Where Is Your Faith?

Where Is Your Faith?

1/29/17

Faith is usually deemed as an entity that applies to religion or some type of religious organization and on occasion, this word refers to God Himself.  But it is important to understand that there are two kinds of faith and all of us possess both of these types in our lives.  What we fail to understand is that one faith represents life and the other faith represents death.  In other words, each type of faith represents a kingdom and which kingdom a person accepts into their lives is the one that they recognize.  Which is where the title of this message originates and it is a vital question that will define our eternal positioning and one that should be understood on all angles.  For if we do not we shall have no faith in true life and only in a representation of doom.

It is common to support some kind of team or cause during our time on earth.  There is nothing wrong with this and most people around the world share this action of humanity.  Ever since I was a kid I have enjoyed soccer, American football, basketball, etc and while doing so I developed a favorite team in each of these sports.  When a person finds a team to support we have a tendency to place all faith in that team and expect them to overcome all obstacles to beat their opponent.  If we did not have this type of faith in a favorite team we could not truthfully acknowledge that we supported said, team.  A person who has complete faith in a team or organization will endure bad years just as faithful ass they will during good years and take on any other opinion that differs from theirs.  But what type of faith is this and will it have any overall life bearing qualities that will last?  The answer to that is easy to retain, yet it seems like more and more our world demands that we keep this type of finite faith in tow and throw out all other long lasting holdings.

When I was a kid the football team that I liked the most was the Miami Dolphins.  I had never lived in Miami nor had I ever been to that city but for whatever reason, I liked and supported that team.  My parents bought me Dolphins jackets, hats, and shirts when they could and I wore them proudly as often as I could.  But at some point in my young life, my loyalties changed from the Dolphins to the Dallas Cowboys and that team I stayed loyal to for decades and did not waiver any longer.  As my heart continued to beat over the years I found myself falling away from professional American football altogether and began to embrace soccer.  Did this change in my worldly faith in sports or teams serve any eternal purpose in my life? The quick and easy answer to this question would be “no” for it has no bearing on my eternal life according to what God has given me – life, but it defines the type of faith that comes from the world and not the type of faith that represents life itself which is what God sees as faith that lives within us.

There are a number of examples in the Bible that give us what it means to have a living faith and one that God recognizes.  As we have noticed over the past few years in the messages that God has shared with us He uses Adam and Eve from the beginning as examples of those who have lost their true living faith in God (living) and placed it on the worldly issues and ideas instead.  That was followed by one of their sons (Cain) and he ended up murdering his brother due to the conflicting faith issues when it came time for sacrifices.  Did the children of Israel not learn of why they roamed the desert for 40 years?  The children of Israel provide us with ample amounts of examples of this type of worldly faith and they had direct communication with God and witnessed miracle after miracle during these times.  It was through the choices of secularism and not godly relationship as the sole reason God allowed such travesties to occur and since God is a consistent God and cannot change His Ways in any shape or form, we really need to watch our steps.

Their worldly faith became so prevalent in their lives that it eventually cost them their freedom because their eyes had become focused on earthly ideas and deemed them more important that God and His Ways, and at a specific time in their lives they were taken captive into Babylon after their temple was completely destroyed.  God allowed these horrific events to occur due to the choices that each individual or group made and trough these choices that were made defined which type of faith each setting had at that time.  Of course, there are many other instances in the Bible where people trusted fully in God and had complete faith in God and it was through this type of living faith of the living God that their lives took a different path.  That does not mean that their ways and steps were easy, but their stories tell a different ending; just ask Job.

In Matthew 14:22-33 we have a perfect example of the living faith that God recognizes as life and this type of faith is demonstrated when Jesus asks Peter to get out of the boat and come to Him on the waters.  Jesus was giving the perfect example of faith when He asked Peter to step out because Peter understood that if Jesus could walk on water so could he for Peter asked Jesus to allow him to do the same.  When Peter asked Jesus this question Peter had to be looking at Jesus which meant his eyes were strictly on Jesus and not on others or the conditions around him.  It is written that as long as Peter kept His full attention on Jesus he was doing the physically impossible and the laws of gravity did not apply to him at that moment.

But there is a huge example here of what will occur if we take our eyes off of Jesus (God) and begin to notice our surroundings.  See, as long as we are looking at God then our attention is not on us or the world but the moment we turn away and notice our surroundings, we shall not be in the same living faith as God.  As soon as Peter looked around and took his eyes off of Jesus he sank like a rock and was automatically reunited with the physical laws of gravity, in other words when you take your eyes off of God and focus them on the world we are immediately subject to every worldly condition that surrounds us.  This is why it is important that we hide the Word of God in our hearts and to know His Word as much as possible for if we do not our eyes will focus on other things.

Matthew 17:20 also provides us with another great example of living faith through the talk that Jesus was giving to His disciples about them not being able to cast out a demon from a man.  It was obvious that the disciples had no real faith in what Jesus had taught them for the faith that they had was not alive for anything that the devil occupies cannot represent life and the Kingdom which Jesus represents cannot offer anything but life.  Jesus uses the example of a mustard seed and when a seed is planted into the correct soil it shall grow into the plant or tree from which it originally came.  God created us in His image which means that we are a part of Him, more intimately since God breathed into us His spirit and we became a living soul.  We represent life and so we have a living faith that is a part of us but if we do not believe in this faith (God) it becomes a dormant faith and cannot be a part of God.

One of the major projects of restoration from God is the restoration of living faith.  There is no question that each disciple witnessed countless miracles when Jesus walked the earth and no doubt they heard endless teaching sessions about why He was here on earth and how important it was for them and their futures to tell of such faith origins.  It is also known that all of Jesus’ disciples had doubts from time to time and one disciple never understood living faith.  So if the ones who walked, talked and ate with Jesus had problems with living faith how much more difficult is it for those of us who did not have the opportunity to live during Jesus’ earthly years to harbor living faith?  Could we be just as the Israelites were in their captivity and begin to write their own individual Torahs and thus create their own religious beliefs instead of fulfilling the truth about having the Word of God hidden in their hearts?  In their captivity, they even created another ethnic group which Jesus dealt with and mended centuries later.

We must also never forget that there are two kingdoms that are vying for our eternal placement and through this truth, we must accept that there are two types of faith that we can populate and we cannot mistake the one from this world as the true faith.  If we continue to harbor the wrong faith we will end up in the same setting as Judas and see no opportunity to seek restoration, which is a complete lie from Satan and his defeated kingdom.  Judas came to the point in his dead faith that he could no longer recognize Jesus for who He was and why He was on the earth even though he was with Jesus almost every day.  It is this dead faith that the world feeds us and it is this dead faith that if we as a nation continue to invite in our hearts shall force God to do the unthinkable to this land.

So far the greatest disaster that this planet has witnessed occurred when water completely covered the earth as a source of restoration process due to the wickedness of dead faith that humanity had chosen.  We have accounts of similar tragedies in the Bible and in secular history of these phenomenon occurring without seemingly provocation, but there was an underlying dead faith in the hearts of those nations that gave nothing in defense when trials arrived.  This nation has adopted the same dead faith today and if we do not stop and allow God to change our faith into a Job-like faith that continually lives inside us, this nation shall reap the dead as it indwells dead faith.  Why does it take such travesties for humanity to understand that they are not in control over their existence, then at some point down the road turn away from our Creator again; the cycle does not end unless they choose to continue to have living faith instead of dead faith.

The point that God is making here is that in order for us to understand what He is saying to His people relies on the fact that the faith that He authorizes should be one that is alive and will have nothing in common with dormancy.  In every example that the Bible gives concerning faith, it places a person’s desires and motives in the forefront and is eventually called out when the time arises for faith to be shown.  It is easy for us to lose sight of God’s faith in our lives, and while this is a dangerous opportunity that many take it is a common one.  I have to include myself in this equation because at times my faith diminishes enough that I doubt what god has called me to do.  Then when things come together and another message is delivered, I spend a specific amount of time kicking myself for lacking the faith in what God is saying to me to help others.  I pray that one day my faith shall be consistent and strong enough to never question or doubt God and His words, for it is His Life that all of us need in order live eternally.

As the children of Israel found out many times in the Old Testament, when faith in God dwindles enough to have eyes shift to the world it is not just a single group that is affected, it is the entire nation that eventually is included in the disobedience.  While it is tough for us to understand why God does such things in this manner we must understand that if He does not include all, then He would be considered biased and therefore not just.  It is this pattern that this nation faces if we do not change our hearts and return to Him.  It does not matter who is in charge of this nation because when our hearts rely on earthly faith we shall ignore God and His ways and then we have to feel the consequences of this choice of ours.  Now is the time that we repent and return God to our hearts and then we can once again understand and know the correct security that shall bring true protection and eternal covering to this nation, both individually and nationally.

For quite a while now it has been made clear that the majority of the people in this country have chosen to ignore God and to keep their faith based solely on ourselves.  God beckons us to drop this limited knowledge and return to the One who can give us extraordinary faith when tough times occur.  It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that this nation is going through a continuous stress period and from all indications, it does not look like it shall end anytime soon.  This can only mean one thing, that our faith has been placed on mankind and not God.  As stated above about faith and how is it does not matter who is in charge of the country because if we do not choose God first and place His living faith in our hearts at all times it shall not matter who is in charge for all shall fail and a deepening division shall soon follow.  God is the ONLY answer and His Ways are the true ways that we need to have in our hearts.  What will be your legacy of faith?  Will it be a living one or one that is limited to selfish means?

DLB

The Roof Over Your Head

The Roof Over Your Head

1/28/17

Many of us have heard this phrase being used in various ways and when we hear it always refers to our house and the covering that we usually take for granted.  A roof is a provision which stands for covering and the top which keeps the elements from falling directly on our lives.  God’s Word provides us with a perfect example of this covering and just like the physical a covering that many of us take for granted and one that we ignore on a constant basis.  Until we return to this covering our existence in the world’s perils shall rise and present horrific challenges that can be skipped.  If we return to God and His Ways and live completely under this roof our lives shall be full of joy and happiness as the world continues to follow its path of destruction.

When I was growing up I lived in many houses due to the profession of being a pastor’s kid.  While moving had some disadvantages, the majority of my growing up life has great memories and some of these great memories came in the form of the houses which we lived.  I never had a lack of a roof over my head even when I lived in a town where danger literally surrounded my every move.  I never was cold at night and unless I was camping with the church kids group I never had the opportunity to have raindrops land on my head.  I guess I could say that I am one of the lucky ones who grew up not knowing homelessness or lacking a proper house and I am so grateful for that even though I never really gave thanks to God and to my parents for this basic covering.  Even with this little bit of new information, the appreciation of what my parents did and still continue to do today thrills me beyond belief and I want both of them to know that I love them and that I am so proud of them for not only providing for me all those years but also showing me the truth about God’s Word every day of my life.

This morning I was reading one of my overdue library books about the Medieval Church world and as I was reading I also had one of my distractions up on the computer, a social website.  A movement on the screen caught my peripheral eye and I turned my head and saw a picture of a house, more specifically a roof of a house and it was at this point where God gave me the message of this article.  I did not hesitate one bit and began to jot down the words that He gave me and immediately began to open the program on which I write.  As I sat there staring at this picture of a simple roof, I could not believe that I had missed this concept all this time but for whatever reason God kept this message title and subject until this moment for a reason; however, to be honest, right at this moment I cannot even remember seeing another reference of this obscure page on this website before.  It is a beautiful message and one that once again proves that the Word of God is current, living in the present and specific for each one of our lives.

Building items is not an uncommon theme in the Bible for its references start in Genesis and mentioned all the way to the end of Revelation so one must believe that building items and more specifically a house is of a vital importance.  Of course, the Bible days did not have all of the modern technological advantages that we do today, but the concept of a covering over a place of residence was already in place during those times.  Stop and think about it for a moment, why would anyone build a flood underneath them and walls around them but have no covering from the things that could fall from above them?  It is a concept most simple yet when one sees pictures of old church buildings, houses, and stores it is the roof that is missing while the walls and flooring are the objects still present.  Even in the ancient deserts of the Middle East, it is the walls of the stone buildings and fortresses that remain, the roofs are gone.  Could this be a sign of how important it is for humans to have a sound roof over their heads and what occurs if one does not uphold its integrity?

In Genesis, we have the beginnings of how marriages in Jewish life unfolded.  It was a specific process which placed covenant at the forefront of the process and which required the male involved to build an adequate house for the bride to be.  The house had to be completely finished and inspected by the father of the bride and approved before the marriage was allowed to finalize.  Many other aspects of the wedding vows had to be completed during this time but if the house was not properly made, no wedding would take place until such a time of adequate house conditions.  Even back in those days a roof was an important part of the completion of this process and necessary in order for the couple to be married.  This process continues today for a contractor, landowner, or any other development company or bank cannot say that a house is ready until all inspections have been completed and approved.  Since a marriage is imminent in our family, this concept and truth cannot be of greater importance because when God is at the center of such a building nothing can stand against it.

When Jesus walked the earth, houses were present along with many other types of buildings that proudly bore elaborate rooftops.  We still have some examples of these buildings that stand today and serve proof that an adequate roof is part of the successful building project.  So, why would God leave out this portion of our eternal completeness?  How could He warrant our lives special if He did to provide such a vital piece of our Creation?  He did even from the beginning God has provided His children with every aspect of safety that we need but it has always been our choice to either live under this protection or not and as we study His Word we have plenty opportunities to learn about what occurs in our lives when we do not choose His Ways.

The covering began in the Garden of Eden and then increased when God made an eternal Covenant with mankind, another example of being separated from this world and living under the protection of God at all times.  Israel missed the importance of this truth and while they understood its meaning and ways they never fully understood its eternal and spiritual guidance that are needed to incorporate God’s full protection and covering.  That is ok, for today we are still following in their footsteps because we have lost sight of how important it is that we live under the roof of God’s protection as well.  Just as the children of Israel did so long ago, we have chosen not even to live in the house that God has built for us and instead chose to live in a cardboard shanty that we call “home”.  What is so sad is that while we are lying in our shanties, we look out and see the real buildings that God has provided for us and scream and shake our fists at them, a human trait that I find most intriguing.

I have heard people say that they struggle with some of the truths that are in the Bible and how they do not pertain to them today.  God’s Word is all about you and I and how God has provided a way for us to be separated from this world.  Some of these processes that we study can be kind of harsh and unrealistic at first glance but when studied those aspects can be applied to our lives so that we may avoid those consequences and live differently according to what history reveals.  God does not do anything without a purpose, He cannot for if He did He would not be able to consider Himself an able God, but only an idol god.  Each spiritual second of God’s eternal existence has had a direct purpose of fulfillment and He shall never change this truth.  This means that His Word serves us as a guide about how He shall protect us and how important it is for us to heed His housing ways and the reasons as to why He has these specifics.

The roof is the most important aspect of the house of covering for it covers the occupants’ heads from the incoming elements and from the enemy’s lobbing objects.  The roof that God built also serves as the living cover that He ordained as the final step in having a completed house for His children.  Because of our limited scope and finite minds, there is no way possible that we could ever construct any facility that would be worthy of living in God’s eyes and heart.  That is why it makes perfect sense that the final covering would come from both God and the human to serve as the roof covering of completion.  This also proves that God has only one way to Him and that there can be no other way to complete the house in which He provided for our protection and separation.

In the Old Testament, we have many mentions of one who would come and save the world and provide a covering so that we may have access to God once again.  In the Gospels of the New Testament, we have God’s Son who walked the earth and had a tremendous ministry while His days commenced.  We also have in these letters the truth about how He was betrayed and sent to be slain according to the requests of mankind, but what is missed by many is that it was through this act that when His blood was shed He completed the roof of the house of protection and separation that is required by God.  It is the blood of Christ that covers us and allows God’s eyes to see nothing but perfection even though we do not possess one ounce of such element in our lives.  This truth is an act of living faith that we hold in our hearts as the ultimate source of eternal life and choose to live under at all times.

In the epistles of the New Testament, we find that humanity and our reasoning of interpretation had come into play and it is through these letters we see that the authors are dealing with the  Church and trying to subdue the interpretations that the people chose to accept instead of the truth about God.  While I find it very interesting to see people trying to interpret the covering of Jesus’ blood, what I find more concerning is that they fail to realize that they cannot complete such activity but only voluntarily move out from under that protection through such actions.  The path to God has been completed and the roof of covering was perfectly provided by God which cannot be changed or altered.  The roof that God has provided is simple, true, pure and holy in all ways and serves to finalize our separation from the world according to God and His eyes.  The completeness of the Word of God continues with this magnificent fact and gives those who doubt another piece of truth (completeness) that they can rely on when times become hard.  This aspect and truth should also embolden the Church to proclaim the witness of God to mankind and solidify how important God’s provisions are for our existence.  It is not for us to change the settings of this truth and if we try to change such truth the only result that we can expect will be a disaster. 

It is vital that we understand that the reason why God has completed this living space for our lives is that there is an eternal war that is raging for our existence.  The enemy sees his opportunity when he notices that we are peering out from underneath our protection.  His enticements conceal his true meaning and when we expose ourselves enough and for long enough, he shall strike with a convincing blow that can eternally damn us with his type of separation instead of God’s type.  The most defenseless position a person in combat can have is from above for we cannot stop any incoming projectiles unless we have an adequate roof of protection overhead.  The walls of our house and the foundation under our feet along with the protective headgear of the Armor of God is of the most importance, but unless we continually have the blood of Christ covering our lives our defense shall be flawed and we will succumb to the enemy sure as shooting.

This is why it is so important to have the entire Armor of God on and in our lives.  And most important that we claim the blood of Christ for what it represents and not what we can make it according to our wants.  The blood of Christ completes the roof that is over our head and serves as the key in God’s eyes to His holiness in our lives.  We can no longer afford to believe that we understand everything there is to know about the blood of Christ.  We must study its divine covering in its everlasting and living capacity for when we understand that Jesus’ blood is alive we will understand that we do not need to have preventative maintenance on it for it is constant and adequate at all times, ever since its Creation and establishment by God.

Church stop trying to accommodate the world by using the blood of Christ as a catch-all covering, this is not what why Jesus died for our sins.  Jesus died to serve as the final protection to separate us from the world and not to join its earthly societal admissions.  When we allow Jesus’ blood to cover us it provides the ultimate covering that we need in order for God to know that our hearts are still under His authority.  When God sees our sin first that means we have stepped out from under His house and when more hearts are out from under the blood roof covering, God also understands who our hearts trust and believe.  It is time for us to return to the blood covering without hesitation and interpretations.  Submit our lives completely to God and lose all selfish wants from His Word and God has promised to heal our land when we have His son’s blood over our heads.  In the end, no matter how we look at what God has provided, it is always about the cross.

DLB

Fast Food Churches

Fast Food Churches

1/24/17

What a topic to have as a message from God, eh.  But this topic is one that has direct communication issues with God and the founder of the Church His Son Jesus.  How can one claim to belong to such an organization that is in and out so fast that everything has a time limit so that they can beat the lunch line at the local cafeteria?  When we worship God we should be completely involved where time is not a factor, for when we rush through services we place God in a box, a building if you please instead of allowing Him to minister to our hearts.  This is one of the major issues that our stomachs have for God and when serving Him in this capacity, it literally turns His stomach.

As one can tell by the title the subject of fast food will be on the menu; I know, bad joke.  I am in no way attacking these establishments nor am I against them for I patron these places from time to time.  It is a convenient matter that sometimes our lives demand that we have a fast and ready meal instead of a meal that takes longer to prepare and then eat.  I do not know about your house but almost every time we eat at a fast food place our stomachs and subsequently our digestive tracts suffer, not from the food itself but how it is prepared and the difference from the home cooked meals that we usually have.  It passes quickly but it is what remains in our minds when the thought of returning to such of an establishment that has the more resounding effect on our future.  And in keeping with the pattern, while the majority of the time the food at fast food places is acceptable, there is always one experience of bad taste that always is kept in the back of our minds.

While this setting can be conjured to just a physical quality of life, one can contend that church can supply the exact same setting for our spiritual lives and more likely than not will have a far longer lasting truth in our hearts than one bad experience at a fast food restaurant, even though the meals served are almost identical in nature.  Sadly, many of the modern day churches have adopted such meals to its congregants and it is through this type of placemats that are spiritually killing God’s children.  This type of adoption agency is not what God had intended for His Church and He guarantees that this type of service shall not be administered at His banquet table in heaven either.  God has never applied anything that is prepared half way or that is not good for a child of His and according to His Word, He cannot provide anything but something that is full of life.

How have we become so settled with this type of meals that we need to survive spiritually to be set before our spiritual lives?  Are we so afraid of the eternal truth that we have to sugar coat every word that we receive from God?  God’s Word is there for a reason and it was provided for us for an eternal reason and we cannot afford to lessen what the Bible states for when we do we allow our enemy to lull our spirits away from the realization of what eternity really provides.  God makes no bones about how important it is for us to follow His Word exactly and to hide His Word in our hearts so that we may follow His guide at all times.  It is this truth that we have the authority to know what God has said to His children and that we deserve better than the measly quickly prepared shortcomings that many pulpits deliver today.

A little over a month ago, our town welcomed another fast food restaurant into the confines of the city limits.  I must admit that even though this is a fast food type service setting it is a decent one and one that has a good reputation across this country and in some foreign countries as well.  It was hilarious to watch some of the comments being expressed on the local message board about how busy the place was, in fact, one of the comments said that that person believed that half the county was at the place when they drove by.  The newness of this place is what attracted many people to its grand opening with expected first days after its doors opened, and when I was reading these comments it was then that God dropped a few meaningful words about what was being served in many churches into my heart.  I must say the same type of atmosphere has been witnessed when another denominational church provides a new pastor or even opens up altogether; sad, but the truth.

There is no doubt about it that when a person eats at home it will always be cheaper and better for the family than eating out.  It does not matter if a family eats out only once a week, that specific meal, one that feeds the family adequately, will always be more expensive than feeding the family at home; even if it is the exact same menu prepared at home it will be cheaper.  It is the verse of the Lord’s Prayer that comes into play here and it serves our needs correctly both on the physical and spiritual side of our lives.  Having our daily bread requires our own effort, work needed in order to fulfill and to fill our stomachs with the necessary energy to combat the day, the same goes for the spiritual aspect of our lives as well and it is obvious that both aisles of the food encounters are making us anemic for the correct nutrients we need.  So, once again, God asks the question to His children, why do you settle for the same type of worthless food choices for your spiritual food as well?

I remember when I was a young teenager, it was popular to go to church and it was no big deal to proudly and loudly proclaim which church you attended.  Christianity was a good quality to have in the land and it was socially acceptable in almost every community; however, when some of the prominent leaders of the denominations began to fall from the glory which is of Rome, the once popular church community fell into an unsecured position of hypocrisy which she has never really recovered.  At the time I failed to recognize what actually had transpired during this time frame and once I began to study church history I realized that it was not just that time period (1980s) but that type of falling away had been present ever since the Early Church had been present.  The popular attraction of something new almost always grabs the attention from enough people to swell the masses to that establishment, and churches are no exception when it comes to this fact.  It is through this process that many good intentions fall and become shambles because the priorities of the leaders are misconstrued and can only produce a fast food service.  The people become disillusioned and settle for such a service which leads to an underserved eternal lifeline.

When a church begins to feed the attracted masses with this type of superficial food from the Word of God only bad things can result and if this fast food service of the Bible continues it shall provide shallow defenses against the enemy and spiritually starve the child of God from the nutrients that we need in order to spiritually survive.  It may seem like our spiritual stomachs are full but we are not being spiritually fed enough to maintain our stamina against our enemy much less carry the full armor of God either.  Talk about counting the cost, a superficial message may be quick and easy but in the long run, it shall cost a person their spiritual placement for eternity, so in the end which type of food is more costly?

When I was in Africa, every church service I attended including the large crusade services I witnessed hours and hours of people worshipping God and had no care in the world about anything else during that time.  Some of these same types of services here in the States would go on in this type of manner as well and then have a “family” potluck that would last until evening service time.  Services were not farmed or formed out and then quickly subverted because of varying places that the people believed that they needed to be rather than the house of God.  Ear tickling messages were not heard by those who were in the pews, a quality sermon from God’s Word for His people was delivered, a message that one could remember and count on to help them as their week rolled along.

How can a human body survive on ingesting this type of food on a regular basis?  There was a show on television not too long go that portrayed a man that would go around and eat at certain popular restaurants just to sample their menu, or to eat a portion of food that made that particular restaurant famous.  This man became overweight within a short period of time and after the series had ended he admitted that his diet needed to be changed and that he had become sluggish and continually did not feel well.  Does this sound familiar to anyone who has struggled with the quality of food service coming from pulpits?  It should because many pulpits are filled with this type of teaching and feeding and through this type of service the Church is dying spiritually and is about to be cut off at the head for she is already on her knees and it is not in front of her Creator either.

Fast food churches serve a selfish purpose and unlike a spiritually fed church, it cannot survive against the world so it follows the world instead.  A pulpit that provides this type of food does not stand in the confines and guidance of God’s Word, it cannot because, throughout the entire Bible, God made it clear that His children should be separate from the masses and not be in cahoots with the world and its provisions.  This type of pulpit strives to superficially provide lies to the church body, both the spiritual and physical included.  Yes, for the most part, a popular message will attract people and it might just might, increase the tithe a tad but most importantly the condition of the Church is deteriorating because the food provided is processed and not fresh and alive.

A good message from the Bible, one that has truth and holy meat, shall do more good to the child of God than any superficial, denominational agenda packed falsity prepared by Satan himself, for the Word of God can only provide life and the life that it provides can withstand any time frame which makes it eternal and everlasting, not weak or conflicting.  God is not a whimsical idea that is here one minute and gone the next but an eternal being that has given His Word as a source of eternal knowledge.  He can only provide the best meals according to what our bodies require, both spiritual and physical.  Home prepared meals are the best and when a stomach receives such a meal, the energy that is obtained can be seen with each step we take.  God’s Word is the exact same and the world can see what God is doing in our lives if we have studied His Word for one cannot hide the difference or the change from others around us.  It is our duty to provide a good spiritual meal to those who need it, so why do we settle for such fast food from the pulpit? 

Church, take a good look at what kind of food you are being served, for it is impossible for us to complete our mission if we are out of energy before we even step foot on the battlefield.  We can no longer afford to sit and hear fast food messages, we need the Word of God back into our hearts and if we do not begin to receive this food we shall never receive the goodness of God’s Word and fulfill His one command.  Repent Church and turn our pulpits back into lights and as a servant of God’s Word of good and healthy food delivery.  Times are about to get hard for everyone and if we are not spiritually prepared for this battle, not only will our personal lives be lost but our spiritual ones as well.  God’s Word serves as His table of life and we all need to be seated at His table which means that what our pulpits serve must be compatible with what God wants us to understand.  We must never forget that the Church is a Covenant institution and according to the origins of God's Covenant with mankind, there can never be anything superficial of "fast food like" about this process on any level.

DLB

Definition of We

Definition of We

1/23/17

The word “we” is one of the most popularly used words in any vocabulary for it defines a family, group or even a nation.  “We” is an inclusive word that when used is a safety net that will include everyone that the speaker wishes, it can also be used as a divisive word that excludes many as well.  The Bible speaks about this word many times but in a manner to which we might overlook or not think about.  God is the author of the word “we” and He includes Himself in this definition and if we do not accept Him as a party of this word, “we” is automatically overcome by “me” and therefore are doomed to fail in all aspects of our existence.

We have always heard that to become a team everyone needs to be on the same page so that the goal that is desired can be achieved.  We have also heard the second part of this concept that there is no “I” in team because everyone works together in order to reach the desired goal.  No one sets out a mission to lose and while it becomes obvious to some that some teams do not have the best material for a dynamite team the potential is always there for a cohesive unit to be formed.  It is easy to understand what the concept of a team is when things are going well and the results of the team are favorable, but we must acknowledge that when things go wrong we begin to question the team and its positions going towards that goal.  It does not matter what kind of team one “plays” on this concept is true on every level including the big game, the game of life.

Most people who have read the articles that God has provided us will remember that when I was young a good portion of my life was spent growing up in the South, more specifically in Texas.  This meant that I was expected to play as many sports as possible, including the big one football.  My upper two years in high school were spent in a large 5A school in SE Texas.  Every year our football team would complete the season with a mediocre season and would not even be in the running for a playoff spot, a situation very frustrating for many of the people in the area.  Of course, there were moments when the players would squabble back and forth and everyone knew that this frustration level had to weigh heavy on everyone involved.  The cohesiveness was there but holes remained and as soon as the regular season ended we would all gather and watch other teams strive for the ultimate championship prize.  It was tough being “we” during those years, we as a school and community learned a lot but it seemed like whatever was tried overcoming this block could not be accomplished.

The common definition of the word “we” is as follows: the term used by a speaker to refer to herself / himself and one or more other people considered together.  It would seem that the word “we” would be pretty simple in recognizing and who is included when this word is used.  Have you ever asked yourself when the word “we” became an important word in our lives?  I must admit that I had never really thought about it before and in truth never had any reason to consider its origin in the first place.  Recently, I asked one of my coworkers where he believed that the word “we” originated and he immediately gave me a very logical and established answer.  His answer provided the correct definition according to our language presentations, and his answer was dead on when it came to how we used such a word in everyday communication.  But I shocked him when I said that the word “we” originated from God and was used way before English was developed or any other language known to mankind.  How many of you have really understood this truth? 

Have you ever considered the word “we” to be of a pure nature?  I can figure that most of us have indirectly considered this type of connotation, but how serious are we about it and what it means to our lives?  The purity of “we” can be readily demonstrated when one marries or commits themselves to a permanent relationship on any level.  How pure are we talking about?  Well, in all fairness and truth we must understand that the word “we” was really described when God’s Word mentions the time Lucifer spent in heaven and held his position with God.  The purest form of “we” was demonstrated here and after Lucifer fell, the concept of this purity of “we” was destroyed on his part, but not God’s.  It is this part of the word that then becomes our focus when God created us.

So, it should not be too exciting to realize that type of frustration is also typically found in the Church as well and when one study’s her history it is easily recognized that this frustration has always been present.  I guarantee that when Jesus walked this earth He had no intention of confusing His people or the Church that He established concerning exactly what His mission was on earth or why His Father sent Him to the earth.  Yet, over the millennia it has become evident that many of us are running around in every direction still trying to find some type of cohesiveness with God and His Word, a wonderful concept of discord that our enemy has successfully planted against God’s children.

In Genesis Chapters 1-3 we are witnessing God’s Holy Order unfolding and there is nothing more beautiful than reading the creation of our world and how it all came to be.  We also find it fascinating and intriguing how God created us from the dirt and then gave us His spirit inside our lives so that we could be complete and unique from all other creations that He ordained.  It is this relationship that we can understand and define our origins, and it is this setting that defines the word “we” and more importantly includes God’s Holy Order.  In Genesis 2:7 says: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”  Genesis 2:21-22 says: “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman and brought her unto the man.”

As of these passages of Scripture, mankind was in our purity before God our Creator.  No blemishes were present and in this form did God make us as long as we obeyed His one command.  Now, refer back up a few paragraphs and reread the definition of the word “we”.  When we read these passages we cannot deny that there are three beings that are involved in this setting.  God, Adam and Eve are all present and since there is more than one person or entity being mentioned, it can be classified as a “we” setting and thus we have the first definition and origin of the word “we” in the Bible and it has a direct mention to our existence.  This setting also clears up the fact that it was not just Adam and Eve present when the word “we” came into being, God was present on all aspects of this word and how it is defined. 

To protect the complete order of God, He had to be the one to create mankind and thus serve as the overall standard for the word “we” to be recognized in our lives.  Since mankind was created only once, there can be no other standard by which we can truly and honestly mark the word “we” in our lives as a basis or foundation of life.  If God is taken out of the equation, we can no longer be a true “we” because a singular “we” automatically becomes a “me”.  This is why it is vital that we place God first in our lives and to separate ourselves from the world because as we see in Genesis Chapter 3 Adam and Eve have already lost the truth about “we” and have taken it upon themselves to incorporate and to replace “me” as the head of holy temple.  In any form, if God is not first in our lives the complete and original definition of “we” has been usurped by our enemy and chosen to reign over our lives as “me”.

This past weekend, a number of events were witnessed with both sides of the agreement being represented.  While I was working for the majority of these events, modern technology allowed me to catch glimpses of most of these events as they occurred.  I found a common theme being used over these events and it was during the inauguration of our new president that God dropped this message into my heart to be shared.  More specifically, it was immediately after President Trump spoke this phrase that God gave me this message.  Trump’s words were as follows: “There should be no fear. We are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.”  As soon as my ears heard the word “God”, it was at that instant that God gave me this article.  What President Trump said here was vital to our existence and it is a beacon of truth that we need to understand according to the origin of the word “we”.

If anyone has their eyes set on President Trump as the one person who will turn things around in this country and for this country, you are gravely mistaken.  If anyone believes that the words, positions, and policies of President Obama will turn this country around you too are gravely mistaken.  These men and ANY other person who claims to have answers that will protect our nation from all harm, discourse, fallacies, or even destruction without understanding and proclaim where the true heart of this nation lies, cannot project any truth as being considered unified as a team or therefore being “we”.  From the moment Adam and Eve lost who was the head of the original “we” status humanity has been struggling to find their way back to unity.  This truth is a great example as to why every form of human government in the world – the present and the past – has failed.  “Me” and “my” agenda have ruled families, groups, organizations, towns, cities, states and nations all in the name of “we” and every one of them on some level of their existence has failed to complete what they started out to be.

Also, in truth, all of the demonstrations and protests that were organized and fulfilled used the word “we” in order to draw attention to some or certain groups that shared like manners, but soon after these events were announced many other groups were not invited or refused into the event.  “We” was not truthfully represented for God includes all people when He is present in our lives and as long as He is the origin of “we” nothing can come between His children.  But we would rather isolate for power and recognition and utilize “me” in the “we” instead.  The origins of your life could not have occurred without God’s law of life first being put into motion.  No State or Nation could have ever been established unless God ordained its creation through His Holy Order being represented first.  This foundational truth should be at the forefront of our thinking and should be allowed to fully infiltrate our hearts so that we may once again live in the original state of “we”.

It has always intrigued me when new catch phrases, words, events, or any other life assaulting details rise to our eyes and ears.  But I have come to the realization that when these types of situations come about there is a purpose that is present and one so important that we understand exactly what is transpiring.  We have become so independently “right” within ourselves that we have lost all concept of truth that we continually seek.  When an issue concerning life appears, we must stop and take a look at the real reason why it has appeared.  Not a “me” reason but a “we” reason, the “we” that God ordained from the moment He created us.  The “me” we is what our enemy offers for it was through this selfish “me” syndrome that caused his eternal fall and that is exactly what he is invoking into our lives and we are skipping along the sidewalk in a daze and allowing his sick ways to procure our hearts, both on an individual and national level.

Our lives originated with the eternal Creator of everything life.  Our status within Him is defined in His Word right from the beginning and it has not changed one bit even with our fall.  It is, however, our choice to ignore Him or to accept Him as first in our lives and the reflections of either choice shall be witnessed.  It does not matter who you place in power over a nation, state, city, community or even personally because if they do not place God first and His Holy Order first in their lives, all will be lost for eternity. This message has mentioned many political activities that have occurred recently but in NO WAY is this message dealing with politics or who was elected whichever, whatever position and for whatever country, it is and always has been about eternity when it comes to God.  There is only One true way to God and Jesus followed the true and holy meaning of “we” when He obeyed His Father’s wish to fulfill His plan on earth.

DLB

Forced From Your Homeland

Forced From Your Homeland

1/18/17

Not many of us understand what the title of this article means, for this land has been stable for some time in which this call has not rung before.  However, there are those who not only have lost their homes but their lands as well and through this activity have contemplated the reasons why those events occurred.  A loss of this magnitude is horrific on all levels of humanity, but the examples of loss appear in the Bible as well and give service more dynamic than today.  Not only did the biblical examples lose their home but they lost their eternal status as well, but God is a merciful God and Creator that continued to provide an escape from this ending through the same mannerisms of choice that He provided in the beginning.  The gift of accepting of choice of God still lives today and God’s voice of repentance is louder than ever because He knows time is of the essence.

I have been reading a wonderful book that is called “American Tempest” that deals with the beginnings of the American Revolution.  The author has brilliantly written specific accounts of how the people of this nation acted and reacted to very tense times before the war and the shooting began.  This process did not take overnight but steadily grew over a period of events that lasted for a few years.  While some of these events are well known and recorded quite adequately, there are specific instances that have been ignored or brushed over in history class.  In order for us to completely understand and accept the American Revolution, we must accept that not everyone was so willing to part ways with the governing bodies of that era.

The people were basically divided into three categories and each of these categories had their leaders who directed the movements of each group.  Now, when one reads this historical time of our land not all of us will agree at the performances of each group and the lengths that were portrayed almost on a daily basis, but one can say that the hearts of each individual that demonstrated, protested, approved of, or argued against these methods had a sincere love for their country and were ready to die for the will to live in freedom.  This was not a light decision that these individuals made for they understood that the choices they made were representative of permanent markings that once convened could not be reversed in any manner.

One particular individual that had torn feelings was a man by the name of Peter Oliver who served as a British Government official in the colony of Massachusetts Bay.  Even though Mr. Oliver was a loyalist to the British, he was born in Boston which meant he was an American citizen by birth and had all of the benefits that one who was born in this land could obtain.  What a horrific predicament this man and his family must have witnessed as his boat out of Boston sailed from the harbor to safety.  This action and choice of his could not have been easy but the decision had been made and when the American Revolution was winding down the inevitable was unfolding and the results of such great action was experienced by all.

Mr. Oliver knew that things in his life and the beliefs that he had within in heart could not be changed and that the Americans had sealed their fate as a nation and were now on their own.  To witness such a revolution was bad in itself but to be cast from your home and land for your beliefs and actions must have been a torturous project to undertake.  However, as hard as it must have been for this man and his family they accepted the results of the revolution and carried on with their lives as best as they could. Their loyalties to the motherland were still intact but you know that they must have had countless talks and endless thoughts about what might have been if they had portrayed different opinions concerning the entire ordeal. 

Mr. Oliver hated the fact that both his personal home and birth home were literally in flames and that his life would never be the same, but never did he ever give up on the process of freedom of his country and the potential that it had.  In this order, he placed his country first and his personal feelings last which represents the proper way of living in any land.  The only problem with this order is that God was not directly involved in the new direction of the country – the winners or the losers – and to this day we still witness the fallout of this disastrous choice.  The voices of reason and unity once again could protrude from the mouths of the inhabitants even though their justifications were not won; a similar act was provided to us after the surrender of the Civil War Confederacy; still, the act of true forgiveness and divine placement eludes us today.

How many times do you think that Adam and Eve had those issues come up in their talks and thoughts with each other?  Adam and Eve had no idea of what was to become of their lives since the choices that they both made were now coming into play. Being thrown out of their home was bad enough, but before that occurred they came to understand that their protector had shielded them from so many obstacles that were now going to have to be dealt with personally.  Then, to have their homeland sealed off with an angel and his flaming sword that rotated in every direction finalized their exit and the mystery of this land began then and also continues to this day.  How come is it so hard for humans to place God first in their lives and then KEEP Him there!  Well, to be honest, I have to include myself in this statement because there have been numerous times in my life that I have placed my wishes over God’s and have reaped those “benefits” greatly, so I can ask myself this question as well and do on a regular basis.

Any type of division in living status has its disadvantages and issues with many that are expected and then those that unexpectedly arise.  It is no secret that when these instances arrive at our doorsteps we must take them as humans and act towards them accordingly; but, how many times do we really accomplish this tremendous feat?  No separation is easy and when one leaves their place of inhabitance there is always a part of the heart that remains behind.  It does not matter on what level one wishes to discuss this type of loss the pain is still present but we must do our best to pick up those pieces and carry on with our heads held high.  Solace in God helps tremendously for those of us who know His Ways understand that all of His children will face troubled times and if we know that He is with us at all times His presence serves as a comfort rather than a worldly abandonment.  It is easy to say that we know that God is present when things are going good in our lives but how quick are we to blame God when things go south?  This is the important question that we need to come to grips with for if we do not turn back to His Ways there is a really good chance – 100% chance – that He will have to intervene according to His authority in order for us to wake up to who really is in control again.

During this unusual timeframe in our country, we are faced with such a decision and choice making opportunity that could have high-end consequences if we do not handle things in the correct manner.  It does not matter how one voted in this previous election but it is the future of this country that is on the board of concerns.  Whether one likes it or not there are those who boarded the ships to be escorted out for their safety and then there are those who rejoiced at the outcome with a spattering of people who were indifferent in the results of such actions.  Whatever line a person, family, group or state drew the line is formed and we must carry on towards a better future for every individual and for the nation in general.  However, this forward progression shall never come to fruition unless we place God back in control of our lives and live under His Ways, but first, we must be willing to give up control so that He may work His wondrous ways in our lives and in our nation.  If we really want to be leaders, the true leaders that we were created to be, we will accomplish this truth in our lives and be the first nation to do so both on the individual and national scales.

If our selfish ways succeed and we end up following the same results as our past we shall not witness any further unity because when we choose the world and its laws the only result that one can expect is division.  It is of dire importance that we grasp this concept now because many of us do not recognize what we have unleashed in our societies due to the choices that we have made in recent times.  In this case, we are going to be tested as the leaders that we are and the representatives that we were created to be.  Whether we realize this truth or not this nation was established for a godly purpose for the advancement of God’s Kingdom not the world’s lies.  It is through this foundation and origin that our enemy has the legal groundwork to annihilate our existence because of the lack of understanding concerning the truth of our establishment.  First off, we have failed to recognize exactly what we have allowed to be born within our lives, secondly, then grow to what it has become today.  Many of us even fail to recognize that anything is wrong due to what they consider is right in their own eyes.  The basic foundation of being separate from others has been thrown out and replaced by a destructive mark that cares nothing but for our selfish gain and popularity.  It is evident that everyone shall not agree on every matter, but do we have to follow a divisive course of action that will further our guilt?  Is our directive to get our point across or to keep the union together so that we can be a light to the world?

The answer to the question immediately above is an obvious one, on either side of the motion because it all boils down to if we have God first in our lives or not.  It is sad to state this but the Church does not even have God first for her actions speak what is in her heart every day that she spits out worldly motives.  Adam and Eve were placed in a separate living facility and were created as separate entities to inhabit a perfect world, they chose differently.  Israel was created as a separate nation from those around it for a reason, they chose differently.  The Church was established by God’s only Son to be a light of separation from the world, she chose differently.  God established this nation to be separate from others but once again we find that it has chosen differently.  One thing that all of these examples have in common is that they placed their own wants, beliefs, and wishes in front of God. 

The evidence provided proves without a shadow of a doubt that if humans do not place God first in their lives their world shall come crashing down around them at some point in time.  It does not matter who you are or what you have done God shall forgive you of your wrongdoings and place you blameless if you completely turn your heart to Him and obey His Ways.  It almost seems like humans want to see their lives destroyed because we continually ignore the truth about our existence and who is ultimately in control.  The only way that we will ever see stability in our lives is if we have God #1 in our hearts.  That is all God wants from us is to give Him control of our lives and then He guarantees that you shall know and experience true and eternal freedom from this evil place that our enemy rules.  It is written in stone that if we do not allow God to get rid of the spirit of Jezebel that we have officially elected in our hearts, we are in for a heap of trouble very soon, a trouble that this nation and the world has never known before.

The witnesses of our recent past will be nothing in comparison to what we will experience if we do not change our methods of unification.  What is spectacular about such efforts by us is that as we scream and cry to be heard about our opinions against those who we do not agree with, we are making a covenant with the spirit that lives within our hearts.  No one can serve two masters and if God has offered the world an eternal covenant of redemption then that means whoever does not live under this covenant, must serve the other “covenant”.  We sing that God is glorious in all things, well we must remember those words when God has no other option to bring this country to its knees because we have failed to obey His Word as well.

God’s Covenant is strictly based on being separate from the world, while the world’s covenant is strictly based on being separated from God, plain and simple.  Church, God is calling for us to repent and to allow Him to fill our hearts with His Word which is eternal life.  This process is so easy, all we have to do is to turn and repent of our sins and acknowledge that God and His Son Jesus are #1 in your life and that you pledge the rest of your days to serve and to follow His Word.  When this is accomplished you will realize that this world is not your home and that your home has already been prepared for you according to your perfect state of existence through the blood of Jesus.

DLB

The Known

The Known

1/17/17

We love to contend that humans do know so much more today than other civilizations did during ancient or even biblical times.  While a certain amount of knowledge can follow this belief not every area of the known can acquire this feat, which defines wisdom and how it is considered in the human thought process.  It is easy for one to convey this knowledge to others trying to explain the physical when the spiritual is so out of line that the division present cannot be observed by either party involved.  God is viewed in this manner as well which is a type of human characteristic of trying to bring Him down to our level to reconcile the division that is present between us and Him.  Until we realize that our lives can be utterly destroyed into undefined particles through His Word’s truths and that the only way we can sustain eternal life is to give up this world’s ways and turn to Him, we are doomed to dig this division further and have no hope of peace, love or eternal life.

It is every parent’s desire to have their children follow their examples of knowledge as much as possible so that they do not have to experience some of the bad things that life has to deal them.  As a parent, we know that while this is a wonderful thought of ours, it will inevitably be overridden since each person, children included, have the wonderful gift of choice and they will at some point in time exercise that gift to its fullest.  I have gone through many things in my life that I wished I had heeded the voices of my parents but at the time in question, my actions I completed were of my own choosing.  I believed that I knew better and what was right for me at that time.  While some of those decisions turned out correct, many did not because I lacked the true ears and eyes that my parents had concerning my surroundings.

One of the more common threads of conversation these days has to do with the issue of homosexuality and the acceptance it has in the world and Church today.  This is a known fact and one that if challenged becomes an instant target of many different organizations and individuals around those who believe differently.  Rightly so, because when one looks at this proposal through earthly, worldly, and selfish eyes it is easy to side with the ruler of this kingdom instead of seeing the truth through the eyes of the Kingdom.  Humans have a tendency to try their best to justify their actions through reasoning that is flat flawed and fail to recognize the truth behind their actions when questioned by a higher authority.  This type of setting does not have to originate from God but as all of us know it originates in our own heads when we are deliberately disobeying that specific rule, code of conduct, or law at the time of its breakage.  This is part of the known that humans defy in order to accomplish their own bit of stability for completing an act that is considered to be in question.

Genesis Chapters 18-20 deal with such an issue and this passage of Scripture deals specifically of how God handles this setting and once He has dealt with a situation it is this part of the known that humans categorize and try to justify His actions today in order to level the playing field on their terms and not God’s.  God’s Word is just that God’s Word and what God says and does cannot change for if He did that would mean that He would not be God and Satan would have a spiritual legal right to have his place back in heaven, along with the name God originally gave him.  What makes a person believe that they can override God’s ways of order in the first place?  The angels who were present in Abraham’s tent were following orders and were not trying to get out of completing their mission.  Abraham was the only one who questioned the act after he found out what God’s plan was going to be, once again demonstrating a human’s justification over an act of God due to human disobedience.  Don’t get me wrong, Abraham knew what God’s abilities were and that He had every authorization to carry out such measure, but Abraham also understood the gravity of the sin and what had to occur in order for God to follow His Word; the known.

Study any portion of the Old Testament and one shall see that the children of Israel had countless problems throughout their history.  When we take a closer look at their crises we can identify with many of them for they are vastly similar to the issues that we face today, this is a given since the biblical accounts deal with humans and we are humans as well which means that if we do not change some figuring things out settings those same conditions and results shall ring true once again.  We cannot honestly say that we understand Jesus’ ministry, His life and His purpose for coming if we do not first understand why humans try and justify their actions through their own means.  It all started with Adam and Eve and this human justification has evolved on its flawed principles ever since.  God knew that this was going to be the case and is why He has set up truths for our hearts to figure out before it is too late; the known.

As we studied earlier in Genesis, the world had become so corrupt that every thought of the human was considered to be evil, but from what is known about that time the humans understood that their ways were dangerous but they did not repent to God for their actions.  The Bible does not give any specific details of how bad the thoughts of mankind were but it must have been pretty gruesome because our actions caused God to repent for creating mankind, but even then He provided a way out and through this process another chance to begin again, which humanity found diverse ways to mess things up over and over.  Skipping over to other events in the Old Testament we see that the children of Israel failed to get what God was actually trying to get through to their spirits.  Time and time again, God set into motion the importance of what humans were doing against His Word by offering relationship tools that would cover their lives with the only way that we could possibly be redeemed and as many times as god tried we had a worldly answer for not obeying His Word; the known.

Which when we move into the New Testament and the entire life of Christ is revealed, it is this ultimate sacrificial process that many people do not understand today.  Jesus’ life on earth offered up the entire Old Testament covering process to everyone, a final step for all humanity to live under one sacrifice for whoever chose to live for Him.  We must contend that there are two standards in place in order for us to accept this blood covering which means we must acknowledge that God knows and has known exactly what He was doing in the first place, in other words, to accept the known.  It is difficult for us to accept the fact that there are those that have been around longer (parents) who have experienced what occurs when things go bad or wrong and from a parents perspective it is our duty to our children to do our best to keep them away from such dangers in their lives.  Why do you think that the New Testament epistles dealt with crises in the Church?  The human factors of believing that they understood physical motives instead of God’s true eternal message created these issues, just as they have today. They may understand some of the things God had to say but they are not putting them into spiritual and eternal practice at all but leaving them to the physical and superficial which can only provide division from God and not the world.  The prime example of the known being turned into the unknown.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY GOD WROTE HIS WORD FOR US!!!  God saw what occurred in the life of Lucifer and the fall that cost him everything.  God also understands that this created being can NEVER go back to what he was before his rebellion and disobedience and it is this eternal separation that God has made a way for us to escape this eternal death.  God loves His children more than we can ever imagine with a finite mind and heart but if we grasp the truth of the spiritual and the eternal we will begin to understand exactly what is at play in our lives and hopefully figure out just how important it is for us to understand the loving terms of separation that God has placed in our paths.  God has not made these settings unavailable to us, nor has He kept anything from us but while He has never hidden anything from us He has never forced us to choose Him either.  We are not His slaves that He demands servitude from we are His children who He wants total and eternal fellowship with through His Kingdom calling of life.  Life itself defines God’s Kingdom for life is the definition of God and our existence; the known.

It pains God in unimaginable ways for Him to watch His children wander around aimlessly in the world due to their acceptance of the world as their guide.  But as God has shown us through His Word, He shall never force anyone to accept his ways, it is, and it has been and shall always be our choice to separate ourselves from the world and not from Him.  It also grieves God’s heart to watch His Church prostitute herself out to the worldly love around it instead of staying faithful to the One who established her presence from the beginning.  The Church should have figured it out right from the beginning why Jesus came to this earth and what His ministry was about.  We should have no doubt as to why this selfless act of sacrifice was completed for even the origins of Christ’s life began from a holy bloodline and not one of physical lineage.  Why do you think the world wants to find a physical heir to Jesus?  It is not going to occur because Jesus knew no woman in that manner for His purpose here on earth was focused on His Father and the work that He needed to do in order for Him to keep God’s Order intact.  We can no longer be ambiguous in the content through which we speak, portray or write, we must be specific about the Word of God and loving in our presentation at the same time; the known.

The question that remains for us is how much of God’s Word do you really know?  Not how much you have read or studied, but how much do you know?  There is a reason that God’s Word says for us to hide His Word in our hearts and while this passage can be exampled in many ways, if we first do not understand why God says something or not to do something, it cannot be hidden well enough to provide a guide for our lives in the present and in our futures.  God knows we have hard heads and have hardened our hearts towards him and His ways, but He is still calling out to us for us to repent and to turn away from the death throes of the world.  His provision of eternal life are still intact at this moment and His heart is willing to restore our nation, the Church and our individual lives in such a way that only His Word can describe.  It is through the known of His Word that drives our eternity and the also provides the ONLY way to achieve the eternal life that we were originally created for.  We have a choice to leave the world in its tracks and follow the One who created us or we can continue to fall in our own watery muck and slop, the choice is strictly ours to make.

As a testimony of my life, I have to say that God knows me more than anyone else that has ever lived.  As I question my own direction sometimes He is quick to remind me that His plan for my life is just now beginning and while I have no idea what the entire and overall plan for my life is or will become I must trust him through what I know from His Word in order for me to understand what the world needs to hear.  It is through God’s words that these articles, messages, topics or whatever else you wish to define them as are written.  Someone in your life needs to hear them, it may be you, a friend, a relative or group but they need to hear it and I am just a servant of God who fears Him with all my being but trusts Him with my life through the knowledge of His Word; the known.  Church, repent and allow God to once again shine through you according to His Word.  You know what His Word says for it is our true definition; the known.

DLB

State of Heart

State of Heart

1/14/17

All of us have a certain state of heart that we live under and it is a gift from God that allows us to have the freedom to use what we understand as a baseline for our lives.  If we do not become completely blind to this specific state we can adequately make corrections and adjustments to our ways in order to reestablish our true connections.  However, if we fail to recognize the true origins of our existence and thus focus our hearts on the finite objects around us, we will eventually become so disorganized that only chaos can ensue as a result.  God is the only true source of our existence and until we return our hearts to Him, our lives shall only be focused on the selfish ideologies of this world and the only result that we can expect is total destruction and devastation.

No one can really say with complete honesty that they were expecting the results of the elections to end as they did.  Many will say that they hoped for these results and it is evident that just as many hoped for different results.  As we continually witness both opposition and acceptance of these results we can fully understand exactly what is in our hearts if we take a real and close look through unbiased eyes.  But the question still remains if we really desire to see what is in our hearts or have we become so prideful in our own existence that we really do not care about what we are allowing to come into our individual borders?  It is obvious that we do not care about having borders around our national lands so in truth it should be a “normal” response to not wish for personal ones as well.  It is this state that God has already shared with us about and how important it is for us to realize exactly what we are allowing into our existence, for these allowances will define our patterns and what our hearts shall employ to those around us.

The lack of knowledge concerning our lives is very troubling for if we do not have any conscious about what we allow to pass through our heart walls, then how can we really have any type of definition when it comes time to defend our state; both individual and national?  How can focusing our eyes and hearts on ourselves be profitable to anyone but our singular status, and what purpose can we fulfill if we consider this state as an honor in society?  This type of living example also demonstrates how our heart is focused and where it lies in our reality.  When we place our focus on the finite the only reality that we can recognize is the chaos around us and the problems that one faces on a second by second basis. 

All of us have those situations or people in our lives who do not like us for some reason, but more importantly and sadly we have taken these few circumstances and have voluntarily blown them up to believe that when a small instance occurs that everyone involved around the situation hates us or does not like us, thus inflaming a small and easily solved issue into a grave international incident that is inviting a world war to begin inside our hearts.  What kind of life is this?  It is one that resembles a person who has their heart’s eyes focused on the problems around them instead on the Creator who gave them life abundantly in the first place.  In other words, they have their eyes and heart focused on the state of the world.

When one’s eyes are focused in this manner, nothing can be resolved besides your current problem.  You cannot see what is around you for your eyes are looking only at the problem that you are carrying in your hand.  You cannot see the problem that is about to hit you because your eyes are focused on the one problem that you are holding, so when the new problem arrives you have no option but to say “ouch” when it hits you and then take it into your hands along with the other problem; congratulations, you now have two problems that you have to deal with.  But guess what!  You have not changed your focus and you are failing to see the next problem arriving and the next and then the next.  Soon, you have so many problems weighing your hands down that you need a wheelbarrow to carry them all.  The wheelbarrow is cumbersome and medium in size but the problems are fitting in it nicely.  However, now you do not want to tip over the wheelbarrow so your eyes are still focused on keeping the problems in well a balanced state and the pattern continues instead of understanding the simple solution.  It is now evident that one’s eyes cannot change because of the choice to keep our eyes on the problems and not the source of the answers, we no longer have any control over what comes our way.

Once again I turn to the election results and how many of the people are reacting to them.  I find it so sad that many people not only in this nation but around the world are reacting to these results in a nasty and violent manner with their actions and their words and if we do not stop and take a hard look around at what we are doing we will shortly begin a new pattern or inner and outer violence that has not been witnessed in a long time.  But what is more damning and more important is that we have voluntarily taken our eyes off the Creator of this nation and have placed our heart’s eyes on our problems and the world which when combined together cannot produce ANY life at all.  It is this step that we have taken that disturbs God greatly and one that God will have to eventually have to cease, for He cannot allow His children to blatantly destroy themselves through their own disobedience.  This reversal of evidence shall not change unless we change the focus of our hearts and return it back to God for it is He alone who can change our circumstances and place us back on the path of righteousness and NOT self-righteousness.

There is a single key about the condition of our nation and what governs our hearts and it is through this key that the majority of the people are missing.  This week, one of my great Christian friends reminded me of 1 Samuel 3 where Eli’s sons had chosen to leave the ways of God and to seek after their own lusts instead and how through this action it would eventually fulfill a deadly prophecy against their entire house.  This event of the priests of Israel led to the belief of the children of Israel to change their own beliefs and to accept the world as their ruler instead of God.  This pattern continued until the children of Israel desired to have nothing to do with God and wanted a worldly status instead of a separated and godly nation.  Look at this pattern!!  This is exactly what this nation has done and we are about to witness an event that will devastate us so great that we shall be stricken from the ranks as a leader of the world, just as Israel was a long time ago.

It is well known that back when the Bible was written they had no internet, no cell phones, or any instant messenger capability.  It took some time for information to be spread around the communities, but through the word of mouth communication and other acts of physical contacts the message of the world eventually reached the entire known world.  Opinions changed and feelings turned against God and it came to pass where the problems of the people became more important in their eyes than having them dodge their problems through the Word of God.  God mentions this fact when Samuel is pleading with God concerning the condition of Israel when God states that it is not with Samuel that the people have rejected, but Him who they have rejected.  Clearly, the children of Israel chose to focus their hearts on the wheelbarrow of issues instead of the One who could show them how to dodge each problem as it approached.  Through this acknowledgment from God, He fully understood what was going on and what had changed in the hearts of His people.  He also fully understands what has occurred in our lives as well today and He is prepared to allow such destructive policies advance if we do not return back to His ways and leave the wheelbarrow alone.  Why voluntarily choose a requiem over a song of jubilee?

This presidential election has exposed many aspects of our societies that are not of a wise caliber.  While the majority of the world focuses on the physical issues that dominate the news, media, social networks and other sinister devices, we are not even recognizing the real issue at hand which is the state of our heart and where it lies with God.  It does not take long for one’s eyes to catch a dig here or a dig there at the newly elected president of this country.  Then, a response for or against arrives shortly and then the battles of hurtful words begin between groups of people who have a common thread but know nothing about each other.  Ever since the election was over, I have witnessed so many evils against fellow countrymen than ever before.  We have arrived at the point where we can no longer have a difference of opinion from others and maintain a civil course of conduct.  What is sad is that why we are conducting this act of discourse, we are screaming at each other and then pointing the finger at those who differ from our beliefs.  What is hilariously sad is that when we point the finger at another, we have to take our hands off the wheelbarrow to perform such action and therefore spill our gathered problems onto the ground for everyone else to see or to run over as they pass.  We are failing to recognize that we have placed our focus on our own problems through this action of ours and it is pathetic on all levels of accord.

We also fail to recognize that when we complete this type of action that we are making a mess of society and further deepening the divisions that are present around us, not to mention making a filthy concourse to step into for those around us.  The ultimate insult to God and to His people is the ultimate failure to recognize that as we point our fingers at each other is that it is not one party or individual that is directly at fault, it is all of us who are at fault here.  All the rage now is to bash the newly elected president and everything that he does.  With the technological breakthroughs that are in place today, it is easy for one single video made or a single comment posted to be shared around the world in seconds.  Potentially, within minutes the entire world regions can have access to such destructive manners and have the necessary fuel in order to inflame another inciting setting that could ignite another cause for division.  It also does not take long for the “bandwagoners” to jump on board and to follow such incitement either, and when given the opportunity usually do.

It is easy for us to pass off that the people who are conducting this type of activity are sore losers or have no life but their own, and while this statement and assessment may be correct the single key of this issue is being missed.  What is even worse is that through these types of actions of we have not figured out that these patterns have existed ever since humans were created by God and we have not done anything to change our behavior, the results of our actions or adequately taught our children to act in any different manner.  The Bible was written about HUMANS; therefore, since we are HUMANS today we need to understand what our ancestors did wrong in order to NOT pick up the same wheelbarrow of problems today.  I can guarantee you that not all of the children of Israel wanted to have an earthly king but the issues and voices who did turned the overall heart of Israel against God and eventually won the day.  It does not stop here folks, look at all of the democracies in human history and one will see that this action came to pass in each and every one of them.  Look at all of the other societies in our past and what is occurring in today’s world and the problems are the exact same, nothing has changed on any level of the issue.  That is why it is so important for us to recognize that this issue did not start with this election, but it is a process that the world’s leader is using to divide us further so that he can manipulate a destructive process that results in our physical and eternal deaths.  It is this truth that I say that those who are inciting this type of activity today are no better than the ones who did it in years past.  And it shall only continue and deepen our lies that divide us, no matter how we try to calm the situation down with worldly ways.

In this election, it is easy to blame the “losers” for their words and to condemn them for things not getting completed.  But we must, we must remember that the other side of the political aisle was saying and doing the exact same thing years ago when their side was defeated.  WHAT??!!??  Oh yes, think about it people, who coined the popular phrase of today “he is not my president”?  It was this activity that set the tone for the cycles of elections in this nation which have led to nothing but anger and division not only on the political side but the personal side as well.  Look at the results of such unabated hate and discontent for fellow mankind and what it is now become and more importantly look at the road that we are on and what our results are going to be if we do not drop our wheelbarrow.  It is this type of ignorance that we now can proudly state that we can pick up more problems, set our wheelbarrows down to the ground – not to leave them but to grab more problems instead – without even having to take our eyes off the ones we are arguing with.  What an accomplishment we have, eh.

With this failure of recognition that all of us have created the only result we can accomplish and the only expectation we can see is chaos.  Until we first understand that we are all in this together, and change our ways completely the only course for this nation is devastation and when it comes the sad moment of truth shall be is this: we will still be holding our wheelbarrows and yelling blame at others for our downfall.  We shall continue to not recognize our overall failure and never understand why our nation shall become a third world nation in affairs, nor will be able to hear what God is saying to our situation because even though we will be on our knees, we will be blind enough not to see God standing right in front of us holding our His hand to pick us up, but allow the world to take the final swing that will place our heart on the ground that we chose over God.

The entire Bible, the written Word of God warns us of this type of life if we fail to recognize Him as Lord and Savior of the world.  In 1 Kings Chapter 6 where King Solomon was building the temple to God, God spoke to him and said the following: Concerning that house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spoke to David thy father: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”  It is this promise, command, prophecy, and truth that God continues His Word to us today and it is the message that He wants us to understand today’s issues and concerns.

God wants us to permanently drop the wheelbarrow of problems and to take our eyes off of the load that lies in it.  Our problems are not our focus and it is evident through the words of our mouths today that our hearts are 100% focused on the problems that we have accumulated by our own efforts to clean things up around us, instead of being able to dodge what is not ours and to walk in peace and stability.  The Church has taken up this wheelbarrow collecting status as well and thus lost her focus on God as the light of the world.  Instead, she throws problems that she has accumulated at others who do not agree with her worldly stance, which displays a content of the world and not the separation that she is required to have.  It must be known and spoken that the world shall never give up what it has been allowed to have so it is imperative that we separate ourselves from the world through the blood of Jesus and the redemption that God has provided.

The Bible is not relevant you say?  Study it and if you have a pure heart for truth it will not be hard to find that the attitudes of those situations and “stories” in the Bible are playing out exactly in today’s societies.  Until we understand that God created us we shall have no future but division and destruction.  Until we understand that our lives are totally dependent on His blessings of life itself, we have not future except death.  Until we realize that we are all responsible for the complications in our lives we shall continue to pick up more issues as we progress through life.  And above all else, until we understand that the only way to have complete peace and truth in our lives is to have God first in our hearts, our complications and problems shall only continue to increase and our demise is certainly just a short time away.  Let us take the time now to bow before God and ask Him to show us the sinful state of our hearts and to repent so that He can restore our hearts back to Him forever.

DLB