What Is The Difference?

What Is the Difference?

3/27/19

When one considers fighting for their honor they first must assure that their armor is adequate for the upcoming encounter.  It does not make sense to fight an enemy that knowingly dominates every aspect of the potential battle before the actual shooting starts.  The question before such animosities begin is if your party has listened to the surroundings and then builds your defenses according to who your enemy is and how they may attack.  This is a strategy that any military leader seeks out for if they do not their command shall be conquered within a short period of time.  Our spiritual battles do not differ at all from the physical in that we need to understand the strength and tactics of the enemy in order to eternally survive.  To get the proper defenses we must understand the armor that God intends for us to have and exactly how to wear it when we face the enemy.  If we do not listen to our Creator for the perfect defensive measures then our choices of weaponry shall not fit and will prove useless in battle.

This may sound like a repeat of a couple of earlier articles that God wanted us to hear and while there will be some similarities the point of order here is for us to train our ears and hearts on our Leader and not what our beliefs of defenses should be.  Most of you know I was in the military for four years and during that time I learned many things about tactics on both the defensive aspect and the offensive aspect of battles.  There is a strategy to both and when it comes to putting these plans in action it takes skilled leaders to make it happen along with well trained, disciplined troops, and adequate supplies in order for results to be favorably gained.  Being enlisted personnel, I had to start from the ground up in rank which meant I received a lot of orders to do things that would not be considered pleasant, but they had to be done in order for our unit to be effective when called upon so I did them as ordered.  The war that my unit and I were preparing for was the Gulf War, the first one that occurred in the early 1990s.

War is war no matter how one looks at it or how overconfident an army may be for the destruction of materials and lives will result on all sides.  If we had two million soldiers in the tank corps but only twenty-five tanks the appropriations of such personnel versus equipment was certainly off and therefore would be ineffective when the time for the battle to arrive.  Remember Poland at the beginning of World War II when they approached heavy German tanks on horses with sabers?  It is the same concept when entering into a battle that your protection is off and thus cannot be productive when it comes time to fight.  The job of the top leaders would have been grossly deficient in their leadership and preparedness tactics basically inviting an embarrassing and quick defeat.  A battle is one of action and eventually will have a winner at the end of the day and when historians look back at all of the after-action reports and tables of equipment used and remaining it will become clear as to who listened to the commands around them and who did not.  It is this point that God wants us to understand not about just the physical battles that we may face but the eternally important ones that our immortal enemy wishes to conduct against us.  If we are not adequately prepared for such a battle we will have no choice but to accept a surrender of ourselves by the world’s sword, a result that God sees occurring every day.

The passage we are reading from today comes from 1 Samuel 17:38-40 and is part of one of the most famous stories in the Bible.  It is the beginning scenes of when David fought Goliath and how King Saul was in the process of giving David his armor for his upcoming encounter with Goliath.  “And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head: also he armed him with a coat of mail.  And David girded his sword upon his armor, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.”  The time and place of the battle had been determined and who was to participate, it was now time to arm the participants with the appropriate defensive measures before the allotted time arrived.  But from this passage, we see that there is a huge problem with how David is being dressed for battle for it is someone else’s armor and it does not fit David which means that even though there is adequate armor available it is rendered ineffective because it will hinder the attack instead of helping the advance of the attack a death march if you want to know specifics.

Now first off, we must remember that David is a small boy here and not a well-built man.  Secondly, we must keep in mind that David was a shepherd boy at best which meant that while he may have understood the concepts of warfare and that there was a need for defending against an enemy he was definitely out of his living space when it came to fighting with this type of armor.  Verse 39 of this chapter states that David had so much armor on him that when he put the sword on his belt he literally could not walk, his protective devices that others believed he needed were not his size and were too heavy for him.  David could not fight in such conditions and instead of having protection the weapons of the flesh of others rendered him a target for certain defeat with a deadly outcome from a hated enemy.  The stakes were already set and the conditions quite clear so there had to be definitive equality proven in order for it to be a fair fight.

Verses 39 & 40 tie into each other and provide us with the exact defensive mechanism that would serve as the offensive weapon according to the acts of David previously.  At the end of verse 39, David takes off all of the armor given to him by King Saul.  It must have come as a shock to Saul for the one man who has volunteered to fight Goliath of Philistine has just refused the best armor that mankind can make.  Verse 40 states: “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”  Are you serious?  This must have been what Saul and the others around the area must have been thinking because, from the angle that they were noticing the common weapons that should have been used, the ones that were deemed normal and upright were lying on the ground, replaced by a sling and five stones.  The world and its “appropriate” weapons shall always look better and mightier than what God shows us to use this is a guarantee.  However, we can never forget exactly WHO God is and WHAT we can do if we listen to His voice.  It is this choice of armor that makes the difference and is what God wants us to know about how to defend our enemy according to what God has given us as our purpose in life.

We know that David is still young and that he is not yet king of Israel but his faith in the gift that God gave him as a shepherd speaks volumes to those around him, plus it provides us a clue as to what the enemy knows about our methods of weaponry.  Goliath had made himself known to everyone in the valley and these same people understood what was at stake.  The sides had agreed on the terms and it was just a matter of time before the rumble began.  So, David shows up with what God showed him to bring which was not what the convenient or the so-called “modern day” weaponry demanded, David’s was different from what was expected.  There have been plenty of examples of differences in what God wants us to bring to a battle then what we believe what we need to fight the battle; all of us are guilty of this.  But look at what would have occurred if David strolled out with other armor types on his body, as stated above he would have been cut into pieces quickly and Israel would have lost that day.  But when we bring the armor that God tells us to bring things will have the ordained outcome that He intends for it to be, not our intentions.

It does not matter what our battle circumstances may be, it is always important to listen to the voice of the Lord in order to know exactly what type of armor we should don when it comes time to fight our enemy.  In this passage, most people would consider it insane for David to enter into this confrontation with nothing more than a slingshot, 5 stones, and a large knife.  Goliath was a proven warrior with a long history of ruthlessness when it came to his enemies, a formidable opponent that on “paper” should have had no trouble handling the little kid from Israel.  But when God is in control of the situation and wants to make a point, He will always have a person at the ready who are listening to His voice and understanding what needs to be done and how to get the job completed with the resources that He provides.  It does not matter what our situation or battle may be, God has the perfect armor for our lives and it is this armor that He makes for us individually it always fits perfectly, never too big or too small.  The only catch is that we seek His Word for instructions for the battle which consequently is the exact reference for the armor we need to protect ourselves in such battles.

David recognized that the armor of the warring world was not going to fit and he immediately took it off and went to grab the necessary armor that God showed him to wear.  How many times have we ignored God when it comes time for battles to begin and tried our best to charge into this setting head on not properly clothed?  I know you can add my list to that content and each time I leave the battle I am battered, scarred, bruised, bleeding, and completely exhausted and defeated.  I took into battle what I thought I needed for it was similar to what my enemy had with him and it would seem like that I would know by now that my life was created to be more than a conqueror not an equal to the ruler of the world and his minions.  We know how the story of David and Goliath went after this passage it was a complete victory for God and a supernatural show of wisdom to Israel’s enemies.  Sadly, not everyone in the nation was pleased with the outcome and the strife between two men began to grow not just because of the actions on the battlefield but because of the personal choices one of the men started to make concerning God and His Ways which sets up another entirely different type of battle that David had to be prepared for this time the king himself was after David which required God’s armor as well.

Besides the fact of trusting God and listening to His voice during stressful times, this passage gives us another specific characteristic of God that we should be taking with us each day.  We have no idea of what our day shall hold and with all of the necessary defenses that the world brings into light all of these options have seemed to utterly fail when it comes time for them to be tested.  With all of the institutions and governments doing their best to curb this type of violence or to pass legislation in order to control this other type of human violence against each other the results are very conclusive, none of them will work for the center of their investigation and sources of resolve are pointed in the incorrect direction.  If this nation, in the position, that it has been placed in would ditch the loser self mentality, return to God and put His Ways first I guarantee that our lives would see a pretty dramatic change in a very short amount of time. 

With all of the issues that the world faces each day we should be running to the One source that provides all answers that suits every person, but instead we ignore it pushing our own agendas trying to be the David of the world but ending up being Goliath to another wannabe who then struggles with the outcome and runs off and commits suicide in some shape or manner.  This passage teaches us that no matter what the issues we may face God has the perfect answer for us to win the battle but in order to have this occur we need to shed the world and its defensive systems as our first line defense and seek God for the answers.  It is a simple decision and will have a simple and straight forward answer.  Yes, it may take a while and the road may be tough but we can never forget that a battle is just that, a battle.  It is a fight and it shall always be tough to get through and to finish and if we listen to God then we have the eternal advantage and promised a win every time.  However, we must all remember that when things are done God’s Way it may not always be of sound advantage to the world when the spectacular results come into sight.

So, now the question comes to us Church are we piling on the armor of Saul (the world) or are we picking up stones from the river that God has chosen for our armor and defense?  Do we understand that when we accept the world as a standard of improvement or legitimacy we are putting on the wrong armor and we will become sitting ducks for the enemy in front of us, which consequently is really on the same fighting side?  David demonstrated that if we turn to the armor of the world in which is not fitted for us in the first place that all it will do is drag us down and render us useless on the battlefield.  How is our usefulness on the battlefield and how have we taken in the people of the world in the correct manner to which Jesus commanded?  I venture to say that through direct observation of our actions we have lost the usage of God’s armor for the shiny and overweight armor of the world for that is who we now defend.  David used the purpose that God had given him for his life to accomplish the Will of God for the people of Israel that day, a complete sign of obedience to God.

The manner in which this nation was forged was done so in a very unique manner in which if it did not struggle in the correct manner our beginnings would have been our endings all rolled into one mess.  Even though our nation was ordained by God it has been the duty of many people to see its destruction and this process is never been in more swing than today.  We are no longer a victorious nation and we have established this self-righteous goal through our efforts of silencing David by enforcing him to wear the armor of the world instead of listening to the Creator of this nation.  It is a sad day for the stability of this nation because in silencing David the Church has been convinced that this is the approved method of winning against our enemies, the only issue with this belief is that we have now turned on our friends and consider them enemies which should not come as a surprise for this is what occurs when provisions from our allies do not fit properly.

Our spiritual prowess and motivation is now girded with lies of the world instead of truth, there is no helmet of salvation, no holy shield of faith, our breasts are bare, we have sandals on our feet, and the sword we carry is used to cut the physical enemy all to which are incorrect protective devices for the methods of our fight do not rest upon the physical as we tend to seek.  Look at how the Church conducts herself and it is plain to see that she fully operates in the flesh and not through the spirit which tells the world that she is ready to fight with the world and not against it.  The combination of armor is the key to a successful or defeat in battle and God clearly states that His Word is the way to fight successfully and if we do not obey this condition our fight will be brutally ugly with our defeat guaranteed.  It is time that we take this example from David and listen to what God says to our hearts concerning the fight that is ahead.  Yes, there is a great battle about to begin and it is vital that we are spiritually prepared for such an onslaught.  The battle groups are in place and the challenges have been made and it is just a matter of time before the darts begin to fly. 

Church, we no longer see that our stance is longer on the side of God and that the armor that we have adorned is of the world.  It has always been a lingering question in many people as to why the Book of Revelation is so blatantly cruel in the atmosphere of humanity, it is because the Church did not rightfully take the correct spiritual stance in the armor that God told her to use but rather used what she believed would do the trick all the while supplying the world with extra ammunition against the eternal institution that she was created to advance; actually helping our enemy destroy our lives.  It does not matter how hard a person or nation tries to solve problems on their own, those efforts shall always fall short and it is important that we understand and then live under the Ways of God for they are the choice of protective armor that will allow us to become victorious again.  Come on, Church let us return to God and listen to His voice so that we can not only solve the issues that are in front of us (battles) but do so through the name of God.  In answering the question that announces the title of this article, the difference is our eternal life or our eternal death.

DLB

Return To Egypt

Return to Egypt

3/24/19

All of us have at one point in our lives wished to return to a place where we left for various reasons.  But is this a wise choice of ours and is it a real stance or one of defiance against the new stage set before us, a question that sometimes is difficult to ascertain.  When we make the decision to return to our previous land how do we feel then and how do our lives reflect this decision.  The land of captivity’s return is a dreadful thought and it should be the first thing on a freed person’s mind never to set foot on again yet for some reason many people desire to return to such settings thus living out the remainder of their lives in complete misery.  God frees His children for a reason for He does not wish for anyone to live in captivity to the sins of the world but just not the physical amounts of slavery but the desire to return along with the spiritual accounts as well.  It is our responsibility to show people the truth about life and what God desires for each of His children, not how to return to our Egypt but sometimes our will to buck God and His Ways do not give way and God has no choice but to allow us to return to this wicked and ugly place.

Returning to the past can be tricky at best, but when one does it on a continual basis others begin to wonder why even leave in the first place.  We find this state of affairs true in quite a number of personal relationships where breakups occur for certain unobtainable reasons between both or either or parties involved.  So, why don’t we learn from our mistakes and figure out that going back to a previous standard or bringing on another identical personal and intimate standard again into our lives?  Are we that difficult of a species to initiate better developments for our future instead of continually repeating them?  Over my lifetime I know I have fallen into this type of category but on the other hand, there have been a few changes that I have allowed to occur to help me see these mistakes and not to allow them to rear their ugly heads again.  How many times have we made this speech or ones like it to our friends or children even though sound advice has been previously given?  When we consider such move do we think about what Jesus said in Matthew 12:44-45 when He talks about allowing things to return into a cleaned house without the proper protection in place?  Wow! When we put into such terms things cannot help but be placed into a different category, but for some reason, we do not mind this truth infiltrating our lives again.

No matter how often we do our best to reiterate these changes for those who we love it seems like the majority of the time it falls on deaf ears and sometime down the road, we are witnessing another breakup that takes this indescribable pain to the core of our friends.   It has also been noted that even when people have made the decision to stay away from their troubled pasts they occasionally have a flashback and wonder what it would be like to try and face that scene again.  Drug users, alcoholics, and other people who have come out of abusive habitual situations often face such look-backs with some of them returning to the scene of the crime if one wishes to look at things in that manner.  In either way, it takes a hard stance against worldly practices to finally free one from such grasps and as each day rolls past us we can only wonder how many fall back into that slavery lifestyle.  We even have such an example in the Bible to show us exactly what occurs when people want to return to a captive state.  At the same time, we have the willingness of God to display His authority over people’s lives and then again down the road allow such return when the same people do not understand what they have been through and what shall occur when they return to such “been through”.

We have two biblical passages that most people are familiar with and have heard plenty of sermons on as well.  These passages have been subjects of movies have been scrutinized by public matters about their content and the will of the people over God and almost anything other controversial ideas that the human mind can dream up.  But as these passages continue to stand up faithful and true to all of the finite public scrutinies, it should be taken notice that what has been recorded in the Bible is true especially when it comes to humans and how they/we conduct us when adverse settings arise.  But no, we know better than to take into account the truth about others’ demises for we know better now and do not have to worry about such petty problems in the past.  One passage occurs in Exodus when the Israelites are at the Red Sea and want to return to Egypt and the other passage is in 1 Samuel 8 when God allows the nation of Israel to leave His protection and join the world.

Every time I hear this passage of Scripture in Exodus when it is speaking about the children of Israel wandering through the desert I am reminded of the song by Keith Green “So You Want To Go Back To Egypt”.  It is a comical song at times but more importantly, it serves as a beautifully written and powerful message of what the Israelites were thinking back then and how our ways of looking at things, relate to humans today.  For as stated above, we tend to be drawn to the fact that we believe that if we return to certain things in our past that circumstances will be different or better and for those who do accomplish this task often find out that things and conditions are worse than before and more wounds are opened that sometimes lasts forever, and these kinds of ways of thinking tend to be pushed to the forefront when times take a turn for the excited.  Exodus 14:9-13 share such impulsive thoughts that were smoldering in the back of minds at that moment but were brought out in the open when this set came to a head.

The passage here in Exodus has brought the Israelites to the banks of the Red Sea and not much progress was occurring at the moment.  Of course, it would be hard not to think that Moses had misheard God when He stated which direction for them to take, for as far as their eyes could see was nothing but a vast wilderness filled with a huge dose of nothing.  Now, they were stuck at the banks of a huge wet obstacle in front of them and suddenly they heard hooves and wheels behind them in a steady motion and becoming louder.  As well as one can imagine the next stage of human reactions showed itself, panic.  So, the passage tells us in verse 12: “Is not this word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it is better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we die in the wilderness.”  This verse is a provocative one and one that states the mental beliefs of those folks who had been delivered from captivity.  We have talked about this state of their minds before and how at this point in their journey the Israelites still had no clue about what God was providing for them and what it meant that they were no longer in Egypt (captivity); thus the reason for the continued wants and complaints.

After this stage was played out, God provided another miracle in the wilderness by opening the Red Sea and allowing the Israelites to walk on dry land all the way across the sea and onto the other side.  The timing of God was impeccable and the entire train of Israelites crossed without any problems, but the Egyptians were still coming and tried their best to take advantage of the miracle of God for themselves.  We all know that the Egyptian army was swallowed up by the closing of the Red Sea and every person, chariot and animal were drowned that day, which tells us that we should never try and take advantage of God or His Ways for when we do we automatically become subject to His hand in motion.  The children of Israel were on their way once again to the Promised Land and for the immediate moment, their concerns about returning to Egypt had been quieted.  The cries to return to Egypt continued to pop up all throughout the long journey in the wilderness and for the most part the children of Israel never really got the fact of what God was doing to their lives while they were wandering during that time.  It is this aspect of their journey that while God did not allow them to return to Egypt but showed them that His Way of salvation was better than returning, a Divine fact that was missed and the way that eventually led to the next passage of Scripture in this article.

It is common knowledge that the Book of 1 Samuel occurs later down the line in the life of Israel after the wilderness but there is still one tight thread that is present over these people and that is they are ruled by God and are under His protective Covenant.  However, by the time the 1 Samuel passage comes into view, many thoughts and choices have been made to warrant this passage coming as the turning point in Israel’s existence.  We have here an excellent example of even though God is in control of people that the people are not inhibited in making their own choices concerning their lives and this is proven in the passage of 1 Samuel 8 when Israel makes the decisive choice to leave the confines of God’s Covenant to be like the other nations that they have had contact with for a while.  1 Samuel 8:6-9 is this passage with the emphasis on verse 8 where God makes a statement about the connection of these two passages.  Verse 8 states: “According to all the works they have done since the day I brought them out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.”

Now, it is easy to skip over this verse and focus on the issue at hand but God gives us a detail here that directly relates to the heart of Israel and the condition it is in.  Through this statement of God He acknowledges that fact that while the Israelites were in the wilderness, even from the day of release from Egypt, their hearts were not interested in leaving Egypt and all of the factoids that they had acquired while their stay there.  They went from being a free people in high regard and status to slaves and this change of life status did not matter to them.  Bringing us to the day that occurred in 1 Samuel 8 God says that even to this day they had no intentions to change their hearts and turn back to God even though His mercy and Grace was being demonstrated over them.  No matter one looks at this verse it must be recognized that God gives a detail here that He gave the nation of Israel plenty of time to turn completely toward Him but failed to do so.  God even gave specific dates as to when this opportunity began and where they were at that moment as well and it is obvious that the people’s heart had satisfied God’s holy equation to grant them this wish of theirs.

Up until this moment God had kept their hearts intact with His Divine Covenant and had been their leader for all their defined time but because God loved them and kept His promise to them He also allowed them to “fulfill” their desires by giving their wishes and letting them become like other nations.  It is not mentioned in Scripture here but I wonder if they really understood what their actions were doing, did they understand that they were returning to Egypt or did they miss this truth?  When the Israelites were in the wilderness it was obvious that this ragtag nation wanted to go back to the place of what they believed was their security and one has to admit that it takes guts to forge your own nation without much to survive on but this was the perfect setting for God to grab a hold of their hearts and teach them His Ways.  As one who has at a point in my past forgotten about the Grace of God and what it means to live under such a magnitude along with the fact that my heart was not willing to see the Truth about such conditions, I can see how many of the people missed what was actually transpiring when they requested and then God granted them their new status.  I can guarantee that the same type of celebratory relief would have occurred in the wilderness back in Exodus 14 as it did across Israel in 1 Samuel 8.  However, it was this decision by the nation of Israel that would eventually cost them many hardships with some almost impossible to comprehend as they unfolded in front of their eyes.

As God is speaking to Samuel in verse 8, He references their departure from Egypt according to His Ways and however since that day the children of Israel had been bucking His Ways and Laws through their own selfish desires.  The grumblings and that came from the mouths and hearts of the Israelites in the wilderness were still present in the generations to follow, we know this for the children of such grumblings will act according to what they heard when growing up and even though it had been some generations down the line that same attitude for Egypt was still present in their hearts.  If this is not correct, then what was the stemming origin for this attitude to be like other nations?  There cannot be any other answer for the people had not fully repented of their time in Egypt and they definitely had not forgotten their livelihood back in captivity but for some reason desired to return to such conditions.  It is amazing how God remembers a set of someone’s past when He warns them about what they are about to return into and the words of God here serve as a brilliant reminder of how God wants His beloved Creations to live in freedom that He brings us into, not the lies of the world around us.

What tends to occur is that when people do not let go of the past and trust the future they shall never be free and when that freedom originates from God the battle must be completely understood for if not then the enemy can enter without notice and destroy everything that has been set free; this means you.  It is this process that God once again is trying to prevent before He grants their wishes but as we see the instructions to Samuel God is prepared to allow such actions to occur but not before God explains to them one more time what they should expect.  God never will just allow His children to scatter and run off alone without showing them the warnings first which is exactly why we have the Bible.  God allows the wishes of the people to take place and when these events occur, God watches His children walk right back into the captive arms of their previous grotesque captors.  Nowhere does it mention in God’s Word that the process of turning their existence over to the world was an easy process, for it was not too long after this change that the king of Israel faced a really troubling situation.  As time went along the nation of Israel saw good kings and bad kings come and go but with the worldly intentions to “fit in” with the other nations it soon became clear that God was not wanted and the roots into the world grew deeper until their nation knew no other ruler but the secular ruler.  The transition into captivity within a worldly society’s journey is now in progress and as each king approaches and then reigns over them, the journey continues until their final captivity status is achieved.

When prisoners of war or any other person or group is taken captive they are immediately separated and from that point onward have little or no contact with those who they were involved with, the same occurs here with Israel.  When does the captivity begin you ask?  It begins when the nation of Israel is first divided into two kingdoms, for now, they are permanently divided amongst themselves and thus lack the unity necessary to adhere to their original Creation.  They had no clue but after all of the warnings God presented to them over the generations before them concerning wanting to be like the other nations, the nation of Israel was back in the land of Egypt and living under the captive laws as they had once before.  So, I guess the next question would be this: how do you like those onions and garlic pieces next to the Nile?  It is known that Israel was not physically back in Egypt but the concept of the slave-like conditions that they were in along with the slave-like mentality that goes along with this setting was alive and well within their hearts; for it was their hearts that wanted to return.  One may be free physically but when the mind and heart return to a previous setting you are now a captive again and no longer free.

God gave Israel warning after warning not only while wandering in the wilderness but also while they were identifying themselves as an individual nation.  Like most humans who wish to do things on their own, Israel forgot about their true roots and refused to dig deep in the memories of their past to find out the real reason why they were free.  Today, our societies are facing the same identity crises and while I do not like to use that word it is true and is also at a dangerous level.  There is no nation that is left out of this worldly equality plan that smacks us in the face each day we wake up.  The craze today is to try and have everyone walk, talk, behave, think, and act the same as everyone else, as long as it follows certain rules and regulations.  The young leaders and the majority of the young people living in this nation of ours have grabbed hold to this belief and are now running down every city in the nation with its flag of occupation.  Is it that difficult to understand that by ignoring God and His warnings that Israel wanted to keep Egypt within their lives and more likely did not know exactly how much Egypt had infiltrated their existence?

Just as Israel was, this nation was created and set apart for a higher and greater example to those who want freedom from worldly occupation status’ not to be subjected into another painful fight from those who wish to suppress their constituents.  For a long time, it was hard for us to imagine why Israel decided to abandon God and seek the worldly avenues around them but all of those incoherent propositions are clear as the bright day’s sky now.  There is an enormous fight ongoing for the status of this nation and unless we realize exactly what is going on here, not only in the physical but in the spiritual as well our nation will fall right back into the same conditions Israel found them in.  Captivity comes in many shapes and forms but one issue always remains in this state of living you are not free.  You may be able to ride across the country but if you have not the means to complete such a trek then you are out of luck and must sit and wait for the new master to come around and give you new orders.  We have fallen for so many lies that we fail to recognize the path that we are on and how eerily similar our path today is as the one Israel took back in 1 Samuel 8.  People, we need to end this rebellion before it lands us in hot water and a level of water that no one ever has witnessed before.

The nation of Israel put on display in 1 Samuel 8 a code of conduct that God recognized quite easily even while their own hearts did not see it.  Their voices became worldly in nature and their desires became self-absorbent and adherent to their wants instead of following the Ways of God through self-denial.  Do we have to go into an extensive account of that quality of life within this nation in this article?  How many times a day do we hear the word “me, me, me, me” or it is my right to do ______?  How many investigations are going to begin when someone disagrees with a different opinion?  Then how many people are going to be “suspended” from society because of their differing beliefs, all of these questions are coming into light each day and they shall continue and increase through newer tactics in order to grab hold of the ways of the world.  What I find so horrific is that for a while now we have heard the phrase if we do this or allow this to occur we will be returning to the dark ages.  This fear tactic is a lie from the pit of hell and we are allowing it to control our lives enough that we stand up and defend this lie without apology.

What Israel forgot and what we are dropping everything to run toward today is actually returning to the “dark ages”.  We are wanting a society that God did not establish for our lives but we have adopted the belief that our ways and wants are greater than God’s thus we no longer have to listen or obey what He has established for us.  Why didn’t Israel have the capability to stop the splitting of their nation into two kingdoms?  It baffles me of how people would allow such divisions to procure a permanent solution of division, but look at us today we are sprinting toward this type of level.  This splitting of Israel did not stop at the physical level but the spiritual as well for we must remember that BOTH kingdoms fell into captivity at a future point.  We must also not forget that even after God allowed Israel to leave His Ways He never gave up trying to pull them back into freedom, His freedom.  We have a leader in this nation that is trying to slow this sprinting toward destruction down a bit; and yes, President Trump was put into office by God so that God can once again grab our attention before it is too late.  But the majority of people and a great number of leaders in our capital do not want change but the worldly status quo and this is evident as each sunrise occurs as well.

Church, your authority is in shambles.  Is there 1 area of the Bible or even society that all can agree upon today?  I venture to say that many do not even know the Lord while they consider themselves to be Christians because if they really had a heart for God and His Word then they would not feel the need to support the world by any measure.  Church, we have abandoned the ways that Jesus told us to obey and have not only forgotten God but have also fallen in the trap of having a heart that wants to return to Egypt.  We fail to recognize the fact that our leader is trying to keep us from going back but just as this nation is rejecting the leader God placed in our presence to keep the nation from returning to its Egypt we are setting the example for the world in this manner and we have no clue about our actions.  The ministers who are speaking up about this subject are being persecuted by their own not to mention those around them who do not believe that God is on our side.  We need to understand where our position should be in Christ and where it actually is in the world.  We need to once again focus our hearts on God and His Ways so that we can teach our nation about what they are trying to accomplish and do you believe that our congregations shall stand for the Truth when this nation falls?  Remember, Satan loves to torment deeper and longer those who actually knew God and at one time loved Him.

Take a stand for God and His Ways, Church.  It is the only way that we have any chance to survive and it is the only way that those who are seeking life and happiness to find it.  We are the ones who represent God on this earth and it is our job to present such a vital and eternal message.  The question at hand is if we are going to be preaching the message of salvation and Covenant protection or are we going to be teaching countless how to return into captivity.  The truth of this article is that if we complain long enough about God and how we do not need Him He shall grant us that program but as we see in the Bible that path of worldly equality is only an offering to slavery and a state of binding that will lead to our overthrow and destruction both physically and spiritually.  Think about this Church, we are the key to this path of this nation and other nations and it is time that we choose God and allow Him to heal our land.  God asks us today to take a serious and hard look at our hearts and allow Him to show us the areas that need covering and changed.  This is the only way possible that we can teach the truth about God and not follow and speak about the lies the world wishes to promote.  God does not want us to return to Egypt He wants us to show up in the Promised Land but we first have to allow Him access to our hearts so He can take Egypt out of desires.

DLB

Speaking Solemnly

Speaking Solemnly

3/23/19

How many times have we raised our voices in an inappropriate time?  Humans tend to do such things without thinking of what the consequences of hostilities toward other hostilities bring and kind of goes along with the concept of providing abuse because of previous abuse.  God did not make us allow such emotions to rule our lives for He understands that if this order is presented only deeper divisions shall result.  There are times that raised voices are a necessity but not when we are listening to God’s voice and hearing what He wants us to say to those who are making poor choices for their lives.  It is these choices that the world wants us to commit to and if those who are called to witness (the Church) to those dying scream and yell why would anyone change into the same condition that the lost already inhabit?  God brings peace and satisfaction to life and brings out the eternal in all life when He is the center of things, repent Church and let us start acting like God again so that our witnessing has a chance to eternally change a person’s life.

A long time ago, one of the more popular Christian music composers of the 1990s wrote a song that has stuck in my heart ever since I first heard it.  The title of the song is “The Basin and the Towel” by Michael Card.  While the entire song is about how we should be serving each other at all times with no rank and file present, there is a certain portion of the song that describes our societies today.  This song was written in the meaning of when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and what it meant to have it done but even at that moment some of the disciples did not understand what Jesus was doing and insisted that they wash His feet instead.  They had no clue that what they were saying was their own representation of division amongst them and Jesus.  The lyric line here is as follows: “And the space between us sometimes is more than the distance between the stars”.  It is this line of words that God is showing us just how far apart we have become and that He wants His children to return to Him so that we may come together in unity through His Son before our world is rocked so devastatingly destructive that it shall never turn a profit again.

Over the past years, we have been witness to an ever-increasing amount of hostilities to the Church and her presence in the world.  The reason for which are many folds and to be honest the reasons for such animosity toward the Church and to Christians continue to rise with good cause.  It is sad and with a heavy heart that I must say that previous sentence but it what God is saying to us today and He wants us to comprehend the truth that He knows what we have done to organize such a darkened heart movement against His establishment of Truth.  It is strictly our fault in that the world has had free reign over scores of lives and nations due to the fact we want to pacify instead of providing the Truth to them.  When the stakes are against you it is not advisable to join into their style of conversation and it is for this reason God directs us to this familiar passage of Scripture in 1 Samuel 8:2-10 and a lesson in understanding the humanity and condition of the heart instead of reacting to the voices being spoken.

A few weeks ago it was announced on one of the major news organizations that Donna Brazile was going to be a regular commentator on their network.  Many people believed this announcement was a joke and one not to be taken seriously but as the days followed it became clear that the network was serious and that she was going to be on the network on a continual basis.  Now we must consider something here for we know that there has been an ever-increasing divide between the political party supporters over the past two decades or so.  This division has recently elevated as well and is almost gained so much support that it is threatening our Union as a nation.  It is evident that there is a vast number of people who want the worldly way of provisions to be installed as the norm, and if one says that these numbers are not growing they have not been really listening to their surroundings adequately.  When subjects are treated in the same manner as monetary benefits there can be no doubt that the same type of result shall be incurred for the concept of such shall follow the law that it is subjugated under.  It is for this reason that God calls us to be different from the world, to go against it for it is this manner in which He operates and guides.  Plus, we cannot forget just how much we get accomplished when we strenuously argue in response to the world’s attitude and demeanor.

Why is it such a bad thing to have opposing views on the same program material?  Are we not supposed to love our enemies and those that hate us?  How can we honestly abide by this all-important command from God if we look upon them that disagree and immediately argue with not only their beliefs but their appearance as well?  This type of action is not healthy and it cannot stand, as we are seeing when times become tough and true answers are needed in order to keep our lives as they have been established.  With our current attitudes towards those who are seemingly against our point of view, we have become unaware that we are being played by the ruler of this world so that his kingdom of death can be exalted in our existence.  What the world has to offer is not now, never has been, nor ever shall be healthy on/for ANY level of humanity which is conceptual and factual truth which we need to never put on our heart’s back burner for when we accept this behavior the only way that we can respond is down.  It is our basic human responsibility to keep all channels of communication open in order to come to some type of resolution with each other and if our physical resolve is broken how can we as Christians expect to show them the eternal resolution God has to offer?

Over the past few years, God has brought this passage in 1 Samuel 8 to our attention and He has given us a great deal of wisdom concerning the people of Israel and our lives today.  God continues to do so with this article for He wants us to make sure that we know how to approach such hostile environments when it comes to our lives encountering the lives which are engrained within the world and its standard.  We have Israel telling Samuel that they are tired of the ways of the judges and their prideful and proudly stated practices, in that they are ready to ditch God and have the ways of other nations set the example of their living conditions. Now, that is a popular method of getting one’s point across to others who do not share the same views and in this passage we see that the people have come together and are now demanding a huge change.  Today, we have this type of “solidarity” being shared with us around the world and many of the weekends in these nations are filled with protests that have led to ugly incidents, furthering and escalating tensions between leaders and citizens and heightening the probability of violence; it is this type of control that God did not wish to see committed thus kept His pattern of free will in His children.

In verse 3 we have the definitive example of what the sons of Samuel were doing that caused the people to say that it was time for a national change but what they did not realize is that in order for them to state such a demand that their hearts had changed as well and were “ready” to accept another course of lifestyle as a result.  Of course, any human being would have some type of response to the knowledge that their judicial system was corrupted but through this confession it was known that the judges and the people had made up their minds to do such activities and set their priorities as such as well; therefore, setting the stage for the mob presence at Samuel’s door demanding said changes.  Samuel displays a wise thing here; he does not immediately react to the people but goes and prays to God for guidance in the matter.  I often wonder what our nation would be like if we actually observed what God asks us to do in times such as these instead of trying to figure things out on our own; anyway, Samuel asks of God and God responds in the most wonderful way.

In verse 9 it states: “Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.”  Let us stop for a moment and review what God has just said and what the situation has provided that things are at this point within the people of Israel.  It is not difficult to understand what type of hostile environments are created when people believe that justice is not or has not been served and this belief of non-justice will be heightened further when God is not in the center of the issues.  Over the past few years or so our violence level and the methods of retaliation methods have exponentially increased and almost every day we see the results of such inadequacies.  So, we can see what Samuel was facing when it came to the attitudes and voices of the people.  But as we also see, God has the perfect response for the people in this matter.

In this verse, God uses the word “solemnly” which is a calming word and one that has great influence over how ears respond after the sayings are completed.  The word solemnly that is used here is the Hebrew word “haed” which has meanings that point directly how one should address people in situations.  First, it presents a condition of returning to a hostile place and restores the atmosphere through a presence and soft tones.  Secondly, it means to say again and bear witness in a calm protest while giving a warning to those who are present and the warning is intended toward.  It is this usage that states just how the first meeting went between the people and Samuel and from all indications through this Hebrew word alone it was not a pleasant sight.  Next, we have the word “protest” that God uses as well.  This comes from the Hebrew word “taid” and is used here in conjunction with “haed” in order to make sure that the second message to the people is done so in the appropriate manner.  “Taid” is strategically placed in front of the word “haed” so that Samuel and the people will understand what needs to be shared from God.  This does not mean that Samuel wimped out and went back with a nonchalant attitude either, he was still bold in the message God had for them but Samuel did it in such a manner that would not burn bridges before they were even crossed.

It is important to keep in mind that if we stand on the street corners and minister to groups of protestors then participate in shouting matches between sides not much shall be accomplished except for more division and fewer chances of others coming to Christ.  It is not good enough that we argue people to God nor is it effective to display a condescending attitude towards the ones against us either.  A solemn approach and one that does not send animosity towards others are what needs to be conducted so that if there is any possibility of finding common ground it can be seen and then reached.  Our choices have reached a point that it is near impossible to have such a calm and rational conversation with those who sit on the opposite side of God.  This is why God showed Samuel how to return to the people and to speak to them and warn them about what would occur if they continued this path.  God did not refuse their request but He wanted to make sure that bridges were not burned per se and that if at some point in the future they could feel like God would listen to them when they began to cry and wanted Him back in the driver’s seat again.

We all know that if the so-called bridges are not available due to human causes there will be little or no chance of any type of relationship returning or forming again.  Over and over we see this type of attitude being presented on many levels of our national societies and as each passing week goes by it does not look like any procedural reconciliation is on the informal or formal tables.  This is where the Church should be stepping in and showing both sides what needs to be done to diffuse the situation because it is BOTH sides of the nation that is responsible for the messes that we are sinking in.  I may not agree with many people who support ideas and laws that go totally against God and His Ways, but that gives me NO authority to shun them as friends, acquaintances, co-workers, or even spouses because of this uniqueness that dwells within us all.  God gave us brains to think through such events without coming to blows with each other and that includes the national scenes as well.

How can we even call ourselves or consider ourselves to be Christians when we are not doing one extraordinary step in order to promote and advance the Kingdom of God?  All we do is sit back and wait until Jesus comes to take us home without honestly seeking God to know what to do for the Him where it concerns the dying people in the world, or promote worldly events and practices in order to keep protestors away from our front doors.  We must ask our hearts which eternal kingdom we serve for it cannot be both on ANY level.  Church, our hearts are blackened by sin and we need to repent and to once again allow God speak through our hearts so that we can stand up against the worldly tide that is sucking people down eternally as each moment passes.  God asks us today if we are willing to listen to His voice to ensure that His Testimony that should flow from our hearts out to those who need its Life so that we know how have and which tone to have when He speaks through us?  This is honestly called obedience.

Have we participated in foot washings with those who we consider friends and family?  Have we spent time in the parks or sitting on benches in public and just quietly listen to the conversations of people as they pass by and learning about how to speak with the general population in a sensible manner when the opportunity arises?  God taught Samuel how to approach the people who were in array concerning their future because He knew that if anger rebutted anger no chance of reconciliation would be possible.  It is our job to listen to God and to respond according to how He wants us to witness to people because if we do it on our own, then we will have disastrous results and a possibility that the ones who we were talking with will never reach God or live with Him in Heaven.  God has never wanted any division to occur between His children yet we do our share of creating it and harvesting it when the times come.  It is time for this to stop the spread of division and to proclaim the Truth and live the Word of God each day of our lives.

Almost everyone one of us when we have the opportunity to witness to people pass on the subject and sit or stand in silence as the opportunity ceases and life returns to our immediate surroundings.  All of us are guilty of this and I must include myself in this statistic for when I look back on all of the opportunities I had as a young person or even in my professional experiences I have failed at times to complete this task.  If we allow these perfect placement opportunities to slip away and hold no sorrow for such removed conveniences it will become a habit in continuing such practices and before you know it we have no interest in witnessing at all and will one day we will graduate to the level to not even think about it.  While we are accomplishing this anti-command status of ours we will allow the enemy to fill up our spirit with worldly intentions and not only begin to divide and separate from our Christian life but also start the process of division within our own lives and families.  Are you beginning to figure out how important it is to know, to understand, and to live the Word of God and how vital it is to speak to those who do not know God in an appropriate manner?  Jesus taught so many things when He was on this earth, so did His disciples and the prophets along with every other word that appears in the Bible.  It is our responsibility to share this Truth with others and promote and teach the advancement of God and His Kingdom for He is the ONLY One who can guarantee us eternal life.

DLB

Homeless

Homeless

3/18/19

To everyone that has concerns, this topic is one of the ones that will always be on top of the list.  Homelessness is all around us and each day we encounter such travails and we must ask ourselves if there is any other placement that is more worrisome.  While this is a great concern of our physical world we must include the spiritual homeless aspect of our existence as far greater than just the physical; however, there are a great many of us who are involved in both sequences even though both are unnecessary.  God and His Ways are the only way to resolve both conditions and set our feet and lives back on true ground as we were designed to exist but as long as we listen to the world and its repulsive standards this homeless condition of ours shall not only continue but grow and intensify on a pace that can only be described as mind-boggling.  Return to God and He promises to restore our land and our lives to a peaceful structure that is unspeakable in nature and in Truth.

The first time I ever heard about people being homeless on a “large” scale was back in 1980 shortly after the nation’s presidential election.  My parents and I were living in Cleveland, Texas a short drive north from Houston, Texas.  Cleveland is a small community with a great living standard and all around great place to be raised and the experiences and memories I have there still flood my heart today.  One of the political parties continually made reference to the people in Houston as the bridge people for there were many people (families) that had fallen on hard times coming out of the later 1970s and were having a difficult time finding work and regaining their foothold on society and living standards.  There was nothing funny about these unfortunate few and after a while the ones who were willing to work and try to reestablish themselves within the working ranks did so and ended up quite well, but it took guts for the homeless people to try and it also took courage for those companies to accept the risk of hiring “unacceptable” workers as well.  The process was deemed a huge success but at the same time publicity of such was kept at a minimum due to political differences, a sad day in our nation’s history but one that has grown exponentially ever since.

In both my wife’s place of work and my place as well we continually are witness to the unfortunate people of this nation.  It is common for both of our workforces to encounter the ones who are down on their luck or in many cases nowadays refuse to work for their lives are “better off” without contribution as they proclaim it to be.  How many times during the week do all of us encounter such folks or hear about how the homeless population is increasing in our areas of living?  These types of stories and examples are all over the place and if one decides to investigate such settings they are easily found in journals, magazines or any other type book or internet source and it is not hard to find sources and conditions for such.  But what irks me the most about this scene is that there are vast numbers of homeless people that really have no reason to be “homeless”.  Just in my small community now, there have been some who have spent many hours of many weeks sitting or standing on corners around our town holding signs and letting people know that they are in need.  However, many people have shunned them because as they pass by them standing on the corner, there are two or three signs out by the road that businesses are asking for help.  It is a hard stance to take when one is supposed to be hungry yet denying their responsibility to support themselves through work, just a mere few yards from their stance.

When my father and I went to Haiti for a look around it was weird to have a feeling of sympathy for some and not for others.  After a while, the person we were with explained to us that many would beg on the streets for real causes and others would do the same job for the Voodoo Church.  The requirements for such offerings would be that mothers would break the arms and/or legs of their children in order to make them better beggars and then bring in more money from the more fortunate or from tourists who did not know better.  To make oneself a better beggar in order to provide a profit for another organization is appalling but to complete such a task as a way of life for individual profit here in this country is just as shameful.  This is no way a person should be treated especially from a parent; really, one wants to make another person a better beggar?

A few years ago I traveled to SE Texas for my niece’s college graduation and when I was on the way back I had to go through Dallas at rush hour.  It was not a pleasant situation and would have been more frightening if I was not familiar with the route and where my turns were going to be, but as I sat in a line on the “soup” side of downtown I noticed that there was a man standing on the side of the road in the median area.  He had a 2-liter plastic bottle in his hand and he was not really doing much either.  I was confused for a bit but all of a sudden the person in the car in front of me stuck out their hand and as we slowly approached the man he walked up to the car and the occupant dropped money into the bottle. 

It became obvious to me that the man standing there was doing so purposely for he knew that at certain times of the day the traffic would bog down so much that he would have an opportunity to gain some cash from motorists sitting there waiting to pass the area.  At first, I was confused about what I had witnessed but as I passed by the area I thought to myself that this man knew exactly what he was doing and that instead of working his way up a ladder he was directly taking from others at his convenience do to others’ working projections.  Besides a few dangerous hazards, the man had a perfect racket going for the audience was forced to address his presence and were captive at the same time, the risks he took were totally of an unorthodox nature and one that most would deem grotesque but a beggar he was and a beggar he chose to be.  While placing himself in an obvious category of homelessness, he was representing the perfect example of prostitution to those who drove by and believed they needed to satisfy his desire to make ends meet.

We have a great example of this setting in the Bible and it comes to us from a very familiar passage that God has referenced many times so far in the topics He has given me to write.  It is in Genesis 3:23-24 as it reads as follows: “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”  What a gripping verse this is and it is definitive about what occurs when we do not obey the commands of God, yet humanity continues to believe that it knows better than God and will stop at nothing to stride with God as His equal.  This concept of ours is a fallible and deadly lie that Adam and Eve fell for and proves that unless we figure out God’s Word is for us today we shall soon be homeless as well.  It is a common story of the beauty and grace that Adam and Eve lived in while their inhabitance was located in the Garden of Eden but many stop their sermons and lessons there, with no cause for alarm I might add.  However, there is another part of the story that we must keep close to our hearts and that is what occurred to Adam and Eve after God leveled the playing field again and that was where Adam and Eve were going to live.

It was clear that they could no longer live in the perfect place God had designed for their separation from the world, so, on like terms He had no choice to move them from the Garden of Eden.  This seems harsh and a hard line to stand firm upon but we cannot forget that God is a complete and Holy God and one that cannot waiver on any level.  It is true that these lines of God can be confusing at times but we must understand that these lines of His are drawn for our own protection and should be deemed off limits for if we choose to cross them then it becomes God’s responsibility to discipline us as He sees fit.  Adam and Eve became the first people to become homeless due to their beliefs that their choices were better than God’s.  Humanity has been struggling with this truth ever since and until we figure out that we cannot live properly without God being first in our lives, this phenomenon shall continue and even grossly elevate.

Up until the moment sin entered into our lives, humans had no care in the world when it came to living and the conditions that accompanied such perfection.  After that point of selfish thoughts, the tables were turned and wondering where and how to live was foremost on our minds and an initiative that had to be dealt with before any other reasoning could take place or be accomplished.  We have been struggling to achieve this fact ever since that time and it is amazing that no denominational church organization has figured this truth out, I guess we have allowed ourselves to be blinded enough with worldly order that we would rather pass the buck to society instead of addressing the TRUTH about why so many live in such helpless conditions.  It is through our own choices that individuals, towns, cities, and nations have become homeless both in the physical sense and the spiritual sense.  Adam and Eve lost both when they sinned and were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, it was NOT God’s choice for them to choose sin it was theirs.  It was NOT God’s choice to have their lives live in pain and turmoil, it was theirs.  Today, it is still NOT God’s choice for His prized creations to live in such filth and agony but it is ours!  What we tend to forget sometimes is that God is our provider for everything and this includes having a home and a peaceful one at that.  Adam and Eve had such a place when they wanted to keep the command of God intact.

Why have the churches and the Church herself stopped teaching this truth?  The principle is right there in black and white yet we ignore its wisdom for other alternatives and opportunities that the world offers?  Hello!!! Why is it so difficult for us to see that we are following in the footsteps of Adam and Eve instead of keeping and willingly adhering to the Ways of God?  We are actually promoting such evil and residing in a death cell according to our own choices.  This is another example of how the Church has embraced the ways of the world and as long as we choose to promote worldly ways as solutions to our problems our conditions are only going to continue to bleed out sorrow and hatred.  Our problems shall only increase and the physical homelessness of our societies will have no option but to follow suit as well, but this status can change and turn around if we only figure out that if we return to God and to His Ways our lives will be restored and become prosperous again.  God separated Adam and Eve from the sinful place and their lives resembled such perfection and even though we can never return to Eden on earth our lives can be fulfilling and loving through the living conditions God provides.

The philosophies of the world can only provide such active statements and dreams but shall prosper in such admissions for their options are limited and finite in nature.  They sound good and wonderful but when it comes down to the task of discharging such promises they always fall far short of the required amounts needed.  But God has never been short on fulfilling His promises and He has never been late on His deliveries.  We cannot deny that as long as Adam and Eve lived without and separated from sin their needs were continually provided and they lacked nothing.  They had a physical home and a spiritual home that did not take away from them but gave to them.  1 Peter 5:6-7 gives us the answer as to what we need to do in order to lose our physical and spiritual homelessness because when we cast our cares upon God He takes away these homeless situations and provides us with His mercies once again.

How can those who are in desperate need of a home understand this Truth if the ones who are supposed to show them this information is not themselves believing and thus living in the manner in which to honestly provide such corrective navigation?  1 Peter 5:7 clearly states that if we want to live in the manner in which God established our lives to live under first then there is only one way back to this state of living and that is to cast all cares on Him and not the world.  The Church has been lied to long enough that she now teaches that the world and its practices are not that bad and that the world provides a viable option for such iniquities.  It is a fact that our physical lives must exist on this earth but in no way are we to succumb or confide with the ways of the world, God is our foundation and His Word should be our foundation and everything that His Word states are our foundation, NOT the world. 

Church when you promote the world and its ways, you are directly contradicting God, His Word, and His definition thus promoting homelessness.  Adam and Eve did not have to worry about a home when they were living in obedience to the single command of God it was when they began to allow the ruler of the world infiltrate their lives long enough to convince them that their way of thinking and believing was perfectly fine and that God was keeping things from them.  Adam and Eve’s eternal home was secure before the fall as well which means that when one aspect of our lives is compromised the other aspect follows, it is a natural pattern and one that was present when the Garden of Eden was alive and well and it is still intact and functioning today.  This means that as long as we are not right with God we are subject to becoming homeless both in spirit and in the physical.  The next time you come into contact with a homeless person in your town or city asks them if they go to church and see what kind of response you receive.  It all fits together folks and if we do not turn our hearts back to God and repent our nation is going to completely fall and there will be countless numbers of people who are homeless as well as spiritually homeless.

Church, how can we even think about offering the world to those who are in need?  It is the world that brought them thee to this state in the first place, so why are we offering destruction and death as an option to their destruction and death?  Abuse upon abuse is not the answer for the issues that stagger our lives and if a limited and finite conclusion is what we only know to offer, then we might as well just close the doors to the Church herself because we have no purpose any longer.  Offering spiritual homelessness is a grotesque gesture at best and is one that should be immediately rebuked by those who see this act being shifted out to those who are seeking help.  Yes, the physical aspect of being homeless is important but if the Church stops at this point alone it is meaningless because what you are not doing is eternally giving them a home.  God understands that our physical lives cannot be saved as we know it but it is our eternal home that is at stake and if we do not teach this Truth to those in need, our mission has failed and rendered just as dead as an eternal separation from God.

Whether we like it or not, being homeless is a Kingdom issue and principle, and one that needs to be readily accepted in order for us to adequately witness to those who do not know God.  We cannot afford to forget that God was the One who gave humans their first home and set the mark for all other homes to be given, God has not changed in any manner and neither has His standard for home providing and making either.  It is imperative that we open our spiritual hearts so that God can change our hearts supernaturally so that we may show those who are eternally homeless that God has a home for us.  We can only do this by accepting God as our Savior and to turn our hearts to Him in all things, forsaking the world on all levels, and proclaiming the Gospel of His Son to all creatures.  We do not wish to see any person or family being left out in the cold and it should be our eternal passion not to see one person or family left out of their eternal home either.  We may be descendants of Adam and Eve but we do not have to follow exactly in their footsteps either, we can choose to keep God first and He shall worry about all other things in our lives.

DLB

Infanticide, No Stopping Us Now

Infanticide, No Stopping Us Now

3/17/19

The modern world seeks to close the gap in healthcare by any means possible, but when this notion of a perfect world crosses into our reproductive lives what will it be to end such a tragedy?  The human mind never ceases to amaze me especially when it comes to our belief that what we think is true automatically should become law.  One agonizing part about free choice is that inevitably humans will think up of something to derail true and eternal progress.  We have just taken another step toward this derailment by accepting and embracing an ugliness that cannot be ignored.  Taking life by means of a human manner is grotesque enough but now we have surpassed such an option by the inclusion of babies in the born alive murder scene.  God cannot be happy with such choices and unless we change our course one day God shall have no choice either.

I was asked many years ago by my Uncle how long does it take humans to make a strong enough choice to change the world or at least popular thinking.  I answered him that it could take minutes, weeks, or years for such developments to occur, it just depends on how the people respond to the spirit that influences them or controls them.  Ever since that day I was asked that question so many things have transpired in our country has had directly and indirectly affected my life.  However, in all cases, the country has been affected in all issues and our response to these devastating actions has been horrific in themselves.  From school shootings to mass protests over grievances centuries old and everything in between not much has been not protested or contested.  One may ask just how we have arrived at such an option so steadily but if we look at what is now in place the decision for this type of argumentative selfishness has been increasing for quite some time and it is the path that our hearts’ societies have promoted and blossomed.  It is this path to infanticide that needs to be addressed and made those who are not privy to such sanctions aware of exactly what this day and age are producing.  God will also show us the parallel steps that some people are taking in order to prevent such devastating consequences to be allowed on this world as well, all of which are contained in this perfectly timed article.

Over the past couple of decades or so the mainstream media and many of the so-called celebrities have voiced their opinions about everything from cars to life in zoos.  There have not been too many areas that have been left out of their pleas and demands, basically forcing people to comply with what they believe to be true, and if you do not comply with their “concerns” then you are considered to be an outcast and deemed not worthy of any further participation in societal matters.  This type of bullying and manipulation is on the constant rise and is accepted as the norm and the “right” thing to do as long as you agree with this side’s beliefs and standards.  As stated above, this process has not become a social topic of discussion and belief overnight, it has been path worked upon and walked upon by numerous people over this time period.  The origins of this type of pathway originate in Genesis Chapter 3 and it has continued to grow and formed ever since, but as like so many before us, we have blindly fallen into the beautiful lies of self-worth instead of listening and understanding the real truth concerning our existence.  The topic that God wants us to realize today is about the progression of abortion and with the new “norm” coming of infanticide, a gross step in the pathway to normalizing murder of any living being when it is deemed okay to submit such a claim.

Over the past few months since this topic has “graced” our eyes on all sorts of media outlets, there have been countless debates between people standing on both sides of the issue and coming to no resolve whatsoever, and who could expect anything else from such a highly contested area.  But what are we following here and has anyone stopped to think of what this pattern will eventually lead?  The focus is what is at hand today and what can be achieved on a personal level today and right now, a selfish attitude that at some point will demand another step further because we all know that humans love to push and produce deeper situations in order to grab the spotlight from another platform.  And who else better to lead such a movement than the typical American and their belief that it is their right to do ________ in the name of self. 

It is this path that is cause for concern because as each demand is made and warranted it always leads to another step or brick along the road.  Look at the development of the technology up to this point.  I remember my dad saying to my mother back in the late 1980s that if she would allow him to get the newest computer (a 486 DOS PC) that he would never have to ask her for another computer ever again for nothing else would be developed that could be better.  Look at the path that we are on now and compare it to what my father stated so long ago, it is a real path and it has been developed far beyond what anyone could have imagined back then, so what is the difference?  Nothing for the human mind was and still is involved and when the human mind sets out to advance an issue and it is dedicated to serving its purpose there is nothing or no one that shall stop it from achieving its goals.

Having worked in the medical field for over thirty years now I have witnessed numerous settings and situations that have crushed my heart and spirit.  For a number of years, my workplace was not large enough to warrant a full-time night lab tech so everyone had to rotate taking call.  On some of my nights, I had to be witness to young women coming in for abdominal pain, most of which were not truthful as to what had occurred to them but it became very clear of what was going on after a required test was performed.  When it was my turn to draw their blood, I could sense hurt, pain, emptiness, and most loudly loss.  It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out what had transpired but at the same time, every party involved remained silent as the internal portions of that young woman screamed out.  At that moment, I believed that there could not be any other situation more painful or wrong that humanity could dream up or allow to occur, but after a few decades of watching and taking notes, I was proved deadly wrong.

The issue of abortion has always been a factor in many people’s lives and for a growing number of people a way out of trouble.  In some cases, ugliness consecrates such a procedure to be completed but I still cannot figure out why one abuse deserves another abuse in order to solve the issue at that time.  Many people also mock those who say or compare a certain biblical setting that they use when this item arrives and that is the sacrifice of children to the god Molech, and when we look at the paths of both settings we cannot ignore the fact that there are huge amounts of similarities.  So we will be looking at 2 Kings 23:10 and using this passage as the foundation of what God wants us to understand about this horrific practice of modern child sacrifice in the name of selfish determination to justify physical contractual proceedings.  This verse is not the only reference to this practice and I suppose that God will direct us to another identical passage sometime in the future but for now, we shall focus on the path that has been made and the proceedings to destroy such wickedness.

2 Kings 23:10 reads as follows: “And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.”  We find that Molech was a popular god that many nations in the area served and regarded as the one god who could provide them with the personal satisfaction that they needed.  There was one thing that the “almighty” Molech demanded and that was child sacrifices, from the persons who were seeking advice and favor from “him”.  So, the parents would intentionally have sex until they became pregnant and when it was time to deliver prepare themselves after delivery to present their child for sacrifice.  This is a willing and knowingly act from them and since it was a specific act it must have its own area in which to complete such an act, a path, and way that people would take in order to reach the fire of Molech.

Josiah is the king of Judah when this verse at the beginning when it says “he defiled” for “he” is talking about King Josiah.  The word defiled comes along next and it kind of makes a projection that many may not understand because of what the word means and how it is used.  It states that Josiah defiled Topheth and sets up a picture of what exactly what this place was used for.  Topheth is a specific place and it was designated for the site where Molech and the sacrificial practices were to take place.  It was an acceptable place and one deemed necessary to have in order to complete what Molech demanded.  The beginning of this verse says that Josiah defiled this place, so how did he defile it and why would he do such a thing or even have a reason to do such a thing?  Josiah understood that this place and the way to it was an abomination to God and that it needed to be destroyed.  Josiah hoped that through this action of his, the previous actions he took concerning vile ordinances that Israel had accepted as truth, along with the ones of sinful practices that he was about to topple would wake up the people to their sins before God had to step in and change their lives forever. 

What about the valley that is mentioned here and what importance does it play in this article?  This verse mentions “which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom”.  The phrase used here in Hebrew is “bege” which is translated as a narrow valley or narrow gorge.  This means that there was a specific entrance that was required to pass through in order to reach the place where the Molech fire center was located.  It is also very interesting that this word “bege” is also the same word that is used in the popular verse Psalms 23:4 when it gives reference to “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” which refers to the direct motion that we take when we encounter such travails.  This cannot be any consequence of terms used for they represent lives walking in a manner in which danger is around them but it is the reference of our text for this article that brings into light the difference of the outcome of choices.  This passage makes it very clear that Josiah desecrated this narrow valley in order to block any further traffic for the single purpose of what was located after this gorge.

The word defiled used here comes from the Hebrew word “wetimme” which means to become unclean, unclean sexually, ceremoniously, or religiously.  We know that Israel was set apart from all other tribes and nations and this separation included laws concerning being clean and how important it was to keep these ways at all times no matter what the circumstances may be.  It is obvious that Israel kept some of these laws in place but many they did not adhere to at all.  It is this manner in which Josiah engaged in setting the record straight and defiled the ways of sin through cleansing methods according to God’s Ways over that part of the land.  It is in this manner that this verse uses the word defiled in such a way that it was a means by which to change the accepted and verified way for another.  Topheth is the name of a specific place as stated above and its meaning is “place of fire”.  One cannot get more central to what was going on there than the definition of itself.  So, Josiah has destroyed the means by which people had to make in order to reach the place of fire.  Now, one can honestly believe and accept that this action by Josiah did not sit well with many people because their way to “answer” their consecrated conditions was no longer available; in other words, their choice was taken away even though it was a standard that destroying them from the inside out and destroying their family one member at a time; the essence and definition of God.

But one will say that this does not relate to abortion or the demand for abortion without apology.  Yes, it does for this practice that this verse refers to has gone beyond the procedure of abortion alone and it gives us a direct line of what we are currently proposing to be accepted as a normal practice.  Let us continue with this verse and move to the middle portion where it says “that no man might make his son or his daughter” and makes it very clear that the parents of these sacrificial children had made the decision to give them to Molech instead of dedicating them to God.  Remember, this time frame occurred after Israel wanted to become a nation like others instead of a separated kingdom that was fully under the protection of God.  Look at what occurs in the minds and hearts of those who stray from the Truth concerning their lives and horrifically how quickly such beliefs grow, mature, and then flourish afterward.  It did not matter if a boy or girl was offered, only that it was required by Molech that a child was to be sacrificed a pure and direct measure to end the existence of a family.

It is true that the practice of abortion per se was not and is not mentioned in the Bible, but we also must remember that if child sacrifices were the acceptable norm for many of the people in Israel then it was no big deal if they tried to end such pregnancies in some form or manner too.  It does not matter what the procedure may entail but it is the idea that such a procedure would even be considered an option to the human.  So, why are we concerned about the title of the article and why it is relevant to this passage of Scripture and today?  This is because the manner in which our progression grows it is now on the table that children after birth may fall into the category of being sacrificed in order to “please” the wishes of the parents or in many cases the parent.  The idea of making the decision to sacrifice your child for ANYTHING is a level of abuse that is hard to fathom but to allow it to be born with the purpose of destroying it is like having the abortionist cut the voice box of the baby as it is being born immediately before it can cry or express the truth of pain.  It is this after a birth procedure that is before us and it is time that we understand what our consequences shall be if this legislation passes.

There is no indication that any major or majority of people opposed this procedural stampede does not mean that everyone was for child sacrifices.  However, with the words of this verse, it is clear that it was a common practice and that no one really inhibited its flow of sacrificial parents’ “rights” to kill their babies.  It is the same today with what is considered to be the next step and that is allowing a baby to die after an abortion procedure fails.  In other words, if a woman chooses to abort the child close to birth but somehow it makes it through the birth canal and into the hands of the doctor or nurse the parent then has time to let the doctor know if she wants the baby to be killed or not.  We must consider the image of Molech and the power t had over the lives of the parents that convinced them to sacrifice their babies, for it is the SAME spirit that directs mothers to abort their babies today.  It is safe to say that the parents in this passage had sex at the appropriate times in order to create a child to be sacrificed like in similar ways people have sex without any care of their consequences either; it is the same selfish level of spirit that operates in many people both in biblical times and today.

When we think about human beliefs and activities we cannot help but compare others to what we feel today; in order to be fair.  If we place ourselves on a modern moral platform and ignore what has occurred in our past societies we cannot expect anything but a disaster because history is full of settings in which countless people suffer due to bad decisions.  It is easy to believe that while Josiah was king of Judah he was not a popular man because of the stance he took with all of the idols and sinful behaviors of his kingdom.  In fact, I can guarantee you that some people even wanted to see him dead and probably spent a good amount of time seeing how this act could be done, a thought that did not differ from the acceptance of those who longed to hold child sacrifices to a dead god as well.  Take a survey of those who wish harm to our president today and I also can guarantee you that similar thoughts and beliefs about abortions (child sacrifices) are shared.

It is quite clear that the people’s heart for God had become blackened for as you study the remaining portions of this chapter of 2 Kings one shall find that Josiah attacked many areas of Israel’s daily life that were not pleasing to God.  How many idols have we built in our lifetime over things that degrade our relationship with God and how many of us have committed our faith in humanity rather than the eternal Spirit of God?  Molech was an idol, a man-made image that sat there and had to be maintained by mankind in order to destroy other humans.  The fire that was inside that image had to be kept going for it did not act alone and by itself.  It was a manmade path to its belly and a man-made decision to place the child into its heat.  For a long time it was hard for me to understand why people (humans) believed that they had to sacrifice themselves for another human cause or belief, especially when God requires no physical sacrificial death promotions at all but instead HE gave His only Son so that we may live for eternity without human sins haunting us.

I was recently asked how come many people who practice ways of the world are so happy and my response to them was simple, for they were not under attack.  As parents we have all had the “joy” of witnessing a rebellious teenager or grumble through the terrible twos as it was but in all situations concerning the attitudes of these kiddos of ours we must admit that if they are allowed to get their way they become calm and quiet and seem to be gentle as the days go by.  But when they feel that they are being attacked or agitated in any way their true colors flare and the true nature of what lives within their hearts comes through.  It is exactly like the master they serve for Satan is still the most beautiful creation God ever made but until you get a glimpse of what it in his eyes you can be easily fooled when it comes to his appearance and voice.

The most beautiful item that a man and a woman can create is a child and that child is the most precious gift God allows us to have, so why would anyone want to destroy such a gift?  It is true that sex is the most satisfying act and the only act that where male and female can become one physically but it does not end with that moment in our timeframes, it continues forever for once a child is created it is just that, created.  It is a part of those two individuals forever and it is a source of extension of us but there are many who wish to end this gift before they have an opportunity to give back, and the progression of that cause has now come to the agreement that a life is not a life even after it is born.  If one stops to consider this act in terms of spirit, then one can say that they have looked into the presence of Satan and have watched his body language and voice instead of looking into the truth about his existence and what he actually wants from your life.  Satan shall NEVER ask you to give yourself a chance to do something for God which means that he shall never promote anything that anything to do with life.

It is an easy question to answer if we asked societies if they have any problems with people sacrificing kids who have survived abortions, but what abhors me and to some others that we would even consider such an act as being legal in our national laws.  Furthermore, it is deeply appalling to many that the Church would be on the side of such practices and thus promote funding for such tributes.  However, it is true that some church organizations have accepted such worldly wishes as a way of glorifying God as a sign of acceptance of all no matter what they believe or have done.  Take a hard look around us and then study this chapter of 2 Kings again and compare the attitudes and the symbols that are in this passage and those that we see every day.  There is no difference at all and we need to take notice of this identity before our nation is ripped into shreds by the Holy hand of God.

It should be well known that God has no double standards within His definition and since we are supposed to be His hands and feet to the entire world we should carry and live under the same conditions God provides.  Yet, as this wonderful message from God states we fall short, way short of this standard and while we are not perfect by any means we should not voluntarily pursue worldly measures on any level.  The Church has allowed herself to lose focus on her mission and to heed to worldly advice instead of listening to her Father and example of existence.  In many church history books, texts and countless pictures, we have pictures of priests and pastors holding babies up and praying for their lives as the parents have brought them to be dedicated to God.  This blessed event has been witnessed by scores of congregations and in each setting, it is a holy and wonderful sight to behold.  It sets the way and the standard for not only the parents but those involved to be true witnesses to that child so that he/she will know the true way to grow up and to serve God in a unique way.

So how is it that the Church was established to give Life to those who are dead should be a part of anything related to producing or promoting death?  It is this double standard that she has adopted and is now overtaking the Truth about what she represents and turning it into a general path of destruction.  In all capacity, God’s Ways cannot entertain death for His Son conquered this evil entity over two thousand years ago and has not look back ever since, so why are we?  What purpose can we serve if we offer a double standard when it comes to life?  Yes, we have to accept the choices of those who are alive but why do we offer ANY support to death when we were created and established to bring forth life to those who are in need of it?  It makes no sense to have this double standard present as an option and while we now stand in our pulpits and declare such lies we must understand that all we are promoting is these people’s eternal damnations for the True Gospel of Christ is eternal life only!  We must accept the narrow way of God and not the narrow gorge to sacrifice for remember to obey is better than sacrifice and it is this verse that demonstrates exactly why God made that statement.

As each day passes, we find out that more and more people are choosing death over life and it is a sad day as each sunset occurs in our lands.  It is evident that our lands are not being healed and through this contact, we cannot deny that our hearts are not becoming covered by the eternal Covenant and it also shows that we are in no willing position to set our hearts correct before God either.  If any church organization or denomination represents and advocates for death they need to be made aware that their entire existence is under eternal threat and more importantly they need to be told that they are condoning sin not only in the lives of those who they support in death but their own as well.  It is not God’s desire to see one person lose their life due to their misunderstanding His Word or Ways but in this modern day and age along with the biblical passage of this article we see that this sad truth is and was the case.  It is time for us to repent Church and turn our hearts back to God and His Ways for if we do not we shall experience a death process like no other and an eternal grave of torment un-witnessed before.

There has been a question that has been asked of some for a while now and that is this: where, when, and at what point do we say enough is enough concerning this subject matter?  Where will this question seriously originate from and when will someone stand up and speak loud enough to grab the attention of others?  Does it have to be when the first notice of an infanticide case becomes public or will one occur and it is covered up all in the name of privacy?  In my opinion, this procedure has probably already occurred, for it makes sense that the human mind would intentionally take steps to normalize a procedure that would be considered off-limits beforehand, it is just the way the human mind works folks.  Finally, at what point so we take official notice concerning this issue, or will we even consider such processes in the legal realm at all, do we have to wait until the next big election cycle to spin its wheels and bring forth candidates where the infanticide issue is acceptable to them?  I believe we know where this is headed, so we should also not be surprised when God stands up and says “enough”.

Church, it is our duty and our calling to stand up and to protect life and it is also our duty to shut down spiritually the forces that seem to be winning our streets in this matter.  We no longer plead for the innocent and for life but drive them through the narrow gorge to their deaths.  Thus, we are advocating for their destruction and are just as guilty as the parents and the leaders of Israel in 2 Kings 23:10.  Do we really want to stand in front of God and defend our actions of voluntary sacrifice in the name of personal and selfish freedoms, and do we really believe that our limited thoughts and gestures shall stand up to God and His eternal Life standard?  How dare we believe that we can lower God and His Ways in order to sacrifice ANY LIFE or ANY voluntary reason.  Oh, we are going to burn Church and drown in our own tears as we are banished from God’s presence.  God wants His children to experience true peace and happiness without any form of selfishness inhabiting and ruling our lives but the only way that this purity can be experienced is if we live under God’s Ways and exemplify Him at all times.  Infanticide is NOT an exemplification of God, His Son Jesus, nor of Holy Spirit but it comes in the name of Satan the father of all lies.

DLB