Year: 2016

Everyone in distress,  in debt, and bitter in soul, come gather together and find rest…

​David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.  And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.” And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

1 Samuel 22:1‭-‬5 ESV

There will be times in our lives when we will need a shelter,  a stronghold, a respite from the world that seems to be intent to destroy us. 

Rest in the Lord , and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret— it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord , They shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall  be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall  be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalms 37:7‭-‬11 NKJV

Yes, we can find rest in the Lord.
Lord,

Settle our talked hearts, 

So that we might know peace. 

Settle our desires and our worries,

So that we might know contentment. 

Settle our concerns and bitterness over slights and wrongs, 

So that we might know forgiveness.

Settle our worries and doubts, 

So h that we might know they joy, 

Of trusting in the Lord.

You are faithful and true. 

Your way is always best. 

Amen.

Brotherly Love? Or self love? 

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:1‭-‬6 ESV

Brotherly love. Hospitality. Love for those in prison and mistreated. Free from sexual immorality. Free from greed.
Aren’t these things in stall contrast to what the world would sell us as being the “American Dream”? I see plenty of “‘Muricans” ready to pick up their weapons and destroy others of flesh and blood that oppose them – but so few expecting prison, trials, persecution, and mistreatment by the world. 
Yes, ‘Muricans have blindly started following the blind – following a different gospel than the servant,  life sacrificed example of Christ that is the one and only truth, life, and way. They have traded it for a gospel of prosperity,  of positivity, of feel good motivational self help that encourages blending into the world’s idea of “love” instead of standing apart in true grattitude and belief and obedience because of His love which leads us into a life of righteousness and walking upright in His ways as a living example of Christ alive and at work in the world today. 
‘Muricans have been sold,  and yes, I do mean sold, because the charlatans happily take the money, silver, gold, and precious time in trade for promises that those people won’t have to live like Christ. These people have been sold promises that they don’t have to obey God. They have been sold promises that if they want things in this life hard enough for themselves they can have it. They have been sold promises that they don’t have to face persecution or trial or tribulation for being a Christian because their lives on this earth will end before they have a chance for that to happen. 
Are we so blind to see this is the enemy,  tempting you with a false gospel? 
Are we so blind to see the stark contrast of this to the life and example of Christ given to us in scripture? 
Yes, that other gospel sounds easy, and comfortable, and fits nicely with the selfish and carnal and wicked lifestyle of the desires of the flesh. But isn’t it at odds with how Christ taught us to love? Hasn’t the world even tried to turn love, that sacrificial dedication to something other than ourselves into being about our own feelings and urging and desires. 
What a deceiver. What a liar. The enemy comes to steal, kill,  and destroy by keeping us off that narrow path – and the enemy is doing quite well at that in the hands of so many religious people who don’t know how to love and so many lawless people who don’t know what love is. 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬7 ESV

Love is not a “feeling”. Disney sells this lie daily and makes a fortune off of the world. 

Love is not “sex”. The porn industry sells this lie daily and makes a fortune off of the world. 

Love is not “religious practice”. The harlot church sells this lie weekly and makes a fortune off of the world. 

Love is not “saying something with our mouths but doing something else with our lives” – the enemy sells this lie to the world with a promise or religion in order to steal them away from a true, living relationship with Christ.

So I ask, do you know love? The kind of love that goes to the cross for others and that bids you to do the same? The kind of love that comes and abides and remains in your life and demonstrates itself as His Spirit alive in you even in the fave of trials, tribulations, and persecution? 

Or have you been sold something else? 

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:17‭-‬26 ESV

The best testimonies aren’t words

​The heavens proclaim the glory of God. 

The skies display his craftsmanship. 

Day after day they continue to speak; 

night after night they make him known. 

They speak without a sound or word; 

their voice is never heard. 

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, 

and their words to all the world. 

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 

It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. 

It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. 

The sun rises at one end of the heavens 

and follows its course to the other end. 

Nothing can hide from its heat.

Psalms 19:1‭-‬6 NLT

The world, God’s creation,  is an amazing testimony to His existence,  His wisdom,  His purpose. How could we believe that chaos and chance rule the creation of man, beast, plant and cosmos,  when order is evident everywhere? When beauty is seen constantly in the paintings in the skies at sunrise, sunset,  and throughout the day? When the progress of the seasons displays such a great canvas of ordered and cyclical beauty?

And this testimony is spoken workout a word. In fact, might I be so bold to say that the best testimonies aren’t given with words, but by example? 

Isn’t our own life example a better example of our love for Christ than just our words? Isn’t our life the confirmation of our heart’s desires and don’t our actions either agree and testify to our voiced beliefs – or prove us a liar and hypocrite? And either way,  isn’t it the actions that are proof of the truth? 

Yes, the most powerful and trustworthy testimonies are evidenced in the world around us – not just in our words. 

What will our lives today day about Christ? 

Will we teach the world to live lawless and in rebellion against God’s guidance and instruction? Will we teach the world to live as self righteous hypocrites judging and measuring others for the very faults that we should recognize in our own lives? 

Or will we teach the world about a righteous, just, merciful, and loving God that loved us when we were still His enemies and offered us forgiveness and life and healing and deliverance and sanctification? And that same free gift of grace is theirs to be had – not for a price, not through their own works, but through faith,  through belief in His testimony given at the cross and confirmed at the empty tomb. 

Yes,  His life is the greatest testimony and confirms His teaching. The living Word of the life of Jesus Christ confirms the perfection of the written Word of God – and He invites us to come and follow in His footsteps – He urges us to repent from our sinful ways and turn to God so that He might come to live in our lives and guide us in a life of example and testimony to the world.

Has HE come to live in your life today,  friend? Will the world know the truth of your testimony? Will the clear and evident fruit of His nature some through today even in the midst of your trials? 

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Galatians 5:22‭-‬26 NLT