Another Year Gone

Wow, what would we have all thought 30 years ago if we'd have known the Lord was not going to return by 2008? Do you think anyone would have thought it better? Or worse? It's quite a deal to scan the headlines down the side of this page. Craziness abounds.

Well, 2009 rolls in tonight. I hope you all have the greatest year of your lives, coming up. There are bound to be hardships, but many rewards, too, for those who are seeking the Lord. Remember... it's His economy, it's His calendar, it's His schedule.

I want to say a huge thank you to my spiritual family for getting me and my (physical) family through a tough year. What would I do without all of you? You are more precious than gold - which is another reason it seems silly to go out and try to earn more gold!

Next year - in Jerusalem!

Flawed

We play the game well, sometimes. Christianity, spirituality, devoutness... Everyone seeks something, the question is 'what'. I like watching the NFL, for obvious reasons. What I wonder the most, however, is how much glory can a man gain for himself on his own merit? A few million dollars worth?

I'd love to be that gifted, physically, but I also wonder if I'd have the humility to give God the glory and seek Him, despite money or fame or anything else. Being a computer geek takes that pressure off...

This spans beyond the physical, naturally. Many wish they could have what their pastor has, or their spiritual mentor, but few are willing to pay the price. The anointing has a price. Trials, heartaches, toil in the spirit, fighting lions and bears in private - this all takes a toll. It's not unlike working out in the gym after hours.

For Elisha, he sought Godliness. When offered, he asked for a double portion from his mentor, Elijah. (Why do we only ask for double? Are we just lazy?) As we all know, he got his wish, but HOW? For one, he left his little prophet buddies on the opposite side of the Jordan river (not everyone is going to be willing to cross the Jordan with you, after all) and he did not let Elijah out of his sight. He received the double portion. Incidently, Elijah supposedly did 16 publicized miracles, and Elisha was ultimately responsible for 32. I'll let someone else do that homework.

Now... Gehazi 'should' have been in prime position to do the very same thing. Maybe even a TRIPLE OR QUADRUPLE portion from his master Elisha! Ask. Seek. That type of thing. But Gehazi had a hangup. He was flawed.

2Ki 5:20-27
(20) when Gehazi, servant to Elisha the Holy Man, said to himself, "My master has let this Aramean Naaman slip through his fingers without so much as a thank-you. By the living GOD, I'm going after him to get something or other from him!"
(21) And Gehazi took off after Naaman. Naaman saw him running after him and jumped down from his chariot to greet him, "Is something wrong?"
(22) "Nothing's wrong, but something's come up. My master sent me to tell you: 'Two young men just showed up from the hill country of Ephraim, brothers from the guild of the prophets. Supply their needs with a gift of seventy-five pounds of silver and a couple of sets of clothes.'"
(23) Naaman said, "Of course, how about a hundred and fifty pounds?" Naaman insisted. He tied up the money in two sacks and gave him the two sets of clothes; he even gave him two servants to carry the gifts back with him.
(24) When they got to the fort on the hill, Gehazi took the gifts from the servants, stored them inside, then sent the servants back.
(25) He returned and stood before his master. Elisha said, "So what have you been up to, Gehazi?" "Nothing much," he said.
(26) Elisha said, "Didn't you know I was with you in spirit when that man stepped down from his chariot to greet you? Tell me, is this a time to look after yourself, lining your pockets with gifts?
(27) Naaman's skin disease will now infect you and your family, with no relief in sight." Gehazi walked away, his skin flaky and white like snow.

In this case, Gehazi was ruled by greed, and that prevented him from ever receiving the anointing of God. It could have been imparted to him, but he never put himself in a position to receive it. Rather, he received judgment.

We may or may not follow someone like Elijah or Elisha, but who 'do' we follow? Someone with a checkbook or someone with an anointing? Are we in a position to receive it? Double? Triple? More? Do we have a character flaw that needs to be ripped out? God is able, if we are willing.

The Name of God

It's nice to be back from the great WHITE north. My internet access there was limited, so it's nice to be back in the saddle as far as that goes.

I've been reading about the name of God. When conversing with Moses, God said, "Tell them that I AM sent you." Moses was the first to know this name of God - it was a privileged information. Translated, it could also mean "I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE". Don't you just love that? That is something that only GOD could say. That is HIS Name.

Now in the Hebrew, it translates into the tetragrammaton, or the "Four Letters": YHWH. Yood, Hey, Vav, Hey are the letters that in the English, we pronounce respectfully as Yahweh.

To the Jewish people, this is the 'unpronounceable' name of God, and they did NOT pronounce it. Many still do not. Instead, they substituted the name for good sir or Lord in Hebrew: Adonai. Here is where it gets more interesting.

The Hebrew typically does not show written vowels. Instead, they have a method of placing dots under the words (consonant strings) that give direction on how to pronounce the word. So the YHWH would have dots underneath it IF it were written correctly.

What the scribes did was write the Hebrew for Yahweh but place the pronunciation dots for Adonai, since that was what was pronounced when scriptures were read. This created a great problem for those who translated from Hebrew to Greek and then Latin and then... English. When you take Yahweh but pronounce it with vowels from the word Adonai, you get the word 'Jehovah'.

In case you ever wondered... I thought this fascinating.

Beautiful

Today we traveled - 12 hours - with two 8.5 mo old girls. I've not exactly been at ease about this trip. In fact, the stress has been gradually building and building. There were just so many variables. When do we leave? What happens if someone gets 'upset' and we're still 2 hours from civilization? What might civilization look like, a 20-degree outdoor Shell station bathroom? What about... snow? Or ice?

It really boils down to my faith taking a real hammering, and despite all the reassurance, I stayed wound up about the trip. I awoke at 4am with the intent of being on the road by 5. You know how that goes... we were on the road by 6:15. God is good. He knew that would allow us to miss KC rush hour.

Somewhere around 3 hours in, I was fighting hard to feel good. I couldn't eat or drink anything (nerves do that to me). I was SLEEPY, and just not feeling well. We are trucking around 75 through the middle of nowhere when a step-van - you know... like a Frito-Lay delivery van or bread truck - jumps the midian (coming our way) and flips.. FLIPS... in front of us, across our lane, and lands in the field to our right... it was horrible. The entire deal happened probably 200 yards in front of us. We stopped. The guys following me stopped... and a fellow following the van stopped. We all called 911 and a handful of men were heading out to the pasture to check on the driver. I told the 911 operator that I couldn't stay, as I had 2 infants in the car. She thanked me, took my number, and we pulled away. I prayed for the driver.

That didn't RELIEVE my stress too much.

But... it kinda' helped. Doesn't that sound bad? But I knew, that I knew, that I knew that God had shown me clear-as-day that we were 'blessed' by His hand of protection. I prayed a lot as we continued. Heavier snow piled up along the interstate in northern Missouri. Then... out of the gray of the weather, the sun broke through and shined that 'strange' light on the snowy landscape. It was beautiful. It was amazing!

Isn't the Light of God amazing? Beautiful? But how much MORE beautiful is it when it shines through storm clouds?

The roads cleared greatly the further north we went. 12 hours. I'm tired. G'nite.

Need More?

Luk 9:17
(17) And they ate and were all filled. And twelve hand-baskets of fragments of that left over to them were taken up.

Jesus had just fed thousands with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. All were filled, not just sustained. The disciples were instructed to collect the fragments, which they did. That which was left was no small amount. What was the deal with that? After all, did GOD miscalculate?

First, the fragments 'were' collected, meaning nothing was wasted. Secondly, all ate as much as they wanted, yet there was more to eat.

Have you ever been filled? The Greek word here is 'cortazo', and it can literally mean 'gorged'. We're talkin'... filled. As in, can't handle ANY more!

For me, there are times when I literally think I cannot take any more. Sometimes, spiritually speaking, I feel as though if anything 'more' occurs, I'll explode. But I revel in the knowledge that He has more. He IS more than I will ever fully get.

For a lost man, a drink of Living Water is an amazing thing. But sometimes, those of us who haul around buckets look and think, that poor guy has so far to go. At the same time, there's a fellow standing in a cistern of Living Water thinking that very same thing about our bucket-toting friends. And then there is the guy wading in the stream... and... is that the sound of waves crashing?

Kickin' It Early

Ecc 7:17
(17) Do not be very evil, and do not be a fool; why should you not die in your time?

There is a spiritual precept that most of us are at least aware of, and that is this: our actions have a bearing on our destiny, saved or not. The author says in so many words, "A fool can die early."

We are excluding those who do have a fore-ordained time to die, for surely some do (just ask Jesus). It could even be said that every man has a fore-ordained time to die, but also has the ability to shorten this time. I believe this is what is being addressed. How do we shorten our days?

We act foolishly. We choose foolish ways. We protect our destructive ways. Strongholds in our lives are things that we have not given to Jesus. These appear in all forms to all people, and can range from cheesecake to marijuana. Have we relinquished all territory to God? He wont just 'take' it, as He would consider that stealing. God is no thief. If a habit owns me, that is territory that I cannot give to God, because I can't give what I do not own.

I have to keep in mind that God is not going to be able to build a massive monument for Himself in my life if I have a fortified building sitting right in the center of my acreage. Pardon that analogy... It's a form of idolatry. It can shorten my life. It can hinder my ministry, too, and that means it cuts off my ability to make eternal cash. From a business sense, that's stupid.

Do We Know War?

Jdg 2:20-23
(20) And the anger of Jehovah glowed against Israel. And He said, Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice,
(21) I also from now on will not dispossess any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died;
(22) so that by them I may test Israel, whether they are keeping the way of Jehovah, to go in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.
(23) And Jehovah left those nations without dispossessing them quickly. And He did not deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
Jdg 3:1-2
(1) And these are the nations which Jehovah left in order to test Israel by them, all who did not know all the wars of Canaan;
(2) only that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, to teach them war, only those who did not before know them:

We talk a lot about Promised Land Living... walking in faith, and walking in victory.
Isn't it interesting to look back and see all the battles we fought to get that victory? I'm not saying we can claim any credit for the win, but we did have to fight, didn't we? Paul says, "We war not against flesh and blood..." So we are warring, right?

What happens when we stop fighting and just give in? Over time we become like Israel was after the death of Joshua. Our generation had it all handed down to us - all the vineyards we didn't plant and the wells we didn't dig. We tend to take it for granted, and we forget the battles our fathers fought to bring us up in the Promised Land.

Notice what happens to those who feel as though they deserve the peace and safety they live in (America): God ordains war for them, just so they'll know it. It's about fighting for the ground you take, and then maintaining it under the rules of God. Israel would not have needed to re-fight all those battles had they simply remembered God's commandments and that they owed everything to Him.

So, for my own children, I have the responsibility to teach them how to maintain and live under the leadership of God. If I fail to teach them this, I'm most-assuredly dooming them to re-fight many of the battles that got us to the Promised Land in the first place. Keep fighting the good fight, and teach your children to do the same.

God Knows

This is a little off the beaten path for my typical blogging pursuits, but I think it also ties right in to something that I do try to concentrate on, and that is God's unmistakable sovereignty over the little things.

One of my family lost a pet this week - one that he'd had for many years. It was NOT a small deal. Really, it's the kind of thing you share with only people you know very closely, because some people just don't understand the kind of attachment you can have with an animal. When the time comes - and it always seems to - we lose what feels like a part of us. Now, what could scripture have to say that might possibly provide comfort amidst a loss like that? Did Paul say, "The dead in Christ shall rise, then we who are alive and remain, along with our pets, in the twinkling of an eye..." No. He didn't.

What about Moses? Did he talk about what we can do if we grow attached to a pet and then we see it die of a disease, or get run over, or killed by an angry neighbor, or just waste away with age? No, I don't think he mentioned anything either. So... does God know 'that' kind of pain?

My bud who has felt this recent loss pointed something out to me that I find fascinating.

2Sa 12:1-6
(1) And Jehovah sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said to him, There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor.
(2) The rich one had flocks and very many herds.
(3) But the poor one had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished. And it grew up with him, and with his sons together, and it ate of his morsel, and it drank from his cup, and it lay in his bosom. And it was like a daughter to him.
(4) And a traveler came to the rich one, and he spared to take of his own flock, and of his own herd, to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. And he took the ewe lamb of the poor man, and prepared it for the man who had come to him.
(5) And David's anger glowed greatly against the man. And he said to Nathan, As Jehovah lives, surely the man who did this is a son of death.
(6) And he shall repay fourfold for the ewe lamb, because he has done this thing, and because he had no pity.

If you wish to know the rest of the story, read it. It's a great story. But the signature of God is on this story, too. Nathan the prophet relayed this story to David from God Himself, who very clearly states that a man can grow so attached to an animal as to think of it as family. What that means is, God understands. God sees. Why was David angry? Because David saw, too. David had compassion (even though he was being indicted). This loss is not foreign to God. He gets it.

I'd go on to add... it would behoove us all to see this type of loss through the eyes of God. If He sees it as a horrible thing, we had best be in agreement and not make light of someone's deep hurt. Death is an enemy and it was one of the first things Jesus overcame in His claiming of eternal cosmic victory. Now we simply wait for our Redeemer to take ownership, physically, of His claim, making death a thing of the past. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

All Will Bow

1Sa 5:1-5
(1) And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
(2) And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon, and set it near Dagon.
(3) And the men of Ashdod rose early on the next day. And, behold! Dagon had fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah! And they took Dagon and put it back in its place.
(4) And they rose early in the morning on the next day; and, behold! Dagon had fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah, and the head of Dagon, and the two palms of its hands, were cut off at the threshold. Only the flat part had been left to him.
(5) On account of this the priests of Dagon, and all those coming into the house of Dagon, do not step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod until this day.

Isn't that quite a fascinating story? Dagon was a Philistine idol god. Notice how the writer calls Dagon an 'it'. The Ark of God represents the Presence of God. As Christians, we should be carrying upon us the Presence of God as well. Why would that be a benefit? Look at the effects the Presence of God has on the world and its petty systems:

First, Dagon falls on its face. For example, have you ever watched an evolutionist debate a knowledgeable Christian apologist? I usually feel humiliated for the evolutionist. It's sad. It boils down to one lame religion feebly attempting to match wits with the Truth of God. It has to bow.

But secondly, inevitably, the evolutionist doesn't give up. He may concede the fight (or not) but no matter how stupid the position seems, he sticks with it. That's what it looks like to set Dagon back up. Then what happens? What happens when we choose to embrace something that is obviously fake, but for hatred of the Truth, we embrace it still? Dagon falls again, only this time, the head and the hands break off. We lose our ability to think (the head comes off) and we lose our ability to effectively do anything worthwhile (our hands break off). When we embrace ignorance, we forfeit wisdom and we sell our souls out to the enemy, and everything for which we live and strive comes to nothing.

The Christmas Story

This one is seldom read, but should be - every year.

Rev 12:1-5
(1) And a great sign was seen in the heavens, a woman having been clothed with the sun, and the moon was underneath her feet; and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
(2) and having a babe in womb. She cries, being in labor, and having been distressed to bear.
(3) And another sign was seen in the heavens. And, behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns! And on his heads were seven diadems,
(4) and his tail drew the third part of the stars of the heaven, and he throws them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman being about to bear, so that when she bears he might devour her child.
(5) And she bore a son, a male, who is going to shepherd all the nations with an iron staff. And her child was caught away to God, and to His throne.

Rev 12:7-11
(7) And war occurred in Heaven, Michael and his angels making war against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels made war,
(8) but they did not have strength, nor yet was place found for them in Heaven.
(9) And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent being called devil, and, Satan; he deceiving the whole habitable world was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
(10) And I heard a great voice saying in Heaven, Now has come the salvation and power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brothers is thrown down, the one accusing them before our God day and night.
(11) And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the Word of their testimony. And they did not love their soul even until death.

Merry Christmas - your battles may be raging at the moment, but they'll die down. Peace is on the way!

The Magnificance of a Greater Mind

When Abraham was about to slay his own son, Isaac, do you think he expected a ram to be caught in a thicket? Or an angel to stay his hand?

When Israel was thirsty in the desert, how many were betting on water coming out of the rock? And what about that watery escape route to the desert in the first place?

Then comes Israel, facing a ginormous Goliath on the battlefield. Were they expecting deliverance from a cheese-bringing shepherd boy?

Moving forward a few hundred years, Paul and Silas are singing in prison. Were they waiting for the earthquake that opened every door?

What would it be like to wise-up and expect the miraculous for once? Would it be a change? Would it enable God? After all, we know that God can be hindered from working the miraculous if we don't believe He can or will. I know some folks that refuse to open their mind to the miraculous because of the disappointment they might experience from getting their hopes up.

*sighs*

My girls are not old enough to beg for Dairy Queen yet. Here is what I KNOW. There will be a day when they beg me for Dairy Queen and I'll say no. Do any of us really think that will be the last of it from them? Well, I've destroyed their hopes and dreams by telling them no. How crazy does that sound? They'll ask me again next time and I'll probably say YES.

Yes, but, that's Dairy Queen. That's not a job situation, or a health issue. Now we're getting somewhere. We only ask for the miraculous when it's a life or death situation, and we CAN'T STAND TO HEAR A "NO". We can be so lame. Let God work the miraculous every day in your life. Need a miracle to get a project done? Ask for one. Need a miracle to make your numbers? Ask for one. Need a miracle to get the laundry done before company arrives? ASK. But we don't. We lean on our own strength and understanding and rely upon God when we reach the end of it. We need to grow up and embrace the magnificance of our Father.

Pride

It's seldom mentioned that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon - the very nation that God used to destroy Jerusalem and take Israel into captivity, authored a chapter out of our bible. He wrote Daniel chapter 4.

Nebuchadnezzar's weakness, most-notably, was pride. He thought that his conquests were by his own might. He thought that he was in control. It is difficult to compare ourselves with such a man, as few of us are kings, or governors, or even effectively rule our households. Nebuchadnezzar was brutal. He didn't just outsmart the nations and win popularity contests. He battered walls down, razed buildings, killed ALL inhabitants, making horrendous spectacles of kings that dared to resist him. He was to some a monster. He was to be feared.

Then he boasted out loud, and God had grown tired of listening. Nebuchadnezzar wrote this (about the Lord) 7 years later, after having spent this prolonged period on all fours galloping around his palace grounds acting like a dog.

Dan 4:35-37
(35) And all those living in the earth are counted as nothing. And He does according to His will among the army of Heaven, and among those living in the earth. And no one is able to strike His hand or say to Him, What are You doing?
(36) At that time my reason returned to me, and the glory of my kingdom, my majesty, and my brightness returned to me. And my advisers and my nobles sought to me. And I was reestablished in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me.
(37) Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the King of Heaven, for all His works are truth, and His ways are justice. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.

He is able to humble the pride. God humbles the pride. He does it sooner, or He does it later. On that day when every knee shall bow... on that day... there will not be one proud in the crowd. We have no concept of the majesty, greatness, and power of God. The lesson, as told by one of the most proud fellows that ever walked the earth is to bow now. Thank you, God, for not always choosing to humble us immediately for walking in pride, for you would perhaps be TIRED of slapping me to the ground. I will boast in knowing You, because that is worth boasting about.

The Contract

Mat 1:18-20
(18) And the birth of Jesus Christ was this way (for His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph) before the coming together of them, she was found having babe in womb by the Holy Spirit.
(19) But her husband to be, Joseph, being just, and not willing to make her a public example, he purposed to put her away secretly.
(20) And as he was thinking about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord was seen by him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For that in her is generated by the Holy Spirit.

The betrothal contract, under which Joseph and Mary were bound, was binding - permanent. It was a done deal. Today, nothing is done until the "I do's" are given, but in Jesus' day, the engagement ring was IT. That is very important for one reason. It mean's we are bound to Jesus by 'betrothal'. It's not something we will get out of. We have not consummated our relationship yet, nor even had the final ceremony, but we are OFF LIMITS to anyone else. Think about that.

Now as we all know, the bride takes on the name of the groom. Check this out:
Jer 23:6
(6) In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is His name by which He shall be called, Jehovah our Righteousness.

Jer 33:16
(16) In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety. And this is the name that shall be called on her: JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The bride will inherit the name of her groom.
This does look like Irael, though, doesn't it? What about the church?
Rev 3:12
(12) The one overcoming, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out any more. And I will write the name of My God on him, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name.

There is much in a name.

The Enemy of Religion

I'm not religious. My family isn't religious. My spirit at one time would become highly agitated at the connotation of 'being' religious, but I've calmed down some because the world simply has no clue.

Religion means I can do it myself - I can cover myself. I can't. I've tried a few times, but it just doesn't work to any one's satisfaction, especially God's.

In a religious world, I'm constantly trying to earn the favor of God by doing this or that. Going to church, reading my bible, not cussing, trying not to flip people off on the highway. This is all good stuff. But it doesn't really improve my standing with God. That's the grind for most Christians.

We WANT to earn the brownie points with God, so we can have bragging rights in the end. Sad story. He doesn't care. We already have His favor. Quit trying to earn something in order to one-up someone else. Christ died for Hitler, and had Hitler accepted Him, he'd probably have an apartment above yours in the New Jerusalem. Wouldn't that crank your handle? I'd be one ticked-off, torqued off, hot, teeth-grinding son...

Wait... that sounds like the 'other' son in the story of the prodigal, doesn't it. You know, the one that never left?

That's religion. That's ALL it's good for, too. Torquing somebody off. Religion offends, because it sets a ridiculous standard.

For that reason, you are NOT going to reach the people in your church assembly by giving them another function to go to. We'd best find a way to introduce them to God, and if we don't really know how to get that done, PLEASE... we have to ask someone that knows. Start by finding the guy that is FIRED UP. HE'LL KNOW!

Peace.

It's Up To Us

Gen 19:12-14
(12) And the men said to Lot, Who still is here to you? Bring out of this place your sons and your sons-in-law and your daughters, and whoever belongs to you in the city.
(13) For we are about to destroy this place, for the cry of them is great before Jehovah, and Jehovah has sent us to destroy it.
(14) And Lot went out to speak to his sons-in-law, those taking his daughters. And he said, Rise up, go out from this place, for Jehovah is about to destroy the city. And he seemed as one joking to his sons-in-law.

What great comfort that the Lord would care so much for us as to 'drag' us out of destruction's way. But also, what grace that he would tell us to get all our loved ones and bring them along, too. It is up to us.

Unfortunately, even family doesn't always get it. These are perilous times in which we live. Let's get our family informed.

Overcoming

This morning we talked about Revelation ch21, a beautiful chapter in a not-so-beautiful book. There was uneasiness as we spoke of overcoming, and what it means to be an 'overcomer'.

When you read below, you'll notice that in the letters to the churches (ch2 and 3), Jesus had 7 things to say to the overcomers. Outside of that, twice He reiterates what the overcomer will inherit.

(Rev 2:7) The one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To the one overcoming, I will give to him to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

(Rev 2:11) The one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. The one overcoming will not at all be hurt by the second death.

(Rev 2:17) The one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To the one overcoming, I will give him to eat from the hidden manna. And I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name having been written, which no one knows except the one receiving it.

(Rev 2:26) And the one overcoming, and the one keeping My works until the end, "I will give to him authority over the nations,"

(Rev 3:5) The one overcoming, this one shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not at all blot his name out of the Book of Life; and I will acknowledge his name before My Father, and before His angels.

(Rev 3:12) The one overcoming, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out any more. And I will write the name of My God on him, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name.

(Rev 3:21) The one overcoming, I will give to him to sit with Me in My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father in His throne.

(Rev 15:2) And I saw, as a glassy sea having been mixed with fire. And the ones overcoming the beast, and its image, and its mark, of the number of its name, were standing on the glassy sea, having harps of God.

(Rev 21:7) The one overcoming will inherit all things, and I will be God to him, and he will be the son to Me.


If you read the verses preceding these, Jesus outlines the issues that people needed victory over. Largely, these complaints are over 'works'.

(Rev 2:5) Then remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works. And if not, I am coming to you quickly, and will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

(Rev 3:4) You also have a few names in Sardis which did not defile their robes, and they shall walk with Me in white because they are worthy.

It seems works-based, doesn't it? That immediately makes us seem small, because we are almost to a "T" PATHETIC when it comes to living as our Savior lived. Walls go up. Hairs get raised, and people become defensive.

Mat 22:36-40
(36) Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?
(37) And Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Deut. 6:5
(38) This is the first and great commandment.
(39) And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Lev. 19:18
(40) On these two commandments all the Law and the Prophets hang.

If we Love, then all else falls into place. If we Love, then we can overcome because Love wins. Remember Ephesus?

Rev 2:4
(4) But I have against you that you left your first love.

From Love comes good works. Don't stay mired up in the muck of the world - have a mind change! It's not about your strength, it's about God's. We cannot overcome by our own strength, but we can stay mired up by our own strength. Whether or not we 'want' to change is probably another post. Conversation about OVERCOMING is welcome.

The Evil Day

Eph 6:13
(13) Because of this, take up all of the armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having worked out all things, to stand.

Have you ever wondered what the 'evil day' was? Early on, I tended to gloss over it, or assume the writer was speaking of some apocalyptic day. Not so. The evil day is the one which perhaps starts good but takes a turn for the worst.

Yesterday, for instance. We were tired and beginning the 3-3.5 hour journey home with our 8 month old twin girls. I was tired already - just as always - but while packing the car my dad received a call informing us that my grandmother had passed away. This was somewhat unexpected, as she had shown no signs of illness of late, although her health had been frail for the last couple of years in the nursing home.

We continued to pack and get the girls in the car. By the time we hit I-540 we noticed snow. Then the traffic, which was already bad, stopped... and stayed stopped for miles. The day turned truly evil. The girls woke up and began to scream because they were hungry and we were NOT getting home. Well, we did, but it was after a nearly 5 hour trip. That's a long time to go without eating if you weigh 15 lbs. It was evil, too, for the countless others who had wrecked or run out of gas out there on that cold hiway.

Through all of that, God was there and His peace was evident. There was much to resist, and we did, with the armor of God. Prepare always for the evil day because we don't always know when it will come.

Extreme Christianity

Surfing channels tonight, I see Extreme Engineering, Extreme Logging, Extreme Cagefighting, Extreme Makeover, Extreme Trains (?), Extreme Bikerides, Extreme Police Pursuits, and Extreme Tennis. I can't wait to see what's on tomorrow.

The world's problem today must be ignorance, because if they understood that staying on the 'straight and narrow path' was a harrowing ride, they'd LOVE Extreme Christianity!

Wait, maybe that is the problem with the church, too. We have abandoned the adventure of soul-winning and life-changing for safety and comfort. Not all bodies, of course, but the comparison to Laodicea is starting to look eerily familiar.

Let's finish strong, not 'barely'.

Sticks and Stones

Num 22:10-12
(10) And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab has sent to me,
(11) saying, Behold, a people has come out of Egypt which covers the eye of the earth. Now come, curse them for me; perhaps I will be able to overcome it and drive it out.
(12) And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for it is blessed.

Has it ever occurred to us that apart from God, we are susceptible to the curses of others? Is that important? As Bro. Stan mentioned Saturday evening, our words carry reality with them, but that goes for the ungodly as well. I've seen grown men weep because their mothers or grandmothers pronounced a CURSE upon them as a child. They fought the proclamation of those words every day of their adolescence and into their adult lives until by the grace of God, the curse was broken. This sounds like hocus-pocus, I know.

At some point in your life, someone is going to get TICKED OFF at you, and they will knowingly or unknowingly pronounce a curse over you. Who has your back? When God says YOU'RE MINE AND YOU'RE BLESSED, then it really doesn't matter what the enemy wants to do. But if you don't have the blood of Christ over your life and over your family, you are nothing more than a soft target to the devil.

Maybe you realize you've been living under a curse. Examine your concordance about 'blessings' and 'curses'. They are real. The blood of a perfect Savior is the only thing that can break a curse. If you have more questions about this stuff, ask. Or better yet, let Numbers chapter 22 soak in. Sticks and stones can do much more than break your bones. Speak life.

Focus

After reading Brian's post below, it's a not-so-gentle reminder that it's time to get serious. I still remember Brother Yun's (forgive me if I misspelled his name) facial expression when he visited CPH this last year. It was a look of disbelief upon a congregation that largely didn't get it. We weren't focused on anything much more than getting home to lunch.

Faith without works is dead, according to James. So to stay focused, we should always be looking for a way to keep our faith 'in motion'. Encourage someone. Build someone up. A wonderful lady I work with brought my family dinner tonight. She cooked it herself - it was 'excellent'. It blessed us. We've had many friends do that for us since the twins came along. Bless you all!

If you say you'll pray for someone, don't fail to do it. Do something for God that is out of your norm - maybe beyond your comfort zone.

Change the way your worship. Take it to the next level, whatever that might mean for you.

Give more. Stretch yourself spiritually. If you're comfortable, chances are the devil is leaving you alone because you aren't hurting him one bit.

Preach to someone who needs preaching to - I preach to myself with this blog...

Love someone who needs loving. Tough love does count - call someone out on something, but beware the timber in your own eye. Oh yeah, get rid of that, too.

Take a stand at work.

Take a stand at home.

Take a stand at church.

Realize... religion and politics MUST mix if you're a follower of Christ. If you don't vote your faith, you really don't have any.

Pray without ceasing.

Read your bible more and someone's opinion about scripture less, including mine.

Jesus has WON. Realize it. In Revelation 19, there is this HUGE celebration in heaven. Then we all suit up and go to Armageddon. We should be living life joyously now, because the battle is won before the end has come!

Be still and know that HE is God. IT'S about Him. It's ABOUT Him. It's about HIM.

"If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you."

Once again, from the news pages:

The Times reports: Hindu Groups in India Offering Rewards to Kill Christians

Extremist Hindu groups offered money, food and alcohol to mobs to kill Christians and destroy their homes, according to Christian aid workers in the eastern India state of Orissa.

Jesus told us plainly that we faced at least the possibility of persecution. Many of us can thank God for His protection that we are not facing persecution. However, we have many brothers and sisters in Christ that are facing persecution today not unlike what the Master faced 2,000 years ago. These brothers and sisters have taken the "Great Commission" to heart and are taking the good news of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ into the very heart of countries hostile to the gospel.

"The going price to kill a pastor is $250," said Faiz Rahman, the chairman of Good News India.

A spokesman for the All-India Christian Council said: “People are being offered rewards to kill, and to destroy churches and Christian properties. They are being offered foreign liquor, chicken, mutton and weapons. They are given petrol and kerosene.”

Ram Madhav, a spokesman for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the largest hardline Hindu group, denied the claims. “The accusation is absolutely false,” he said.

Orissa has suffered a series of murders and arson attacks in recent months, with at least 67 Christians killed, according to the Roman Catholic Church. Several thousand homes have been razed and hundreds of places of worship destroyed, and crops are now wasting in the fields.

Despite the denial of the validity of the story by the RSS in the article, this sort of persecution is not unheard of. Some of the stories, like this one, even make it to prominent news sources, but you might only find them in short news briefs hidden away on a back page. Missionaries have faced persecution in spreading the gospel for thousands of years.

The nationals in these countries that receive Christ face even more dire persecution from forced "re-conversion", to torture, to death itself for them and even their families.

You may recall the article from October 2005 of 4 young Christian girls in Indonesia, aged 15 to 17, were attacked by 5 men weilding machetes while on their way to school one morning. Only one of the 15 year old girls survived the attack because she was able to escape when she fell down a ravine after being seriously wounded by a failed beheading attempt. The other girls were slain and their bagged heads thrown onto the steps of a church.

There is a book that I recommend that gives a glimpse into the struggles our Christian brothers and sisters face in areas of the world. The book is "Secret Believers" by Brother Andrew. Their names and origins have been changed for their protection, but their lives are telling the stories that they and many others live out. These people faced, and continue to face, the very things this news article addresses.

Those of us who thank God that we are not persecuted must not ignore the afflictions and hardships these brothers and sisters are faced with. Let us support them by whatever means that may be available to us, but particularly in our prayers.

There are various websites that cover news and events of persecutions of Christians around the world, some are listed below:

** http://www.secretbelievers.org/ **
http://www.persecution.com/
http://www.christianpersecution.info/

The Real Reality

It's easy to get bogged down, isn't it? With life... with stuff... with our schedules. Even religion gets in the way. We have to do this for the church... or that play, or that outreach, or that charity. Satan can bog us down with religion, too, and we wind up being the ones needing the outreach.

It makes it hard, sometimes, to determine what is real. A couple of passages come to mind - both different.

Mar 5:2-4
(2) And He coming out from the boat, immediately out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit met Him,
(3) who had his abode among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him, not even with chains.
(4) Because he had often been bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn by him, and the fetters had been shattered. And no one was able to subdue him.

In this case, here is a man with a SPIRITUAL issue. Everyone has tried to solve 'his' problem with physical things, ie. fetters and chains. It didn't work out too well for them. Jesus delivered the man by His authority in the Spirit.

Act 3:2-7
(2) And a certain man, being lame from his mother's womb, was being carried, whom day by day they put at the door of the temple, being called Beautiful, to ask alms from those going into the temple;
(3) who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked alms.
(4) And with John, looking intently toward him, Peter said, Look to us!
(5) And he paid heed to them, expecting to receive something from them.
(6) But Peter said, There is no silver and gold to me, but what I have, this I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise up and walk!
(7) And taking him by the right hand, he raised him up. And immediately his feet and ankle-bones were made firm.

Now in this instance, the man's problem wasn't spiritual, it was physical. Once again, the problem was solved by Peter's authority in the Spirit.

In both cases, the spiritual and the physical, the SPIRIT is the answer. The Spirit trumps both. The Spirit is the real reality. That's why we are to live in the Spirit, and walk by Faith, not by sight.

War Is Not The Answer

I saw this bumper sticker the other day... "War Is Not The Answer".

Rev 19:11
(11) And I saw Heaven being opened. And, behold! A white horse, and He sitting on it having been called Faithful and True. And He judges and wars in righteousness.


Sometimes, war IS the answer.

Don't be a pinhead.

I was at the concession stand... what happened?

Saturday night was so powerful. Stan didn't speak long, but he didn't need to. He brought out a point that really needs to be 'bumped', so to speak. In the geeky world of computers and message boards, when you want to revisit a topic, you just 'bump' it and it moves back to the top of the discussion list. I'm bumping this.

Stan was trying to put into perspective the power that God really wants to use in our midst, but we do not permit Him to do it. We quench the Holy Spirit.

Mar 6:5
(5) And He could do no work of power there, except He performed healing on a few infirm ones, laying on His hands.

Okay... so ALL HE DID was a few healings... cured Nancy of terminal cancer, removed the tumor from Ed, and totally reversed that compound fracture that Bill experienced at work on Friday. That's all. THAT'S ALL. The rest really couldn't be helped because they couldn't get over their 'familiarity' with Jesus.

You can't tell me that if we witnessed even ONE of these miracles that we wouldn't have the greatest revival we've ever seen in one of our church services (Stan mentioned this, too). We've missed it. We've been at the concession stand and we've missed the game.

I don't really know what to add to this. I can't claim I've seen as much as God intends to show me. Quite the opposite - I've been out of touch most of my life. I'm not anymore going to claim I know how Jesus looks, feels, and operates just because He's done it 'like that' once or twice in the past. He does what He wants, when He wants, how He wants, and the minute we try to box Him into operating this way or that... we've limited His work in OUR life. Tragic. This life is hard enough, why make it more difficult by denying the power of God? That's like being an underwater welder by trade and intentionally cutting 3/4 of your air, just because you can survive it. Are we afraid of being deceived? Know that He will never do anything contrary to His word. Beyond that, LETS WATCH AND SEE WHAT HE CAN DO!

The Fight to Stay Burning

Have you ever noticed the spiritual dry seasons in your life? Dry... without rain... without a flood of anything except monotany. For me, the dry times are periods when new revelation just doesn't come. I don't know if it's me or the Teacher that slacks off during these times, but I often wonder about the purpose.

It's during these times when temptations seem the most fierce. Or perhaps the bad news seems especially bad. Depression always seems right around the corner.

It's a yoke. How do you break it?

Understand that there are times when the Teacher tests us - and He remains silent while we take the test. That helps, some. Knowing is half the battle, right?

Other times... I don't think it's the Teacher... I think it's me. What's got me so tied up that I'm not focusing? Life. Don't listen to the enemy... he lies.

Eat the bread of the Word, and after a while, your neck will swell and the yoke breaks. Hold out for it - be patient. Often the first rain after a dry spell is a really gully-washer. That is becoming more and more the case as I get older. If I wait for it... it comes in FLOODS. Rejuvenation. Fresh air.. nooma... mannah.

Mountains

I love the mountains. I guess I got that from my dad. I go from time to time and my favorite thing is to get off-road and go as high as I can. Last night I was browsing real estate in the San Juan mountains in Colorado. I found a nice little place - 3140 acres... 77,000 heated square feet for a measly 88 million dollars. I'm considering it but I don't want to overextend right now, with the price of diapers and all.

You see, the mountains have this wild flair to them. There is something untouchable about them. Wild, dangerous, beautiful, untouchable, high, inaccessible... these terms all make the mountains attractive to me.

The terms fit God, do they not? He is accessible, but like the mountains, there aren't many ways to access Him. In fact, Jesus said... "I'm the way."

Everything 'devoted'

God told the sons of Aaron in Numbers 18:14 that everything 'devoted' in Israel belonged to them.

The ESV says "Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours."
The GW (God's Word) translation says, "Anything in Israel claimed by the LORD is yours."

In Luke 15, when the wayward son returned to his father, the elder son became angry at the attention given to his sibling. The father turned to him and said:
Luk 15:31
(31) But he said to him, Child, you are always with me, and all of my things are yours.

Now, God also said this about the son's of Aaron:
Num 18:20
(20) And Jehovah said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.

So we should ask ourselves the question. Do we want the land or do we want God? Do we want the stuff or do we want a relationship? I think that it's possible to be a saved child of God and never go any further than that. Someday, when rewards are passed out, we'll realize that we've won heaven. But is it heaven we want, or is it Him?

Land for Peace

I read on the headlines to the left that Benjamin Netanyahu is once again up for re-election early in 2009. Ever since he was prime minister the first time, some 15 years ago, I have felt he had a crucial part to play in the end-time scenario. He's a purist. He's intensely popular, and intensely unpopular, and tremendously smart. His party is known as 'hawkish'. He's a favorite of mine, and here's why. His idea of discussing the split of Jerusalem goes something like this... first, put this pistol in your mouth, pull the trigger, then we'll talk. He understands one thing - there's no such thing as land for peace.

Let me cast some light on a spiritual truth here that is being played out in the physical. Your body, too, wants land for peace. If you eat one more donut, you'll be happy. If you cheat just this one time on your spouse... you'll be fulfilled and no harm will be done. If you just eat this fruit, Adam, then you'll be just like God! It's land - ground you give up - for peace. It's a lie. It has always been a lie, and it will always be a lie.

As followers of Jesus, we have to stop giving up OUR land for peace. God told Israel - this is MY land - and I'm giving it to you. It is NOT yours to give away, because you and it belong to ME! Get it? We belong to Him, too. We were bought and paid for with a PRICE, and it was such a great price that we cannot even bear to watch a depiction of it in a movie. If that is the case, can we draw enough strength to live today in a worthy way?

Monks brawl at Christian holy site in Jerusalem

That's what the headline reads in the article currently posted at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27639792/

Quoting the article:

The brawling began during a procession of Armenian clergymen commemorating the 4th-century discovery of the cross believed to have been used to crucify Jesus.

The Greeks objected to the march without one of their monks present, fearing that otherwise, the procession would subvert their own claim to the Edicule — the ancient structure built on what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus — and give the Armenians a claim to the site.

The Armenians refused, and when they tried to march the Greek Orthodox monks blocked their way, sparking the brawl.

The author wrote in other portions of the article:

Turf fights common among Christian sects
Six Christian sects divide control of the ancient church. They regularly fight over turf and influence, and Israeli police are occasionally forced to intervene.
. . .
A ladder placed on a ledge over the entrance sometime in the 19th century has remained there ever since because of a dispute over who has the authority to take it down.

What a horrible and detestable way for Christians to behave! This sort of behavior destroys one's testimony. This sort of behavior is what the World sees and says, "See? Christians are hippocrites! Christianity is a sham!"

Christianity is a message of love. That message was ultimately displaced in God showing His love for mankind by sending Jesus to pay our sin debt by dying on the cross. His resurrection from death secured the right of those who trust in Him to have eternal life.

How many times do we read Jesus' own words "love one another", "be kind one to another", "by your love with they know you are My disciples", "love your enemies", "blessed are the peacemakers", and even "bless those who curse you, and do good to those who persecute you"? Jesus' own words as He hung dying on the cross were of love when He asked the Father to forgive those crucifying Him.

Paul counsels us in Romans 12, as it depends on us, to be at peace with all men. He further advises in Galatians 6 to do good to all men, especially fellow Christians. And again, in Philippians 1, he tells us to conduct our lives in a manner worth of the gospel of Christ.

Unfortuantely, this kind of infighting is not exclusive to these groups. It isn't even limited to different denominations. It even happens within a single church body. People getting too wrapped up in the worldly and ignoring or neglecting the spiritual. Soon, it is reduced to a primal mentality of greed and powermongering. The mess becomes more important than the message. See how even taking a ladder down from a ledge has become an issue among these men for over 100 years!

Clearly, these men are more concerned with things of Christ rather than the words of Christ.

Paying attention to the words of Christ:

"Store not up your treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal, but store up your treasures in heaven where neither moth and rust destroy, nor thieves break in and steal. For where you treasures are stored, there your heart is also."

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall never pass away."

Details

• Exo 26:9 -- (9) And you shall join the five curtains separately, and the six curtains separately. And you shall double the six curtains before the front of the tabernacle.
• Jos 6:4 -- (4) And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. And on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the rams' horns.
• Jon 4:6 -- (6) And Jehovah God appointed a plant, and it came up over Jonah to be shade over his head, in order to deliver him from his misery. And Jonah rejoiced over the plant with great joy.
• Joh 21:6 -- (6) And He said to them, Cast the net into the right side of the boat and you will find.

If you're like me, then you tend to sweat the details. If I could just get past this staff meeting... or, if I could just kick this cold. Maybe this sounds more like it: when will I find the time to get the oil changed?

Do we pray about the details? Do we ask God to take care of the minuscule? Unfortunately, we tend to ask God to work His miracles by making general, blanket requests. "God, just help the day to go well!" That's okay, as most of the time He does help our day to go well. But it's also interesting to note that the little details that nag us do not go away.

Pray in detail. Don't let laziness come into play, either. Sometimes those blanket requests are out of sheer laziness - or we're in a hurry to get back to the TV. No wonder it is so easy to live a spiritually 'blah' existence. We should never be in a hurry to exit the presence of the King. (Read Esther)

For today, may the God of the universe show you that He is willing and able to take care of all the 'petty' details of your life!

Living in the Spirit

Last night my wife and I read Psalm 22. That is a Davidic psalm about the turmoil in his own heart, but it directly prophesied the death of Messiah. As we were reading, my wife asked if David was writing about his own trials, or of the trials of Christ.

Great question. Both.

David was living in the Spirit and Power of God during that time of his life. The words he penned were anointed truth from God, but were also personal truth that was gritty and gnarly and filled with anguish. God's Truth - was also his Truth. He lived in the Spirit.

If you are living in the Spirit, do you know that you are living in God's truth as well as in your truth? My spirit is sickened... as is God's. My spirit is full of joy, as is God's. My spirit knows that my trials are temporary, just as God's Spirit testifies - even through scripture.

If you live in the Spirit, you are part of something MUCH bigger than you. Seek God. Immerse yourself in His word. Pray. Allow Him to chisel out the foundations of the strongholds that have been built by the enemy in your life. Also know this - God's Spirit prevails and takes total victory in the end. Endure and your own spirit will experience no less.

There is nothing new

If you will notice one of the headlines to the left, it says:
For Israel, it is an absolute must to bond its interests to the White House's foreign policy for the security sake.

It makes sense, does it not? After all, America is still arguably the most powerful nation in the world and certainly one of Israel's only 'friends'. It only makes sense to align oneself with the policies of your protector. That is not a new philosophy.

In 2 Kings 15:19, an Assyrian named Tiglath-Pileser III came to attack Israel. Menahem, the king of Israel, decided it was time to align. He plundered his own people (primarily the rich) and gave it to TP3, thus buying him off. There really isn't that much more written about Menahem, except that 'he did evil in the sight of the Lord'.

Whenever we lean unto our own strength and understanding, we are doing 'evil' in the sight of God. He wants us to realize we cannot do it without Him, and it just might be that He will prove it to us if we force Him. Promised Land Living is allowing God to drive out the giants from before us. Then and only then can we rest assured that we are secure when we sleep at night.

Align with God - let the world run from before you.

Optimism

Obama has won. It will be an interesting ride over these next four years. We, as a nation, have little idea as to what we have bought into. It very much reminds me of God's conversation with Samuel over giving HIS people a king. In effect, God said, "They have no idea what they're asking for."

The news from all over the world was optimistic, as there are few people who believed McCain would be that much of a change from the hated 'Bush regime'. The world is happy with our choice. The world is HAPPY with our choice.

The interview with this one particular Iranian was insightful.

Seyyid Hossein, 30, a teacher, said: "Obama's victory could improve things because he has his head on his shoulders. But I believe the regime doesn't want better relations with the US. It wants to have a big enemy to frighten people and maintain its rule."

Hmmm.... truth from Mr. Hossein? The regime doesn't want better relations? Do American citizens realize this? Do American citizens realize that there can be no land for peace in Israel? Do Americans realize that shutting down factories and growing corn for fuel are not going to clean the air in a God-hating nation? Do Americans realize that peace cannot come to a land soiled by the blood of our unborn?

No, we don't get it, and reading our scriptures we realize... we won't get it, either. It's time to reach out and love others as Jesus did. Jesus did not convert Jerusalem, for Jerusalem burned 40 years after Jesus died. But He did show us a way, that although narrow, led to LIFE.

The Divine Signature

The ultimate find in scripture, for me, is PROOF that God's word cannot be a mere result of men writing in some kind of 'spiritual stupor', as the world would have us believe. Our scripture is God-breathed - unattainable by man unless He gives it to us. We did not make this up! Here's an example I ran across last night.

The Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the bible, I believe. 176 verses divided by 22 groups (one for each Hebrew letter) of 8 verses. If you use e-sword, flip it over to the Hebrew and take a gander. The first letter of each line corresponds to that Hebrew letter for that group. I'd paste in an example but the blog would freak out over Hebrew characters.

The book of Revelation, on the other hand, is composed of 22 chapters - one for each Hebrew letter represented in Psalm 119. Since Revelation ch4 is one of my favorites, because it contains the 'rapture' verse... I decided to test a hunch. Let's look at a verse from Revelation ch4 and Psalm 119 in the 4th group of 8 verses:


Rev 4:1
(1) After these things I saw. And behold, a door being opened in Heaven! And I heard the first voice as a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you what needs to happen after these things.

Psa 119:28
(28) My soul drops with grief; Lift me up according to Your Word.

This is going to turn into quite a study. We do serve a God of coincidences.

Identify the Swine

Mat 7:6-9
(6) Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before the pigs, that they should not trample them with their feet, and turning they charge you.
(7) Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
(8) For each one that asks receives, and the one that seeks finds; and to the one knocking, it will be opened.
(9) Or what man of you is there, if his son should ask a loaf of him, will he give him a stone?

I'd love to take this passage and work backwards today. We had a Men's Encounter this weekend. Men's Encounters are not typical. There is no 'normal' encounter with God. There is no standard on earth by which to measure one of these... so I'll begin by saying that this encounter was way more than expected. This was my third. There were so many men there that were 'asking for bread', 'seeking', and 'knocking'. I dare-say they all found.

For many of these guys, they went home to families that were fed-up with them. They returned to spouses that looked at them cross-eyed and said, 'yeah right.' These are necessary steps to take. We screw up, we take our lumps. But we can't just share our experiences with just anyone. The scripture says that after they trample over your pearls, they will turn on YOU. This is a viscious, unbelieving world, and it's getting worse, not better.

Some people love to eat. For these, there is NOTHING like being hungry! For those who do not like to eat, hunger is an annoyance. Hunger is an anticipatory feeling when you know that there is food available. It's a feeling of despair when we realize there is no food. Spirtually speaking, there is no difference. I'm hungry in anticipation of what the Lord will provide for me to consume. I invite everyone to pray that the Lord would make you hungry! He has the ability to feed you - turning stones to bread if need be.

Storms

It's storming here this morning. When I left for work, it was still a few miles out, and it was beautiful. Have you ever noticed how beautiful storms are? Nearly every storm you can think of has a majestic beauty about it - until you find yourself in it.

When I was little, I was extremely afraid of thunder storms, especially tornadoes, I believe because of some traumatic fishing trips my grandparents took me on! I remember my dad asking me one day, is there anything you can do about the storm? No. Does God have any control over that storm? Yes. Then what are you worried about?

A switch flipped in my head and from that point on, I've loved storms. Life throws some nasty storms at us, and they are always horrible, but we learn that there are some beautiful things about those storms. So, here's to the storms... especially from a distance!

Learning Relationship from Cats

I have three cats. Small, Medium, and Large, just to cover all the cat bases. My small cat sticks to me like glue at night and in the morning. She gets out of bed with me, sits on the bath mat while I take a shower and is there waiting when I get out. This morning was no exception. I'm trying to shave this morning and Cloe hops up underneath my elbow onto the vanity, nearly giving me a fatal cut to the jugular (it was a Gillette Fusion, not a straight razor, so not really). But she had the entire vanity to hop up on... the entire huge double-sink, 5ft vanity, and she bumps my elbow.

My middle cat is a professional lobbyist. When she's hungry, she is under your feet, in your face, on your last nerve - and when you start throwing things at her, she is still within earshot... lobbying for what she wants, meat. Typically, when I'm in the kitchen she is there, too. And when I am making a turkey sandwich and have a little turkey left over, guess who gets it? Or when something gets dropped, guess who's on it?

Are we nearly so in love with Christ that we behave like Cloe in the morning? Or do we as Christians realize that there are times when something is given by God simply because we were at the right place at the right time? We have trouble with putting ourselves in positions to be blessed. We're usually like my third cat - Abby. She is never at the right place at the right time, and she usually missed the handouts. Someday I'll publish a book - what I've learned from Christianity from my cats. You laugh, but it will be a best-seller.

Violent Praise?

One of my spiritual mentors loaned me a book by Mark Pierce called God's Unfolding Battle Plan (hopefully I got that correct). I did not read long before I realized the author was not a smoke-blower, but rather a spiritually seasoned individual. I'd like to share one of the little places in the book that set me back a few steps.

I'll paraphrase and add commentary in order to relay the story to you.

The author never had regular sleep patterns due to some traumatic experiences early in age. As a result, it has had some negative effects on his health, but it has provided some opportunity to stay up late, watch, and pray. One particular night was different. As his wife had gone to bed around 11, he was still awake reading and praying. Suddenly, he felt the tangible presence of God in the room. He then heard a voice say, "Send the arrows of the enemy back at him and he will burn with his own fire." This, of course, took him by surprise and the meaning of God's words to him were puzzling. He continued to pray up until about 2am at which time he went up to bed.

About an hour later, he and his wife were awakened by their little dog who hopped into bed, yapping as if there were a burglar in the house. It became apparent what the source of distress was. There was 'a presence' standing next to the bed. He viewed it as a female form having a man's voice, while his wife viewed it as a slimy green figure with fiery eyes. It was the same presence. The author said, "Who are you and who gave you the right to be here?"

The presence said, "I am Ashteroth, and I have come to take your children." The choice to make was obvious: to be totally overcome with fear or to embrace the Truth of God. They chose the Truth. The author then said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave." At that point, the author and his wife began to clap and rejoice and praise the Lord - violently - for up until that point, the wife had been 'barren'. They'd tried and tried to have children, to no avail. But at the point when the enemy showed his hand, they realized that they would indeed have children, simply because the enemy had failed to 'take them'.

The presence departed, and the author records 'the light of God filled the room as if it were day'."

Where does praise fit in for us? Is it something we do because it's time to do it? Is it something we are looking for an opportunity to do? I recognize such a high level of spiritual maturity in that story. I hope to achieve that, although I do NOT envy the test.

The Sun

Ever think about the similarities between the sun and the Son? They both represent the central fire in Hebrew, shemesh. The middle lamp stand of the menorah is the 'servant' lamp. Christ was our 'suffering servant'. He is the source of oil (Holy Spirit) for all other fires.

Do you ever look at the sun? When? I realize that when my walk with Jesus is at its best, I realize how totally big and 'undefinable' He is. The sun is this way. When the sky is the clearest, you cannot look at it. When it's cloudy, or the atmosphere is polluted, then we can look at the sun (although not recommended). Doesn't it seem that those who have Jesus 'figured out' often have the cloudiest atmospheres? Polluted viewpoints?

God created the sun on day 4. If you are a young-earther - which I am - you believe that everything God does He does in a pattern. The scriptures back this up. One of His patterns is the 7-day week. We have recently started the 7th millennial day (4000bc+2000ad = 6000 years completed). Do you realize, Jesus appeared in the flesh on this earth on day....4? Coincidence? Of course! He is the God of coincidences! Ahh well... the Psalmist said it this way, "The heavens declare the Glory of God, and the expanse proclaims His handiwork." Truly... this is a truthful true statement of truth, which is not... untrue. It's trubular.

How many people does it take before we WAKE UP?

According to a few consensus studies in the last ten years, roughly 1.78 people pass away every second. The good news is nearly three people are born per second, so, there will always be ample opportunities to share His word and plant the seed. The problem is with the 1.78 who pass away per second. Let's just say a whopping 60% are His and the remaining 40% are not for the sake of this discussion. That still means the lost opportunity is over 42 people per minute, 2,563 per hour, 61,516 per day, 430,617 per week, 22,392,115 per year........

Yes, that's right, almost 23 MILLION people fail to accept Christ as their personal savior and perish EACH YEAR. That is catastrophic!

When I started writing this it was not intended to become a numbers scenario, however, the simple truth is this - ONE PERSON BEING EXCLUDED FROM HIS KINGDOM IS FAR TOO MANY!

Now, think back about when you woke up this morning and went to work. Let's say it takes fifteen minutes for the commute. That's 630 people lost....... I don't know about you, but, these numbers are nauseating to handle and light a fire under my tail to share His wonderful news. What about you?

Initial thoughts on "We Need Something Real"

I agree, however, at what point are we making it about our agenda versus succumbing to His agenda? I mean, to pray expectantly, is to pray in confidence that He can do it be it His will and He chooses to do so, however, aren't we in essence crossing the line and demanding Him to do what we request at that point?

Also agree about the studies as though many may bring an idea or two here and there, most are ideal for newfound believers. In that role the routines are almost critical to launching the basic foundations for many, or so it appears to be. If the new believers forgo the basics, they'll be captivated by the spirit for a moment, then end up more confused and potentially in a worse place than they were prior to the brief experience. This is where the experiential has got to be met with knowledge of His word.

The question is this - How do we intertwine the basics with the more intense and nurture all who seek Him in a way that leads to more growth in the faith? The moment we fail to seek and plant the basic seeds in others is the moment we've become too absorbed in self growth and lose the ability to seek helping those that need Him most - the great commission becomes second rate to self growth, though, certainly not intentionally...... Isn't there something wrong with this? It just doesn't appear as glossy when looking underneath the surface.

If we can not do this, then, to cater only to the "seasoned" believers cripples the ability to anoint the newcomers in the faith because their lack of understanding would create havoc beyond simply challenging them to go to the next level as more often than not, it would likely be too far outside of the comfort zone to radiate with their spiritual state and we all know when that happens, the results that follow are also usually not what we intended.

For example, if someone were to speak aloud in tongues many times during a sermon, however, technically praying much of that time, thus, there are two primary schools of thought here and both have valid points. One - He was praying in tongues and really shouldn't have prayed out loud in front of the audience because there was no interpretation of the tongue to discern. Two - He was praying in tongues and though he happened to be praying out loud, since it was prayer, no interpretation was needed. Well, both of these views have valid points that can be based on scripture. This is one example of an opportunity that may serve to confuse rather than sanctify and uplift. Particularly in those newcomers..... For example, most children simply can not comprehend the difference no matter how many times it is explained. Take a new couple of believers with a few young children in attendance to an event like this. It is highly unlikely the family would be able to understand His presence. That said, we can say "they aren't ready" but to do so would be just as bad as closing the doors to someone in need of just enough water to live and rejecting them, without the intention of doing so.

Does this make sense? It's almost like we have to choose who to cater to and if that is the case we should always choose in favor of the new believer or even non believer because forgoing those would be like quitting our job but still receiving the rewards as if we still worked there.

Any thoughts to the blog readers?

We Need Something Real - Pt.2

In my previous post, I made some strong statements regarding some things many of us hold dear, ie. Blessed Assurance and Beth Moore. Don't get wrapped up in semantics. Hymns and anointed teachers play their part - but we should not depend upon them solely for our growth. At some point, we have to become hungry. I'm battling a misconception here, and the misconception is this: if we are stunted, spiritually, and in a rut, then the answer is a new song to sing or a new study to go through. That is the fallacy.

When Elijah was worn out, burned out, freaked out, and just DONE.... God presented before him a bible study, but God wasn't in the bible study. Then God came to him in a hymn, but God wasn't in the hymn. Oh wait... isn't this the way the story goes?

1Ki 19:11-12
(11) And he said, Go out and stand on the mountain before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind tearing the mountains and breaking the rocks in bits before Jehovah! Jehovah was not in the wind. And after the wind was an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake.
(12) And after the earthquake was a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire; and after the fire came a still, small voice.

The answer isn't necessarily what we've always associated with God in the past - the hymns, the bible studies, the church services. The answer is to simply get before God in prayer - earnest prayer - either alone or corporately - and bare your heart(s) before God. Ask to be hungry. Ask to never be satisfied again with anything worldly. Ask to never get enough - to never cool off - to always be bursting at the seams. When God shows up in POWER, it's different. It's just different. You never want to leave it.

We had a small group meeting on Saturday morning where we prayed over men - especially regarding the faults and failures in our lives. There was candid confession and repentance and when we were done... nobody would leave. We all just stood around and looked at each other and the Presence of God was amongst us... and there is no bible study that can reproduce that. However! Once we left, finally, we were ready for a good hymn... and a good bible study. And Blessed Assurance would have been sung WHOLE HEARTEDLY. It was awesome!

We Need Something Real

The church has forgotten its first love. We have become self-dependent. When times are tough and somebody needs a hand, we have to go home and pray about it. When someone is sick, we pray God's will is done and that He will 'guide the hand of the doctors'. And when someone is stunted in their spiritual growth, it is time for a new 'program' to go through.

It's the devil's way of blinding the church. He does it so well.

When someone needs help, we don't need to pray about helping them.
When someone is sick, we need to do EXACTLY what the bible says to do. Anoint them before the elders, lay hands on them, and EXPECT God to heal them! And if it isn't readily apparent that God will heal immediately, keep praying! If there is a doctor involved, then by all means pray for the doctor but expect God to heal them!
When someone is stunted in their spiritual growth, we as Christians need to understand that there is a yoke that must be broken, and I'm sorry, the new Beth Moore study is not going to break it. It just won't. Don't even go there - Beth Moore is awesome and is a mighty servant of God but Beth is NOT the answer to that problem! GOD is the answer! Get in His presence! His presence is the answer! Once the yoke breaks... then go get Beth's book and read it!

This sounds so far out to most Christians. Sad. On a number of levels this is sad. One, we think that going to church on Sunday and singing "Blessed Assurance" is 'getting in the presence of God'. You will never get into the presence of God through a ritual.

So, how do we truly get in His presence? This is the need that is identified. More to come on this.

The Economy - what happened?

Deu 28:43-48
(43) The alien in your midst shall go above you, higher and higher; and you shall come down, lower and lower.
(44) He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.
(45) And all these curses shall come on you and shall pursue you and overtake you, until you are destroyed; for you did not heed the voice of Jehovah your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you.
(46) And they shall be on you for a sign and for a wonder, and on your seed forever,
(47) because you did not serve Jehovah your God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things,
(48) and you shall serve your enemies whom Jehovah shall send on you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in lack of all things. And He shall put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

Reclaiming the Night

I'm reading a book about end-time warfare that was loaned to me by Stan Tyra. I'm not remembering the name of the book, but the author is Mark Pierce. Mr. Pierce talks about reordering your day and in particular, reclaiming the night. He talks about the many instances in the bible where the watches are mentioned. The Jews had three watches in the old testament, and then the Romans came along with four. The ones that Jesus spoke of were the kind used during His time - the Roman watches: evening (6-9), midnight (9-12), cockcrow (12-3), and morning or daybreak (3-6). The one that most people think of is the one in which Peter denied Jesus - at cockcrow.

In Joshua 10, Joshua and his men watched all night and battled all day to win it all. In 1 Samuel 30 (I believe) David watched all night and battled all day to win it all at Ziklag. Jesus Himself watched and prayed all night and battled all the following day to win back what we lost - on the cross. The precept is there.

The point was to study what was revealed at these times, and to listen intently if God gives you occassion to be awake at any of these times. Naturally, most people are awake at evening watch, but we American Idol right on through it. This is a prime time, designed by God (remember, the day begins in the evening) to wind down, empty self, refill with Him, and begin your day correctly. WEIRD CONCEPT.

The author also mentioned reclaiming the night. A certain world-religion has call to prayer many times a day - but NONE at night. What an opportunity! Other cults do their encantations, spells, and various rituals during the night hours. If we are on watch and praying (for only one hour?) then we can tap into much of the plan of God for our lives that we have missed, simply because we never knew the importance of watching and praying. Be alert and don't miss an opportunity to sit, watch, and pray.

Not so deep, yet, meaningful thought of the day....

You know, I had a thought while rushing to get a few things done this morning.... Anyone here ever find yourself trying to make room for everything (ie: especially quiet time with Him)? Doesn't it seem like a backwards view at times? I mean, trying to find time for HIM? It's almost an insult, right? Shouldn't we be trying to find time to fit in EVERYTHING ELSE? ie: work, school, family, fun, etc.... around our critical time with Him.......

Hmmmmmmmmmm. How ridiculous we can be as humans in the flesh by making everything seem so important when at the end of the day neglecting that which matters most.

** Posted from e-mail by Jesse Hopkins **

Hating Order - Loving the Stupid

Today in the news, Sony is removing a video game that might accidentally offend someone. A man in Britain is being made to tear down his barbed wire fence because it might injure thieves. An 18 year old Indian girl is flogged to death because she was suspected of inappropriate behavior. There is a national manhunt for a Texas immigrant who executed his two daughters in what is being called an 'honor killing', and relatives are asking the authorities to treat it differently because of this 'culture'. We are diluted to the point where there is nothing recognizable as order in the world anymore. The commercial where the company boasts that they 'do the right thing' is very attractive, but it's science fiction in scope.

This nation has never been an accurate thermometer of the state the world is in, but it does represent the valve on the world's boiler, and we're about to go. It is easy to see why the book of Revelation says the events will occur quickly. Once the ball starts rolling, it wont stop until it hits the bottom of the hill. Here's the famine we are heading for:

• The Word of God - Not allowed as a guide or reputable resource for planning anything beyond how to spend your Sunday. If you intend to reference its contents at work, school, or court house, you risk stiff penalty, imprisonment, defamation and ridicule.
• Logic - there is nothing logical about worshiping the planet. When we outlaw nuclear energy, oil drilling, coal mining, and tree cutting, we will be back to burning cow chips. Oh wait... cow flatulence contributes to global warming as well (no joke.. I didn't make that up) so no more cows. We'll just bundle up and eat rice cakes, if we aren't burning them.
  
• Love - 'the love of many will wax cold'

In Revelation 16, we see the culmination of the Lord's judgment upon the earth. As a friend of mind put it, "there's no love, here". He's right... the world rejected LOVE. It starts with sores. We are so into pharmaceutical worship that we have no reliance upon the great Healer. Then we go to blood. The women of our fine, civilized country are so enamored with their right to take the life of their own babies, and our spineless men have not the guts or intellect to lead them otherwise. Everything will become blood - read it - it is what we've asked for. Then we have the sun scorching everything. You want global warming to be true so that it suits your political agenda? Just wait - you've got good times 'acomin'. Then darkness... everyone is gnawing on their tongues. Christ said "I am the light", but the world hates the Light, so... enjoy. Then comes the war from the kings of the east. Cater to the nations who hate Yahweh and seek to destroy His people. This, too, will come back upon us. Finally, an earthquake that will shake the world - no mountain left standing, no island left above water. A really bad time to be a cave dweller, except... doh... hail. Big, 100lb hail stones... run from that. There will be nowhere to go. There will be nothing left. Think of this, the majority of THIS MILLENNIUM will be spent looking at decimated wreckage that used to be cars, homes, barns, businesses... all that we work so hard to build and protect... rubbish... after this hail storm. We're buying it, all of it.

This sounds snide and I guess it is. I'm sick of the news. I'm sick of stupid, deceived leaders and the vocal few that seem to have the ears of the media and the courts. I'm sick of bowing down to mammon - and that being the 'norm'. I'm sick of political correctness - there is nothing correct about politics. We are in desperate need of a 'wise king'. Until He arrives, we have nothing to do but FOCUS. It's a distracting world out there.

Make a Change

Sometimes life is a real downer. I strongly suspect that many of my downer moments aren't externally instigated, but rather it is my perspective that needs to change. I have learned that repentance is really a vital part of the Christian walk, and it does not necessarily imply wrong-doing. Repentance is a 'change of direction'. If one way isn't working, then try the other way.

Mat 4:16-20
(16) the people sitting in darkness saw a great Light; and to those sitting in the region and shadow of death, Light sprang up to them." Isa. 9:1, 2
(17) From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent! For the kingdom of Heaven has drawn near.
(18) And walking beside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon being called Peter and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers.
(19) And He says to them, Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.
(20) And leaving the nets, they immediately followed Him.


So LIGHT comes to these who are sitting (walking) in the Shadow of Death. What chased the shadows away? "Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent!" Interesting! Just a change of direction can chase the shadows away? Sometimes. What about the first disciples? They were fishing - and there's certainly nothing wrong with fishing... but Christ comes along and says "Come after me" and they drop the nets and follow. That is repentance. The gospels proclaim the light that was ignited as a result of their actions.

Real Worship

Psa 134:1-3
(1) A Song of Ascents. Behold, bless Jehovah, all servants of Jehovah; who stand in the house of Jehovah at night.
(2) Lift up your hands in the holy place, and bless Jehovah.
(3) May Jehovah bless you out of Zion, He who made the heavens and earth.

This Psalm flattened me when my spirit was finally ready to hear it. Worship has been something lacking in my life for as long as I can remember. There is much time that I speak to God when I'm alone, but worship... not as much. The more I learn, the more I realize that worship breaks the barriers down that prevent us from approaching God as we should. Judah means 'praise'. Hosea 10:11 says "Judah shall plow". Praise plows up the hardened clods of our heart and allows the water of the Word to soak in. I desperately wish to be a man who worships God in spirit and in truth - at all times. Especially the quiet times when I'm alone, tending the fire of God at night when nobody else is around.

It's not easy. We all know that a small fire at night will certainly lure you to sleep.

That fire is ours to keep going, as the priest was instructed to never let it go out. It is our responsibility. If it has gone out for you, ask the Lord to rekindle it, that you might have another chance to keep it going even in the late hours.

Succa

We are now within the 7 days of Succot - or Tabernacles - in which the Jewish people (primarily) celebrate God's provision of shelter for them in the desert. Who, of all the peoples of the earth, should be more cognizant of shelter than the Jews? They are an embattled people. There is an excellent article on the side bar today (when Jerusalem is clicked) of the evangelical march in Jerusalem for the support of Israel and some of the current Israeli views of this support.

Most of us realize that the march in the desert was a real event, but it has much spiritual significance. We all have our 'dry' seasons where it seems like we're in a rut, spiritually, and we simply march around that same old mountain and the scenery never changes. Mature Christians might see it for what it is; either a time of testing, or just a period between the rains. It might even be that we've fallen into a rut, so introspection can reveal the cause of that. Have we become so involved in work or play that we have 'forgotten our first love'?

We experience walks in the dry places. But God still shelters us until we turn and seek Him again, or until the test is over, or until the rains come. Remember, as seekers of Christ, we are grafted into the spiritual tree of Israel, and we should always celebrate God's shelter over us. Identify with Succot, because God IS good!

The 8th day, the day after the feast is over, is the day where those who are really enjoying themselves find themselves still lingering around the party. It is then that God the Father says, hang around! Enjoy another day with me! The Millennial Reign is symbolic of the Feast of Succot, where the party for the lovers of God is 1000 years long. But when the party is over, and the 8th 'millennial' day begins, God will invite those who are truly in love with Him to 'hang around', and the New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven and we will indeed stay with Him - beyond the party.

A Fake High

Matthew chapter 4 describes the temptation of Jesus by Satan. In Matthew 4:8, it is written:

(Mat 4:8) Again the Devil takes Him to a very high mountain, and shows to Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

In the NKJV, it's referred to as an 'exceedingly high' mountain. Consider that during the time of the Roman Empire, the kingdoms of the world were spread out over half the world as we know it. It would have been a very high moutain indeed.

The devil was showing Jesus the kingdoms of the earth through one of two methods... the heavenly mountains that overlook the world, or a vision.

I was walking through the house yesterday and Entertainment Tonight was coming on after the news. Duff McKagan - one of the ex-musicians for Guns & Roses was on there and they were documenting his struggles with drugs and alcoholism. He has not recovered. He is a total mess and it's a sad thing to see. He left the band in the 90s with literally millions of dollars - enough to make anyone happy, right? It was a fake high.

Every now and then, I look around to see if the reason for my good mood is fake, or if it's real. More often than not, it's real, because God is making Himself known these days and there is much to be excited about. Beware of fake highs... they really aren't highs at all.

Trench Warfare

Today I resigned my post as praise band guitarist for our church. It took much prayer and deliberation. I realized that the enemy was using my music ministry to weaken my foundations. That cannot happen. The key is to realize the ploy of the enemy - and his intent for me was to spread me too thin. I'm tired... all the time. And as tired as I am, I'm becoming even less help to my family. This is where resentment begins.

There were times when Jesus would go about healing, casting out demons, and basically just DOING GOOD. But there always came a time as well when He would continue on with His mission. At some point, He healed the last person in line and said, "Enough, I must go." Every time this happened, you must know that there were people begging Him to stay. They had good excuses, too. They had needs. But He had to go. He was about His Father's business. He maintained FOCUS.

None of this is easy. His original desire, after all, is to walk amongst His people and BE THEIR GOD. But alas, that time is not yet. But it is soon coming. Meanwhile, do not let the enemy spread you too thin.

The Mystery of God

And the temple was filled with the smoke of the glory of God, and with His power. And no one was able to enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels should be completed. Rev 15:8

In heaven, when God is in the FULLNESS of His glory and power, not even the immortal heavenly beings can be in His presence. He is God. For those of us who ponder heaven, it's easy to think that eternity could get boring. After all, it IS a long time, and we'll be just hanging out on clouds and playing harps and stuff.

We just don't have a concept.

God is our Father. He is the Creator. Creating is what He does. He loves His children. Loving is what He does. There is nothing like His love. Have you ever had a massage from your spouse? Did it get old? Did you reach a point where you just wanted to say, "Please... stop!". Ummm... no.

The mystery of our Father will always - even after 1,000,000,000 years - be a mystery. There are things He can do that we cannot. That will not change. He is big!

I have cats. The closet is off-limits to them. The mystery of the closet never waxes old. After 8 years, the closet is still the object of their fascination and they'll sneak a peek every chance they get. After 8 years! It's a closet! There's nothing in there but... the unknown.

I look forward to an eternity trying to 'figure out' my Father. Is that not what kids do?

Birth Pains

We're seeing so much activity in the world today as pertaining to prophetic events. The stock market is a mess - everyone is talking about the 'world banking system'. Iran hates Israel and is about to have nuclear capabilities. The eastern powers are buying up all the gold. And amidst all of this, the Godliest nation in the world has become so ungodly that we are seeing increased turmoil within our own borders. It's all so unsettling, isn't it?

Except for some reason, there are a handful of Christians who seem at ease, if not a bit excited. What is up with that? Could it be that the bible really gives insight into all of this?

I went to Jamaica in '02 with a couple of buddies. One a Christian, one a non-Christian, but both great friends. I never see my non-Christian buddy, so our conversations were always a treat. He started talking about the hypocritical evangelicals and how they claim to 'be so good', yet have as many problems as the rest. I said, "You know, I'm one of those evangelicals." He said, "Nah you couldn't be. You're here having fun like everyone else." The conversation that ensued was enlightening to both of us, I'm sure. I told my buddy about the signs of the times and what the bible says concerning them. I also told him I fully expect my Father to return in my lifetime. What he said stuck with me. "Christians believe in the rapture because their lives are so miserable and they want to believe in an escape."

That's the world view of what many of us believe. Christ is our Blessed Hope. Hope for what? Christ was the 'Firstborn of the dead', our 'First fruits'. First Fruits of what? Christ was our 'guarantee', guarantee of what?

I think I proved to my buddy that a person doesn't have to be miserable in order to believe in Christ's return. I'll admit that at the time, my life was a mess, maritally, and that I was a married guy living single. A mess. But I did have joy in my heart. I still do, and God has blessed me immeasurably with my wife and daughters. I'm not an unhappy fellow! But... Yeshua will soon return and EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT WAS HAPPINESS WILL DISSOLVE INTO OBSCURITY. He is our happiness! He is our fullness! He is health! He is laughter! He is wisdom and righteousness and knowledge and LOVE and every fruit of the Spirit is one of HIS characteristics and... He is the one I wait for. Call me an escapist. If I have the winning lottery ticket behind door number one and 5 more years here, or Christ behind door number two right now... I choose door number two. I say this in love, not arrogance. To live is Christ, to die is gain.

Birth pains start early, give many false alarms, and then get more and more frequent. Pretty soon, the false alarms aren't so harmless. Pretty soon, they aren't false at all - the world is alarmed. "Behold, He comes." Mal 3:1