Satan Hears Part II

Satan Hears Part II

9/23/17

We now have the setting in place as to why the New Testament writers were so very specific and concerned about how our tongues proceed to give out information that can cause certain damage to those ears who are in contact.  It can be honestly and correctly stated that when our tongues spew hatred and vileness against one another all we are doing is giving our enemy the opportunity to use such words against those who hear them.  But there is a more specific detail that we need to consider here and that is what is opened to our lives when we personally use those words and allow them to be spoken into existence and it is this aspect that the NT writers were trying to get across to their churches then and what we need to understand for our churches (The Church, YOU!) today.

2 Timothy 2:14-26 is a very important passage that gives us a specific clue as to why it is important to watch what our tongues say to others not only for other ears but for our own lives as well.  2 Timothy 2;14 starts us out with a bang when it states that when words are spoken without control and wisdom that can have a very profound effect on the ones that hear them, to the point where the people that hear them can be subverted in the present and the future.  This is a huge statement from this passage and one that should stop us in our tracks and cause us to think about how we talk to people, what we say to them, and how we say it as well.  All of these aspects of our words go into the ears of someone else and it does not matter who it is that hears these words it could have a very influential impact on them at some point down the road.

2 Timothy 2:15 is a very popular verse that is used in many sermons and teachings and it is rightly acclaimed as such for it too is a very powerful and personal passage.  The first portion of this verse calls for us to take a hard look at our lives and see what areas need improvement in the eyes of God.  Now, the question remains about our appearance before God and do we even recognize that we need improvement on this level.  If we see nothing wrong with our lives as our eyes examine our heart then it is our responsibility to give God an opportunity to see what He sees that needs to be changed or taken away.  There is no way that we can seriously live by this verse if we do not acknowledge that God has the final authority and say over our lives.  WE really need to get over ourselves now because for all of you that tell others not to judge them because you are flawed yourself, just wait until you stand before God to complete your statement and proclamation to others, how will it be then?

However, with many of us, we stop at the scanned version of our own eyes and leave it there and call it good then go on our way not ever giving God the opportunity to see what really needs to be cleaned.  We do not want God to look deep into our hearts for we are totally afraid that we will have to admit that first there is a God who can justly define us, then we would have to admit that we were wrong in many areas and finally go through a real changing process that we would have no control over personally.  This simple verse alone if allowed and followed completely can not only transform an individual but could radically change a nation and place us all back on the path of righteousness, God’s righteousness not ours.

The second portion of 2 Timothy 2:15 sums up how we should be if we truly depend on God to oversee our lives, this portion of the verse is not to condemn a person or to make them feel like God is constantly hovering over them and just waiting for someone to make a mistake so He can whack them off the book of life.  No!  This portion of the verse is the true representation of what eternal grace is and how it works as our covering.  God understands that we cannot get rid of the sin that rules our lives but that does not mean that He will automatically take it away on His own either.  If we are living under the covering of the first portion of this verse then the second portion of this verse will serve as a release from the world and therefore correct any wrongdoings in the eyes and ears of God.  Consequently, if our words and actions are cleaned up and used in the appropriate manner, then our words will not present any issues to others when they hear them but if we do not live in these precautions then we are subject to the last verse of this passage and everything that can occur.

2 Timothy 2:16 hits a home run in the verbal blasphemy category, one that is advanced and has inaugurated itself in our daily lives of today.  We also must contend that if the author of this biblical book wrote about it approximately 2000 years ago and that a few of the authors and prophets of the Old Testament described this type of behavior in ancient times, it is fair to say that this is not a new issue.  This verse tackles how harmful vain and profane words can affect those who hear it.  Take a thought here for a moment, and think about a time when a friend or person who you have been listening to swears or uses foul language in their conversation.  What purpose does this type of conversation and word usage accomplish, have we actually heard our own speech as it is portrayed in the ears of others?  What about God’s ears or even Satan’s ears?  Is there a difference in how those words are received by those two eternal beings?

What does it do to you and your body?  It does not matter if you do not use such language or even if one does use such language it places the body in a tensed position when the ears hear such active words.  How many times does God’s Word use the truth about if God is present then there are an automatic peace and comfort in those who believe?  Verse 16 says that this tense and uneasy presence will actually cause more ungodliness.  Think about this, when someone uses such language do they use it only once during a conversation?  No, it is usually used repeatedly and thus causing more ill effect against the subject used and the person who uses it and hears such words.  Wait a minute, you mean to say that those words can be used against the one who uses them and to the ones that hear them?  Yes, I do and it is addressed here shortly in verse 26 of the same chapter of 2 Timothy.

Let us take a look at 2 Timothy 2:16-17 and how these verses apply to our lives today and when we finish here we will be able to see just how much God’s Word is real and alive for our lives today as it was back in ancient times, Medieval times and even a couple of centuries ago.  2 Timothy 2:16 has already been briefly discussed and when we take a look at verse 17 we see and added feature that should remind us of exactly what occurs when we use such ugliness in our words.  Verse 17 states: “And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;”  These two men were famous for believing in the resurrection of Christ and claiming to live as Christ followers yet refused to change or give up their sinful ways and lives.  Evidently, it was through their actions and the words that they used as such that proved their character and thus created a firestorm of issues within the Christian community.  Do you realize that when there are those who do not follow Christ like manners at all times and portray such ungodly behavior that it not only affects the Christian community but the worldly community as well?  This condition is addressed in verse 26 of this same chapter which we will get to in a bit.

The word canker is used in verse 17 and should really stand out as well especially for us today.  The word canker is often referred to and associated with cancer or a disease that spreads rapidly and covers all parts of the body.  A process in those days which took many lives because the medical facilities and care were in its gross and infancy phases, and while treatment today is much better and more specific there are still conditions and diseases that can only be slowed and not completely ridden.  These two verses address exactly what vile words and profane speeches bring to those who speak them and for those who hear them as well.  The Bible says that these words are like cancer and that their presence will spread just as cancer does destroying anything and everything that it comes in contact with.

I have to shake my head in amazement and bow my head in repentance when I hear such profanities coming out of the mouths of many people today.  The anger and hatred that many want to combat is a lie because the words that they use to defend their positions stem from the exact roots of what they are trying to dispel.  When we do not understand what the root of our issues are and where that root lies and who placed it there in the first place there is no way that we can effectively and thoroughly be free from such foolishness.  I find it so hilariously sad that as these people scream and decry this type of activity that they are proving the Bible correct without them even knowing it.  And whose fault is this?

There are many pastors and church leaders who are living proof that 2 Timothy 2:17-18 is still in motion today.  The second part of verse 17 refers to two men who mentioned above believed that Christ was resurrected but did not believe that His resurrection was ongoing and alive.  They believed that Jesus’ resurrection was a one-time event and that when it was completed that it was over and nothing else would come about of it.  Even though these pastors and teachers may not come out and say those specific words of denial, but it is through their deceived teachings and beliefs that proclaim the same fact as 2 Timothy 2 was referring to because they do not understand or believe that the Resurrection is still alive and active.

It means that once Jesus died and was resurrected that His life had no further life-giving abilities and that what was done and said was just that, over and completed.  This is a dangerous teaching because it sets into motion that once a person accepts Christ as their Savior then they can believe and behave as they wish because that have completed the tasks necessary to be saved and have no need for the further resurrected covenant with God.  Does this sound like a familiar teaching of today?  The resurrection of Christ is a living sacrificial procedure that is still being fulfilled today and represents the eternal covering that God first initiated in the Garden of Eden, then established first with Israel and now with the Gentiles through the life, death, burial, AND resurrection of Christ.  If anyone believes that the resurrection of Christ is not alive and well then you need to study God’s Word more in depth and ask God to restore His Word into your life because that is the exact reason that God has set all things into motion.

Do we grasp the validity and the gravity of such beliefs and how when infiltrated do such damage to the Church and for the potential of the Church?  All because of he proclaimed words from people who do not believe in or understand the Word of God do these verbal phrases have such an effect on people who hear them.  The last portion of verse 18 says that these words and teachings will overthrow the faith of some who hear these words.  How important are your words that you use again not only to yourself but to those who are around you that hear them?  They are important enough that they could cause someone to lose the faith in God and in the resurrection of Christ the Bible states.  It really scares me that the word overthrow is used here in verse 18 because it makes mention of a process within the heart of a person that includes the inclusion of the world and the exclusion of Christ.  It is this setting that we are witnessing being portrayed today as Christ and God are being replaced with secular theology and humanism and when we take a closer look at the process it is coming directly from the Church!  I know that this verse will be a future topic that God will show us in depth.

Then we have verse 19 of the same chapter and in this verse, we have a corner that is turned.  “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ departeth from iniquity.”  In the previous verse of 2 Timothy Chapter 2, we have a portion of the definition of what iniquity is and when I mean only a portion of it I mean that what is described in these verses is only a part of the definition and not only that which is present there that defines the word.  Verse 19 clearly states that anyone who considers themselves to be a follower of Christ should not want to have any part of iniquity which automatically reverts us back to verse 15 of this chapter because that verse defines how a child of Christ will act.

I find it very interesting the stark contrast that verse 19 has compared to the previous verses that are being used in this massage.  God is a wonderful author and no matter what the issue may be He will always place into content exactly what the difference is between His Kingdom and Satan’s kingdom and this verse is living proof of such content.  In the middle of all the mud and muck of verses 16-18 God places a divine and eternal truth about His Kingdom so that we can see exactly how much of a difference there is between the two kingdoms that are vying for your eternity.  This verse alone is a great example of which one to use when someone questions you about how the Kingdom of God differs from the world.  This verse alone details the separation of each setting and defines the line that cannot be crossed or breached but only pushed forward or backward.  More importantly, this verse demonstrates that God’s Kingdom CANNOT mix or be integrated with Satan’s kingdom, a detail that many of us would like to believe and then execute today.

Verse 20 also deals with an issue that many of us struggle with today as well as back when this letter was written and it has to do with equality in the eyes of the beholder according to status.  Verse 20 states that there is more than one type of precious commodity that makes up a house and this is a true statement, even according to the simple standards of what is considered to be early history.  Many elements were discovered and used according to their availability and price tags but all of them were used in order to make up the structure and definition of the house.  It is this equality through solid diversity that makes up the house with every piece understanding its value and wroth as it aligns itself into the pattern of the house.  Today we are so consumed with everyone being equal on every level and when we look at things in this manner we fail because each one of us is created individually and will never be the same as another yet we work together in order to complete the job that is required.  Anyone following this truth here and can you see why this belief is false and can never reach achievement as long as humans are flawed yet perfect?  So all of the anger towards those who do not accept this type of madness really needs to sit back and look at things realistically according to our creation instead of our selfish mannerisms.

Verse 21 reiterates this truth about everyone working together to build and then maintain the master’s house.  What a beautiful concept this is when everyone who has different backgrounds work together as one unit in order to complete the job that has been asked.  This verse alone destroys the concept of denominations and everything that they admire and represent.  It is ok to have different opinions about ideas and concepts but if everyone who is involved agrees to work together in order to complete the master plan then much accomplishment can be made.  However, in order for this to be accomplished everyone involved in the plan MUST agree with the master’s plan or the fail will ultimately fail.  In the Lord’s Prayer the first words in those verses “Our Father” symbolize this togetherness and if the people who recite this wonderful prayer do not agree with the Father’s plan then the rest of the prayer should not even be spoken because it will not have any meaning in the ears of God and thus prove to be perfect in the ears of Satan.

Look at how things are in the land of the “wonderful” and brave today.  Modern society has been pulled and is currently being pulled further from our togetherness that we can no longer see eye to eye on where bathrooms should be installed much less real issues that need to be fixed.  When elected officials call for the ousting and murder of the nation’s leader it cannot send but a strong message to those in opposition that violence is acceptable on any level and warranted as well.  It is a process that stems from what lies inside the heart and thus projected into the public when others hear those words.  A living example that at one time the people who have uttered those types of words have themselves rejected the equality of others to pursue their own vocal agenda.  Are you beginning to see the pattern here and how if any other ears hear such atrocities against fellow humans that it becomes an explosion of destruction to everyone involved?

Verses 22-25 of 2 Timothy 2, deal with many more illustrations that have flooded our ears and eyes on a daily basis.  We will deal with these issues at another time but when one reads these specific conditions of what people are saying and doing it provides us with yet more examples that this type of activity has been around for millennia and has not changed one bit.  All of these evil issues that men have done and that 2 Timothy 2 addresses we can easily find today which means that our minds and hearts have been subjected to such activities in our past and we have now adopted them as a normal response from others who have shared these experiences with us.  We spend countless hours, days, weeks, months and even years trying to figure out how to calm what seems like an everlasting and increasing storm and it is sad to watch each society succumb to these effects with the destruction of humans being the pinnacle of such activity. 

As each problem arises and stays we scream louder at each other because we recognize that the waters around us are rising and that unless we stop this flow the levels of water will soon be over our heads and our lives as we know it will be lost.  In this setting, I am reminded of an old saying that I first heard when I was a kid and it goes something like this.  The dam on the reservoir had broke and the water was steadily rising in the town in the near distant.  Many rescuers were pulling people out of their houses and helping them to safety.  The water had risen so high that one person was waiting for help on their roof, nothing wrong with that gives rescuers more time, right?  Well, a person in a small boat came along and told the person to get in, the person on the roof said no I am waiting for God to provide the right way for my protection the boat left.  Another boat arrived and the exact same scene played out with the boat floating down the waterway to reach another person.  A helicopter eventually flew overhead and dropped a ladder to help this person to safety; they refused again saying they were waiting for God to supply their safety.

Eventually, all of the rescue efforts had disappeared and because the water was too high for them to do any more good.  The person on the roof watched the water continue to rise until it was at his feet.  The full effect of the water level eventually took the man from his rooftop and he drowned somewhere down the water path and of course, he immediately went to heaven to meet God and to receive his judgment.  The person was furious with God and told God to His face that they had counted on Him to save them from such destruction and how could He allow such a setting play out?  God simply answered the man by saying “I provided you with two boats and a helicopter, what more did you need?”  In 2 Timothy 2:26 this story that has just been shared is explained and told again for those who do not understand what the true root of our problems are and who is responsible for them.

2 Timothy 2:26 states: “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”  Humanity and societies who bask in themselves tend to see things and focus on things that are superficial instead of what God has actually provided.  In every case, these people will not see what God has provided for their lives as the answer to the issues that they so desperately struggle with on a continual basis.  They cannot understand why the solutions that they believe should work almost immediately fall apart and end up providing more issues instead of fixing the ones intended.  The answer to this easily fixed dilemma is in this single verse because it gives us the source of the issues, tells what the issues are, and gives how we should fix the problems when they arise.  As long as we continue to see the problems on the superficial plane we shall never fix anything because the root will continue to grow from underneath our feet, in this instance from our hearts.

“And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil” is a powerful phrase and one that defines where the root of the issue lies.  The devil is the one responsible for such activities and how they are presented to others.  Satan has nothing good to say about God and the prized children that He created the only thing Satan cares about is your destruction and total separation from God.  Satan does not care how he gets his task done nor does he care what you go through in order to complete his job either, all he wants is you to be eternally separated from God.  This is the definition of hatred and it is Satan who birthed it and who is delivering it on a daily basis to anyone who will listen to what he has to say. 

How did he receive such authority to do such a thing you ask?  I would suggest you scroll back up to the top of the article and reread what was said about what occurred in the Garden of Eden between God and Adam, then read what transpired in the conversation between Satan and Eve and then you will know exactly why Satan has the authority to do what he does to our lives.  Satan HAS ears and if we give him the opportunity to strike our lives and anyone else’s because he has heard the authoritative words from our mouths guess what HE SHALL USE THEM!!  Let us think as a child for a moment or anyone else who is under the authority of another.  If the one who is charge over you tells you to do something and you do not like it how far will you take your disagreement?  There are many levels of this type of example and from what occurred in heaven we know that Lucifer took this disagreement to an eternal level.  And since this level was anted, that means that Lucifer heard what God had wanted him to complete.  It is through this hatred for God and everything that God stands for that drives Satan to listen for openings that we give him so he can operate freely against our existence and this verse gives us this truth about who is responsible.

Put your thinking caps on for a moment and let’s take a stroll down memory lane for a bit.  There can be no question that this nation and the leadership thereof have witnessed several bouts of hatred towards each other over the past two centuries or so.  While diplomatic and cooler heads have prevailed so far it would seem that we should follow the pattern again and eventually settle down and work things out between each other; this would be the normal pattern.  However, there is a slight change in plans today and it is one that we fail to recognize because we have already conditioned our hearts to accept our own selfish decisions instead of listening to what is really occurring around us.  As mentioned above, that when elected officials call for the murder of the President it is a signal that there are serious issues that lie deep within our hearts but cannot be fixed because of the lack of wisdom to where they come. 

The attacks on private businesses because they are in the path of the “protestors” is a perfect example of 2 Timothy Chapter 2 being transmitted.  Tens of thousands of protestors gathering at national monuments and screaming against the process in which the national, state and local leaders are elected is just plain absurd and should be shameful at best.  Personal attacks from others against individuals who did not agree with their vote and then having to endure such anger for a continued periods of time that include severed friendships are examples of uncivilized mechanisms that govern the heart.  This is not an example of a healthy environment or establishment but one of hatred against others who do not share the same ideas as someone else.  When the people fall on their own sword fighting for what they want to see occur, it does not make sense at all.  If things are so bad and one does not like to see what has occurred, then make the necessary changes in order that the setting does not occur again, do not place others in harm’s way to prove a point.  Yet, we do and then cry foul when our efforts fall short or are criticized.

If an author of the Bible addresses an issue that means it has drawn the attention of God and in turn, it means that it has drawn the attention of Satan as well.  In the passages used as examples here, we see that the words of the speakers are being used against them as if the words had been driven specifically for their portrayals.  In both settings, we find that the words that had been spoken were already placed in acknowledgment which means those words were an open book for both kingdoms to use.  Both eternal leaders cannot live in the same category as the other for God cannot do anything bad nor can Satan do anything well.  Since God has no rivals and shall never be defeated on any level, it means that Satan must have permission to complete such activities against us.  It is this legal authority that he has no choice in but to abide by, which means that if we give him the authority to do such activities then we must accept the consequences of such tithes as well.

The key to remember here is that Satan does not care about ANY of us and he will walk through an opening we give him.  When you utter vile, demeaning, vulgar, hateful, or just plain rude words to others it is this door that he will use to bombard their lives.  However, if that door is open for those words to come out of your mouth that means that door is also open for Satan to enter into as well.  Once the door is open blood has been drawn and his access runs deep until that door is closed and he is authoritatively told to leave.  Why is it that we believe that when we speak those ugly words to others that they will not have any effect on our lives as well?  They do for this is a Kingdom principle that this nation and many of the people within the Church have forgotten.  It is also this element that Satan will use against one another when the pendulum swings back over to the other side of the political aisle, did you think that he would just abandon this open door?  Not a chance!!

Just a few days ago one of the more popular celebrity chefs told an interviewer that he would gladly feed President Trump hemlock while other celebrities say that Trump supporters should not go to their movies and we all know that one presidential candidate referred to ½ of the Trump supporters as deplorable.  When we refer these types of words and use language against our fellow citizens at some point in time down the road Satan will use this open door to access your life just as he did in Genesis 3:4-6 and this access will be both on the physical and spiritual level.  Rob Bell, sir this is exactly why we need to refer to the Bible and use it as our only defense against the deception and trickery of our enemy.  Church, it is time we began to teach people how to close these doors before it is too late.  Countless people are hurting and suffering because of the words that they have said over the terms of their lives and they need to understand that there is a way to heal themselves.

Church, stop cursing others and condemning them for sins that they may or may not have committed, instead teach them to speak kindly to those who have been betrayed, hurt, or sickened by others’ words.  God also wants us to understand that shouting at those who do not know Christ will not solve anything but only serve to advance Satan’s kingdom in someone else’s life.  Jesus’ resurrection is still alive and that grave that He was in is still empty which means that every single letter in the Bible is true and it is the ONLY defense we have to close these doors.  Church, keep your mouth closed when it comes to spewing vile and hateful things to others.  Abhor this type of verbiage and understand exactly where it originates and most importantly combat it with the language of God with a gentle and kind heart, for this type of language should break one's heart not encourage it to participate.  God loves every person in this world and it is our job to help them understand and know God, not send them to hell because of our words.  Satan hears every word you say and he will use words against you and against others when presented the opportunity.  Why not make him hear the sound of a life-changing towards God instead?

DLB

Satan Hears Part I

Satan Hears Part I

9/23/17

In a time where our words are plastered all over the world instantaneously, one would seem to guard such animations but to the contrary, our individual mouths love to speak our opinion and cause whatever results possible.  Technology is a good aspect of human development but it also is one method of spreading topics that not only to those who do not agree with us but to our eternal enemy who will use this gateway to further torment and then destroy our lives.  God is very specific in His Word when it comes to how we should conduct our tongues and if we do not adhere to this wisdom we can be in for some very rough times ahead.  Guarding our tongues is a process that we need to follow for we must remember that Satan cannot act on things he does not know but if spoken in words to his liking, his ears pick up all avenues of legality and will use them in order to advance his own kingdom and destroy our lives.

This message that God wants us to read about today is one that will tell us about our enemy and how important it is to guard our tongues so that we do not give Satan an advantage over our lives.  We as humans and more specifically Americans have the belief that it really does not matter who is around us or who is listening that we can say whatever we wish and in any manner of speaking to whomever we wish and at any time we please, with an increasing amount of not caring to understand all about the situation at hand.  God is the only being in existence that is all powerful, all knowing and can be everywhere at one time a demonstration that is impossible for our finite minds to handle but it is the truth because God has never been defeated and has no rival.  However, we know that even if an enemy has already been defeated he still has a bite that will do damage if given the opportunity and when we do not understand that our enemy will strike those who are on both sides of the tongue lashing and word violence, and yes, this means the ones inflicting the lashing will be included in this torturous destruction.

God made our lives for a specific purpose and He created the angels with the same type of purpose as well and they too have characteristics that allow them to communicate.  We must contend that if angels are able to verbally communicate with humans then it would be normal for them to hear as well, a trait that I have not really thought about too much on a specific level but have generally known about this type of description.  It is these types of characteristics that make our words very important and how much we should guard them before they come out of our mouths for when placed into the ears of those who are not considered our friends those words can be used against us in the future.

We learned a while back that when God made the angels He made them in a specific manner.  We also learned that when Lucifer and the angels that fell with him did so that they did not lose their created looks thus maintained their original status and appearance, which further solidifies that God cannot allow nor did He create any “trans” type appearance for humans either.  Satan is just as beautiful today as he was the day that God created him and his appearance will not change anytime soon either.  The only part of Satan that changed was his heart when he tried his best to dethrone God and then lost tremendously.  When Lucifer was in heaven he heard the voice of God and he demonstrated these characteristics not only before he fell from his position but while he was incorporating his destiny as well.  A state of utter and eternal confusion must have been present that day but after all was said and done Lucifer had been thrown out along with those angels that agreed with him.  After the fall, Satan kept that set of eyes, those ears, and the communication devices that were given to him by God all full and intact and ready to use against the prized creations that God had perfectly constructed.  Satan is the perfect identifier that proves God cannot change what He has already created and even though Satan no longer is a part of God’s Kingdom he still has the abilities that God gave him some time ago.

How do we know this to be true?  We have many examples in the Bible where people’s mouths and verbal attitudes get them into trouble and we repeatedly see the writers of the New Testament teach us about the importance of keeping our tongues tame and controlled.  While we will be using some of these NT examples in this message we must go back to a time in the Old Testament to find out the reasons why it is important for us to adhere to this valuable bit of information.  We have always heard that the tongue is the strongest and most powerful muscle in the human and while it may not be the biggest muscle contained within the body this statement is so very true.  More damage to individuals, groups, and societies than what is portrayed from the mouth and it is the ears of those others who retaliate accordingly.

On 23 August 1939, a pact was signed by the foreign ministers of Germany and Russia stating that this nonaggression agreement with each other would guarantee no hostilities between the two leaders which presented a relief to one side of the table and a general guarantee of eventual war on the other side.  Stalin believed in this pact completely and instead of keeping a real eye on the situation began to ignore the reports from his own spies that went against what the agreement stated.  Mass after mass of German military units began huddling at Russia’s border but Stalin still believed nothing would be done against his country because the old enemy of Russia has stated he would not ignite aggression against them.  Really?  Going to listen to an old enemy that has for centuries vowed to see your entire existence be exterminated? 

As we all know 1 September of that same year just a few days after the signing of that document Hitler launched his campaign against Europe and the initial plans of the nonaggression pact were kept and Poland an innocent country took the brunt of both sides of that agreement.  It was a few years down the road but everyone knew that Hitler had his eyes on Russia and when the West was secured he turned toward Russia, still holding on to the agreement was Stalin however.  All of his spies in Poland were telling him that Germany was preparing an attack, so what did Stalin do?  Had many of his spies executed for treason and others sent to Siberia to serve long-term prison internment as punishment.  On 10 June 1941, we all know that Operation Barbarossa opened up a new line of the war that would take its toll on countless lives both during the war and afterward as well.

Stalin fell for this lie that was spoken years before and became comfortable with the setting that was presented during that timeframe.  Even though trusting Hitler was Stalin said he never had yet his abiding blindly by an agreement that Hitler broke even before his foreign minister signed the agreement said something totally different.  When we read such stories as this it is hard for us to understand why Stalin did not get it and do things differently, but because he was so taken in with the treaty and the “promise” of peace he forgot to look into the eyes of the snake while he was talking to his ears.  It was this chicanery that cost Stalin millions of soldiers’ lives and rape of the land he so proudly called The Motherland”.  It did not have to be such a disastrous beginning for Russia in this global conflict if only Stalin would have taken seriously his spies maybe some of his fighting machine might not have been knocked out before invasion began.  Do we understand that it is because of this head in the sand approach that we now in a decay and destruction mode that cannot be reversed unless a divine miracle occurs?

God has made it very clear in past articles and all throughout His Word that there is an ongoing war for your eternal placement and how important it is that we understand this truth and provide ourselves with a constant protective barrier so that we survive this onslaught.  Not only is there a physical outcry against our lives but a spiritual one as well both of which have eternal meanings and should be understood as much as possible.  God has not hidden away the means by which we need to have adequate protection against this war but we have turned against the protective device and chosen one that our enemy has recommended instead, a position that as we just read cost Stalin millions of lives and progressed a war of attrition that cost the world greatly for decades to come.  God has given us “spies” if you wish to put it this way in order for us to understand our enemy and the “spies” that He has given us is named the Bible.

We will begin this biblical example series in Genesis 2:15-17 when God’s Word states the following: “And the Lord God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  It is these verses that we hear God speaking directly to Adam and telling him exactly what to do and what not to do and it is these verses that also give us the foundation of Satan and how he hears what is being said.  While it is not directly mentioned here we know a few details about a being that is alive and that is considered to be an enemy and we can put those characteristics into our setting because they are on display.

When one has an enemy, that enemy does not just sit by and watch the opposition just carry on unabated.  Enemies will do their best to get and then maintain the upper hand in all situations when it comes to those that have foiled their plans in some way.  In this case, Lucifer fell eternally hard and that fall left him with a very eternal bitter taste in his mouth and for this eternal embarrassment, he will stop at nothing to get back at God preferably by using a method of our creative contributions from God.  Now, we have God and Adam talking with each other in the Garden of Eden and God giving out specific instructions to Adam about what is good for food and what is not.  If Satan could only see this conversation taking place then his ideas about how to fool Adam would prove to be difficult and basically impossible since he is not an all-powerful being, thus it would be basically impossible for him to carry out any practices against anything.  An interesting point here is that God had to create angels in such a manner as this because they would not be able to carry out their designed purposes if they were not; another example of a being using a gift from God against God Himself.  Even Jesus does not know when the day will be when He is told to return and to fulfill the entire prophetical setting and if the Son of God does not know what the future holds then there is NO WAY possible that a fallen angel does either.

Continuing on, we have the issue of Satan watching this conversation occurs and given the fact that God speaks to His creations this means that Satan has ears and it was through these ears that Satan heard the conversation that took place between God and Adam thus giving him knowledge of what Adam was commanded to do and not to do.  Now, we know this to be true because being a “good” enemy one will be around when any planning is going on from the opposition so that an alternative plan can be drawn up in order to combat the original plan.  I know that we have read many times the stories of Michael and Gabriel following through with the commands that God gave them to complete but have we really thought about and taken into consideration that Satan has the same ability to complete tasks even though he is not on the side of God?  And in order for him to complete these tasks, he must have the senses present to perform such duties for angels are simply created beings who are blind and deaf then sit around in heaven with harps on their laps playing music that they cannot hear or understand.

Even though the eternal division between God and Satan was present in the Garden of Eden, God did not take away his ability to hear what was being said around him and it is through this gift from God that Satan uses to haunt, attack, and then destroy God’s most prized creations.  It was this conversation in Genesis Chapter 2 that we see that Satan was around and that he heard what was said thus setting up the basis for the conversation that occurs between Satan and Eve in Genesis Chapter 3.  Genesis 3:4-6 gives us this truth about the ears of Satan and what was spoken sometime before through an interesting detail from Adam.  It is not clear of another conversation concerning this statement by God to Eve after He created her nor does the Bible state that Adam said anything specifically to Eve about this issue either.  However, since God gave Adam the authority to have dominion over the earth then it would seem logical that Adam would want Eve to understand what God has said to him as well thus creating an environment to where Eve would know what to say and act upon when challenged.  This is also a sign of unity between God and mankind and then between man and woman as well.  Either way, Satan would now have access to what was spoken and thus his open door to use against Adam and Eve at some point in the future.

Genesis 3:4-6 details this ability of Satan once again when he is having a conversation with Eve and in these verses a bidirectional conversation occurs.  The question posed to Eve states that Satan understood the issue at hand and that he had prior knowledge of a conversation that had been discussed for if he did not then he would not know which stance to take when he began to execute his plan against them.  Satan also has manipulated the truth with speaking a portion of the truth here which gives us a huge clue as to why God asks us to study His Word thoroughly enough to know like the back of your hands.  In verses 4-5 we have a monolog from Satan stating that God knows that you will not surely die but your eyes will be opened and because they are opened you will be like gods knowing both good and evil.  This passage presents a curious statement from Satan but one that demonstrates his abilities to manipulate the truth in order to make the lie appealing to our senses.  Another interesting statement here that comes into play today as well and that is that Satan said they would become as gods which would mean that they would be more powerful and have more status than what they had then, the exact same process that Lucifer took when he challenged God and fell.

End Part I

DLB

Where Was God?

Where Was God?

9/16/17

All of us at one time have either wondered about or have asked this question about God.  It is hard sometimes for us to understand why things and events occur in our lives and still believe that God is around while these horrible acts play out.  It is this question that fuels many skeptics and all-out atheists because of the concepts that they have entertained in their lives concerning God Himself.  It is this product that concerns God the most because we have not done our jobs correctly and thoroughly enough to those who do not believe; therefore, setting into motion a society that knows not God and only knows the world.  Until we understand the basic notions of God we will not be able to teach others about how much He loves us and more importantly His salvation plan that He has for our eternity.  There is a reason God allows things to occur and when those issues occur, as we will see, God is right there waiting for us to give Him the signal.

There have been a few times in my life that I have asked this question about God and at the time that I asked this question, were times that seemed quite difficult for the people involved.  These types of settings can come in any form, shape, size, person, group, turmoil, or any other easily or difficultly described turn in life, but whichever complication comes into our view it would be quite normal for this question to run through our minds.  Seeing a hurricane completely wipe out a town, city, or nation is mind boggling to say and when we hear about an entire family being murdered by a serial killer it is hard to imagine that humans can do such atrocities to each other.  When children are sold into slavery or used as sexual pawns in prostitution rings the atheist has common ground with others when they wonder why such acts are committed.  This list of horrors could continue on paper for weeks and not just in a few sentences or paragraphs.  The answer to this question lies within the actions of the humans themselves and what we do immediately after the acts of disobedience, no matter what they may be, is completed.

As from the first word of the Bible states until the last punctuation of the last verse of the Bible proclaims, God has one task to get across to His people and that is He loves us and that He has provided a way for us to be redeemed if we only call out to Him and to really and truly repent and turn to Him.  It is the heart of mankind that God focuses on and it is this same condition of the heart that God deals with humanity as well.  We do not have to travel too far in the Bible until we find the example of what God has just shared with us, an important issue that we need to know about God for this type of setting did not just occur in Adam and Eve’s life but in our modern nation and societies as well.  In fact, this type of setting is ongoing today and it is one where we are now seeing almost every day and a trend that will only become more common unless we figure this message from God out real quick.  To be honest, I have never thought about this characteristic about God before even though I have heard many things about this characteristic all my life. 

In Genesis Chapter 3 we have a change in the lives of Adam and Eve that proves to be catastrophic in nature.  Genesis 3:1-8 gives us the detailed orientation of the introduction of sin into our lives and how it now consumes our inner beings well enough that it eventually overtakes us and we return to the ground.  And it is this point in human history, verses 6-7 that give us the clue about this characteristic of God and the answer to where was God all at the same time.  We have talked about a few times concerning these verses and how things changed for Adam and Eve but what about God?  Did He change at this time?  Many people have had and still do have the philosophy that when mankind sinned God had no choice but to alter His character in order to understand the human and to further increase His ability to be smarter than the human.  In truth, God did not change one bit nor did He switch places, changed hair color, stopped caring, or even quit hanging around the human, none of these lies about God are true.  God was right there with Adam and Eve when they took the bite of fruit and He is right here with us in the same capacity as He was back in the Garden of Eden.  God wanted Adam and Eve to understand that even though He was not in their physical presence all the time He was with them and overseeing their protection all the while continuing to observe them and feeling the relationship develop and grow.

Adam and Eve had been tricked well enough that when they were eating of the fruit they had no worries about what was about to happen to their lives.  It is obvious that they had forgotten about God being present at all times for the bible does not say that God was present at the time they disobeyed.  And do you think that they would have brazenly taken from the tree in complete defiance right in front of God?  Could be, but I do not really believe such an event would occur.  I mean it is so much easier to believe that we can get away with things when our parents are not around so why would Adam and Eve believe any differently when the influence is egging them on?  If matters of the heart were not an issue here then both Adam and Eve would have not entertained the serpent nor and they would have told God about the conversations they had been having as well.  Adam and Eve chose to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as God had told them not to do and it was through this act that God reveals one of His important characteristics that many of us forget.

I know that I have lied to my parents about events that took place while they were not around and I know that Adam and Eve thought that they could do the same with God.  But while our parents may not be physically there with us at all times and do not witness everything that we do I guarantee you that any parent who is in touch with their child will know what occurred in some detail about that period of time.  It is this type of gift of discernment that God has given to us that is demonstrated here in this message but with an added amount of dimension that we tend to forget.  The book of Genesis holds a great deal of information about God and mankind and while it takes a while to process everything that occurred in this beautiful Testament we can miss some things or have to wait for a while in order to understand the finer details of what is going on in the passage.  There are many verses in the Bible that describe God’s presence and how He is everywhere but Isaiah 66:1 sums it nicely and gives us the characteristic about God that Adam and Eve should have known.  “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?  and where is the place of my rest?”  A powerful verse that gives us the truth about where God is and since God is everywhere He can be in heaven and on the earth at the same time, a concept that Adam and Eve should have witnessed firsthand and had no problems figuring out.

So, we have the answer to where God is at and where He was at when Adam and Eve decided to disobey His command.  Now, there are times in our lives where we walk into situations that are not of our doing or not in our control but this setting with Adam and Eve was not the case for it was their choice to be at that single place and thus it was their choice of action to disobey a totally unrelated to an accident occurring in a life.  It is this omnipresent characteristic that is the important factor of God that He wants us to understand for there is a reason that God is present everywhere at all time and that is for one reason, to hear His child ask for repentance for the wrong they committed.  Do you believe that God did not want to stop Adam and Eve from committing the one disobedient act that would cost them their eternal status?  Of course, He did!  But God would be interfering with the will of mankind if He did, thus nullifying what the act that He had previously allowed at some previous point in time, is when Lucifer chose to disobey and fall from his position in heaven.  God was there as well and He allowed such activity to take place so it would have been the correct thing to do for God to do nothing but wait.  If you are wondering what the difference is between the fall of Lucifer and the fall of mankind is go back and read the article that describes the holy order of mankind’s creation by creating the physical first and then the spiritual placement inside.

Have we really thought about this question and wondered why God wants to be around all the time and why He is always around us in the first place?  God is not in the habit of being around His children so that He can condemn them or erase them from His book when they do things wrong.  God values and understands the process and truth of a repentant heart and it is this reason alone that God desires to be around you and me all the time because He is our Father who loves us and wants His Will done in our lives.  God understands the magnitude and the gravity of the reckoning that we endure from our own doing and it is at this time that He longs to hear our hearts cry for help when it has done wrong.  God has not changed His policy concerning the presence He has with our lives and He has no plans of changing this policy either; however, He will not stand in the way of our choices no matter if they are wrong.  He just wants to hear a true heart repent and learn from these instances so that He can guide the way in order to do His best to minimize the consequences.  We must remember that the ones who want a relationship to develop and grow WANT to be around and it is through this wanting that begins a longing and a need.

There can be no mistake and no question that an epic event occurred to Adam and Eve’s lives that day as Genesis 3:6-7 played out.  And while there is no direct mention of God’s presence there at the tree He was there understanding exactly what was occurring and first of all hoping they would have listened and understood well enough to obey His command but when the reality revealed itself God’s heart immediately turned to see if they would repent and have a heart as such.  But what Adam and Eve did next must have broken God’s heart into pieces for God’s ears heard nothing about repentance from them, instead, He heard nothing at all except running away to hide themselves.  God’s ears must have tickled when He heard the fig leaves being sewn together for their actions were confirmed that they had fallen for the selfish betrayal and not remembered what God’s Words had been.  It is this reason that God stuck around and wants to be around His children, for when they get into trouble God wants to hear the cry of repentance as David cried after he sinned against God.  Man did the best thing that a selfish heart could do and that is to hide from the truth even knowing that the truth had been exposed for all to see.  The consequences of the human disaster were immediately felt and that they far stretched hearts of Adam and Eve were nowhere to be found.

Does this sound familiar at all to anyone reading this message?  Does it describe a setting that is playing out today in societies all around the world, namely ours?  Adam and Eve were busy trying to fix their newly acquired problem on their own ignoring God and His presence that was still around them.  This is exactly the picture that we have painted for ourselves today in that we have done God so badly and kicked Him out of most areas of our lives that we no longer recognize that in all of our blind problems that we are trying to fix He is right there waiting for our hearts to surrender back to Him, yet we continue to sew our fig leaves as our covering.  This process of fig fixing came to a head back in 2001 on a fateful day in September and while the world stood in shock we bowed our heads to God for a moment but we never had any intentions to do the same with our hearts.  This showed again seven years later when another disaster occurred and today we have continued that forgetful trend until God no longer exists in our hearts at all.  All of the superficial repairs and memorials we constructed represent the exact same procedure that Adam and Eve did after they had disobeyed.  This is something we really need to think about on an eternal basis for it is this basis that the covering we choose shall be based upon.

It is evident that our enemy has done a pretty good job in forging the true meaning of the covering that we have as humans and more specifically where and who provides this covering.  A more gruesome realization is that Satan has also swayed the Church into believing that this covering is not necessary in order to have God’s protection a grave error and lie that will cost all of us one day.  Adam and Eve must have understood this truth or most likely had become numb to the truth because it is clear that they had no intentions of asking for forgiveness or calling on God immediately after their actions were completed.  It is at this point where the characteristics of disobedience (sin) and the characteristics of God clash and we see the permanent division that is between them.

It is a true statement and fact that after Adam and Eve had eaten of the fruit there was nothing that could be done to change the newly arrived effects of sin.  The proper thing to have done in this setting would have been for Adam and Eve to call on God to let Him know what happened even though He already knew what had transpired.  It would have shown a true sign of regret and a heart that was repentant for what had occurred and provided a resounding truth about how God loves us and how He is always right there with us no matter what the situation might present.  God allowed this awful tragedy to occur because it was our choice to do such iniquity but God did not run away or hide Himself from our lives when we did not call out for help either.  He waited until His appointed time of the day to appear and it was then that the truth had to be spoken even if it was displayed from a hidden perspective by the humans.

It is also obvious that Adam and Eve had already forfeited their place within their own dominion because of the act that they completed in Genesis 3:7.  It is an act of disgrace to ask of your dominion to cover yourself when there was no need for covering in the first place.  This means that some huge change occurred and the status of the ones in charge differed from the original placement, it also explains that their status changed when they ran and hid from God in their own dominion.  Once a pure and holy stance was now graced by sin and torment strong enough to force the people over the dominion to hide within its ranks.

Where was God in all of this newly established chaos?  He was right there in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve waiting for them to initiate what God had been teaching them about Himself even when they had grossly failed His obedience plans.  All God has ever wanted His prized creations to do is to obey His Word and to keep His Ways close within our hearts, this was true for Adam and Eve and it is still true today for you and I.  God understands that through the act of sin we can no longer understand the perfect and pure living that Adam and Eve gave up but since we have learned that God is a consistent God and that He cannot change in any way this means that He is right here with us waiting for us to repent of our sins and to call on His name so that His protection can once again be intact.

The only problem is that we have fallen so far away from God and have purposefully thrown Him out of our hearts we no longer believe that He is around and present all the time.  Satan has done a thorough job in destroying the physical relationships between humans and thus severed the eternal relationship with God and us at the same time.  He has basically recreated the setting of the Garden of Eden right before Adam and Eve ate from the tree and as a result, our arms and hands are on their way up to the fruit.  We no longer have the discernment to stop and know who the enemy is and what he is trying to make us do, in fact, he has done a well enough job that we believe that God is the enemy another detail that Adam and Eve portrayed in Genesis 3:6.

God’s Word says that only a fool would say there is no God and this is a true statement with each bat of the eye at the physical creation of the earth.  Why would God create something, anything and then leave it be to fend for itself without any guidance to ensure its safety and survivability?  God cannot do such a thing for He is a consistent God and one of the characteristics of consistency is being consistent; in other words, being consistent is continual and once God made His presence known to Adam and Eve in the Garden and was right there with them even when they sinned He has to be in the same capacity today too.  God was so in hopes that Adam and Eve would have immediately repented when they sinned but they only immediately realized the consequences of their actions and instead a divisional process that could not and still cannot be reversed resulted but it would have made for an interesting difference if they had repented immediately instead of clothing themselves on their own.

We tend to forget and this is a huge part of Satan’s plan for our separation from God, is that when God is all around us even when we sin and if we continue to “get away with” such activities we will eventually become comfortable with these activities and therefore not take them as being such a bad thing.  Adam and Eve justified their sin and actions by making coverings from fig leaves instead of reverting to the covering that God had already given them.  In fact, when you study the remaining portions of Genesis Chapter 3 we find nowhere when or where that Adam and Eve actually asked for repentance from God.  Some procedural and occupational tones were made concerning their lives and who they were but no actual repentance statement by either one of them.  Even through this lack of response God provided them and showed them of the importance of His covering when He sacrificed an innocent animal and provided the appropriate covering for their bodies before they embarked on their new lives outside of the Garden of Eden.

Two important details and characteristics about God here that is vital for us to keep close in our hearts and in the forefront of our minds.  First of all, we have the eternal assurance that God is all around us at all times no matter what the conditions or circumstances may bring.  When the storms of life come our way He is there and when we choose to disobey our Creator He is also there as well.  In all settings, He is there and willing to hear our calls when we utter those sounds of acknowledgment.  But how many times have we withdrawn from His presence and went along the journey alone and relying on our human understanding instead?  Many of these storms we cannot prevent but serve as a reminder of who is in control over all things and why such activities may occur, a very important detail about God that would bring in so much knowledge if we just open our hearts to His Ways and understanding.

Secondly, God is always present to hear what His children are saying when we choose to do things on our own and sin against His Ways.  He is not here to condemn our actions but to hear the call of repentance and the willingness of our hearts to honestly say that we are sorry and to not do such activities again.  This is the sign of true repentance and the one signal that God desires to hear from His children.  The consequences of such activities may still occur but instead of multiple and continued destructive allowances it can be nipped in the bud immediately and that door closed to any further options down the road.  This detail and characteristic of God is the most important one of all for it eternally demonstrates that He is willing to forgive us of our sins and disobedience if we only ask for it.  It is well known that if a wrong is committed and not immediately repented from, the human heart has no real intentions of being sorry unless a true awakening occurs sometime down the road.  The beneficial thing about asking for forgiveness immediately is that it frees us from the continued lies that we will endure and will provide an extended covering instead of a broken one.

It is easy for us to understand why Adam and Eve forgot about the presence of God being with them at all times, for we do this every day as well.  But it is of vital importance that we keep this truth about God within constant reach for it is the only way that we are going to understand and keep the communication line open with God.  God is not all around and ever-present as a slave master or overseer of enforcement but His character defines Himself as a Father who watches over His children and is there for them when things go wrong.  He wants to protect us from such harm and to be there to ask for advice about situations before things have to be dealt with on a consequential basis.  God has not changed one bit according to the responsibilities that He offers it was us who changed our status to suit our own choices.  It was never God’s intention on being a silent or absent partner in the relationship between His prized creations and himself but an active and totally committed partner which supplies the necessary protection that we need to survive.  So, the answer to this age-old question of where was God, He has been in the same place as He has always been in, right next to us waiting for us to call on him so He can help us, heal us, comfort us, talk with us, and just to hear our hearts ask Him questions.

Church, we need to start understanding God’s Word again and place it on an individual and responsible level that includes God’s Ways as the only way of covering and salvation and not with the inclusion of the world.  This type of living is not by a theocratic overseeing government but one that places God first in our lives through the direct relationship that He authorized from the day of our creation.  God’s Ways free His children from the world and if we live according to these holy means our lives shall be so much better and different than what the world offers.  God desires a repentant heart and a heart that knows that it needs God every second of every day that it beats and when the time comes for the forces to try and stray the heart that it will automatically remember God and turn to Him for help and guidance and not hide within its dominion.  Let us use David’s heart as the example of how to live with God and not like Adam and Eve.  Our human bodies cannot help the fact that we live a sinful life but we can continually listen to God when He says there is a problem within or for us to watch out for.  It is the words of life that He speaks with and if we listen with a child’s heart our Father will provide the necessary ingredients to serve up a wonderful way of living.  Where was God back then?  He was in the same place that He is now, right next to us waiting for our hearts to cry to Him for help and it is obviously still waiting to hear those words.

DLB

When Did the Institution Disappear?

When Did the Institution Disappear?

9/9/17

Even though many of us love to ridicule the government and the institutions that “run” this nation, I guess that the majority of people that are included in this number do not routinely think about what would be in place if the known institution is not present.  How would we operate if the overall system is gone and unavailable to operate in such ability that we have become accustomed?  Would we react according to our roots or would we act according to what controls our lives?  That is an easy question to answer but one that should scare us at the same time.  Our roots are what we need in our lives but we are so superficially focused to the surroundings that we are not tending to the system that gives us life.  God is our roots and everything that we have comes from Him alone and unless we return to this true roots system of ours it will not be too much longer until the institution that we now look towards shall disappear.

It has been known that God uses the natural environment and its systems to grab the attention of His children.  When we look at history we can see some pretty devastating natural events that have occurred.  When these types of events have completed their cycles we tend to sit back for a moment, take a breath, and then proceed to continue with our lives and while this partaking is a normal occurrence for humans to take we have become hardened to the fact that it is this time that we need to evaluate our lives and see if there are things that need to be cleaned from our lives instead of just looking around and depending on the institution to fix the damage.  But do we know what to do if when after an unimaginable catastrophic event takes out the institution?  We do have an example of this type of catastrophe to go by but the question remains

if we will seek this example for wisdom or will we rely on our intelligence for the answer.

As many of us know there is an ugly procedural mess that our healthcare is currently going through.  It is a huge issue in many people’s lives and from all of the information coming out each day, it seems these worries are warranted.  While the ones that we have elected are struggling to find time to work on these issues many of the worriers are sitting uneasily in their chairs waiting for any news to flow out and give some type of direction.  Many have chosen to argue with, for, or against the institution that is supposedly making the arrangements for our direction.  Kind of seems like the old saying hope springs eternal is in play here yet we plug ahead hoping things will come into focus as soon as possible. 

Meanwhile, many smaller organizations intimate details are becoming a huge problem that we deal with every day.  The biggest issue within most healthcare facility minds is money and if the insurance companies are going to stand behind the physician’s requests for services rendered.  To the larger organizations this matter is of no great concern as of this moment but to us small hospitals and clinics it is a gigantic issue that means whether we survive or close.  Case in point occurred a few months ago now in our small department where I work and while this example may seem petty it is indicative of what we must go through in order that we get paid for the services we offer and thus keep our doors open to the community.

I was standing in the office of the physicians and needed a diagnosis from them to cover a simple and single test that they had ordered.  The issue is totally ridiculous but it is a process in which we have to muddle our way through in order for us to run the test.  One of the doctors went nuts when I suggested that this process be completed and once again threw up their hands in disgust because I needed verification of a certain process going on inside their patient before I could perform the test requested.  After a few moments of listening to the tirade, I reminded the physician and in conjunction with the coder of our department that it was not us – myself and her – that made up these rules but just doing our job in following them.

The physician was so frustrated by this point in the conversation that they said to just order the test and that they would pay for it so that it was done and over with.  Oh, the door that would have been opened with that statement if it could be held true for many other requests but I did not mention a word about it.  It was at this moment that God shared with me a question that blew my mind for up until that moment I had not really contemplated even though it had run across my mind before.  The question that God asked in His own way was: “what will it be like when the institution is not there?”  That is a direct question that froze me in my place for a few seconds because while it was a question it also serves as a statement from God.  The way He asked did not suggest but concluded that the institution that we know of in place will not be around at some point in time and His question referred to how we would go about getting things (tests) completed when that institution would not be around.  Here is where we must remember a detail about God and that detail is that He understands and knows exactly what is going to occur at all times which includes the past, the present, and the future.

We currently have a setting in this country where our actions are throwing out God and His Ways on a minute by minute basis.  It is evident that we are willing to take the responsibility of our actions on our own instead of understanding and living under God’s protection, a choice that seems like a good idea to the world’s advantage but one that can only bring devastation and destruction to those who accept and then follow such “protection”.  It is no secret that this nation has gone through and about to go through some more tragedies when it comes to natural events and occurrences.  A series of hurricanes are in tow and it looks like the next one in line will be potentially stronger than the one that just left us, with a trailer lurking behind.  It is easy to question if these occurrences are a punishment from God but in truth, they are not but just warnings that He has allowed in order to grab our attention, make us think really hard about the direction that we are choosing, and then make the decision to change or to stay the course.

In NO WAY is God forcing His Ways onto our lives and in NO WAY does HE wish to tumble ourselves from the position that He has given us.  However, if our selfish ways and worldly beliefs overtake our hearts long enough and thoroughly enough God will at some point take our status away.  He has done it many times before and He will do it again if He must.  In NO WAY does God like to take things away from those that He has given but if we are careless and foolish enough to gamble these blessings away to the world God will have no choice either.  Many of us know about the issues with Israel and what occurred to them in history and we also know what occurred to Judah as well but there is another instance that we tend to overlook even though it is a popular story and one that God continues to explore and to expound upon in the writings He has given me to share with you.

You got it, the story of Adam and Eve gives us a perfect picture of what is ongoing and the setting of God’s protection and the choices we make in order for our continued holy setting or the one that we choose when we place our faith in the world.  In Genesis Chapters 1 & 2 we have the perfect gift of a holy and pure covering and institution that God created for Adam and then Eve which should have been the overall institution that all of us were supposed to live under.  Why would anyone want to leave this type of condition and setting, especially since one of the largest cries today is for a perfect and equal living belief?  We had it folks yet chose to lose it by our own accord!  It is this picture that we have painted for ourselves that should be the key to understanding exactly what is going on around us and what will occur if we do not change what is rapidly growing inside our hearts.

The gathering storms and all of the other incredible occurrences that we are witnessing unfold around us provide us with a strategic placement of where we have come form and now standing in front of us another “T” that will define our existence in the world for the future.  As a side note, no one has read that message from God that He gave to us about five years ago.  Anyway, once again we find ourselves at a point where choices are about to be made that will affect our lives and national presence forever.  If God has said something shall occur and we understand what that something will be like and that it will not be a good result, then why don’t we really figure things out and change things the correct way before it comes to that point; why not delay the process for as long as possible instead of inviting it to have its way now? 

And for those of you who want to say that the statement by God could mean things may be good in the future and not to worry about issues such as these now, God says to you that He loves you and that He wants you to know that you have been deceived well enough that your eyes are not clear in your decisions for He warns His children of the paths and choices that they make and the warnings are a sign that He gives to avoid further devastation.  God spoke the question to me while talking about a current problem and one that seems to be controlled by the current governmental establishment – not the current and specific administration per say – and how that institution will not be around for some reason; we have been shown why that institution will not be around but it has been laughed off as well.  It is clear that God knows what is in our forecast and on the environmental calendar, so why would He promote and project good times when clearly they are not or will not be?  That is not consistency at all thus it cannot be a definition thought of God.

With the storms that have hit and the ones that are on the way, it will do great damage to this economy and recovery process.  So, what could be so wrong with a little added time in the reconstruction and rebuilding processes that will occur?  The interior portions of the settings is what will be at stake here and while our hearts are reeling and divided with people concerning monument removals and anthem practices just think about what will occur when severe issues are compounded upon each other.  What other warnings will occur before God allows the true devastation to occur and what kind of physical, emotional, and spiritual shape will we be in when the warning processes are over?  Why can’t we end these warnings now and not endure further ones?

Adam and Eve only knew of one type of lifestyle and that included nothing but peace, holiness, tranquility and any other perfect conditional setting adverb and adjective we can think of, but they chose another path instead.  How many of us have food on the table, houses to live in, vacations to take, schools to go to, jobs to earn a living and any other type of service or comfort that we can access or partake in each day?  Yes, there are those that do not have all of these items and some do not have any but the truth lies within what we have been given and how we live with it that counts and to be honest we have done a poor job of investing our talents in such manners that are needed.  It this point in time that we are facing whether or not we choose God and the institution that He has placed over us or we choose our own way and consequently accept the results of our worldly choice.  It is clear that Adam and Eve did not recognize just how far they had strayed from God and His Ways and from what God is seeing today we are failing to understand the placement of our hearts as well.

This nation has been blessed with many people who have tuned their hearts and their spiritual ears to God and are listening to what He is saying.  From the studying of God’s Word the reactions that many of the people of the world have towards such wisdom does not come as much of a surprise, as humans like to believe they change over time but it is obvious that we keep accustomed patterns for millennia without true gain to show.  One cannot help but think about what went through Adam and Eve’s heads during the instant that they were partaking of the fruit ignoring what had been given to them and doing their own selfish lie.  The similar setting today is that many of us today have no idea what it means to live without for we now take everything for granted and demand that we have all gadgets and toys before we work a day.  Adam and Eve were in the same mind thought as we are today and immediately when they chose the fruit over obedience the institution that they had always known was gone and their lives were never the same again.  It is the moment immediately before they ate from that tree that God is going to share with us next, but for now we have time to change our lives in the correct way before the institution is gone.

There could have been no way that Adam and Eve did not understand that they had a protective institution over their lives and that it was in place because God had authorized it.  Did they understand it all?  No way, but as each day passed and as each conversation between them and God concluded their knowledge of what keeping them in their dominion, what consisted as their dominion and how to protect it was increased.  Not only that, but direct wisdom from God was given to them and it was this wisdom that should have been taken seriously enough to warrant no breeches in this institution.  But Adam and Eve fell on the side of grace and prosperity but squandered it for selfish gain and resources and when the time came for the tests to be made, they failed it without any hesitation and through this choice the institution that was present over their lives was gone.  Do you see the connection here?  While Adam and Eve’s institution that governed them was God and His covering directly ours projects the same image today because it was God who authorized this nation’s creation and establishment and if we choose to end our relationship with God the same shall occur in our lives as it did in Adam and Eve’s.

We currently have the opportunity to change the way we think and believe before things become a lot worse for our lives.  I realize that these words shall fall on many a deaf ear with some even scoffing at the idea but we must understand that things are about to change in our lives that will bring us to a point where our protection and institution that has been over us and that we have always known will be gone.  The wayward motions of our wants and demands have created a setting that is not conducive to God and for the land that He established to do His work, thus putting in place a certain conditional course that if we do not stop our arm and hand from reaching for the fruit, God will have to give us a final waking up moment, but will we even recognize it?  Adam and Eve had plenty of time to figure out the warnings that God had put into place before their actions triggered an event that could not be changed, will we have to endure this consequence also?  God has given us a great ability to understand things personally through the actions of others, we need to seriously take the example of Adam and Eve and apply it to our lives before devastation on God’s level occurs.  This is the definition of love and if we do not understand that true and eternal love is based upon a war for your life then one has no way of living in obedience as the foundation of love and thus knowing God.  Ripping something away from God for eternity does not set well with God and He will do everything He can to avoid that from occurring.

Church, this is our opportunity to not demand from God or to quit because of the superficial means by which we look at God and serve him; yes, I am keeping the reference to God as “him” because if we look at God through superficial eyes and hearts that is the only way we can see Him.  God does not want us to take a bite of the fruit but to dress the tree and to keep it as He has directed us.  Obedience to the Ways of God is of the utmost and precious of choices and one that will guarantee us that the institution that we know today will always be around and over us.  But if we do not keep Jesus’ command to be the true light to the world, then we are sunk and will have to find out what it means to live without true protection and the original institution in place.  We are in a bad enough spot as it is with the real institution gone, why are we even attempting to lose another protective state?  Let’s heed these warnings and think about the direction we are heading before it is too late and the institution disappears.

DLB