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The Lord Hears

PSA 4:1-5 ESV
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

You have given me relief when I was in distress.

…

Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds,
and be silent. Selah

Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord .

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Not Legalism, Not Lawlessness

Psalms 5:8-12 NLT
Lead me in the right path, O lord , or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.
My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery.
O God, declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O lord ; you surround them with your shield of love.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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These enemies, they are spiritual and unseen powers that work through us if we allow them to. So if we have Christ in us, we choose to either let this Holy Spirit of Christ in us, of Love, work through us, bearing these fruits of the spirit – or we choose to live fruitless lives.

The right path, the narrow path, is to follow a path that we cannot walk on our own – in fact, it is against our very nature to walk this path, which is why we must walk with Christ. And to do this, we repent of our sins, we ask for forgiveness, we hope in His promise of salvation, we ask Him to come into our lives as our personal Savior, we seek Him daily in our lives through prayer, through time in the Word, through fellowship with other believers, through keeping His commandments, and through loving and serving others.

Our nature is to either fall into lawlessness, ignoring His commandments and living a life filled with all kinds of focus on self, trapped in things that initially seem only to be harmless pleasures, but that have consequences both seem and unseen –

Or our nature is to fall into religious legalism, ignoring His love and mercy even for those who are His enemy, still focused on self, but using His commandments to judge and accuse and condemn and tear down others instead of loving, and encouraging, and forgiving, and serving, and building up others.

Without Christ guiding us and making the path clear, our futures are not bright.

These spiritual enemies lie. They will tell those in the ditch of legalism to point their fingers at those in lawlessness and attack them and tear them down – not lifting a hand to help them – just kicking them while they are down.

These spiritual enemies lie. They will tell those in the ditch of lawlessness that Christianity is just the religion of those hypocrites that love to kick them and that hate them. They will tell them that Christ is just a bunch of jealous people who don’t want them to be able to enjoy their pleasures since their religious rules don’t allow allow them to.

But being a follower of Christ is not either of those. A follower of Christ has this Holy Spirit alive inside them – guiding and teaching and convicting them to repent of their sin, and to ask for forgiveness for stumbles – and bearing fruits to be shared in love, mercy, and forgiveness towards others.

The conviction is supposed to be a surgical instrument aimed inward at those things that need to be fixed in our own lives, not as a weapon raised against another person. The mercy is supposed to be shared with others, not hoarded for ourselves.

And people that don’t have Christ but who act the opposite, their own choices will be their downfall. Those who do not love God’s ways but love the darkness, those who deny Him in their lives because they love pleasures and self above God will get what they are asking for – separation from God. Those who do not love their neighbor, those who do not show forgiveness, and mercy, and love to others – they have not received forgiveness and mercy and love themselves – they have never known Christ.

Those that live by the sword condemning and accusing others, they will die by the sword of their own words of unforgiveness. The one that hates and condemns his neighbor for the sexual sin of adultery, will stand convicted for his own sexual sin of lustful thoughts towards the other’s wife or daughter. Who can expect to withhold forgiveness and mercy and love towards others, and receive anything themselves?

So if we do not take refuge in you, Lord, if we are in lawlessness, convict us strongly of our evil ways so we will understand our need for Christ in our lives, leading us to a repentant life.

So if we do not take refuge in you, Lord, if we are in legalism and have no love or mercy towards others, make our own sins come crashing down around our heads to humble us and make it clear that we need mercy, so we should show mercy.

Lord, please be gentle with your discipline for those meek and eager to listen and learn – but be strong and bold with a rebuke and with consequences to break through the strong willed and the hard of heart. Break us, Lord, and mold us into a vessel for your use.

To any that read this, my journal for the lesson that I am learning today, please have a blessed day. If this lesson is just for my life, I thank you for taking the time to care about what is going on in my life. If there is a lesson in this for you as well, I am thankful to the Lord that He provides.

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Keep the Faith

2 Chronicles 6:28-39 NLT

“If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is— and if your people Israel pray about their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. Then they wil…l fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.

“In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands when they hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.

“If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to you by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name, then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause.

“If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to a foreign land far away or near. But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their captivity and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name— then hear their prayers and their petitions from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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Keep the faith.

Share the message.

Return whole heartedly when we stumble.

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Who am I?

Psalm 144:3-4 ESV
O Lord , what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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…

I ask myself many times, “Who am I, that when I was even still His enemy, He cares enough about me to be lifted up on a cross for my salvation?”

And I realize that if He sees value in me, if He cares enough to look over my life and protect me and guide me and teach me, that He knows a lot better than me how He plans to use my life.

So I’m sitting back, enjoying this amazing time of being awake, of being taught, of being active in this walk of faith. I don’t know where we’re going Lord, but I’m sure not going to let go of your hand!

Where could I go without you? The lawless unbelievers hate me for shedding light and truth, and the religious practicers hate me for sharing love and grace. But they hated you too, so I shouldn’t be surprised.

You are my friend, closer than a brother. These enemies surround me and use these men around me to twist my words, to spread lies about me – to still judge me by that the works of that dead body that was defeated when I was raised in life with Christ. I have no interest in the words of men, nor in earning their respect, nor in accepting their titles or trophies.

Fill my life with Christ, with Love, with these fruits of the Holy Spirit, these treasures that nourish my soul for eternity. And keep me walking this repented life of grace, of renewal, of redemption, of service, of faith, of truth, of hope, and of love.

These fleeting moments will pass quickly enough and I will be a foreigner and a traveler no more – when I return home. This life is but a passing shadow of the life ahead.

NOTE: I journal and share what I learn. I encourage anyone and everyone to discuss and share together. The point of me sharing isn’t because I think that I can teach anyone – the point of sharing is so that we might share and fellowship and learn together. So if you find anything that I share compelling, convicting, or spoken carelessly – I encourage you to respond so we can discuss. I am seeking and learning daily, and I always find value in sharing and learning together. Sometimes discussions are iron sharpening iron, sometimes they are correction, sometimes they are refinement, and sometimes they are reassurance through agreement. Any input is valued and respected and my goal is to put my own content through the same testing that I would be examining another’s. It is hard to truly be unbiased, but my goal is to seek truth, not just defend my own position/tradition. Love you, friend.

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Know Him

1 Samuel 12:24 NLT
But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things He has done for you.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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…

If we don’t know the Lord, we have much to fear. If we only run to prayer when we need something, if we turn back to our old lives and only run to God when there is a challenge to be faced – can we say with confidence that we know the Lord? Or can we only say that we know ABOUT the Lord?

As we faithfully serve and get to know God, that fear is still awe and amazement – but we learn that God isn’t a great genie in the sky that waits to grant our wishes, He desires a relationship with us. Yes, this Creator God, this Almighty God, this Eternal God – He actually is interested in our little lives. And as we go through trials and learn and grow, we learn to praise Him and ask for His guidance in the good times and the challenging times, for the small things and the big things – we don’t just let the wind of our circumstances dictate whether or not we are remembering God, seeking God, praising God, and worshipping God. This is how we learn to be rooted in our foundation upon the rock of our faith, Jesus Christ.

And as we are faithful, as we seek Him, we will be drawn close to Him. We will know His voice. He will speak to us through our prayers, through our time in the Word of God, through the words and actions of other faithful believers. It is then that we begin to know Him as friend. And once we’ve tasted that presence of God, or fear becomes a conviction to not lose this closeness, to not become separated from God by our sins.

So yes, fear may look different depending on our walk, but if we have no fear of God at all, can we say that we are a hopeful new believer, a faithful servant, or a friend of Jesus Christ?

So let’s receive Christ as our Lord and Savior if we do not yet have Him in our lives.

Let’s grow in this walk of faith, not being satisfied to just be a hopeful child, but let’s seek spiritual maturity.

Let’s remember to be thankful for all those blessings in our lives, and when we keep the blessings close in our memory, we will find that any challenges don’t seem so great and challenging – because we are ever aware that Christ is walking with us, and is working through us, and what stumbling block can’t be crushed under His feet or used as a stepping stone to lift up His name?

I love you, friends. Have a blessed day.

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His Protection

Joshua 1:5 NLT
No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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…

I look at today’s verse and honestly, it was a little scary when I first read it.

Yes, it is encouraging that God will not fail or abandon me.

But that part about “no one will be able to stand against you as long as you live” – if I just blindly apply this sentence to myself without any further examination and without any context, that isn’t very good study or application of the Word of God.

For example, I can’t just read that and decide that I’m justified doing anything that I want, sinful, wicked, or contrary to God’s will and still expect to be blessed and protected by God.

No. The children that are His and that He loves, He disciplines and corrects. If we have this gift of the Holy Spirit, it convicts us of those things in our lives that need to be changed. And there are always things that need to be changed in our lives.

And this talks about him being with Joshua like He was with Moses. And yes, that same Holy Spirit that was with both Moses and Joshua is with us, IF WE HAVE RECEIVED IT.

So the question we want to be sure of is, HAVE I RECEIVED IT?

And if we have, if we know this relationship with Christ daily guiding our lives and leading us, convicting and warning us against those things we used to long for, disciplining us when we don’t heed the warnings – that is very different than our old lives. It is even very different from our old lives when we acted religious, went to church and tried to reluctantly follow the rules, but found ourselves still chasing sin.

Once we have it, and once we are resting in this Grace, a grace that is along the narrow path, a grace that is neither lawlessness nor legalism – it is then that we know his protection. It is then that we see him turning even our mistakes into opportunities for learning and growth and change in our lives. It is then that our hope in God is proven true – that our faithfulness begins to reveal his faithfulness.

I pray that you either have and are aware of God’s Grace today in your life, friend – or that you seer it and find it right now, friend. We never know when or time will be up. I’m not telling you this to sell you my religion, I’m telling you this because He is a true and faithful friend, and I want you to know my friend as your friend as well.

May God bless you and protect you in your day ahead, friend. May no weapon of the enemy prosper against you, friend. May you know the presence and the glory and the wonder of God’s grace in your life today.

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What is required?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NLT
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the lord ’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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1) Fear/Respect/Hold in Awe the Lord your God
2) Live in a way that pleases God
3) Love and serve him with all your heart and soul
4) Obey the Lord’s commandments

And some may say, but that is Old Testament. I’m under grace.

Yes, grace is sufficient. But let’s be sure that we know grace. Grace isn’t just acknowledging the existence of Christ and then turning our backs to live a life chasing sin. If we have the Holy Spirit in us, won’t He convict us and guide us and lead us in His ways and in His Truth?

So let’s be sure that we aren’t only claiming to be his children, but we are living as his children. Let’s be sure that we are alive in Christ, not dead in sin. If we are saved, we weren’t saved so we could teach others how to sin and to die separated from Christ in their sin – we are saved to be set apart from the world, to love and serve others and to despise and avoid sin in our own lives, and to be a light to others.

FEAR GOD

Yes, if we are not in a close relationship with God, we have much to fear. If we are walking close with him daily, even moment to moment, it shifts more to awe and respect. But even if we think that we are walking hand in hand with God, we should respect and honor God as worthy of our awe that the creator of everything, the Almighty God, the Alpha and the Omega, would take interest in such a creature as ourselves. Humility in the presence of God.

Matthew 10:28 KJV
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 1:50 KJV
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

LIVE IN A WAY THAT PLEASES GOD

We are to do good and share what we have. We are to renew our minds and present our lives as a living sacrifice, loving and helping others. Repeated offerings for continued sin isn’t what pleases God, but a repented life of mercy and love and forgiveness and service unto others is a pleasing aroma to God.

Hebrews 13:15-16 ESV
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Romans 12:1-2 ESV / 4 helpful votes
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

LOVE AND SERVE GOD

What an amazing opportunity! We get to serve God! In the days of Moses, many served the people, but only the high priest got to interact with the presence of God. Only one man, once a year got to go into the presence of God once a year. Now, we who have Christ in us have the opportunity to draw near to Him ourselves. We don’t have to be theologically trained in order to share our own testimony! We don’t have to get approval from anyone to love and serve others in the name of Jesus Christ and for the honor of God, we just have to put down the chips and the TV remote and get to work loving and serving others and telling them about our Jesus.

1 Samuel 12:24 ESV
Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.

Colossians 3:23-24 ESV
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

OBEY

It is clear that we do not receive Christ in order to remain the same in our sinful lives. But He flips our perspective. When we were evil and in darkness, we despised the list of religious rules, we didn’t want our lives and our desires brought into the light. But when we are his, we love this book of helpful instruction, we want this old filth from our old lives swept out so this temple is equipped for his use and his dwelling with us. Godly obedience is in our hearts, not just in our outward actions. If we follow the rules begrudgingly, we might just be practicing religion. But if we appreciate the guidance and the help as our lives are cleaned up by a repentant heart, that is the type of obedience that meets the mark – change within our hearts and attitudes.