Stress Reduction

Stress Reduction

9/29/16

It would seem like reducing the stress in our lives is the number one goal that we could have.  Individuals and companies alike have implemented an endless amount of programs, tutorials, and incentives in order to provide a healthier environment to inhabit.  But as these stress reduction opportunities increase it is evident that many of them are not working, in fact, their productivity is somewhat having a reverse effect on the people who try utilizing them.  The truth is that we are missing the original stress reduction effort and the only One who can guarantee this type of relaxed lifestyle when times are difficult.  God is the key here and we must increase our faith and trust in Him in order to reduce our stress that we encounter from the world.

A little over thirteen years ago I was strolling along one day moving my daughter from one of the downstairs rooms up to the loft so that she could have a bit more privacy.  It was a day long project for she had quite a bit of stuff that needed to be moved.  After everything was said and done I felt pretty good and continued on with my daily activities without any complaints.  Not much occurred for the rest of the day and I was enjoying my day off as usual.  It was October and most of the garden had been cleaned up and all of the canning and processing had been completed for the year as well; just another part of my world that I enjoyed.

The next morning when I woke up I began my day with the normal routine and carried out my home duties with little or no complications.  We were scheduled to take a short trip to the mountains to see if there were any fall colors still present, it is a beautiful time of the year in late September and early October for the mountains look like they are on fire with all of the red, yellow, and green leaves on the trees.  We ended up going to the spot that we had wanted to look at and everything was great, but while I was up on the mountain I began to have a pain in my upper right shoulder but did not think much about it for I had been pretty physical the day before.  It pulled like a sore muscle and was basically continuous for the entire day.  As the day continued and I moved around the pain eased which furthered my soreness theory.

The next day my soreness was back and I took some meds to ease the pain for I knew that my day was not going to be as active as the previous.  I continued to hurt for most of the day but continued my belief that it was just a sore muscle from moving my daughter.  Sunday was a great day and the pain was gone.  I felt great and it seemed like I had passed my moving test without any major injury.  Then Monday came and my world changed drastically around lunch time when I began hurting again in my shoulder but this time, the pain was different.  To make a long story short, I was having a heart attack and for the next few days, I would be in the local hospital getting an arterial stent put in place and learning how to live with my newly formed heart condition.  There are many aspects to this event in my life and I shall not go into them now, but there is a huge issue here that deals with the topic of this message that God wishes to share with us and it has to do with stress.

About two weeks after I was released from the hospital it was time for my first checkup at the doctor’s office.  Everything was sailing smooth and everything looked good.  All of my follow-up tests were normal and everything looked like I had only received minor damage to my heart; praise God for this news because it could have been much worse, and logically it should have been.  But for that moment it was a good message from the doctor and after the explanation of what had occurred in my heart, the real meeting with him began.  This would prove to be the most difficult issue that I had to deal with and it is one that I still struggle with today.

My doctor stated that I would have to change my lifestyle in every capacity or I would not be around to see my children graduate.  That was the gist of his proclamation to me and my wife and he was dead serious, pun intended here.  Death was my only option if I did not reduce my stress on a continual basis and on top of that I had to change my inner personality as well.  I am a prime example of a Type A personality and that had to be overridden if I wanted to continue to walk this earth for any great amount of time.  I must admit that I continue to struggle with this concept and I must also state that I continue to fight this personality trait of mine today but I know God is doing His best to keep my eyes open to His plan for my life and to keep me breathing at the same time.

What a task I had to accomplish, for I had no clue of how to change this trait of mine and what made things worse is that I had no idea how much stress this type of inner personality was placing on my life.  In addition to my genetic makeup, I was considered a walking time bomb if I did not change this aspect of my life.  When I began this transformation it was a difficult process for I did not even know how to define what needed to be changed; in other words, I was shooting in the dark because I had chosen to complete this task through human means and ones directed by myself instead of placing God 1^st as I should have done at the beginning.

Reducing stress is a major task in anyone’s life because it goes against all knowledge of what this world offers.  What makes stress so dangerous is that for the majority of the time we do not even recognize that stress has invaded our lives and we carry this stress within without knowing what it is doing to our insides.  Now, we all know that a tad bit of stress is actually good for our bodies but when it becomes a continual effort we begin to react to this change with no noticeable symptoms of this amount of stress appearing until something occurs like a heart attack or stroke.  And when we do not allow God to be an integral part of our lives we automatically place another strike against us while we grace this land.  See, God not only cares for your spiritual being He also cares about your physical as well.  He wants us on this land for as long as possible so that we may be a testimony to His Kingdom.  We all have our purpose for our existence and it is our job to let the world know just what God is saying to the world.  Likewise, our enemy has his job as well and that is to snuff out our light quickly as possible so that no glory goes to the Creator of everything.

It is God’s intention to share with us the knowledge of what the world brings to our lives.  We must continually remember that the world cannot bring life, only destruction and death for that is what its ruler can offer.  The temporary pleasure and relief that the world provides is only a detriment to our existence because it is superficial and cannot provide the necessary relaxation that our lives require.  Look at the passage of Psalms 23 and this will give you a great example of what God can provide for the tricks that our enemy provides.  The Bible offers us another great example in the New Testament and it has to do with God’s only Son and my Savior Jesus Christ.

In Matthew Chapter 8 we have a large amount of turmoil that Jesus is dealing with here.  The verses that will be used will be confined to 8:23 – 27 where it talks about Jesus and His disciples being on a boat when a storm arises.  This entire chapter is filled with pain and agony and can be used for this article but God wants to use this specific passage to illustrate a point that He is in control and how through His control of our lives the stress around our lives can be eliminated as long as we allow Him to live in our hearts, even when the world is falling apart.

Some of you may know that I am not a huge fan of boats especially big ones that are on some ocean with no land in sight.  I have no real fear of the boat itself for I will get into one that is on a lake or pond but a large one, in my opinion, can only produce trouble, so I can relate to this story on a personal level.  Jesus had just finished healing a centurion’s daughter and was headed out of town.  While the Bible does not say exactly how much time had passed between His healing of the little girl and the time when He entered the boat with His disciples it would be logical if this time would have been almost immediate.  The point here is that Jesus had just completed an act of advancing God’s Kingdom and it was a teaching point to His disciples of what His mission was while He was on the earth. 

So, Jesus gets into a boat and begins to cross the water with His disciples in tow; can you imagine the conversations that transpired concerning with what Jesus had just performed for His Father?  The conversations must have quickly turned to the weather because it says that a storm came up and began to toss the boat around enough that the waves were filling up the boat, even high enough to cover the boat with water; which proves my point – in my head – that boats, water, and myself do not mix. Panic must have been the word of the moment because any sensible person would be looking for some type of rescue option while this situation was unfolding, except for Jesus who was napping on a cushion.  Napping?  Really?!?  I know that some of us can sleep through a storm but when you add the tossing and turning of a boat to the equation this seems almost impossible. But it points out a great deal of information about God and the relationship that He wants with our lives.

No one can argue that this example is a stressful one and that the thought of the disciples dying did not cross their minds at some point.  Can you imagine what went through their minds when they turned and looked at Jesus sleeping while they were fighting to keep the boat afloat?  They do the logical and most human thing they could think of at that moment, they wake Jesus up to inform Him that they are all about to die.  Totally forgetting who is in the boat with them, you know, the one who is asleep.  Be honest, would you be thinking that this was the Son of God right at that moment?  The world around you is doing its best to destroy your physical existence and with the deteriorating conditions being thrown at you, one would naturally panic.  And looking at this picture in the Bible it should remind us that the forces of the world while seeming calm at the beginning of your journey can easily take a nasty turn against you at any time.  While we may know this aspect of the world how often do we ignore this truth when the world shows its true self?  The honest answer is almost all of the time, which is why when the world completes its “natural courses” we as humans are “shocked” at its relativity at that moment.

Adam and Eve are the prime and first example of living in perfect unity with God.  Yet, their choices led to a great downfall that established such doubt in our lives concerning this truth and desire of God.  In relation to this biblical example, Jesus had the exact same living conditions with God that Adam and Eve had with God and therefore, had no reason to fear from the elements of the world, which is exactly the living conditions that God wants for ALL of us to thrive in.  But being asleep in a boat with a storm is kind of pushing reality, isn’t it?  No, it is not because if the Creator of all living things is on an intimate communication level with you then you are at total peace and you will know what is ongoing around you AND WHY at all times.  There will be no need for “shock” when things occur for your spiritual eyes shall see what is transpiring and God will give you the appropriate response.

Jesus did not panic when the disciples woke Him up, nor did He get upset at them either.  He understood their fear and He also knew that this would be a teaching moment for them as well, another perfect setting for God to advance His Kingdom through mankind.  Jesus stands up, looks around and speaks to the storm that is engulfing them.  The seas and wind subside and the boat returns to its course across the water.  The Bible says that the disciples are marveled at what Jesus just accomplished, for now, they see that Jesus can control the atmosphere and planet activity as if healing the sick was not enough.  Shock of the surroundings resurfacing in their hearts maybe???  The disciples, even with them witnessing all of the miracles of Jesus so far still could not identify the advancement of God’s Kingdom as Jesus wanted.

Would you agree that when the storm was over and everything seemed back to normal that the stress level of the disciples had diminished greatly?  There is a key factor here that we must understand about the disciples and it pertains to our lives as well. When times became tough these men turned to Jesus for help and there is nothing wrong with this, in fact, this is what we are supposed to do when times are tough.  But through the next portion of this passage we see that the disciples still did not understand exactly what Jesus was teaching them.  The disciples immediately began to talk amongst themselves and reiterated to each other what had just occurred.  They completely missed the fact that if they only placed their trust and faith in God 1^st, they could have accomplished the exact same feats as Jesus just did.

There is a song that was popular in the early 2000s and its words are profound and have a direct meaning to what God is saying to us today.  Sometimes God calms the storm but He cannot do this unless we ask Him to do the act.  Other times God calms His child while the child is going through the storm.  I cannot tell you that God shall calm every storm that we go through but I can tell you that He shall ALWAYS give His child direction if we place Him first in our lives because when we do, we will be able to hear His voice during times of trouble.  The world SHALL bring storms in our path and we must encounter them when they arrive but it is how we accept them and go through them that matters.  Even though the disciples were able to physically and literally see Jesus they still struggled with this truth, so it needs to be reinforced to us today that we have the same power of Christ in us today that Jesus Himself had when He walked this earth.

It is through this truth that our spiritual stress program thrives which has a direct relationship with the physical stress that we encounter from the world today.  To sleep through what is occurring around you is a phenomenal response but it is one that should be an inspiration to God’s children as well.  I am not talking about being blinded to what is going on around us, which most fit into that category, but when one understands why things are unfolding they will have no stress.  It is troubling to turn on the news and see parts of the world burning up with fires, to hear about people rioting and turning civilized cities into emergency states.  It is disheartening to hear about groups suing people for ridiculous reasons with no just cause explanations as to why the events occurred.  It is easy to see the world go up in flames and be stressed about it, but when the news is constantly filled with this type of violent behavior, the stress can seem unbearable.

It is at this point where we need to understand what exactly is going on and why things are getting out of hand.  And to be truthful it is our fault that these events are ongoing and shall continue to become worse simply because we have placed our trust in the world and not God where we need it to be.  See, we were created for a purpose and that purpose is strictly for the advancement of God’s Kingdom and when we are not completing this holy task Satan’s Kingdom is advanced.  When these worldly conditions arise it is ok that our heart rates get raised a bit but there should be no reason why we should not know what to do during these moments.  If the Church sits back and watches these events unfold and NOT pray we cannot be called the Church any longer.  Prayer and directly speaking to God with a pure and connected heart is the exact same as when Jesus calmed the waters around Him.  Jesus knew exactly what to say and do and since we have the same power residing in us we should be doing the exact same.  We are living and breathing creations of God and we should not be silent to what the world is allowing to pass unchecked.

I am appalled to think that the Church does not understand enough of what is going on to market a godly response to what is unfolding before our eyes.  The Church sits around in amazement while these events daily cross our screens and chooses to not learn about her surroundings and then do nothing about what she witnesses.  We marvel at the storm and of what we have in front of us but do not realize the power we have through God to stop these events from continuing or occurring.  The world shall not cease in creating chaos and destruction for this is all that it can produce.  So why are we not combating these issues with a direct response from God?  Repent church and allow God to restore the capital “C” back into your body.  You want to continue to see the world fall apart, then do nothing and stay on your current course but know this that the world went to hell in a hand basket, just as the Bible has stated, all because you sat and did nothing.

Stress shall continue to present itself and rise unless we change our attitudes towards God.  It is that plain and simple.  God has all the answers that we need in order for us to bring order back into play in our lives.  There is no way possible that the world will fix itself and it does not matter if all 200+ of the world’s leaders agree on countless numbers of plans to end every problem of the world, things shall not change until we return to God.  Church, you are the key to push back the kingdom of Satan by advancing the Kingdom of God.  Do not sit around and lose your life as Adam and Eve did go forward with the message of stress reduction. And not stress induction. 

As the song from “Veridia” states, we are still breathing so we better once again act like it.  It is tough to reduce chronic stress in our physical lives and we have plans to overcome this stress.  God has provided us with a spiritual stress relief plan as well and it is called His Word!  Embrace His Word and live through it with every breath you take and God guarantees that He will divide your stress to the point where it is minuscule and cannot be detected as you plow through the world’s troubles.  Be a witness to the world and not a participant in its activities, rise up Church and claim the advancement of God’s Kingdom as a stress reliever.

DLB

Lowering Your Standards

Lowering Your Standards

9/23/16

In the name of equality, humanity brings to the table an agenda that would seem plausible in theory.  But when reality touches base with life the majority of those sitting at the table recognizes the faults of our existence and then tries to modify their stances.  The panic of happiness ensues with compromises that bring forth disastrous effects instead of the desired attributes of sound thinking.  How long will we be fooled with the notion that we can bring equality without lowering standards unless God is placed first in this process?  How long shall we reject the One source that could bring us everything standard we desire, and why do we continue failing at what God has already given us in order to reverse this downward plunge?  God is waiting for His children to recognize His prosperity before the world’s demeaning existence and to choose Him instead.

All of us have heard the example of having friends that bring us down or that we are in a relationship that is not healthy for our life.  I have had friends during my life that have brought me nothing but pain and agony while I was associated with them. When I was a young boy some of the friends that I hung around with my parents would not even allow me to spend the night at their house because of the uncomfortable feelings they had with them.  And when I ignored their advice and placed my friendship into their hands almost immediately they could see a difference in my attitude.  Of course, I was oblivious to this fact and when the friendship changed or ended I was angry and did the natural thing and blamed my parents for the ending.

One phenomenon that would almost surely arrive would be that my past friend would grasp on to another one of my current friends and it would not take too long for me to figure out a change in my current friend’s attitude towards me.  While being a youngster I failed to see the relevance of this change, as time went along and I found myself in this same scene years later I then understood what an impact they had on my life.  I saw the same patterns in my children emerging when my wife and I developed reservations about their friends for similar reasons.  The same disturbing self-lowering pattern of equality and acceptance was portraying itself once again a generation later.

It was in my adulthood that these patterns came to haunt me and while I was young my thoughts were totally different to my parents, I was sure glad they were watching out for me because I might have been further off course than what I was in the first place.  Parents are placed in a child’s life for a specific reason and that is to set an example for that child and to protect that child until he / she are able to fend for themselves.  It is the responsibility of the parent to teach the child how to act both in the home and when they are in public but if worldly standards are instilled as a norm then watch out, trouble shall exist when growth occurs.  It is obvious of what kind of relationship a child has with their parent as one watches them together for a parent cannot be a friend to a child when they are young; but it is so common a standard today, look at these effects as they unfold in front of our screens.  This is the basic and foundational case for lowering a standard in the name of peace, love and worldly acceptance, and woe to those parents and leaders who present such a lie to their acquaintances.

It was this destructive evidence that my parents saw in the friendship that I established with these people that disturbed them so much.  How could they call themselves true parents if they had not talked with me about these attitude changes and at times were forced to set boundaries and revert to even harder stances when my actions declared?  While I failed to see these changes and especially the lowering of the standards that they had so patiently instilled into my life, they readily picked up on all the signals that I gave just as parents are supposed to.  The question then becomes of where did this lowering of standards originate? The answer to that question is easy in that it lies with Adam and Eve.  We must first recognize and accept that the standard of equality went out the window with Adam and Eve.  It was their creation by God which set the standard for perfection against the lowered expectations of self that Lucifer portrayed some time before.  It was his fall that established a lower standard from what God had created and it was this “new” standard of acceptance on a worldly scale that he operated through to trick Adam and Eve.

The Bible includes countless examples of God establishing standards that are different from the world with counter examples of humans doing their best to mess His standards up by accepting worldly placements over God.  From the time of Cain and Abel onwards God has placed His Word into our lives trying to get it through our heads that He wants us to be separate and different from the world.  But as each example in the Bible unfolds so do we when we buck our parents’ authority when they caution us about some of our choices.  Many of us quickly dismiss the Bible as a bunch of stories that have no relevance to our lives today. That is another lowering standard lie that we fall for on a continual basis, the Bible is a Living Word and will help see us trough our difficulties if we adhere to its words.

When Jesus walked the earth it was the perfect example of how God wanted to share His ideas for our lives.  As we read the passages of Jesus’ life here on earth we cannot help but marvel at the works that He did with the people.  We also squeamishly read some passages where He and the leaders of His day got into confrontational settings which could have turned violent at any moment.  Then we read where those discounted leaders took the worldly powers at hand and used them to destroy Jesus’ physical life – I mean to fulfill God’s uplifting and separating plan for our life.  It astounds me that many people including many Christians do not even realize that what the Jewish leaders and the Romans did to Jesus was accurately fulfilling what God had stated back in the Garden of Eden, effectively fulfilling God’s Word as an accurate source of truth extraordinaire, thus providing another example of God’s exceptional standard that He was trying to get across to our lives.

We look at the miracles that Jesus performed and marvel at what He did, but at the same time fail to understand that when Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead He was raising the standard of humanity back to what Adam and Eve had before the fall. When God was speaking to Eve concerning what was going to become of her life, Adam should have immediately picked up on the fact that both of them were no longer equal and that it would be his responsibility to raise the female up to his level so that she would not stray further from his side.  He failed miserably at this understanding and to be brutally honest all men have followed suit by not realizing the truth about this verse in Genesis.  It was the fact that Jesus took the current condition of that person and raised them up to another level of existence, just as God had done when He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and what He still desires for our lives today.

Jesus did not purify the water into wine for show He did it for the purpose of advancing His Father’s Kingdom over the world’s disastrous protocols.  Jesus represented God on earth as a connection to God not as a deviant or some side circus show in order to excite people into believing God.  Jesus had (has) a direct purpose for His presence on earth and it is not to entertain the magistrates of any political institution or party.  His sole purpose for living is to be the perfect sacrifice that allows us to be cleansed from this world and to live separate from what wishes to destroy us.  Therefore, since God cannot be a part of this world neither can His children and since this is a true statement we cannot align ourselves in any way with the world which means that if the world calls for equality without God then there is no equality involved at all that is worth mentioning.

Look at what the world has to offer its inhabitants, nothing but doom and despair as the old song says.  It cannot offer anything but this because it is flawed in nature and has no true answer to provide other than this message of chaos and death.  Given this fact, it means that every single time we accept the world as our friend we automatically lower our standards, in other words, we pick friends that will change our attitudes for the worse and not the better.  If God is not involved first, foremost and complete in the choices that we make our standard is lowered and we risk our chances at having an eternal life with God.  That is a hard statement to say and it is even harder to swallow but it is the absolute truth from the Word of God.

Sadly, as each day passes we are witness to more violence and heartbreak from the world.  A large part of this horrid behavior stems from the lack of foundational truth the Church has been showing us for centuries.  While there is nothing wrong with a church which is financially stable there is something wrong with one where wealth is presented as a way of living instead of a standard of God.  A standard of God would be sharing the Kingdom message instead of promoting multimillion dollar homes and buildings that proclaim no gospel truth to the dying world.  A gospel truth is where God takes away fortunes because the human has squandered their blessings instead of using the talents to advance God’s Kingdom.  We must remember that God’s Kingdom does not represent any human advancement in ANY proportion nor should it give any glory to mankind.  It is this fact that angers Satan so much that all he can do is react through physical and spiritual violence and it is through this action that mankind shows affection.  There is a huge reason why God’s Word states that it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than a rich man into the heaven; this truth can also be incorporated into other areas of our existence and not just limited to financial resources.

God has no intention for any of His children to live in poverty, suffering or any type of ailment.  While the consequences of sin are death and the fact that we cannot escape this physical result God does wish that we live as long as possible to be examples of His goodness and love through His Word.  The world shall proclaim the exact opposite and will mock those who wish to live differently from its standards.  The Church has had her spiritual ear taken by the world and is now in peril of falling completely apart with the entity that she has chosen.  God is still calling out to His people and to anyone who is willing to listen to His voice of life to return to Him and accept His ways into their hearts.  Our spiritual communication with God is hanging by a shred of a string and our enemy is hard at work for a complete separation from God, the WRONG separation that we need to be pursuing.

Repent Church! And turn back to God before He must whisk our status from under us.  God does not wish for anyone to be divided against His ways but in order for this to occur we must first lose our selfishness and worldly garments and replace them with God’s Word as our standard.  When we do this we are actually performing the same miracles that Jesus did while He walked the earth, for we are changing our lives to a higher standard which is represented by a holy equality in the eyes of our Creator.  God asks us to study Adam and Eve a bit deeper and see where we have included their fall into our lives and to study the numerous examples of this falling so that we may stop this pattern and return to what God originally had in mind for His prized Creations.  God also asks us to approach His Word with a pure and humble heart so that He may reveal His truth into our lives so that we may daily proclaim Him to the dark and dying world.

DLB

A Change in Independence Status

A Change In Independence Status

9/21/16

As the 4^th of July and other national holidays come and go in this land, we once again frivolously enjoy the freedoms that many people from this country fought and died for a long time ago.  We quickly return to our daily routines and pick up our selfish attitudes and self-righteous behaviors again as the minutes and hours pass after the holiday is over.  But what if the meaning of independence that we in this country share today is changed and forces us to reconsider what it means to be free, or would the question beg to warrant our unknown slavery?  How would we respond to such a change?  Would we turn back to God or blame Him for such travesties, would we even acknowledge Him at all?  The answers should be obvious yet hidden deep within our hearts and thus ignored for the superficial and ambivalent.  When the change to our independence comes and we are forced to be dependent on someone, who shall that someone be that we turn towards for answers?

Not many people would agree with what has been suggested in the above opening paragraph, but it is a direct and imminent truth and if one understands God’s heart they shall know that a situational and fundamental change shall be coming to this nation because of our sinful and selfish ways that we have readily approved and accepted.  When people use death tolls to gain political ground there is something wrong with our priorities.  When sex is sold for a common and cheap price and deemed as a whimsical want something is wrong with our society, and when freedom is based solely on a popular single point of view of demeanor and self-invigoration, something scary and can only be coming.  Even if only one of these conditions is being manifested in a society things are ripe for destruction, but when all of these settings are ongoing together, there can be only one conclusion that remains of celebrating this type of freedom; in fact, it is not freedom at all it is slavery in accordance to worldly standards. 

Another day has passed and we have been forced to undergo another example of someone’s interpretation of freedom and it amazes me of what a human’s logical concept of freedom actually entails.  It seems like this type of belief is plastered across our eyes on a continual basis and while these issues are “gracing” viewers and proclaims the intentions to be expressions of freedom they are in reality further dividing this nation into lines that set up a deepening crisis of division; this is the true definition of selfishness and not freedom.  

I understand these issues for they are clearly represented in God’s Word and it is not hard to know that many of these issues were not resolved in biblical times and are not close to being resolved today either.  Then, many interpret these faults in a heretical manner and it provides the recipe for ugly backlash.  It is a worldly concept to look for independence through human eyes but when we complete this godly act in this capacity we are doomed to fail.  What can a man expect by trying to gain knowledge from a source that is flawed?  If the origins of our lives were in a limited and death detailed existence then we would have no hope for our survival, but it is not like this for our origins were created in purity and perfect harmony with our Creator which means as long as we include Him in our decisions and choices we have a direct hope of eternal and pure life.

It really pains me to watch people around the world protest a cause when they place themselves and their wants first.  This type of belief reinforces the truth that unless God is first in our lives and us last, nothing will ever be accomplished for our good. This concept is fully described throughout human history and it would seem like we would understand that this concept does not work through humanistic values with all the examples we have to choose from.  Yet, we continue to stroll down life’s lane seeking the answers through human ways and in a few steps we find ourselves face planted on the road that we are walking.  We do have an ancient but true and accurate text for us to study so that we can avoid all of these issues of freedom and independence that we feel is being hidden from our lives.  The question that I ask and it comes from God goes like this: why don’t we try God’s way instead?  I mean, really try His way, completely and 100%.

Do you realize that there are numerous examples of individuals, groups, and nations that have lost their independence in the Bible?  Of course, we automatically think about all of the nasty wars and battles in the Old Testament and how many nations lost their heads to such tragedies, but has anyone stopped to search and to study as to why those battles occurred?  Even God’s own chosen people were engaged in such tragedies and a few times even lost their independence.  It is through these examples that we should turn our attention towards and explore the exact reasons why God would give a certain status to an individual, group or nation and then allow that specific status to be taken away.  When one studies all of these issues only one answer can be explained, at some point in time that entity turned their heart away from God enough to warrant a change in the situation; especially when that entity has totally ignored or forgotten their stance within their community and physically changed their stances.

What about changes of independence in the New Testament are there any examples of these settings?  The answer is yes with just as many examples as there are in the Old Testament but this time, many of these changes are directed inside the Church core and how people have divided their ideas and philosophies with their own interpretations of Jesus’ command to spread the gospel and the truth about being born again.  If one studies the Early Church and all of its problems that it had, one would be inclined to believe that it would have been a time of pulling together; this would be a reasonable challenge to believe concerning Old Testament Israel as well.  But it had the opposite process occur and with the ideas and misconceptions about what Jesus meant while He was on earth fresh in their minds, Satan worked his “magic” in their hearts and caused severe doctrinal determinations that still divide the Church today.

The majority of the epistles in the New Testament deal with individual anomalies that the people of the Church subscribed to and followed as truth.  While the Scriptures give some specifics of these activities, we can still get a clear glimpse of these heretical examples through other works of history that are well documented and are considered known fact.  The members of the Early Church did not understand the entire truth about Kingdom issues even when their hearts were fresh with the literal image of Christ present, for if they did they would not have had letters written to them by the saints.  The foundational truth about Kingdom is that there are two kingdoms that are eternally at war for your spiritual position and through this fight, they shall always be at war with each other until God changes the playing field. 

As we see in the Old Testament, Israel took for granted their status in God’s eyes and believed that they were set above everyone else around them.  This was a true belief but when this belief became more prominent in their hearts than in their belief and trust in God, a huge problem arose and the world soon ate enough away from their Creator that their attentions then relied upon self instead of God.  The Church in the New Testament created identical problems from within and when you place two different time periods together, add the human factor into each equation, only damage and death can result when God is taken out of the equation.  

Look at the consequences of that nation when they made the choice to be equal with humanity instead of separate with God.  The escalation of violence towards their lives and the lives between their own astronomically skyrocketed.  So we are forced to sit and watch the identical practices unfold in our lives as well for it is the exact same path we have chosen.  We need to remember that the Old Testament and the New Testament compliment each other thus provide a building block for our relationship with Christ through Covenant and Kingdom standards.

But if you had the ability to ask each Old Testament and New Testament societies about their connection to God before their fall, I guarantee both of them would respond with common and similar answers.  They would declare that their status with God would be in “good “status and that when asked if they believed in God a resounding “yes” would immediately follow.  But as we study both settings closely, we see that many cracks in those declarations were present and how they were intentionally ignored for the sake of personal and national gain and acceptance.  So, what gives?  Who is correct?  THAT answer is obvious as well but what is most troubling is that you know many people in Israel and in the Early Church had no clue of why their independence changed, and for many, they would state that their independence did not change at all with their lifestyle.  God asks: does this situational status sound familiar to you at all?

Proof?  You say you want proof?  Well, if the children of Israel had a flag back in the days of Moses, Joseph, etc I bet you they could not even recite why the flag was created in the manner in which would be or what the standard itself meant and symbolized.  A more specific address would be this: ask a young person to describe to you the American flag, that part is easy.  Then ask them what the stripes represent, what the stars represent, and what the colors of red, white and blue stand for on the American flag.  See how many can answer those questions.  Throw in their state flag as well and then ask them about the Christian flag, ask them what those colors and symbols mean, see what kind of answers you receive as well.  I had one of my younger colleagues ask the just last month as to why the flags were flying in town on 14 June, and I politely told them as to why and after they left shook my head in sadness.  Really?!?  Ask them who Francis Scott Key was and what his eyes witnessed and what his eyes told his heart to write.  This is a loss of independence and it is something that we should never have allowed to slip through our fingers. What type of independence are we considering and striving for if we do not even know about why we have the standards that we currently have AND how they evolved throughout our nation’s history?

We are brought back to the children of Israel in 1 Samuel Chapter 8 when they are demanding to be as equals to other nations around them.  I know that this subject has been tossed around in previous articles but it is a message that God is begging for us to understand and to get it into our hearts that what we are asking He shall grant but it shall result in grotesque and appalling conditions for our lives.  Over and over throughout the history of this country we have witnessed terrible indecencies when we try to overcome our issues alone.  Nothing good has ever come from a human action when it is driven with humanistic logic alone.  Even when arguments and conflicts are proclaimed through the name of God but are firstly subject to human actions and wills, it cannot proceed as a godly act, and the children of Israel in 1 Samuel 8 is a great example of this certainty.

How much different are we today from the biblical examples that are presented here?  The answer should break our hearts because it is completed with one word, none!  We have focused our hearts on the current instead of our history and what the people before us went through for us to obtain the life we know today.  It occurred in the Bible, throughout human history, today and it shall continue as such unless we finally wake up and realize that the only true answer for our existence is God.  How far have we fallen from this truth?  The Church has actually given up her title and has accepted equality with the world in the form of becoming a church.

So, what kind of change in independence has occurred?  In all honesty, none for if a true change is wanted then independence should be based totally in God and not through human means.  This nation itself is the prime example of how people should respond to the question of independence for it was God who gave John Smith the extraordinary concept of independence trough God’s ways instead of mankind’s ways.  Our problem lies in that Mr. Smith and his party quickly forgot the true mission and Ways of the mission and incorporated a human variable that proved to be disastrous.  God perfectly provided a restoration plan for His people through the creation of this nation but we blew it when we chose to deal with issues on a finite level.

Until we envision that the only way we shall overcome our problems is through God’s ways and not ours, our problems shall only mount and increase beyond our imaginations.  This pattern of annihilation can be changed if we only come to grips with our need for a holy and true providential source that shall never fail.  We have this truth and we know about His existence yet we continue to struggle with our needs (independence) because we refuse to allow Him into our hearts.  Complete independence shall only come from God and until we free ourselves in this manner from the world, every single aspect of our existence shall be ruled by death and division instead of the freedom we truly desire.

DLB

Under God

Under God

9/20/16

This phrase has been an integral part of our nation and for many of us personally for quite some time now.  The concept of this nation being a godly one has been marked since our initial foundation many centuries earlier.  However, it is now a matter of contention and outright animosity to use this phrase in public and there are measures being partitioned to have it removed totally from our lives.  While it is a choice to have this declaration as a part of our national and personal existence present, it will be allowed to be taken down if the people decide.  Having this phrase as a motto presents a symbol of protection that automatically covers us, but the steps that we have taken in recent years have proven we no longer desire God to be a part of our lives.  If we wish our foundation to be made on manmade ideas then so be it but we must prepare for those foundations to be wiped away as well.

The phrase “under God” has a significant meaning to many of us in this country and around the world.  It is a phrase that defines authority and the One who we believe rules over our existence.  For as long as I can remember this phrase has been a part of our National Pledge and even a similar phrase is engraved on our currency.  Churches grace almost every corner of our towns and cities yet the growing public cry is for God to get out of our lives because we have come to the conclusion that our thoughts and wishes for societies are far greater than His.  These thoughts represent a normal place setting to have humans believe that their decisions are better than others so why not include God in this belief?  This is a grave mistake and one that has many historical examples that we can study, but for some reason, each generation has taken further steps of humanistic values instead of godly ones.  The power of words do have an impact on our lives and on others’ as well; don’t be fooled by the old tale of “sticks and stones” because words do hurt and they will hurt enough to follow us into eternity.

It would be extremely difficult for me not to hear this phrase being used in some of the pledges, songs, and anthems that I have grown up with, but if I said that it would be impossible for my ears to become deaf from hearing this phrase used, I would be lying.  It is no secret that many wish for this phrase to be eradicated from our vocabulary and if one looks through the shades of the world it would seem a logical thought, but in truth and far beyond science itself it is a fool’s gesture and will only provide a destructive lineage that will never change no matter how much effort humanity tries.  To end this phrase in our society stimulates the mind to react violently for if any societal norm that represents God is removed of drastically changed only animosity can ensue.  Think about that last statement for it defines the battle that each one of us faces whether we know it or not.  We need to be under God and we need to proclaim this truth every second of our lives, for if we throw this away we throw our future away as well.

There are two passages that God is giving us for this article and both directly relate to the subject at hand.  When we accept the phrase “under God” as our motto it tells the world and the spiritual world where our lives desire to be.  Likewise, when we remove this motto from our heart’s vocabulary we send the opposite message to both of those kingdoms and the procedures for standardization reverses and further dealings with our enemy increase.  Our problem is that we have now “evolved” enough to warrant no belief in any spiritual enemy and that we can only focus on worldly enemies, not knowing that with this concept in hand inseparable division among the people of the world will be the only result.  When a person, group, state or nation chooses the world they subject themselves to the world’s leader which is the immortal and eternal enemy of God.

The two passages mentioned in the previous paragraph are well known especially to those who have attended church for some time; however, in all honesty, these two verses are heavily recognized by those who do not go to church or even have a relationship with God, a definition of how many people choose to live if the truth be told.  One of the passages comes from the Old Testament and the other is from the New Testament.  Both passages are equal in nature and have direct meanings to our status concerning who we believe leads us through the journey of life.  The first passage that we are going to discuss comes from Psalms 23, but we are not going to talk about the entire passage just a couple of pieces of it.  There is a bit of history here that will come into play as the article progresses but God is showing us the difference of when we allow Him to rule over our lives versus when we allow the world to rule over our lives.

                        Psalms 23:1 - 3 states the following: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not                                            want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me besides still                                      waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his                                  name’s sake.”

It is this portion of one of the most popular Scriptures that God wants us to understand what it means to have our lives “under God” and His laws.  The very first portion of this passage makes a bold and clear statement about who controls our steps and what the relationship is between God and mankind.  This first statement proclaims that the author has God as his ruler and thus nullifies the self-issue that the world teaches.  With this passage coming from the Bible it is automatically accepted that when David is referring to the “lord” he is mentioning God, for this is a biblical text and the reference is quite clear.  David is proclaiming that God is his shepherd which means that David follows God and the ways that God has established.  This portion of Scripture also refers to the claim that God is different from the world and that he has chosen to follow God and was not forced to do such an act of admission.

The word shepherd in this portion of the verse should be paid attention to as well for it directs lineage and who is exactly in charge.  This simple word directs the authority to one person and it is not the author of the passage either.  In fact, it proclaims all subjection to that single person and through a willing obedience agrees to follow His commands.  The word shepherd also allows us to understand what capacity that He has committed to for a shepherd is not needed when the flock is inside the corral or housed securely within an enclosed area.  The majority of the time the flock is out and about completing their daily needs and operating as life should warrant and it is these times that the flock needs to be on the lookout for the shepherd and to be listening to His voice for instruction.  But we all know that this setting does not always occur and the flock invites trouble into their realm. 

There is an important lesson here that needs to be addressed before moving on to another portion of this passage and it has to deal with the world and what it brings.  If the world produced an environment of utopia there would not be any need for any shepherds, guardians, parents or leaders because everyone would be able to conduct their lives without any guilt.  We all know that this is not the case and it shall never be the case simply because of how the world operates and functions.  So, if the Bible teaches that we need to be dependent upon God and His ways for true guidance why do we continue to fall back on the “shepherds” of the world for our choices?  The answer should be evident before our eyes yet we continue to choose the world’s ways instead.  It is amazing to me that we do our best to justify human ways and then cry out in anger or protest when each one of them crumbles in front of us. 

The phrase “green pastures” in this verse is highly significant because it represents a conditional state of peace and restoration. As the flock constantly move about the area the ground – or place of residence – can become beaten down and hard to manage, both on a personal level and an overall standard.  Ask yourself these questions, when times become tough in your life, how do you respond, what is your immediate reaction and who do you look for to provide you with the answers you need at that moment?  It is easy to believe and to say that God is the first source that we think of but in reality why do sheep go off on their own or follow false shepherds?  An important identity that we need to keep in mind when we make these claims, for many times we fail to truly define God’s presence in our lives.  Green pastures present such a resting area that all should seem to be in perfect order, and that is the way our holy Shepherd intended that we should live.  Because of our tendencies to waiver and wander the travels towards these green pastures may seem a bit tough and to others down out right hard, but we should always be aware of the true Shepherd for it is He who will lead us out of those dark places in order to return to the green pastures of His choosing.

This passage states that the shepherd leads the sheep (author) to the green pastures, to this place of calm, peace and restoration. Isn’t it everyone’s desire to have and to be in this place?  We hear it every day of our lives from countless sources of them trying to find the happiness that is so desired, yet after a while, we read these same people crying and hurting because the beliefs that they once held so close and true have proven to be lies.  This is not what God can supply, He cannot go against anything that has to do with death, He must create life in all things unknown and known to mankind. 

How important is this phrase, you ask?  Well, I read an interview some time ago that the interviewer was talking to a Satanist about this passage.  I do not know why the interview was conducted or why it was initiated, to begin with, but as I was reading this interview I found an interesting portion from the Satanist when the person interviewing him came to this Scripture.  From what I had read to the point the Satanist seemed quite calm and tenured in his responses and had no real controversial things to say.  When this passage of Scripture was mentioned the words of the Satanist changed and I could almost feel the setting of that interview change for it was the first time that the man stated a claim against God.

He stated that he was literally appalled to think that someone would have control over his life and how dare anyone that would take that individual power away from him and to lead him to a place in which he did not know where it was.  In no way was this person going to take away his right to live according to his choices and direct his paths in life.  The interviewer seemed a little taken back with the attitude change of the person being interviewed but in reality, it should not have because this person displayed the exact beliefs of the one he serves.  This action should raise our eyebrows pretty quickly because this attitude (spirit) is in full bloom in our societies today.  The world’s projections have not changed since sin entered into our lives so please do not believe that the world can offer you anything but selfish pain and suffering for it cannot due to its nature.

Why the huge change in attitude from a simple phrase?  It is quite simple and it is a direct reflection of how our lives are to become if we continue our course away from God.  From this small phrase alone and the reaction that this Satanist gave, states that there is a force that is totally against God and everything that He stands for.  Why would this person give a perfect interview and then all of a sudden explode with a complete change when the way to achieve perfect conditions mentioned in the Bible in concordance with the mentioned shepherd, which he claims to have, differs from the concept that he has?  There can only be one answer to this change and it is truly sad that this person is so blinded by the lies he has been told that he is unable to understand exactly what is going on.  If this blindness has affected his life then how much more changes in attitudes can we expect to see when society completely gives itself to the same power?  This can only draw one conclusion and truth, the Bible is the true and unadulterated Word of God and everything that is stated in its contents comes from the Creator Himself.

The second passage that God wishes to use in this message comes from another well used and known portion of Scripture and that is from Matthew chapter 6 when Jesus is instructing those around Him about how to pray.  It is commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer and it serves as a powerful message to anyone who wishes to understand its truth and meaning.  The specific passage that is going to be used is once again only a portion of the passage and it entails verse 9 of Matthew Chapter 6.  And more specifically we will be learning about just a portion of that verse.  

                        Verse 9 states as follows: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy                                          name.”  

The portion of this verse that we are going to use is the first two words “Our Father”.  Being raised in church I have heard this entire passage spoken about numerous times.  It too is a famous passage that many people, churchgoers and not, have either heard it, read it or recite it on occasion.  The first two words are the ones that stand out for this message and it also these two words that tie together the passage of Psalms 23.  I find it intriguing that many people do not believe God’s Word to be alive and current for today’s problems but when He shows us the connection between the verse in the Old Testament and the New Testament and then demonstrate that they are still relevant in our society today, it is nothing less than priceless.  The same setting is issued here when Jesus is talking about how people should pray but it is these two words that set the tone for the entire prayer and right off the bat brings into the direct relation of God’s authority over the person praying.

The word “our” means that there is a connection between God and the person praying to Him.  The words spoken are not directed to a statue, or to the wind, or to a false pretense that has no personal meaning.  The person praying is specifically calling on someone that they know is there and that person that they are speaking to must be alive and have the capability of hearing those words as well.  Why would anyone speak to something that does not answer back?  It is a logical question because throughout human history countless people have done just that with their idols and gods.  All of their examples prove that their gods are false and are not alive which means they cannot answer those “prayers”.  The same setting is in play here as in the Old Testament reference above that people find it difficult to accept this type of activity because of their worldly influences around them.  With this word spoken the person is not talking to a void or empty space but an eternal entity that can hear and respond accordingly.

But the usage of the word “our” stimulates a response because it is a word that means unity or togetherness, more than one and this statement was issued to a group of people that Jesus was talking with.  Jesus knew that with this choice of words He was directing these people towards His Father because God is the author of all Creation and Created beings which means that He is alive and well on His throne and can be heard when we speak to Him.  It is a proper address and a common address all rolled up together and it is a word that grabs His attention because one of His children is about to call Him “Father”.  The word “our” also means that the ones who use this word in reference to God look at God in the same manner, in other words as one just as the flock does in Psalms 23.

The word “Father” in conjunction with the word “our” says a great deal about how we should view God in our hearts and immediately recognize Him as the authoritative figure that He is.  There is so much controversy about who is a father these days, or so it seems.  Jesus makes it very clear who His Father is and by speaking this name in this passage He makes the same claim on our lives as well.  Once again if a person reads history it will become clear that this issue has been at the forefront of every society and if the question of who is the father then it is the authority of that person; the stomach turns with such discontentment with this topic.  This passage of Scripture addresses the simplest form of communication, the verbal and direct and it reflects many things when these two words are spoken.  Another example of why it is so important to keep your dominion intact and pure, both physically and spiritually.

First off, the person speaking understands that they have a father and they know who that person is.  The word father is a singular term, not a group name so that means there is only one that can represent this accolade.  Yes, there is a plural form of the word father but it does not apply to this situation nor does it recognize the original orientation of God when He formed man.  It is through this word (Father) that the person speaking directly relates to a single person and in this case, Jesus is referring to His Father and our Heavenly Father, God.  One detail to keep in mind here is that we understand who “our Father” actually is and what He represents in our life.  God is the true Father of all things living and He cannot change this status, it is us who have to claim this truth.  Creation is just that, creation which is required to live by all means possible.

In truth, when we use the word “father” it means that we are a direct descendant of that person, and it means that we understand his ways and are willing to admit that he has standards associated with his name.  Jesus uses this word right at the beginning of His statement, which when used immediately grabs God’s attention because one of His children is speaking directly to Him.  It is through this personal recognition of who He is, by our own personal admission that God identifies with us.  It also proclaims that we understand that when we pray that we are talking to our heavenly and eternal Father and not referring to our earthly one.  In earthly terms, we may not always agree with our physical father and some may not even know him personally but it is God’s desire that those thoughts of denial and separation from Him be totally erased, and when we come to Him with a pure heart with these two words uttering from our lips, God says He hears us and shall respond as a true father should.

It is also understood that when we use the word Father in reference to God, we are verbally submitting our lives to His authority.  This means that in order for us to speak this term, and use it correctly, we must be in line with His ways and be willing to lay aside all of our human lusts first.  We must willingly obey His ways and voluntarily submit our entire lives to God in order for us to claim freedom from the world.  Therefore, when we quote this passage of Scripture we are submitting ourselves to God, or under God in this context because of the previous statement.  If we do NOT agree to all of God’s Word then we are approaching God with a lying heart; I will let you test those waters for a moment.  In order for God to grant us the desires of our heart and to provide for us our needs, we first need to be under His law and therefore Covenant.  I am not saying that God shall not bless us when we choose to violate His Covenant but I will state that He shall eventually stop those blessings and take action against the violations of His children.

The phrase “Our Father” sums up this entire topic because it sets into motion whether or not we really mean these words.  If we are willing to rid ourselves of self itself and place God as #1 in our lives then we can boldly approach the Throne of God with these words and have the assurance that God will listen to our needs.  However, the opposite is true that when we place self first in our lives then God cannot operate in the magnitude that He so desires.  The “whatever feels good” attitude – to be addressed in the future – is a destructive concept and belief that we like to function in, and its presence is so prevalent today.  But through this selfish proclamation of ours, God must take a backseat and cannot provide as His Word tells us.  What I find hilariously sad is that when we realize that God is not bestowing His presence on our lives any longer we turn around and argue with Him through our own popular trends.  What a mockery!!

In both of these passages, we have learned that if we allow the Great Shepherd control over our lives that He will constantly lead us into the path of prosperity and safety.  E have also learned that if we are honest enough with God and come to Him with a pure and clean heart, He is faithful and just to grant us the needs of our heart.  Likewise, if we run rebellion against the Shepherd or Our Father it places us in a position of jeopardy in which God will run after us.  But as His Word states from the first verse of the Bible until the last word, it is strictly up to us to accept Him or not.  We are not in control if we allow Him to lead us and we are not in control if we truly say “Our Father”.  Of course, our enemy is going to place it into many hearts that this phrase is insignificant and does not need to be cried from the heart, but in reality, this phrase is the single lifeline that will grab God’s attention and protect us when we obey His voice in response.

These two passages have great meaning in the Church yet the Church has purposefully driven the truth from these passages. She has begun a crusade against God being in control of our lives and have replaced Him with our own selfish desires of lust, popularity, greed, and countless other worldly possessions.  In other words, we are the examples of what occurs when we lie to God and run away from His flock.  Yes, God shall pursue us to return to Him but He shall never beg for your attention and heart.  Church your King and Shepherd calls out for you to return to Him so that we can once again effectively bring in those who do not know Christ as their eternal Savior.  Now is the time that we put aside our differences and function as a flock of Christ and to pray as Jesus said we should.  Through these simple truths, we can allow God to restore our lives and put us back fulfilling the mission that is before us, for His Word is completely alive.  Both passages tell us that God shall supply our needs if we are willing to lay down our worldly self and come to Him with a repentant heart.  It is through this key that God will allow us to do our part for the Kingdom of God.

DLB