Year: 2017

So Sweet

​Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; – The Song of Solomon 1:2 ESV

Do you know His love? Have you tasted of it? Do you remember when He first kissed you with the drawing of His Word?

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14 ESV

Have you drank of this spiritual nourishment for your soul that washes over you like a fresh spring bubbling out of a new heart and invading every Crack and crevice of your being? 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalms 23:5‭-‬6 ESV

Is it hard at times to contain the love that He pours out on you,  even amidst the trials and challenges and struggles of this world,  this day,  this moment – do you find that peace and joy are winning out in your heart? 

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”  But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:  “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;  even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;  the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Acts 2:1‭-‬21 ESV

Has He poured out His Holy Spirit on you, friend?

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. – Ephesians 5:18‭-‬21 ESV

Don’t be afraid to be filled with the one spirit that God tells you to be filled with. Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.

Faithfulness, works, sin, compliance, obedience

Faithfulness is not the same thing as works.

Faithfulness is turning to God and not continuing in our sinful ways. Faithfulness is a result of belief. It is a result of the inherent grattitude that exists in someone who believes in and loves the Lord. Faithfulness is also called repentance, and it is not meant to be heavy and burdensome if we are a new creation looking to surrender our life to Christ.

If repentance is burdensome, then it is because of a lack of faith and trust in the Lord. Now, please understand that I don’t condemn you for not yet having adequate faith to overcome every temptation and trial that you are facing. That isn’t my position or my argument. No, I’m here to encourage you that we are meant to grow closer to Christ,  faith by faith, grace by grace,  and trial by trial. I’m pointing you to the only gate that you can enter into, not telling you that you cannot enter.

Faithfulness is our due as a RESULT of God’s mighty work IN US. It is Abraham’s faith that was counted as righteousness. Faithfulness is not measured in a pile of physical evidence. Faithfulness is the truth about what our heart desires.

Works are easy to quantify,  just like sin is easy to quantify,  because it is visible and recognizable. And yes, a faithful life of a genuine child of God should generate a shift in the balance of works and sin in someone’s life. That’s what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit produces in a life, because a life turned to God and walking in His ways will produce a very different fruit than a life of rebellion.

However, works can be faked in pride instead of grattitude. And the appearance of less sin can be faked with outward compliance instead of heartfelt obedience. Compliance and obedience are NOT the same. Nor do they come from the same source,  have the same intentions,  or achieve the same end results. 

“Why do you choose to obey?”

The truthful answer to this short, sharp, probing question should be of value to each one of us. If we flippantry say, “I don’t have to obey” — that should tell us who our true master is. If it convicts us over something we have done recently that was disobedient — that should encourage us to confession,  repentance, drawing closer to the Lord, and remembering the price paid. If we swell with great plans of our ministerial works and testimonies of our obedience — be careful because pride comes before a fall. If our answer draws us back to wonder and awe, with no excuse for our ownobedience other than He has birthed it in us through a heart of gratitude for what is undeserved but nevertheless received — go, share this Good News, faithful and true messenger! 

Sometimes He Wrecks Me…

​Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. – 1 Kings 22:48 ESV

We can read to find that Solomon’s shops had returned in safety and prosperity,  but Jehosephat’s vessels never reached the land of gold. The protective care of God prospers one and frustrates the desires of another – in the same business and at the very same spot. Even so, our Great Ruler is as good and wise in the one instance as at the other. I’m reminded by Job that He is the LORD that gives, and the LORD that takes away. 
LORD, give us grace and peace in this verse that we receive and that is not stolen away by the enemy — so that we bless you both for ships broken at Ezion-geber as well as for vessels filled with temporal blessings. Trusting in you, we will not envy the more successful,  and we won’t grumble over our losses as if we’ve been singled out and tried in some way we foolishly think is “special and unique way tand not common to all men”. Remind us that when our path goes the way of Jehosephat, that we are precious in the Lord’s sight, even though our schemes may end in disappointment. 
Is there some greater lesson that you will bring to light through our situation,  LORD? Isn’t there some revelation that can be found in the workings of our God? Is there a secret that has until the time of revelation remained forgotten,  hidden in the shadows from the light that makes all things known in due time?  Of course! 
The secret, forgotten cause of Jehosephat’s loss is something that we ought to pay attention to, because it is the root of a tremendous amount of suffering in the LORD’s people both then and now. It was an alliance with a sinful family,  it was his fellowship with sinners. In 2 Chronicles 20:37, we are told that the LORD sent a prophet to declare,  “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made.” 
Yes, this was a Fatherly chastisement and a prophetic blessing, because in the verse following his losses, we see Jehosephat refusing to allow his servants to sail in the same vessels with servants of the wicked king Ahaziah.

And what do we see as evidence of Ahaziah’s wickedness? 
And what was the evil of his mother and father? 

And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord , more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord , the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. – 1 Kings 16:30‭-‬33 ESV

LORD, teach us to trust you even in those moments when you wreck our plans so that you might wreck our hearts so they are broken for your will and purpose. LORD, remind us the difference between serving, loving, and ministering to the lost and becoming unevenly yoked with unbelievers. LORD, remind us to go out to offer the Good News of healing, salvation, true blessings, life, and freedom from the sin that binds so many who are still in slavery while maintaining close fellowship with those who are spiritually understanding — both humble and bold in rightly divided unit of Truth and Love (which are not opposed but are in fact the same). Amen.

The Challenge

​Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. – Proverbs 9:8‭-‬10 ESV

I know that the wages of sin is death. And I know the types of sinning unto death that the Word of God warns us that those living that way shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And I know that if I see someone sinning unto death and do not warn them, that their blood is on my hands. So what am I to do? Turn my back on the scoffer and answer for his blood on my hands – or suffer him hating me because I have shared the truth? 

It isn’t easy when you are sharing the whole Word of God with those who are still in love with their sin and who are more interested in a skewed idea of God’s grace that leaves them powerless to resist temptation or see sin overcome in their lives. Many times their self defenses will go up as they cling to their sin. They might loudly accuse you of being a hypocrite as they war against you in every way they can find. This can be their way of justifying to themselves why it is better to cling to sin than to surrender that part of their life to His will, saying,  “we all fall short” as a proclamation that they expect no change in their lives — instead of as a proclamation acknowledging that we didn’t earn this born again, new creation walk under our own power — so we give Him all the glory. 

 
There are too many who seem to be quite content to use the idea of grace as a license for their own continuation in conscious sin that the Word of God says is NOT God’s will. The mental gymnastics even go as far as some saying,  but that isn’t me, that’s my flesh and the more that I try to obey the law, the more my flesh is going to break it. As if self-control wasn’t even part of the equation. As if resisting evil wasn’t serving God. As if they believe that it is evil and burdensome to serve the LORD.

I am sharing Truth. Do you love me for it or hate me for it? Do you fear God?

This Word of God cuts me deep. But not too kill me, but to heal me. 

I still am working out my salvation with fear and trembling — not because I don’t trust God, but because I know that my heart is quite deceitful and that my pride can even find a way to turn praising the LORD into something that I might try to take credit for. I know what I deserve,  but I trust what He promises. He should get all the credit for anything good and it should be quite evident that the mess isn’t His, but is mine. 

God has blessed this mess, and He is at work changing it. One surgery at a time. Thank you, Jesus! 

Truth 

One cannot love the Truth and love Lawlessness.

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. – 2 Thessalonians 2:9‭-‬12 ESV

These Have No Root

​And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. – Luke 8:13 ESV

LORD, I pray in my spirit — and in as much truth and love as I can muster, against any deceitfulness of heart and flesh and desire, resisting all distraction and confusion brought forth by the enemy — so that I will search myself deeply by the light of this text. Amen. 

Everyone Wants “Freedom”

What is our idea of “freedom”?

What (or who) do we want to be free from?

Free to follow faithfully in His will? Or free to live “as we truly want to” with no concern as to God’s will?

If we answer truthfully — don’t we testify to who is God, who is ruler, who is LORD in our life — whether we are dead in our transgressions or a born again, new creation, with Christ alive in us?

Does our answer call us to repent? To praise God for a new heart and new desires? Or to remain unmoved, unchanged, untouched?

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:15‭-‬23 ESV

It will achieve whatever it is sent to do..

God’s Word says that it will go forth and will achieve whatever He sends it to do. 
We share it. We sow the seed of the Word of God. And it is a sharp sword that cuts to the heart of things even hidden deep beneath the surface – not to leave us wounded and dying but to cut out the disease. Yes, children of God, the Word of God is a refining fire that heals and seals life and healing where death once reigned. But there really are servants of a different master – and the Word of God serves it’s purpose there as well – either leading to repentance or warning of the pending destruction. 
So it it is hot or cold, sanitizing or refreshing, to those who would hear — but is useless in the ears of those who are deaf to the Spirit of Truth. Hear the Word of God.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven 

and do not return there but water the earth, 

making it bring forth and sprout, 

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  

so shall MY WORD be THAT GOES OUT FROM MY MOUTH; 

IT SHALL NOT RETURN to me EMPTY, 

but IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PURPOSE, 

AND SHALL SUCCEED IN THE THING FOR WHICH I SENT IT.

 – Isaiah 55:10‭-‬11 ESV

Hear, my son, and accept my words, 

that the years of your life may be many.  

I have taught you the way of wisdom; 

I have led you in the paths of uprightness.  

When you walk, your step will not be hampered, 

and if you run, you will not stumble.

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; 

guard her, for she is your life.  

Do not enter the path of the wicked, 

and do not walk in the way of the evil.

Avoid it; do not go on it; 

turn away from it and pass on.  

For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; 

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.  

For they eat the bread of wickedness 

and drink the wine of violence.  

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, 

which shines brighter and brighter until full day.  

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; 

they do not know over what they stumble.  

My son, be attentive to my words; 

incline your ear to my sayings.  

Let them not escape from your sight; 

keep them within your heart.  

For they are life to those who find them, 

and healing to all their flesh.

 – Proverbs 4:10‭-‬22 ESV

A Handful of Dirt

A handful of dirt. 

How common and without any real value or worth. 

Even when taken in the hand and shaped into something – it isn’t until it serves it’s purpose that it’s value is realized. 

And can the dirt be so proud of its value above other dirt? Or only stand in fear and awe that the hand of the creator has used it for His purposes? Can it look at another hand full of dirt and criticize it for what it has been fashioned into when the dirt is the same, but the creation is of the hand of God, not the work of the dirt itself.

Why then do we so quickly exalt ourselves and look down on others? 

Pride.

Vanity.

Self worship.

The opposite of loving service. 

Or do you lay claim to your own works? 

Will you be satisfied with what you have “earned for yourself”?

Or accept the truth about the value of “your works”?

Will you fall on your face like a dog before it’s master — asking for food from your master — because you have no power to make food for yourself? 

Will you recognize the free gifts — of the hand of God upon your life and His breath in your lungs  — as His doing and His alone, so that He might receive ALL the Glory, and so that you might not rob Him by claiming it for yourself? 

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. – Romans 12:3 ESV

then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. – Genesis 2:7 ESV

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3:19 ESV

There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.  I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. – 1 Corinthians 15:40‭, ‬42‭-‬58 ESV

Training, Preparation, Perseverence

for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.  Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. – 1 Timothy 4:8‭-‬16 ESV
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – 1 Corinthians 6:9‭-‬11 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. – Romans 6:1‭-‬6 ESV

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:15‭-‬23 ESV