Togetherness Without God

Togetherness Without God

10/29/17

It would seem to the logical person that being unified with each other is the optimal living condition.  However, during this process of striving to be unified, many times we forget who has given us the opportunity to want such conditions and it is this loss of truth that dooms us every time our hearts become set on glorious togetherness.  It has been proven many times throughout human history that one cannot find this utopia no matter how hard we try.  God begs to differ with us concerning this matter in the fact that He understands complete unity and wishes for us to live in this state again, yes again.  But we cannot achieve this condition unless we give our hearts back to Him completely and follow His Ways without having any part of self-overriding His authority.  We want this truth to be fulfilled in our lives but not willing to approach the correct way in order to achieve it, what silliness we present to God.  Real change comes in the form of giving our hearts to God, not the world.

The past few weeks have been a tad tense in our family for we have been dealing with a medical situation that while may not affect all of us directly it had a profound effect on all of our hearts.  A serious procedure was completed one that required many different medical departments to coordinate with each other in order for the procedure to be successful.  We understood that this setting was not specifically made for our family and that it had been completed numerous times before our family had to be exposed and then participate in such a measure.  But when our family was introduced to such a setting our eyes were opened just how delicate and intricate this entire process is and how unity needs to be present at all levels of participation when the activities begin.

Each department must have the adequate and accurate information present and before others when the time comes for the process to become active.  No one can be left behind or withhold any information because if one item is not studied accurately the entire procedure can go horribly wrong.  When one deals with a human life all angles must be covered and identified before any major task is taken for if corners are cut in any area death could be a result when the procedure is undertaken.  Personnel that deals with this type of major procedure demand accurate and timely medical information because without it the success rate of said procedures cannot be achieved and then maintained, it takes cooperation with all departments and all of them working together to provide such results.  All who have worked in the medical field have struggled with other departments not fully understanding the importance of the other, but in order for major transplant, surgical, orthopedic, internist, and even GP teams to work effectively to provide such quality of results they must understand that all departments of the medical profession must be in agreement together.  Working together establishes a unity that is hard to break because a developed trust and dependence on the complete team has been achieved and then represents an awesome feeling that everyone not directly involved sees. 

I find it amazing that different institutions throughout this country are trying to hijack other industries by intervening in situations that they have no idea about.  These other institutions have representatives that spout off their thoughts and frustrations without even understanding what all is involved.  All sides may have vested interests in such operations but unless one is directly in the know about what an institution does then those other opinions should stay away from such theories and dissertations.  Would you want a barber assisting a neurosurgeon because both professions deal with the human head?  So, why do western societies believe that all occupations can benefit from non-revenue organizations?  Think about this for a moment and if one believes logically it is an easy answer to come up with, yet we continue to bark up the wrong trees when it comes to this type of problem-solving and working together.  I am so thankful that no barber or plumber took part in the family procedure this past week, for it would have concerned this medical professional quite terrible. 

Why is it that humans deem necessary to incorporate their thinking and patterns into areas that are not related to what they have no experience in?  Why isn’t it easy for those who understand a setting just take care of it so that it does not occur again and another similar procedure be repeated?  These questions bring into play the idea that humans can work together but usually have differing opinions about how to solve the problem, want an example, just look at Congress or other democracies that are alive around the world.  Even though they are scattered they still have the opportunity to get their acts together and work together for their common good.  Our problem is that we have reached an area of our existence where we have come to the conclusion that humans know better than any deity and thus do not need such presence in order to come together and work to provide decent results.  An issue that most people fail to realize is that unless we incorporate God back into our lives and place Him first again, He is going to have to show us who is in control by reproducing conditions that are not favorable to our way of existence.

We have a great example of this pattern in the Bible that we can learn from before God has to orchestrate another disaster.  It is a popular story in the Old Testament and one that has been used many times throughout Church History as well.  The story occurs in Genesis Chapter 11 and more specifically it deals with the tower of Babel and what it meant to the people and to God at that time.  It also has a great example of God’s mercy in it as well, one that relates to our working together in the manner to which we are today.

Genesis 11:1-6 gives us this detailed story about the people working together to build a tower as a sign of unity but without God as their foundation and it is this aspect that God wants us to understand in this article.  For when mankind decides to complete their ideas and issues without Him being first, only bad things can come from such accomplishments, no matter how much humanity comes together.  Some may ask why does this matter as long as things are accomplished and completed for the greater good of life?  It is this question that defines Kingdom and how kingdom is represented and portrayed through our lives for if God is not present and first then the enemy’s kingdom receives the glory and the advancement for it is written and should be known that mankind cannot serve two masters.

Genesis 11:1 gives us the setting and the reasoning of why God has to deal with the people during this time.  “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.”  This verse at first glance does not seem to represent too much information about life on earth, pretty much unified and if true would mean that everyone would be living in close proximity with each other as well for this verse would not be a true statement if other types of living conditions existed.  We know that speech is the basic level of communication with each other and if one does not understand another, then humans tend to shy away from them and whoever else they associate.  It would seem like humanity was leaning towards getting their act together especially since the flood was not too in the distant past, yet for some reason, the tone being set in this single verse has a holy and divine “but” coming and it does not take long for God to explain Himself about this matter.

Another issue or setting we must keep in mind about this verse is that the people were still together now meaning that everyone was centered around one area and when they moved if they moved, would do such activity altogether as well.  What is the significance to this?  Well, remember back in Genesis Chapter 4 when God was talking to Cain and Cain was complaining about those who found him would want to kill him because of the act he committed to his brother?  This means that the majority of people lived close to each other as well thus shared many commonalities between each other, a pattern which God saw at that point but not visible to us until verse 4 of this chapter and the traveling issues in verses 2-3 of this chapter.

Verse 4 of Chapter 11 states the following and gives us the reasoning and state of mind of the population: “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”  We know from the previous chapters of Genesis that people living together were common and that they built cities was also not unusual and when these entities are present then it is also known that monuments and other identifying characteristics of each place would be present.  Once again, we find that humanity has come together to organize and then complete areas of living that would seem on the surface to be what human lifestyles and progression would be all about.    

But there is a difference in this verse that I had never realized until a short time ago and this verse gives us a picture of what direction the hearts of these people were heading, and we can see this by what they did not say instead of what they said.  The first portion of the verse the people are making a statement about where and how they wanted to live, not much wrong with this on the surface even when mentioning the monument (tower).  The next phrase that says that they wanted the top to reach heaven brings in the first concern for it depicts the state of their beliefs in that they wanted to elevate themselves and their tower up to heaven where they believed God was at.  This is a clear sign that they had already forgotten the truth about what had caused the flood some time back and had already “progressed” way beyond the truthful idea that God may have to operate in such a manner again.  Bringing God down to our level of existence is a human pattern that we see many times throughout the Bible, a pattern that is so selfish and yet so common, so common that I myself must admit that I have believed I could do this act and be justified by this process.

The middle portion of verse 4 gives us the main ingredient of how the people thought and also gives us a question to ponder at the same time.  “and let us make a name, lest we be scattered” also serves as a prophecy to which would soon be fulfilled.  Not much is known about the people and the civilization that lived before the flood.  Yes, we have the biblical accounts and those alone will keep us informed enough to understand what was ongoing in their minds, but these remembrances of the past must have been weighing on this generation’s hearts for they wanted to ensure that people remembered them even if they were scattered from each other.  It is this portion of the verse that tells us that they had drummed up the concept that at some point they could be torn away from everyone else and that when this occurred that they did not want their portion of people to be forgotten.  This portion of Scripture also gives us a glimpse of humanity in that they were concerned about their past, the present, and their future and more importantly that these people were human and that they had the same characteristics as we do today.

The portion that speaks volumes here is that they made all of these plans and goals but in doing so they mentioned nothing about God or making any type of thankful sacrifice to Him for the kindness that He had given them.  Everything that is mentioned in this verse directly relates to the human and not God.  It could not have been too far back that the flood occurred, and through this verse of what they wanted to do they too remembered what had occurred, but even with the remembrance of the judgment from God they had already blocked Him from their hearts.  How far had this blockage gone?  I refer you to Genesis Chapter 4 when Cain built his sacrifice according to his works instead of the importance and remembrance of the shedding of blood and look what occurred shortly after that incident.  As Cain’s attitude and actions progressed so would the people’s again against God, but God already knew what was going on. 

Verse 5 gives us another clue about God in that He talks and communicates through the manner of speaking or of words.  For He says that He is to go down and see for Himself what they are doing and to verify that what the actions of their hearts are being reflected in the physical reflections as well.  God understood that the focus and centerpiece of their hearts were upon their tower and city which they had built, there was no dedication of the city or the tower to God or any type of thanksgiving towards God for allowing them to survive together or even to have any acknowledgement of God on any level, none was there.  It was this act that broke God’s heart and once in for all convinced God that unless He changed the setting another hard choice concerning the earth’s population would have to be challenged, a promise that had been made never to do again; can you see the work of the worldly kingdom and its ruler here?  It is a pure example of how Lucifer gets intertwined with humans and then once allowed to operate goes to work in advancing his kingdom unabated.  When this type of kingdom rule is in place, it does not matter what guards people have up to protect togetherness and survival it shall fail because the reliance on self-preservation alone cannot withstand the ruler of the world only the protection of God can provide such a protective covering. God explains this truth in verse 6.

Verse 6 gives us the response that God has for the people and while God is speaking He uses a specific word that defines exactly what is going on the hearts of the people and proves His point that if He does not act worldly progression shall continue.  Verse 6 states: “And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.”  The words of God in this verse serve as a living testimony to mankind in that they will complete their assigned beliefs when they put their minds together and work towards achieving that goal.  While this should be a good quality for it is one that God gave to us, God sees a pattern here that brings back memories of a time not so long before where He had to make a decision about humanity, one that cost many lives and the earth its living status.  God understood with these first few words of the verse that mankind once again had the opportunity to reach their goals in life but complete such tasks without His presence.  It is this lack of God’s presence in the hearts of mankind that troubled God and with this information He had to change the setting before the inevitable occurred.

Construction and life during this time period must have been pretty well normalized for such a time for through the people’s own admission they had everything under their control and it seemed like they could accomplish all things together.  The importance of self-survival and self-preservation instead of relying on God for this assurance is a dangerous position to take and it is common for humans to take such a stance not knowing of the consequences of these actions.  God uses a word here that defines what the ability of mankind has within if they place their desires into motion.  These desires can be achieved with or without God for it is a process that God gave us as a portion of choice yet it is amazing that if we choose the world God also has built within our lives a small connection to Him that serves as a beacon that shines so that we can see when times become difficult.  This word “begin” that God uses here in this verse defines this difficulty and it also provides the truth about who really cares about our lives as well.

The word “begin” in verse 6 comes from the root word “chalal” which means to pierce.  Now, when something is pierced it means that some other object is penetrating the normal in order to gain access to the other side of that normal.  This means that some force must be needed in order to complete such a task.  When we think about something piercing something else we usually think of something sharp and pointed at the tip of the object but this does not necessarily have to be the case.  However, in most cases, the tip or beginning of the object usually makes the first contact with the surface and when forced makes a gash that corresponds with its beginning point.  Then the body of the object moves through the penetrated area and it is the body that is larger than the beginning point which further opens the site allowing the object to completely enter the opening.  When the point first enters the remaining parts of the object are not involved as of that moment but within a certain amount of time, the remaining portions will be, causing further damage.  This is a process and one that is active and going in a certain manner.  When a person is using a knife, board, stick, shovel, pitchfork, or any other object to pierce something the leverage of the object comes as the object goes into the subject making it easier to handle or move, and if it is going into a heart easier to kill.

God saw this pattern emerging again in the human mind and with the promise that God made to all living life after the flood, God had no choice but to change the plans of the human before complete trouble transcribed the new start of humanity.  See, when we take matters into our own hands and rely completely on ourselves the jobs that we complete cannot be perfect or the best that we have to offer because we are basing our results on flawed existences and thus reaping the benefits of such damaged work.  That is why God wants us to rely on Him for our ideas and plans which means that our futures are completely invalid as well, a setting which God cannot bear to watch unfold.  The thoughts and actions of humanity before the flood had to begin somewhere and just like many other conditions in the Bible, God had to take action.  For some reason, humans like to believe that if God strikes in one manner before the present day, that He will not use the same manner or another similar one to get His point across to His people, why do we challenge God in such a way?

As mentioned above, God recognizes that mankind has the ability to achieve all that they imagined doing.  This is a wonderful thought and an accolade to our existence, one to be proud of and to really strive to obtain, but since God mentioned this detail about us it means that He recognizes a characteristic of ours that He placed into our hearts and one that can only be fulfilled with Him as our guide.  Previously, God had watched all of civilization coming together and evil taking hold over every thought an unimaginable process that God once again could not all, so instead of waiting God acted and through a stroke of genius split the people into groups trying to show them the importance of placing God first.

In verse 6 we also find that God is ready to scatter the people abroad ironically confirming their own beliefs but on a completely different level and reasoning.  In verse 7 we see that God begins His process by first confounding the languages of the people and it becomes clear that at some point in verse 7 He allows no further communication techniques worthy of unity to occur.  This must have placed panic in people with now no way of talking with each other.  All progress in the area stopped including the work on the city along with any other projects.  In verse 8 we see that God takes His plan a step further and scatters the people from their one civilization, I can only imagine how much chaos and confusion there must have been in that sizable community after God confused their only logical communication status than to have them be so disorganized that they moved away from these confines to pursue a life by themselves.  Having moved many times in my life I understand this setting, but I had no communication issues to contend with and I knew exactly the reason why we were doing such a process.

Most of us tend to stop here at this story in God’s Word and there is nothing wrong with this for it has delivered its message quite clearly.  It is imperative that we understand and remember that our lives were and are still built in God’s image that means that He is in us no matter if we care to admit it or not.  This truth also means that God will do His best to keep us safe from all charges against us even if we do not understand what is occurring around us.  Many times our actions get us into trouble simply because we do not seek God and His will for our lives before we act and if we continually form this type of pattern in our lives, eventually we will hold true to the world and push God out completely.

This may seem to be a minor detail to some but we must consider human history when we study and then refer to this example.  We must contend that this form of confusion and then migration process is not the first time that God has overseen such an act.  Adam and Eve were forced to migrate out of the Garden of Eden after they had chosen sin to be in their lives.  It is clear in this passage of Scripture that the people who were living as one group did the exact same thing to God thus setting into motion the next step by God.  This time, however, God had more people to deal with so He followed His earlier pattern and scattered them from the area but in many directions, but this time He added a twist as well, He confounded the languages which forced people to learn things on their own and find new ways to communicate with those who may speak similar tongues.

It is this detail that we need to understand not only about God’s plan for our lives but how important it is to keep God in our lives.  See, a part of obedience to God is recognizing that He represents our existence in all areas of our life and that we as a created being cannot live without His presence in our lives.  For when God spread out the people across the earth in this passage, He also saved not only our existence but placed His plan into motion so that He would not have to be put in the position of destroying mankind again according to His own Word.  The world is alive and in constant motion both above ground and below and we cannot ignore that signs from both sides of the earth’s crust say this, so if a huge earthquake struck that area and all civilization was present in that one area, then God would have broken His own Law thus nullifying His existence and thus shamefully having to readmit Lucifer to his rightful place back in heaven.

We may not always see what God is doing in our lives and this is true especially when our lives are uprooted and we have to change locations.  Giving up stability is hard for humanity to embrace and then accept but we must continue to trust God no matter what changes come our way.  This passage is a popular sermon maker and one that should be understood completely for it states very vividly that if we force God out of our lives completely that He will cause our settings to change with or without warning.  This passage does not say that God will take away our ability to complete things or get the job done but it does say that He will make things a tad difficult in order to grab our attention before it becomes too late.

God has demonstrated this pattern of His throughout His Word and it has not been limited just to the Gentile nations either.  Many times God warned Israel about their attitude and their appearance before God yet almost every time they rejected these warnings and God eventually had to act.  It is hard for us to understand why God allows such devastation to come to those whom He calls “child” but in such manner, we quickly forget that God is inside our lives and He cannot live or have anything to do with voluntary sin that we accept.  When the Spirit moves and sees nothing but general wickedness this does not sit well with God and He must change the setting.  NOT to glorify His presence or His name but He understands how important it is that we choose life instead of the world for eternal separation from Him is humanly unimaginable and therefore, a thought and condition that we should 100% strive to avoid.  When humanity demonstrates that they have no desire at all to place and then keep God first in their lives, He must act according to His Word to ensure that His Kingdom of life is extended.  God will do everything in His power to allow His prized creations understand that He is the only Way to eternal life.

This passage of Scripture is not one of limitations but of restoration and through this process that God completed gave humanity more opportunities to praise God and to see the errors of our ways.  God understands our need for progression and order for it was Him who gave that initiative to us in the first place, but even greater is the need to have God in our lives as the driver of such projects for only He can show us the way well enough so that our projects can be completed in His perfect manner which is so much better than what the world offers.  It has been stated many times that God works in mysterious ways and this passage of Scripture proves this truth, God does everything for His children because He loves us and wants us to first recognize Him as the only way to salvation, redemption, and restoration and when we accept this truth He guarantees a complete and abundant life through Him totally separate from this world.

This nation and the societies that follow us are living in the same kind of togetherness without God as the people in Genesis Chapter 11 did so long ago.  Time and time again humanity has proven that if it lives as if there is no God and no higher power to govern their lives that nothing but devastation and destruction results.  We are now the epitome of this type of selfishness and haughtiness that God has no choice but to take notice and while these settings are being redistributed throughout our land again we should not be surprised when God performs another supernatural event to grab our attention.  People, stop and take a hard look at the conditions that we are building, for it is the exact same type of belief system that the people in Genesis 11 were establishing.  I have always found it funny that humanity continues to follow our same patterns that we have done in our history yet do not believe God will do the same.

Togetherness without God can lead to only one result and that is utter devastation that mankind has no words to describe, yet togetherness with God provides the exact opposite conditions focused with purity, peace, and eternal life as the original gifts being manifested around us.  Church, our light has gone out and we have rejected God’s Light source and right at this moment, God is still calling us to repentance.  If we do not heed this warning from God, He will eventually have no choice but to "scatter" us from our establishment in similar fashion as He did in Genesis Chapter 11.  We do not want this type of setting to take place again for if / when it does, these acts shall change the entire setting of the world and it's civilization status just as it was done in this passage of Scripture.  It is evident that the people who were talked about in this passage did not believe God would strike as powerful as He did in previous times again, but He did and shall do again if provoked to do such an act.

DLB

In Training

In Training

10/22/17

Sometimes it seems monotonous to spend an allotted amount of time in school to study a specific subject and then have to spend another allotted amount of time in training after you receive your job.  It would seem that once the initial training session is over one would be ready for any encounter they might face after schooling, but all of us know that this is just not the case.  There was once a time in our lives that our minds and physical abilities were not limited in such a learning capacity yet it was by a simple one choice method that changed this setting.  Not many of us think about this truth but it is one that we all face today and must deal with in order to accomplish the agenda before us.  God wants our lives to be centered in His Ways so that we may understand the necessity of His presence in our lives so that we may skip some of these added trials that come our way.

Many people in the world do not fully comprehend how my job operates and functions.  I have been in the clinical laboratory environment for approximately 32 years now and I chose this profession because it gives me the opportunity to figure out things about the human body even before the doctor.  I must admit that it is frustrating sometimes that even other medical professionals do not understand the details of my job for a great number of them believe all we do is draw specimens and push instrument buttons then hand out a number to someone else.  While that perception does occur each day of my job-life there are so many other detailed aspects that must be taken into account before those operations and results can be reported out to the providers.  Technology has greatly improved over the decades that I have been working in this wonderful field but even with the improvements humans still have to understand the concepts of each test, method, instrument technique, and test accuracy in order for adequate and proper results to be completed.

I know that the medical technology school curriculum that I attended and learned from back in the 1980s has changed a great deal and the students that graduate today have far greater opportunities where technology is concerned to advance.  However, the concepts and methodology of such tests have not changed and while the technology allows results to be given out quicker, the foundations of such results have not changed at all.  People who choose this field of work do not automatically understand exactly what a spectrophotometer is and what it produces in the area of medical results.  It is this part of the chemistry analyzer that produces such an array of lightwave that allows a sample that I place on the instrument to be read and report out a patient’s glucose level, or sodium level.  I along with every other medical technology student had to learn about how this part of an analyzer worked before we could understand what exactly a glucose and sodium level actually meant to someone else. 

This portion of the instrument is vital to provide the physician with accurate results so that they can provide the necessary treatment for their patients.  If I do not understand that a person cannot live with and survive with a sodium level of 50 but I report it out to a physician as being accurate, my position in this field will be immediately questioned and subject to termination.  When I was a student in college, I had no idea what the normal range for a sodium level was and until I learned about that small object of necessity I did not understand just how important it was to our livelihood.  While some of the information given to me by my professors came easily to me I still had to know about it, read about it and then have my hands on working with the intricacies of the reagents in order for me to know how things worked.  It did not come overnight and even when I graduated my program I still had to face another learning curve setting at my first laboratory.

My point to this example is that I had to be trained and taught about this small element and many others like it before I could report such results to those treating people and in treating it.  I was nervous for the first few years of my career for I understood the importance of my results and that through my results doctors were going to treat sick people.  Even now, when people change jobs they still have a probationary period that teaches them the entire fine details of how that specific laboratory operates, this process too takes time even though we are familiar with the instruments in the new setting. 

Learning is a process that we all must continue and it is important that we keep up with the new technology and procedures that help us provide results adequately and quicker than before while not compromising any result on any level.  As stated above, our minds may pick up on things quite quickly but we still have to at least read about things before we can truly report out our results.  These results do not have to be just in the medical field either, any result that you give to someone else falls into the same category of learning.  I would have loved to have had all of the necessary knowledge for my position to just be programmed in my head when I was born, but it was not for I had to go through some pretty agonizing times to learn such a position, and similar circumstances surrounded your positions as well.

All of us have had jobs presented to us that we were not familiar with to complete.  We approach these opportunities with gross caution and sometimes this caution costs us in some areas and benefits us in others.  But when we look back on these settings, we would not change how we approached the issue for our cautiousness might have slowed us down a bit but the end result was worth it, especially if the one who told us to complete that assignment pushed us as we went along.  None of us know exactly what to do when we are completing any task for the first time.  Even mowing our lawn is not perfectly completed the first time for even this menial task takes time to get everything done correctly.  Yet, through this learning process we strive to do things correctly and to perfection quickly as possible a goal that some of us reach and others do not but when we try to complete our tasks in such a gifted manner our progress is rewarded.

Being human stinks sometimes and the challenges that we face make our lives difficult at times.  But a little challenge in our lives is actually good for it activates our minds and hearts to strive for something better and to accomplish what is set before us.  We are reminded each day through these training sessions that our lives are not perfect but in order for us to be successful at things, we must continue to seek out the truth and make our lives better not only for us but more importantly better for others.  We can only achieve such truth if we refer back to God and how His Ways are what our lives originated in and that we should do our best to achieve such original status again.  The world cannot provide such an offering because the way that it operates is through its defeated ruler which means that God still has in place a method in which we can be whole again.

What is this original way you ask?  We have a glimpse of this truth in Genesis when God created Adam and Eve through the task that He gave them to complete.  We also have plenty of examples in God’s Word of people that God has called into the ministry but argue with God about such job or do not understand what is going on with God’s command, more about these settings later.  But first, Genesis Chapters 1 & 2 give us a specific picture of what it is like for mankind not to have to be trained for God gives Adam a directive which included the upkeep and dressing of the Garden of Eden.  There is no mention of Adam saying he could not do the job or that the task he was given was unfamiliar to him or too hard for him and there was no other explanation from God of how to complete this command to Adam.  There was no other mention of this task until Genesis Chapter 3 arrives and we find out that Adam and Eve have perverted the eternal Law of God to fit into their categorical laziness due to belief in a lie from the enemy. 

We know that if our lives are in complete order with God that the enemy is prone to attack some weak area and through this condition, we have the opportunity to resist his tactics or to accept them into our lives.  Adam and Eve were created in such a perfect manner that they did not need to have any formal training on what to do because they had no limitations set inside them.  After sin entered into their lives was a different story and their lives changed drastically within a certain amount of time.  God had no reason to explain in any detail of what Adam and Eve had to do in order to keep and dress the Garden of Eden.  When God spoke and speaks today, His Words are clear, direct, and precise.  Throughout the Bible have you ever heard God speak in such a manner that does not give a complete and accurate direction?  No!  We have heard humans argue with God about what He has told them to do, but never has God been vague in what He states to His children.

In Genesis 3:7 we have another angle of our lives that is defined through the results of Adam and Eve’s selfish desires to be different and to live under the laws of the world.  As we have discovered, God did not have to explain Himself when detailing the job that He gave to Adam and Eve yet after the entrance of sin into our lives we find that His instructions to Adam and Eve differed greatly in content.  What I find so impressive is that through God’s initial instruction Adam and Eve understood how to complete the challenges that they were going to face due to their acceptance of sin.

Genesis 3:16-19 gives us our new orchestration of life and it is a picture of a setting that we do not even second guess because it has been a part of our lives ever since we can remember.  But for Adam and Eve, it was a new “adventure” that they inherited and one that was unfamiliar to them in every way imaginable.  This process actually begins in Genesis 3:7 when Adam and Eve believe that their appearance has to be altered and thus the first guilt-ridden clothing store is formed.  Instead of unadulterated, unblemished, constant, and pure growth present around them, thorns and weeds would now appear as a token entity of vile competition life survival.  The ground would harden and have to be tilled through a process of breaking ground, a human trait that God still has to do every day in our lives but many of us still refuse Him access to this process.  Every aspect of human life was changed and a new process and way of living had to be learned.  None of this atmosphere was familiar to Adam and Eve and everything that was now in their lives had to be worked for and toiled over for them to gain any type of success.

The ultimate training schedule of our lives comes to a halt when God states that because of our wishes to enter into a sinful atmosphere that we must end our days by returning to the exact same condition that we came.  God does not really enjoy having to work in a cycle or cyclic pattern for when He is “forced” to do this action it means that He has to start over and starting over is not a way of Life for God.  God is eternal and pure in ALL areas which mean that His Way is unidirectional and cannot be turned for any reason.  Yet, in all of His eternal knowledge He has given us the ability to turn our lives around and to start over, going along that unidirectional path that He has provided but in order to do this He must follow in what has already transpired and what has been handed down which means that our lives shall be a continual learning curve as each day moves along.  So instead of a complete and pure path, we must endure bumps and curves along our way.

God would have loved for our lives to have been lived in perfect conditions for eternity, which was His plan for our lives right from our beginning.  But I thank Him every day that He created us in such a manner that allows us to understand our path of life and that He has provided a way for us to be redeemed.  God never makes mistakes and yet He is willing to take back in a being that is so full of dirt, grime, and mistake-ridden cells without question.  Our lives are filled with disappointments and it seems like those disappointments accrue each day but if we turn our hearts back to God and will allow Him to cover us with His Son’s blood, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our wrongdoings.  God did not restart Adam and Eve after they failed but gave them the opportunity to learn what He wanted from them in the beginning.  It was at this time in Genesis Chapter 3 that Adam and Eve understood that while they had to live on the earth that it was not their place to live in the world, for they found out real quick what happens to those who accept the world’s standards and reject God’s.

Church, in no manner, can we obtain and then accept the ways of the world for when we do it throws the act of training into another plain.  There is no way that we can change the way our physical lives can live and die but we have the opportunity to change the training habits of our eternal hearts before they are swept away from God and eternal life.  Every day we see people cry out for help yet throw away God and ignore His Ways of life.  Our enemy has trained our eyes and ears well enough that we can no longer recognize our hearts and when this state is alive in our lives we are doomed to an unrecognizable fate.  There is no escaping the training sessions that we must endure but if we turn our lives back to God He guarantees that His Ways of training will be of perfect origin.  We cannot afford to teach anything else Church, for if we do we are only inhibiting God and allowing Satan to further complicate our existence.

A short note to consider when reading this message from God and that is God provides a clear and distinctive path that will never stray off course.  This world and its plan for your life cannot provide such a direction but can only offer one that will be confusing and thorny at best.  There is no question that the world is its own entity and it will provide such opportunities but when we are grounded in the Word of God the direction that one walks is so much simpler and easier.  God never speaks with a forked tongue or leads in a way that would cause us doubt, but our hearts must be focused on Him and His Ways at all times, for when our eyes and ears stray our hearts cannot understand the direction of our walk thus providing obstacles that will force us to replay Genesis 3:7 and live in the shadow of Luke 7:3-5. 

It is the amount of training and the quality of training that each of us has in front of us and it is strictly our choice which one to incorporate.  Just as the choice that Adam and Eve had back in the Garden of Eden the implications of such choice is still relevant in our lives today.  God is beckoning His children to listen to His Words and to live under His Ways for it is His Way that brings us total freedom from the muck, mire, dirt, thorns, and weeds of life.  The world cannot provide this type of perfect living conditions with an easy access to happiness.  Look around you, look and see what all has occurred in our world over the past few days and one will know that it cannot provide any peace or stability.  I guess the next logical question for us to ponder is this: what are we in training for now and more importantly which (k)Kingdom are we training to participate and live within?  

DLB

Denying Christ

Denying Christ

10/18/17

How do we feel when this question is posed to us?  Do we look at it as a continual process or do we do our best to prevent such a human characteristic from occurring?  Our denial of Christ comes in various ways and it is our responsibility to recognize this denial before it becomes ingrained within our lives and our presence accepts this separation from God as a permanent institution.  The Church (you) has the duty of sharing this truth with everyone who does not know who Christ is for if we do not we are guilty of accessory to the fact when it comes to their eternity.  From the looks of things, we have fallen down on the job and become a silent partner that no longer has an interest in the eternal company we represent.  Until we return to God and His Ways this nation and the world shall continue to witness the escalation of evil present itself unabated.

A few weeks ago I was sitting outside on a warm day eating lunch with a few of my coworkers.  There are two tables outside on the patio and we usually occupy one of them during the summer months during this time of the day.  This time of the workday is a chance to let loose a bit and enjoy a few moments without the phones, doctors, and patients going in and out of our work area.  The second table is usually occupied by the other clinic that is next door to ours and as it happened both clinic staffs have the opportunity to eat at approximately the same time, as was the occasion on this specific day.  The majority of the other clinic’s personnel had already gone back to work with the exception of one lady, who had not been working at the clinic too long was sitting alone at the second table.

The conversations that can accompany our presence during these outside lunch sessions can become pretty wild at times and when certain issues are discussed the words and language can get pretty ugly as well.  As was this time for a very snide comment was made concerning the issue that was being talked about followed by an extended period of laughter and to give credit the tone and words were funny at the time; for many people know that when one works in a medical profession the stress relief can become slightly gross and somewhat seemingly torrid as was the case here.  While I did not say the comment nor did I approve of the way that it was presented and spoken I was there when it was said and thus I was guilty by association because I did not protest the gesture nor did I get up and leave after it was stated loudly and publicly.

However, as soon as the words were used and made public the sole lady that was sitting at the second table did get up and leave without saying a word.  She had not been there her full allotted lunch time and the book that she was reading did not appear to be finished either.  While the other ladies at our table failed to recognize her leaving I did notice her walking off and as she turned the corner and left our sight it was then that God dropped this huge deficit of what had just occurred in my heart.  It is difficult to explain just how He did this but it was just as always with a calm, gentle, and quiet voice as He dropped the denial of Christ phrase into my heart.  It could not have been more than twenty seconds after the lady had rounded the corner and was out of sight that God did this and while I did not see the look on my face I wonder if anyone else recognized how I felt at that moment.

It was this total accomplice state that I participated in and voluntarily accepted that was the cause for God’s heart to drop at that moment.  While I knew nothing and still know nothing about the spiritual condition of the lady that was around us that day, I should have never allowed myself to be a part of such denial of Christ.  I was mortified as I walked back to my cubby hole and when I arrived at my work area and the door had closed behind me, my heart too dropped and I felt spiritually humiliated for I knew that I had done such a wrong to that lady.  No, I was not the one who directly provided the situation but I was there and gave her the impression that I was condoning such setting and to be honest, I was.  I know how these people talk and believe and I still try to communicate as much with them as possible but it was the fact that we were overheard saying and then laughing about a joke that should not have been said publicly that caught God’s attention and not mine first.  I was not being an ambassador for Christ at that moment and even though God shows me things to write and I consider myself to be a Christian, my worldly flesh still drives its hooks into my life which I need to make sure I recognize before they do damage.

For the most part, we do not realize that we as humans deny God every day even though we have not committed the “classic” denial of Christ scene.  And while some of us choose to deny Christ on a blatant standard we tend to forget that our bodies and the condition that we chose to live in so long ago are a direct insult of denial to how God created us.  While there is nothing we can do to change this permanent physical status concerning our bodies it is possible to change this status when it comes to our spiritual status and it is this aspect of our existence that is important to God for it is the only way that we can have eternal existence with God in His presence, for the eternal is just that eternal and dictates how our lives shall live afterwards.  The physical aspect of our existence we look upon as what counts in life and when our eyes are focused on this fact our words and actions are automatically dulled and we place their importance down the line when we should remember that it is the words and actions that give the greatest meaning to those around us.

With the majority of the populous of the world not believing in God or those who claim and proclaim to be Christians but continually live within the guidelines of the world, it is no wonder that the status of our lives has gradually and steadily grown accustomed to not having God in our lives.  So, when settings such as the one that I just described to you occur, it is no big deal and many of us carry on without another thought or care about what just occurred simply because we are so focused on our individuality and how we want to live than to understand exactly what is going on around us and how our selfish actions are being portrayed to others.  In other words, for those of us who believe in Christ and consider ourselves as Christians need to be witnesses at all times for Christ, not allowing the world to infiltrate our lives even to the slightest degree for when we do we set the tone for our enemy to work in other people’s lives against them.

We have many examples of people denying God and Christ in the Bible and one setting quickly comes to mind with almost everyone who has read the New Testament and especially the Gospels knows.  The story of Peter’s denial is one that I have heard so many times and while I continually denied Christ for a fair amount of my life I never had God directly and pointedly send this shockwave through my heart before.  It is easy for us to read the passage of Peter’s denial and say basically the same words as he did as the moment was occurring, but this example is not the first time that a denial presented itself and in order to find this origin in human history we must once again go back to the Garden of Eden and visit our good buddies Adam and Eve.

We find ourselves referring back to Genesis 3:6-7 and watching this scene unfold.  I find it so intriguing that God continues to send us back to these two individuals for us to understand our present-day conditions but it is so fitting and it explains so much for it serves as a focal point of our issues and when we study God’s Word from this point onward it is easy for us to watch the progress occur which brings us to today’s spiritual environment.  These two perfectly created beings give us the first example of how to deny what God has ordained and given us as a standard and when verse 7 rolls around we see that the decision to disobey (deny) God has been completed and the world as we know it begins to take shape in all of its deadly formation.

We could skip right to the story of Peter but to be honest and fair we must include some other people in the Bible who have followed in Adam and Eve’s footsteps when it comes to denying God.  Cain, the son of Adam and Eve comes to mind and fits into this category then we have Moses, Abraham, Jacob, David and many other people that have too denied God at some point in their lives.  All of us do this activity and it is due to the fact that sin entered into our lives and through this entrance, we are subject to such deathly generosity.  It was never God’s intentions for us to live in such manner but it was the choice we made a long time ago and it continues to be portrayed each day that humans draw breath.  It is this point in our existence that we need to focus on and to rid ourselves from underneath, we have the opportunity to do such a thing but we need to have a pure heart before God in order to complete such a task.

John 13:33-38 gives us the picture of Jesus and Peter when Peter is told by Jesus that he will deny Him three times before the rooster crows in the morning.  Peter had been with Jesus on a day to day basis long enough for him to understand what Jesus’ mission was and what needed to be done in order for His mission to be completed.  There cannot be any event more drastic to a person’s ear for someone else to say that they know that they will do something against that person because they know other circumstances.  None of us know what the future may hold for our lives and for someone to be told that a specific event in your life shall occur at some point is very hard to contemplate especially when it goes against what one is feeling or believes at that moment.  If one wants to place it into another term then it is like a prophecy, a TRUE prophecy that is given to a person, group, town, or nation and many people doubt the truth of the content of the prophecy.

Peter had to have been taken back at this statement by Jesus for it meant that he would literally deny Him before the rooster crowed in the morning.  Not only would Peter deny Jesus once but Jesus at the same time said he would deny Him three times a feat that is hard to imagine because one would think that if someone did such a thing one time they would remember what had been said to them and do their best to not fulfill the remaining portions of the spoken word.  Yet, in John 18:12-27 where Peter completes the fore mentioned prophecy to him by Jesus.  We find Peter in verse 17 standing at the door where Jesus had been taken and the woman who was standing at the door (guarding the entering) asked Peter if he was one of the disciples of Jesus and Peter quickly replied that he was not which gives us the first of the three denials that Jesus had foretold.  Was Peter not recognizing that what Jesus had said was now coming to pass, or was it not in the way that Peter thought it would occur?  This is a question that can be posed to each one of us when such matters are concerned. 

With the bustling of activity that had been ongoing, there had been a crowd that had gathered to see what all the excitement was about, this is a normal reaction that humans have, myself included.  Verse 25 tells us that Peter was standing around a fire with a group of people and warming them because it was cold.  One in the group recognized Peter and asked him if he was one of Jesus’ disciples and for the second time within a few minutes, Peter denied that he knew Jesus in such a manner.  Surely, Peter would have gotten what was occurring by now, right?  Shortly after the second denial Peter came across one of the kinsmen of the man that he earlier had cut off the ear of and this man recognized him and asked if he wasn’t with Jesus in the garden and for the third time Peter said no and denied Christ in front of mankind and as soon as he said those words, the rooster crowed.

In my dealings with the new lady in the office next to ours, I had been introduced to her but that was about all the contact that we had between each other.  But I saw her almost every day and if I saw her that means she would have had to have seen me as well.  Humans like to observe and not say much for it is a way that we gather information about others in order to try and understand the overall atmosphere.  While our spoken words may have been few in number I can only imagine just what my actions as we passed each other could have meant to her and thus when the day arrived for me to act stupidly in front of her, my presence was not a good witness for Christ but a strong denial of Him in front of others.  A grievous place that God gently grabbed a hold of and gave a tug in order for me to understand exactly how important my actions and words to others need to be.

I have no idea what brought this new lady to our part of the country or to the hospital either, but I do know that since she is here it is my responsibility to my Savior to be a witness for Him at all times.  I have no idea what her status is with the Lord and I have no idea if I shall ever get the opportunity to verbally find out either, but I do know that as I walk and talk up and down the aisles of the hospital my activities she may see and if that is the case then I need to stand firm for Christ at all times.  The Bible does not say what the spiritual conditions of those that Peter came in contact with were that evening but it is clear that all of them knew who Peter was and that he was associated with Christ.  Peter must have been crushed when he heard the rooster crow and realized that he had just fulfilled Christ’s words towards him.  It is this position that we need to try and avoid at all costs and when we do fail Christ repent as soon as we realize our mistake and return to His covering.

What is so fantastic is that both denial aspects of our existence can be covered if we live under the blood of Christ.  The physical element we have no control over but the voluntary issues that lead us to choose to deny Christ or to stand up for Him we do have an opportunity to do what is correct.  There is no doubt that Peter was a wonderful man who loved Christ and served Him with his whole heart.  And it would not be fair to judge Peter according to this one evening’s processions but we do need to understand exactly what transpired that evening for all of us shall find ourselves in a similar venue at some point in our lives.  My actions stunk that day during lunchtime and it is still hard for me to think about for my actions mimicked Peter on a perfect parallel level.  I immediately asked for forgiveness and while that thought continues to live inside my mind it no longer has any roots in my heart for I chose to repent of my actions as soon as I understood what had occurred.

It is this simple act of obedience that God wants from our lives as well.  I am so very confident that Peter repented of his denial patterns of Christ that night and you and I have the same opportunity to make things right with God too.  A repentant heart is the best kind of heart to have and if we use this type of heart as our guide God will do mighty things through our lives.  Over thirteen years now I had a life-changing event infiltrate my body, a heart attack, my widow maker was 99% blocked and by the grace of God alone I am still here alive and well today to deliver a message to you that it is time that the Church stand up and shake off the world before God has to do it for us.  Trust me; if you heed the warning signs before the life-changing event arrives things shall be a lot better all around and for everyone.  My actions had to have had an effect on this lady somehow because when I am around people tend to listen to my words and how I portray them towards others, a gift that I have always had but only within the past few years understood.  Peter knew this about himself as well and I can bet that he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for the remaining days of his life as well.

What lasting effect did Peter’s denial have on the ones who he lied to?  Nothing else is really mentioned about these people but we can imagine that at some point in the coming days they had the same denial thoughts as well and maybe have participated in the crowds that shouted to have Jesus crucified.  Those three moments in time Peter probably wanted desperately back, but his flesh overcame him enough to deny the one person who took him in when his life was in shambles.  Did those people forever hold it against Peter or did they go to their graves not understanding who Jesus was then and who He is now because of those denials?  Our witness for Christ is important every day of our lives and we must never succumb to the denials of Christ through the temptations of the world’s settings.  Can you imagine how Peter must have felt when he heard the rooster crow?  I kind of understand that feeling because it was a similar feeling when God “crowed” His voice in my heart and revealed to me about my actions at the table.

Church, do you realize that we are denying Christ through the lies that we are speaking towards the people that are lost by our worldly actions and accepted worldly beliefs?  There is no doubt that Jesus walked this earth for a specific purpose and for one purpose only and that purpose was NOT to start any new bloodline or to marry or to have any carnal knowledge relationships with women, but ONLY to show those that do not know God that He is the only way to salvation.  Every time we open our mouths and spew worldly conversations or accepted worldly products we are denying Christ in the same manner that Peter did and that I did that day.  It is our responsibility to be around the people that do not know God for it is our purpose to witness to them but we cannot do such a mission if we portray the world and not Christ.  Sadly, we have become so ingrained with the world that our hearts no longer can see the truth about Christ and what He wants us to do while we are walking this earth.  We must not be forced to think about Christ but to have Him so much in our lives that we portray Him at all times without even knowing we do.

Living the Word every day of my life is what I need to survive in this place and it is your responsibility to live in the same manner.  It is not a matter of being perfect but understanding God’s Word well enough that we walk in His Light without even knowing it, it becomes that natural inside of us.  Look around us, look at those who claim to be a Christian and see how they are portraying Christ and ask yourself are they living according to the presence of God’s Kingdom or are they feeding others a lie by embracing the world?  When our testimony shifts to serve the world we are denying Christ, plain and simple and while Peter's example here may seem a bit harsh to some it serves its purpose perfectly for it is an exact match for how we act today.  We need to continually remember that there are only two kingdoms in this existence of ours and one kingdom’s ruler utterly despises our presence and wants nothing more than to see us suffer unmentionable torture away from God, and the other Kingdom is ruled by our Creator who loves us and sent His only Son to die for us so that we may have direct contact with Him for eternity.  I love Scripture for it shows me that I am a sinner and that there is a way that I can follow that covers me until that day I see God and tell of my countenances.  Scripture also shows me how to live a life that exemplifies Christ, not deny Him and it is this Truth that I learn from each day.

DLB

Royalty

Royalty

10/14/17

All of us have either serious daydreamed about or have had full dreams about being a princess, prince, queen or king at one time, especially as kids.  While many of us shall never even get close to a member of a royal party, it is still good to think that someone could actually change status enough to obtain such a title.  But what society has beaten into our brains and lives for such a long time now is that equality is the ruler and that we deserve nothing more from our efforts.  In truth, our creations were of a royal nature and the purpose for such creation has been subverted and then stolen the act of a true and cunning villain.  God created us in His image which means we are of a royal stock and until we understand this status and claim it once again our lives will only be spent in struggle and departure.  There is a perfect and simple way to reclaim this status and it only comes by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Looking at history we can see that many royal lineages are very self-limiting and in many cases selfish inconsistency.  These human lines are usually limited to a certain percentage of people with a long bloodline of royal status from around the world.  This lineage is also graced with a certain amount of conspiracy theories about who else can be entered into this lineage because of the past escapades of their forefathers and foremothers.  Some time ago, I watched a documentary on the person who is considered to be the rightful heir to the British throne and it is not a person or even family who is sitting and reigning in Buckingham Palace today.  Bloodline proof was provided of such lineage and after being tracked down in Australia the interview did not amount to much since the person had no idea and did not care to make a fuss over such allegations.  And if this documentary and the evidence that it claims is true, what type of difference would it make in the lives of the entire lineage from the time the “new” king’s revelation is scientifically proven?  I have no idea what will ever come about of this information but being adopted me it does seem a tad interesting of who I am related to and to whom I was given when I was so young.

In every capacity of our existence, humans seem to love to complicate matters by making and then following through with choices that only seek to improve their own lifestyles or habits.  On another aspect of the British crown, my wife and I have recently watched the series “The Crown” which was very interesting and shed some light on a few areas of the British royalty that I was not familiar.  In one part of the series, Princess Elizabeth was making a tour of the Commonwealth when she was informed of the death of her father King George VI which through her bloodline and birth she immediately became Queen of England.  While this may seem like an exciting time for this young woman, it would significantly change her life in every way imaginable.  Not only did she just lose her father and mentor, she gained a country and an empire that spanned the globe, a seating worthy of offerings to a higher authority.  Even though Elizabeth understood the pressures of the royal status it still must have come as a shock when her lineage was thrust into the limelight, especially when decisions had to be made concerning her personal life and the intertwining of the royalty.

Upon the knowledge of the death of her father, one of the Royals took it upon herself to write a letter to the new Queen of England to inform her of a few things concerning the strength of the Commonwealth through the line of blood and what it would mean if personal effects should trump the Commonwealth.  When Elizabeth and Margaret were young girls their father took them aside one day and told them that it was never necessary to embark their royalty over their relationship with and between each other.  A decision and choice so easy at childhood eventually reared its ugly head in adulthood and when challenged this bit of information from their father, the added comments from the elder royal and further conversations with the abdicated throne cost their relationship dearly, but the status of the bloodline and Queen ruled at the end of the day.  In the end, this decision to keep the loyalty with the royalty might have been difficult but it was an answer to the issue at hand and in turn strengthened the Commonwealth in many ways down the road.

All of should know that there will always be those around us who do not agree with everything we stand for or represent and it is this fact that we need to keep in mind when our morals and standards are being questioned and attacked.  Our physical enemies continually pour over our lives doing their best to find some dirt to rub in our faces and to tarnish our presence in the world, yet at the same time it seems like we are now picking that dirt that they are pointing out and helping them smear it on our bodies, a concept so frustrating and fluent that we are willing to even purchase the dirt.  Why is it so important that we take ourselves down from the royal status that we have divinely been placed in and snub ourselves while we are climbing in the downward direction?  It is a devastating move to choose others over our own status no matter who we are or what setting we are talking about, how hard has it become to realize such falling and self-failing?  And another question that must be asked is this: how can we have “hope” if our eyes are strictly on equality and thus provide no true leader for the world?  What about the eternal world, should it seem likewise and a coincidence that we are doing the same with God?

Why bring God into this status?  Why cannot we leave Him out of it and just focus on our physical presence in the world?  These questions are being thrown around on an hourly basis and it seems like that we are taking suggestions from our enemy in due course for we are throwing God out of our lives just as fast as the questions are raised.  Just as we have forgotten how important it is for this nation to be at the forefront of the world we have deliberately shunned God for identical reasons.  No longer do we like to have the responsibility to take charge when the other portions of the world try and sabotage other people or lands, we would rather go to the store in our pajama bottoms and buy junk food instead of solving problems as the Word of God suggests.  We have forgotten God’ standard that He created us in and thus has accepted a new worldly standard that really does not take notice of how we appear.  The world does not care and does not want a holy leader for it already recognizes one and since he does not care anything about you or your life what else would you expect the world to ask?

When Edward VIII abdicated the throne of England to choose a woman over the bloodline, it was a huge embarrassment for the entire Commonwealth of Great Britain.  While Edward never regretted his decision publicly, everyone knows that he had some type of troubling thoughts afterward for anyone who makes up their minds about a dire event such as that cannot take comfort at all times.  Who knows what England would have become or followed with King Edward in charge of things and hat part of human history shall always remain a mystery that can never be told, a similar connection to the story of the Garden of Eden as well for the original lineage of Adam and Eve was voluntarily sucked away with the choices that they made as well.  In no manner can one compare the decision to allow sin into our lives to that of a decision to marry another instead of choosing a human crown but the point is made and it needs to be taken seriously for we are quickly turning our backs on the royal bloodline that can guarantee us eternal security.  On the same lines, I am in no way placing this nation above any other nation in prideful stance, on the contrary, if one is ordained by God then they should be the humblest of all servants, which is evident that we are no longer in this state.

The ruler of this world has had an easy time with placing blindfolds over our eyes, for we have found the patterns of the blindfold itself fascinating as it comes closer to our eyes.  The human race was created by God as a sign of royalty and a mean by which God said to His enemy since you could not create or be equal to my status I am going to further prove to you that I am God and Creator of everything.  But God could not create robots or place us into a slave-like setting, He had to give us the creative genius of choice just as He did with the angels so that we would represent to others the epitome of His eternal design.  Therefore, we are His children created in the same manner in which He is, as royalty.  We were set apart for a specific reason and while this setting was divine it was not designed to be a controlled issue but one that we choose to accept and to abide in and it is this capacity that our enemy attacks us in order to degrade our eternal status as he has done to himself previously.

Many intellectuals and academia have convinced billions of people throughout history that it is not a good idea to live under theocracy and this is true belief.  But can you honestly find where a theocracy is mentioned in the Bible?  It is there but it has nothing to do with God or His Son, it is only mentioned in organizational terms in the Old Testament and in the New Testament when it deals with religious leader who believes that their word trumps God’s Word, a process that we as a world society have fallen in line with 100%.  It does not matter if our defeats mount each day, it is worth the cause to lose such ground as long as we can be equal with everyone else, and I guess that theory works when the ship is sinking as well.  When works become the necessary ability a theocracy is inheritable availability and will run rampant within our lives as time progresses.  One thing that we tend to forget about a “theocracy” is that a theocracy can be determined by physical leaders as well for we all know that many of us consider ourselves to be little gods and if our word is not kept then we have the authority to strike down those who disagree.  Why not ditch the selfish theocracy ideals and enter into a true relationship with God for it is that establishment that He originally wanted and still wants today.

What we have lost sight of is the true nature and origins of relationship and how this truth about our existence is the fundamental concept that all of us want and need to survive.  Why do we turn to the world itself and the leader of such a confused and unstable sufferer that only provides defeat after defeat?  That is not how God created our lives and that type of lifestyle and belief goes totally against a royalty status of existence.  Equality in terms of the world is a defeated status and it does not come from God or how we were created, it comes from our enemy who has so blatantly deceived us enough to believe that this state of lowered equality is sufficient for salvation and happiness.  Because we have believed in such lies we have come to understand that this type of equality serves our existence better and that through this lowered status we have no need for the royal status we were born into.  Yes, each human being is a royal child of God and has that distinction through our creation and it is the job of our enemy to steal that truth away from our lives and thus separate us from our King forever.  How can we even consider such a worldly equality if we voluntarily demise our true status and choose one that is a defeated manner?

God wants us to understand that Adam and Eve were created as royalty thus establishing an eternal line of royal eternity that should have never been altered.  But through their choices and listening to the ruler of the other kingdom, they chose to be equal with the other unknown world and thus gave up their eternal inheritance.  Look at their lives since that moment and you pick if it is was and is worth it to choose the world.  The children of Israel did the exact same thing in 1 Samuel 8:7 when it says that Samuel is struggling with the fact that Israel wants to be like other nations but when God tells Samuel that the people rejected their relationship with Him and not Samuel it meant that they had adopted their own theocracy through the world, they too traded in their royalty status for a theocratic equality.  It was this decision in both examples that led to each participant’s downfall and it did not matter if it was on an individual level or national level the fall was the same and the consequences dire.  This means that all of us fall into the category of royalty and for some reason, someone is trying to end that truth. 

Which brings us to the present day and the destructive pangs of our society that are being heard from the royal children who have chosen to follow in Satan’s pathway instead of the one that was divinely given to us to dress and keep.  Our job is to change the ways of the world through our holy and royal charter and not by the standards of the world.  Our charter is found in the contents of the Bible, for we were created by God and through this lineage are inherent children of God.  We must get something through our heads and hearts right here and now, our existence is strictly and solely based upon relationship and since the two kingdoms that are vying for your eternal positioning cannot mix that means that whichever kingdom you choose you are in a complete relationship with the said kingdom.  Satan would love to lie to you long enough for a person to believe that God only offers a theocracy and theological confinement and that the only way to true happiness is by living in the moment that only the world can provide, it is this tactic that he used on Adam and Eve.  If one studies the Word of God and places it within our hearts we will have no problem understanding that God has no theocracy in mind only a relationship with us.  I know God has asked us this question a few times over the years but have you ever wondered why the world is so vexed on you not having a healthy and true relationship with anyone?  The answer is present in the Bible and through this holy text, all our answers concerning life are present.

It is fascinating to me to see the same ideology – human theology – that Israel chose in 1 Samuel Chapter 8 being cried for from today’s societies, especially ours.  Have you ever taken the time to study the passage of 1 Samuel 8 and then watch your computer or television screen and take a few notes?  If you do you will find that the exact same spirit that infiltrated Israel in 1 Samuel 8 has been allowed to occupy our lives today.  Human theocracy can only produce and lead to one type of living and that is a life of slavery.  Because we do not study the Word of God with a pure and holy heart we intentionally allow Satan to mask God’s Word of its meaning for our existence.  The selfishly created denominations of the church world have done an excellent job of selling such slavery techniques to billions of people over the centuries, and by participating in such activities have placed the Church in a horrific position of compromise.  In this modern day setting, through this action by the Church, what is the difference of what the Church is portraying through such activities with the world to that of a woman intimately offering herself to any other human who says “hello” to her?  Should a royal child act in this manner?  What standard is being portrayed to the dying world here?  It is this conspiracy lie that we have fallen for and through these channels, we are allowing our enemy to take aim at our existence at close range.

God’s Word presents no conspiracy theories at all, it tells the Truth, the eternal Truth in every sentence, passage, chapter, and book.  Church, we have stumbled and fallen like everyone else but we have the knowledge to get up and to begin again.  It is our responsibility to be the light to the world so that they can see what is going on around them.  God’s Light exposes the lies and ways of the world but how can we act in this manner if we do not believe in our Saving and Holy text?  Our lives represent a holy bloodline that serves as the foundation of our existence and when we were created our lives knew no destruction or death.  Jesus came to the earth to restore this eternal promise by shedding His own blood so that when God looks at our lives He shall see our hearts and not our physical deformities and faults.  We cannot afford to doubt our lineage and mix this heritage up with the world, Adam and Eve did such a thing and we continue to suffer with it today.  There is true hope and if we allow God to change our lives our royal status can be achieved and granted to us again.  God’s Word says this is possible and the only way possible for this to occur is for us to return to God and walk under the blood of His Son Jesus.

DLB

Authors of the Bible

Authors of the Bible

10/5/17

Have you ever stopped and considered who the people were that wrote the Bible and how their lives unfolded?  We know that many people were commissioned to transcribe the words that God gave them and it is this transcriptional point has been a cause of concern for some and scoff for many.  Yet, God keeps His Order by using the one able body to complete His Words for His people and follows this pattern throughout the human being.  Many of the authors of the books within God’s Word lived hard lives due to the earthly processes they taught about, but no matter which one we talk about they also lived a glorious and respected life and are now finding eternal life with Jesus all that it was supposed to be.  Some lived to be a ripe old age and others cut short with pure hatred of their written content.  Whichever setting it may have been, the pens of these writers sought the truth for the dying world and were willing to risk their lives in order for this world to hear the eternal message of salvation.

Throughout human history, we can find many settings in which authors of various circles have received high praise for their contributions to society.  Their appeals to everyday life in their land varied as each day passed and the words they used to describe the atmosphere of the community rang loud and clear for everyone to read if they wished.  Most writers play upon words to attract their audiences and keep them informed of the day-to-day activities that may be missed by those who have busy lives, in which case these written scribes can cause some heartburn to those who may not agree with everything that is written.  We can all please some of the people but never can we agree on all that is written or said.  The authors of the previous few centuries still get credit for their writings among many circles of literature and while we will take the cuneiform artwork as written law we struggle to find the truth in the authors’ words inside the Bible.

I have said in the past that when I was younger that I hated to read, write about what I read, or write period.  As a result, my techniques for this practice continue to develop and are not yet fine-tuned but the words that I do place on paper come strictly from God and the words that are presented are His and not mine.  It has always amazed me as to why many poets, writers, authors, etc have been persecuted for the words they write with some even being tortured and murdered because they refuse to back down from their beliefs.  When I read about an author being censored or their writings being placed on the Banned Books list I have to shake my head because it seems like all they were doing is following their hearts and completing what they believed to be true.  We all know, however, that some of the issues that are being written about are completely false and should be discarded accordingly, but when the truth is being said it does not matter who is writing it, it needs to be heard and told as such, not persecuted and banned because it differs from your opinion.

It is no secret that wars have killed countless amounts of lives but when an author is struck down because of their beliefs and writings it presents as a tragedy and suppresses the nerve that has been pinched yet for some reason the works continue to live and flourish in the hearts of those that have read the specific material.  Banned Books Week is a national program that many libraries participate in when it comes around because it is well known that not all authors will say exactly what the times promote.  Many books, articles, essays and other types of written material are placed into some type of category which labels them as contraband or illegal.  The most popular book ever sold in the world is becoming dangerously close to being placed on this list, and it is important that we understand what this means if the Bible falls prey to the world.  While this bit of information may frighten some it only follows the pattern in which many of the authors of God’s Word lives ended simply because the words that God showed them to write went totally against the government of the world.

The phrase “the pen is mightier than the sword” comes into play especially when one refers to the Bible for it is our eternal enemy that becomes aggressive when we write about the separation from the world.  Satan does not care anything about God and wants nothing to do with Him and it is this attitude and eternal ride that he wishes to share with God’s children.  Why is it so difficult for us to accept that when God touches a person’s heart to say something about the kingdom of Satan that we tend to defend its burning instead of its truth?  Have you ever stopped and thought about all of the times that Moses said something to others that God told him to say and those words were laughed at, not taken seriously, or just blatantly ignored?  What about Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, Joel, and all of the other prophets who warned Israel and Judah of their impending demise if they did not turn from their ways and live under obedience to God?  Look at all of the things that happened to these people who obeyed God and look at how they were treated and persecuted for telling the truth.

When talking about the New Testament authors we can get a sense that the same type of animosity towards them occurred.  Many of the governmental authorities took offense at what Peter, Paul, Timothy, Matthew, Mark, John, Jude, and all the others had to say about what was going on in their communal world then you had to deal with the ugly division between Judaism and Christianity which complicated things on an unimaginative scale.  The “punishment” for these authors and the stance they took against the world was brutal and with very few of them escaping into old age proved to be large targets for Satan to strike.  I know that I have taken this truth lightly at times and have downplayed what it costs to proclaim the Gospel to the ruling world party.  But it does not matter which Testament one chooses to talk about its authors for it took guts and true belief in God in order to stand up and shots from the physical and eternal enemy all because God wants you to have eternal life with Him.

Would the Church stand up and defend the Bible as the sole and eternal true Word of God today?  Could we place our differences aside long enough to come together and proclaim that the Bible is the only source that will lead us to God the Father?  Can we even agree on a specific prayer time each week to pray together for our communities?  It is obvious that our physicality and our selfish abodes to the world simply overrule this setting that God wants from His children.  It is this truth about our lives that caused the children of Israel to ignore the prophets’ words of warning, it is this setting that the leaders of the New Testament were stoned to death and crucified upside down for the people had ingrained themselves deep enough into the world that when the truth was spoken it upset their livelihood and threatened them with pain in separation from this base.  We are born into this world in through aspect that the word born can represent and it is through this existence that we tend to heavily rely on this setting.

God shall not end the communication system with His people and when the people choose to rise up against those who are speaking the truth about our lives, our settings, our choices and our eternity God shall raise up more people to proclaim His truth to the dying world.  It still amazes me that God has chosen me to write messages from His heart to people that I have no idea who they are.  I have no opinion towards them and nor shall I either but I do know that God is using these messages to warn people about what is coming to our lives if we do not turn from our wicked ways and repent of our sins.  We cannot forget that God is a consistent God and One who operates the same for EVERYONE no matter who we think we are or how special we believe we have become.  God wiped out the children of Israel several times for disobedience to His Ways, so what gives us the belief that we are not subject to the same consequences?  Our eternal enemy does not want us to understand what our lives mean to God and if he can delay this knowledge from reaching those in need he is going to do his best to succeed.  Some church denominations believe that Satan cannot be defeated and that Christ is subject to his ways what they are claiming will come true if we do not wake up and take back the authority that Jesus gave us to teach the world about the true Gospel of salvation and restoration.

Stop and think about something for a moment, why is it so important that the world force the Church into accepting its ways without question?  If the Bible is so far outdated and has no relevant meaning to our lives today, why is it that the world is so adamant about changing the Church and its True source the Bible?  If authors back in the Medieval Ages were not considered to be a viable threat to the rulers of the lands why were they executed for such “treasonous” works?  If the Roman government and Jewish leaders did not believe in what Jesus taught why didn’t they just dismiss Him and leave Him be, why stand up and crucify Him after they recorded one of the most brutal torture campaigns known to human history?  All of these events that many claims as “unnecessary readings and not significant for our times” are still practiced today and need to be understood well enough to prevent any further barbaric activities that they have no idea why they are committing.  The Bible and its authors knew the truth of why these hideous acts were being committed, and many of the authors of the words that God is sharing with them today are facing the exact same procedures.

While this is not the only element which makes the Bible relevant to our lives today the truth about what God is trying to get through to His people and the methods by which He is accomplishing this truth supports the Bible as the Truth 100%. 

So, when the authors of the Bible are questioned and doubted then we can ascertain one huge conclusion and that is they understood God well enough and heard His voice clear enough to write down what He was saying to His people, both for those times and for today.  If the words that God spoke to the authors were not true there would not be too much controversy with the world and the issues of God would not be taken seriously by any human being.  But when an eternal truth is told as proclaimed to the dying world as an option of hope and trust then we can rest assured that opposition to its meaning (life) will be challenged.

Therefore, it is our responsibility to study these authors’ words from God and to project their meaning to this place we call the world.  We should never forecast God in our own projections but according to His Word and through this method alone.  If self-rules our proclamation of God in any way, Satan has automatically advanced his kingdom in others and God is pushed backward.  God explains Himself thoroughly in His Word and it is our job to portray this explanation in a way that will capture those who are willing to listen and at the same time keep the communication lines open for those who are skeptical.  We should never write off any person from God and if we are guilty of such sin we should repent of our actions and correct the setting immediately.

The Church has been guilty of this spiritual crime for centuries, even millennia and it is time we recognize this fact and correct it before it is too late.  The authors of the Bible are continuously being ridiculed and mocked for their content and rightly so because the roots of the world are driven deep into the hearts of billions of people.  It is through these authors transcriptions that we need to ensure and hold dear and close to our hearts for it is these words from God that hold the key to our eternal future.  If you are not being mocked and scorned as the authors of the Bible were, then you (Church) have too much hold and position in the world, plain and simple as that.  You should be “offending” the world at each breathing point and breathing should be at a normal pace especially since you claim to be alive!  But who do you claim to be alive too?  The world has dominated our existence for long enough and has lied to us in countless ways in order to keep us from writing our own testimony for the Kingdom of God.  You may not write articles, edit journals, books or even television or movie manuscripts but you are an individual story that God wants to be published for it is your life that means an eternity for someone to understand.

Each one of us is an author, an author of life to everyone and everything around us.  It does not matter what you believe or how you portray yourself, but you are an author.  What type of book are you writing for your children, your coworkers, your school, your team or your nation?  Church, you need to know this truth as well for you are the representative of the mission that Jesus commanded us to complete, so the same question is posed to you what type of book are you writing for Jesus?  Is your book following the commands and truths of God’s Word or are they following the worldly guidelines that our enemy sets before us?  Words affect anyone who read them and your life is just waiting to have someone’s eyes and heart to read.  Your life is an eternal wonder and one that has volumes to speak about and should be used in such manner for God and not the world.  God is not saying to write your own bible and define yourself through this lie, but to live through His Word and allow Him and His Word to dwell in you the correct manner.

Are you completely separate from this death trap or are you actively proceeding in its final source for you?  We cannot deny the fact that this world presents only ugliness and settings filled with hate, pain, and death.  These times shall only continue as long as the world is in charge of people’s lives and when we allow this type of false narrative to be written about ourselves we are only selling ourselves cheap because we are royalty in our creation and origin.  God wants His Church to proclaim His Truth and not the lies of the world.  Seek Him for the Truth and shun the world for God is the only way that we can have eternal life.  Jesus gave His life for us, the Church and through this act of selfless Love, He gave Himself for all and this act of selflessness is what we need to show as well.  The world cannot handle selflessness, only selfishness, so which do we portray? 

DLB