Heart of Kim

I just finished reading the fiction, “The Shack” by William P. Young.  It was definitely ”off the wall” and “out of the box”.   I found it rather amusing and full of insight into the secret places of thought and internal discourse that are common to the  human condition. Tragedy, pain or loss usually lead to eternal questions and  the emotions that accompany those questions.   I thought the writers imagination in characterization and discourse uniquely used earthly things and people to convey spiritual truths to a vast range of potential readers. I did not necessarily agree with every single word or sentence of every doctrinal issue that was touched on in the fictitious story,  but I did agree with the overall concept of the book which was  that God is a good God who loves us,  He never leaves or forsakes us and that He is just and kind and can be trusted even in the midst of sadness and tragedy. 

  But, what amazed me is the reviews I found after I read the book.  Reviews of distrust and accusations of heresy were easy to be found on the internet.    Once again I found the “Religious Watchdog” mentality had emerged with all its fury and opinion and divisive language. I am absolutely amazed at the policing of the Gospel.  There are those who believe they have been made law enforcers and trial judges of anyone proclaiming the Gospel.  Yes,  there is error and many times gross error that is mixed in with the proclaiming of the Gospel.  However, the proclaimers and the hearers are each responsible for their proclamation and the hearing of it, respectively.  There will be no excuses on judgement day.  We cannot stand before God and say, “well that’s not fair, cause so and so said………………..”.   Each person has a right to seek truth.  Jesus said He was Truth.  Each person has the opportunity to go to the scriptures  and acquaint themselves with the Truth.  I for one will NOT base my eternal destiny just on what someone says!   Each and every person has a free will and each person is free to choose  or reject Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. God is just.  God is faithful.  God will honor each persons choice. Each and every person will stand face to face with God one day and those who have accepted that Jesus Christ died for them will have no record of sin because the blood of Jesus has completely washed it away.  Those people will have used their free will and accepted the free gift of salvation. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There are many sources of input coming from every kind of direction.  We live in “the information age”.   Each time we hear anything we should be well versed in scripture so that we may be able to discern what is being said and we should have established a relationship with the Holy Spirit so that He can help witness truth and error to us personally.   What a mess it is to absorb “everything” you hear.  If you do you will end up in confusion.  We are to “rightly divide the Word of God”.  We are to pray and believe we receive a “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of our understanding is enlightened”!  There is plenty of deceit to go around where spiritual issues are concerned.  That’s why it is absolutely imperative that we forever settle once and for all the basic doctrinal issues put forth in the Word of God.  We should not let others do all of our thinking for us.  We should become familiar with the Truth so that we can “eat the chicken and spit our the bones”.   Learn to converse with the Spirit of God yourself.  Yes, we can learn from each other, yes, we should be planted and submitted to a pastor, however, don’t just  swallow everything you hear without checking with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.  There you will find safety.

The Word is “line upon line, and precept upon precept”.  We are transformed from “glory to glory”.  In other words, there are somethings that we cannot understand unless we have built a foundation to support the understanding of that concept.  I appreciate the Lord building safety valves into our christian growth process.  He is a loving Father and just as we would not ask a third grade student to understand and comprehend a tenth graders geometry or calculus or literature, etc.,  nor will God.  The key here is to study to show “yourself” approved, a workman unto God, not being ashamed.  If you don’t understand something then ask the Lord for revelation of that thing.  He will reveal unto you comprehension of that thing in a way that you can understand.   

Everytime you read a book or an article, watch a television program or movie or even listen to a preacher or teacher…… it is wise to weigh everything that is said with the Word of God.  Allow the Holy Spirit to shine His light of understanding into your heart and mind about such things. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are trusted companions to keep you out of error.  

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

2 Timothy 1:13  Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

There is one sure-fire way to go on an emotional roller coaster ride;  it’s called Contrast and Comparison. 

C&C has many friends that hang around with them:  jealousy, envy, hurt, bitterness, depression, pride, arrogance…….  and on and on. 

Contrasting and Comparing ourself with others is one of the most sublte ways that satan  uses to  take our focus off of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:12-13 (King James Version) 

 ¹²For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

 ¹³But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

 It is absolutely impossible to “contrast and compare” ourself with another without experiencing one of two things:      Exaltation or Abasement.  The reason Paul says it is not wise to do so is because in order to enter into contrast and comparison one must first make “judgement” and in making judgement there usually follows a conviction and verdict.  To place ourself in our own mind either above the other person or below the other person will always bring strife.  Ah, Now we begin to see where all the other emotions that follow come from! 

  The solution is simple:  Fix our eyes on Jesus!  then, we can see ourself and others through the wonderful truth of the Word of God.  Seeing others through the Spirit takes consistent “casting down of imaginations that are attempting to exalt themselves against the knowledge of God”.       The knowledge of God is full of the Gospel of the Grace of God.  Every person has been given an anointing and grace for the measure of rule or call that is on their life.  There is beauty in the different giftings and graces on different people that make up the body of Christ.  No two are alike and each person is as different as their fingerprint. 

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (King James Version)  ¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ¹⁴For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ¹⁸But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. ¹⁹And if they were all one member, where were the body? ²⁰But now are they many members, yet but one body. ²¹And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. ²²Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: ²³And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. ²⁴For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. ²⁵That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. ²⁶And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Next time temptation comes around and presents the thought of “Contrast and Comparison”.  Laugh at that thought, take it captive, and say NO!  Let’s not allow the enemy to suck us into perceptions that are how “he” wants us to view things.  Realize just how wonderfully different God has made each individual and how precious each person is.  There is no one like me  and there is no one like you!   

  Think about it!

Most people think of  God as “way out there, somewhere”, when in reality He is “everywhere”.  God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (all present).   It’s difficult to get our minds wrapped around that thought because it extends past our ability to understand and comprehend with the natural mind.  

The psalmist said it like this in Psalm 139:

 ¹O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. ²Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.  ³Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.   ⁴For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.   ⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.   ⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.   ⁷Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?   ⁸If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.   ⁹If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;   ¹⁰Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.   ¹¹If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.   ¹²Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.   ¹³For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.   ¹⁴I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.   ¹⁵My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.   ¹⁶Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.  ¹⁷How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!   ¹⁸If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.   ¹⁹Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.   ²⁰For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.   ²¹Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?   ²²I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.   ²³Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:   ²⁴And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

God is closer than the air you breathe.  He is God.   He is upholding all things by the Word of His power. He is the creator of life. He is the sustainer of life. He is the wonder of  the miracle of conception and the maker of all things beautiful.

He is God.  He is Love. He is Good.  He is the beginning and the end. He is infinite. He is God.  He is ….. where you are.  There has never been a time that He has not thought of you. You have never been anywhere He wasn’t there.

From the smallest atom to the largest “whatever”, He is there. He is God.

Satan would like to convince you that you are all alone. Not So!  All you need to do is believe the infallible Word of the Living God.  In most religions, the follower is required to be willing to die for their god.  In Christianity, our God, sent His son to this earth to pay the eternal price for sin and He died for us. That’s not all,  He rose from the grave, conquering death and ever lives to make intercession for you and me.  He ever lives to enforce His covenant of grace.  He longs for each human being to believe in Him and receive Him as their personal saviour. Jesus lived, died and rose and now lives to love you.  He came to save and not condemn.  If you don’t know God then receive Him today.  Believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for you, confess with your mouth that He is Lord of your life and your life begins anew as a new creation in Him!  Why does it have to be that way you ask?  Because God is a God of faith.  Without faith it is impossible to please Him, He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him! (paraphrased Heb 11:6).

 God knows every link in your DNA.  He knows you.  He loves you. He promised in His word that He would never leave or forsake you!  Wow, to have a wonderful saviour that is everywhere at anytime and you never have to feel alone again!  Awesome! 

 You are Special!  You are one of a kind!  And God knew you before you were even born!  He loves you, and longs to have an intimate relationship with you.  But He will not violate your will.  He waits for you to come to Him and receive Him.  He was, is and forever will be “a gentleman”.   He ever so gently whispers your name and calls you to Himself.  Can you hear Him?  He’s calling you this very moment.  If you know the Lord and have gotten away from His fellowship, never fear, just go boldly to His throne, run to His loving arms, for they remain open to receive you.  Even if we have not been faithful, He abides faithful!  He forgives, restores and refreshes!  Oh what a wonderful Lord!

   Just remember,  God is the smallest thing you can imagine and the biggest thing that you can imagine, whether it is a tachyon particle or a whole universe………  That is the God that loves you!  That is the God that is everywhere, knows all things and is the most powerful being that will ever exist.  And, He desires an intimate relationship with you! 

Over the last few weeks, I have been in and out of various veins of thought, study and observation.  Maybe I have an unusually contemplative personality, I don’t know.  Bear with me as I just share my heart on some things that have gone on inside of me. 

It seems that everywhere I turn, my spirit is grieved over and over again.  I walk down the bookstore and/or movie section of a major retailer and I find only about 5 or 10 percent of  space is allotted for christian materials. The majority of  very carefully thought out displays are devoted to subjects that are “best sellers”.  Well that’s ok, I understand that the merchandising executives are arranging their merchandise based on supply and demand because they are responsible for making money for their company. It’s the supply that is being demanded that grieves my heart. 

I turn on the television and spend most of my time trying to find something that is wholesome and entertaining.  I usually end up frustrated and turning the TV  back off.  Producers, directors and film makers are also going the way of supply and popular demand.

I walk into a clothing store and find it more and more difficult to find anything but a low-cut garment hanging on a rack.

I listen to a political advertisement and end up more confused than I was before I heard an ear full of more mudslinging, criticism and sarcasm.  I see a government that has not issued an invitation to Wisdom and have become the blind leading the blind.  Our nation has become tolerant of  evil and intolerant of truth.  Prayer was thrown out of education many years ago and has produced for the most part a godless society.  Man has become his own God.  

How desperately we need a move of Spirit of an Almighty God in this nation and across the world.  How critical it has become that we as the sons and daughters of God Wake Up to the Time we are living in.   How we need to hear the call of repentance from those who have been entrusted with platforms of power.  Oh, how we need to hear the Spirit reveal to us a loving – holy God that doesn’t excuse sin but took our sin upon Himself that we might be free.  How desperately we need an awakening to God.

I read a newspaper or online article and the negativity and hopelessness is overwhelming.   Opinion has become the truth of todays scholars and analysts.

The human mind is so bombarded with signage and neon lights that the simple beauty of  life is becoming more and more obscure.

I watch young people living out each day in a technological frenzy of drama and strife, crying tears that no one has time to discuss or cares to explain. They end up chasing dreams that were never theirs just so they can be pleasing and acceptable to someone else that never really cared in the first place.  I find teenagers living for the moment without any thought of consequence or how their actions may cloud and cause obscurity to the destination that God has for them. 

Respect for a fellow human being is becoming a thing of the past and the value of a human life is diminishing as courts made up of people who don’t know Jesus, determine the laws of this land. 

Being thankful is a fleeting thought that seems to die as soon as it was born.  Selfishness is all too common and acceptable.

I find a lot of christians oblivious to the devices of satan and ignorant of the Word of God,  thereby, becoming apathetic and religious, having a form of godliness and denying the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is fearful and sad to see the world I live in becoming a pagan society.

I thought on these things that are weighty and too great for me.  I realized that I am only one person.  I realized that the only real control I have is with ME.   Will I commit to pray?  Will I become hungry enough to spend more and more time in the presence of my Father.  Will I yield myself to become sensitive to the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit. Am I willing to be corrected?  Am I willing to be taught? Am I willing to lay down my life to pursue and complete the purpose God has for me?    Am I 100% willing? Jesus was.

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  John 3:16-17

I am convinced more and more each day of the importance of “guarding our hearts” from the deadly poison being spewed from the world’s system of thought. We are told in the Word to “guard our heart with all diligence”. Look at the following scripture:

Proverbs 4: ²⁰My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.  ²¹Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.  ²²For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.  ²³Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  ²⁴Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.  ²⁵Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.  ²⁶Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  ²⁷Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Look at verse 23 in the Amplified: ²³Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Another translation says “the forces of life”.   In a world of constant distractions it’s all too easy to fall asleep at the wheel, so to speak, and allow just anything and everything to pass through our eyegate and eargate. 

The Word begins to take a backseat to all of the affairs of life.  The word is worked in only when it becomes convenient and doesn’t interfere in our busy schedule. By the time we get around to the Word of God, we’re so tired; we fall asleep.  Then when it’s time to be on guard against all the wiles of the devil, we are dull of fresh revelation, thereby not on guard against the subtlety of the enemy.  This weakened condition causes us to become prey to deception.

In this hectic world that we live in we must make choices that side with the written Word of God if we are going to realize the “more than conquerors” that we have been made through Christ.  We have been made His righteousness, we have been made kings and priests unto our God, we have been made free from the law of sin and death and we have been given everything that pertains to life and godliness. 

Tests and trials are a part of this life.  Jesus said in John 16:33  

  ³³These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

But He overcame and has given us authority over all the power of the enemy. However;  lack of knowledge and knowledge with no faith/action equals to nothing.  We can find ourselves bound and frustrated by the circumstance of life rather than victorious and overcoming.  In the Revelation of Jesus Christ it says they overcame him (satan) by the blood of the lamb, the word of their testimony and loving not their lives unto the death.

Sorry, but the third part of that verse we don’t even like to quote because we equate it with physical death.  Look, if we won’t die to ourself now and put His Word first place in our life; let’s not kid ourself, we certainly wouldn’t physically give our life willingly.

But, to overcome, we must “guard our heart”.  Why?  Because, out of the abundance of our heart, our mouth speaks and we get what we say!  (Matt 12:34, Luke 6:45, Mark 11:23-24)

Honour and Respect for the Word of God must be first place in our life, especially our “thought life”.   We must realize and have revelation that the Word of God “is God” and it is the power of God unto salvation from whatever we need saving from.  Guarding our heart, realizing that from it comes the power of life and death rolling off our tongue and affecting every area of our life.  We will live and eat the words that we speak.  Jesus, said three times  when He was tempted “it is written”.  If it was important enough for Jesus to overcome temptation with the Word, we must conclude that it is just as important for us to be full of the Word and on guard at all times and ready to fight the fight of faith.

Keeping and guarding our heart with all diligence will help us to stay strong, alert and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It will help us keep a mindset that is free from being watered down, diluted and tainted by the world’s way of thinking.  Remember; satan is the god of this world’s system.   We are new creations that should be thinking according to the kingdom of God’s system. We are told to cast down imaginations (thoughts) that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God!  It’s easier to recognize those thoughts and deal with them when our library of information that we have received and loaded into our mind is the Word of God!  Let’s begin to set a watchman at the door of our mind/thoughts and our tongue and take our rightful places as overcoming and victorious sons and daughters of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!   

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith.  It is interwoven throughout scripture.  We cannot seperate the bible from faith. To do so would be to remove the underlying foundation of what the Word of God is all about. The entire Word of God is a faith message. 

Romans 10: 

 ⁸But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  ⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

 ¹⁷So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  

Mark 11:23-24

  ²³For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

 ²⁴Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Look at the story of David and Goliath. David might have been a young man, but David knew that He was in covenant with a mighty God. I love the story of David and Goliath.  That wonderful account of David taking on the giant in the presence of the armies of Israel that were afraid of the Philistines giant is definitely a story of faith in action.  It’s amazing to me just how accurately David acted on a scripture that had not even been penned yet.( Mark 11:23-24) As you read the story of David and Goliath, notice how many times David said something by faith and then acted on what he said.

I Samuel 17 

 ³²And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.  ³³And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

 ³⁴And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:  ³⁵And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.  ³⁶Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.  ³⁷David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.

And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.  ³⁸And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.  ³⁹And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.  ⁴⁰And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.  ⁴¹And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.  ⁴²And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.  ⁴³And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.  ⁴⁴And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

 ⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.  ⁴⁶This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  ⁴⁷And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.

 ⁴⁸And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.  ⁴⁹And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.  ⁵⁰So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.  ⁵¹Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

David knew he had a covenant with God.

David believed God would deliver him.

David said what he believed.

David acted on what he believed and said.

God has not changed.  We have a covenant.  The Word says that we have a better covenant. We have a covenant with great and precious promises that are backed by the sinless, spotless blood of Jesus. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We’ve all been given the measure of faith and it is near us, even in our mouth, that word of faith. We are to call things that are not as though they are, believing it in our heart and saying it with our mouth. It is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and we know that if He hears us, we have the petitions that we have desired of Him. 

As you go about your life each day, meditate on the following scripture and let it become reality to you, let it become alive in you and then go take down the giants in your life!

I John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 

 Mark 7:   ⁵Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?  ⁶He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.  ⁷Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

I just love the way Jesus cut right to the chase!  He didn’t waste words.  He got right to the point!  He didn’t play games. He just told it like it was.

How refreshing!  In our attempts to “be nice” sometimes we can mislead people as to the purpose of our intentions, our motives or in  the understanding of what we are saying.  A lot of people present themselves with plastic smiles and they slip on their  invisible mask each morning before they leave home.  Sometimes you don’t know what someone thinks or what they are really saying.  I think this course of behavior leaves wide open spaces for miscommunication, misunderstanding and confusion.    

It is so easy to judge others.  However; it is impossible to judge another without either lifting yourself up in pride above the other person or abasing yourself  beneath the other person.  Think about it.  That’s why there is only one judge and He is the Righteous Judge.    It is better to feed on the tree of life and leave the tree of the knowledge of good and evil alone!  Only God knows the heart of a person. 

Romans 2: ²⁸For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: ²⁹But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Religion and self righteousness are synonymous.  The devil loves religion.  Christianity is a relationship with a saviour, not a religion.  Christianity is loving the one who first loved us.  Too much emphasis is put on the dos and don’ts.  I am convinced that a person who grows in their relationship with the Lord will gain greater insight and understanding to the grace of a loving God, thereby, being transformed from the inside out by the power of God.  Why do we want people to come to a forgiving saviour and then immediately place demands on them that the Word plainly says they cannot keep?   (The reason the law was given was to bring man to the end of himself; so that he saw his need for a saviour).  To think any other way is pure and simple; self righteousness.

 There are a lot of hurting people who are looking for answers and yet they refuse to turn to the church because of the “nose in the air” pious attitudes of the self righteous.  This is sad.  I’m sure it grieves the heart of God.   When are we as the church going to be willing to say what we hear the Father say and do what we see the Father do?  When are we going to quit playing church and realize that we are in the last days and “people” are on the mind of God.  We should always have an answer ready for those who may ask us about the hope that is in us!  An answer full of the love of God, without respect of persons, without partiality and without judgement and condemnation. 

Let’s not kid ourselves.  The world is looking for a way out of their mess.  The world can see right through hypocrisy.  The world is looking for the real deal.  They are looking for the genuine.  They are looking for a saviour.  They are looking for someone that “knows” Him.  They already know they are sinners.  They already know about guilt and condemnation.  They already know themselves on deep and intimate levels.  What they don’t know is that God truly does love them and died for their sins and was raised for their justification. 

2 Corinthians 5: ¹⁸And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Let’s not just honour God with traditions and formalities;  let’s honour Him with our whole heart.  Let’s honour Him by believing His Word. Let’s honour Him by seeking Him and really getting to know Him through His Word. 

 It’s so much easier to tell someone about someone that you actually know.

 We are like a lighthouse, and the more aquainted with Him we are, the brighter we shine……..  The brighter we shine, the more opportunity for Him to be lifted up and draw all men unto Himself.   

Psalm 130

 1Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.  2Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  3If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?  4But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.  5I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.  6My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.  7Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.  8And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Forgiveness.  What exactly does it mean?  It means, to pardon, to release from payment of a debt.   When we receive Jesus as saviour and Lord, we believe that He died for us and that our debt of sin was paid because of His sacrifice.  Basically, that is the Gospel in a nutshell.  Isn’t it strange how from that moment on,  we can get caught up in spending the rest of their life trying to “earn” His approval, trying to “do good” in order to somehow measure up and be accepted.  Think about that for a moment.  It doesn’t make sense!  Salvation cannot be earned.  It is a gift.  It is by grace, through faith. Take a look at what Isaiah prophesied concerning the crucifixion in chapter 53:

 10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

God was fully satisfied with the blood of Jesus.  Forgiveness flowed.  Wow!  The love of God is beyond our human, mental comprehension!  One of  the statements of Jesus when He was hanging on the cross was “Father, forgive them……..”.  Also while hanging on the cross, Jesus forgave the thief and encouraged him concerning the future. The first martyr of the church, Stephen, while being stoned, was asking God to forgive the ones who were stoning him.  Joseph, forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery.    Paul gives us insight, when he was writing to the Corinthian church, about the fact that unforgiveness is a device that satan uses to gain advantage in our lives.

One of the most moving parables that Jesus taught was that of the prodigal son. In that parable, the love and forgiveness of the father is unmistakable and oozes with the awesome love and forgiveness of our heavenly Father. 

   Jesus said that those who are forgiven much, love much.  What we fail to realize is that we ALL have been forgiven much.  A revelation of the grace and mercy of God is absolutely essential to even begin to understand what forgiveness is.  The more we understand about our own state of forgiveness and the fact that we have become the righteousness of God in Christ and that we are loved with an everlasting love; the more we can begin to see others from the same perspective. 

 I am amazed at the number of people I meet who carry unforgiveness year after year after year.  I have seen them turn into angry, bitter, frustrated individuals.  Those who refuse to empty themselves of holding onto unforgiveness view the world from a mindset of unforgiveness.  They see everything and everyone with suspicion and distrust.  They live a life of fear and torment; totally wrapped up in their own hurt and pain.  I am not denying that these people may have been hurt.  We have all experienced hurt at one time or another.  But, over a long period of time, an ever present attitude of revenge and self pity engulf the unforgiving person causing themself and others heartache and pain. It’s sad, because the unforgiveness never solves the issues, it never leads to closure and it never profits anyone in anyway. 

Unforgiveness robs people of peace.  Unforgiveness causes stress on the mind and body thereby creating health issues. Unforgiving people do not have a revelation that they are forgiven. They simply believe that “payment” must be made for there to be justice.  Oh how right and wrong they are.  Yes, payment must be made:  Jesus took our punishment.

John chapt. 1,  ²⁹The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 

Forgiveness is not a feeling; forgiveness is a choice.  When we choose to believe the Word and receive the fullness of what Christ has done for us, we in turn can begin to see others through the eyes of Jesus and choose to forgive.  Living a life knowing you are forgiven and forgiving others is liberating.  It is not the truth that will make us free, it’s a working, experiential knowledge of that truth that will make us free! 

Terry and I will be married 27 years tomorrow and I thought it might be good to share some of the key ingredients  we found that are essential for a successful relationship. I would like to preface this with one sidenote right up front. When we met, both of us had recently been through a divorce and both of us had determined to examine our own heart, repent where needed, and wipe the slate clean for a fresh start.  We also made a decision to totally forgive the X;  retaining no resentment, bitterness or ill-will.    (Forgiveness is a decision;  feelings follow the decision, not the otherway around)  We both had went before the Lord and ask for His help in finding a mate. If you find yourself in a similar situation married or divorced; the same principles apply.  No one can be free to love another if unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, hatred or any other such thing is being embraced by that person.  Because of those decisions,  we were free to build upon a clean and clear foundation without any debris or clutter.   The following is not necessarily in the order of importance.  All principles outlined are of utmost importance.

Both, Terry and I, had made the decision that Jesus Christ would be the Lord of our life.  We both were looking for someone who had the same core values and beliefs.  When we met we had both already been filled with the Holy Spirit.  Our meeting was supernatural. I don’t have the time nor space to go into that here, maybe in a future post.  

When we met, neither of us had  much to offer in the way of natural things.   We determined not to judge based on the natural appearance or circumstances.  We had determined to listen to the Spirit of God.  What we were looking for was the “green light” from God.  The reason:  Only God knows the heart of a person.  We both trusted in His knowledge and wisdom.  Up to that point “our knowledge and wisdom” had gotten us nothing but heartache and grief.  Trusting God concerning finding a mate or loving the one you have is of utmost necessity! 

We have always “respected” each other.  Marriage doesn’t dissolve the individuals into one person.  I know two become one flesh; but both people are individual and  a unique creation of God.  I see young couples constantly trying to change the spouse into what they think they should be.  BIG Mistake!  Trying to change another will only reinforce self condemnation in that person and maintain a steady stream of anger and strife in the household.  Each person must respect the other person for who they are.  

We have tried our best to honor and serve each other.  We have an unspoken agreement to not talk or discuss each other with another person.  Especially if we are in disagreement.  We have always tried to exhort, encourage and build each other up at home and in the presence of others. We have always tried our best to run to each other (not from each other) when problems arise.  We have endeavored to communicate on a continual daily basis concerning each other, the things we feel, think and deal with in life. 

We have considered ourselves mated for life and have refused to even consider any other option.  We have been quick to apologize to each other, quick to forgive each other and slow to judge each other.  We have been an open book with each other, spirit, soul and body.  We have laughed together and cried together.  We have prayed together and repented together.   We have grown closer and closer as the years have gone by. We have become one in thought, action and life.  

No wonder, the scriptures call us the “Bride of Christ”.  If you think about it,  the things that I have mentioned are vital in our relationship with the Father.  The same progression takes place over a lifetime.  The more time spent with the Father, the closer we become.  The more open we are with the Lord, the more He can show His love to us.  Jesus never condemns.  He died and rose that we might be free to be ourselves with Him, without fear and doubt.  He loves us with an everlasting love and as a gentleman, never forces His will on us.  He invites us to walk and talk with Him, that we might know Him.  If I had to choose only one ingredient for a successful relationship, I would have to choose “communication”.  Without it, we couldn’t and wouldn’t ever know each other.  A successful and healthy relationship is the one that maintains continual  fellowship.

I have not posted much lately.  Simply put, the Holy Spirit has not given me anything to say.  I endeavor to write, being led by the Spirit of God.  Quite frankly,  anything that “I”  have to say, is not worth much.  As I was praying about this post, the only leading was, “pray”.   After thinking on this, I realized that “pray” is exactly what He meant.  So, I will pray.  May you be blessed as you read!

Father, Thank you for being you.  I can come to your throne in boldness because Jesus has paved the way.  The way for me to approach you in confidence was carved out by the blood of the Lamb. I come before you, in confidence because I know I am welcome.  Thank you.  All glory and power to you.  All honor to you. 

Lord, government and government leaders are on my heart.  I see natural intelligence, but I see no wisdom.  Forgive us as a nation, for as a nation, we are turning away from you.  Father, grant us repentance, as a nation, and begin to turn the hearts of those in authority to seek your face.  Let men and women obtain revelation of their need for you.  Father, we have become a self-righteous nation because we have become self-righteous people.  Father grant us forgiveness, as a nation and as a people, and give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ that we may know where we came from and who we are.  Grant those in authority that are born-again, God-fearing believers courage and strength to speak truth and not fear.  Speak to our leaders in the night seasons and reveal yourself to them.   Deliver our nation from the hand of the enemy and set us on a course that we may return to the Godly principles that America was founded on. 

Father, I pray for all pastors, teachers, evangelists, apostles and prophets.  I ask that you strengthen them by your power in their inner man.  Give them a burning desire for your Word.  May they become soooo hungry and thirsty for you, your Word, and your Spirit.  May they crave manifestation of your power and your Spirit. Those  who are frustrated, unfrustrate them. Those who are hurting, heal them. Those who lack, supply their needs abundantly. Those who are weary, revitalize them. Those who have quit, encourage them to get up. Those who are persecuted, become more real to them and show yourself mighty on their behalf.   Those who are in error, yet have a heart for you, teach them. Those who are angry, redirect their anger. Give them insight into the plans and purposes that you have for their measure of influence.  Reveal your plans to them. Impart wisdom, that they may continue to fulfill their callings. Saturate them with a renewed confidence in your grace that is on them to equip the body for the work of the ministry for this hour.

 Father,  you are a Spirit and you tell us that we must worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Teach us what this means.  Bring us to the place of emptying ourself of ourself.  Deliver us from self-righteousness and a spirit of criticism.  Forgive us of  our judgement of others, haughtiness, pride and arrogance.  Open our eyes to truth. Open our ears to hear truth. Give us understanding hearts.  Reveal to us our own hearts, that we may be corrected and trained according to your Word.  Kindle a flame of fire in our hearts for you and you alone that cannot be quenched.  Teach us to number our days and remind us of your mercy and grace.  Bring us to the realization that you are God and there is none beside you.  Hear our cry.  Create clean hearts within us, renew our spirits.  Bring us into full revelation of the light of your glorious gospel. Remind us of who we are in Christ. Walk with us, talk with us, teach us all your ways.  Thank you for the blood. Thank you for grace.  Thank you for Jesus.  Thank You.

I believe I have asked according to your will and therefore I believe that you have heard me and all who read this prayer and agree.  I now receive the petitions that I have ask of you. In Jesus Name. Amen.  

There are keys to the kingdom of God and they are found in God’s Word.  Let’s endeavor to feast on the Word of God each day that we may be skilled in the Word of Righteousness and workmen that need not be ashamed. 

I will close with the Ephesians Prayers that Paul prayed. God Bless!

Ephesians 1: 15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,  16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;  17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:  18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,  21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Ephesians 3:  14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,  21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Solitude.  What exactly does that word mean? It means, a situation of being alone without other people.  We are promised in the Word of God, that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us.  We have a constant and faithful companion: The Holy Spirit.  In light of that, solitude can be advantageous.   Jesus retreated many times to rest and to be alone with the Father.  It would be good if we considered following His example.

Psalm 46:10 ”Be still, and know that I am God:……..”    The word “still” in this passage means:  to slacken, cease, to become idle……  The same Hebrew word is used for mend, cure, heal, repair.    Life can be so hectic!  Running to and fro from day to day can become a routine.  We find ourselves trapped in a rat race that becomes our normality.  If we find ourselves with “time off”, the first thing we do is plan a trip or an activity to fill the empty space that has been made available to us.  I continue to hear people say,  “I am sooooo bored”.   Is it possible that we missed opportunity to be alone with God?  Is it possible that slowing down  the speed of life might not be such a bad idea?  

  In Mark 4 it says:  18And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 

Have we been desensitized to see the cares of the world as necessity? 

 What did Jesus say in Luke 10:41-42?  ”And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Solitude can become a time of sweet communion with the Father.  You might remember the old song, “ In the Garden”,  some of you may not.  Here are the lyrics:

“In The Garden”

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The son of God discloses

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet that the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

Wherever your special place of solitude might be, whether it be a garden, a lake, a mountain, or some other place special to you.  Visit it frequently and spend time with Him.  You might find that it’s exactly what you’ve been hungry for!   Time doesn’t wait on us.  We must, TAKE TIME……….. to wait on Him………..

Do you ever feel stressed out?  I know that I talk a lot about how people feel, but, these feelings are reality and are common to all people.  We have to deal with a whole range of feelings each and every day so I think it is important to address what the Word has to say. 

1 Peter 5:6-8 (Amplified Bible)

⁶Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,

    ⁷Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

    ⁸Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.

We are told in verse 7 to cast the whole of our care on Him.  This takes a willful choice on our part.  Sometimes it is necessary to just STOP and CAST.  We are not pack mules and God never intended us to carry burdens and weights.  It would be one thing if our carrying cares would accomplish anything – but carrying cares has never resolved anything and never will!  Casting care can only be done by humbling ourself and trusting in a saviour that cares for us – literally.  Worrying is nothing more than fear, plain and simple.  We have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind, the scripture says.  When you find yourself loaded down, worrying, anxious and stressed out, you will find that there is an absence of peace.  It is the desire of the Lord that you live your life free from anxious fear.

 Satan will keep loading us up till we are running over with more than we can tolerate.  Stress weakens your whole being.  Stress comes in many different forms and in many different ways.  Stress can cause us to become locked into the mindset that there is no way out!  Satan wants us to believe in our heart and confess with our mouth, calling forth things as we See them.

 When sin entered this world, so did stress, anxiety, worry, fear and such like. However; when Jesus came upon the scene, here is what He proclaimed and here is what He did and is still doing today:

Luke 4:17-19 (King James Version) 

 ¹⁷And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

 ¹⁸The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  ¹⁹To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Every promise that the Word of God has for you has to be Received.  You can look around yourself and come to the conclusion that it is not Automatic!  Receiving of all the wonderful things that have been given to us according to scripture is “by faith”.   Our Hearing of the preaching of the gospel is the means by which Faith comes.  Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.  Humbling ourself to hear the Word is the first step of living a stress – free life.  We must esteem the Word as our most vital and necessary food.  We must hunger and thirst after Him. It is only in Him that we can find a place to unpack our heavy loads, cast off burdens  and truly rest. Let today and everyday be a day that you cast ALL your cares on Him and walk free of stress!

All of us at one time or another have felt alone.  We don’t necessarily have to “be alone” to feel lonely. We can find ourself  alone with nothing but our own thoughts and the world around us  becoming a blurr.  All kinds of negative emotions can invade our hearts and minds and try to take them captive.   If there is absence of peace and joy in an “alone place” and all you are experiencing is sadness or depression,  it is the beginning of an attempt of satan to isolate you.  His plan is to get you to a vulnerable place; a place of weakness.  The intentions of satan are to implant suggestions in your mind so that you begin to question your value and worth to yourself and others.  These negative thought patterns are sent to ultimately destroy self esteem and confidence.  But - YOU ARE NOT ALONE!  You are very valuable to God.  In fact,  He is thinking of you right now!  Look at the following scriptures: 

Jeremiah 29:11 says in the KJV -
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Look at this passage in another translation –

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Now that’s the way God is THINKING about you!  You are not alone, even if you feel like you are.  His thoughts are to give you HOPE! Jesus said that He would never leave us or forsake us and in  Psalms 94:14 He says – For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.  When Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out; My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  He was cut off, out of the land of the living and bore all our sin alone.  He did it for us, that we might never have to be alone or lonely.  What a compassionate and loving God!.  He loves you more than you can comprehend and He is closer to you than your breath.  He is there with you now.  Yes, there are times we may “feel”  lonely.  But “feelings” do not always tell the truth.  Feelings can be deceptive and satan will use our feelings and emotions to deceive us and manipulate us.  The Word of God is Truth and when we KNOW the Word of God, our knowledge will make it a lot more difficult on the devil to confuse us, deceive us and manipulate us with unwanted thoughts and emotions. The Truth that we know will make us free from the lies of the enemy. The truth is:  You are not alone! The truth is:  You are in the thoughts of God!

 In fact, the truth is, Jesus is thinking about you right this moment.  He is interceding for you as you read this!  He is representing you to the Father.  I’m going to give you two scriptures to prove it!

Hebrews 7:24-25  But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Romans 8:32-39  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.  34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Put on the garment of praise today for the spirit of heaviness!  Know that He is there with you! Know that He cares for you!  You are so special to Him, He sent His son to die for you! But also know, Jesus didn’t stay dead.  Jesus was raised to life for you that you might be raised to life.  Jesus is alive. Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand thinking of you!  My, what a Saviour!   You are NOT alone. He is with you this very moment. You are on His mind.  He is Thinking about YOU!

Have you ever had a hang in there  week?  You know, the kind of week where life is moving faster than you are?  A week where your plate is full week?  Life can seem to be a a vacuum sometimes.  We can feel sucked up into a vortex of moving events with seemingly no way to stop the suction.   Distractions and interruptions can become a common foe and we can begin to experience fatigue and frustration.  We find ourselves pouring out without taking in.

 The Word says let the weak say they are strong and  we are admonished to not  become weary in well doing.  David encouraged Himself in the Lord because there was no one else to encourage him ……… Sometimes being strong and not becoming discouraged and weary seems far far away from our state of mind!   And just when you think you cannot go another step you find once again that  God is  faithful,  even when we are not faithful to Him.  It is so wonderful that we have such a merciful and loving Father.  It’s a matter of just knowing that the seasons of our life change constantly.  Some seasons are very long and some are very short, you know; like a week.  It’s amazing how His mercies are truly new every morning!  So even though it could be a hang in there week for you; I encourage you to hang in there anyway! The season that you may be in is just that – a temporary season that will not endure. It is the Word that endures forever, and as long as we have that, we can continue to take those steps and press on, knowing that He is with us every step of the way.

How do I know this with certainty?  Because, I know that Jesus experienced a hang in there day for us.  When I have those weeks,  I think of this and just begin to encourage myself in the Lord, confessing that I am strong in the Lord and the power of His might and that because He hung on the cross for me,  I will not become weary in well doing.  I begin to think on what He endured and meditate on all the promises and the precious price that was paid that I might embrace those promises until they are manifested in my life.

Life has its ups and downs. But, we have a constant. When we just stop a second and realize that our hope is not a hope-so, maybe-so kind of hope, but a confident expectation of good, backed by a blood covenant that cannot be broken.  We then begin to experience that familiar renewal and refreshing of  His power infusing and undergirding our heart and mind.  So I encourage you to face each week with the knowledge that you are not alone.  We have His promise that He will never leave or forsake us.  We have his Spirit;  which is our comforter, teacher, friend and counselor. We have His Word emphatically proclaiming that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. And we have His mercy and goodness following after us,  every step of the way!  Hang in there!

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John 10:10 says – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  

Have you ever seen a “happy” sick person?  I haven’t!  No person that is sick or diseased is truly happy!    Sickness robs people of  quality of life, productivity, and joy!  Plain and simple:  Sickness is an enemy!  It certainly isn’t our friend!

Now tell me, Do you honestly think that our God would inflict such a thing on a person when it was for their deliverance that He came?  Doesn’t even make sense;  does it?

I am confident that if sickness and disease could teach us something, that Jesus would have surely said to some of those people;  No, you keep that a little longer so you can learn a lesson……..  or,  sorry, no healing for you today, you  need to suffer a little longer…..  or,  maybe I will heal you tomorrow after you have discovered the purpose of your torment……   OH COME ON!  That would be absolutely absurd to even consider Jesus in this manner!

Throughout scripture it is evident that God is for us, not against us!  God is against sin; so much so that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for us.  In paying that penalty, Jesus took upon Himself  ALL of the curse, that we might be blessed!  Yes, we live in a corrupted world and yes, we await our new bodies that we will receive one day.  Until then we can believe that our bodies be quickened according to Romans 8:11. The enemy would like to deceive us into believing that sickness and disease are from the Lord.  Absolutely not!  Look at the following scriptures:

Psalm 103:   1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

 2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

 3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

 4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

 5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

and in the new testament: 

Matthew 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

We can get discouraged and we can get down because of circumstances and situations.  I encourage you today to lift of your head and trust Him. He is with you.   I think there were a lot of smiling faces throughout the earth ministry of Jesus.  Everywhere He went there was always LIFE and life more abundantly.  I believe that when we believe His Word, He is honored.  Why would we want to suffer what He has already suffered.  I don’t think so.  Let’s continue to believe the Word.  Let’s continue to ask the Lord for eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that understands.  Let’s stay on His side and continue to grow up in Him! I certainly don’t know everything there is to know; but I know Him and I know that He is GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

There is a scripture that some folks use when they cannot explain something tragic or devastating.   It is where Job ascribed to God as being the one behind all his troubles.  Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.  Now I know there have been endless debates by theologians throughout the years over this one topic.  However, I am not here to debate and a single post is not nearly enough space to write a discourse on this portion of scripture.  The point I want to make is this:  God is never the one who takes away!  I say that emphatically and with confidence. Job made this statement based on insufficient  knowledge of the character of God. I believe people still make this statement today because of the same reason, hence, I see people hurt, angry and bitter against God because of it.  Look at some of the following scriptures with me:

 Jesus himself said in John 10:10 – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Now think about it for a moment.  Jesus himself answers the age-old question concerning Job.  Jesus is plainly telling us that it is satan who is the thief.  It is satan who steals, kills and destroys.  But what about God’s sovereignty you ask?  I’m glad you ask.  Adam gave away his dominion when he sinned in the garden of Eden.  Guess who he gave it to?  He gave it to satan.  Yes, God is sovereign!  But God is also just.  God didn’t act unjustly and take back dominion from satan when Adam lost it.  What makes us think that God would take away anything that is legally someone elses.  God Almighty is the Righteous Judge and he always judges righteously. 

 Mankind is in the state it is in because of sin.  Jesus willfully came and paid our price and satisfied the righteous justice of God when he hung on the cross and went into hell.  Whether we like it or not, satan is still the god of “this” world and he is god over anyone who has not received Jesus Christ as their saviour and Lord.  It is not till a person receives Jesus as their saviour that they are translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.  

Another reason that I know that God does not take is because the scripture says that Jesus was the express image of God. Hebrews 1: 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:   Jesus kept saying, If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.  Show me somewhere in the new testament where Jesus ever took from anyone.  Jesus was the epitome of  GIVE, GIVE, GIVE.  He hasn’t changed.

 Another reason:    People get the idea that they got to carry the cross of Jesus by the suffering of sickness, disease, poverty, tragedy, loss, etc.  This is not so!  All these sufferings are listed in Deuteronomy 28 and are labeled as curses of the law.    Then, Galatians 3:13 says: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree…  Once again, God is giving, not taking away!  Every one knows John 3:16 which says that God so loved the world that He gave….   Every thing that Jesus suffered was for us. But everything that Jesus bought and paid for us has to be received “by faith”.  

Another reason:  I hear a lot of folks say that they or someone they know is sick because God wants to teach them something.  My dear friend,  who in their right mind would teach their own child something by making the child sick or breaking its legs, etc.  To even consider that God would teach His children in that manner is utterly ridiculous.  The Word of God says in John 14:26 says But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.  In correcting His disciples, Jesus always corrected them with His words. Jesus has not changed; He is the same yesterday, today and forever. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to perish from lack of knowledge.  And I certainly don’t want to be accusing God of things that are totally out of character for Him.  And I shutter to think that I would misrepresent Him to others.  I pray that the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him be upon all who are part of the body of Christ.

I know this has been a long blog post, but I thought it necessary to try to fully explain to the best of  my ability why God is not the Taker but He is the Giver.   I will conclude with the real suffering that we enter into and the real carrying of a cross with Him.

Paul said in  2 Timothy 1:11 - …for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.  Paul was talking to Timothy concerning the sufferings of imprisonment  and persecution that he continued to experience because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   This was written close to the end of Paul’s life and he is writing to Timothy words of  wisdom and encouragement from his cell in a prison in Rome.  We are told in verse 12 of chapter 3 of 2 Timothy that  all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.  There are those all around the world today who are suffering this type of persecution.  We don’t see a lot of this type of persecution in America.  I am thankful to live in a free nation that has been built on christian principles!   However;  there is verbal, mental and emotional persecution against the church everywhere.  Yes, there is suffering.  But the sufferings that Jesus shed His blood to redeem us from, let us receive by faith our healing and deliverance to the Glory of God.  And the suffering that comes from persecution, let us endure to the end to the Glory of God! 

The human eye is amazing!  We are truly fearfully and wonderfully made!  Read the following facts on just the retina and the optic nerve: 

The retina is the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye and senses light and creates impulses. It converts light rays into electrical signals and sends them to the brain through the optic nerve.  The retina is where vision actually takes place. Every single thing we see is projected, upside down and backward, on our retina, onto special photoreceptor cells called rods and cones. There are 6 million cone cells and 120 million rod cells in the human eye. When light falls on one of these cells, it causes a chemical reaction that sends an electrical signal to the brain.  Each microscopic cone cell is connected to a nerve that goes straight to the brain. When a tiny particle of light from an object hits a particular cone, the brain instantly sees it as a particle of color. All the cones together work like the tiny dots on your computer screen. Your brain flips the image and puts all the dots together to tell you exactly what you’re seeing the moment you see it. Each optic nerve has about 1.2 million nerve fibers. This is the cable connecting the eye to the brain. The optic nerve carries the impulses formed by the retina and they are dispatched through the optic nerve to the brain, which interprets them as images. 

  Now that’s amazing to me!  But did you know we also have spiritual eyes that cannot be seen with our natural eyes?  Look at the following scripture –

 John 3:3 says, Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

When we are born again, something marvelous happens!  Other senses outside of our 5 senses (taste, hear, smell, see and touch) are installed in us!  What a download!  We truly have been given ALL things that pertain to life and godliness.   The Word also says - 

Psalms 119:130  The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

 Without natural light our natural eyes are useless;  so it is with our spiritual eyes!  It is the Word of God that gives light to our spiritual eyes;  without the Word of God there is no light for our spiritual eyes to see!  Look at this:

Matt. 6 –  ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ²²The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  ²³But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

No wonder Jesus said that if we don’t understand the parable of the sower, we cannot understand all other parables!  Wow!  The Word of God being sown into our hearts is of UTMOST importance!   The Word of God truly is the bread of life that we live by. Now let me take you to one more scripture:

Ephesians 1:18 says: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened ; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

The word “eyes” means: the eye,  the eyes of the mind, the faculty of knowing.  And the word “understanding” means: the mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring understanding mind, i.e. spirit, way of thinking and feeling thoughts, either good or bad.  This sure does begin to explain why it is so important to “renew” our mind with the precious Word of God! 

When the eyes of our understanding begin to be enlightened in different areas, we begin to know about all the wonderful things that have been given to us that Jesus paid such a precious price for.  We begin to understand who we are in Him.  We begin to know Him on a much more intimate basis. We begin to see ourself and everyone around us much differently.  We then begin to realize we are no longer blinded in different areas.  The Light has caused us to SEE.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5   ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  ⁴(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  ⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The illustration above is a good picture of how we can feel when we have been trying to fight lifes battles our own way!  When we do it “our way”, we end up tired, weary, disgusted, frustrated and down.  There is a mental treadmill that satan will lead us to and  keep us on and then will use our own energy as fuel to keep it going round and round and round.  God has provided a much better way!  He gives us the strength to face life and He gives us the way in which to win. 

Ephesians 6 says:

¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  ¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  ¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  ¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  ¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

No matter what’s going on around us and the circumstances that we find ourself in, the entire outcome is dependent upon what goes on WITHIN.  Everyday we have opportunity to build our arsenal of weapons within our hearts and minds, Everyday we have opportunity to use what we have stored away in our arsenal.  To take our thoughts into captivity as II Cor. 10 says is dependant on verse 14 in Eph. 6.  Step one is having truth available in our mind for recall when other thoughts (darts) from the wicked one have been thrown at us.  When we venture out to desire and learn how to incorporate all these spiritual weapons into our life,  the Holy Spirit will teach and train us, and we will then experience the reality that we are truly more than conquerors thru Jesus!  

2 Chronicles 32:8  With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Romans 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Ever noticed someone seemingly running in circles?  Ever noticed people that just can’t seem to settle down or don’t seem to be happy anywhere they go or with whatever they do.  They house hop, job hop and partner hop and  nothing ever seems to satisfy them.   Sometimes it makes you tired just watching !   Well that’s the way we are in our faith sometimes and the scripture is clear;  if we find ourself in an unrestful state then it’s real simple: we are in unbelief!  Ouch!  That stung just typing it!  But it’s true, take a look at the following passage:

Hebrews 4:  ⁹There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.  ¹⁰For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.  ¹¹Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Now, I’m not talking about being busy!  I’m not talking about working or labouring,  I am talking about not being at rest in your heart, being fearful and being anxious and all tied up in knots about something, someone or a situation your facing. I’m talking about us trying to help God work it all out!

The word “rest” in the passage above is a word that means, reposing down, to settle down, cause to desist, cease, give rest, colonize.  

 I Peter 5 says:

⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  ⁸Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  ⁹Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

If we find ourself anxious and worried today, my dear friend, we’re not resting and if we’re not resting, we are not in faith!  The scripture says to “labour” to enter into that rest.  So let’s grab the Word and begin refreshing ourself  on the promises that we might have let slip. Let’s pull out those old tapes or cds and listen to good, Godly teaching concerning our situation.  Let’s pray in the Spirit, and build ourself up on our most holy faith.  let’s begin to pour it in, until its coming back out of  our mouth!

We may not “see” things change immediatly on the outside, but I guarantee, we will  begin to “know” things have changed on the inside.  And when the inside is lined up with the Word of God…….  watch out!  The adversary will have to flee, and our faith will work and the outside will soon look like what we are seeing on the inside!  

I got news today that a former aquaintance of mine had died of a drug overdose this last weekend.  I just read a news article where a former child star was missing and had been suffering from depression.  Last week,  a man flew his plane into a government building because he was angry at the IRS and a woman allegedly methodically shot and killed several co-workers at a university because she disagreed with their decision to deny her tenure.   Each week there is heartbreaking news all around us and the reality of people thinking that there is no hope is staggering. 

 Look at the following scriptures:

 Ephesians 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
 

 Psalms 42:11  Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
 

Jeremiah 17:7   Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.  

Hebrews 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast

HOPE is a very powerful thing!  As believers, we are privy to a powerful force called HOPE.  Thank God for HOPE!  As we walk out our journey in this life, we have access to this  wonderful thing called HOPE!  We have a confident expectation of good! 

 I Peter 3:15    But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear

 There is HOPE!  It is found in Jesus Christ.