Consider

Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies.He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.” His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims; like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.” Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”? But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror. Psalm 10 NIV

How long, Lord, how long?

I wonder how many people are asking that question right now. Many are wondering how much longer we must wait to see the lunacy in the White House end.

But it's not just the White House--it's the lawmakers who are only considering what is best for the rich--that 2% of the population in the United States. The rest of us--the 98% receive no consideration by them and never have.

How do we know? We have but to look at what's going on around us--the changes in the EPA agency--established to protect consumers against corporate greed as they pollute the air and waters in order to make themselves more money. We have but to look at the cabinet choices of 45--all wealthy and unconcerned about those who fall into the 98% of the population. The real issue here is--the 98% have more power collectively if they don't sit on their butts and not pay attention.

Consider--if you will--how much leverage we have if everyone of the 98% picked up a phone and called their representatives expressing their concerns about the plight of America--with healthcare, environmental protections, and jobs (which have not been addressed).

Consider--if you will--how cutting funds to Planned Parenthood will affect the lives of many impoverished women who will be denied access to healthcare, not related to abortions.

Consider--if you will--how putting a person into a qualified position as the Secretary of Education who has no qualifications to be there. Public Education will surely take a hit and how many of the 98% can afford to send their children to private schools?

Consider--if you will--the fact that coal-mining jobs and much manufacturing won't be making a comeback simply because there is no need for them. The world is moving away from using fossil fuels and considering the fact that coal-mining companies have been given permission to poison the waters, there won't be many people living in an environment where their water supply is toxic. Automation and robotics have taken the place of people in many manufacturing arenas and therefore, unless a person is highly skilled, there won't be jobs.

Consider--if you will--how many people will end up not getting the healthcare they need and will end up dying because of the lack of affordable healthcare.

Consider--if you will--how the Republicans tainted the Affordable Care Act by calling it Obamacare--confusing people simply because they didn't like President Obama.

Consider--if you will--how hatred and acrimony played a part in getting us to where we are in this country--with an idiot in the White House--clearly unfit for the job--and yet, the Christians say nothing all because they want to interfere with a woman's right to choose what to do with their lives.

Consider--if you will--how much longer we'll be able take the barrage of foolishness launched at us on a daily basis before we become a nation of apathy--too frustrated to do anything but wait for the fall-out and if we do that--we all lose.

Perhaps--if people had taken more time to consider all the possibilities before they voted, we would not be in the mess we're in with North Korean attempting to influence another war because it's leader has no respect for ours.

Perhaps--if people had not been so gullible they believed a liar--we would all be in much better shape by now and able to rest in the assurance of the Lord leading the person in the White House. By her actions and life's commitment to helping others--she demonstrated her faith in God. By 45's actions and life of doing nothing other than amassing wealth for himself--he demonstrates he does not know God.

Lord Jesus, only You know the end from the beginning and we thank You for looking out for the 98%--considering us worthy and making a clear path of success for each of us and we continue to serve You and not the dictates of our flesh.

The Path of the Wicked!

 Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be. Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions! Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short. May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along, like a stillborn child that never sees the sun. Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns— whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away. The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.” Psalm 58:1-11 NIV

POLITICS ALERT!

When a person is a sore loser, they snatch at any straw they can find in an attempt to redeem themselves--from falsely promoting an election that is rigged against them to deliberately deceiving the masses by promoting untruths.

Not many people may think about who alerted the media about the letter Director Comey sent to the Republican chairs and the ranking Democrats about the possibility of having pertinent information regarding emails--"connected" to Hillary Clinton's aide. In fact, the director himself provided a misleading missive to those he sent the letter, which was later explained, but too little--too late to keep truth in the forefront. So, the letter had to transmitted to the media by those who sought to re-ignite the embers of a campaign that was burning out with more lies--and the Republicans had more to gain from this information than the Democrats so I'm guessing--the Republicans are responsible for the misinformation promoted.

With a flailing campaign and low poll numbers, the great Deceiver pounced on the breaking news with his own breaking announcement--not waiting for details--but giddy with the idea that his frenzied crowd would be elated and they were with chants of "lock her up" before they knew it wasn't about Hillary. But does that matter in the greater scheme of things with a deceiver? No--mission is accomplished--the die has been cast and the roars of the lion--drowning out truth.

The saddest part of this whole situation is that not one person seems to understand how deliberately this information was handled--designed to create more distrust of Hillary because the other candidate hates to lose. He has gone from cries of "foul play" to igniting insurrection by his followers and on more than one occasion has encouraged others to "take her out." One man has already "inferred" that since he is a patriot, if Hillary wins, he will kill her. That's how dangerous this candidate is--in promoting that kind of hatred in this country, in which no dictator reigns.

How anyone can continue to believe that this character--who falsely claims any knowledge of God, and we can see it in his actions--is beyond me. He is a con man of the foulest magnitude! Supporting him as president of the United States is inviting poison to spread throughout the country and watching it seep into the core of the earth.

Fortunately, for those of us who know Truth and Trust God--his endeavors will not get far, for the righteous know how to pray and expect God to act on behalf of those who truly love Him. No weapon--especially not the lies promoted by hatred--will prosper against those who love The Lord and seek to please Him, only.

A half-truth (cherry-picking details) is a whole lie! And we know where liars will end up for their eternity has already been prepared for them.

"By the end of a day that brought stinging criticism of Mr. Comey from both Democrats and Republicans, he appeared on the defensive, saying in an internal email to bureau employees that he had felt obligated to inform Congress, and “we don’t know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails.’’NYT

Where People Fit!

Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29:1,2
Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.Proverbs 29:6
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.Proverbs 29:7
Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger.Proverbs 29:8
If a wise person goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace. Proverbs 29:9
The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright. Proverbs 29:10
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. Proverbs 29:11

Throughout a person's life, they go through stages--trying to determine where they fit in with life's scheme of things for them.

I believe that however a person turns out--in life--begins with the foundation that is laid when they begin seeing themselves in the environment in which they find themselves. And as such, when people realize what their surroundings are and they can make a difference or simply accept it--they are in position to choose their end in life. Being born into a poverty-ridden environment doesn't mean that's how a person how to end their life. Being born into a gilded society where a person has everything done for them, doesn't mean they will be a better person for it and many end up being morally corrupt.

What I've discovered about many (not all) people who had to work their way to what they wanted (nothing given to them except moral standards), they are more inclined to have a benefactor's heart. They always want to help someone--without fanfare or recognition--just to make sure someone has a chance for a better life.

At the opposite end of this spectrum--those born with "silver/gold spoons" as feeding utensils, usually (not always) end up looking down on those who did not have what they have and have no compassion on those who do not what they were given at birth. They tend to go through life thinking the world owes them and they do for others when they can derive attention for it.

Looking at The Word of God, we see primarily how people fit into specific categories in our general society. Now, note these adjectives are not the labels earned at the beginning of life, but rather near the end of life.

The stiff-necked--after many rebukes--those who refuse to change their ways.

The righteous--those who do what is right according to God's Word.

Evil-doers--those who plot and plan to do evil to others for their own gain.

The wicked--those who thrive on doing evil and enjoy it.

The wise--those who respect and adhere to wisdom from above.

The fool (stupid, idiot) those who have been taught what is right, but rebel against it to go their own way and keep finding themselves in a rut--never moving forward, always blaming others for their outcome since they refuse to accept responsibility for what they do or don't do.

The bloodthirsty--those who do not care about the bloodshed of others in their quest to accomplish their own missions.

Thinking about what we do and why we do it--we should be able to find ourselves in one of these categories. Where do you fit?

On The Journey--Samek!

I hate the double-minded,
But I love Your law.
You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.
Depart from me, you evildoers,
For I will keep the commandments of my God!
Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
Hold me up, and I shall be safe,
And I shall observe Your statutes continually.
You reject all those who stray from Your statutes,
For their deceit is falsehood.
You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Your testimonies.
My flesh trembles for fear of You,
And I am afraid of Your judgments.

The 15th letter (Samech in the KJV) and stanza--man versus God--what men do and what God does.

The writer (and rightfully so) expresses his feelings about double-minded people--those who are on one side of the fence one day and then switch--at will to the other side. This is like politicians--who proclaim to belong to one party adamantly and then switch to the other. James tells us, "A double-minded person is unstable in all their ways." I think most of can see the waffling and teetering between the points of thought of the political candidates now. I'm with the writer on this one--double-minded people cannot be trusted.

However, I wonder if when we're singing our praises to God or even just talking to Him, if we would be better off, not spending so much time talking about those who do wrong. It's not like God doesn't see them or know what they do.

And then there is the arrogance--implied in almost every stanza--"Look at what they do God, but I don't do those things." The writer is constantly telling God how much he loves His laws and His Word, but do we really need to "say" we love His Word or should we just "live" His Word?

Some may not agree with my conclusions and that's perfectly fine. I would like to get into meaningful dialogue with those who truly want to understand and live God's Word before Him.

In some parts of his song, it would appear that he is almost blaming God when he gets into trouble. If his hopes are dashed--it's God's fault? Since God honors our free-will choices (we have to accept the consequences of those choices), it would seem to be that it is not God we need to seek to keep our hopes in Him from being shattered, but we need to seek Him in making our choices.

Now, I realize that we are now living in the 21st century and most of us have a wider depth of knowledge than the writer had at his disposal, but have we changed the way we do things--in particular--in how we talk to God?  The earth is full of wickedness, but do we need to detail all their ways or just pray that all the wicked and evildoers will allow God into their hearts?

I'm not trying to make light of the world's plight, but seeking understanding so I can be a better representative of who God is, and not need to have me in the spotlight.

Lord, help us to hear You clearly and to obey all You desire us to do and to do it all to Your glory for there is none like You!

Blessed to Bless!

"Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked." (Proverbs 10:6 NIV)

The righteous--those living in right standing with God--will always have what they need--food for themselves and plenty to share with others.

The wicked--those who ignore God and His Word--are overcome with violent thinking which leads to violent behavior and will result in the death of them and others.

The righteous are not perfect, but are always trying to please God and are quick to repent when they mess up.

The wicked never acknowledge they are wrong and hate to be corrected.

The righteous are more apt to see the world differently--they see the possibilities for all to succeed in righteousness.

The wicked only see through the eyes of evil--always thinking about how they can obtain what does not belong to them.

The righteous hear God when He speaks and say what He says to all who will listen.

The wicked are carnal and only listen to the dictates of their flesh to determine what they do.

The righteous care for the poor and the needy and will defend their rights before God and man.

The wicked are only concerned about their rights and will violate the rights of others to get what they want and do what they want to do.

God sees the righteous and the wicked and when it rains--it rains on both. When tragedy overcomes the land, both feel the disastrous results. When there seems to be no way out of danger--the righteous seek God, while the wicked seek more wicked. Both have reservations for the end of the matter--at the end of life's journey--heaven is reserved for the righteous and the lake of fire reserved for the wicked.

The righteous are blessed to be a blessing to others and the wicked--are cursed and cause others who follow them to be cursed as well. Which would you rather be--blessed to bless or caused to cursed?

Who's Watching Over You?

The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. Psalm 145:20

Who are the wicked?

The wicked are those who refuse to acknowledge God and certainly won’t live according to His principles.

The wicked see no wrong in doing anything that appeals to their flesh.

The wicked see no wrong in doing anything that makes them look superior to others.

The wicked have no conscience and therefore, they see no wrong in anything they do.

The wicked have no heart to love, just a soulless void that can only be filled with hate.

The wicked care nothing for others and enjoy the plights of the poor.

The wicked do not even honor their own; when one falls into depravity the rest look on with envy and jealous, never mindful of the end results.

So who watches over the wicked? The sworn enemy of God is their overseer and he delights in their depraved thoughts and actions and when one falls  to the bottom of the pit of pitiful, the enemy laughs and moves on to the next one—who doesn’t have a clue or a spine. These are the wicked.

But the Lord watches over those who love Him and even when it seems like one of us is about to fall, an angel by direction of Love swoops in makes sure we do not utterly fall. Those who love God acknowledge Him, praise Him, worship Him and most importantly—obey Him. We obey by loving others—even when they are unlovable and cannot return the love. We love each other enough to respect and honor one another. We love each other enough to be considerate of each other. We love each other enough to tell each other the truth of any matter. We love each other enough to give sound advice and direction in all things. We love each other enough to hurt when one of us hurts, to rejoice when another rejoices and to comfort those who are grieving. Love never takes pleasure in the injustices that many suffer at the hands of a few.

The wicked are not so—they love to see injustice prevail over those who cannot stand for righteousness on their own. And God knows—those who are His and He gives strength to weak, and rest to the weary. He give courageous where there was none and determination to fight through to the end. He gives us boldness that overrides the boldness of the enemy and puts him to shame. He gives us hope—that we will endure to continue the journey upon which God has started us. He gives us love when we were unlovable and forgiveness for our sins. His grace and mercy shall surely follow us all the days of our lives!

What then will follow the wicked?

Who is watching over you and guiding your thoughts?

Are You The One?

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers" (Psalm 1: 1-3 NIV).

Are you the one who is blessed?

Are you out-of-step with the wicked (not going along with everything the wicked--those who never knew God-- do)?

Are you standing on the other side of the street (figuratively speaking)--away from the sinners (those who once knew God, but turned away)?

Are you sitting far away from those who mock (not joining in) those who believe God?

Are you taking pleasure in God's commandment of loving, unconditionally?

Are you reading and meditating on the Word throughout the day?

If you are doing all these things--then The Word says--you shall be like a tree planted by streams of water--always being watered by the Word--establishing deep, strong roots (foundation for living God's way) and you will have good success at whatever you do (everything you do, prospers).

Are you the one?

When we do what God tells us to do we can expect to receive what He says we will get. When we don't--there is still an expectation--though not a pleasant one--we will receive the consequence of our actions.

God help us to be the one who lives according to Your Word so we may blessed with all spiritual and natural blessings in all we do. Remind us on a daily basis to share the love You have poured into our hearts and convince others to seek You for themselves by our conduct and in being a living testimony of Your goodness. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen!

He Sees and Hears!

"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry" (Psalm 34:15).

Have you ever felt like someone was watching every move you made? You're not alone in that feeling.  In fact, we are all being watched--the righteous and the wicked alike--by the One who sees and hears all things. However, when the Lord sees the righteous in trouble, He hears their cries unto Him and responds.

Who are the righteous? Every person who has a relationship with God and is doing what is right in His sight is the righteous. We know that His eyes are in every place, seeing the good and the evil. When we care about maintaining our relationship with Him, we do not do the things we know would displease Him. For when we delight in the Lord (take pleasure in pleasing Him), He gives us the desires of our hearts (when they align with His Word).

We can rest assured in the knowledge that though we will go through trials and tribulations, we will come through them victorious because Jesus forewarned us, through John's Gospel. Sometimes, it just doesn't seem fair that those who live a righteous life suffer the same things as those who don't know God. But if we never had to suffer, never felt persecuted, never been subjected to ridicule and scorn, we would not have a testimony to share with others about how good God is. If we never knew how He can deliver us from evil, how would we be able to share it? If we never knew about His healing virtue, how could we tell someone else?

God--in His infinite wisdom--allows us to "go through" things so He can develop us and then use us to "get through" to others when we can magnify Him in all things. Glory to God! Use us Lord to Your glory! We will come through all the trials, triumphantly--gladly singing His praises and having a testimony about how awesome He is.

If we never had a trial, would we call upon the Lord? If our lives were perfect in every way, would we be able to say, God is good, all the time? If we never had a reason to talk to Him about self or others, would we do it? Think about it! God wants us totally dependent upon Him, as His children, so He can provide everything we need--proving Himself to be a great Father! Oh yes, He is God and He is God all by Himself and I am so thankful and grateful for His love that I would not have my life any other way--depending on Him for everything!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the trials and tribulations that You allow to come upon us to make us strong so we can tell others of Your goodness. We thank You for loving us enough to come down to our level and for saving us from ourselves. We thank You for providing for us--everything we need and our hearts' desires. Help us to stay focused on You and to be willing to share--our testimonies so others will come to know You for themselves. Amen!

Saved (excerpt 2)

Sinner vs Wicked
“The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29).  Some people have used this scripture to support their belief that God does not hear the prayer of the sinner (not the wicked).  If this were true, then no sinner could be saved.  We know that God indeed hears the prayers of sinners (who are seeking repentance) because if he didn’t, where would we be?

The sinner is one who knows the way and chooses to take short cuts along the way; sometimes getting lost, but finding their way back. The wicked have never come into the knowledge of who Jesus is or what He has done for us and will persecute those who do believe.  The wicked are those who do not have a conscience and could care less about how their actions affect anything or anyone else. The wicked are totally self-serving and narcissistic.  The only thing that matters to them is them. The wicked are found in high places and in low places.  They are found in church and outside the church.  The wicked see themselves as a god and acknowledges no other authority than themselves. (Psalm 36:1) These are the truly wicked.

Sinners have to know the will of God in order to subvert it. The wicked do not know the will of God, nor do they care to know it.  They are a law unto themselves.  Indeed the Lord is far from the wicked because He has never been acknowledged by them and as such, has no obligation or relationship to honor with them.  The difference then is the sinner can be saved while the wicked has no hope. We have to remember that the Word of God tells us that He has created the wicked to fulfill His purposes.  Once we know the difference between a sinner and the wicked, we must determine who we are and what it is we want or where we want to spend eternity.  It is now time to make a commitment to be in a position to receive God’s best.

This excerpt is from, Saved, But Not Yet Delivered! available on amazon.com