2011

As we enter into the New Year might we earnestly desire to be His grace dispensers, completely yielding our lives to Him.

prb

'We cannot limit the extent to which God may use us as instruments in communicating blessing if we are willing to yield ourselves to Him and are careful to give Him all the glory.'

George Müller

Breaking news: the promise of His marvelous gift has been fulfilled!

News brief – Bethlehem: In a darkened world confused and held captive, filled with hardened hearts that are without hope and imprisoned by transgression, a wonderful and most amazing event has taken place.

Background: Mankind has lead unfulfilled, wanting lives that have been taken ransom by their own selfish and destructive means ever since the time he separated himself from His creator by his act of willful defiance – that is when their intimate relationship, as a father with his child, was broken. A relationship based upon faith and trust. Yet, it is a relationship that the Lord God Almighty promised to one day restore.

But this is a story of great and wonderful news for this day in the city of Bethlehem a light has come, a child is born to us, a Savior has been given to us. The long awaited promise of the Father has been fulfilled – the marvelous gift has been given to man. As the prophet of old foretold, “Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” – that is; God with us.

And eyewitness accounts tell of the heavenly host of angels boldly rejoicing over the most marvelous advent of all times for they were saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased”.

For this new born babe lying in a manger has come to be the promised restorer of the breach, the promised redeemer who has come to tear down the veil and restore our relationship with our Heavenly Father – just as He promised. And He, the Lord Jesus Christ - God made flesh - shall bring hope to the lost and liberty to the captives – God with us forevermore!

Let us all rejoice in His promise fulfilled and celebrate the gift that is Christmas.

BUT THE RIGHTEOUS…

The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS is gracious and gives.
When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS has an everlasting foundation.
He who trusts in his riches will fall,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS will flourish like the green leaf.
An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS will escape from trouble.
Adversity pursues sinners,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS will be rewarded with prosperity.
The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS has a refuge when he dies.
The wicked flee when no one is pursuing,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS are bold as a lion.
By transgression an evil man is ensnared,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS sings and rejoices.
When the wicked increase, transgression increases;
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS will see their fall.
Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him;
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS will live by his faith.
These will go away into eternal punishment,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS into eternal life.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.

And who is righteous?
THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD (Romans 3:10-11)

So, where do we find righteousness?
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:17-19)

Our righteousness is found ONLY by GRACE through FAITH in the Righteous One – Jesus Christ.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9)

Grace, Mercy and Truth

Grace, Mercy and Truth made flesh for the world to see,

Restoration’s plan unfolded before our eyes that we might believe,

For redemption drew nigh, our salvation came from on high,

Through God’s love personified…

Lord

Lord, more of You and less of me….
For my flesh is unworthy
My strength is useless
Self is in control
Desires lead me astray
Wants overflow
A cloud of sin obstructs my vision
And the swarm of the enemy surrounds

Lord, only in You and not of me…
With all of my heart I desire to abide in You
With all of my soul I long for Your presence
With all of my strength I will worship You
Spirit lead me
Restore my vision
Save me in Your mighty fortress

And the Lord responded;
You are My child, rest in My presence
You are My beloved, holdfast to My lovingkindness
You are My chosen, stand firm in My grace
My love for you is everlasting
My grace is irresistible
My mercy redeems
And I will restore your joy

earthly minded

Are we so earthly minded that we are of no heavenly good or are we so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good? Here we find the two opposite ends of the spectrum of this Christian walk.

We can become so focused on the things of this Earth (the temporal and flesh oriented) that we lose our eternal perspective and become of little value to the kingdom of heaven. If we only focus on the temporal we shall not live in the realm of the Spirit and that is where the power to minister comes from – not our flesh.

Just as we must walk in grace and truth so must our walk be heavenly and earthly minded. As heaven is our home, earth is the place of our sojourning until we reach our home. And we are called, in our sojourning on this earth, to reach out and touch the heart of man by dispensing the grace and truth of the kingdom of heaven – which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

my life unknown

what shall come of my life, my future
what does each new day bring forth, what might I expect
what of each new week, new month, and new year
striving, seeking, waiting, wanting
yearning to know and yet unable to foresee
living today worrisome and unsure about the outcome of tomorrow
yet life is as a blink of the eye, a vapor that is here and then quickly gone
the future will come, tomorrow will join us and today shall be a yesterday gone
so I have determined that life is today
striving to accomplish that which has yet to come - might my striving become perseverance
seeking to control all that shall be - might my seeking be trust enabled by faith
waiting with overly anxious anticipation - might my anxious waiting longsuffering develop
wanting for sake of want - might my wanting contentedness become
for my life must be lived in today
honoring, uplifting, restoring
blessing and not usurping
a desire and a will for lovingkindness, faithfulness, truthfulness, grace and mercy
to be poured out from the broken vessel that I am
may this be my life now known

back to the basics

TRUTH is where we are to live,

GRACE is what we must dispense,

LOVINGKINDNESS is who we are to be...

forsaking the law of the Lord

As we look at these verses in 2nd Chronicles we see a strong admonition for our times. Just as the nation of Israel under Rehoboam became established and strong, our country over the last 50+ years has taken the same course - we became 'established and strong' and we have moved to forsake the law of the Lord. Just as Israel became unfaithful to the Lord, we too have followed that path - as a nation and as the church. Israel was chastised through the king of Egypt - who will be our chastiser?
At least Rehoboam along with the other leaders, after listening to the prophet, finally acknowledged their unfaithfulness and humbled themselves. Who will be the prophet of our day that our leaders will listen to? Will we, as a stubborn, selfish, stiff-necked and rebellious people humble ourselves and acknowledge that the Lord is righteous?
Or are we beginning to see the signs that we shall be in bondage to an ungodly taskmaster due to our unfaithfulness and unwillingness to humble ourselves? As we proceed through this time where our government is becoming more powerful and gaining more control over our daily lives, where more and more people live in the world of 'entitlement' (which becomes enslavement) we may soon become slaves of the state and learn the difference between serving the Lord and serving a worldly kingdom which is an ungodly and oppressive taskmaster !



2 Chronicles 12
When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD. And it came about in King Rehoboam's fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, ' You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.'" So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous."
When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, " They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.
"But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."

a testimony to You

Lord, may my life be a testimony to You,
may I walk steadfastly upon Your path,
and my feet not slip due to my stubborn and sinful ways.
May Your Spirit fill me overflowing with Your grace and Your truth,
and lead me to the place where You want me to be.

May I be a man of God seeking after Your own heart,
my will abandoned to Yours, a faithful child of the King,
for that is what You have created me to be;
And the praise of my lips will give honor and glory to Your name.

May the glory of Your presence fill my house for all to see;
As Your grace and Your mercy illuminate my path.

May Your loving-kindness shine forth through me,
into the darkness of a world that is lost;
As Your joy and Your hope abound in me.

Call to service

'O LORD, please grant me success today, and show loving kindness…
Blessed be the LORD, who has not forsaken His loving-kindness and His truth toward me…
As for me, the LORD has guided me in the way that I should go…'
(excerpted from Genesis chapter 24)

- Supplication to the Lord for our mission (His specific calling upon our lives)
- Blessing the Lord for the outcome before it happens and
- Acknowledging His hand in fulfilling that for which we have been called

This is the essence of how Abraham’s servant, by faith, sought to respond to his call to service.

How do we respond to God’s call to serve Him?

stress-filled times

We live in stress-filled times. Economic stress, political stress, emotional stress, spiritual wandering and uneasiness, global anxiousness, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, disease, pestilence…and in conjunction with this we see lawlessness, greed, pride, arrogance, injustice, innocent bloodshed – not very attractive times. Yet none of this is new and unique to our times nor unknown to the Lord our God.

Habakkuk was a man concerned about his times and was perplexed about what the Lord was doing in and through His people. Here are Habakkuk’s words:

His question to the Lord -
“How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear?

His observations of his times -
Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.
Therefore the law is ignored and justice is never upheld.
For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted.
Their justice and authority originate with themselves.

His questioning of the Lord’s actions (inaction) -
Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?

His stance –
I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved.

The Lord’s response –
Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets…For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.” “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

Habakkuk’s prayer –
LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years… I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress…

As we look at Habakkuk and his concern for what the Lord was doing, for how he questioned what was going on, how it was difficult to see through the stress of his day, how the Lord responded to him and his subsequent response to the Lord, I believe that we can glean the following for our day:
1) There will be stress in our times
2) None of what is going on is out of God’s sight
3) We are to stand firm and listen for the Lord and be prepared to respond
4) God does have His plan and it will certainly come, it will not delay
5) It is our FAITH in the One True God that matters
6) God WILL have the final say and His glory will reign
7) We are to pray with perseverance trusting by faith
8) And finally, the key to it all -
Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places.

For Your grace is sufficient and Your lovingkindness is forever

Lord, as I walk this path which is called my life on this Earth
Might I humble myself before You
Might I acknowledge Your Truth and Your Righteousness
May my life be a continual offering of praise and thanksgiving to You

May I rejoice in Your lovingkindness, in Your grace and in Your mercy
Guide my steps and direct my path and lead me into Your joy

For I am a man made of flesh, frail as the dust from which I shall return
Full of pride and self righteousness and enamored by the lusts of this world

Yet, You have plucked me out from this pit of miry clay
The unworthy man that I am
Redeemed by Your mercy
Transformed into an instrument of Your grace
Made new to proclaim the glory that is Your Name

But my flesh is strong in its weakness
Sin and iniquities have been a stronghold since my birth

I must determine to seek You when I fall
When enticed by the snares of the adversary,
When aroused by the wants of my flesh

For Your grace is sufficient and Your lovingkindness is forever
May I stand strong by the power of Your Might, by the Truth of Your Spirit
And proclaim Your wonders to all

Church R&D

In the world of business the acronym R&D is widely used to describe a company’s research and development area. The R&D department’s goal is to do research that generates an appropriate outcome which in turn results in the development of new products, new services, new inventions, new lines, etc. R&D attempts to provide for the future success of the business. Companies devote and expend significant resources, effort and time to this component if they wish to remain viable entities.

I think that the body of Christ (the church) should have and focus upon R&D as well. I also believe that this is a component of the body of Christ that has deep foundations in biblical truth that we have strayed away from with our ‘modern’ forms of Christianity.

The difference between the world’s R&D and the body of Christ’s R&D is that instead of ‘Research and Development’ the body of Christ must have a ‘Reach and Discipleship’ component. And the body of Christ should focus upon and expend significant resources, effort and time on both the R and the D – not just one or the other!

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… (Matthew 28:19)

REACH: Go; preach the gospel to all creation, spread God’s Word, make known the wonders of the One who saved us and give Him all of the glory, testify to His loving-kindness, His grace and His mercy - for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son

DISCIPLESHIP: make disciples, know, understand and live in His Truth, build up, encourage, exhort, rebuke in His Word, equip the saints for the work of ministry - for His Word is Truth and in it you will find Knowledge and Wisdom and Righteousness and Power and Life

And we are all called to participate in the Lord’s R&D department...


If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)

The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem… (Acts 6:7)

After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples…
(Acts 14:21)

Faith, Hope and Love

Faith is the assurance, Hope is the promise, Love is the foundation
May we rest securely in our faith,
Rejoice boldly in our hope,
While fearlessly abounding in His love

Life is short

Life is short - pray hard, abound in grace, rejoice in truth, love exceedingly
His mercy exhorts us, His glory compels us, His grace upholds us, His love enjoins us
For it is today that we live, yesterday has passed and tomorrow is yet to come
For unspent passion today is a vanishing and unused vapor of yesterday
Opportunities missed, lives untouched, hearts unchanged
Life is short - live in the moment that is today with boldness and zeal and passion well spent
For the harvest is ready, the workers are being called, the Lord of the harvest awaits
And few are those who hear His call, a call to follow, to respond to His passion and grace
Life is short - eternity awaits and time marches on

after these things...

'Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham…' (Gen 22:1)

After these things - the fulfillment of the promise, the blessings of provision, protection and abundance…these were the things that Abraham had experienced and now 'after these things' God tested Abraham. And the test was Abraham's obedience to offer up the 'promise' as a sacrifice - to trust God in what He was doing in Abraham's life even though it appeared, at least in the flesh, to be defeating and destroying the fulfillment of the promise.

I think about what is going on in my life and how I have been so abundantly blessed, how we have had provision beyond our needs, how my career path had prospered, how the hand of God had directed my steps. So, is it now time, as it was with Abraham, that ‘after these things God tested’? And what is my specific promise from God that I must lay down before Him in obedience? Is it how He has prospered me? Might it be the promise of wisdom and knowledge that I must offer as a sacrifice? Must I lay down all of my plans and thoughts of where I want to be and wait for Him to show me the path that He has for me at this time in my life?

Being faithful, trusting completely and waiting patiently are difficult places to be when you don't know what the path ahead looks like – and yet Abraham believed!

With all of my planning and seeking to pave the path of my future with a smooth 'finish' I find that I am now way off of the path that I had charted in my mind – and it looks like that path has come to a complete end.

Lord, must I completely die to my plan, my path?

Where to now Lord?

What is the matter with this picture?

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
'For I was hungry, and the government gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty, and the government gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger, and the government invited Me in;
naked, and the government clothed Me;
I was sick, and the government visited Me;
I was in prison, and the government came to Me.'

The church has slowly, over the last 100+/- years, subjugated its role as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ by allowing the government to take its place in our society. And in so doing we have now created several generations of citizens who truly believe that it is the government's role to do these things. What additionally comes along with this mind set is the notion of keeping and maintaining a separation between the 'church and state' in the daily affairs of life. We have taken the bait and bitten fully into the idea that we should keep our ‘religious beliefs’ strictly at home and in our churches on Sundays – don’t bring them nor espouse them in the modern world of human affairs. If you are a follower of Christ and you have taken this path then you have bought into a lie from the enemy.

Christ's words in these verses are "when you" not "when the government" did these things! Governments have their roles to play in the lives and affairs of men and God has thus ordained them. But when we forsake and turn over our ministry responsibilities (His call on our lives) and follow the wide path that allows and even promotes organized government as THE ANSWER to meeting life's needs, we have fallen short of His glory. Is Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives (every breathing moment) and the foundation of our faith (what we base all that we do, say and are) or is He just the ‘go to guy’ in our homes, on Sundays and on special occasions, when we want/need Him?

Here is a quote from David Wilkerson's newsletter that gets to the heart of the matter - "Yet, at some point in history, Christians began to limit the present power of our great, miracle-working Savior. The church developed a theology that made Christ God of the spiritual but not of the natural. Let me give you an example. In the present day, we believe Jesus can forgive sins and relieve our guilt. We believe He can provide us with peace and joy and even give us eternal life. And He does all of this in the unseen, invisible world. But not many of us know Jesus as God of the natural world we live in. We don't know Him as Lord over our everyday affairs…Jesus has never been more powerful than He is right now."

Ah yes, it comes down to this – who do we believe has the power? In our world today it is who, in the natural realm, we believe has the power that we look to for the answers to the issues of daily life and it appears that the government is winning in this opinion poll. But true power – unlimited, creative, new life generating, life changing, bread of life, fount of living waters, heaven and earth shaking power - is found in the Lord alone – there is no other.

So, where does your faith rest today?

Prayers are not op-ed pieces…

Prayers are not op-ed pieces…

From the heart flows the matters of life – is that where your prayers come from?

Or are your prayers op-ed pieces to the Lord providing your opinions and defense of your positions? Do you use logic integrated with man’s wisdom to order your requests and supplications to the Lord? Do your prayers seek to justify your desires and wants based upon the trappings of this world?

Do you actively seek the Lord’s heart in the matters that you bring before His throne? And are you willing to wait for His hand to move upon them? Is it your passion to see the Lord Jesus glorified in and through your prayer life? What part does scripture play in your prayers?

Do you groan and know not what to pray and then allow the Holy Spirit to lead you? Are you willing to wait and listen for His still small voice? And once you have heard His voice are you willing and able to promptly act upon His words?

Oh the wonder that is prayer and the great honor and privilege that our Lord has offered to us that we might boldly come before His throne at any time with our adoration, our confession, our thanksgiving, our supplication – the invitation to walk and talk with Him about the issues of life, of eternity.

May our prayers be a testament to our faith and our trust in the Lord. Might we desire to move beyond the op-ed prayers of our day and delve deeply into the living water that refreshes and brings life – the true things of life that spring forth from the deepest longings of our changed hearts – and glorify the One True and Living God…


'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'
(John 7:37-38)

What does your wake look like?

We all leave wakes, just as a boat creates a wake as it makes it way through the water, as we proceed through each day of our life on this Earth. Our actions, our deeds, our decisions, even our thoughts create wakes in the fabric of life that touches other people – whether we see it or not! These surges of 'waves of water' that emanate from what we do, say and think are the indicators of who we are and what we truly believe in our heart. And these wakes that we create can either bring glory to God or they can bring vainglory to ourselves.

Our example of what a perfect wake looks like is found in Jesus Christ and His walk upon this Earth. Abounding in grace and truth to all those that were around Him – this is what was revealed in His wake. Sometimes His wake was large and powerful and hit people firmly and directly with His truth other times it was small ripples that gently enveloped people with His unconditional love. All of His wakes were for the purpose of bringing people to a place where they had to make a decision regarding the issues of life and eternity, truth and falsehood, sin and righteousness, heaven and hell – a wake of unconditional love that brought the truth of God into the lives of mankind.

I don’t know that the church (each person that is a part of the body of Christ) today really thinks about the wakes that we are creating. Our words say that we want to leave 'Jesus filled' wakes in our daily lives but our actions seem to indicate that we are satisfied with leaving wakes of our own making – wakes that reflect conditional love, self centered focus, material desires.

I know in my life one of my wake struggles is with our call to be ready to encourage, exhort and rebuke – for I am all to ready to rebuke before I am ready to encourage and exhort. This became apparent to me as I was attempting to coach Benjamin at football practice the other night. I have spent more time rebuking him than I have encouraging and exhorting him and I saw that the wake that I was creating (a wake of my own making) directly affected his life in a non-edifying way.

So, are the wakes that we are creating each day Jesus filled? Are we using the gifts that He gave us to create wakes that ripple with eternity in mind? Do our wakes minister unto Him or are they just like the world’s - wakes that wreak confusion and havoc, wakes that are filled with vainglory and selfishness and wakes that do not edify and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you hear His voice?

Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, " You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"
(John 18:37-38)

Do you hear His voice? The voice that came into the world to testify to the truth. The voice that speaks to us today if we would only take the time to listen…to have our hardened hearts softened with the oil of the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth! The truth bears witness to itself and is revealed to those who diligently seek after it.

We seem to live in a 'Pilate age' where the question of "what is truth" is asked rhetorically and really isn't meant to be answered. Or, might I say, that most do not really want to know what truth is for then one becomes accountable to it! For truth causes us to look at ourselves, it is a measure that casts a plumb line against our own agendas, it provides us with a reflection, as in a mirror, of the status of our own heart's condition.

Truth is the only foundation that one can build upon. Yet, in our age, we ignore the solid foundation and build upon the sand and then we wonder why we are tossed about with every new wind and thought that comes along. How dishonesty, greed, avarice, arrogance, distrust, selfishness seem to be lurking everywhere with greater intensity.

Truth is not relative to the situation as we have been informed so often in our day. The forces of anti-christ supply the winds that drive the sails of relative truth - which is the true agenda of the enemy of our souls; there is no truth...did God really say that?

Deserting the truth while imbibing in relativism esteems the enemy and serves to validate his lies and distortions to the lost masses. It serves to promulgate the tide of deception that historically ebbs and flows through civilization. And in our time the ebb has been steadily building and the flow is coming in like a flood.

We either stand firm in His truth or we stand for nothing or as is our case today - for anything!

Do you hear His voice?

Lord, I will praise You in the STORM…

Lord, I will praise You in the STORM…
In the Sadness of disappointment, I will praise You
In the Trials that bring fear and tribulation, I will praise You
In the Oppressiveness of the enemy that surrounds me, I will praise You
In the Reign of unrighteousness that is about me, I will praise You
In the Mournful times of distress and anxiousness and loss, I will praise You
Lord, I will praise You…in all things.

One Street at a Time

Are we ready to stand in the gap and take back the ground that the enemy has stolen?

Stolen piece by piece just as dripping water slowly erodes away the ground where it falls – that slow and gradual erosion of what was once a firm foundation. The enemy’s incessant dripping can only be stopped by waging battle in the heavenlies, interceding for the casualties of this war, by humbling ourselves and praying for God’s restoration of the people of our land.

Restore and revive us Lord that we might be a people who honor Your Name,
A people who glory in Your presence,
A people who are dispensers of Your grace,
A people who stand steadfast in Your truth.

My challenge to you today, as a believer in Christ Jesus our Lord, is to take a stand for His kingdom by taking one small step of faith in the battle that rages. And what might this one small step be?

One street at a time.

Earnest, steadfast and continuing prayer for each person of each household on the street where you live. Just as the enemy slowly eroded away the firm foundation, let us begin, through humble intercession, to honor the Lord by
seeking after Him to restore and rebuild, person by person, the people of our land. Standing in the gap, as a watchman on the wall, praying and interceding for the glory of His presence to overtake our streets.

As we persevere with fervent intercession, our hearts broken and contrite for the lost, the dying, the hopeless, the hurting and those who are in despair, may we prepare with expectancy to rejoice and see the glory of the Lord revealed!

And as we walk through this time of restoration may we be the faith-filled, Holy Spirit empowered, grace and truth dispensers that He has called us to be.

a box of our own making

'Here is what I believe grieves God's heart more than all the sins of the flesh combined. Our Lord is grieved by the ever-growing lack of faith in his promises…by ever-increasing doubts that he answers prayer…and by a people who claim less and less of the power that is in Christ.
No matter how much you have asked of the likeness of Christ, it is nothing compared to the resources of spiritual wisdom still awaiting in his storehouse. Ask largely! Ask for wisdom, ask for guidance, ask for revelation. But it must be asked in faith, nothing doubting.' (David Wilkerson; July 2010)

Have we put our Lord in a box of our own making?
Do we see Him in the light of our own limited experiences and expectations or do we see who He truly is in the overwhelmingly powerful light of His word? Either we serve and place our faith and complete trust in an awe-inspiring, all powerful, omniscient, almighty God or we end up living with a limited level of faith and trust that puts more emphasis and focus on man and his own abilities – thus minimizing the redemptive work of Christ and what He accomplished and desires for those who believe.
In my walk I am currently being challenged in this light. Do I really believe that the Lord is who He says He is and that He is all powerful?
Is my faith and trust completely in Him or is it like a time share arrangement.
I yearn to walk totally by faith – that is my heart’s desire; and yet my experience and expectations cloud the way and I end up thinking that I must carry the load, I must set the pace. Releasing my stubborn will, surrendering my ways of understanding and walking the narrow path that leads to life is where I want to be. In my life I no longer want my Lord entrapped in a box of my own making – constrained to my limited understanding!
Oh Lord God Almighty release me from this fleshly encumbrance that entangles my spirit, unbind me from adherence to the controlling wisdom of men, create in me a heart overflowing with Your Spirit, ignite in me a fire that consumes me with all that You are, and fill me with the freedom to trust fully and completely in You in all things.

It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
(1 Kings 8:10-11)

Have we stood in awe of the glory of the Lord? Have we ever been so overcome with the glory of the Lord that we fall to our knees because we are so filled with His presence?
When the veil was torn in two from top to bottom and the holy place (the place of God's presence) was made open by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, from that point on the believer's body became the abode of the holy place - the place of God's presence. And we are now the house of the Lord - we are the temple of His Holy Spirit.
The Lord has put this - the presence of His glory - on my mind lately. Over the last several years I have been so caught up with what was going on around me (mind-boggling conditions which created uncontrollable stress at my former job with the bank, economic pressures, political strife and uncertainty, my unexpected struggles with my shoulder surgery) that I have taken what should have been my complete trust in and reverence for the Lord and placed Him in the peripheral of my life instead of at the center - I was not whole heartedly seeking the presence of His glory. Yes, I continued to study His word, continued to be impressed by His Spirit, continued to be lead to write devotionals. Yet, at this point in my life, I feel as if I am being tossed about on a sea of instability. I think to sum it up in a nut shell - I no longer feel that I have control over my life, my plan that was so carefully laid is dissolving before my eyes.
And voila, there it is - my control over my life and my plan. I was measuring my trust level by how the Lord honored my efforts to control and plan my life. When things started to move away from my control and plan I worked even harder in my flesh to try and get it back - not that I didn't trust the Lord but I tried to
balance my own capabilities with my trust in Him and my flesh usually prevailed during this time. Thus the struggle that has ensued and, at times, overwhelmed me.
As I sit here today and reflect upon my life, of His hand upon me, and consider my lot - here is my prayer:
- Lord restore and strengthen my faith so that I might rest in the glory of Your presence.
- Jesus, renew and build in me the complete trust that You alone deserve.
- And may Your glory, the glory of the Lord, completely fill my house.

God is with you in all that you do

Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, " God is with you in all that you do…" (Genesis 21:22)

As Abimelech saw in Abraham, do people see that God is with us in all that we do? And what might that look like in this day and age of ours? Is it what we do, what we say, how we act, how we respond to people or is it what God does in, through and for us? Or are these ways comingled together somehow?

We see in Abraham a man who has told 'stories' about his wife to save his hide yet believed God so as to pick up everything and leave his land for a place that he did not know. A man who longed for an heir, as he was promised by God, and yet gave into the desire to do it his way (with Sarah's prodding) through Hagar. A man who yet believed that even in his old age (over 90) the Lord's promise of an heir through Sarah was true and would be fulfilled. A man who allowed his nephew, Lot, to pick the best of the land and yet believed that the Lord would lead him to a land of abundance. A man who believed in God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness yet sought out his own devices when he was in situations that he thought the Lord was not able to protect him. A man whoimmediately responded to God's call when the Lord established the covenant with him and the sign was circumcision. A man who immediately obeyed the Lord when asked to take his son Isaac, the son of the promise, and offer him as a sacrifice. A man whom the Lord appeared to and spoke with and even 'bargained with'. A man who prayed to God and was answered. A man for whom the Lord gave dreams to other men that resulted in Abraham's blessing.

Such contrasts of actions and responses and yet people knew that God was with him in all that he did. Abraham's faith was seen in action and yet there was doubt intertwined - belief mixed with non-belief. Trust in God and yet not trusting Him. And then there was the evidence of God's intervention in his life - the blessings, the provision, the leading, the promises fulfilled. We truly see in Abraham the heart of God working in and through an imperfect vessel. God's loving-kindness working in the heart of man to accomplish God's plan. Even when Abraham 'got in the way' the Lord's plan was not annulled - the Lord's hand was upon His servant, even when it got ugly, to fulfill His good purpose.

So, what is the answer to my question? I think that we need to start with God (I know that should be obvious but in our present day we always seem to want to start with man!) - it is His plan for mankind and the world and we are invited to join Him - to partake in His glorious mystery. He is not obligated to us 'to make things happen' based upon what we believe should be - although He has obligated Himself to honor His truth and His promises for those who seek Him. So then, it is truly what God does in, through and for us that allows people to see that God is with us in all that we do.

Before anyone gets too excited about what you just read - we, as His creation, do play a part in this glorious mystery that is God's plan. He has called us to join Him, to be an active participant in His plan, to live a life of faith and trust. And He has provided us with the directions - And He (Jesus) said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." (Matthew 22:37-39) - here is the heart of who and what we are to be so that all who see us may say 'God is with us in all that we do'.

Additionally, knowing that we are just flesh and subject to falling short as we walk this life of faith, He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us in this great and wonderful calling - may we be filled with the Holy Spirit.
''Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.' (Ephesians 5:15-21)

And the final consideration for this pondering: 'The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.' (Proverb 16:9)

revive and restore

'Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. O LORD God of hosts, Restore us;
Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.'
(Psalm 80:18-19)

REVIVE us, O Lord God…for we are languishing in a quagmire of worldly confusion; living in a time where the truth is ignored and cast aside; the once solid foundations are crumbling before us; persecution increases around us; deception and lies and distortion rule the day; the gods of this earth have been heralded and put on display; self is elevated above even You, Lord; and the peoples' hearts truly are exceedingly wicked.

RESTORE us, O Lord God…so that we might stand firm in Your truth; that our devotion to You would be affirmed; that we would be exhorted and encouraged to fight the good fight of faith; that the joy of Your salvation would come alive in our lives; and that our love for You would be made manifest in all that we do; Holy Spirit fill us each day until we overflow with Your grace and Your truth.

And upon Your reviving and restoring us Lord Jesus,
As we humble ourselves and abide in You,
Your witnesses to this lost world we shall be.

they shall one day discover...

For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more." For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant…
(Psalm 83:2-5)

The battle has been the same since days of old…this is nothing new, not even in our day. We have even heard in our times this refrain from those who follow the god whose goal is death and destruction - "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." The forces that are out to eliminate the one true God from the land of the living are still conspiring.

The enemy that is out to destroy God's people still makes shrewd plans against them. The enemy of our soul, the devil, is hard at work seeking to kill and destroy those whom he may. The battle wages on in the heavenlies and plays out in the affairs of our world. A growing number of nations in our world make covenants against the Lord and His people and this is reflected in the growing persecution as well as the increasingly persuasive agenda that is being pushed to remove God's truth from all facets of daily life.

May we, as believers in the living Lord, take heed and stand strong and firm in the knowledge that God is on His throne, the Lord Jesus is at His right hand and the Holy Spirit is dwelling within us leading us to all truth….

And that they (those who are His enemies) will one day discover that He alone, whose name is the LORD, is the Most High over all the earth.

body, soul and mind

"YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND" [Luke 10:27]

We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb - body, soul (spirit) and mind. And our spiritual redemption (our new heart) is assured for those who believe by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But what about the body and the mind? Where do they fit into the equation in today's world?

Jesus did a complete work when He sacrificed Himself on that cross. It wasn't an installment plan where there was more that needed to be done for our redemption. When He cried out from the cross "it is finished" and the veil was torn in half from top to bottom the price was paid in full - no other work was needed. And just as He was raised to new life, we too are raised to new life when we are born again from above - body, soul and mind. We are even called a 'new creation' after we have tasted of the salvation which God in His mercy has provided for those who believe.

So, why do we in our day seem to neglect the body and the mind in our redemption? We are called to live our lives (body, soul and mind) as a pleasing sacrifice, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, abiding in Him in ALL that we do - body, soul and mind. Honoring the Lord with our body, soul and mind (everything that we do, say and think) should be the desire of our heart.

Joyously feasting upon His Word, standing steadfast in His truth, willingly following His leading, patiently waiting upon Him, attentively listening to His still small voice, ever abiding in Him who directs our path, not being conformed to this world and offering Him praise and thanksgiving in ALL things…

Our sights fixed, our focus directed, our minds engaged, our thoughts held captive… this is our call today - a child of the living God - body, soul and mind.

Faith in action

Faith in action (works) means - fearing the Lord and trusting completely in Him while obeying His call upon our lives. Any other actions (works) that we do become just wood, hay and stubble and have no heavenly value. We can bear no heavenly fruit without abiding (fearing, trusting, obeying) in Him.

Looking at Abraham, as an example, what he did when the Lord God called him -

Abraham feared the Lord.
Abraham immediately responded to God saying "Here I am" and "now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me".

Abraham trusted completely in the Lord.
Abraham trusted in God for he said "I and the lad will go over there and we will worship and return to you' and "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering".

Abraham obeyed the Lord.
After God had given him the call Abraham immediately responded - he 'rose early in the morning…arose and went to the place of which God had told him" and he 'bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar' and he 'stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son'.

God said to Abraham "In you seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice".

(Genesis chapter 22)

So how does our 'faith in action' measure up -

Do we fear the Lord God Almighty?
(do we have an awe and a reverence for Him, do we honor Him as creator and redeemer God, do we worship Him and glorify His name, do we bless Him for who He is, do we praise His Holy name, do we tremble at His presence, do we prostrate ourselves when we come before His throne)

Do we trust Him completely?
(in all aspects of our lives [that He is the provider, sustainer, redeemer, full of grace and mercy and loving-kindness, righteous, a mighty fortress, deliverer, protector, healer, all-knowing, all powerful, everlasting], when the world says we are foolish for believing the truth of God, when it looks like there is no hope or future, when we are placed into a situation that seems impossible to resolve, when the enemy comes in like a flood against us)

Do we obey His voice and His call upon our lives?
(in everything that He has called us to do, when He has called us to do it - even the little things, even if it is to wait on Him, even if it is not what we want to hear, even if we think that it is too difficult or not worthwhile in our minds, even if it is outside of our comfort zone, even if it is to love the unlovable)

Abide and appoint

He will abide before God forever;
Appoint lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve him.
So I will sing praise to Your name forever…
(Psalm 61:7-8)

Lord, may it be the yearning of our hearts that -

1) we shall abide before You forever and
2) You appoint lovingkindness and truth that they might preserve us all the days of our life.

For if we do not abide in You there can be no life, no fruit, no grace, no truth in our life upon this earth.
And without Your Spirit filling us with Your lovingkindness and Your truth we shall be as wood, hay and stubble…of no earthly good for the glory of Your heavenly kingdom.

Hope for your future

"There is hope for your future" declares the LORD"
(Jeremiah 31:17)

Do you have hope? If so, what is your hope based upon? Or said another way, where do you find your hope?
In our current day I am sure there are many who are asking the question "where is my hope? what hope?"
It all seems so hopeless! The very weak economy, global economic chaos, threats of continued terrorism, disrespect for the law, selfishness abounding, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornados, flooding - a lot of stressful stuff happening all at the same time! We can get so bogged down and stressed up in the 'stuff of the day' that we don't look beyond our current circumstances to the One who is in control of ALL THINGS…
I know that I for one am guilty of this. There seems to be so much more to be stressed about these days - is it me or is it the times? Getting 'caught up' in the controversial sound bite of the day can get you off the narrow path and lead you astray down the path of hopelessness - you end up in the struggle that is the wisdom of the world. Don't bite!
May our focus be continually on the One who knows the future, on the One who is our hope.
We are and always have been in a struggle and this struggle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers that wage war against the flesh. We must be resilient and totally reliant upon the Holy Spirit to take our stand in this battle - and battle we must. Although the enemy appears to be more intense at this time in our lives, the battle is still the same, the weapons of warfare are still the same, our call to stand firm in His truth is still the same and the final outcome, which is our victory, is still the same - let us stand firm in it!
Let not the struggles and hopelessness of this world lead us down a path that takes our eyes off the HOPE that is within us for that is what the enemy wants for us - to believe that there is no hope, no future…
Our hope and our future is certain in Christ Jesus - bite on that!

the righteous man

'The righteous man will be glad in the LORD and will take refuge in Him'
(Psalm 64:10)

As we proceed through these times of angst and concern for the future, where the stress and pain of a poor economic environment has gripped many, where the liberties and freedoms that we have taken for granted for so long are slowly being eroded away - we still serve a living, loving and all-knowing Lord.
We live in the temporal and the events of the temporal directly affect the daily grind that we call life. The struggles of the life in the flesh, though they be many and often difficult, are still but for a moment in the light of eternity.
Yet, we are also called to live in the spiritual as born again believers in the living Lord. And it is in the spiritual that we see the hand of God working in, around and through us to work out His plan for this lost and dying world (a plan that was written before the foundations of the world). Might we see through the 'eyes of faith' knowing and believing that our Lord is truly in control of all things, resting in Him as we face the daunting task that is living life in this temporal world.
True believers in all ages have faced trials, tribulations and even persecution for their faith in God and yet the answer is still the same today as it has been throughout history - the righteous man will be glad in the Lord and will take refuge in Him.
Christ is our righteousness - Christ is our refuge…
Our hope, He is our redeemer
Our strength, He is our power
Our provision, He is our provider
Our life, He is our sustainer

Bless the Lord God Almighty

May we all stand firm in His Word of Truth as we bless the Lord God Almighty -

Blessed be the LORD, because He has heard the voice of my supplication
Blessed be the LORD, for He has made marvelous His loving-kindness to me
Blessed be the LORD, who has not forsaken His loving-kindness and His truth toward me
Blessed be the LORD, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders
Blessed be the LORD, our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth
Blessed be the LORD, my rock
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting
Blessed be the LORD forever!

And I bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD

I blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground

So I blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and I said, "Blessed are You, O LORD God, our Father, forever and ever.

Blessing and honor and glory are Yours alone
With praise and worship and adoration we will offer You our love

Do not delay

'You are my help and my deliverer, O Lord do not delay.'
Psalm 70:5

We all have struggles and areas in our lives that are/have been affected by tribulation - for we live in a sinful world. And there have been times when we have wondered what is the Lord doing - why does He delay? - I am struggling with these things and I can't seem to understand what is going on, Lord are you there!
Yet we serve a God that is intimately acquainted with us. He created us, He formed us in our mother's womb, He loves us with an everlasting love and He sent His Son to die for us. So, why do we, at times, have such difficulty believing that He is our help and our deliverer? When we are 'in the moment' of our struggles, our trials, our tribulations, we have difficulty seeing that the fire of adversity provides the crucible for greater strength in and renewal and even restoration of our faith and relationship with Him.
I know what you are going to say - but I can do just as well in my faith and relationship with Him without the struggles and the trials and the tribulations! Silver is not refined without fire, wheat is not ready until it has been threshed, a diamond is not created without pressure. And so it is with man - our sinful nature pushes us away from God, not closer to Him. The struggle has been the flesh against the spirit and the flesh is held captive to the world and its desires - lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
The life in the spirit must become the place where we live each day and I believe that our Lord not only desires that we live there but He is also our help in achieving it. He has delivered us from the wiles of this world, He has helped us to overcome our flesh by the power of His atoning work - we need to walk in His victory. And yes, sometimes it seems as though we are out there on a limb, by ourselves, facing the adversity of the world alone and we wonder - why do you delay, oh Lord, in helping me, and where are you, oh Lord, my deliverer?
And yet the truth is - You are my help and my deliverer, in You alone Lord shall I trust!

By His power, by His wisdom, by His understanding…

It is He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.
(Jeremiah 10:12)

By His power, by His wisdom, by His understanding…
We serve a God that is not limited by our understanding, He is not guided by our wisdom and His power is beyond our comprehension. Yet we seem to live in a world today where even within the church we want to limit our God to something that fits our understanding, that resides within our level of wisdom and for the most part we really don't believe that He is all powerful - we have restricted, in our minds, His power to our level of comfort.
I say let us begin afresh, renew and strengthen our faith and believe fully and completely in our God who is ALL POWERFUL, who has ALL WISDOM, who has ALL UNDERSTANDING…let us not be as the world and place God within a box of our own construct.
Let us whole heartedly seek after Him who is ALL TRUTH and ALL GRACE.
A God in whom NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
May we bless Him with our desire to love Him with an ever abiding love.
May we honor Him with our total commitment to follow His truth.
May we praise His Holy Name for the amazing Creator God that He is.
And with our heart, mind and will may we show our devotion and trust in Him in all things.
And may we never forget, nor never doubt that our God reigns in glory and power and honor forever and ever, amen.

ask for the ancient paths

Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' (Jeremiah 6:16)

The ancient paths…stand by their ways, seek and ask for them…where the good way is, walk in it.
What are the ancient paths? And why would the Lord exhort His people to walk in them? At this point in the history of Israel they had again wandered away from the Lord and His truth. And He had sent another prophet (Jeremiah) to 'put the people on notice so that they might be without excuse' (the grace and mercy of God shown to His people even though they had wandered so far off).
My take on the 'ancient paths' is that we are to stand by the ways, see and ask for and walk in the pure and uncompromised Truth of God - for the Word of the Lord is good. And Jesus Christ is the ancient path. He has always been and will forever be the Truth. We are encouraged to walk with Him in our lives, even to the point of dying to self and abiding in Him. And His promise to His people for following is that we shall find rest for our souls.
Yet, we live in an age today where the answer to the Lord's exhortation seems to be the same as the people of Jeremiah's time - 'we will not walk in it'. We want something new, something that man has conjured up…there is no pure truth - our wisdom has surpassed the 'ancient ways'…or so we believe.
Believers in the living Lord, here is our admonition - stand firm in His truth and in the power of His might and walk in the ancient paths.

Banner of Truth

'You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth.'
(Psalm 60:4)

Where is our banner?
The banner that He has given us is TRUTH.
A banner that declares our trust in the Lord and the power of His might…that we stand firm in His truth…that we fear and honor Him above anything or anyone…
It is time that we hold His banner high and rejoice in it…
We, the true and living church of Jesus Christ, can no longer afford to play both sides. We can no longer just concern ourselves with our convenience and our comfort. Complacency is not an option - the price that was paid on Calvary was too high. Eternity weighs in the balance.
As the army of God we must follow His banner, holding it high, marching forward against the adversary - 'For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places' that have blinded man.
Our rallying cry -'Lord God Almighty save with Your Right Hand.
For it is only by His saving grace and the power of His truth that lives will be changed for His kingdom.
That is our call…that is why we uphold His banner.

The Passover Lamb of God

The Passover Lamb of God

As another Passover is celebrated
The foreshadowing of what was to come
Celebrating a future fulfillment of the promise
A promise made from the foundation of the world
The Passover Lamb of God

His broken body would be pierced for our transgressions
He would be crushed for our iniquities
By His scourging we would be healed
He would be poured out even to death for our sin
His blood would be shed to overcome death’s sting
The Passover Lamb of God

And yet, He was despised and forsaken of men
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him
The Passover Lamb of God

The Righteous One who came to serve
His sacrifice made, the price paid that many might be set free
Redemption accomplished through an act of His loving-kindness
Grace and mercy interceding for our transgressions
The Passover Lamb of God

Salvation is among us, liberty and life anew
Rejoice for He has risen, Rejoice for He is alive
Our Passover Lamb of God
Our Redeemer, Our Savior, Our Lord
Jesus

WE ARE TOO EARTHBOUND

As we approach the celebration of the greatest and most miraculous act of redemption the world has ever seen and I read Wilkerson's devotional writing (below) it brings these two questions to mind -

Where is the focus of our life to be centered?

My response - Whether we be materially rich or poor in this present life our focus should be to respond to and heed the Lord's call upon our lives while on this earth rejoicing that we shall spend eternity with Him - this is our inheritance...

And what is His call upon our lives?

My response - Always being attentive and open to His still small voice, growing ever closer to Him while following what He has called each one of us to do for the Kingdom of God by the power of His Spirit...

prb

David Wilkerson Today

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

WE ARE TOO EARTHBOUND

Have you noticed there is very little talk nowadays about heaven or about leaving this old world behind? Instead, we are bombarded with messages on how to use our faith to acquire more things. "The next revival," said one well-known teacher, "will be a financial revival. God is going to pour out financial blessing on all believers."

Any message about death bothers us. We try to ignore even thinking about it and think that those who discuss it are morbid. Occasionally we will talk about what heaven must be like, but most of the time the subject of death is taboo.

What a stunted concept of God's eternal purposes! No wonder so many Christians are frightened by the thought of death. The truth is, we are far from understanding Christ's call to forsake the world and all its entanglements. He calls us to come and die—and to die without building memorials to ourselves. To die without worrying how we should be remembered. Jesus left no autobiography—no headquarters complex—no university or Bible college. He left nothing to perpetuate his memory but the bread and the wine.

How different the first Christians were. Paul spoke much about death. In fact, our resurrection from the dead is referred to in the New Testament as our blessed hope. But nowadays, death is considered an intruder that cuts us off from the good life we have become accustomed to. We have so cluttered our lives with material things, we are bogged down. We can no longer bear the thought of leaving our beautiful homes, our lovely things, our charming sweethearts. We seem to be thinking, "To die now would be too great a loss. I love the Lord—but I need time to enjoy my real estate. I married a wife. I've yet to prove my oxen. I need more time."

What is the greatest revelation of faith, and how is it to be exercised? You will find it in Hebrews: "These all died in faith...and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.... But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:13 and 16).

set your heart

'For Ezra had set his heart to
- study the law of the LORD and
- to practice it, and
- to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.'
(Ezra 7:10)

As the true church (the body of believers) here is a verse from the book of Ezra that should be on the top of our list.

Jesus called us to be His disciples - and to be a disciple you should:

1) know who your teacher is,
2) be ready, willing and able to learn from your teacher and study His truth,
3) hold firm to the truth of His teaching,
4) use what you learn from His teaching in practical ways in everyday life,
5) be willing to teach and share His truth with others - anyone, anytime but especially those who hunger for and are seeking truth.

So, might we set our hearts to earnestly study His truth, to practice His truth daily and be willing to teach His truth to all who hunger and seek after it…Being seasoned with grace, overflowing with His truth, a vessel filled with His Holy Spirit - a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

the enemy laughs

The devil is laughing with a zealous pleasure and joy as he sees what he and his minions have been able to foist upon the human race - with our complicit and foolish assistance!
And here is what he has been able to accomplish:
- WE have become 'like god' in our own minds and have acted upon our own foolish wisdom.
- Thinking and believing that WE can do all things in our own flesh,
- that WE are the authors of the knowledge of good and evil,
- that WE have the answers to life and peace and joy…
- WE glory in our own flesh.
The enemy of our soul does exist - he is real and he has entrapped us so well that he has 'veiled the eyes, mind and hearts' of even those within the church so that they ignore and ultimately deny that he is…how do you battle against an enemy that you don't believe exists!
And yet we can see the handy work of the enemy all around us - destroyed lives, selfish unquenchable ambition, vain glory, pompousness, reveling against the truth, altars built to honor man, wise in our own eyes…

Some verses to consider-

- Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5)
- …the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world (Rev 12)
- But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power (2 Tim 2)
- You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8)
- For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph 6)

So what can we do? What does the Word of God have to say?

- Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Eph 6)
- Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4)
- Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith (1 Peter 5)
- The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. (2 Tim 2)

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help...

Isaiah 31:1
'Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!'

What are we relying on? Where is our trust placed? In man and his wisdom and abilities? In our government and their ability to control and provide for the things of our daily lives?
Just as Isaiah warned the Israelites not to 'go down to Egypt' to rely and trust in its strength and resources so must we be warned not to 'go down' to our government and rely and trust in its strength and the resources that it usurps.
As believers in God and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ we must FIRST seek Him in all things. If we do not then we really are not trusting in Him but in man's ways. We have become a people that have misplaced our trust and placed it all in man's wisdom and ability. The chorus of 'our government will take care of it' has overshadowed and replaced the church's role. Yet it is interesting that any time there is a disaster who are the first ones to respond and assist those who were affected? And who are the most effective and efficient at providing that support (hint - it is not a government agency)?
We live in a time where it is not politically correct to seek the Lord. Even within the modern day organized church the Sunday/Wednesday night game is played exceptionally well. The salt has lost its saltiness and the light has been covered by a basket. We are called as believers in Christ to live ALL of our lives as a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to Him -that means every day, all day. Salt and light to a lost generation…

Discipleship hints:
1) earnest prayer every day, all day (the Lord already knows what is on your heart and mind - why not acknowledge it and share it with Him? And in that process you will grow closer and your prayers will change from 'prayers of want' to prayers of heavenly significance - the things of God's heart)
2) submit to the Holy Spirit's working in your life each moment (surrender your will to His will, listening to what He would have you accomplish, being a grace and truth dispenser)
3) hunger for His word (seeking to know Him and draw closer through the working of His Spirit in you through His word, His word brings life to those who hunger for it)
4) thanksgiving and praise (are we truly thankful for Him as well as for all of His blessings in our lives, do we praise Him for who He is and not just for what we get, give thanks in ALL things - praise Him in ALL things)

And as you grow in your reliance and trust in Him you will begin to better discern the folly that this world holds to, the wisdom that is foolishness and you shall be a source of salt and light to this lost and dying generation.

the path that I shall walk

With persistence I shall seek after You

While waiting with patience for Your presence

And I will glory in Your lovingkindness

As You lead me in the path that I shall walk

daily life renewed

As this world continues to spin faster and faster towards the end of the age and our lives become more difficult, complicated and harder to understand. Where trials and tribulations have become common place and part of the everyday ordeal of life to more and more people. When joy, peace and hope seem to be lost in the hustle, bustle and mayhem of our modern 'it's all about me' society. I want to take a step back, de-stress, unwind, reload and begin to focus on what is truly important. To revisit, seek after and desire to fulfill what should be the foundational items of my daily life. This, I believe, is what the Lord would have me do -

1) Love the Lord with all that is within me
and may my hope and trust be fully, completely and unashamedly in Him
2) Love my wife
as Christ loves His church and gave His life for it
3) Love my children
for they are a heritage and a blessing from the Lord
4) Love my neighbor
as Christ loves me so must I love my neighbor (all those around me, everyone, anyone) as one who is full of grace and truth

And it is in the building and deepening of the relationship with the Lord, with my wife, with my children and with my neighbor based upon the lovingkindness of God that will ultimately bring a joy, a peace and a hope that the world does not know nor does it understand.
With the guidance and direction of a loving God and the empowering of His Holy Spirit it is my desire to dwell in this land and cultivate faithfulness to what is truly important to the Creator God who loves me with an everlasting love.

part five of Psalm 37

'Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him'

One thing that we seem to be very incapable of doing in our times is to WAIT PATIENTLY...everything is now, immediately if not sooner- microwaves are no longer quick enough! Hurry, hurry, hurry...now, now, now - if it doesn't happen quickly I'm not waiting around....our fast paced lives leave little room for waiting patiently for Him. The Lord is intimately acquainted with our ways and yet He is calling us to, and desiring that we, rest in Him and wait patiently for Him - for our times our in His hand.
We live in a fast food, microwavable world that keeps spinning faster and faster and in our efforts to 'keep up' we miss, forsake and even surrender the opportunities to take time to rest in Him - to crawl up into His lap and bask in His presence. Also to wait patiently for Him – that we might hear that still small voice that encourages us, uplifts us, gives direction, strengthens our faith, showers grace like rain upon us and loves us dearly.
With weariness and stress, alacrity and instant gratification this world has overtaken us - we must rest in Him and wait patiently… for only in Him will we
find the answers and only in Him will there be true peace.

part four of Psalm 37

'Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.'

The Lord draws us to Himself, He redeems us, He gives us His Holy Spirit, He gives us His Word and He loves us with an unconditional love (His mercy, His grace and His truth) - He has given us His all! So our part, our heart's desire, should be to commit all of our ways to Him (humble our self, die to self and pick up our cross and follow Him). This commitment should to be lived out in all facets of our lives - home, work, play, in our relationships with our spouse, our kids, our neighbors. To only be 'committed' on Sunday and Wednesday nights is not committing your way to the Lord - it's is playing the religion game!

Our trust in Him needs to be steadfast, secure. We must trust that He is who He says that He is - the Creator God who created us and is so intimately acquainted with us that He even knows the number of the hairs upon our heads. The loving God who so desires an intimate relationship with us that He paid the ultimate price - death on a cross - that restored and granted us the freedom to walk and talk with Him just as Adam and Eve did in the garden before sin separated them from His presence.

For I know the plans that I have for you, plans for good and not for evil…you are fearfully and wonderfully made…made in the image of God…you are children of the living God…you were created for His good pleasure…you are a part of a royal priesthood…your times are in My hand…I shall never leave you nor forsake you and because of this may we trust in Him and commit all of our ways to Him!

part three of psalm 37

'Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.'
Delight (take pleasure in, appreciate, revel in, enjoy, relish, satisfy) yourself - what do we delight ourselves in/with? Is our relationship with our Heavenly Father one that delights in Him? As His children He desires that we have a close, intimate relationship with Him - a closeness like an earthly father may have with his children - where the child runs to the father, hugs and kisses him, sits his lap and enjoys just being in his presence. A growing, deepening relationship that seeks to bless as well as be blessed, that seeks His face (His presence) as well as His hand (His blessing). And as an earthly father loves his children and desires to provide them with the desires of their heart how much more does our Heavenly Father love us? And He knows and understands our hearts and it is His desire to shower us with good and wonderful things from His hand. Delight yourself in the Lord, enjoy His presence, revel in His grace, take pleasure in His goodness, appreciate His salvation, relish His faithfulness and satisfy yourself with His lovingkindness.

part two of Psalm 37

'Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.'
As sojourners on this earth we are to dwell in the land not only as a place to live but also as a place to cultivate (develop, nurture, promote) faithfulness. For without faith it is impossible to please Him. We are to be in the world yet not of this world - not caught up in its ways and its wisdom but focused on the Kingdom of God. Each new day brings opportunities by the hand of the Lord to grow(cultivate) in our faith, encourage and exhort others in their faith(discipleship) as well as participate in God's greatest miracle - a person coming to saving faith (born again from above). Some plant, some water and the Lord harvests. Let us resolve to begin anew and afresh as we dwell in the land to cultivate faithfulness where we live.

part one of Psalm 37

'Trust in the LORD and do good'
First off do we trust in Him? Or have we placed all of our trust in ourselves and man's wisdom and abilities? As we begin this new year let us seek to trust in Him for all that we are, in all that we have and in everything that we do or desire to do...for our trust shall not be misplaced if it is truly in Him! Trust in the Lord, trust in His Name, trust in the power of His might, trust in His lovingkindness, trust in His righteousness, trust in His truth, trust in His faithfulness...Secondly, once you have placed your trust in Him then 'do good'...for it is by His power, by His Spirit, working in and through us that we are able to 'do good' for His kingdom - for if we are relying on ourselves and our own strength we will produce wood, hay and stubble which does not last. To 'do good' we must follow His lead, seek to understand His will, walk in the path that He has for us - for it is His plan, His world and His creation and not our own...and His grace and His mercy and His truth will prevail but we must walk in it.

'The LORD my God illumines my darkness.'
(Psalm 18:28)

We live in a world of darkness and this darkness is the environment in which man's heart grows stone cold. The emptiness that the darkness brings to our lives results in our striving for meaning and truth. Yet we spend our days wandering in the darkness growing attached to its allures - the wisdom and ways of this world - ignoring the real meaning of life while attempting to rationalize away truth.
This empty darkness overflows with envy and strife, depression and fear, covetousness and greed, desire for power and control, anger and bitterness and ultimately separation and death. The ease in which we meld into the darkness goes virtually unnoticed. Then when we are alerted to an heinous act that reflects the darkness of man's heart we wonder why and how this can be!
The truth - the hardened heart of man is deceitfully wicked.
The answer to mankind's dilemma (overcoming the darkness) has come! The Truth has come to set us free - to shine light into the darkness and release us from its bondage. But the darkness abhors the light and will attempt to extinguish any signs of light - thus the struggle for the heart of man.
The truth - the Light came into the world that we might be rescued from the darkness...That the power of this world would no longer have rule over us...That we would know truth and be set free from the bondage that oppresses. It is the Lord that illumines our darkness and there is no other !

'Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, " I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."'
(John 8:12)

started strong but didn't finish

Uzziah reigned 52 years in Jerusalem -
1) He did right in the sight of the Lord,
2) he continued to seek God and
3) he became very strong
BUT when he became strong he acted corruptly and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God...
(2 Chronicles 26)

Started off strong but didn't finish....this is the story of Uzziah. Paul tells us that we are to run the race to finish it and win! The struggle against the flesh is strong and we must fight the good fight of faith if we are to remain faithful in our walk with the Lord throughout our lives.
With a steadfast determination we must not allow success in this world to corrupt us and lead to unfaithfulness. Setting our sights on the Lord and
understanding that it is by His hand that we have success...that it is by His hand that we have talents and abilities...that our strength is from Him. Thus our heart's desire should be to remain faithful and true. And then shall we honor Him over the course of our entire life and finish strong.
May our lives reflect the first three comments regarding the life of Uzziah and
might we, empowered by the Spirit, not follow along with Uzziah's post script.