we can do and those tasks vary for every individual. Hear God and know what He wants done in your life and then--be determined to move forward. When obstacles get in the way, pray--asking God for strength to endure and move forward with greater determination to get the job done to the glory of God.

Gather your courage, pray for endurance, and keep moving forward with greater determination to do all God has put on your heart to do!

But Jesus!

I've faltered at many intersections
Shaking my head, wondering why
Some seem to get all the breaks
And some--just never get any.

Continuing on this journey in life
Making wrong turns, taking bad advice,
Wondering when the nightmare will end
And I can see clearly the road that I take.

I'm no different from anyone else,
Like them, I've made my share of mistakes--
Some that could have cost me my life,
Some that could have ended another's
While I foolishly rebelled, doing everything wrong,
But Jesus--came into my life--and chased away
The Blues, forgiving all my wrongs, giving me a new song,
One that I sing, when I rise,  and all through the day,
I have a Savior, Who loves me in spite of me,
And I'm grateful For His Intervention, showing me The Way!

If you're like I once was, here's a bit of advice,
Don't let the enemy cheat you out of receiving God's Best
By falling for his deceptions and listening to his lies,
God's love for you began before you were and like me,
One day  soon You'll be able to say, "But Jesus!"

When The Leaders Weep Before The Lord!

Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” Then the LORD was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. The LORD replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. “I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things!  Joel 2:16-20 NIV

Instead of being fearful about the situations broiling around us, the church leaders should be weeping--crying out in repentance and turning away from all the wrong they have done as an example to the people, so they too will weep before The Lord.

Until leaders--in any capacity--recognize the wrong they have done and repent and cry unto The Lord for forgiveness, not much is going to change and if nothing is going to change, we will reap the consequences of our sinful, unrepentant behavior.

Our God--the God of heaven and all Creation is the same--yesterday, today and forever. Whatever He promised the people He chose, then is relevant today. Through the prophets we are warned and if we do not heed the warning, we are doomed to suffer the same as the people did then--we put ourselves in position to be held captive, scorned, and ridiculed.

We should never concern ourselves about those who do not believe--those who are influenced by the enemy, who try to tell us--"there is no God!" For them, there are no gods that will save them, but there is One who loves enough to save us from ourselves when we obey.

For the church leaders who beat up the congregations by trying to heap all the problems of the world on their heads--repent and weep before The Lord--owing your own sin and seek His forgiveness.

For the church leaders who do nothing but raise money for community causes or are more political than Godly, but never teach The Word or the consequences of sin--repent and weep before The Lord--owning your lack of responsibility in teaching Truth.

For the church leaders who are more concerned about adding numbers to the church--repent and weep before The Lord--recognizing that God is not in the numbers in a building, but the condition of the hearts of the people.

For the church leaders who live according to the dictates of the flesh and co-sign like behavior within the congregation of the church--repent and weep before The Lord.

For the church leaders who are doing everything they can to please God--stay the course--weeping before The Lord on behalf of all who refuse to hear Truth and obey.

When the church leaders understand the need for them to stay before The Lord--in repentance, and out of compassion for the people--change will come and no one will ever be ashamed to acknowledge our Living God and we will move towards peace in the land!

How We Get Rest and Peace With Him!

“Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” I Kings 8:56-61 NIV

Solomon's prayer for the Children of Israel is just as relevant today as it was then. We need peace in the land so all can rest from the uncertainty that stems from all the hate and upheaval. "Oh that man would cease from strife over trivialities that mean nothing."

People are concerned about things that they have the power to conquer if they would just learn from the wisdom of those who have walked the earth before us. There is no savior in the person of any political candidate, modern-day hero, or any other such person. We have a Savior and His name is Jesus!

Did He not tell us to cast all our cares upon Him? Did He not tell us that He would give us rest? Did He not tell us we shall peace with Him? If we believe what He said, then why can't we just do what Solomon did?

Let's praise Him all day long, being thankful for all He has done, is doing and will do for those who love Him. If we have unrepented sin in our lives, let's repent, rejoice, and move on--to the victory promised to us in Him.

There's not much I can add to Solomon's prayer and so I wont' attempt to alter it. In fact, all I can say is, "Amen."

Thank You for rest and the peace in Jesus, Lord!

Turning From God Leads To Captivity!

“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you. “Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. “Now arise, LORD God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness. LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant.” 2 Chronicles 6:36-42 NIV

When we sin against God and uphold wrongdoing--there is nothing left for Him to do other than to allow us to be held captive to our disobedience.

Whenever the people who know God willfully sin--encouraging others to live in opposition to His Word, He removes His hand of protection and lets the chips fall where they may.

If Donald Trump wins the presidential election in November, it is confirmation that God has removed His Hands from us and will allow us to be held captive because of our unbelief and disobedience. It has happened before and it will happen again.

The only thing left for us to do--is to sit back and do nothing--realizing that when we do, we have only ourselves to blame for the consequences that are sure to follow.

Just as the enemies of God's people swarmed around them and defeated them and brought them in shackles, holding them captive, then as indicated in the above-passage of scripture, it will happen again--if Believers don't stand up and be counted, living The Word, and repenting from sin.

This is not a doomsday prophecy, just a reality check for many who either don't know the history of disobedience or forgot and think it can't happen to us.

Wisdom, Lord Wisdom--keep pouring it onto those willing to hear and obey!

On The Journey--TAU!

Let my cry come before You, O LORD;
Give me understanding according to Your word.
Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word.
My lips shall utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.
My tongue shall speak of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.
Let Your hand become my help,
For I have chosen Your precepts.
I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
And Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments. Psalm 119:169-176 NKJV

The 22nd letter and stanza--the last plea in this acrostic poem.

When we veer too far in the wrong direction--trying to be politically correct or to fit in with our contemporaries, do we recognize it and remember God?

Within this last stanza, it appears the writer has engaged in something other than in obeying God's Word and realizes that he needs to turn back. He's begging for God to hear him and to give him understanding of His Word. One might think that the enemy the writer has referenced in earlier passages has led him to engage in activities that are not of God. Is this a passage of repentance? Do we react in this manner when  we fall short?

Help us, Lord! Hear us when we call! When do we think God does not hear us? When we have fallen away from doing His Will. I would guess this is a natural human response--when we do wrong and we know it is wrong--we tend to think God won't hear us and certainly won't respond. But remember this is a time in which the Holy Spirit was not accessible to everyone who believed.

So, why is it--that those who believe now--find it difficult to understand that God hears us--at all times and He sees what we do--at all times?

"Let my soul live and it shall praise You." The writer recognizes that it is our soul--our will to determine right from wrong that will be judged for what we do. And he is asking God to let his soul live and his judgment to come now--giving him another chance to get things right.

We are spirit beings, hosted in a physical body, with a soul--that either is full of light or full of darkness. When we die--according to The Word, our spirits go back to God from whom they were given, the body returns to the dust from which it came and our soul awaits judgment. When we cry unto the Lord for help, it is our soul--recognizing the darkness into which we've fallen--needing the Light to dispel the darkness so we can see how to do right.

The writer admits he has strayed and is lost. Have we reached that conclusion at some point in our journey--we need His guidance all along the way?

Being lost is never a problem when we can seek direction from a reliable source. There is no source more reliable than God's Word. For all who are lost--sinking in moral dilemmas or spiritual demise, help is nearer than we think--we simply have to call on Him, repent of those things we know are not of Him, seek Him for understanding of His Word and then live--a life of abundance--according to His Word!

Can We Afford To Forget After Forgivness?

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 NIV)

There is a common fallacy promoted among Christians that lead to the destruction of the foundation of our faith in The Word. We are told to forgive, not to forget, "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."(Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV).

What we mistake is God's tossing our sins into the sea of forgetfulness and Him saying, He'll remember our sins no more. We are not God and since we have no eternity for anyone, we cannot presume we are.

When we are told to forgive--we should forgive those who cause us harm, but if we forget--we put ourselves into the same position to be harmed all over again. That is not wisdom, and we are told repeatedly to exercise wisdom, once we have obtained it from on high.

One of the reasons the world is in the shape it is--our forgetfulness--we forget what God has said and has done for us and to those who have chosen to rebel against Him. And with each generation who forgets--tragedy falls upon the people. We see this with the reign of the kings who ruled over the Children of Israel--those who remembered what God has said and done for them--prospered; those who forgot caused calamity after calamity to fall upon the people. If we forget history events and learn nothing from them, we open the door for it to repeat itself. And it is usually the negative events that repeat themselves.

We are not to hold grudges against people when we forgive--that does not mean we forget. Jesus tells us to forgive--seventy times seven--He never says to forget. The seventy times seven does not mean we keep forgiving a person for doing the exact same thing. That is not wisdom and if we are to grow--become mature in The Word--we need to know how to rightly interpret what is said and understand the intent and purpose.

We can forgive a debt owed to us, but that doesn't mean we should allow a person to become indebted to us again--knowing their history for ignoring their obligations. We can forgive someone who has abused us, but that doesn't mean we stay in their presence--giving them opportunity to keep abusing us. We can and should forgive people--but we should never forget. "Wisdom is the principle thing" and without exercising wisdom, we never move forward and wonder why we are stuck in a rut.

I'm thankful that God is God and that He forgives us our sins, but His forgiveness does not negate the consequences, nor does it mean we should keep sinning. When we repent of our sins, turning away from those things we have done--not to do again, He forgives and forgets. If we keep doing the same thing over and over again, we have not repented, and He is not obligated to forgive or forget.

We must forgive the acts by people who don't know any better--but we don't hold any grudges against anyone--it only creates difficulty for us. However, we should never forget--so we don't give them opportunity to repeat themselves.

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!

Defeating Grace!

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that ALL of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:1-4 NIV).

What shall we say--about sin and the grace given to us--when we didn't deserve it--giving us another chance to get living right for God? What shall we say about God's mercy--that kept us from receiving what we did deserve--when we knowingly opted to live in sin and yet, He loves us so much He was not willing to let us lay in the muck and mire we created for ourselves? Do we really understand that when we deliberately keep sinning--after all He's done for us--we defeat the entire purpose of grace?

There are many--who profess to love The Lord--who have no idea of the purpose of grace--they tend to get grace mixed up with forgiveness and that God will forgive us for what we do--so they keep living in sin--attempting to justify it, by saying, "God forgives!"

Oh yes, He does forgive us when we repent--turn away from doing all things that dishonor Him. But if people are simply mouthing a request to Him to forgive their sin when there has been no change of heart or turning away from what brought them into position to seek forgiveness--they waste their time. God is not deceived and He knows when they open their mouths, hearts have not been renewed in Him.

And this is what we see in our society's celebration of sin--against God--not man and the tragedy is that they refuse to see the sin; they justify it, and celebrate it, and see no need to repent. Without repentance--there is no forgiveness of sin. No court in the land on earth can ever determine what is sin and what is not. They may legalize  what God has called sin, but they can never redefine sin. And what mere mortals have forgotten is that no matter how many times they change what is legal or what is not--God never changes. Since He is the only person who can determine our place of eternity, I'd rather look to His instructions than man's.

For by grace--God's favor towards us--unmerited, unearned--have we been saved by the finished work on the cross. There is no more need for God to come down to offer Himself a sacrifice for us--that was completed over a long time ago--on the Old Rugged Cross, where He gave His life--took on sin so we would not have to suffer the consequence for sin--death. For the wages--the payment, final consequence of sin--is death. Accepting the finished work on the cross in the person of Jesus Christ, puts us into a position to develop a right relationship with Him and to know and understand more about how He wants us to live our lives--sin-free--honoring the grace He has given.

To continue to live in sin and celebrate it as a lifestyle defeats the grace given and we make a mockery of the finished work on the cross. Jesus sacrificed Himself in vain for some since they do not recognize the benefit of His sacrifice. For all who will not repent, they have only the lake of fire to expect as their eternal resting place. What a shame!

But for those of us who understand, let's move forward, maintaining our faith in Him and living to please Him so He will give us the desires of our hearts and stamp our names on our mansions in heaven--the place prepared for those who obey God. We accept the grace given and will not allow its purpose to be defeated in our lives. Hallelujah!

Offering Our Complete Selves to God!

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness."(Romans 6:11-13 NIV)

When we are "dead" to sin, we do not allow its stench to be a part of our lives. We know sin has a horrific odor because anything that is dead stinks--and when death occurs of any fleshly thing--the flies gather and other insects that feed off dead things. But with the death of sin--no longer allowing it to reign in our lives--because we are yet alive, physically--there is a sweet fragrance--pleasing to God--that emanates from us and is seen in everything we do. And we offer up ourselves to Him--in total submission to all He has said--the sacrifice of praise for living a Godly life and He rewards us with an eternity with Him.

When our whole beings-- our minds, our mouths, our tongues, our ears, our eyes, our hearts, our hands--our entire bodies--especially those parts that are ignited and stirred by thoughts of sin--are submitted to Him, our focus is Him, not us. When our focus is Him and not us, He gives us the power to resist participating in sin and when we submit to God, we can ignore the enemy and he will flee from us.

How do we submit to God--completely? We repent of any sin in our lives and get into The Word. We read The Word--everything--one segment at a time and then meditate on what we've read. When we understand The Word, we begin applying The Word to our daily lives. We pay attention to what we read--and will not allow our eyes to stray to ungodly images or communications by any means. We will not watch television shows or movies or videos that promote sin, enticing us to return to the evil.

We pay attention to the music we hear and we will not listen to people or music that could return us to the stench we given up--once and for all.

We keep our minds on things above and not those below--without becoming so heavenly minded we are of no earthly good.

We submit our hearts to the circumcision needed to cut away anger, malice, bitterness, jealousy, envy, and hatred and allow God to fill us with His love to overflowing.

We submit our tongues and mouths to saying only those things that please God and will not grieve Holy Spirit with filthy language that only demonstrates who is really reigning in our lives.

We submit and hands and feet to sharing the good things God has given us with others in promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We submit our hormones to Him to be used in the righteous act of sexual activity--marriage with one man and one woman--and we will not allow the masses of public opinion persuade us to do otherwise.

When we offer ourselves completely to God, He will direct our paths and on His paths--the journey leads to greatness and success in all we do.

What are we waiting for? It's time to offer our complete selves to God--so all glory is His!