When Your Focus Is On the Tree

When Your Focus Is On The Tree

8/26/17

Whether one believes in the content of the Bible or not the majority of people around the world have heard about the story of Adam and Eve and how it changed the lives of humans forever.  There is a great deal of information about our surroundings in this short account of our beginnings, but information that is needed in order for us to understand God, our enemy, and human activity as well.  Most importantly, this story brings into light the effects of obedience and how important it is to obey God and not just focus on the rules and regulations that our enemy wants us to harbor first.  This lie of our enemy shall continually be followed if we do not recognize our need to obey God and keep His Ways in our heart through obedience and until we live in such a manner our lives shall always be overturned with animosity.

Every message, title, and article that God has given me to write over these past five years now have dealt with the importance of obedience and how this single topic is the key to understanding God and having a relationship with Him.  Nowhere in God’s Word does it say that He allows us to live in disobedience and that it is alright and okay for us to live in such manner.  The Bible is always talking about obedience and it gives countless examples of what occurs when we live in obedience and when we do not.  There is a reason for this teaching for God does not wish for any of His prized creations to miss His Will for their lives and to die in their sins and be eternally separated from Him and the riches of His definition.  We should find this point very telling since it is dealt with on all sides right from the beginning of the Bible, and once again we will be directed to the Garden of Eden and the beginning of Genesis to hear what God is saying to our hearts.

All of us have disagreed with our parents’ rules at some point in our growing span of life, but that does not mean that we should completely rebel against them over one issue either.  I have found myself questioning such rules from my parents and many times I have not taken it to heart when they were doing their best to explain the reasons why those rules were in place.  We have heard the phrase I may be sitting down on the outside but I am standing up on the inside or something similar to these words and while this phrase may sound good at the time it serves as the basis for our individual downfall and if allowed to grow a downfall of national proportion.  It is our job as kids to respect our parents and the bible states this policy many times over and therefore since we are all children of God we must obey His rules as well and do our best to understand the importance of obedience and not just the rules themselves.  We want to obey our parents’ rules but when the time comes for us to choose whether to obey or not many times we choose our own self will instead and until we understand that obedience is better than sacrifice our choices can prove to be deadly.

There is nothing more intimidating than a person who continually throws the book at someone when they are trying to make a point.  The rules need to be known and understood there is no question about that but when the law is taken out of hand and placed onto the shoulders then continually led with, of the ones in charge that setting will eventually take a turn for the worse.  People who have a kind and gracious heart for the rules will obey them when times of question arise but not if they are constantly being reminded and then bombarded with how things should be run and not trusted with such information.  The key to any good supervisor is to trust your employees with the truth and then allow them to uphold these truths in order to provide credible results, the same goes with God and the rules that He has ordained throughout His Word.  However, many people have not understood this policy and have used the laws of God to beat people over the spiritual hearts with and then condemn them instead of teaching them the reasons why God put those rules and regulations into place in the first place.  An individual or nation shall wish to obey rules and laws if they are in agreement with the authority figure who initiated these rules, and we all know what happens when we do not agree with them, but what we do not know is that if we recognize the rules first and not the person or entity who established them first our focus is off and it shall cost us dearly.

God has mentioned to us before about the importance of obedience and what occurs in our lives when we choose to disobey.  Obedience was not an issue for humans before sin was chosen as a way of life by us for we lived according to what God provided for us and we had no outside worries that presented it to us.  But that setting did not last long and we found out that there was a presence of curiosity that was able to question the laws of God and their interpretation thereof, a guise that eventually cost Adam and Eve their livelihood and dominion altogether.  But what was the reasoning as to why Adam and Eve chose the ways of the world instead of living in perfect peace and holiness; it must have been a powerful force to change a heart so drastically. 

Even before our human history began God wanted only one thing with His creations and that was to have a relationship with them.  It does not matter if the relationship was between angels or humans, God’s desire was to know them and for us to know him as only He designed.  The only way that we could achieve this status was to be in obedience to Him for God represents absolute Truth at all times and we can only understand Him in such manner as if we are obeying His Truth.  My favorite Christian musician hit it on the head many years ago when Keith Green sang about how obedience was/is better than sacrifice and that the only way one could obey is to have a clean heart all of which is created by God.  It is through relationship and obedience that we have the capability to understand why God placed His Ways into life and when a relationship is established and flourishes the His Laws become secondary in the shadow of relationship.

In Genesis Chapters 1 & 2, we find the creation of the world which includes the creation of humanity.  Right from the beginning, God sets out to demonstrate that He wants nothing more than a relationship with Adam which can be spilled over to our lives today.  God issues a directive that Adam should keep the dominion that God gave him clean and neat at all times and protect it at all costs.  God also defined the one tree that Adam and Eve should not eat of but we must remember that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was within their dominion which meant that it as a part of their upkeep duties.  It does not matter how big the Garden of Eden was or how many trees and herbs bushes were present, God wanted Adam and Eve to obey what He wanted from them and to complete this task with a relationship heart.

But at some point during the time period between Genesis Chapter 2 and the beginning of Chapter 3, we find that the relationship heart of Adam and Eve had changed and the ways of God became a duty instead of a willingness of obedience, a focus change that would eventually cost them dearly.  In Genesis Chapter 1, we have God describing the serpent and how cunning he was in all that he did and it was through this portion of his existence that became a necessary part of Adam and Eve’s lives for if he was not there would not have been any reason for the both of them to heed his words.  In the conversation that we have between Eve and the serpent we find that there is a specific pattern to the line of questioning that the serpent used, for it was strictly based on the law that God had placed out to Adam and Eve only, a true testament to what the serpent believed and a nasty trick that Adam and Eve fell for.

We must remember that Lucifer fell for a specific reason and that was his hatred for obedience to God and to His Laws.  Lucifer knew that God was almighty and knew everything and thus had no rival present.  When we think about this process of rebellion that Lucifer took we have to stop and believe that this being was absolutely nuts to think that he was going to be greater than God the one who created him.  Yet, as we ponder on this subject we can understand his reasoning because we have done this to our parent’s rules too and tried to think up of a way to circumvent them so that we can have our way.  It is here that we define the difference between relationship and rule breaking for it is what our heart is set on first that brings this setting into play.  It is obvious that Lucifer had no intentions of developing his relationship with God any further and that finding a way around God was the plan of the day, a course of action that said rules were now more important than relationship.

The fall of Lucifer had already occurred when the Garden of Eden was made and humans were placed into their dominion.  The serpent was allowed to enter and to be a part of the process of life within the Garden of Eden, he also knew what his plan of action was going to be for it was the exact plan that he had when he believed that he could overthrow God and His existence.  Satan knew of the thoughts and patterns that Adam and Eve had and he understood that if he could manipulate these patterns enough and over a long enough period of time that he would eventually sucker them into the same type of separation from God that he had and in order to do that he had to plant the thought of law first and relationship second into their lives.  When the Serpent addressed Eve concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he based his talk on one area the law that God said and nothing else.

The reason that he mentioned nothing else except the law that God gave to Adam and Eve was because if he did it would have triggered the thought about relationship with God instead of the law and it is this point of contention that Satan did not, does not, and will not address when he is trying to grab your attention away from God.  It was the relationship status of him and God that defined him as being the father of lies and if a person is schooled in the knowledge of this principle then it will not be used as a source of contention because relationship is the foundation of our existence with God, to God, for God, and in God just as it was for Lucifer.  The law that Adam and Eve should not eat of the tree was superficial and not the core or root of what their lives meant.  Obedience is what God wanted from them and it is obedience that serves as the foundation of that relationship.  Satan had grabbed their attention enough away from the truth of obedience that they focused on the law and when that occurred there is no doubt that they had doubts about why God placed that law into their dominion.  This process is a human truth about ourselves and it cannot be denied by any person either for we have all followed this path about our lives.

Can you imagine if Satan had addressed the obedience side of God’s command about not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?  This is the first example and the reason why God spoke further in His Word that a kingdom cannot be divided against itself and survive for if Satan would have addressed the exact issue that caused him to fall he would have defeated his own kingdom’s purposes and thus our lives probably would have been a different story.  The law of the tree was the superficial content that Adam and Eve fell for when Satan tricked them, God only wanted Adam and Eve to willingly participate in the obedience of relationship and if they would have understood the deepness and the roots of this eternal truth, things would have been so much more different for them.  We cannot afford to have the same address as Eve did when questioned about the tree, her answer was superficial and not relational a huge symbol of where her heart was at that moment and a picture of where our hearts are today.

Look at the quagmire of laws today and tell me what you see in them.  We have succumbed to the gravity of such impurity that we are turning around in circles and digging a self-sized hole in the ground that will eventually serve as our own drowning place.  Obedience represents purity for God established a relationship in this manner, through His own defining characteristics and that is the reason understanding the law is good but it shall not serve as the salvation that we need to live with God for eternity.  Stop and think about things for a minute concerning this choice that God gave to Adam and Eve a long time ago, God knows that He planted free will into our lives and we knew/know that He wants us to obey Him at all times so what better way would God present than to place the choice of Him or the law in our paths?  It might seem like a folly but it is an ingenious plan that demonstrates where our heart lies.  Our only problem is that we tend to forget about this genius of God and take matters into our own hands and not think about the entire picture and truth of why God does things; a testimony of why God has different ways and thoughts than humans.

The law alone cannot fulfill itself and that is the reason why God represents the relationship definition because God Himself is the Law and thus defines the Law through Him and if we do not obey Him then no matter how much we try or how many laws we write we cannot fulfill them because we do not obey Him first.  The Pharisees were brilliant at observing the law and Jewish Law but had no concept of a relationship with God.  Along with the Sadducees and Scribes, the Pharisees made up law as they went projecting their physical interpretations of God in the physical flesh (them) and thus confiding in their own personal and superficial presence to the “sinners” of their time.  What they did not know and what Jesus combated the most was the fact that they were following the exact same path as Adam and Eve did when they were in direct conversation with Satan and about to pick the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  So, what is the difference between the Adam and Eve, the Pharisees and the Church today?  Not very much!

Look at this verse, Genesis 3:6, and it is the defining test that all of us have to make at one point in our lives and the answer we give concerning this test question says a lot about what is in our hearts.  Above all else, God wants obedience from His children and when we live in obedience to Him the laws that are in place become secondary for God represents the Law through obedience in Him.  Adam and Eve chose the superficial instead of the deep root which defined them and thus projected that their relationship status with God had waned significantly.  In turn, they had no real concept that relationship gives us the understanding of why the law is in place for it must be in place in order for God’s order to be present.  When a superficial law takes a hold of our lives, relationship automatically takes a backseat and therefore is vulnerable to the superficial wellness of self.  Obedience desires relationship for it is the reason it is in existence and when placed in a different position it cannot function properly and as it was designed.

The question now presented is who are we obedient to is it the world (the tree) or God (obedience)?  The world’s point of view should not even have to be addressed but unfortunately, we must because the modern Church has also taken from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  I know that that statement and the words of this message are a little tough but they are words that we need to hear because we a steadily sinking in our own homemade muck and we fail to see where we are headed.  The Titanic is sinking and we are still playing music is the best example I can think of right at this second but it is the message that God wants us to understand.  Our hearts are focused on the superficial tree and not the deep root of obedience.  In no way should the Church be focused on the world and its standards yet we have gladly and systematically grabbed a hold of the fruit and gleefully taken a bite from it.  The more we place our focus on the tree the more we shall miss God and hear what He is warning us about, this is a given and not a maybe.

Church, it is time we once again neutralize Satan by obeying God’s Word completely, obedience to God is the ONLY way we can achieve any push forward against our enemy and until we start obeying and fulfilling what God intended for us to do the world shall continue its destructive path in our hearts.  Listen to God’s voice and allow Him to be number one in our hearts again before we have sunk too far down and are helpless when the rushing waters approach.  God loves us so much and He wants us to live in complete peace and harmony but it shall not occur until we drop the fruit from our hands and spit out the piece we are chewing on and ask for repentance.  The fruit may be tempting and good for the eyes and stomach but obedience is best for the heart and eternal placement.  This truth from our eternal Father spells out exactly what our enemy is focused upon so, where is your focus?

DLB

Dusting

Dusting

8/24/17

Dust is an object that all of us have been associated with all of our lives.  This eyesore of a substance is everywhere and it really does not take too much effort to find dust if one cares to simply look around any room for it.  Yet dust gives us a good example of the fact that our lives attract so much junk that we need to be cleaned on a constant basis and that no matter how hard we try we will continue to survive in this dirty state.  It is important for us to recognize this condition within our lives for it is in this condition that we need to be clean and it is just as important to understand that even though we will never rid ourselves of the dust of our lives there is a way that we can become clean enough to pass by our Creator, but it takes a certain type of cleansing in order for us to achieve such perfection.

Anyone who has owned or taken care of a house, apartment, condo, etc in the Western United States understands that dust builds up on a surface on a constant basis and that no matter how much you try and wipe away these dust particles when you look at the surface that you just cleaned, one can literally watch the dust particles return to the same surface, a torturous truth that is hard to overcome.  Dusting is a frustrating chore but there is no way of getting around this fact, dust will always return to a clean surface no matter how many times you wish to clean and if you do not dust these surfaces the dust will continue to accumulate and soon will become to the point where the natural surface of the furniture will change colors.  This type of lacking dress is a visible alteration of the truth about what is in your house yet a condition that many of us suffer from and do nothing about and serves as an insult to the integrity and original condition of the room the furniture resides.

When I was a child I was raised for the most part in the South and there are not too many problems with dust per say but there are trees and plants everywhere so pollen dominates the air.  Pollen can mimic the products of dust and can be just as annoying when one tries to clean the surfaces of objects.  Pollen and dust for that matter can even be present on outside objects as well they do not limit themselves to one site.  I remember sometimes bending over and looking at the pollen grains on the kitchen table and noticing the pretty shade of light green that they formed.  Of course, it was just a few minutes later that the layer of pollen on the table was gone due to a good swipe of a cloth by my mother.  And living out in the west we have the same invasion situation with the dust, which also provides a yucky brown color all over the place.  I remember when my mother told me to dust on Monday I really did not like to do it but when Tuesday rolled around and she asked me to do it again it really frustrated me for I did not really comprehend the process of such dusting.

Some of us have read about the famous dust bowl era that occurred here in the Midwestern and central portions of the USA.  I am far too young to remember this time but if you find someone of the appropriate age and that lived through it they would tell you of all of the horrid conditions that the wind and dust created.  The Midwest, Southwest, and western states are still subject to occasional dust storms that one can see rolling into the area and when they do it is a good idea to be inside while the storm passes.  But even after the storm is over and clear skies return to the area, the remnants of the storm are visible both inside and outside.  As we scan these landscapes for physical changes, how many of us forget that this concept applies to our individual lives as well in that no matter what we do with our lives we will always have the dirt and muck that the world has to offer all over us.  We attract dirt for we are made from dirt but more importantly, we need to understand that our inner lives (spiritual) become dusty as well and if we do not continually scan our hearts for this spiritual dust we will become just as the physical when referring to its dusty appearance to those who notice.

It has been proven that no matter what type of weather conditions or seasonal forecasts might be presenting dust and other particles from nature are going to get on the surfaces of the objects that humans have acquired.  It is normal procedure for Mother Nature to deposit her natural fertilizer in this manner so that plants, trees, and other organic materials can survive another growing season.  Mother Nature also plays tricks on us by recycling these types of elements and occasionally moving them to another region of the land.  No matter what or where mankind travels, some type of natural particle will invade our private lives which will require some type of response from us.  Other people sometimes develop sensitivities to these elements and will present an entirely different view of these elements, so as my mother so adequately described to me many times over my life keeping a clean appearance and indoor environment is very important to our well being.  Have we ever thought about that this type of layering can also be present in our spiritual lives as well and how many people do you know that have spiritual allergies because of their lack of dusting?

With the modern invention of television and the internet, those who use these means will know that there will be commercials about products that help clean, control or even ward away these particles that might cause long term effects in people.  Each company states that their product is the best and that one should not even consider using another product because it does not work as well as theirs.  This is all a marketing ploy which can become intrusive and tiresome after a while, especially when one sees approximately ten of these product commercials in a short period of time.  We all know that these products work to some degree but none of them will keep the dust from returning to our surfaces.  We can places as much of the desired product down but the dust continues to fall on both the cleaning product and the surface once again.  It is a frustrating process but it is one that we all need to continue to complete in order to maintain a presentable living environment.

One more detail about dusting before I proceed, and I must take you back to the family’s time in Hobbs, New Mexico.  I had already been picked up from the area and taken back to Texas by close family friends who had heard from God to get me out of there.  Mom and dad had completely packed up the truck to leave and had prayed for guidance and safety as they were preparing to depart.  Everything had been of ours had been packed accordingly and the truck was closed tightly for leaving.  Everything was in order and then mom and dad pulled out of Hobbs for the last time.  A return to Texas was the next stop for our homage.  As they pulled out of town dad was in the lead with the truck and mom was in the car following behind him.  The Bishop train has always kept this formation so that if anything ever goes wrong with the truck we could try and correct it as soon as possible.  This formation has also provided for some interesting trips and side line conversations in our past as well but that is for another time.   As the Bishop entourage was leaving Hobbs, God spoke to dad for him to pull off to the side of the road as soon as he got out of the city limits.  Dad pulled off the side of the road and mom followed suit.  God had spoken to dad for him to get out of the truck and to complete a single act before proceeding with the trip.

He turned off the engine of the truck and then opened the door and got out of the truck.  He then went around to where mom had stopped and was getting out of the car herself when she saw dad coming around to the back of the truck.  Since there were no cell phones back in those days, mom had to wait until dad reached her to inform her that everything was ok with the truck but that God had shown him something that he had to do before they left the area, but it had to be after the city limits.  God showed dad that he was to shake the dust off of his feet before he proceeded with the new journey that was going to be ahead of us and when I stop and look at what was coming next, I understand completely of why it was important for God to reveal this to dad.  It was not a huge glamorous ceremony but while it was small in nature it was huge in significance to the reason mom and dad were called to Hobbs.  See, even though God calls a person to a place to complete His work, the remnants of the area called to are still subject to adhering to our body, soul and spirit and it was for this reason alone that God told dad to shake the dust off of his feet because his work in Hobbs was done and that it was God’s turn to take matters into His own hands.

In Genesis Chapter 1 & 2 God gives us a clear definition of where our physical bodies originated from and it is through this origin and through the sin we chose to accept that our bodies now serve as a magnet to dust and other particles in our atmosphere.  So, much of a magnet that since we chose sin over obedience, we must return to our original state and therefore create the ultimate waiting game for God’s voice again.  Sin is all around us and it is constantly appearing on our lives even though we do our best to hide it or to keep it from public sight.  We can wipe and clean as much as we wish but there is no way that we can make the sin go away.  When we are being formed in the womb and we reach a certain stage of cell growth our cells begin to degenerate and die.  This is a form of sin or dust that controls our life and there is nothing that we can do about this condition.  It is something that we inherit when we are created and it will haunt us until the day we die.

So as in dusting products many people, groups, and organizations provide ways to relieve ourselves from this condition and promote ways to rid us of our sins.  There are literally thousands of ideas and alternative methods that are out in the world today offering these types of solutions and it is funny that all of them claim to have the best answer and that there is no need to try anything else.  I am amazed at how these people mimic product commercials when trying to convince people of things on a spiritual matter, the comparison is hilarious and sad at the same time.  If one stops and thinks about this cleansing and healing process and how these people are presenting it one need to remind themselves of a certain detail.  All of the ways that these people are presenting were made up by humans, which means that either their ideas are of mystical origins and have no real basis or that their foundations are created by humans which means that all of them are flawed.  There is no holy connection for the cleaning process and it is all based upon human ways of wiping the surface clean which will lead to further human dependence on their one true god, self.  We must first admit that we are sinners and that we constantly attract dust (sin) and that we need to be cleaned from the inside out.  Then, we must understand and acknowledge that only God has provided the true and complete method of ridding ourselves of this dust (sin).

Sin and the iniquities that it produces cannot be erased from our lives.  This product of humanity’s fall is with us no matter what we try and do to correct it.  It is built within our lives so deeply that it actually passes down the line to our children and their children’s children.  Sin is on the same line as our DNA in such a manner that it has no end to its creative powers and yet these creative powers can produce a condition that is so vile one can be shocked at its results.  In other words, there is no way that we can rid our insides and outsides of this dust, it is a part of us, but there is a way of escape.  This way of escape is a holy escape that when we pass under the escape route our dust is not seen by the one who created us.  It is possible to escape the results of the dust that we have inherited on our surfaces and even inside our surfaces but we must realize that it is not a process that humans can do, only through the blood of Jesus is this escape possible.  The blood of Jesus is the holy connection that allows our dust to be hidden from God the Father when our lives are called before Him.  It is difficult for our minds to understand this process but it is a holy and spiritual feat that occurs and we need to familiarize ourselves with this process.

The weight of sin will always be upon our lives and the dust that it brings will continually flow and be presented to the ones who are looking at us.  We can choose to live in this manner and do nothing about the dust that covers us.  If we make this choice we will fit right in with the world and all of its activities.  Life will continue and we might even become a bit comfortable in these conditions but the one who chooses this way will always be searching for answers in a humanistic way that will always leave them empty and bare.  What is the weight of sin?  Lying, greed, anger, stealing, lust, corruption, manipulation, and any other idea thought or action that we act upon in order to gain the advantage we wish to have in life.  This is sin and it is our responsibility to recognize it and then ask God to take it away for it is what will eat at our hearts and then destroy us if not properly cleaned.  We need to take careful precaution when we look at our lives to determine if we need to be clean or not for the world shall say it is okay to be dusty but the world did not create you (the furniture) God did.  Too often we listen to those around us concerning dire settings and conditions about our lives instead of the One who created us.  His cleaning is what we need and His dusting of us shall bring out the finest of qualities for His Kingdom.

There is another choice that we can make and that is by choosing the ways of God which will bring us happiness and joy.  Choosing this way will not make us pure in any way, the burden of our dust will always be present but as we walk along this life we can resist what “mother nature” has to offer us in this manner and we do not have to accept the things of the world.  Which when we accept this way we have an automatic repellent that begins to grow within us that deters the dust of the world away from us.  We are still and always will be susceptible to the dust of the world but there is a way that we can limit the accumulation of dust on and in our lives.  And with this choice, we have the assuredness that one day we will pass under and through the blood of Jesus that will prove that all dust can be taken away.

Ancient history, medieval history, modern history and even future history will always prove one thing and that is that the ways of the world shall always produce death and destruction.  This way is a given and it does not matter if you are talking about personal lives to world civilizations, the results will be the same.  There is an escape plan and the world does not have it.  The one true escape plan is God and through His son Jesus.  It is simple and easy to receive yet it is one of the most ignored choices presented to man.  God loves you and wishes to lighten your burdens in life, return to Him and seek His ways and He will guarantee life abundantly with less troublesome dust on your back and in your heart.  From the very first word in Genesis to the last punctuation in Revelation, the Bible is about Jesus and the eternal Covenant that God has with His children and how His Word is the only way to be dusted sufficiently enough to be forgiven.

It is evident that the majority of the world has totally rejected what God has provided for them and have deemed its content rubbish and not worth spending time studying it much less reading it.  It is the setting of dust (sin) that God provided a covering for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before they had to leave, it was the reason that God created His eternal Covenant for those who continually seek after His Ways, and it was the exact purpose of sending His Son to die for the dust that has accumulated in our spiritual lives.  The Word of God has stood firm for thousands of years and its content shall provide the complete cleaning our lives both physically and spiritually that we need in order to live according to how we were created to be.  Life is hard and we are going to become dirty with the trials of what the world gives us, but there is an answer, one that is true to form and consistent every day.  The Bible serves as the only source that can provide a daily cleaning that not only cleans our surface but our hearts as well.  It will bring out the true shine that God created within us and will provide an example of how to live in a dying world.  God’s Word is the only source powerful enough to grant such a cleaning and with every word and chapter studying then applied to our lives, only then can we be dusted in the eyes of God.

Sadly, the entity (you, us, the Church) has aggressively begun to clean ourselves with another product, one that has been told to us would work just as well as the Bible.  We have been deceived enough that we have bought this product and are now selling it from our pulpits and on the streets as we walk them each day.  We have accepted the masquerade of Satan as the truth and have forgotten that right from the beginning that anything that does not represent the complete Word of God is not the truth and can only be a lie.  Preachers have accepted it, church denominations have accepted this lie, and popular ministries have accepted this false dusting product.  We have accepted it so much that it has already produced allergies to the Bible, for if one looks at the Bible and tries to interpret it for their own benefit it is a lie.  We are all sinners and we can have no benefits when it comes to holiness, sanctity, purity, righteousness, love, meekness, or salvation unless we first apply every single letter of God’s Word over and into our lives.  As we can see, the tedious detail that I thought was not necessary is actually an essential part of our existence and is needed continually.  Repent, Church, and turn back to the Creator of all life and He guarantees to heal our land which means that He shall provide the necessary ingredients to clean our hearts and be washed in Jesus’ eternal sacrificial blood.

DLB

In Dark Direction

In Dark Direction

8/23/17

Humans have the ability to adjust to about any variance that presents itself in our paths, but it is how we adapt to this pattern that either makes us successful or a failure at our endeavors.  Why would we precisely choose to inhibit our progress by bringing on board the hindrance of darkness?  We can adjust to this type of surrounding but will be limited in our abilities because of the lack of necessary light present to do an accurate and thorough job.  God provides such a light so that we can know exactly what is around us and what to look out for when the dangers arise.  Isn’t it about time that we begin to use His light instead of shooting it out?

Summertime brings us many hours of long light and hot environmental conditions and no matter where one may be in this land this time of year means that our lawns need to be cut and maintained.  We have plenty of time to accomplish this task and it does not matter what day we choose to mow our lawn we have the time to complete it.  Of course, being in this country during the summer means that the days are hot and could pose extra unwanted weather conditions that would harm us so many of us tend to wait until the evening hours to mow the lawn when it is cooler.  It is at this time that we must ensure that we do not wait too long for when the sun begins to dip it does so with a steady pace and we can find ourselves rushing to complete the task we waited to do.  It was my choice to complete this task at this time of the day so I would have to accept the results of my efforts and feeling confident enough to believe I made the correct choice.

I have been guilty of mowing my lawn when it is too dark, and at the time of the completed task believed that I had done a pretty good job at what I had done.  But when the next morning came and the sun began to rise, I would open the curtains to the yard and get a horrific look at the poor job that I actually did.  One would believe that I did not care about how my lawn looked for the mowed rows were not straight and in some spots totally missed.  The yard looked worse after my botched job than it did uncut, a haphazard product that I would have to redo because the results would haunt me if I allowed it to stay in such a manner.  This belief of mine would seem a bit zealous to many but a natural fact in my book and one that I would fret over if not fixed as soon as possible.  Then the question becomes, would I have been better off if I had mowed the lawn in better light and be subjected to a bit more uncomfortable conditions or accept my efforts as is and do them again?  The answer to this question should be pretty clear but how many times do we not even bother changing the results afterward and allow the darkened direction of our efforts lie finished?

Before I left the house the other morning God directed me to write this article and to complete it as soon as possible.  I continued my morning routine by getting ready for work after He showed me these things.  It has been a while since the notes for this article were jotted down but I could not believe my eyes this morning when I saw a certain group of lights breaking the darkness as I drove to work.  It is mid-to-late August which means that school is starting for many students or has already begun for others.  This also means that football practice has begun and what we call two-a day practices are in full swing.  Early in the morning, the practices begin and then commence once again in the early evening.  As I drove to work I took a glance at the Grand Mesa which was on my left and as soon as I did my eyes caught a glimpse of three banks of lights in the town of Cedaredge, my heart jumped for I knew that the ones trying out for one of the local high school teams were on the field and under the lights.  But what if those lights were not on?  How would those students be able to shine for their school or their town?  What about their spiritual lives, how would they shine if their spiritual guiding light was out?

Every single person has had to face a setting in which the lights have darkened or even been completely turned off for some reason.  This sudden change in lighting throws our senses off and freezes us for a few moments until our eyes become adjusted to the new conditions.  We have conversed about this type of sight impediment before and how it is awful to have to function in these types of conditions but why would we voluntarily darken our paths and make it difficult for us to function effectively and properly by turning out the lights that we need?  The invention of light is a fabulous commodity in that without it, our production level would be severely limited and we all know that when working in the dark the finished product shall not be up to the standards that others need, thus causing them to go elsewhere for their necessities.

How scary is it when this type of setting occurs in our lives even though we instantly remember that the lighted path we once knew was clear and void of any major obstacles?  Our natural response is to stop and wait for a bit but this takes time which is something that our path may not understand which in turn makes us vulnerable to the conditions around us.  We become uneasy and our tension level automatically rises and soon our direction becomes in question and we are afraid to take another step.  Yet, somehow we find it within us to lash out at those passing by or when something hits us that we did not see coming and we now become an ideal target for anyone or any object around us.  No one likes being left in this position for it paralyzes us and ignites a sense of dark torture because no one likes to be left in the dark.

Do we understand that this would be the manner in which we would live if we did not have the sun or light itself to guide us?  I can guarantee you that the productivity of the world would be greatly diminished if we had to operate in such dark condition in a continual manner and think about how our daily results would be changed as well.  I thank God every day that He created my eyes so that I can see what is going on around me and how much they can change when the environmental conditions are altered.  The big hoopla right at the moment is the solar eclipse and how much it will change the daylight.  I find it hilarious that many people are panicked over this event but you know something, if any disaster occurs it will be the confidence of humanity that will respond to such event and we will then understand just how dark we have allowed our lives to become and when we look back at our path will realize just how much of our lawn we have missed while mowing.

A few months ago God shared with us the importance of light and what it means to our existence.  God knows that if we cannot see what is going on around us that we are sitting ducks and will be easy targets for those who wish to do us harm.  God also understands that this darkness can infiltrate our spiritual lives as well which is why He gave us His Word to serve as the light to our spiritual path and to serve as our defense when needed.  God “slapped” His eternal enemy in the face when He created light because the name Lucifer means bright light and it was obvious that he could not even understand the origins of his own name much less effectively create it himself.  It is important that we have the ability to see at all times not just periodically or when we believe we need it for walking anywhere in the dark places us in a vulnerable position, so why purposefully turn the light off?

I recently had the opportunity to hear a portion of an interview that Rob Bell gave to Oprah and the portion of the interview that I heard broke my heart.  Many of you know that Rob Bell was a pastor of a large church and still has a gigantic following of people who listen to him regularly.  In the interview, Oprah asked the question if the church was ever going to accept gay marriage within the confines of their beliefs and what Mr. Bell answered provides us with what God is trying to warn us about in this message and it is about voluntarily accepting the world and turning off the eternal light that God has so divinely provided for us.  He answered that the Church was gradually coming to the realization that words from a text that was written over 2000 years ago were irrelevant and unnecessary in today’s life, and that we needed to discard this text and refer to a more modern ideology of values.  Of course, Oprah loved this statement and agreed with it completely and to be honest, it must have been one of the moments that stunned the angels because they heard the light of God being voluntarily and deliberately turned off with those words. 

In Genesis, God gives us a clear definition of our lives and of our dominion and what to do with it at all times.  We cannot complete this command from God unless we have each and every element that God created before He created mankind and if we choose to turn off or to ignore these necessary elements then we are automatically inviting our own eternal destruction.  We are not able to function properly in a dark setting and our emotions and motions in such a condition will be choppy and jerky at best, providing our enemy with a slow moving target that is easy for picking off.  Now, we have begun to turn off the eternal light in our lives as well and choosing to accept the darkness of the world instead.  Why would anyone, anywhere choose to work in the dark for a single moment much less for a long term opportunity?  Why have the leaders of the Church been the ones to deliberately turn off the eternal light that we need to survive?  The answer to this question is quite clear as well it is because we have been deceived enough to lose the recognition of God’s voice and have replaced it with the voice of the world.

In Psalms 119:105 the reason for God giving us His light is provided for us: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  Do you want to know why God wanted to create light for us?  The answer is right here in this verse because it shall serve as the element that will guide our lives as we continually walk down the path of life.  God never meant to provide a path that is dark, for our path in life is dangerous enough why would God not provide the necessary elements to make things easier?  It is our choices to turn off God’s light that makes things more difficult for our daily lives, not God.  When we turn God’s light off it shall stun us yet we hear the voice of the world instead and follow its lead and before you know it we are hit with a rock that makes it target right in our gut, or on our head.  Eventually, that target will be our heart and when the world and its dark rocks hit our heart, we will be permanently changed.

How much more time can we afford to be living in the dark?  Every day I turn on the news and my eyes and ears watch reports of tragedies that have occurred around the world.  The steps of mankind’s superficial laws shall not provide the necessary light that we need to live in a perfect and holy world, only God’s Ways can provide such an answer.  When we watch these events occur we can only imagine as to why people act in such manner, but if we would not turn off the light that provides these answers we would not even have to ask that question in the first place.  We must remember something about the path that we take for if we cannot see adequately enough our steps will become jagged and staggered for we will be subjected to a continuous bombardment of rocks that the world (our enemy) throws at us.  Those rocks will become bigger and more directed if we do not turn on the light that God has provided for us.  Those rocks hurt and they are meant to pelt us with their full force when aimed at their target.  We also must keep in mind one very important detail, those rocks are being thrown at us which means that someone has to be throwing them for rocks do not hurl themselves at anyone alone.

God is not the being behind the rock throwing contest it is the ruler of the world who is the one responsible for this activity.  Why would God purposefully harm His children without their knowledge of what is going on around them especially when it is He that gave us the gift of knowing His Word?  This would make God a hypocrite, one who would set a person up to fail which is not the personality of God.  It is always our choice to either follow God or not and if we do not that will automatically place us in the dark and thus become vulnerable to those rocks.  God has the perfect lighting equipment that we need all we have to do is flip that switch on and by that I mean we must open and study His Word for it is this alone that provides us His Light.

Pastor Rob Bell you have no idea who I am sir but believe me when I am called to set into motion the Light of God for His children your deception shall be exposed.  God loves you with all of His heart and He has called you to serve as His Light to the world but your acquired beliefs are of a darkened nature and what you are proclaiming about the state and beliefs of the Church may be accurate but they are of a deceptive manner and that belief shall lead many people astray and possibly to an eternal separation from God.  It is through these deceptive teachings that you embrace thus promote, rocks shall plummet down on God’s children and they shall not understand why these events are occurring and where they are coming from either.  Please, study God’s Word again and then listen to His voice and not the voice of the world for the answers we are all seeking and need are contained within this eternal Truth text.

Church, turn on the light of God and shun the world, you know how to do this for it is you who Jesus commissioned to do such things to the dying world.  There is a reason the world is dying why be a part of that process?  Nothing can ever grow in complete darkness it needs light in order to produce the necessary elements to live.  To teach to the people worldly standards means you are deliberately turning off God’s Light thus halting any advancement of the Kingdom of God.  Church, stand tall and stand fast against the world and everything that it represents for it this truth that the Kingdom of God (you) battle against.  We were created to be a viable and movable presence and not just petty incumbents meandering aimlessly with no purpose.  You want to see the bombings stop. The terrorist activities cease, the weird accidents disappear and the sexual abnormalities fade?  Then turn on the Light of God and allow us to see what wickedness lies beside us.  We are covered in filth which gets under our skin when those rocks pelt us from every direction.  We have the ability to stop this torturous journey all we have to do is turn God’s Light back on in our lives, for it is Ordained and Written that we do not have to proceed in a dark direction.

DLB

Going Back

Going Back

8/20/17

This topic is one that God has dealt with us before but it is one that He wishes to re-address due to our lack of understanding about the importance of the basics of Him and His Word.  In a society where people tend to label others who do not agree with their current ideas as offensive, backward, or behind the times it is difficult to bring everyone into an agreement on any level.  Yet, we continually fail to see this reality of the sinful world around us and choose to stomp ahead destroying chance after chance for true healing.  Until we understand that God is the foundation of our existence and that His Word is the only way to complete peace and unity we will continue to wander aimlessly with blame on our foreheads and declaring the right to divide and conquer, a sad state of living that was not meant for our design.

The ideology of progressivism is one of great quality and attainable on many levels for the advancement of society is an honorable achievement; however, if this concept of living and reality is not rooted in a true and solid foundation it can only provide such destruction of unknown proportions.  As I have the opportunity to briefly study past societies that have ruled our physical world it has become clear that the majority of them had progressive ideas that should have been successful.  Today we are witnessing the same type of ideology that is trying to be pushed through not only in this nation but also in most other nations as well.  A painful realization that progressivism is not working is obvious when many of the constituents are not agreeing with those who are in charge and it is at this point that we need to understand the reasons why this state is falling apart instead of being brought together.  We must also contend that if one specific group of constituents agree on the ideology, in this case, progressivism, we must understand their requests and point everyone in the correct decision or at some point in the future a hostile takeover of that ideology shall be witnessed.

The definition of progressive is defined as the following when used as an adjective: happening or developing gradually or in stages; proceeding step by step and when being used as a noun: a progressive tense or aspect, liberal ideas.  The definition itself seems like it would be a great setting that one should take and when applied to the basics of life itself is an extraordinary place for all individuals and societies.  But when these practices are applied they need to be done so that the basics and foundation that we have already established be included in such development and not left out of the progressive equation.  It is this portion of our overall progressive knowledge that is the root of our issues for we attempt to and then apply these progressive ideas into society without recognizing and keeping the basics of our existence.  In other words, we run with our own humanistic and centrist ideas and leave our Eternal Creator out of the picture.  It is a natural process that we increase our well being but God placed His Truth as our foundation and if our progressiveness outweighs our desire to live in obedience to our Creator our existence shall always come under scrutiny and be called into question.

Currently, there is a song playing on the airwaves that describes the condition of the Church and reciprocally many of the people who make up the Church, and the song is entitled “I Wanna Go Back” by David Dunn.  When I first heard the song it broke my heart because it made me realize just how far out of touch we have become with our Lord and Savior and that we have adopted the world’s progressive methods instead of keeping the basics of our mission and existence.  The song says gives examples of life when times seemed simpler and that we didn’t care to keep up with the Joneses but we're sure glad they lived next door.  It is through this simplistic mistake that we have allowed this truth slip from our hands and thus become competitors instead of friends – the difference of having our eyes focused on the tree instead of the relationship – for when we leave the basics behind for another quest all hope is lost, the only question that remains is how long will it take for us to see this variance?

Have you ever questioned why such a song was even considered for someone to write?  Why would we need to go back when we have come so far in every physical aspect of humanity?  There lies the key, the physical aspect of our existing rules our decisions and thus thrusts us into a position of unworthiness before God, a matter in which we shove aside and ignore deeming it a non-necessity.  Our physical glory represents our livelihood and deserves the grandeur that goes along with it is our motto and creed.  Sadly, it is evident that God’s Word directly deals with this issue and what makes this truth so sad is that humanity does not get it because the Word of God contains verse after verse, chapter after chapter and book after book of humans not understanding what is going on and the importance of keeping our dominion clean before God until God finally says enough in the Book of Revelation.

God demonstrated this ability of ours when He created mankind in a specific manner and then gave mankind the directive to keep and dress his dominion.  The directive that God gave Adam and then through creative status to Eve, comes to the conclusion that mankind had to obey the procedure in order for everything to be as it was when they were placed in the Garden of Eden.  There was a vast amount of plants and animals present to occupy their time and while these objects were present they were superficial compared to the one law of obedience that God gave to them.  It is evident through their actions, that both Adam and Eve had already progressed enough in their thoughts and beliefs and placed their occurrences high enough on these personal standards that the basics that had been taught to them by God had been forgotten.  It is this process that God intended for us to be “progressive” in nature but in order for us to be completely successful in our endeavors, we must keep Him number one in our lives and the example that we have from Adam and Eve was not of such nature.

If we look at what occurred in the Garden of Eden we can see a pattern here that is very disturbing because it follows an ideology that we are seeing for ourselves today and when understood correctly can see such practices in previous societies as well.  We are supposed to be a progressive creation one that finds new ideas to make our lives better, but when technology and casual rules infiltrate our dressing and up-keeping standards the obedience aspect of our lives becomes in question.  It is this loss of the basics that brings us to our knees in one way or the other, and as we look back and study the behaviors of mankind it is readily recognized that those occurrences on our knees are in front of another ruler that has conquered our dominion.

There is a telling pattern that many of us that have been raised in the church or in a church environment do not see and that is the need to return to the basics of why we began our lives clinging on to God from our beginnings.  Many people I knew as a kid went to church and at the same time respecting those who did not go to church and vice versa.  However, we must contend that the lack of modern communication skills of today the sins of the people stayed relatively quiet and obscure whereas today every slight detail of a person’s life seems like can be accessed with a few clicks of a mouse.  Whatever the case may be, these practices of vice and other tempting settings were in place and were acted upon when wanted.  I know that this portion of the message may be a bit uncomfortable but it is a vital issue that we need to address before we proceed because the one great detail that needs to be addressed about returning to the basics is repentance of all sins, quiet ones, and public ones.

Israel demonstrated this progressive essence all throughout the Old Testament and did not make any bones about it while their times of existence were on a high level.  Prophet after prophet gave warnings to Israel about their lives, what they were allowing into their hearts, and what the consequences of such actions would be yet each time the children of God found the time to ignore every word from the people that God chose to proclaim the truth.  These prophetic words from these men and the examples that both men and women gave about the coming Messiah were ignored as well and interpreted as a physical king instead of one who was interested in relationship instead.  No wonder the prophets screamed and cried daily to the people because they were acting out a prime example of Israel not understanding their basics yet having the makings and markings of a “progressive” society written into their history.

It is this life of Jesus on earth that Israel continues to reject Jesus as their Messiah for He did not come in the physical glory and realm that they believe He should and it also means that they cannot accept the spiritual aspects of Covenant and the true relationship that God wants with His people instead of the limitations of the physical aspect of our lives. The spiritual aspect is their basic foundation and since their definition is Covenant that comes from God this means that Christ is the physical representation of that Covenant, not only to the Jew but to the Gentile as well.  The Jews wanted pomp and circumstance to present itself as their leader and king but God sent the perfect sacrifice to represent His relationship goals with His people.  The human aspect of image and what it should look like was in full bloom when Jesus walked the earth so it is not too difficult to understand how and why this view of God and Jesus continues to exist in our minds and hearts today, we still portray our physical first and refuse to “get it” that this is not a physical fantasy world but a spiritual battleground that all of us are engaged.

We as a modern society now proudly portray God and Jesus as a figure that we can mold into our own images and thus acquire salvation in this selfish manner, I find this so difficult to ascertain for our opinions of our neighbor could vary by 1 million voices if warranted.  There is no need to repent of the wrongs that we have committed against God or to change from our current status in the world, for all is good and I am good enough to pass through judgment without blemish.  This is the message that many pastors and churches are delivering to its congregations and that when a person is willing to change themselves according to their guidelines that this type of procedure is indeed well enough.  I just finished reading an article about one of the more popular pop singers of our era, a preacher’s daughter and one who has since liberated her body, mind, and soul according to what she wanted and how she wanted.  It is this type of lie that she believes that will not sit well with her when judgment day arrives for her for Jesus is the only way to salvation and it is through His blood that we are saved not our own.  This is a prime example of how progressivism has overtaken the truth about our existence and has left the most important Being out of the progression; the basics are gone and we have not intentions of returning to them either.

There can be no question that this nation was founded on godly principles and designed as a haven for those who wished to live within the guidelines of God’s Word, the only problem with this is the fact that human intentions slowly and methodically took over these desires and we have the corrupt church that we have today.  Jesus dealt with the same issues back when He walked this earth which proves that we really have not strayed away from our sinful mannerisms only inherited and expanded spiritual ties that we now do not understand or recognize are there.  When Jesus argued with the Pharisees and Sadducees about issues of God they were not directed at the social acceptance of their status but the basics of why God created humanity and the direct relationship that God wanted with mankind and NOT the religious symbolism that ruled their lives and separated them from God.  No wonder it is easy for us to lose our way when we allow the world to infiltrate our ideologies for this allowance blinds us through pride and therefore we walk around in life believing that our ideas about God and how to live in Him through selfish and worldly ways is acceptable all the while not realizing that we are fulfilling the progressive nature that God ordained but living a lie due to the fact that we have left the basics (God and His Word) out of this progressive nature; a sure death sentence that will end in an eternal separation from our Creator.

In the last few years, there has been a great influx of people into this area and while this growth should be considered a good thing some things are not adding up physically.  But for those who understand the spiritual realm of life know that there is a reason that small business people in every part of the business world are moving into the area, something is about to occur that will be of an epic proportion.  There have been couples and families move into this area that has begun churches and at the same time see the many other denominational buildings standing in the area.  These wonderful people of God cannot help but wonder and ask God the question “why?” but there is a plan and a divine reason why.  I have a wonderful colleague that she and her husband moved here because God showed them the exact place to start a church. 

The repetitive question is why does this area need another church, for we have so many already?  But when God told them to come here He also stated that He had a reason and that they would soon understand why He placed them here.  They NEVER questioned God’s intentions or the plan that He had for their lives for they saw and continue to see what the world is doing to people and how it has affected the beliefs of the Church.  It did not take them long to realize that even in a community that was once famous for having the most churches per capita in the world that the basics of each one of those denominational buildings were gone and lost to the world, which means that the people who make up those divided buildings were in the same shape.  In this example, denominationalism proved its worth in the downfall of the Church that Jesus established for it’s NEVER His intention to have so many “choices” to spread the gospel of His salvation and Covenant covering.  This beautiful couple has their hands and works cut out for them but they have listened to the voice of God and are teaching the people the heart of God which is what we are supposed to be doing. 

What does it actually mean to go back to a beginning point and is this journey backward even safe and worth it's revisiting?  Why should the one nation who is most famous for sending missionaries to the world now require missionaries to enter this country just to keep some of the doors open?  Why are churches closing or being shut down for a long period of time?  Who is actually winning the battle for our lives?  From the looks of it, the world is winning all because we have failed to realize that through our “progressive” stances we have lost the basics of the only foundation that can warrant our eternal survival.  There is a reason why the world screams that we cannot return to our past for if we did we would be able to understand the fundamentals of the Bible again and begin to live it like it was meant to be lived and not just a symbol of falsities that we have allowed it to become.  A question to ponder for a good moment and that is this: have you really understood why the world refuses to allow its followers to return to something in the past or to back up for another look at things?

God is real and He wants us to understand the importance of His Word and what it means to our lives.  All who have been in church understand that Genesis is the first book of the Bible and how much the stories of that single book mean to our lives and defense of our beliefs but even I thought that I knew enough about Genesis to cover my questions that ran through my head.  But as many of you know, for the last three years or so I cannot get out of the book of Genesis because of the further and more detailed information God has given me to share with His people.  God shattered my beliefs about Genesis and the amount I knew concerning that book, and for the most part, I have only been shown things about the first three chapters and I have 47 more to go.  Genesis is our basics and our foundation and God has broken my heart concerning my arrogance over what I believed I knew and what is really the in-depth truth about my existence.  It is this return to the basics of His Word that has allowed me to grow, it has shocked me, sent chills down my spine and even dropped me to my knees, but through it all I have learned so much more about God and His Word for my life which is what He wants to do in your life. 

What matters to God is that we return our hearts to Him and to give up the falsities and fallacies of the world.  The world cannot bring life only God can and if life cannot be provided that means the opposite can only be given.  Think about this for a moment, and wait on God to explain His answer to you.  Church, we have played “house” for too long and it is time that we leave our denominational pews and go out and change the world with the Gospel of Jesus.  Jesus does not care about denominations and which “one” is correct!!!!!  He cares about those who are dying without knowing Him and who shall spend eternity in hell and separated from Him without any hope of reconciliation or restoration.  I call against the world and ask you to separate yourselves from the world and accept the ways of God, for it is only His Word and His Ways that will save this nation and your heart from utter separation and destruction.  God is not against you, He is for you, for all of eternity and it is He who is asking you to return and to go back to His basics so that we may live, truly live.

DLB

The Stunning of Angels

The Stunning of Angels

8/12/17

I do not believe I have ever heard about this topic before especially being directed from an eternal being and I personally have never thought about this topic before either.  Yet, it is one that needs to be understood because angels are not just dumb jar headed created beings that have the stigma of doing nothing but flying around the throne of God.  Angels do have eyes and ears with other characteristics that would identify them.  So, they must know what is transpiring around them while they are completing the tasks that God has set before them, especially when it involves the activities of God and His Son Jesus.  It is this point that angels have a keen eye towards for they will defend their Creator at any cost and willingly respond accordingly even when humans run astray and when humans do fall from eternal Grace then the angels must react just as they did when a portion of their own kind left for eternity as well.

I have repeatedly stated to others that I believe that humans could do nothing that would shock me or stun me through the actions and choices that they commit.  While most of what people do falls into that category I must readily admit that sometimes I am taken back when my eyes cross the reports of human activity and the reasoning behind these actions of theirs.  To personalize this fact there are times that I am frightened by my own shadow which brings me back down to earth without too many people knowing for deep down inside I understand that when a mind makes up its mind to complete a task I may just be in their way.  I cannot help but know that while I am considered a strong and level headed person my emotions do get the best of me at times and the realization that I am a human creep into my heart.  It pains me to see people directly abuse other people and seemingly care less about what they have done even when it involves a well thought out and grotesque act.  It is this part of humanity that unnerves me enough for me to believe that evil – true evil – now has a foothold on our lives and one that will only grow.

Sometimes we tend to portray angels as we have seen them drawn in paintings or how they appear in story books when we were children.  While these portrayals represent nothing wrong they do kind of give us a sense that they are story figures only and serve no real function in our lives nor do they have any emotions about what occurs on earth.  When we limit angels to this capacity we actually limit God and His eternal spirit because angels are eternal beings and if they ever choose to leave God their only destination would be a life of utter desolation and demonic torture, one that would not be settling by any means.  Angels have eternal emotions and understand what it means for God’s Kingdom to be pushed forward and likewise pushed backward and when it comes to God directly being betrayed, no angel can just stand by and ignore what is transpiring either.  I have spoken before about a man named Kevin who came to Hobbs, New Mexico and stayed the exact amount of time as my family, never worked, drove around in a beat up automobile, and was present at every meeting in the church building.  An unusual man, for when dad resigned, he was gone without a trace and to this day I believe that he was an angel completing a mission that God had told him to do.

I am sure that there have been many occasions throughout human history that angels have been a bit stunned when humans do things that they know go against God and His Ways.  Those events probably are countless in stature and represent so many voluntary wrongs that we do not even think about, but while we commit these ridiculous acts God wants us to know just how important our actions are to our eternal lifeline and how we should always be conscious of the fact that when we choose to directly disobey God the beings that are fighting for our spiritual connection with and to God know exactly the magnitude of each sin.  For we must contend this matter because if rejoicing goes on in heaven when people become saved and acknowledge Jesus as their Savior the angels must also recognize when the opposite is true.  There are only a few mentions in the Bible about the activity in Heaven, but I know that one of those times Heaven fall silent which can be compared to when humans make fatal mistakes on a wide scale in their eternity.

The first example that we have here occurred before humans were created and since our minds and bodies represent a limited amount of time it is difficult for us to comprehend just how far back this example might be.  For an unknown and recognizable amount to time all was calm in heaven with no concerns of unrest noted but at some point in time that peaceful existence was shattered.  Lucifer decided that the position and life that he had was not enough and decided to challenge his Creator for a stake to His throne.  Now, when we think about a coup or turnover of government here on earth we can be certain that some of the transitional ideas might not sit well with all parties involved but to place one’s beliefs about a policy and position change against a perfect, holy, and all Omni eternal Being really is not a wise move yet this one angel decided to do such a thing.

Our finite minds cannot inhabit eternity to its fullest and while I have tried to adjust my thought processes to such a pattern, I get a headache trying to reason this no time truth about existence.  The event that took place between God and Lucifer was strictly based on an eternal setting for each being involved was on the eternal creation “time frame” and not the physical.  Angels have worked together on countless missions even before mankind was created and when some of their acquaintances chose to leave God’s side and go with Lucifer it must have sent eternal shock waves through their eyes.  For the rebellion against God and the mere thought that any other created being could have the authority and the know how to overthrow God seems utterly ridiculous, yet we humans try and do this every day as well.  It is hard to imagine why Lucifer would want to change positions for eternity but it is a fact that must be acknowledged and accepted for it occurred and is eternally etched in the foundations of creation.  The angels had direct contact with God on a “daily” basis and had ongoing knowledge of His existence yet chose to leave this place of eternal security for a liar.  How dramatic was this setting?  It was so dramatic that another one has not occurred on that level ever again.

It is this rebellious act and the after effects that bring us to the first example of angels being stunned at an action of a created being, in this case, eternal beings.  It is this action that was the first setting in which angels were direct witnesses to what occurs when a being challenges God’s authority and believes that he is better than Him.  The angels must have been stunned at such a process to know that one of them actually wanted more power and believed that he was worthy of being equal to God.  Lucifer knew that his authority in heaven came from God and that he had limitations to what he could and could not do but as humans try and usurp authority away from the leaders above them Lucifer tried to accomplish the same feat.  The impending war between good and evil now awaited the angels and new choices of loyalty were about to be made with 1/3^rd of the angels in heaven choosing to leave the confines of God and swear allegiance to the fight against God and His Kingdom.  Through this example alone should warrant enough thoughts to ward us off from ever trying to do things on our own and to keep as close as possible to God at all times.  See, we have a connection between God and our lives because He breathed into our lives an eternal spirit, His eternal Spirit which means we have elements of eternity just as the angels do.  What did God do that was so bad that caused these angels to lose faith in the eternal Truth and choose a life of torment and total separation from God?  This is a question that I often ask about humans as well.

The second example of angels being stunned comes in the form of human actions and a story that is so very familiar to us.  Just as God had provided specific details about His Creation for the angels to witness this idea of eternal truth had been placed into the hearts of Adam and Eve as well, for they were created in such a holy and pure manner that direct communication was allowed between them and God.  In Genesis Chapters 1- 3 we find over and over how God showed Adam and Eve the glory of His handiwork and how important it was for them to keep up their dominion.  God would have never given them a job or place to live for that matter without giving them instructions on what to do in order to keep things intact.  God would also have never left out information as to WHY it was important to do this action either.  It is for this reason that God gave us a brain to use and to use it according to the truth that surrounds us and that has been given to us by our eternal Father.  God expects us to use this brain power in accordance with our hearts in order to understand the reasoning behind our responsibilities; in accordance with God’s not the order of mankind.

We have been studying the details of Genesis for a while now and God has done it again with a continuance of wisdom in this very important book in His Word.  With each new word that God has shared with us, He has opened a new door of information concerning His existence and our existence and how it is vital that we keep our dominion intact through His Ways.  In Genesis 3:6 we see that Adam and Eve have for some time enough of a relationship with the serpent that direct communication with it has commenced.  A deep enough relationship that they now are talking about God’s Ways and Laws without the humans even asking how the serpent even knows about God’s Law in the first place.  Yet, the conversation turns and the humans talk specifics about the law and flub it up enough that the serpent knows that it has them right where it needs them. 

It is known that Adam and Eve have daily communications with God, a direct contact with their Creator.  I mean, they actually see God and hear His voice walking right next to them, looking at them face to face how much more direct can a relationship be?  Yet as the angels watched God create every living element on the earth and witnessed the imaginative process of creating humans they understood exactly why God was delivering to His enemy the final punch and push forward of His Kingdom.  Then, at a certain point in human history, the doors began to open to the evil one, the beast that the angels knew would rear his ugly head sooner or later.  He struck, and once again the angels stood and watched with complete and utter sadness that another divinely created being stood in the face of God and without recital rebelled against Him.  The question that was raised once again is why would any perfect creation stray far enough from their Creator to live without divine protection and happiness?  With all that was perfectly ordered now thrown away and struggle for survival, a must instead of an unknown, no wonder the angels stood in wonder and in stunning fashion for the prized creations of God ignored the Truth and shocked the eternal world once again.

Another question that we must ask ourselves is how we would react to God being physically back on the earth, so much so that we could touch Him, audibly hear His voice as we watch His lips move while He addresses a crowd or to you and me personally.  How would we feel if He came to our house and had dinner or breakfast with us or went to the store with us?  Would we reject Him even though we had many opportunities to sit with Him or to walk with Him around a lake or in the park?  I have asked myself that question many times and when honesty struck I had to say that I would probably have denied Him at some point in time and that denial would have to include a betrayal as well.  In my humanness, I must admit that I am a complete failure and that I am not worthy of being called a creation of God much less be authorized to write what God wishes for His children to hear and to understand.  Yet, in my troubles and weaknesses, God for some reason finds favor in my heart big enough to forgive me of my sins and see His perfect creation status in my life.  I say this paragraph to lead up to the most devastating yet authoritative motives for the betrayal of God.

In the gospels of Matthew and in Luke we have a story concerning a man by the name of Judas of Iscariot.  I know that the other gospels contain the story about Judas but I have been shown to include these two books so the third example will be from here.  Jesus the Son of God is now present on the earth and here to be the eternal, everlasting, perfect, and last sacrificial offering for the sins of mankind.  He has chosen to have 12 men beside Him to guide and to provide and personal and eternal example of God on earth.  Through His actions we see men and women changed forever, the dead raised, words and sermons of wisdom spoken to the few and to the many.  Personal relationships developed with every known human emotion present while Jesus walked this earth.  With all of the history that the “Old Testament” writings gave the people of that time, it would seem an impossibility that anyone would directly rebel and betray God face to face again.

In Matthew, we have the positioning taking place between the Pharisees where they have agreed to do their part in putting into motion a plot to rid themselves and the people of Jesus once and for all.  They came to the conclusion that an insider needed to be chosen in order for their plot to be executed well enough to make sure that not just anyone would be pointed out and wrongly tried.  In order for their plot to be successful, they included one of Jesus’ disciples and when Judas agreed to comply with their wishes and threats their plan was authenticated for completion.  As we turn to the book of Luke, we all have read that Judas at the appointed time was told by Jesus to complete the mission that he had agreed to do, he did so and my Lord and Savior was betrayed with a kiss with many witnesses present then taken away to be tried and beaten and shortly afterward crucified to fulfill the words of God way back in Genesis.  Once again humanity had shared their finite thoughts and beliefs with the eternal Truth and chose their physicality over what their eyes and spirits knew was the Truth.

Heaven must have been filled with silence as each angel stared down at the earth and could not believe that the prized creations of God and His Kingdom had face to face betrayed God again.  When people make mistakes and correct them as to not repeat them again all should be well and good but when humans purposefully override the known truth for selfish gains the lies that they have been told to choose such options shall have consequences.  The angels must have been stunned again and could not help but to feel some type of holy anger at the ones who were supposed to be the eternal witness for God and His Creative geniuses.  You know that all of the angels wanted to go down and protect the Son of God yet God in His true and loving wisdom kept them in heaven watching the scene unfold so that humanity could once again know the Truth about our existence.  But the angels still had to ask, how could they not know by then of the reasons that they were created and not to invoke such atrocities upon their lives by deliberately betraying God through rebellious acts?

There are a couple of serious issues and patterns here that God wants His people to understand.  The pattern we see first in this message is that God has always loved us and that no matter how far we stray He shall never leave us or love us any less.  The second pattern in this topic is that mankind follows the sinful pattern that we are born into and unless we fully understand and believe in the Word of God we shall once again betray God face to face.  Lucifer, Adam and Eve, and then Judas all had intimate contact with God and had the opportunity to walk and talk with Him at their leisure.  Yet, in all three examples, these individuals decided to make the decision to betray God and walk it on their own.  Three different beings located in three different times yet all three followed suit to their wishes and not of God’s idea. 

How many of us are following in these three examples’ pictures?  I am not making light of any example here and I am certainly not comparing anyone to Satan but God is trying to get it through our heads and into our hearts that separation from His Ways is a serious event that one day will cost us our eternity if we do not turn our hearts back to God.  We know the outcome of Lucifer and the angels that went with him that memorable spirit day.  We can also say that Adam and Eve turned their lives towards God again for one of their sons knew how and what the meaning of a true sacrifice meant.  However, Judas’ story had a different ending, one that was tragic for even though he betrayed Jesus, Jesus would have gladly and quickly forgiven him without any hesitations.  However, through the actions of Judas after he had betrayed Jesus he took his own life and therefore eternally aligned himself with the one that tricked him in the first place.

Church, it is our responsibility to study the Word of God and to understand every word that is present in its content.  We can no longer be under the influence of the world for when we accept this world as our own then we will align ourselves with the lies of Satan and thus fulfill the three examples of this message from God again.  There is no way possible that we can stand in the presence of God even if we have not physically done an act of betrayal to Him, for our bodies themselves are born into sin and from day one of our existence our lives become an act of disobedience.  But God originally provided a way for Lucifer and the angels that he took, God also provided a covering for Adam and Eve as well, and now He has provided an eternal covering through His Son’s blood for every person who walks this earth.

In the Old Testament Scriptures, the act of sacrifice was supposed to be the recognized act of covering that mankind performed in order that we recognized the truth about sin.  This act became a ritual and was no longer taken seriously enough to warrant a lasting and honest confession of sins to God.  We now commit such selfish and vile sins again God again by ignoring the eternal sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.  We have made church a comfort zone with inclusions of worldly guidelines that in turn dictate how mankind believes, acting like the old Commissars of the communist Soviet Union.  How wrong we are to believe that God accepts our actions as a true measure of our worship to Him and how dare we thumb our noses at our Creator with such antics.  We do not need to be in the pews every day but out on the streets of our towns and cities listening to those who are hurting and telling them about the good news of the Gospel. 

If we do not adhere to God’s Word again there will come a time where our fears over our nation shall come true, but I guarantee it will not be in such a manner that many of us are expecting.  Plus, it shall be worse for when a person’s pride, in this case, a nation’s pride, stands far greater than any other example one can only expect a devastating reality check at some point in time and since we pride ourselves on being the best we can surely warrant the “best” fall ever recorded in history as well.  Church, we can change this cycle but only if we turn and go back to God in the ways that His Word teach.  There can be no other way no matter how hard we try because without His perfect guidance we have no hope but to stun angels left and right.

DLB