Covering

Covering

11/27/15

The cover has many definitions ranging from blankets to hiding and when dealing with human activity every definition can come into play each day of our lives.  Covering is a unique word that is repeatedly used throughout the Bible and when one studies this word it brings to life an extraordinary setting.  The word cover is mentioned in the book of Genesis and provides us with an important clue as to what had transpired between God and mankind before the fall.  It also provides us with another specific detail about how mankind believes that they can redeem themselves after knowingly commit sins, with God showing us how it needs to be done in the end.

A few years back my genetic makeup took over again and it was revealed that I had converted to become a diabetic.  I thank God that for the most part it is under control and I can treat it simply with diet and exercise.  I am so grateful that it has not progressed to the point where my activities are limited because of its potentially devastating effects on the body.  However, there is one portion of my life that it has changed and I am still contemplating if I like it or not.  For the people who know me directly understand that I am an odd duck and one of my oddities is that I absolutely love the cold weather.  My body functions better when it is cold outside and I physically function better in this type of weather as well.

It was raining and snowing here the other day and someone looked at me and said to me: “this is your perfect kind of weather, huh”.  I immediately told them the following response: “only if there is a 15 mph wind with this, then yes”.  The person looked at me, shook their head and began to laugh as they walked passed me.  For the majority of humans, we like to be warm and cozy, and that is the preferred status; lying on a hot beach and sipping cold drinks to keep us hydrated.  But not this weirdo, give me the cold was my motto for a very long time.  In fact, for a number of years I had a waterbed and I refused to turn on the heater for that bed, I loved being that cold.

But for the past few years I have kept a secret and that secret is that the cold weather is beginning to bother me a bit.  I know that as I continue to get older the weather will affect me more, but there are some interior changes within my body that I have noticed popping up due to the changed weather.  I have no real definition as to why but the only thing that I can come up with, and what my doctor says, is that as my body ages, along with my diabetes, I will become a bit more sensitive to weather changes; once again I have to admit he is correct.  I also have found myself longing to be warm, which is very unusual for me.

Being warm also includes at night when I am in bed and it has become evident to my wife that I love this warmth enough to steal the covers from her side of the bed even though I now sleep with an electric blanket turned on.  There is no fighting yet, but I can only imagine that some type of confrontation will occur as the temperatures continue to drop at night and winter comes to term.  I have never slept with an electric blanket on before, only when I have had the flu or a severe cold has this occurred.  It puzzles me as to why I have to take the covers from her, especially when I already have the proper covering already there.  I am not worried about this bodily change; however, I am concerned about what my wife may do to me if I continue to steal her covers.

While I still love the cold weather I guess I can now say that my body does not like the cold weather.  I continue to thrive in this type of setting, but even my crossings to the main building across the street in the cold make my treks kind of interesting.  With this new information of mine concerning the cold weather, it is my responsibility to make sure I am wrapped up well enough to ensure that my body does not send out hate messages which could lead to an illness or to further decline.  It is strictly my choice to heed these warnings and to do what is correct instead of trying to wing it and then flirt with a potential disaster.

The biblical example concerning covers and the concept of covering up is an intriguing one and one that I have missed for many decades of my life.  To be honest, I also have to admit that I have never heard of this type of teaching being stated in church either.  But it is a huge offering of information that God wants us to understand about ourselves and the position that we occupy within the spiritual realm of our existence.  It also deals with the mannerisms in which we as humans try to work out our fallacies (sin) and how God is the original provider of the proper covering for our lives.  When we do thing His way, our lives are so much better off and when we choose to do things our own way, it becomes rapidly clear that we shall fall short every time.

The passage in detail for this article is Genesis 3:7.  As I stated above, I have read this passage many times during my life but it has not been too far back that God showed me some intricate details about the relationship between humans and Himself through this verse.  First off we must keep in our minds that all God has ever wanted is to have a personal and intimate relationship with His beloved creation.  And it is His desire to restore this relationship with us and to thoroughly maintain this relationship on a second by second basis so that we may one day be able to live in eternal peace through Him.

Genesis 3:7 states:  “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”  Let us take the first portion of this verse to start with: “And the eyes of them both were opened”.  It is well known that Adam was created first and that Eve was created from Adam, this establishes the oneness of a couple and it defines the relationship between a man and a woman with no other possible directives on creation or intimate relationships being mentioned.  This passage mentions that both of their eyes were opened and this is a direct consequence of the choices they took just a few verses above.  Have you ever asked yourself s to why they would wish to bring this added responsibility and covenant procedure onto their lives, instead of allowing God to be their divine protector to begin with?

This single verse in Genesis 3 states the terms in which Adam and Eve should have understood what God had been saying to them and teaching them right up until the moment they both sinned.  The verse continues and says that they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves covering.  When one looks at the Hebrew meaning of this word and sequential phrase it cannot be missed or understood that what occurs here is a physical act of these people.  They actually sewed leaves together and formed coverings for their naked bodies.  In other words, created beings decided that they would cover themselves with a product that they had dominion over to begin with.  Stop and think about this for a moment.

This process probably does not come as much of a surprise to us today because we clothe ourselves on a regular basis, but to Adam and Eve, it must have been a huge shock to their eyes when this truth became known to them.  Their perfect state was no longer and it was an instantaneous process that occurred which took them totally by surprise.  One can take it for a life-changing status, one that could never be reversed, so they had to do the next best thing; cover themselves. 

Many people around the world hunt animals for food, this is a given process.  When the animal is killed there is a specific process that needs to be done in order for the meat to be preserved even before it arrives at the processing center.  The hunter must bleed the animal and then gut the animal quickly after the animal has been killed or the meat will go bad.  This is a process of the kill and should be accomplished as soon as possible.  Further processing of the animal can then be completed.  As one can imagine this is a bloody process and can become a grotesque process if one’s stomach is weak.  But it is the process of the shedding of the blood and draining it that is important here because it directly lines up with God’s protective covering and the difference of man’s attempt of covering and God’s divine covering.

Why do I mention this bloody process when the subject is covering?  Because it begins the process of what God intended in the first place and what He had to do in order to keep His promise of eternal life to His people.  When Adam and Eve sinned, the Bible states that they covered themselves by sewing fig leaves together.  First of all, it must be contended that both Adam and Eve had the understanding of how to sew, in whatever primitive form that sewing process must have been.  Their minds had the capability and their extremities the ability to complete such a task.

Secondly, it can be known that while their physical state did not change their reckoning of such nakedness status did which means that God had provided the divine covering of such state up until that moment when sin entered into their lives, strictly by choice, not command.  This sewing process also states that they now realized their physical status instead of just the spiritual, which nominates them to the human life that all of us know today.  What fascinates me the most about this situation is that their reaction to this realization is so typical of a human in that when they found out that their ways and choices were wrong, they tried their best to cover themselves with their own version of the truth instead of obeying God and keeping God first in their lives. 

When one thinks about this setting in the Garden and the reaction that Adam and Eve had after they had sinned it becomes obvious that they and God had discussed His covering over them and what it meant to their lives.  It also states that God did not force His laws upon them and that it was simply their choice to obey or to disobey what God had established as law.  For if a human does not understand that they did wrong they would not rush to make things correct in like manner of which they had just violated.  It would not be logical to think otherwise about this situation.

Now let us take the second verse that comes into play with this setting and how God demonstrated again how He was the one who initiated their covering in the first place.  Genesis 3:21 states: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”  We need to keep in mind about something God has recently shared with us about His holy order and how once that holy order is established God cannot break it no matter what the circumstances might be.  And it is through this holy order that He acts as the words of this verse play out.

After all, is said and done, God continues His covering process and begins His teaching of restoration.  This verse states that God provides skins of Adam and Eve for their covering.  Skins represent an animal of some sort which God had to kill in order for Him to provide the skins for their covering.  This means that God sets the new standard for covering and that is of blood.  This is the first known example that God uses that indicates that the shedding of blood must be used for the new state of mankind.  This verse proclaims that for the time being and after all of the disobedience we have chosen to embark upon, God is willing to give us the opportunity to recognize this process and to live under this covering that He has offered.

It is this type of pattern that God uses in order to keep us from completely destroying our lives and it is through this holy order of His that provides us with every opportunity to be restored.  This process follows what God had already established between Him and His creations in that it was His responsibility to direct the teaching in such a manner that they would understand exactly what was at stake.  This move from God concerning the covering that He provided Adam and Eve after their fall gives us a close look at exactly how serious this act of God was and how much of an important symbol it should be in our lives today.

There can be no question that God had explained the importance of how His covering meant to Adam and Eve’s lives for if He did not then He would not have been able to adequately and justly hand down the punishment that He did.  God shall never allow His righteous judgment come upon anything unless they do not first understand what is ongoing or what they violated.  If He did such an act then He would not be the all knowing and all understanding being that His Word claims He is.  This means that Adam and Eve had discussions with God about what His protection meant to their lives and what would occur if they did not obey His one command; this is stated in the beginnings of the book of Genesis as well. 

Therefore, when Adam and Eve had received their “reward” for their choices and actions it was taken by God to still provide a covering for them adequate enough and along with His line of commitment to humanity.  Yes, the perfect state of their existence was gone and they had even been told to flee the beautiful dominion that God had given them, but God still gave them a perfect example of what it took for mankind to be restored.

In Genesis 3:21 it states that God gave them skins to cover themselves and this meant that they should take off the inadequate coverings that they deemed good enough for them and put on the provided whole coverings that God had provided for them; group this setting with the armor of God in the New Testament and it brings an entirely new light upon the subject, huh.  It was not a coincidence that God picked out skins for their covering for we must remember that God is a complete God and that everything that He does must fit into His perfect holy order at all times. 

The animal that was killed had to shed its blood in order for it to have been skinned.  Adam and Eve had no excuses to know this and the symbol that it represented to them.  Even with all that they had lost they could take comfort that they were not totally blown off from God and that there was still a way possible to restore their lives unto His standards.  Yes, they understood that their way of life had changed and that their lives were going to be hard and they had to work for their survival now, but they still had hope in God as long as they kept His Words in their heart. 

Now, we know that animals have lives and that they have their own environments that they dwell in, and as far as we know they wish to live just like we do.  I am not in any way demeaning the life of an animal nor is God but we are created different from the animals and thus are viewed separately from them when it comes to our eternal existence.  I have no idea if there are animals in our eternal state, I would like to believe so, but I guess I shall have to wait for that surprise.  God’s point is this, the animal and every life that has been created is very important to God but in order for us to grasp the concept of what is in play concerning our lives God provides us with this example of the covering of Adam and Eve’s bodies with an animal skin.  Our covering, the one that we actually need is that important and we should take every measure to make sure we stay under this holy and pure covering.

The importance of God’s words cannot be greater exampled than the words coming from Genesis 3:21.  For this single verse defines that truth that all ways of mankind shall fail and that only God can provide the perfect process of restoration under the blood.  See, there is no blood on the outer layers of the animals skin, only the interior of the skin has contact with the blood of that animal, which means that when Adam and Eve’s skin touched the interior side of the skin provided by God, they were automatically under the blood provided.

This scripture fulfills many future events that were predicted throughout the Old Testament including the conception, birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ.  These two scriptures combined give us a complete picture of what to do and what not to do when it comes to trusting God for providing His covering and protection for our lives.  These scriptures also give us a complete and detailed example of what will occur when we do not obey God’s laws and try to interpret His commands according to our wants and wishes.  

There is so much more that God has shared with me concerning the words of within these verses, but I am stopping here so that you may study what God has shared with us so far concerning the matter of covering.  This portion of God’s Word that we have a tendency to overlook, bypass or just flat ignore does have direct meaning to our lives and it is this portion of God’s Word He deems important enough for us to understand so that we may lean upon it when times become tough.  God shall never leave us for want or questioning, He has provided the answers we need in His Word and the capability to look for those answers through the workings of our heart.  What a beautiful Thanksgiving example He has provided for us during this time of the year.

DLB

Looking for Directions

Looking For Directions

11/22/15

All of us travelers at one time or another has had to seek help from others due to entering unfamiliar territory, or when we have lost our sense of direction.  One of the frustrating categories of human life is a loss of direction and sense of being, but at the same time it reinforces the truth that we need someone to help us guide our way while we walk the journey of life.  There is no question that we need to be very careful in whom we seek our help for sometimes those that we believe can be trusted prove to be our worst nightmares.  With this reality, knowledge in hand one would assume that we would seek a higher and more accurate help; however, humans tend to rely upon the other hand by trying to ask other like-minded fellows instead.  One of these days humanity will come to realize that the only true source of complete help is God and I hope that day comes sooner than later for our eyesight is becoming darker by the minute.

I am going to start off by quoting an article that appeared in National Geographic Magazine, February 2014 Issue Pg 59.  It was written by a popular American figure Garrison Keillor and the article is entitled “There’s No Place Like Home”.  The passage is as follows:

“My grandma Dora Keillor was riding in my dad’s car on winter day in 1957 when the car spun out of control on an icy highway and did a doughnut or two and stopped, still on the road.  Grandma didn’t cry out; she looked straight ahead out the windshield.  “John”, she said, “which way is north?”  I share that need for clarity.  When a man has lived in a place so long, he takes comfort in landmarks.”

This little passage is a good example to start out with since it defines a directional setting that God created and the only thing that mankind has to do with it is the name that it has been given.  It always helps people to find their way out of certain lost conditions if they know exactly which direction that they need to go in order to reach the intended destination.  If people use faulty ideas about direction that will be the only result that they will reach, a faulty one, which most likely they will find themselves even more lost than from where their original point began.  It is impossible for humans to know exactly where they physically are at all times so it is imperative that we understand how to obtain true guidance when / if the time warrants.

Some of you may know that I wear glasses.  I have not had great eyesight since I was in the 4^th grade.  I was put into glasses at this time and stayed in them until I hit my 8th-grade year when modern science introduced contacts for us “blind” people.  I loved my contacts and after the initial getting used to them period my love for them continued to steadily grow.  I have worn glasses or contacts ever since and have accepted this part of my life as being normal.  As time marched along I proved the eye doctors correct because they had stated a long time ago that my eyes would continually become worse, and so they did.  After a while, my eyes had become bad enough that when I wore my glasses they were heavy because of the thickness that they had to be in order to fill my prescription, this I did not like and it drove me to wear my contacts even more.

About a decade or so ago the eye profession came out with a lens that could be modified in order for people with bad eyesight, as mine, to wear glasses without the lens’ being so heavy and thick and it was this technology that helped me make the decision to wear glasses again instead of the contacts that I loved so dearly.  For the last six years or so I have basically abandoned my contacts and have stuck to wearing glasses, and I have loved every minute of it.  A couple of years ago I had to get another pair of glasses because my eyes had changed enough that the pair that I had then were not working as well as they needed to be.  I kept this old pair of glasses as a backup in case something went wrong with the new ones.

Sure enough, this week my new pair of glasses snapped in half and I needed to use my backup immediately.  It took me a while to find my old pair but while they are not the current up to date prescription they are working quite well for the moment.  If I had not had these pair of old glasses I would have been in super amounts of trouble since my contacts were so old that they would not do me well and it would days before another pair of glasses could be shipped, I would have been in dire straights. My true fall upon backup saved the day and I was once again allowed to continue my journey in focus so that I do not stumble and fall.

It is the focusing portion of my glasses that serve as the important bearing for my eyes for any frame will do, but it is the lens’ that provide the necessary focusing point that allows me to see.  I shall never be able to have my eyes focus correctly on their own nor will their function fix or reverse itself.  They will continue to progress in one direction and if I do not have adequate care and proper attention I shall never be able to figure out which direction I need to be traveling.  It is this same concept that drives our spiritual eyes as well.  Just like the physical deterioration of our eyes the spiritual eyes follow the same suit.

It has been determined throughout history that the character of a person or a nation comes into light when the chips are down and times are tough.  This nation has been a symbol of stability to the world for centuries now and there is a definitive reason for this truth.  However, for the last few decades western societies, particularly from this nation’s lead, have began a process of worldly change that has systematically and fundamentally created a humanistic origin of beliefs.  While many believe that this is the only way that humanity can survive, it has been proven countless times before that the only certain path that it leads to is destruction.

There is no question that humanity and all of its fallacies can produce nothing but chaos and disorder.  When human desires and wants are placed solely on the physical the world is allowed to manipulate its system without any boundaries; hence, when we allow this type of activity to occur our eternal enemy has free reign to vent his aggressions upon our lives.  But what about when God allows devastating conditions to arrive on our lands?  What occurs in people’s lives when this type of condition occurs? How dare I even speak of such an act upon our lands, for we are a godly nation and we are doing our best to promote togetherness and God’s love to everyone that will listen.  NOT!  All we are promoting is our own acceptance speech to what the world has promoted from its fall from God.

If one wishes to place into perspective let us take a quick look at a lukewarm Church and what it represents to God and to the world.  To the world, it can only promote acceptance because it accepts the things that the world agrees with.  All roads to hell are lined with flowers and trees and it is the road to God that is lined with bareness.  Look at the situation of some churches today and you will notice that the ones that are not complying with the ways of the world are being isolated and ridiculed on a continual basis.  Then take a look at the ones who are aligning themselves with the world’s views and notice how the world deems their congregations. 

When a church congregation of denomination places their eyes on the world and begins to teach or preach ½ truths this is the standard symbol of a lukewarm Church.  Eventually, this lukewarm status will turn cold; it is just a matter of time before it occurs because it represents a natural human pattern that is easily recognizable.  It is the half-hearted Church that God sees and cannot stand because He understands that the Church has allowed the world to dominate its life instead of Him.  God cannot be associated with the world because the world represents sin.  So in like manner the Church must be separated from the world and cannot allow sin to sit in its lives without actively pushing it out.

Now, when the Church has its eyes off the Word of God and has allowed its worldly influences to overtake their hearts, their actions will soon depart from what God states as well.  Yes, they will perform some of the things that God has provided to us, but they will leave out certain obtainable aspects that render the Kingdom of God helpless.  For instance, feeding the poor is one of the main items that Jesus spoke about when He was walking on this planet.  Even famine and the prevention of starvation were mentioned in the Old Testament, but in both of these cases one cannot end the story there.  The witnessing to others about God and how God will change their lives due to obedience through His Word and the total change that will occur in their lives is what is being left out and when the main portion of the gospel is left out no wonder God spews us from His mouth.

When we look towards the world for direction it becomes evident that it shall provide many ways in which to follow.  The majority of these choices will look easy and promise happiness at the end of the crisis, and of course, to be “fair” in the eyes of the world it shall also provide a few choices that one shall not even entertain because of the obvious difficulties that are associated with them.  These choices for direction are usually loud and bright with flashing markers to attract the business of your heart. 

These worldly are readily available and noticeable for as far as the eye can see for it is their desire to entrap you in their web of solutions even though they will be temporary and will provide no solutions for the next crisis that one must come across.  What type of disappointment this must be when the person who entrusted their heart to the world for an answer then has to realize that they must start the process over again when the next problem arises.  To me, that sounds just like the cycle of a drug addiction or an addiction to anything, for it is the ups followed by the downs that catch the addict’s eyes in order for the person to believe that they can survive.

God cannot be explained in this type of up and down pattern, for God is consistent on all levels of His existence.  His eyesight is straight and true in all things human and in all things spirit.  His Word demonstrates this truth about His existence and His Word also directs us to obey His commands on all ends so that we may be able to safely live under His Grace that is provided by His Son.  This type of perfect existence goes totally against His enemy, thus forms a bond of war for the objects that are of interest.  Yes, to our enemy we are subjects of interest and nothing more and our enemy cares nothing about our existence on this earth and his only goal is to see our eyesight dimmed enough so that we stumble enough times to doubt God’s laws and protection, then the battle for our life has been eternally snared from its original protection.

God, on the other hand, sees us as His children and can claim us as such for He is the one that created our beginnings and will continue to see His creation alive as long as humans manifest themselves on the earth.  There is nothing we can do to change our sinful and deathly status, only by the act of blood sacrifice can we fall under the abiding grace that washes us clean until we are fully restored in God’s Heavenly Kingdom.  It is through sharp and clear spiritual eyesight that our finite minds can begin to understand the awesomeness of this miraculous status and therefore if our eyesight is damaged in any way we become vulnerable to the tricks and lies from our enemy.  It is necessary that we continue to study the eye chart that God gave us which is His Word, for if we do not and our eyesight becomes damaged, the enemy will be able to put anything he wishes in front of our eyes and claim it as the truth.

There is no question that all of us have to look for directions while we are on trips, but it is vital that we understand and put into practice that our spiritual eyes continually need of sharpening and to be focused upon God’s Word for survival.  It does not take one too long to figure out that we have allowed the enemy to dull our vision so grossly that we cannot see where are going, even though we have been on the same path for as long as we can remember.  I look at the story of Adam and Eve along with the story of Job and I see so many ties between the two.  Both settings are unique yet played out each day of our current societies.  The question remains of which example are we going to follow, especially when the time comes to make a choice for our survival?  This is where obedience and grace come into play, and how we as created beings keep this holy order intact and strictly dependent for our eternal survival. 

DLB

Sanctions

Sanctions

11/18/15

The word sanction can be used in many different ways, but the normal meaning of this word contributes to a result of disobedience to some law or ordinance that has been violated.  Not much good can come from the period of sanction that is placed on those who have earned this status unless of course their heart truly changes for the better and returns to the original status to which they were in before the sanctions occurred.  In these days and times, we continually hear about threats of sanctions against groups and countries, and while some of these threats are deemed necessary many of them are usually ignored and eventually go away.  But we must never forget that there is only one true holy establishment that cannot continually allow His subjects to cross the lines without warnings and then sanctions, but do we even recognize what is about to come our way?

On Friday, the 13^th of November, our country’s government announced that we had lifted the economic sanctions against the small West African nation of Liberia.  I can almost guarantee you that the majority of the younger generations do not even know why this small country was under sanctions in the first place, which is a sad testament to our educational system around this country and should prove that teaching to take tests is not the answer for our future.  While not every situation around the world can be taught thoroughly enough each year, general studies of regional aspects of our societies can be administered to our children for survival purposes.  Anyway, these sanctions that were placed on Liberia actually occurred 11 years ago when their president Charles Taylor had committed atrocities against humanity during the horrendous civil war that cost countless people their lives.  As the world began to see what this vicious dictator did to his country and people, economic sanctions were the least that the U S Government could do.

It is this type of situation that defines the topic and subject of this article and it also serves as a warning to people today, especially our country, about how acts eventually get caught and will not only serve the original punishment but have to acquire the longer lasting ones of the cover-up status that was pursued afterwards.  This type of activity occurs on an individual level and on a national level as well and every type of group in between; all of humanity is capable of configuring this type of action and doing its best to implement it without discovery.

On a personal level, this type of setting still haunts me to this day.  Even though the incident that I am going to describe to you occurred a couple of decades ago, the events and embarrassment that it caused my family still weigh heavy on my heart.  I remember that I purposefully did something that I knew was wrong for it went totally against every detail my parents instilled into my life over the previous years.  After I had committed this stupid act I did my best to come up with a plan to hide it from my parents.  Being “clueless” about what had transpired was a good defense I thought, so this would be my strategy.  I did not even mention the act to my parents until they noticed the results of my action, which played right into my corner, so I thought.

With the “enlightenment” process transpiring at my house, I took my stance and held firm with the story that I had rehearsed.  At this point in my life, I had basically lived in all small towns but even though it was not my custom to do stupid things and ten try and lie about them, I had not learned of the overall concept of small town atmospheres and knowledge of events around me. What is hilarious is that I really did not fully comprehend this type of small town alignment until a few years later, even though I had been in small towns all those years before.

As the situation unfolded, my story rang loud and true and with my “knowledge” being spilled the questions stopped and I was allowed to continue with my evening’s activities.  I truly believed that I had won the battle with this simple ploy to lie to my parents about something that I did.  I had no way of knowing what the future might have held for this situation nor would I know what this portion in my life would come to in my distant future, but at that moment I was not thinking about any of that, I had won the day; so I thought.

I was so stuck in my world that I did not bother to find out exactly what was transpiring after my conversation with my parents. Things and events did not stop there with that particular conversation, other details had to be attended to, including formal paperwork with specific organizations in order to keep in good standing.  I had not a clue that this process was not over and that other people had questions, and answers that would eventually hold the keys to the truth appearing.  During this portion of the time, my parents did not stop wondering if what I had told them was the truth and it did not take them long to find out the other key to my lie by asking one simple leading question to another person.

My plot was foiled and it did not take too much longer until my parents confronted me with the entire incident once again.  My lie came crashing in on me because I knew I had been caught before they talked with me; I knew my goose was cooked but as when I was telling this lie in the beginning I had no clue about what my punishment was going to be and what it would entail either.  As my father directed his questions to pinpoint accuracy, I gave up the truth and left out no details this time.  I was old enough not to get a spanking but after I received my punishment, I kind of missed those spanking days of my younger years.

No one can blame for my parents’ response to the truth, especially in the manner in which they had to acquire it.  My parents did not punish me out of anger but out of tough love, a condition that is seldom used today.  After the talk had concluded the “penalty” phase came to order.  The truth about my lie had been exposed and then confessed by my lips so the next stage was what the consequences were going to be.  I was initially punished for the lie that I had chosen to tell and once again I apologized for that action of mine and told my parents that I was wrong for doing such.  They understood my guilt and accepted my apology, and I thought that things were done with so I began to leave the area. 

What I did not realize was that my punishment or “sanctions” if you wish to refer to them as were not over for there was a second event that had to be cleared up before this session was completed.  It was concerning the fact after the lie that had to be dealt with and it seemed that the second part of my lie had to take its course as well.  Because of the time and effort of others were included because of my lie this portion of the lie could not be ignored and it was this portion of my punishment that added additional time of my grounding that “troubled” me the most.  The initial grounding I thought was fair and I could not argue with the amount of time that had been placed, but it was the second grounding that got me for its time was much longer than the first.  I did not understand this fact until quite some time later, but it set into motion of what is going to occur in this country as well.

God has shared with us a couple of times before about how it takes humans to make up a nation and how important it is that these inhabitants keep their hearts right before Him.  God has also shared with us that if our hearts do not seek Him continually, our truth monitors shut down and we begin to see things through worldly eyes instead of our spiritual ones.  It is through this process that this subject of the article comes into play in my life and the life of this nation, for our actions towards God and His laws have been severely cut and even though we know we are lying to God about our lives, we believe that the reasoning behind our lies has established a truth that God seems to agree with.

There are many types of sanctions that can be placed upon people, groups or nations and it usually depends upon what the entities in question did that warrants the appropriate and subsequent sanctions against such entities.  This nation has stood as a beacon to the world on many levels and we have achieved this status through our commitment to God first then the world; that is, up until a few decades ago.  We have since voluntarily changed course in many of our ways in order to pacify some of our constituents and trying to make them feel accepted no matter what their beliefs or physical attributes may be.  It is through this course that our nation is now beginning to understand, yet at the same time ignore, why our leadership is faltering within the world community; however, on the other hand, the increasing ideology of self-idolatry has increased 100-fold during this same time period.

The Bible gives plenty of examples of this type of human behavior and God’s eventual response according to the way that humans conduct their lives afterward.  Even though Adam and Eve are not nations per say, they do give rise to nations and thus serve as the prime example of hat occurs in individuals that unless stopped, will follow quickly afterward.  It does not say exactly how much time had passed until the days of Noah, but if one researches it out that time frame is not that long; God had to completely wipe the earth clean with water for the condition of the hearts of mankind.  David had a heart after God, probably like no other, but it was his sin and lies that caused him to falter within his kingdom and placed Israel at risk many times over.

The Bible contains testament after testament of prophets whom God raised up to tell the people of their disobedience and how much God did not like their living standards.  Today we shake off these ideas and concepts as exaggerations or even analogies but in truth when God says “enough” He must act according to what His Word states or He would be a liar Himself.  I find it very intriguing that the people in the biblical times of the prophets act in a certain manner, some of them even going so far as to dump the prophet into a hole just to keep him quiet.  The intriguing part is that today, people doubt what the Bible has to say or pervert it by interpreting it in their own manner for their own comfort.  Well, isn’t that exactly what the people in the Bible did? Look at what happened to those societies; if the actions were the same back then as they are today, that forms a huge amount of inside knowledge that we should be taking a hold of not ignoring.

Adam and Eve were eternally changed and their physical lives became installed with a physical condition that they had never known before.  Adam and Eve were warned by God not to eat of the tree of good and evil, that was it.  God did not leave out the result of such act if they did disobey either.  Israel was totally annihilated for accepting worldly customs into their lives, hearts, and daily practices.  God warned them not to do these activities before He had to act.  The reaction patterns of the people of each biblical example are being blatantly manifested by our world societies today, so why would God break His pattern now?  What makes us different from any other creation that He has allowed to walk this planet before?  If God does not act then He manifests Himself as a liar and I cannot fathom that thought.

Job states it best in his response to what others were telling him to do after his world literally came crashing and burning down around him.  Job understood God’s ways and laws well enough that Job could stand up and verbally and honestly state that God would not punish him for any unknown sin of his.  This means that God had made Himself very clear, even in Job’s days, of what He expected from man and how to keep those laws in order to establish a relationship with Him.  Those people in Israel, Adam and Eve, they all understood what would happen if they chose to disobey God’s commands.  No one in this modern societal age can honestly state that they do not know what God’s laws are, simply because there is a church on every corner of this nation and of other nations around the world.  This fact alone dismisses any constellation of a human not knowing God.

What is so troublesome is that when you piece together all of these examples one shall easily find a pattern, include my personal example in there as well.  It does not matter who or what the circumstance or situation might be, people have no excuse for not understanding the ways and means of God.  Even in lands of strict Communism, people defy their government to worship God. So, I pose this question: what response should God give to those who know the ways of His Word yet continually, blatantly, and voluntarily ignore?  No one likes to talk about this subject because it always “promotes doom and gloom”, but we must come to the realization that if we were not messing things up that we would have to talk about your “doom and gloom”.

It is not too difficult to transpose the word judgment for the word sanction here.  For its usage would be correct when dealing such a topic as this.  It is a tough idea to think about but it a topic that needs to be struck into every heart before we get an idea of what God’s sanctions will be.  Even though our nation was specifically created for the restoration of the world, our existence is no greater in God’s eyes than of Adam and Eve, Noah, Jeremiah, Paul, or Timothy.  That is why it is of the utmost priority that we turn our hearts back to God before these same types of devastating conditions come to our shores. 

Down the road is when my “tragedy” or truth session came along.  The same conditions arrived in the other examples that God has shared with us in this article.  All examples have a couple of things in common.  The first being that people created a problem by believing their way was better.  Secondly, after the act was completed, it was covered.  Thirdly, the truth was found out and lastly the consequences of those acts were revealed.  It does not have to happen in this fashion, that pattern can be stopped, but it is strictly our choice to do so or not.  God loves us and wishes us to think according to His ways and means, not our own.  It is His ways that lead to protection and prosperity both physically and spiritually, not our own.  Why do we have to wait until we see the word “enough” from God being orchestrated before our eyes?  We do not, it is simply our choice.

One last thing before I stop and it is this, we must remember that when this devastation occurs it will not be partial to whom it is delivered amongst.  It brings into the concept of the just and unjust, another topic that God has shared with us a few months ago.  This means that many shall end their lives not knowing the truth about God and about His forgiveness.  We have fallen in so many ways that in all honesty I cannot understand why God has not already showed us His sanctions; only by the true grace of God has this not occurred yet.  Repent Church!!  Allow God to separate you, truly separate you from this world!!  Allow God to restore to you the ability to proclaim the true gospel of Christ as we are supposed to be doing.  If not, we shall witness the truth of God in a manner in which He does not wish to demonstrate; this is true love, whether we like it or not.

DLB

Fear of Losing

Fear of Losing

11/17/15

How many of us have this thought running through our heads?  At some point in our lives, we have to admit that this subject has crossed our minds.  It does not matter what type of loss we might encounter, a loss hurts and sometimes it is hard to recover what has been lost.  How quickly do we forget the truth that God can take away just as He has given; through our country’s attitude, it is clearly visible that we have forgotten this concept.  God is beckoning us to return to His fold, but if we do not then He must grab our attention once again.  Ironically when He does complete this act, it will be through our own choices that we fulfill every step that the Bible has already deemed as truth.

This last week proved to be one of the more up and down weeks that my memory can serve.  Work wise it was a great week but as many people know working in a hospital setting one always has to be aware of the surroundings for those surroundings can change within a mere moment.  For the most part my department was pretty much steady.  Yes, we had a few patients come in that were sick and needed a little bit more attention than normal but that is to be expected for this time of year, and with the course of treatment of each patient warrants these types of changes as well.

Right off the bat let me say that I am so very lucky to still have both of my parents alive and well on this earth.  I still learn from them each week that I am around them and I love that this learning process is still complete, for one can never learn more about life than from a parent.  Sadly, I must say that not all parents represent the best portions of life but lessons are still learned from such environments and it is our choice to continue them or to ignore them. 

One of the downers of my week last week came from a past coworker of mine.  Over the past few months, her mother had been declining in health but this was expected since some of the things that she had introduced into her body for decades was finally catching up to her, and with the colder weather creeping in it would be expected that she begin to slow down again.  After a couple of short hospital stays, she was released, sent to a short term rehab facility and from all appearances was making a full recovery.  This was all topped off by a return appearance to the weekly bingo hall for a friendly night with many of her friends.  The night ended well and all seemed normal as the family headed home.  But something was amiss for her daughter was awakened early in the morning with the news that her mother was not doing well.

No one really guessed that this hospital stay would be her last and that her condition would rapidly deteriorate in less than four days.  I was informed of the hospital stay and her condition while I was at work on Thursday afternoon.  I told my friend to keep me posted and to let me know what was going on at all times. Even though I was not a relative, I was close to this family for the lady’s daughter personally worked with me for more than six years.  While the hours passed I continued to listen for that text tone or the phone to ring, but it never did that day or night.

It is the beginning of November here and if a person is into high school football then that means that the playoffs are right around the corner.  We are lucky to have a great football program here in Delta and this year the team has been looking great; however, as with all humans they stutter a bit sometimes and force others to wonder how the final outcome will turn out.  Friday night is the last regular game of the season and the team we are playing is one of our bitter rivals.  Also, the winner of the game can claim the championship trophy of the league as well so there are many aspects in play here.

The game was a good one, tense all the way through.  Both teams played their hearts out and they gave everything they had to do their best to win the game.  The fans on both sides of the stadium had opportunities to cheer and to groan, with a few chances to argue with the refs too.  In the last few minutes of the game, Delta had the opportunity to score last but they had a long way to obtain this goal.  The drive seemed like it took forever and as the fans watched the clock tick down it seemed all was lost for an outright win and overtime would have to be settled for.  But alas, our running back took the ball for a long run and went down close to the goal line.  The crowd for Delta went crazy when on the next play our other running back ran the ball in for the go-ahead score with just 12 seconds left in the game.

The ensuing kickoff was a squib kick and the opposing team did their best to relay the ball across the field, yes rugby style and eventually ran out of time and space.  The game ended and Delta had won the rivalry game and had just finished the year unbeaten in conference play.  The only loss of the season came from a nonconference opponent that was a class higher than the one we are in; we were on the way to the playoffs on a high note.  For the first time in a very long time, our city and high school could brag about being the champs of the district instead of coming in 2^nd or 3^rd once again.  The atmosphere in the stadium was nothing but elation as news coverage of the game began and the interviews started.  It was a wonderful time for the kids and for the city and in my twenty-three years being here in this town I do not believe I have witnessed more joy and celebration than I did that evening.

The short drive home took longer than expected since I could tell most of the people leaving the stadium were still conversing about how the game went and ended as they walked towards their cars; I myself was caught up in this exciting moment too.  As we piddled our way home I could not help but think about my colleague’s mother and I was glad that I had not heard any disturbing news all day and so far that evening.  After we got home and unpacked the blankets and towels, it was cold that night we decided to go get some junk food to tie us over until the next morning.

As we were leaving for the fast food place my phone beeped, informing me that I had a text message.  Even though I was expecting a terrible message from my friend I was stunned when I opened the message and it read “mom is gone”.  My heart sank to my feet for I know that her family was devastated with the tragic loss of their matriarch.  The joy of our moment went down a huge notch and that was ok because life is so much more valuable than any game that is played.  My mood instantly switched and turned for the rest of the night and I went to bed saddened by the loss of a good woman, mother, grandmother, and all-around human being.

Even though this lady was not a relative of mine, nor did I have the opportunity to see her or to talk with her on a regular or continual basis, her life was a constant presence in my heart.  She was wonderful to converse with, cry with and especially laugh with.  I shall miss her presence on this earth and just knowing that she is no longer walking on the planet I cannot help but feel a certain amount of loss.  The comforting factor is that I know exactly where her eternal spirit now resides and will find out just how it feels to live without pain or suffering.

What do these two stories have in common?  They are another prime example of how God has always had the authority to give and to take away no matter what the situation may be.  The entire city of Delta was celebrating their victory while one family grieved for the loss of their mother, aunt, and wife.  The mother was never famous, rich or part of the societal clicks that would deem her life “important” to the community but to her family she represented their entire world that ever was.  It is this concept of giving and taking away that we need to keep in mind and to ensure that we never forget the importance of who is in charge of everything no matter if the circumstances are good or in dire straits.

Anyone who has heard the story of Job understands this concept of having everything that can be needed along with tons extra to having everything instantly taken away and the entire family stricken with ultimate grief.  This is the comparison that these two stories are making and it is the foundation of what God wishes for us to hear.  Job Chapter 3:25 is the perfect base for this topic for it describes what is going through Job’s mind at the time of his dilemma.  Job’s entire world had come crashing down upon him and he had watched his entire family’s possessions go up in flames.  Even his wife had commented to him to curse God and die.

This is a horrific scene and one that is not hard to think about and to imagine but the question remains if we really believe that something like this can happen to you, or to our nation?  The majority of the nation would say no simply because their ideas of prosperity have been lost to who actually has control over these things and, therefore they are not focused on the reality of such principle.  There is no way that anyone should be joyful in a death of a relative, friend or loved one but when the grievers understand that the one who has just left is with Jesus their immediate turmoil is comforted greatly, simply with this truth.  It is this comfort that job had not lost his faith in God nor did he listen to the advice of his friends and abandon everything that he had learned about God either.  He held fast and stayed true to his faith in God for Job understood the principles of God thoroughly.

It is this principle that many of us have forgotten and in turn have abused.  We expect our lives to be the most supplied and abundantly enriched than any other generation before us and while this is a great goal to achieve we must never forget exactly who gave us the opportunity to obtain these goals.  It is obvious that we have forgotten who the author of our lives and who gives us the luxuries that we now believe are necessities.  Another question begs to be asked and that is as follows: how would we fare if these luxuries were to be taken away, how would we function?  It is a legitimate question and the majority of the responses to that question do not have to be verbalized, for it is written all over our activities and attitudes.  And it is here where the difference lies between Job and our current lives and one that seriously needs attention immediately.

How can anyone prepare for death or for a death in the family?  How can one prepare for such a disaster occurring as it did to Job?  We like to believe that we as a human race can handle every episode of disaster, but it is obvious that when we look through history the majority of the time we have completely been caught unaware of how to deal with the current disaster that has presented itself.  The misconception that God could never allow such tragedies to occur around the world and that it is all by chance that things happen the way they do has gripped our minds and hearts to the point of being atheistic in foundational terms.  And it is also through this same misconception that when a disaster like the one in Job occurs, that we will have to fend off other like-minded humans when they attack for lack of their luxuries.

The only way that we as individuals or as a nation can survive a disaster of this magnitude is to be prepared as God has directed our hearts through His Word.  There is no guarantee that when these disasters will strike that we will survive them but if we do we need to be ready for what will occur afterward.  Job gives us an example of what could occur on a personal level and as I have watched many people lose family members over the years I can tell after the fact who knew God and who did not.  Their responses afterward are like night and day and when the national level is struck with such devastation it is predictable as to how people will respond solely based upon their beliefs.

It is this same type of setting that we need to understand about our personal situations for even though it may not seem too important if we leave this earthly life, but to some people and especially to God our eternal presence is of incalculable value.  We must never forget where our lives originate and it through this original environment that we are granted the wonderful blessings of God.  To remember that God can take away things, gifts, lifestyles and positions must also be retained within our lives for we never know when our lives will be changed with such tragedies.  No one likes to lose anything, but we all know that at some point in our existence we will experience such intimidating factors in our hearts; it is this important to understand why the fear of losing must be eased with the presence of God within our hearts.

We do not have a clue about long eternity really is, especially compared to our short lives here on this planet.  The result of our disobedience to God’s single command accumulated in a spiritual separation from God that must be in place until we take our last breath.  God did, however, place it within our lives to choose Him overall and to restore our lives, both physical and spiritual back to His fold, but we must give up the world in order to claim this eternal blessing.  This choosing God process is the only way that we can chase our fear of separation from God away; it comes from the covering of our sin through the blood of Jesus.  This acceptance of God’s ways and complete separation from the world actually takes the fear of losing our lives for eternity away from God’s heart.

Let us reconsider our position in this world and return to God and His ways.  We are much safer both now and for our eternity if we do this right thing.  If we do not turn from our ways God shall have no option but to allow certain things to occur in our lives.  When? I have no idea but God is a consistent God and He cannot waiver from His past dealings.  He is a fair and just God on all levels and must be consistent thereof.  We cannot avoid the personal devastations when death knocks on our door and if we do not heed the beckoning of God now, neither shall we avoid our national and worldly destruction.

DLB

Being Ready

Being Ready

11/7/15

With all of the commotion occurring around the world, this topic cannot be placed on a higher priority list.  The world and its occupants shall continue to try and destroy themselves with humanly planned séances and when you combine these instigations with the increased amounts of natural disasters, calamity will rule at the end of the day.  This is why it is ever so important to be ready, both for our survival and most importantly being ready with God.  As of this moment, it is not too late to prepare for both settings, but time is running short on all issues.

No one can deny that things around the world are changing by each passing day.  It is now sideline news to hear of deadly shootings that occur in our country and unless they are horrific in nature or support an idea of a certain portion of the country, these reports become page 18 news.  The idea of true reporting and accurate coverage is a thing of the past and this truth is such a tragedy since the world itself has sped up in all of its current turmoil, all accountable in the name of the almighty dollar.

How many of you can remember when the last news story broke out about flooding occurring in the Middle East country of Oman?  I have to admit that when I read this story the other day I was taken back a bit and it was hard to believe until I saw the accompanying photos of the flood waters in a city in Oman.  We typically think that the Middle East is dry and hot and if a person has this conceptual image they would not be incorrect.  Yet it is still mind boggling to think of this type of weather situation occurring in this area.  What about the cyclone that hit the coastline of Yemen, did anyone hear about that huge event the other day?  All of us know about the civil war that is ongoing, which is terrible enough but what about this natural event that took place?

Over the past few months, the regions of the world have been rocked by numerous large earthquakes.  The country of Chile is still experiencing aftershocks from its large earthquake.  Not to mention the destructive earthquake that struck Nepal in April of this year or the one that hit Afghanistan just a few weeks ago.  No one can forget the devastation in Haiti a while back nor will we forget the Indonesian and Japan earthquakes which produced terrible tsunamis that destroyed thousands of lives.  My USGS monitoring system app goes off every day, sometimes every couple of hours, and if this does not say trouble, then I have no idea what is considered trouble.

How many more circumstances should be included in order for us to stop and take a hard look at things?  Do we have to have a major earthquake to split this country into pieces before we realize what has transpired?  Are we ready for a devastating medical pandemic in which our clinics and hospitals will have only the words, I am sorry as to what can be done?  What if our land is so decimated that our crops and breadbaskets are dead and no longer have the ability or capacity to produce goods?  Whether we wish to claim it or not, God has a great deal to do with this type of activity, or lack of it as well.  One can scoff at this statement and believe me, many have before and currently are, but if one looks into the Word of God they will see that these things have occurred before and have been thoroughly documented as to why they occurred.

It is evident that many countries in the world today are systematically throwing God out of their equations and are proud to say so and to proclaim it as it is being executed.  This type of belief did not happen overnight for many of these countries for it has progressed in such a manner that their actions should really not come as a surprise.  Yet, it has begun a popular trend around the world due to both the physical and spiritual traits that we have adopted for our lives.

If you want an example of what it means to know God and then purposely fall away from God, we don’t have to look too far Adam and Eve serve as the perfect example of this situation.  God will shed more light on this topic shortly, but take a look at what occurred when Adam and Eve fell from their perfect state.  They are the only ones to know and understand the complete purity of being a human being and they chose to throw that away by the choices that they made.  They were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and most importantly were permanently separated from God through the initiation of the internal death penalty. What more damaging testimony and convincing argument can there be for these types of wrongdoing?  Yet, we continue our course.

With all of these calamities taking place around the world on a daily basis, one would believe that we would be turning more towards God than away from Him.  Humans and their choices have made this specific option not viable to our communities, thus placing it on the same ridicule level as schools teaching that abstinence is an option before marriage.  Things are weird people and things are continuing this path more and more each day.  We have become so cynical towards God that we are now refusing to teach our children how to be prepared if some large disaster occurs in our country or another part of the world.  Stop and think for a moment about what would happen if God administered a devastating natural disaster on this country.  How would we respond to it and what would it do to the world?  There is an escape plan but it requires us to turn from our ways and return to God and if we do not figure this out pretty quickly, things shall change like never before.

Adam and Eve played with God and tempted God while they were in the Garden of Eden.  Nothing was hidden from God concerning their actions, He saw exactly what was going on at all times.  Yet they chose to mess up their lives and at a certain point in time their actions caused a major rift to develop between them and God; that rift is still in effect today.  Their lives totally changed and the world has never been the same since they made that specific choice.  Why do we have to be so hard-headed and continue to do sinful deeds when we know what the outcome will be?  If our hearts are right with God and we wish and choose to serve Him as we ought, our world could dramatically change for the better almost immediately.

Our course has been voluntarily plotted and if continue to push the gas button for this course, we will not land in good places.  It is strictly up to us to get caught and face the consequences or to turn away and stop our sinful desecration of our lives and return to God’s healthy ways.  If we survive a natural disaster and are not prepared, others will be around to help out after the dust settles, but the question will continue to haunt us: why didn’t we figure things out sooner?  But the more important question will be is this: will your life be ready to meet God if you do not survive these things that could come tomorrow?  Would your family members be ready to meet God if they are unlucky in this manner?

It has been mentioned in many methods of communication that something big is coming.  None of us know exactly when that specific moment will arrive, but I agree something is coming.  God cannot allow our flippant and blatant sins go on forever, God at some point will say, enough.  He has said this time and time again in throughout human history and we have continued to ignore His voice of reconciliation.  The time is ripe for us to return to His ways and I pray that you search your heart and look for any type of sin that may hinder you from having a personal relationship with God.  Because even if you survive any type of personal disaster, the ultimate goal is to get back what has been lost and according to God, the something that is lost, is you!

The most devastating event in human history has not occurred yet, but it will at some point in our future.  We have witnessed many disasters over our lifetimes, watched many nations fall, money come and go.  We have been witness to heinous crimes against humanity and even had the honor of participating in special moments which mark happiness in our lives.  But the real tragedy is about to occur in our lives and while we know this event is coming we have no idea of when it shall present itself. The greatest tragedy of all time is our personal death and not knowing God on an intimate level.  This is the greatest of all disasters, especially when we have had countless opportunities to change our lives by turning to Him.  To everyone reading this article that epic moment has not arrived yet, but it can within the next few minutes.  Be ready!  Search your heart and ask God to change it so you can skip this terrible and devastating tragedy.

DLB

Just As I Am

Just As I Am

11/4/15

This phrase has been used for as long as I can remember and of course used in a wide array of capacities.  This phrase itself represents a powerful stance and one that could end our life as we know it.  To God, it is the perfect condition of the human heart in which He can work with, to change it for the better.  But do we really understand the meaning of this phrase and what it would mean if we place our physical “wants” into its content?  From the sounds of it humans have no idea the importance of this phrase and what it actually means in our lives.  However, there are two eternal beings that do understand it and each entity’s motives are quite clear and it is up to us to make the choice to use this phrase accordingly.

Some time ago God shared with us an article called, “Don’t Sing The Songs”.  If you have not read this article I would invite you to do so because it ties in with what this article is going to be about.  God has a way of continuing certain ideas in order to get His complete message out to everyone who is willing to hear, and His timing never ceases to amaze me either.  The song “Just As I Am” will be the main example of this article used and while not every word will be explained the overall concept of what the writer intended will be and it will shed light onto a subject that we are readily ignoring today, the truth in our words when it comes to God.

I remember this particular song quite vividly and it is one that shall never leave my heart.  When I was a kid, my family moved from Salinas, California to Mobile, Alabama.  Our time in California had been good for the most part but for some specificities my father and mother needed a short break for a while.  We packed up the family house and moved back to the South, a place where our entire family was familiar with.  It was an interesting trip and hopefully sometime down the road I will be able to tie some of that trip into an article; it was quite hilarious on many aspects.

My brother had already moved down to Mobile some time before we did and had already established himself as a resident there.  The local Assembly of God church is where we planted our spiritual roots and while my parents were not the fondest of this church we did attend there for the most part.  This subject too is an interesting story and I am confident that God will shed more light on it as time goes long, because it involves my stubbornness in some areas as well.  First Assembly was the church that I really understood that I needed God and that it was time for me to turn my life over to Christ.  It was not a Sunday morning service, but a Sunday evening one and it was when the song “Just As I Am” was playing that the pastor made the invitation for those who wanted to change their lives forever.

I have to admit that I was struggling with this decision but as I look at it was not a true struggle on my part but it was the battle between two kingdoms that was taking place that evenings.  At the time, I had no idea of what was occurring within my life and for my life but all I did know was that it was time for me to accept Christ into my life, permanently.  The battle was strong enough that my father, who was not sitting with me, came over and asked if he needed to go with me down to the altar.  I declined and then voluntarily stepped out into the aisle and walked forward where the pastor met me and began praying with me.  It was a night that I shall never forget, even down to the song that was playing when I made this incredible choice.

Every time I hear the song “Just As I Am” my mind immediately turns back to that Sunday night when I was in 5^th grade and when I think about it I draw more encouragement and strength from that life changing moment.  Up until a few years ago I really did not understand some of the words that lyricists used in their songs, but as my love for music grew and God took over my life in this capacity, I began to understand them fervently through the messages that God wants us to hear.  This song is one of those songs and its words have more meaning today for the entire world, for the world is blindly using these words in such a manner in which they are detrimental for they are opening doors that they do not understand.

The title of this song says it all and it serves as the focal point of many people today.  “Just As I Am” is a powerful and exemplary phrase and a provocative statement all wrapped into one.  This proclamation is just that, a statement of condition that the individual recognizes they are currently situated.  It is an active statement, meaning the current conditions of that person are ongoing and that person knows exactly what has transpired to reach this specific state or condition in their lives.  It is a conscious realization of the situation and it defines a specific point in that person’s life and the song title in truth says it all because when someone declares this status that means they are stating to that person that I am here and I am ready for a change.

“Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot” is an article in itself but it serves as an important step in identifying why this statement is vital for us to understand.  Our enemy wants nothing more to hide the truth from us and he will stop at nothing to ensure that we never fully understand what is ongoing around us.  As long as he can continue to manipulate the truth and hide it from us we can not accurately recognize this phrase of the song.  For if we do not realize that there is any dark spot within our lives then we will have no reason to proclaim this truth and it serves as the beginning point of our life in Christ and out of the world.

The next phrase in this stanza states: “to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot” which declares the only means by which our lives can be changed and fulfills the prophecy that God gave to the serpent in the Garden of Eden.  It is this point when Satan loses control over a person’s life and a part of his kingdom, which is already defeated, is pushed back, for the truth and the light bring forth life into that person’s existence.  It represents a new beginning for that person and a chance to shed more light into the dark and dying world around them. 

“Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt” is a profound statement and is a perfect description of what the world has to offer.  The world shall always leave one confused and with pain.  Every example of God and Jesus within the Bible gives us a specific peaceful setting, it is through our choices that we tend to stray away and cause the wilds of the world to dominate our lives and to cause the confusion and pain.  God never forces us to choose Him, He always gives us the choice to accept Him and to allow Him to change our path.  Look at the people that love the world, it does not take too long to find that they are struggling to make their personal ends meet, not just financially but all around.  They are miserable, but put on a fake smile; this is easy to tell.  They are bruised internally and externally and know no way out of their situation.

“Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;” and here is where the truth is revealed about the world and what God wants for our lives.  This verse proves that God sees our hearts and knows our lives better than we do and no matter what we have done in our lives, He is willing and faithful to accept us just as we are so that He may improve us by shedding our sinful ways of the world and separate us from our sinful origins.  He sees what the world has done to us and He feels our pain and agony through the spiritual and physical separation from Him, but God is willing to clean us up if we choose Him, no matter how badly we are bruised.

The last portion of the song that I am sharing is “Just as I am, thy love unknown, hath broken every barrier down”.  This is a huge statement in the person who chooses to accept Christ as their Savior.  First off it states that God and Jesus have no qualms about what you have ever done in the past, for they forgive you of your confessed sins; while this is tough for some of us to accept, God has no problems with this since He is going to change you in every way.  Secondly, it states that you have allowed God to take control of your life even though you have no idea about what He stands for yet.  Thirdly, this statement says that Jesus will break every barrier down, this means every substance that brings division shall be torn down so that you can be restored.

Lastly, each stanza ends with these words: “O Lamb of God, I come, I come”.  There is no forcing by God from these words, it is strictly by the choice of the person to come to God.  The words say nothing about conditional acceptance by God nor does it say that guilt shall remain, only peace, love and joy added into the restoration process to become a lamb of God.  This type of love and acceptance the world does not have the capability to understand or give only God can do this process.

How many of us are born without sin?  That is an easy question to answer, none of us.  None of us are perfect in any way, shape or manner yet for some reason God loves us unconditionally and gives us every opportunity for us to realize this fact.  When we come to Christ and accept Him, what is the condition of our lives?  They are in ruins, full of shortfalls and selfish desires which we have included into our lives.  No one is full of joy and excitement, for one cannot live in such agony without it portraying outwardly.  It is at this point that god sees our needs and wishes to take us away from what the world has done, yet many of us still refuse Him for an additional amount of time.

When I was sitting in the Sunday night service that time long ago, I knew that many of the things that I had done, even though I was a young boy, were not right and I recognized that I needed help in my life.  I was alive in the world and trying my best to keep happy, but continually looking over my shoulder to see others who might be of God all-the-while basing my relationship on God through their presence.  That was not a relationship, I had no clue about who God was and had no intentions of finding out who God was either, just living a lie.  If one looks at this title of the song more deeply, one will realize that it is through my condition at that time that serves as the definition and foundation of the song “Just As I Am”.

For those of you who are saved, stop and think about the moment that you accepted Christ as your savior, what kind of life were you leading?  It was at that point in your life you reached “Just As I Am”.  It was at that point when you allowed God to show you the light of truth, to break down all barriers that divided you and Him and then allowed Him to begin to heal your bumps, breaks, and bruises.  You then could move forward with a direction and purpose in life.

God has never done things halfway, He is always been 100% in all things.  Everything that His Word states prove this to us each second of every day, all we need to do is to open our hearts back to the spiritual connection with God and allow Him to show it to us.  When we allow the “Just As I Am” declaration to ring from our hearts God will come running with arms open wide and if we allow Him, He will take every bit of the world from our lives and restore what He originally created.  What does the world offer?  Read the Bible and one will see.  But as you study God’s Word it will be evident that there is an alternative path that can be taken and it is our choice to do as such.

God does accept you just as you are, but if you are not sincere in your condition then you will stay just as you are.  However, if you really allow God to change your life and allow Him to penetrate your deepest sanctuaries, He will radically restore your life inside and outside.  It is true that God wants you as you are, but His presence in your life will not allow you to stay in that condition.  God cannot have anything to do with the world, He wants purity, holiness, happiness and truth to be in your life and only He can provide these perfect things.

DLB