Rest In Peace

Rest In Peace

11/30/17

This is a widely used phrase that most of us have used at some point in our lives to refer to a person who has left the physical world.  It has become such a common statement that it is now considered to be a cliché and not really enforce any peace through its statement.  We have challenged this truth by our own actions in this world and have not produced such a truth of fulfilling this statement.  Our hearts have been turned so much away from God that we have lost the meaning and confidence of this phrase and now just routinely state it when our ears hear about or our eyes see the passing of a person.  In order for humans to truthfully say this phrase, this person must have been told about God and how important it is to live separated from the world.  We have fallen down on this job and have routinely commenced our physical lives with our wishes and left God out, thus not living in peace and surely not resting in it eternally either.

One of the ways that this phrase has become a superficial catch term is that we have forgotten how precious life is and who gave us this life in the first place.  Each day our world is subjected to human atrocities that seem to increase in stature and this trend of human error does not seem like it shall stop anytime soon.  Yet, we plunge ourselves in great detail trying to proclaim that we have the answers and that the other side, whatever side that may be, is wrong and that we should not listen to what they offer.  This superficial response to deep problems only adds to the confusion and pain that represent the results of such incomprehensible tactics of repair.  As our physical battles increase and take their toll on our lives, this phrase becomes more lucrative even as we draw breath, a sign that our way of life is dire trouble.  Why can’t we live in peace and keep this concept close to our hearts in order that when the dreaded day of our last breath arrives we can honestly say that we will rest in peace?  This question was posed the other day on one of my social media pages and it points to a logical and excellent question that is not far-fetched at all, but there is only one way possible to obtain this peace both in life and in death.

With all of the pressures that this world offers it would seem like we would find the extraordinary avenue that guarantees us peace and tranquility that we all seek, but instead, we crave the excitement and entertainment of the world’s seductive spirit not realizing and thus eliminating all chances of true happiness and peace in our lives for the world cannot offer such truth and peace because of the quarrelsome and tumultuous presence it only knows.  Ignorance of the issues shall not give an eternal reprieve of what lies ahead when our lives are over, nor will it provide the necessary covering to protect us from God’s judgment for His Word says that even if God did not give us a personal record of His plan for our lives we as humans have the ability to know about His holy ways.  The world dulls this truth over time and with each day passing without any real hesitations of eternal reality crossing our paths, the dumbing down of our beliefs concerning life overshadow this phrase and produce a death trap that many fall into.

During my tenure in the medical profession, I have watched so many lives be destroyed due to hard lifestyles and rigorous physical punishments and insults that we voluntarily and routinely subject our bodies towards.  I have read newspaper articles and heard news reports of so many popular and famous people that have succumbed to these types of nasty habits that cut their lives short.  I have experienced coworkers commit suicide because of the pressures around them that they believed that was so strong that showing up to work the next day or coming home to their families did not seem to matter anymore.  In every case, I have also read and heard at some point days or weeks after their death the phrase rest in peace is used as a cover for what they could not handle or were trapped in while they drew breath.  But, in truth, they are not resting in peace but are fully alive in the spirit and they now know just how important life was and how many wished that they had another chance to fulfill what they were created to accomplish.

It is not hard to understand that this world is a hard, cold, and cruel place to inhabit but it was not always in this state.  It was pure and holy at one point and we had the opportunity to live in such a place but through our own choice decided to live by our own standards and ways, a mistake that this earth now groans from and our bodies ache in agony over.  Adam and Eve for some reason forgot about the real war that was around them and how they were protected from such war as long as they kept their obedience to God intact.  But through their disobedience, we now live in a world that is filled with unrest and shall continue to spew hatred and death as long as we allow it to. 

It is this war that we need to fight properly in order to know and understand peace while we are alive and after this life is over we can honestly say that rest in peace.  It is not an impossible task for us to know peace while we are alive and actually it is a promise that God gives us through His Word which is easy to obtain and to live by as well.  I have listened to many a funeral speech that praised the life of a person who ended their life in a manner unbecoming while demanding justice even though it was their own actions that produced such a result, then claims that they are finally resting in peace.  What a tragic lie this is not only to the family but to those listening to those words that say it is ok to do things deliberately incorrect and expect to pass in grace without hesitation.  It is these senseless deaths that provide the world’s definition of life while completely misunderstanding the true fight and meaning of life eternal.

A common verse that has been talked about, taught about, and used for several occasions is the cornerstone of this truth about living in peace and thus resting in peace after our lives are over.  Ephesians 6:12 is that verse and it goes like this: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  It is this verse that defines exactly what occurs around us and it also defines how we should respond to the world when it comes against us.  There is no sputtering in this verse nor is it vague in its content, it is a clear and concise statement that points us in one direction when it comes to what we should be doing and how we should be living.  This verse defines how our lives were meant to be represented and to complete the command that God gave Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to dress and keep the Garden.  Our lives are meant to do exactly the same thing today and not waiver on any level of this upkeep.  We may have an interlude between battles at times but for the most part, the war around you is a continual fight that needs to be undertaken with no letdown.

How does this verse relate to the phrase rest in peace?  We must remember that God is a complete God and that He created us in the exact same way thus our lives even though riddled with sin have the choice to live in completeness or not.  If we choose God to be over our lives then we shall keep His command to upkeep (go into all the world) the Garden of Eden, then when our life is over we can honestly say that we have fought the good fight and proclaim that we will be resting in peace for God is a complete God in both life and death so we must be complete in Him to honor this saying.  Our fight is not with our brother’s physical attributes but what controls his spirit and influences him enough to cause him to hurt himself and others.  It is the spiritual realm that dictates how the physical acts and reacts; therefore, if one is at spiritual peace then physical peace is automatically achieved and if not present then there shall be no peace present.  There is an old saying that accompanies this truth and it goes like this: “Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace.”  It is short and to the point but holds a valuable truth that we need to return to again.

Once sin entered into this world and our lives God could no longer provide perfect conditions.  God has never promised that our existence was going to always be happy and pleasant for His Word gives us countless examples of pain and agony even to those who live for Him.  But even when these trials and tribulations occur in our lives it should not waiver our trust in God even though those storms may end our physical lives.  When we fight the good fight and push forward the Kingdom of God peace soon follows.  This verse explains that we are in a war but it is a spiritual war and not just a physical one and this verse is the key to understanding that we can live in peace but we must know how to fight properly.  If we do not fight in the spirit we will not understand why we feel defeated all the time, for we are fighting on the wrong battle line which is what our enemy wants us to do.  God has the perfect answer for every question and problem that we have but unless we know to attack the spirit that is preventing this answer from getting to us, of course, we will become discouraged and disheartened.  When this point arrives there is no possible way that we can live in peace and therefore not rest in peace either when our fight is over.

I believe that this single verse is one of the most important Scripture verses in God’s Word, don’t get me wrong ALL of God’s Word is important to know and to keep inside our hearts but this one verse defines our fight and how we are to fight which is vital for our physical and eternal survival.  History comes into play here for it is common knowledge that countless wars have come about due to the proclamations of the Church.  To be brutally honest and this statement will upset a few people but it must be said.  It is for this reason alone that Jesus could not have AND DID NOT give the authority of a human being to be the foundation of His Church.  If He did such a thing then it would give legitimate grounds for Muslims to claim and project their god as the correct God.  Peter cutting off the ear of one of the arresting party members in the Garden of Gethsemane is the perfect example of what God just shared with us, for Jesus immediately healed that ear by replacing it on the soldier’s head a job Jesus is still doing today because of our idiotic humanly thoughts.

God is the Master of all life both physical and eternal and it is our choice to either accept or to reject this truth.  It is this choice that provides the determining factor for countless lives that we encounter each day but if we as Jesus’ Church do not understand how to teach living in peace, real and eternal peace there is no way that we can honestly say that we know that ourselves and others will rest in peace either.  Church, we have had our eyes and hearts on the wrong battle marker and even on the wrong war.  Just as the Germans fell for the diversion tactics of the Allies at D-Day, we have failed in our mission to proclaim the truth about God and His Son Jesus.  We are now at a point where we are giving aid and comfort to the enemy and we have no excuses concerning this matter.  But we do have an opportunity to turn things around and to restore what has been destroyed but as this message has iterated over and over we must get back into the Word of God and allow it to be a sponge into our hearts.  God wants to restore His blessings to our lives and our land but it shall not occur until we get serious about His presence once again.  If our WWII commanders did not understand the entire fight and who to fight on 6 June 1944, what do you think the outcome of that important day would have been?  No one likes war but there is one all around us whether we like it or not and we must know how to fight it properly.

Do you want to look over a deceased loved one and proclaim a situational lie that we know they are resting in peace or do we really want to boldly proclaim their status because we know that they lived through the blood of Christ?  The world will call you strange or might even shun you from their clicks and parties but that is ok for your separation from the world shall ring loud and true to their hearts and will provide a beacon of truth when times of need arrive.  So, do we (you) really understand this phrase and what its content means or are we pretending to know and watch our friends go to their graves without telling them the truth?  If so, then how can you say rest in peace with a clear conscience?  Church, wake up and begin to know God’s Word again like it was supposed to be studied and lived by, on a holy level and not one of an interpretive level.  War is not pleasant in any form but there is a way to have peace while we are living which in turn will mean a good resting state of peace with God after our physical lives are over.

DLB

An Appropriate Thanksgiving 2

An Appropriate Thanksgiving 2

11/23/17

It has been five years since I wrote the original “An Appropriate Thanksgiving” message and to be honest it has been four years too long for this installation.  I should not wait until some sort of disaster occurs in my family to write about such holiday festivities but when things do occur God gives us the ability to reflect on the exact reasons why we should be thankful for each day of our lives and to show Him this gratitude just as often and not once or twice a year.  I have panned over many holidays during this writing adventure God has given me and I know that what He has shown me to write comes strictly from His heart.  Even when times become tough and whether these times are short or prolonged every breath that we take should be remembered as a reward from our Creator.

The last time that I wrote on Thanksgiving or for Thanksgiving was when my cousin passed away shortly before this timeframe.  As stated above it has been five years since she left us and while she is dancing in Heaven we still remember her life here on earth and miss her greatly.  As this year unfolded we find our nation at a crossroads in which we are struggling to keep things tied together.  So many scandals are running around the land, anger towards everyone now fills each heart, and different opinions are not tolerated and brought out as evil when presented.  I had a gentleman this last week argue with a comment I made on one of the “hot topics” of the day on a website.  Not worried about his differences but the language he used was vile and when I tried to speak to him about it he just told me to grow up where his language was concerned.  It is this type of setting that shows us a true sign that this nation is in dire circumstances when it comes to unity and respecting differing opinions.  It is really difficult to be thankful in a situation like this, but God commands us to be anyway.

I am thankful that my entire family is alive and well for this holiday and that God has given us another year of celebration to spread towards others.  This year was going to be the first year in a long time that our house was going to serve as the host for the family meal and we were totally stoked about this day.  As the week unfolded and the plans for Thanksgiving began to come into light, it seemed like everything was on time and going smoothly which was a wonderful sight to behold.  Both of my daughters that live in the area were doing their part for the dinner early and making sure that everything was completed and on time, another wonderful sight to see. 

Normal operations continued in the house up until the 21^st of November when my wife went underneath the house to locate another item that she needed for the dinner and when she arrived at the back of the basement she heard water dripping.  We do not have a complete basement but one that is big enough to store some extra food that we have canned or dried.  She went over to our water heater and noticed that there was water coming down the side of it so she investigated a bit further before she asked for my assistance.  We realized that the pipes going into the water heater were all leaking, a sure sign that this water heater which was installed over twenty years ago was done.  At that moment we both stopped and took a look around and noticed that we caught this problem early and that we did not have to deal with any major leaks or worse, a flooded basement.

After the cleanup committee did its job we knew that there would not be any way to have the dinner at our house and we had to call my parents and ask them if we could change venues on short notice.  I am thankful that both of my parents are healthy enough to call upon on short notice such as this and when mom did not hesitate in her answer, my heart relaxed a bit and thanked God for such blessings.  Yes, such blessings for I was quickly reminded that even though this was a short and temporary need there are far more people out in the world that are worse off than what our need is at this time.  I do not know what the future holds for this family or even this nation but I do know that my parents gave me a solid foundation to refer to when situations like this one come along.  I am not just talking about turning to them or to God for help in times of need, but to live in relationship with Him at ALL times.

No panic occurred in our house and every preparation that still needed to be done was completed on time before the dinner.  I must say that is it a good thing to have neighbors that you consider family for we have had to borrow their shower today and probably tomorrow until the water heater gets replaced.  We do not call our neighbors “neighbors” at all for they are family to us and they are greatly appreciated in ways that cannot be adequately expressed. It is a joy to have their relationship with us as well and it is for this reason alone that we love them so dearly.  Am I thankful for them?  You bet I am and appreciate their presence in our lives more each day.

We do not have one ounce of animosity or anger in our hearts concerning this inconvenience that currently resides over our heads and at the same time, I can honestly state that we are so grateful and thankful that God has given us the ability to meet this need and to give Him praise and glory for His mercies.  It would have been easy for us to become sullen and disappointed due to these developed conditions but I made sure that my wife and the girls understood that they did a fabulous job and had no reason to be disappointed or looked upon as failing on any level.  We have our family, our house and all other amenities present and will come through this ordeal with flying colors.

On a lighter note, today I am celebrating my 50^th birthday.  And while I do not mention personal details much it is a special day for me for I have now reached the big 50.  My wife asked me this morning how I felt being 50 and I told her that it was just the same as it was when I turned 49, and 48 too.  I was born on Thanksgiving Day in 1967 and today I stand tall with pride and am so thankful that my birth mother gave me up for adoption and did not kill me before I left her womb.  I am also thankful for the parents that God gave me as well for they did a superb job in raising me, and even though the issue that we are facing right at the moment is a superficial one they both have taught me how to conduct my life when these situations arise.  Even though this trial is a small one, the process in which my life came together was one of divine blessings and there is no way possible that I can ever forget that or take advantage of it.  We should never forget this truth for when we do our hearts shall never feel the peace and gratitude that e were created to enjoy.

So, all in all, this day is another perfect day that God has given us for my eyes have had the opportunity to witness the sun come over the mountains.  Many people in this land are totally lost and have been blinded by the ruler of this earth and do not see the true beauty that God has given us.  Even though the nation is going through self-inflicted hard times we cannot afford to throw out God and forget what He has done for this nation.  We need to turn our hearts back to Him so that His protection and blessings shall once again fall on this great nation that He created for a purpose.  I am thankful for this nation and the standards that she was founded upon and I am thankful for the military that keeps us physically protected from our enemies around the world, and I want them to know I think about them and pray for them each day.  I am thankful for my family, my job and all of the benefits that God has blessed us with.  I pray that this next year we turn our hearts back to God and allow His restoration process to completely cover us once again.  Trials are a part of life and need to be faced head-on when they are presented, we can only accomplish this task with God’s protection and guidance.  I trust everyone shall have a blessed Thanksgiving and I pray that we continue to truly remember what this holiday stands for.

DLB

Not My President

Not My President

11/23/17

Boy, this statement causes heartburn among many people today and what is so fascinating about such a phrase is that while it usually stems from meanings of this country it is now being used in many other nations as well.  This statement has been around in hearts of some for a long period of our national history but the progression of its meaning and usage is what is frightening today.  It is a reflection of what lies within the confines of the heart and defines our attitudes while at the same time we walk this nation’s sidewalks.  It also represents a division of the deepest portions and a step closer towards bringing in a system of government (physical and spiritual) that shall overtake truth and reality.  We can reverse this issue quite easily and should we perform this great feat back towards God, our nation shall see one of the greatest recoveries in human history, but if we do not then we shall behold the world’s greatest tragedy.

A while back God shared with us a message that incorporated unity and how this all sought after word was not present in our nation and her heart.  God referred to George Washington, our first President and how he stands out as the only president elected by a unanimous vote.  Yet, that standard of acceptance occurred only one time in our nation’s history and up until this very day still stands as the only time this nation voted in unity for a leader.  I have always been amazed at some of the dictatorial countries whose “voting” process and “elections” have produced 99% for a candidate and some will even venture to say that 99.6% voted for a candidate, the only one on the ballot in some cases.  Whatever the case may be even those types of settings and voting regulators understand that a 100% vote grab would be very suspicious.  One has to marvel at the human mind and its abilities to seek its own truth and defy true nature.

After President Washington’s first term was coming to a close and it was time for another election to occur it was clear that an opposition to his policies and tactics were present, thus another contender became known and ran against the President’s platform.  Political divisions were now formed publicly and shared in the media resulting in a vile portrayal of people on both sides of the argument.  As far as I can tell the exact words of “not my president” was not spoken back then but it is evident that the actions and other descriptive words of those around in the Colonial period portrayed such words in their hearts.  A seed planted that has taken over 200 years to grow and develop into what it means today.

I find many similarities from the political scene between the colonial period and today striking and at the same time more dangerous because of the technological advancements in place.  One cannot deny that good information about a subject is the best-gained policy around but when the human mind is involved a skewed position is always in play and can be deemed as the truth while covering up or hiding the real truth.  With the technological definitions that run our lives today it is important that we have the complete understanding of a situation before it occurs, as the folks of the 2000 election if this brings any questions into your mind.  What we have forgotten is that we have been proclaimed as the leader of the world on basically all levels of living yet we have been involved in more seductive and seditious scandals than we can count.  Why is this happening to us?  This question continues to plague many people but the answer is right in front of our faces yet we move it from our sight as we sneeze with the effects of our questions.

My political knowledge can only stem as far back as Ronald Reagan and his presidency, for up until that time period my mind and body was young and I really had no time for politics only schoolwork, God, sports, and girls, not necessarily in that order either.  But I remember how the conditions of this nation changed during this time and while many people benefited from these changes there were still those that struggled which led to protests and conferences that promoted the evilness of this nation.  Then comes along President Bush and the technical difficulties within his presidency, not to mention throwing in a small world war that was tied up from its beginning, even though the world stood behind what was taking place.  During these two presidencies, the rumblings began to stir but the loud protests and angry demonstrations were not present and still a long time in coming.

In 1992, a new era of political games would commence as soon as the newly elected political guru took office in January.  President Bill Clinton took center stage for 8 years and many changes to our way of looking at morality and social behavior occurred.  We must understand that this process of morality change did not begin with him and what he stood for but was greatly enhanced by an acceptance of an unusual spirit from the leadership that many people, including myself at the time, totally missed.  Why was it missed?  It was missed because we were mesmerized by its presence and were intrigued by its overwhelming influence and excitement that it brought to our so-called mundane lives.  It grew exponentially, unchecked, and then allowed to grow and develop in our hearts and for many in this country a sigh of relief was heard, but to God’s eyes and heart only tears could flow as this phrase began to reach a boiling point and the first real demonstrations against a movement occurred.

The second President Bush was elected in 2000 and his tenure began with great controversy simply because the divisions of “not my president” had escalated with the embarrassment of the world’s most powerful nation being thrown into a political whim due to voting practices.  This event alone was not the cause of this phrase being used but it was a minute stimulant that invoked its presence.  The rise of political debauchery unfolded down to the way he talked and walked while ignoring the reinstitution of promptness, courtesy, respect and coordination of the office itself.  The fires had been lit in hearts and it became evident that the division was about to take an incredible turn.

President Obama offered another insight into this land of diversity and he seized on this moment by diversifying division all across the globe while lowering our standards in the world community down to their level.  This process served its purpose and defined the attitude of a non-responsible environment that we have abhorrently inherited today.  Many around the globe see nothing wrong with this status of ours but look at the behind the scenes places and today we are reaping those rewards.  A worldly placement amongst these ranks serve the human equality status perfectly but at the same time ushers in a self-guidance disaster that makes all of the past and present wars look like birthday parties.  Our voluntary divisional plans skyrocketed during Obama’s presidency a fact that we have shielded our hearts from due to our political and selfish agreement with the world.

It is during President Obama’s tenure that the topic of this article from God comes into play and gives us the example of just how far this phrase has grown in our hearts.  It was a complete shock to my life when God revealed this truth to me a while back, for when His words came to my spirit it set me back a bit but when I looked at what He shared with me it became clear up to that moment what had transpired in our nation and in other societies as well.  We went from a place of disagreement back in the late 1700s to a verbal and heartfelt hatred of those who oppose us.  Define “us,” you say.  Ok, when the majority of people or the ones who make the loudest noise proclaim a certain side of belief, the definition becomes “us” or “we”.  In this case, the majority of the younger voters and others of like-minded beliefs fall into this category; just a fact and true statement.

Combined with all of the technological data, the younger generations have been programmed to believe that human equality can be achieved by human means and that if those who do not believe or participate in such equality measures can be labeled as heretics, hate groups, right wing, left wing, pro this or pro that, ant this and anti that, which brings us to this phrase and how it is being used today by many people.  Publicly, Republicans and the people who opposed President Obama’s policies were the first ones who screamed this phrase and made it popular among the population of the world.  While minor rumblings occurred in previous administrations and agencies, it was not as prominent as it was during his presidency.  I can guarantee that while these groups made shirts, stickers, posters, and pamphlets, they had no idea that this phrase would become a national campaign slogan that now provides an automatic divisional contingency that must be accepted in order to be classified as a member of such group.

This phrase has come to the brink with the election of President Trump and it is now being deemed as a true campaign slogan that represents the heart and not just a whimsical saying.  I remember when Governor Reagan was being presented at the Republican National Convention and a large number of badges, pins, and buttons were floating around saying “A Democrat Shot J.R.” referring to a popular television series event that had “gripped” our nation a time soon before.  I saw one of those buttons the other day on an auction site and was blown away for I had forgotten about such a gadget.  But as I thought about it for a while I remembered how much talk was generated by that slogan and studying the heart deeper understands how much division it probably caused among people as well.  The progression and non-repentance of our hearts have now produced a publicly divisive slogan that draws a line and sets into motion a fight between brothers that is only escalating today.  Many in the world have adopted this concept that it is not good to talk about the spiritual afterlife but in truth it is the most important aspect of our lives that we need to be ready for, because if we are not and just stick to the superficial, our afterlife will not present itself with a good result.

The phrase “not my president” has stirred up great amounts of controversy in this nation and has led to many divisional challenges that may never recover or be restored.  But the aspect in which this President was elected not many does not understand nor do they grasp the truth that his presence as our leader is ordained by God.  This statement should not come as any surprise because we do not even recognize God either so it would be quite normal to miss this truth as well.  The outward hatred demonstrated through this phrase defines what lies within our hearts and it also defines just how a root that does not belong in our lives needs to be pulled before it has time to spread.  There is a perfect example we have in the Bible that explains exactly what is going on in our hearts today, not only in this nation but in the majority of nations around the world as well.  We have studied it before but it is a passage that brings into light exactly why God says the things He does to His servants and it defines what is going on in the lives and hearts of His people.

In 1 Samuel 8, we find Israel at a crossroads where it is evident that they are not wanting to live by the “rules” that God has placed over them and it is also evident that they are ready to make a break for the world’s groupie status.  The most intriguing aspect about this passage is that there are so many similarities to today’s societies that it is scary and almost too nightmarish to study, but it is a condition that needs to be addressed for if we do not address it then we are in gross disobedience to God and His Word.  We have the setting where this chapter opens with the description of the sons of Samuel and how they did not follow the ways of God and chose to live a life of sin even while they occupied their appointed positions.  Does this setting sound familiar to us?  Ever wonder why this occurred and was allowed by God?  It is another topic for study at a future time, but one that is coming but keep this tidbit in mind for now for it places into motion why Samuel questions his placement.

We must remember that when 1 Samuel 8 opens it does so at a status of Israel that did not occur overnight but one that was arrived at through the actions of those placed into leadership who chose not to follow God’s example of living.  What occurred then?  A natural process occurred when the mind and heart are turned away from the truth it shall accept anything as such truth and follow accordingly.  There is no question that Samuel led a life that pleased God and set an example of how to live for God during all types of circumstances.  We also know that Samuel was a human in all aspects because he addresses his faults and understandings to God in verse 6 when Samuel prayed and spoke to God concerning the issues that the people had discussed with him.

Now, when a person of such a representation is scorned for the duties offered, the human in charge cannot help but take things personally and place them on a personal or individual level.  It is a normal human reaction to first think about the failure of their job and place it on a “local” level but we must contend that something else is in control of the setting within the congregation and in this case, it is the people of Israel.  Verse 6 also tells us that Samuel was displeased with the request of the people which validates this portion concerning humans, but we must remember that God sees all, even those parts of our hearts that others or even our own selves do not see which leads us to verse 7 and the explanation of the condition of Israel back then and this society today.

Verse 7 states: “And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”  What a huge statement by God and one that immediately caught the attention of Samuel with the first portion of the verse setting the stage.  God says to Samuel to give ear to the people and give them what they want.  Can you imagine hearing something like this from God?  It is like a surrender call and an authorization to give up and to fold everything that has been worked on and towards for as long as their history has been around.  But Samuel, who knew the voice of God, did not interrupt and continued to listen for the root of what was occurring God details out and commits to His law of choice.

God’s answer to Samuel is brilliant and proves beyond a doubt that God knows our hearts yet allows us to continue to choose whether or not we live for Him or for the world.  This verse gives us details that God is in control even when mankind says He is not for in the middle portion of this verse God makes a statement that Israel has not rejected Samuel.  Now, this seems like an unusual statement because it is Samuel who is the one that is the representative of God to the people – NO not a pope either!  Samuel is a prophet and one who has led Israel from God’s point of view ever since he was a young lad but now through physical succumbing of the people now have turned against God.  The eyes of the people left God and were placed in the world and more specifically the nations around them.  It was this turning that allowed for the progressive worldly statutes to be indoctrinated into their hearts.  They went from a godly perspective to a worldly one over a matter of time which means that they had changed their definition not God, yet, God in His brilliant design allowed such an activity to unfold.

The portion of this verse immediately behind refers to the origin of their hearts and nation for God says to Samuel that it is He whom they have rejected.  This means that the origin and beginnings of Israel came from God and was God and the original foundation of the people, not the people themselves.  It is God that their hearts rejected and turned away from by saying they no longer wanted God as their leader.  This is the prime example of choice and the ability to choose God or the world it cannot get any clearer than what this verse says to us.  Study the Scriptures and you will find out that the hearts of Israel came to this conclusion over time and not through an overnight decision.  The changing of their national heart paved this way for worldly acceptance and while it was the human voice that proclaimed this change, it was an eternal choice that truly changed that day.  It is not hard to imagine the conversations that many of the children of Israel had leading up to that eventful day so long ago.  It had come to their reasoning that God was no longer the center of their existence and not worthy of being the eternal foundation of their lives either.  In fact, God was not even granted a right to be the foundational rock of their nation, they wanted to be like others and that “right” had been planted in their hearts a while back and continued to grow.  Many probably had no idea what that seed was doing in their hearts but when the time came for that seed to sprout, it flourished with a magnificent magnitude that led to its physical presentation before God.

So, tell me again how does this simple and short phrase “not my president” come into play as a destructive heart condition?  It should be easy for you to understand the process of what a seed planted a while back has on the collective heart today.  It may seem a bit far-fetched in some manner but it is a truth and concept of sowing and reaping that we need to clear out of our hearts before that seed is allowed to display its flourishing magnitude before God again.  Yes, this simple phrase has now become a war cry in our land and it is now a campaign slogan for our hearts not only for the current sitting President of this nation but for God as well and both of these subjects are intertwined.  It is also this passage that once again proves that God is NOT a political God nor does He judge according to political magnitudes but according to each individual heart and the magnitude of the beat of such collective sounds.

When we read verse 5 of this same chapter we see what has played out in this nation as well for the verse states: And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”  The heart towards God their foundation is gone and at that present time has no intentions of returning to Him either.  The people are so separated from God that they refer to Samuel’s ways as his ways, distinctly identifying that the ways of Samuel are not theirs.  The people saw what Samuel’s sons were doing and how they conducted their lives both at work and in public but instead of turning their hearts towards God for answers they took matters into their own hands and turned towards equality with the world.  Sound familiar?  It should for it is exactly what this nation did and now we are seeing the concussion factors appear from such a horrible choice.

It would be easy to say that the children of Israel were no longer thankful for being set apart from other nations and no longer wanted to proclaim God’s creative genius in holidays and Covenant lifestyles.  Yes, they knew exactly what positions they took when it came to God and His authority over them, but while it seems like they had their ducks in a row and knew what they wanted, they had not a clue of what their choice then would bring their nation down the road.  But it was God who allowed them to proceed with having their earthly king and in the few coming verses, God tells them exactly what will become of their nation if they really want this to occur.  Wars were rampant during that era with new definitions and tactics of war being developed with each conflict, strife, animosity, and any other type of divisional status they saw yet for some reason chose to accept these ways instead of God.  Once again, God asks this question, does this sound familiar to you?

It was not a short time later that the single nation of Israel was divided into two earthly kingdoms and each kingdom suffered with ugliness in their leadership positions.  More damage was done to each kingdom in the name of their earthly kings than ever could be imagined yet these two nations refused to return to God.  Later, one of these nations was destroyed by another earthly ruler and scattered amongst a foreign land for thousands of years.  What became of the second division of Israel?  The exact same fate occurred to them as the first and they too were scattered into a foreign lands s slaves.  In fact, when the Assyrians defeated the Northern Kingdom of Israel they attacked with such ferocity that the name “terror” was first used to describe the tactics used by the Assyrians against this nation, thus birthing the name terrorism.  All of this comes from a simple phrase such as “not my president”?

The point that God is trying to make here is that even though this phrase is a small and simple phrase it is a representative of what lies inside our hearts.  In no manner speaking, God cannot divide anyone from Him that is our choice to do but when we make this choice to divide ourselves from the only pure and true source of our existence, we automatically align ourselves with devastation and guaranteed destruction.  This simple phrase is but one aspect of what is coursing through our veins today which mean it is being pumped by our national heart.  As each day passes we see another portion of this “empire” crumble and yet we continue to point fingers at others in order to deflect the guilt from our own lives.  This is exactly what the children of Israel did that led them to officially request God to be taken away from their lives.  The Bible only gives one short example of why the children of Israel did what they did in 1 Samuel Chapter 8 but when you study the other parts of Scripture it is easy to understand exactly what that piece of information, along with the countless amounts of other little bits of information together produced such a devastating result.

The reason this “empire”, which it is not an empire at all but a nation created by God for a specific purpose, is crumbling is that we have allowed such divisional and devastating phrases such as “not my president” to thrive within our hearts.  God is not a political God by any means but one who loves us with all of His heart and desires nothing more than to see His children live in peace and prosperity.  This nation was first given to God in 1607 and thus dedicated by this small group as a sanctuary for those who wanted to have a complete relationship with God.  Was the actions of Captain John Smith afterward noble and worthy in all areas, no way at all but it was his initial act that dedicated this land and the heart that it beats for the ability to thrive in God’s name and to advance His Kingdom.  It relative terms of human time it did not take Lucifer too long to change this truth about our origins and reasoning for our establishment, for today God is not allowed to come out of our mouths in many places of this land and through this denial, we are now witnessing the cracks of this land showing themselves.

All throughout God’s Word God continually demonstrates His love for us and His desire to protect us with His eternal and pure protection, but that shall never occur until we repent and turn our hearts back to Him.  What a great opportunity we have to use God’s Word as an example of how to fix the messes that humans create simply by returning to God and living under His protection.  Yet, as we look at the same human history we also see that when people, even people who are specifically chosen by God, do not heed to His Ways fall and when they fall it is never a good setting or outcome.  Yes, Israel has its own land and nation today and that land was re-established in 1948 but still, that land is divided into two halves, one that seeks God and the other that lives secularly, not united under God as before.  Israel fell into the stupor of wanting fleshly conditions so much that they lost their sensitivity towards living with the dangers without God, so has this nation of God.  Why is history hated so much in schools?  It is because if humans really studied it and did the opposite from what the people in the past did, things would be a lot different today.

Yes, a simple phrase can cause uproar so loud that it can set off a national turning of the heart and that is why it is important that we understand that our words and the things we relate with do have an effect on others.  I consider this phrase “not my president” just as dangerous as and even more so than what many people consider the importance of “gun control”.  For if we change the heart of the human and line it up according to God’s Word that superficial issue of “gun control” will soon fade away.  Church this is our time to shine the light on the darkness and to show people that they need Him in their lives, not just superficially but deep down inside their hearts.  God is a complete God and He is a supernatural God as well and if we obey His commands He has guaranteed His protection over our lives, but if we do not then at some point will see the other side of His supernatural glory.

DLB

Peace In The Storm

Peace In the Storm

11/20/17

Each of us reacts differently when a storm occurs around us.  Some people become excited and others hide underneath the covers and wait until the activities are over.  Whatever the response might be it is a human reaction to have some type of fear or concern when we know a storm is coming.  It does not matter what type of storm it is either for all adversities entice us to act differently than normal.  God has given us a perfect example of how we should not fear these adverse times and how our emotions can be put into their place through Him.  Yes, trials and tribulations shall come to our lives but if we place our true faith in God His grace shall see us through any storm that we encounter.  It is time for His people to seek His faith again and turn our hearts back to God before we have to bear witness to a supernatural storm from God’s hand there is still time to change our lives before our nation is forever changed.

When I was a young man and serving in the United States Air Force, I had the privilege of spending some time in Wichita Falls, Texas which is right on the border of Texas and Oklahoma.  This area is also known as Tornado Alley because so many tornados form and run their course through this stretch of land.  Most of them are small and do not create much havoc among the populated areas but when an F3 – F5 tornado forms and threatens a town or city pandemonium can strike in a moment’s notice, and rightly so.  Too many of the people that have lived in this area for a while understand the dangers of such storms and can eventually become numb to their presence, but there are still quite a few who are deathly afraid of any type of storm that comes through the area and their actions reflect such feelings eventfully.

While many storms passed through this area when I was stationed there, a few stick out in my mind with one in particular that I still see in my mind as if it occurred last night.  The dorm that I was staying in was close by the runway of the local airport and AFB, which meant that I was able to see countless planes land and take off at all times of the day and night.  But when a storm came calling it was a different setting and this night the storm was strong and the winds were kicking up, the tornado sirens went off and many took shelter in their rooms but I went across the hall to another room to watch what about to occur.  My buddy was looking out the window and had his camera flashing off pictures as fast as he could for the lightning storm that was before our eyes were immaculate.  Being from the South I understood what a lightning storm could produce but this night my eyes were witness to dancing lightening which paraded itself across the runways of the base and airport.  The lightning was an amazing sight that even though the wind and rain were fiercely pounding away I was not afraid of it for my eyes were fixated on another powerful source.

In no manner whatsoever am I making light of the storm that night for a tornado did touch down in the city itself and provided minor damage to a couple of local farmers, but the fact that my eyes were fixated on another portion of that storm caused me to forget about the dangers of that storm and to get through it without any major issues.  Others in the building and on-base had different feelings about the storm for some had never been witness to such natural activity before and they had reason to be fearful as they demonstrated.  On the other side of life, storms do not always have to present themselves as natural events but can come in forms of trials and tribulations ranging from a cut finger to cancer and every type of condition and set in-between.  It is these types of storms that more of us are familiar with and go through many days of our lives and in turn fear the most.

In my profession, I see many people that are fearful of their future because of the diseases that they have been diagnosed with, yet many of these people demonstrate a type of courage of sustainability that I marvel at each time I see them or think about them.  So, how come the so-called healthy ones who grace this planet yet run and hide in fear when the least amount of adversity comes their way?  We are now witnessing a scenario where when people do not get their way or achieve the expected results that they desire they create their own storm to cope with the “disaster” around them.  There is no question that this nation has been protected from ugly national disasters and up until this point in our history, only regional or local situations have occurred.  But how will we be able to function when a supernatural disaster occurs?  Will we be able to stand and fight like we were created to do, and more importantly will we understand why these events occurred?

Mark 4:36-41 gives us the perfect example of how we should act during a storm that is around us and how not to act when the same storm is around us as well.  Jesus and the disciples send the multitude away and then spend a few moments together talking with one another.  The Bible says that on the same day during the evening time they decided to take a trip to the other side of the sea and cross it before the night was done.  All of them must have been tired for it had been a long day of meetings and many things had been discussed with the people so it says that Jesus lays down and goes to sleep in the boat.  As they were crossing the sea a large storm brewed over the water and began to toss the boat around.  Now, we must remember that this was in the early days of boat making and the boats that were made back then were flimsy at best and were very susceptible to weather and natural conditions.  Many people lost their lives during sudden storms such as this and since this type of travel was widely used the perils of such travel were commonly known as well.

Yet, while the storm was raging, the disciples did the most human thing that a person could do during a crisis and that is panic.  How panicked were they?  The Bible states: “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full.  And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?”  When we think about this setting or read about it in some form of written material, it seems like of funny because you have some that are calm and other who are panicked and the ones that are panicked are upset at the ones who are calm for not being panicked at that moment.  It is not hard for us to comprehend such a setting as here, for humans do act differently when “exciting or adrenaline rush” moments come about.  Yet Jesus is asleep and seems like He does not have a care in the world about what is going on around Him at that moment.

There is a huge message here that we need to understand about what in life we should be concerned about for while the storm may rage around us it is not our physical life that is important enough to be worried about but it is our eternal choice about our life that is most important.  The disciples wake Jesus up and cannot figure out how He could sleep at a time as this, they believed that they were about to die in this storm, again a typical human reaction to the physical surroundings at that moment.  But what did Jesus do?  He woke up and He must have immediately saw the storm and the conditions around Him.  He woke up, commanded the wind and the waves to be still and restored peace unto the area.  He did not hesitate in any manner or rebuke them for waking Him up, He only rebuked the wind.

Jesus then asked them the famous question of why were they so afraid?  A question that probably took the breath right out of their lungs for I can imagine that at least some of them were making repairs to the boat and others looking at the clouds around them wondering if Jesus was nuts for not understanding their concerns.  Have you ever had anyone ask you a similar question when things seemed tough and the one asking the question seems like nothing ever happened to begin with?  This was the reasoning Jesus had concerning the storm and the lack of faith the disciples portrayed while they were crossing the water.  Of course, this brought further discussions amongst the disciples, for now, they had literally witnessed Jesus command nature, yet their fear of the physical still riled within their lives as their primary objection.

It was not the fact that Jesus did not understand the physical conditions that were around Him and the disciples but it was the condition of what really is important to Him that mattered.  Jesus directly addressed their fear of the physical which made them think about what they should have really been concerned about at that time.  Yet, the disciples could not get passed the physical aspects of what had just occurred for Jesus was not out to change just the physical portion of the person but more importantly the eternal positioning of that person.  At that moment, the disciples should have realized that Jesus was not here to change the physical for He already commanded the physical but it was the choice of the human heart that He was interested in for even though every person is a child of God each person has the choice to choose God or to reject His Ways.  It is this choice that Jesus came to earth to shine as an eternal sacrifice for our sins and it is for this reason alone that God does not care about your physical state alone, but for your eternal life instead.

Stop and think about something for a moment, when Jesus walked the earth did He ever force His words on anyone or did He command them to bow before His feet?  No, He continually showed them that they needed to have a relationship with God and to understand that He was the only way possible to achieve the acceptable status to be close to His Father again.  God already commands the earth and everything that is involved in its turnings, why would He send Jesus to reinforce this point of contention?  In this passage, we see that Jesus commands nature, not the humans but asks them why don’t they believe in what their true mission is?  Jesus wants them to see that their focus is on their surroundings instead of the true battle (storm) that plagues us all. 

The middle section of Mark chapter 4 gives us the truth about why Jesus asked the disciples that question, for Jesus spent time explaining the Kingdom of God to them and to the multitude right before they got in the boat and crossed the sea.  Jesus brilliantly describes what the concept of the Kingdom means and what its mission is to the human race not the physical.  Yes, Jesus uses the physical to demonstrate and to explain the Kingdom and how it grows and advances but it is the human that He refers to here.  This passage is one that probably was in the heart of Paul when he wrote to the church at Ephesus concerning about who we should be fighting against.  We have no reason to fear the physical for the physical has already been determined, it is the spiritual or the eternal that matters.

When Jesus rebuked the wind and calmed the waters He said “peace, be still”, a simple yet concise statement that immediately took hold and presented itself without a whimper.  Is it possible for us to say this phrase with like-minded authority if we do not reside in such inner setting as Jesus?  If this type of condition were then it would be considered a divided kingdom; another detail to ponder for a while, yet how many of us either verbally proclaim or inwardly believe this phrase then project it to others while living in such a condition?  We cannot control the storms around us but we can control how we live for Christ.  Advancing God’s Kingdom does not revolve around the physical but the spiritual and there is no reason why we should be concerned about physical issues that come our way.  No matter what storm presents itself we must always live in such a way that Christ and God receive all the glory.  It is this truth that we need to be showing and presenting to the dying world.  Peace is a command of God, Jesus said this in this specific passage and if so, then peace is what we should be living in as well.

It does not matter if a storm comes in the form of Mother Nature, personal finances, divorce, war, bombings, or in death a storm is a storm no matter how one looks at it.  Sometimes a storm affects many and other times only a few but whatever the toll may be the storm completes its path and the damage is done.  When God shows me things that trouble my spirit I would like to say that I am and stay calm through those brief moments but I know that if I did I would be lying.  It is difficult to stay calm when He troubles my spirit for I know at some time in the near future something is going to occur and an unspecified number of people die.  This is a storm in my life and a troubling time that I am not comfortable and I have to admit that much of my time in these moments are focused on the storm and not what God is trying to show me.  I am as guilty as the disciples were and I have no excuses for it.

God has laid out plans for this nation and these plans have been given to a handful of people over the last few years.  These plans that God has shown them are not pretty at all and when we look at these storms on the horizon we would quickly dismiss them as hogwash and impossible to occur.  But we must remember that God is the God of impossibilities and even though we try to place Him in box He does not fit and if the second most powerful created being cannot defeat Him what makes us believe that a mere mortal shall cause Him to separate Himself from His own Kingdom?  It is time for the Church to stop fighting God and begin to fight for Him.  Countless lives shall be uprooted and changed forever we do not repent now and change the course of this nation’s heart.  The superficial uncovering is the beginning and shall continue with deeper meanings and longer hurt felt results unless we stop, turn our hearts and repent then change our lives by placing God first again.

And here is the message to the Church if this nation does not repent and turn from her ways, you shall not escape such judgment either.  You have taken the stance that only God can judge you, then so be it.  But when this time arrives do not be afraid for you have been warned through the Word of God and you should understand exactly why this event has occurred.  But your jaws will be open and your hearts speechless for your blindness has overcome and shadowed your heart to the world.  The ONLY one that will proclaim joy at first is Lucifer for it is he that has successfully blinded us, and his laughter will ring out into the heavens.  For those who have ears let them hear what the spirit is saying to the church.  Repent and be ready for the day shall come quickly.  Church be ready for this catastrophe shall change the entire world for our societies of today demand a big show and audience with all of its pomp and circumstance, well God is about to supernaturally show His truth and purity just as He did in the Bible; a storm far greater than what Jesus and the disciples experienced on the water but one just as eye-opening as what God has shared with us about that passage today.  Will you have peace on that day?  Allow God to examine yourselves and take out the roots that separate you from Him, for until you do you shall never know or understand true peace in the storm.

DLB

Being Divided

Being Divided

11/17/17

It would be safe to say that no one would like to go around in a state of complete division and that being divided is not a goal anyone would wish for, but one cannot help but see such a divisive state in our lives.  With the exception of a short period of time, humans have lived in such a disarrayed lifestyle that many do not even recognize or consider division to be a dysfunctional way of life.  When the basic unit of togetherness breaks down and through this breakdown is considered normal what else can we expect to adhere to?  We were never created to live in such brokenness and division and when we do adhere to this divisive lifestyle we shorten our lives considerably.  Returning our hearts and our ways back towards God is the only way possible to reverse such a deadly course and I have happy to announce that His arms are wide open for restoration and a way back to functioning together as one again.

Each human being has gone through some type of inner pain when a relationship falls apart.  It does not matter who is on the receiving end of such a tragedy or on the giving end of the same tragedy, but when the tragedy strikes everyone involved is hurt on some level and it takes a toll on our lives whether we recognize it or not.  As our lives grow and become older we generally become a tad more defensive when it comes to relationships and guard our hearts quite a bit more as well but it is the settings from our younger and wilder days that seem to have such an impact on our decisions.  Being guarded and defensive is a good thing when it comes to our hearts but if we do not allow for proper healing from the previous times of hurt it will not matter how much we guard ourselves for our giving 100% to another will be a failed attempt at finding togetherness.

What exactly occurs when division is present in a relationship?  It does not matter what type of relationship that you wish to discuss, but what really happens when this togetherness is broken?  Is there any way that a working relationship can survive if the unity that was present in the beginning no longer there?  In order for us to understand exactly how the enemy works in divisional tactics, we have to go back and take another look at what occurred in the Garden of Eden for it was at this point in our history that the first division occurred.  We know that when God created the Garden of Eden and placed mankind into that area that everything and everyone was of a pure status.  There were no divisions between any of the participants during this time and it cannot be said that any distrust was present either.  What is important to remember here is that there was no blame game being played between the parties involved and everyone lived with a mutual togetherness that flowed completely in and around the Garden of Eden.

Genesis Chapter 1 we find God creating the earth and everything that He did on those six days He finished with the word “good”.  Every item He made game Him pleasure as He saw its formation which means that there could not be any divisions between God and what He created during those days.  Genesis Chapter 2 brings us the story about man and the command that God gave the man concerning the Garden of Eden, another sign that the relationship between God and His prized creation was pure and represented togetherness.  Genesis Chapter 2 also finds God giving man a helpmate by creating the woman from the side of the man which once again gives us a picture of equality and togetherness.  So, now we have God and the created humanity walking together on a daily basis and forming a relationship on equal terms.  The terms had been met for some time and the Bible does not mention any form of disunity until Genesis Chapter 3 which was down the road at some point.

I cannot imagine God leaving out any part about how there is an enemy that wants to destroy what God has created because it is that exact tactic that Lucifer used as his foundational tool to be like God.  He was not happy with how God made things around him, nor was he happy about how God made him either, so logically why would God leave out such a detail from Adam and Eve?  This would not make sense at all, for when God speaks about a certain item He expects us to contemplate its entire meaning through what He has shown us by our ways of thinking.  To keep a true and holy relationship between God and mankind we must make sure that what we believe in agrees with the Bible for if it does not then it cannot be from God, period.  And if we continue to agree with an untruth that means an avenue of division has been paved and further doubts will be able to spring up along the way.  This division occurs on more than just one level as well for it changes the togetherness with God and the togetherness with other humans.

First we will look at the eternal side of things by referring to the article “Definition of We” that God shared with us a few months ago then after reading that message turn to Genesis 2:21 where it God describes how He creates the woman from the side of the man, an equal setting, and origin that could not be more brilliant.  It is this point where all humanity is at an equal status and then in verse 22 it says the following: “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”  What God is saying here is that He made the woman away from the man for His Word says He brought her unto the man.  So, if this is the case she had to be led by God to leave her area and go to the man, wherever that area may have been.  At some point it was just the woman by herself without the man being present, so God must have revealed Himself to the woman before He brought them together.  It fits when you stop and think about how Adam was created for he was alone and it was not good for him to be in such a state, nor for the woman either.

The word “brought” here is the Hebrew word “waybieha” and it is only used a total of four times and all of the meanings is referring to a being (individual) bringing another (person) into the presence of a third party at a specific place.  God goes on to state that He brought the woman “unto” the man which comes from the Hebrew word “el” which means literally “unto”.  This is the definition of a holy unity that originated from God and then was extended to man and woman through God’s Ways.  This was the perfect setting for God to once again demonstrate the perfect relationship status to the one who chose to ignore His Ways and go about on his own.  It also set up a pattern of seduction that Lucifer would use to do his best to lure the human couple from their perfect unity.

Verse 24 gives us an unusual setting but now that we understand what God did with the woman and how He brought her to the man to be one flesh it is easy to know why this verse is placed in such a manner.  It is part of the equality and togetherness that God ordained and designed for intimate relationships between a man and a woman.  This verse clearly defines the intimate relationship that God recognizes as legitimate and is present between a man and a woman, it also clarifies that through this relationship that they will become one flesh.  Yes, this brings a man and a woman together in every sense of the word and includes sex.  This entire passage of Genesis is about relationship and intimacy, not fulfillment of fantasies (lies), and it sets into motion a pattern in which our lives can truly be worthy of godly, holy and pure happiness.  There is no higher emotional expression than the unity of a man and woman but in order for it not to be defiled it must be recognizable by only the two made into one with no other combination present at any time.

This verse reiterates that God has a specific pattern about His Ways and that when He sets a pattern into motion He cannot change His views on such pattern for any reason.  This verse sets into motion the origins of such a relationship between a man and a woman and just how important it is that each has equality in such a relationship.  This verse also commits God to a single way of accepting and identifying relationships and that ANY deviation from this method is considered to be an abomination to His heart and Ways.  The world can and shall teach other paths to sexual or relational happiness, and understandably so some may fit into the “happy” category and seem truly compatible but in God’s eyes that union shall never be blessed according to His Scriptures because it directly goes against this passage concerning our creation and origins. 

There is something we need to think about here and it is an important detail about the completeness of God.  We know that God is a graceful, holy, perfect, loving and kind eternal being and that there is no one else like Him.  However, we also know from studying His Word that if we do not allow Him to be present in our lives at all times and at the same time allow the world to infiltrate our hearts and darken them to blackness, we are lost and are subject to His holy consequences.  Now, with that in mind, place an entire nation into this category, or a group of nations into this category, or place the Church into this category and look at the potential of devastation that could be doled out upon such places.  God’s Word is not a bunch of rules but a book that gives us examples of what not to do because when we collectively do things against God it puts our eternal existence in jeopardy.  And as the bible tells us, it is not God’s desire that anyone should perish but have only eternal life.

The only thing that the world understands is lies and that is why it is so very important that we know God’s Word well enough to expose these lies when they are drawn to our attention.  God wants to be clear about this subject and He wants no mistake to be present, God shall never approve of ANY relationship that involves anyone else than between a man and a woman.  Notice that He is specific about these words here – man and a woman, they are singular in form NOT plural.  God also wants us to understand that He shall never accept ANY type of homosexual or lesbian relationship as a legitimate form of covenant relationship between humans.  Yes, the world shall approve of these types of pluralistic, “trans” anything, and homosexual relationships without any problem but God cannot and shall not simply because of this passage of Genesis 2:21-24.  it will not surprise me that some of you will not like this paragraph and it is a normal reaction to be angry at this statement if you believe what the world has taught you.

Another portion of verse 24 is now defined and clarified and that is when it refers to a man leaving his father and mother to accept the new life with his woman.  Since God brought the woman to the man it should be in like manner that the man leaves his origins and cling to the wife.  This is another area that we are witnessing in our current societies, or I should say the reversal of this verse being witnessed in our societies.  When a devastation in a child’s life occurs there is nothing wrong with them returning to the family house to re-cooperate and regenerate until their settings change and they can manage to be on their own again.  I fall into this category because back in early 1991 my life fell apart and when the end of 1992 rolled around I found myself back in my parent’s house.  However, I had no intentions of staying there and mooching off of their lives while I moped around, picked my nose and defied returning to the workplace environment.  This is not what we are seeing today in many areas around the world and it is a direct tactic of division for humanity and a lie to God and the way that He meant for us to live.

Verse 24 also gives us a glimpse of God’s restoration process as well for when a child does have to return to his origins he/she has the perfect opportunity to restart and to renew their relationship with God.  I know I did when I returned to my parent’s house.  God is in the restoration business and even though He understands that we will make destructive choices along our way, He is right there waiting for us to turn back to Him for help.  But when we plop our butts down back at the starting point of our lives and just stay there and not truly contribute to society, then a massive problem occurs in our lives and Lucifer’s entitlement plan starts to take hold.  This passage is meant to teach us about unity, not only with each other but more importantly with our Creator.  Any deviation from this holy Order from God and true happiness cannot be achieved; therefore, we have no excuses when it comes to the gross consequences that shall occur when we follow such deviation (sin).

The inclusion of a man and a woman being one flesh is the ultimate example of unity and making their lives one together without any outside influence is the best place to be when comparing our lives in relationship with God.  When this type of togetherness is unabated and functioning on a true foundation nothing can stop such a relationship.  So it would be a natural place for an enemy to attack, and ours does so by watching and waiting until we give an opening which he then does not hesitate to divide.  It is easy to thwart such an attack if we understand where our positions are with our spouse and know how to see how to defend such unity.  But we have disrupted such setting within western societies that we now would rather allow such separation from unity in order to pursue selfish ambitions.  We have become numb to the truth about unity and through this drunkenness of self-indulgence, we have allowed our lives to become so inundated with division that we now promote it as the norm.

Can a single word from God’s Life be the key to happiness beyond recognition?  The answer is YES and we have it here in this short passage in Genesis.  Not only does this passage define true and intimate happiness between a man and a woman, it gives us the origins of how we came to together as humans, and it also defines what occurs if we allow our enemy to break apart this unity.  God has a specific and perfect plan for each one of our lives and through this verse alone we should know that He has chosen the perfect person for our lives to be shared.  We do not need to rush His hand nor should we shun His heart when these plans come to fruition.  God’s timing is impeccable and it boggles the mind but when it comes to our sight it is at the perfect stage in our lives.  Our enemy shall make a lot of noise as we progress in God’s plan, but we have the tools necessary to quiet his roar and continue our path unabated.  God has a simple way of explaining the answer to what may seem like a complicated problem and He has proven this again in this message from Him.  Seek Him in all areas of your heart, allow Him to invade, clean your heart and then restore it to its original and meaningful condition.  We do not have to live being divided with ourselves and with God, we can have the perfect unity with all if we just keep His Ways and put Him first.

We can only achieve this perfection in intimacy and unity if we put God first in our lives.  God was there before mankind was around and since He had position first we should understand that He is in control and not us.  Rest assured that God knows your heart and He knows what you need in your life in order to make you complete, the enemy knows this as well and will do his best to distract you at all costs or to weaken your stamina when God’s perfection comes along.  Church, it is our responsibility to teach and to promote purity in all relationships and holiness on all levels of human communication.  For a while now, we have not been doing a good job at this mission of ours.  But as of this moment, we have the opportunity to change that untruth into the Truth.  God wants all to live in harmony and perfection according to His Ways we just have to choose Him and not the world in order for this to appear.  How can a simple little passage within a huge testimony strike an eternal unity into our hearts, such wonders the Bible holds.  How can we keep this great Word away from others?

DLB

Being Dangerous

Being Dangerous

11/13/17

Have you ever considered yourself to be dangerous on any level, whether it be you performing an act or standing up for a certain cause?  Many of us would say no to this question but at the same time forget exactly what our nation and desires represent to many others.  This type of labeling has been used ever since humans became in control of groups, nations, and empires and we use it to keep our advantage over those who may influence other ways of believing.  Christians, do you understand that if you are living as you should that you would be considered dangerous to the societal standards?  We need to take a serious look at our habits and lives and see if we really pose a threat to the worldly governments or not for if we do not then we need to reevaluate our relationship with God because the world cannot have any place with God, so neither should we.

Every community has a few people that would be locally labeled as a conspirator or a conspiracy theorist, or in common terms a nut or some other derogatory name.  But should we consider these types of people who go against the common threads of society weird or harmful to our communities?  On many occasions they have been thoroughly questioned by government officials, taken into custody and had their possessions searched or just flat left alone but whatever the case they have been labeled as troublemakers and that category and stigma follow them every day.  Even our little community in western Colorado has a few people that are considered dangerous in this category and many people shy away from them when they are out in public.  But the question still remains as to why these people believe such efforts for there must be some type of evidence for this accusation against the establishment?  We always have to regenerate our possessive characteristics when we include the human mind, for all possibilities can be used when the human thinks.

A conspiracy theorist is a person who believes that some type of governing body holds certain ideological aspects of rule over the heads of the common inhabitant without their knowledge.  These ideas as stated above can become vocal enough to provoke some type of reaction from the governing body which further demonstrates that person’s or group’s beliefs about such a conspiracy.  It does not matter what those objectionable thoughts might be either or on what level for these beliefs could stem from the local dog catcher to the President of the nation.  It does not matter, whatever the level of thought it may be this person or group will make accusations or even present truth to the ruling establishment in order for others to see for themselves.  Is this a concern for others?  It should be for whenever some type of odd occurrence is completed it usually makes the news or at least the scuttlebutt around the area.

History has recorded many people and groups that would fit into this “being dangerous” category yet not all of the people are really dangerous.  What they would be considered dangerous towards would be the establishment that has been indoctrinated and over a period of time referred to as being the “norm”.  It is this type of condition and setting that is going to be referred to in this article even though both aspects can be used to identify such a belief.  If we look at history we can see that every society had its problems and every society also had those who opposed such legal settings.  Many of these people including kings and queens lost their lives due to this difference in opinions and while we are talking about this type of capital punishment, we cannot leave out the Church for she has committed some of the most gruesome acts of revenge in the name of God.  We must understand that the people who defend this establishment mean to do so for it is what they only know to be true.  It reflects the spirit that drives them and wishes to align with, so it is a natural response to respond according to which ruler one believes.  And as God has shown us many times over, it is this establishment that defines the kingdom that we operate and believe in as well.  It is for this reason alone that this process is a dangerous one and each one of us is in this placement whether we know it or not.

Do we really understand that living the life of Christ and with Christ automatically places us in this being dangerous category?  In order for us to figure this status out, we must know our place in this world and what and what not to do according to such separation.  When God created mankind He did so in a separate location, established by Him and thus made in accordance with His Ways.  There were no flaws present nor was there any sin known to His prized creations, yet it was our choice to disrupt such perfection by allowing our own self-wills rule thus changing the establishment of the world and conditions that we lived within.  Ever since that time we allowed the world to take over, we have been fighting an establishment that seeks only one thing and that is our demise on an eternal level.  It is this eternal placement that is most vital to our understanding and one that we need to keep in the forefront of our hearts at all times.  Even back in the biblical times being dangerous had its consequences and labeling effects and when one studies the Bible they should grasp the truth that anyone who differs from the world according to God’s Ways shall be very popular but not in a friendly manner.

We have a couple of examples of church dealings that we will be discussing here and while Jesus recognized both types of existences He did not teach to encourage either of them but taught to recognize these worldly associations instead.  Our problem is that we have failed to understand this truth about Jesus’ teachings and have taken it upon ourselves to be a worldly governing body instead.  Most of us have heard of the Westboro Baptist Church and some of the tactics that they have used recently in order to promote their stance on many issues.  While their stance is noble and just in many ways the militant activities and the harshness by which they conduct these activities are totally incorrect and set a bad example for others who are watching.  Many of their protests and demonstrations simply reflect the hatred that the world has for Christians and yet are being unknowingly redirected towards those who need Christ instead.  If Christ would have approved of the militant Church status or wanted us to understand that He represented such behavior He would not have reattached the ear of the man that Peter tried to hack off, think about that entire setting for a moment and marvel at its truth.

Secondly, Jesus taught His disciples and those who came to listen to His words that they should be different from the world and not do what the world authorizes.  Yes, we should give to what we owe the government but also give to God what is His.  When we analyze this truth we can no longer justify living with world standards for what God offers and what the world offers are two separate and opposite entities and neither one can mix with the other.  So to the church divisions that teaches that it is ok to accept the world through the love of God you are teaching a lie and should immediately reverse your course, repent of your wrong teachings, and line your hearts back up with the Word of God.  If Jesus wanted us to be incorporated into the world then He would have never overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple.  Stop and think about what God refers to us as in His Word and then make the correlation as to why we should be separate even down to the lent in our pockets.

There is a truth here that we need to understand and that is when God’s people turn from their wicked ways the world will react accordingly.  Joseph saved Egypt in many ways and through his listening to God allowed Egypt to become a great empire.  But Egypt forgot her greatnesses origins and salvation then acted according to their selfish desires when they saw a potential threat to their establishment.  Look at what occurred, God called Moses and Aaron to lead His people from Egypt’s midst and after some tough spiritual battles and physical lameness Egypt lost their entire army due to a hardened and prideful heart.  Also, take for example what happened to the children of Israel when they did not obey God and the long amount of time they had to stay wandering as the reasons were not noticed.

The list could go on and on including some prophets that took their time in decorating the truth inside of a whale’s belly instead of following what he knew was to be done, but I want to turn our attention to Jesus and what His presence and words mean in accordance to this topic at hand.  Here is the foundation that we need to keep in mind when we think about how separated we need to be from the world.  In the gospels of the New Testament, each one states that Jesus was the son of Mary and that an angel spoke to Mary and told her that she was going to conceive a son that would be directly from God and not from a physical man.  It is this bloodline that Jesus was originated, a holy one that had no spots or blemishes which mean that He was pure just as the creation of Adam yet had the ability to be compatible with mankind – an entirely different and amazing category that will follow down the road.  This means that Jesus was God on earth and yet represented mankind at the same time.  This also means that Jesus had only 1 mission while He walked this earth and it was NOT to have or to establish ANY OTHER BLOODLINE but to teach about the Kingdom of God and how it related to our relationship with His Father and us. 

Here we go again with all of the conspiracy theories about Jesus and God which receive plenty of worldly airtime, so much so that many of these theories are believed as truth.  If we are to believe that God the Father is just that to Jesus then that means Jesus has to follow the exact same pattern as God did back when He gave instructions in the Old Testament.  This must be the case or Jesus proves Himself to be a fraud and thus the entire New Testament and its words a lie.  In no such example of Jesus’ life do we find Him living with worldly standards, we find Him living on the earth and seeing the world for what it is but never accepting the standards of the world.  Jesus taught us that God does love us but in order for us to understand this love of His we must first turn our hearts over to Him and obey His commands.  In order for us to do this adequately we must understand God and what He has to say about our lives and the only way to achieve this is to study and then apply His Word to our lives and live through His Word every day.  Are you beginning to see a pattern here?

What happened to Jesus?  One would think that anyone who brought an area together and taught that there was a way to be free and happy would receive all joys and blessings from everyone around.  Yet, His presence brought hardships to those who were in positions of leadership both in the religious sector and secular sector.  It is this aspect that should bring our hearts to light for it is both sides of our lives that represent our different effects.  The amazing fact about Jesus’ presence on earth is that while He witnessed to the people that were around Him He never once fell for the lies that the world presented to Him.  Jesus understood that the enemy had his own kingdom and that it was the enemy who threw his kingdom’s lies in His face; plus, He understood what was going on around Him spiritually and He knew how to combat such activities when they arose.  It is this detail that we have failed to recognize or just flat out ignore and that is what is from the world and what is from God and it is this knowledge that we need in order to know the difference and to be different.

Jesus did not attack the people around Him He just taught them how to be different and by doing such He supplied them with the perfect examples of how to separate themselves from such governmental establishment patterns that would eventually separate them from God if they were allowed to continue in their beliefs.  As stated above we see this pattern from Jesus in the Temple overturning the tables and we see it when He heals the man that Peter decided to cut off an ear from, it is for this consistent act of Jesus that branded Him to be a conspirator and a person who was out to destroy the establishment that was in place.  We do not have to tear down the establishment if we allow it to be changed and turned into an entity for God but the world shall never allow this to occur because its kingdom would shatter and fall proving God correct.  The Cold War words of the establishment seemed to win in the eyes of the world when the establishment put Jesus to death but in truth, God wins because it fulfills His eternal plan for His children.  How much does it cost us when we buck the establishment?  According to our Savior, it shall cost us our life and if we understand God’s Word this should not come as any surprise.

It is easy for us to say that we understand that the world has its agenda and how it operates on a daily basis, but do we really comprehend what the origins of this establishment are and how they operate?  We have become used to the status quo and are comfortable with allowing certain agenda items play out when they surface but take offense to issues that seem to attack the undersurfaces of our establishment that is not an understanding that is an acceptance.  The fatal flaw in this type of establishment is just that, fatal and unless we recognize that the establishment is not from God and has no plans on turning back to God any attempt to chip away at the nerve center of the establishment shall come with a huge price.  We must never forget that when the establishment is attacked physically the internal will of the establishment shall respond in like mind as well which means there is a spiritual content that must be accounted for, one that is being attacked at the same time.

Each prophet we study about in God’s Word presented themselves as a dangerous person to the establishment that was present around the nation of Israel.  There may have been a few family members of the prophets that did not adhere to God’s calling but as long as they drew breath they and their families posed a direct threat to the establishment.  Jesus did the exact same thing when He walked this earth and what He gave to us still has an eternal and profound effect on people’s lives today.  It is this effect that we should be promoting to a dying world and thus promoting our dangerous status.  I read a highlighted topic line the other day of a pastor who stated that he is being attacked from the “religious right and the religious left” about his views concerning abortion and how he answered a specific question directed towards him a while back.  Really?  Do we actually think that God places any more care upon those who “identify” themselves to be “right” or “left” than proclaiming the Word of God?  God does not recognize the human political systems of the world as a basis for judgment, nor as the definition of His Love for us.  God looks at the heart of the person and understands that cry alone, for God is an individual God and a steady God that does not change at any time.  Anytime a pastor, Christian, secular believing person, or atheist defines a person by their political views their focus is skewed and will concentrate on the world first.  If God accepted “left or right” as a truth then what about the center, the left-leaning, right-leaning, etc. could God’s Word according to Matthew 6:24 be therefore disproved?

Is it not clear to us that when people are placed into the category of being dangerous to a cause that they are being projected as a threat to that cause or in this case establishment?  When we place others in this category we are drawing battle lines and borders that we intend to defend, a process that can be dealt with quickly or drawn out for a considerable amount of time.  Jesus’ ministry did not last but for about three and a half years but when he accomplished when He walked this earth ripped to shreds the established religious communities that had its gold over the people.  Christians do not even recognize these lines and understand what they mean which is the exact reason why we see the Church being confused or weak on certain areas on worldly establishment because we do not have an effective fighting force in our hearts.  We can never forget that when we make a statement or come against a portion of the establishment that the world has taken in it shall react accordingly.  How we respond to this initial reaction deals the cards of how the battle will proceed and right at the moment it does not look too good of a setting for the Church.

For those who are Christians, this article should be one that stirs us to allow God to dig a bit deeper into our hearts to see if there be any wickedness in our lives.  Our lives prove each day whether or not we are being considered dangerous to the worldly establishment or not and it is our responsibility to be dangerous yet holy at the same time.  We dare not be combative in our arguments against the world but be bold in the truth that we proclaim.  Look around us, is your life crumbling or is it flourishing according to your standards and beliefs?  Many of the industries that drive our societies are being exposed and falling one by one, and yet we still stand for such activities as our foundations.  Why do we choose this lie, and why do we choose Jezebel?  Sadly, we must be dangerous in the eyes of some of those who say they love God for they have accepted the false teaching of the world instead of holding onto the eternal Truth.  So, be diligent in our spiritual guidance for it may be necessary to teach those who say they are followers, this is where the sword that Jesus says will divide, divides.

God’s Word says that we cannot serve two masters and it is for this reason alone that we automatically become dangerous to the world when we choose God.  Church it is time we become dangerous again, not for the acts that are found out through our dirty dealings, but to the kingdom that provides only death and destruction.  If we do not become dangerous to the kingdom of this world, God will have no choice but to grab our attention in such a manner that we cannot deny His presence and His holy hand through what our eyes shall witness.  Yes, many will choose to repent but just as many or even more shall not and once again we will have the opportunity to change the hearts of nations before further devastation occurs.  Wake up, people of God and take back control of the advancement of the Kingdom of God and once again become dangerous to this world.  How will you be known as a dangerous person to this world?  If you walk in wisdom and have truthful answers as to why the world is falling apart when it occurs, and you are calm as the walls fall on their stage.  Is this a description of you?

DLB