Slavery Part I

Slavery Part 1

6/14/17

This topic has been one of conversation for as long as I can remember and it is one that usually brings to the table heated words that may end in further divisions.  However, it is also a topic that is eternally misunderstood both in its origins and in its continuity today for we must contend that slavery is both physical and spiritual and that its origins can be traced back further than what we believe.  It was never God’s plan for us to be in such a state but it was our choice to do so and it imperative that we know the truth so that we can be totally free of this condition.  There is only One way to this freedom and it begins and ends with God and His Son.

Many of us tend to trace the slavery roots of humanity back to a certain time period of human history and define it as when the first recorded ship or group of humans were transferred from their homes to another place on the globe.  While this account can be deemed as accurate enough to satisfy our present curiosity it does not fulfill the truth about this practice and who it was originally set into motion on.  Almost weekly I either hear about or read about people who demand reparations for what was done to their ethnic people from the past and while it has become a topic of great animosity and adversity many people have been against this concept for the reasons that have been given do not line up with current population statuses, another topic of heated debate within itself.  We must grasp that if we cut ties with a problem at the middle of the problem and then leave the root or origin of that problem, the problem will continue to grow and thrive and will return until the origin is cut out and discarded permanently.

We will dive into the origins of this topic in this message and it is going to be one that God really wants us to understand especially if we are going to have the freedom that everyone wants to live in.  However, there is a huge detail here that we must accept as the truth and one that if not taken into our hearts as the complete truth will not produce the results that all want and thus provide our enemy with an added method of his hate for our existence which will produce more devastation to our existence.  All this time we have been looking through human eyes for the origin of slavery and we have continually been disappointed to find that the “origins” of this nasty condition cannot be solved.  But as with most cases of searching, we have been looking in the wrong place for this highly valued answer and what is so amazing is that the answer has been right in front of our noses all along.

It is the answer that will explain all of our problems and will line out the answers to every question that humanity has ever asked, and one that our eternal enemy does not want us to understand.  Of course, there will be those who scoff or doubt this answer and will not believe that the answer is simple as it is but in truth it is present and it comes from the Bible, the beginning chapters of the Bible to be more exact.  As most of you know God has been directing me from the book of Genesis and that I have repeatedly mentioned that it has been to my amazement that I have learned so much from this book.  I may never know every detail about this single book in the Bible while I am on earth but I do know that I will have eternity to figure all of its words out but until that day arrives I shall continue to share with you what God wants us to know not only from Genesis but from the remaining Word that God has given us.

This past week I had an experience that stopped me in my tracks, literally.  I have had dreams from God over the past few years and these dreams have been pretty vivid with specific details that my mind cannot forget.  To this day, I can tell you every portion of those dreams and the order in which I received them.  All of them relate to each other but at the same time, there was a piece of that large puzzle that was missing.  The dreams were not immaculate or complex in nature but normal everyday settings that one’s eyes would see if came upon, yet at the same time unusual enough to keep the curiosity of the heart wondering.  The dreams all took place in different settings and places but there were a few details in each dream that were consistent, such as a window, doors, tables and some type of gathering of people.  All seemed common but untidy when it came to the reasons why these places were chosen.  While I may never completely understand the full content of these dreams, the experience I had recently shed some further light on why I had them and an explanation of what is going on around us, without us even knowing it.

The experience I had this past week was similar to these dreams but instead of me being asleep I was wide awake and at work so it was not a dream but a vision.  This was my first vision and it was an experience that I shall never forget because it shook me when I realized what was occurring.  I do not feel like the answer that God wants us to know in this message is complete yet, but it does define a setting that we have searched for and through this simple look into the spirit realm God has opened my heart to see deeper into His Word.

The portion of the vision that will be shared deals with the state of the angel and how he did not even look at me while I was around him.  I know seems a bit odd and at first, I believed that I fully understood what was going on but God had a detail that He wanted us to understand about this angel and particularly what the angel was doing while I was gazing at him and his position.  I was on his left side and I was able to see in detail his facial features, at least half of them for I never saw the other side of his body and to my knowledge I do not know if he even knew that I was around him at all for he never moved one bit, he never looked in my direction, nor did he lose eye contact from what he was looking at.  It was clear to me at the time that he understood his job, his position and what he was supposed to do which he was doing as such, in a position to hear the command from the One who sent him there in the first place and would not be distracted from that mission until it was over.  It is this portion of the vision that we begin with and a little bit later we will get into another portion of the vision that explains more about the two Scripture verse that we will be dealing with here Genesis 3:6 and Genesis 3:16.

In the vision that God gave me, it tells that the spirit of God in its pure form is unshakable and has a direct path with a setting that cannot be deterred.  The angel not looking at me gives us the clue about this truth and how straight forward the spirit realm is and how operates.  It also gives us the perfect example of how simple the spirit realm’s mission is and when an order is given it is expected to be followed no matter what occurs around it or who shows up in the area.  It is this setting that we find Adam and Eve in when they were created by God in Genesis Chapter 2.  God placed Adam in a perfect place that had no issues with sin of any kind along with one simple command that God gave that He expected to be adhered to at all times.  The plan was unshakable and steady because it was established by God and not by anyone else.  We sometimes argue that this plan was too simple and narrow to be orchestrated as the defining point of our existence in God’s realm, but it is true and it occurred in this manner and served as our origin of equality with the Creator of everything Himself.  It is this setting that my eyes saw when I was looking at the angel and he did not return my look or acknowledge my presence, an unnatural act by human standards, but not spirit.

With the response to the serpent by Eve, it is evident that she knew that he had been lurking about for some time, at least.  There are indications, through the actions of humans themselves, that when an object has presented itself for some time that object becomes a “normal” setting and the other parties involved will not be alarmed when it appears again which seems to be what occurred here in the beginning of Genesis Chapter 3.  The conversation has begun between the serpent and Eve and it is a pretty straight up forward talk which gets right into the detail of why the serpent was there, to deceive her through the developed trust of her awareness during their recent history.  There was no way that Adam and Eve were not aware of Satan’s presence for his presence would have served as a deterrent at the beginning and his presence would have become more comfortable as time went along. 

In the vision, the first thing I heard was the water churning and clapping about and that sound did not leave until the vision was over, at first I thought that was very odd.  As my movement continued in the vision the water sounds did not cease or diminish but continued steadily.  The noise did not increase in decibels but it was loud enough that I could not ignore it, a continuous sound that I could not ignore.  As stated above I did not know that it was a distraction at that time but as God has shown me since then, the water served as a distraction and was meant to be as such for I was supposed to keep my eyes on the angel and understand his focus and mission, not the surrounding conditions and what ongoing around us.  

It is this setting that we find Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:1 for it is evident that these beings had become comfortable with each other.  Satan’s presence was constant enough that it was not bothersome but intriguing to them, a curious offshoot in the Garden that God created; so, why bother with what God said to be aware of and instead play with it and call it a friend.  It is this minor detail that defines the perfect distraction that would lead to the missing of God’s plan for His prized creations and an eternal change that would introduce a devastating policy of slavery for everyone else who is witness to this life.  The question that we must truly ask ourselves is if we are listening to the water around us or are we staying focused on what God has given us to do.

This portion of the vision brings into light a detail about Lucifer as well, one that explains why he fell and lost his position in heaven.  In the vision, the angel never moved, looked around, or made any other movement or gesture other than what he was instructed to complete.  His eyes were fixed and no emotion or sound was made from him either.  There was water around him and he was standing right above it yet he did not look down at the water nor did he see the condition of the water below him, he was not concerned at all just fixated at what he was supposed to do, waiting for further orders.  What if that angel was more concerned about my presence or what the water was doing around him and underneath him?  It would mean that he had been distracted by his surroundings and was concerned more about what was occurring around him than completing the mission that he had been sent to do. 

In other words, he would have been comfortable with the abnormalities of the surroundings and had accepted them as “normal” which he knows are not just by its presence.  The same distraction Lucifer had when he got his eyes on what God had made instead of keeping focus on what God needed to be done.  This represents a huge detail that we need to understand or we shall fall into the same distracted category and result in our eternal downfall as well; oh wait, I believe it is safe to say that we have already fallen for this distraction.  We cannot forget that through Lucifer’s own actions and choices he became a slave to his own distraction which led to his destruction.

Up to this moment, Adam and Eve have not disobeyed God’s command to the extent that it would warrant any type of life changing moment; however, with the statement (lie) that Eve responded with no argument from Adam, the serpent knew he had them where he wanted them.  Their willingness to entertain a being that was exotic in nature and appearance was the distraction that was needed in order to bring about the plan of our enemy, just as the water played in the vision that God gave me.  God’s command was simple and to the point and the angel in my vision did not waiver from God’s command to him at all the same way that Adam and Eve should have chosen to do a long time ago.  The angel understood that God had given him a reason to be in that spot and he was not going to budge or be distracted for at any moment God could have given the command to complete the mission that the angel was sent to do.  It is this point that God is making to our hearts today is that we cannot be distracted from what is going on around us because what God has placed into motion cannot be undone.  But we need to be on constant guard for His voice so that we know what is going on and why things are occurring in the manner in which they are.  Once again, we must ask ourselves are we listening to our surroundings or are we steadfast and focused on what God has commanded us to do.

When we read Genesis 3:6, we find that Eve, then Adam, partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it is this act of eating that serves as the disobedient act that God warned Adam not to do.  The only law that they had to follow was this simple and to the point directive that God gave them from the beginning.  God did not place any wandering “ifs” or “buts” to this command so it would have been easy for them to understand “do not do this” statement.  In freedom, complete and holy freedom, one can do what one wishes as long as they stay within the authority of the One who gave that freedom.  If the one who grants this type of freedom places an enormous amount of rules and regulations over those who are in this freedom, then it cannot be a true and holy freedom but a slave-like setting.  So, this means that someone who sees this type of living and knows that they cannot join in this setting will do everything possible to take people away from this type of freedom.  We all know what the opposite of freedom is, slavery and that means whoever wishes to take someone away from freedom can only offer the opposite or their “own” freedom which when compared to the standard of God, is slavery at its peak.

We see this event and change in freedom status occur in Genesis 3:7 when it states: “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.”  This is the first time that Adam and Eve have to do something that differs from their previous condition for they did not know they were naked and they had no reason to hide their bodies either.  This represents a state being changed into another state which means their original state (God’s creation) was pure and perfect and the new state was not because they were dependent on something else than the previous.  We all know that freedom does not come for free and that a certain standard needs to be in place in order for that freedom to stay intact, we see here that this single act of disobedience removes this freedom and a new condition of living is now in place.  Up until this verse, everything was supplied for Adam and Eve and they did not have to worry about any need not being met after the disobedience occurred they needed a cover a great change from their original life.  What seems to be a minute issue has now been claimed as a life changing process which needs immediate attention which means that their status of freedom has changed into a dependency.  Equality no longer is relevant to their lives since the source of equality can no longer be their origin, a problem in which we see will be explained in Genesis 3:16.

If we are distracted in any form we will miss what God is saying to our lives and what He is telling us to share to the world. Lucifer was distracted in heaven and it caused him to fall for eternity.  Now, Satan’s goal is for us to fall for his distractions big enough that we miss what is going on around us, miss God’s voice of warning and totally miss God in all aspects of our lives so that we share in his eternal downfall.  God created us to be focused on the job given to us to complete.  God also gave us the mechanisms to defend ourselves from those things that would deter us from completing this mission we have to do, hence the Garden of Eden setting in the beginning.  God kept things pure and simple giving us the job to complete and the reason why to complete it but at the same time creating us in a way that we still could choose our own destiny and not be subject to a slave-like master.  Wait a minute, it was mentioned a few paragraphs above that Lucifer became a slave to his own distraction and thus was the origin of his own eternal fall.  Exactly, which means that Satan cannot tell the truth for the truth sets people free and provides an eternal answer for the condition of eternity.  Therefore, Satan can only offer a slave setting that originates from his own kingdom which leads us up to Genesis 3:16 and the definition of the slavery constitution that rules our existence.

We see that God has answers for His people who seek Him at all times for it is these people who keep a steady heart and focused eye on their mission at all times.  I do not know if the angel that I was looking at knew I was around him but I have a feeling he did.  But my presence around his “space” was of no concern to him because he first understood who sent him to that position and second he understood that he had to keep on guard and not be distracted by any detail that emerged around him.  This confirms that the angel did not know when God would give the command that he was waiting for either but that he did know what to do when commanded.  God cannot be distracted by any means and when God sends out a command, message, note, or answer it is done so in simple and straightforward motion and at a specific time.  We have this example in Daniel Chapter 9 when Daniel was praying yet listening for the answer to his question from earlier, as Gabriel showed up when the deterrence was overcome.  One cannot battle adequately, see clearly, or hear correctly if they are distracted.

So, the question remains about how these two verses in Genesis tell us about a life of freedom and then the introduction of slavery as a way of life.  We have the first part of the issue covered and established that our initial (original) living conditions were under God’s protection and thus true freedom, but now it is time to tackle the issuance into slavery, a lifestyle that we still live in today and unwilling to tackle appropriately and truthfully.

DLB

Prayer

Prayer 

6/9/17

How much emphasis do we put on prayer?  Do we even believe in its effectiveness or is it a gimmick that wastes our time?  Both of these questions and much more are asked every day with many of the harsher ones coming from those who claim to be Christians.  It is evident that most people who attend church do not really believe in the sanctity of prayer nor do they understand exactly what it means to pray.  This nation and the world shall continue its downward spiral until we change our prayer habits and once again interceding for our eternal safety.  Prayer is nothing to be taken lightly and when we understand its importance to our survival and restoration we will then begin to comprehend the encompassing effects that prayer has for our lives and what protection it gives to a nation in need.

It is no secret that many people have been praying for my family for as long as I can remember.  Not just a simple prayer here and there but complete interceding prayers for every known aspect of the Kingdom.  For as long as I can remember there were people that would come and visit mom and dad just to pray with them not necessarily about anything specific but for their ministry and the direction that God had for their lives.  When I was younger I really did not fully understand the concepts of prayer and what it meant to almost continually pray for someone and important it was to do such a promise.  To be honest I really did not have any conviction to pray on a continual basis besides food, a detriment that I fully regret today for maybe some of my choices in the past might have been a tad different.

My parents have served God and His Kingdom for over 55 years now and they have attacked the kingdom of this world with a great might that is hard to compare with because the battles they fought and still fight are for people’s eternal placement.  When ministers or anyone who works for the Kingdom of God portrays such a fierce contingency against the world there is no way possible that they could complete and accomplish this fight alone.  Yes, of course, God is with them and He will not abandon them in any way, but when prayers are lifted up towards God it becomes so much easier to fight against an eternal enemy.  Many of the people who consider themselves Christians do not have this concept about prayer and while not everyone is called to be an intercessor we should be knowledgeable about the fight around us enough to want to pray for everyone’s protection and repentance, because isn’t that the pure foundational definition of family is to have peace, togetherness, and support when things go array?

Prayer is the ultimate weapon against becoming a slave to the world and to your surroundings, for it represents the only key in keeping the communication with God open and secure.  If our prayer life is damaged or dulled in any way then the enemy has ample opportunity to suppress any defensive and offensive mechanisms for advancing God’s Kingdom for when our prayer life is shortened then our time to study the Word of God, not just reading it, will follow suit and that means that we weaken our protection.  I have to admit that my prayer life in the past has not been very good and today my prayers continue to grow and change according to what God has revealed to me about His Church, His children, this nation and the world.  I remember that many times my prayers were centered on my life and for my personal well being, even after I got married decades ago my prayer life really was not growing and thus my commitment to God reflected such evidence.

God’s change in my life began when my heart began to seek God earnestly and honestly and this change came when my prayer life changed.  It changed because it turned from an inward and selfish place to one that sought knowledge for God’s children for their worldly intelligence was eating them alive due to the lack of wisdom and knowledge of God and His Word.  A great time back God began to show me signs of events that were to occur and through these sights my heart began to break because in them I saw and felt so many people dying with hatred and ugliness prevailing as these events occurred.  Everything from natural disasters to manmade attacks filled my heart on a routine basis and because my prayers had been so selfishly administered I could not pray as I should have especially since I had been involved in the church for such a long time.  Little did I realize that it was my own doings that led me to that place for I really did not understand why it was important to continually pray with a fervent heart and not with one that takes advantage of the good times that had been provided.

Adam and Eve had the perfect opportunity to talk with God on a daily basis; this setting is the perfect one to illustrate what it means to pray to God for it is the eternal lifeline that He gives us to communicate with Him.  Adam and Eve physically had the opportunity to personally view God and to verbally communicate with Him every morning, to ask Him questions face to face and to audibly hear His responses when they asked.  A powerful tool used in their lives that should have enhanced their protection to an impenetrable level, but as time passes we find that this communication tool ended up like any parent talking with their child, one-sided for the most part.  It was through the actions and choices of Adam and Eve that this direct communication with God changed into prayer.  So, once again let me ask you this question: how important is prayer?  There is a reason it is called the lifeline of communication with God for it is the way that we talk with God and it is on the same level as the direct words spoken to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by God.

As we have determined many times over the past few years that God has been sharing these messages, prayer is vital to the relationship with God and we all know that if any relationship does not communicate on a regular basis some extent of separation occurs.  We do not feel as close to one another as before, we lose touch with the ones who are in the specific relationship, divisions present themselves when issues arise, and countless other problems are noticed as time goes along.  If not corrected properly recognition of all parties involved dim and if not contained complete knowledge of those involved disappear.  When direct communication leaves our repertoire there can no longer be any hope of saving a relationship and eventually, all knowledge of the parties involved will end which will lead to a complete breakdown of established relationships, both personal and national. We cannot lose the concept that if our prayer life is not on a continual and constant devotion we are sunk, just as the lives of Adam and Eve proved when it became obvious that they no longer believed that their talks with God were not important enough to heed.

When a direct line of communication with God is taken seriously and not just one-sided anything that we encounter, anything we desire to occur, any problem that needs to be fixed is possible.  To have a one-sided prayer life can mean a couple of different reasons with the first reason being the obvious one where we do not wish to have any communication with God at all and thus do not talk with Him on any level.  This is a common problem that many have in the fact that they may not believe in God, believe that they have been hurt by God or flat do not see the need to communicate with someone they do not have anything in common with.  They voluntarily end all talks with God and choose to walk it alone and do things for themselves, you know trusting in themselves alone you know, the same one who does not know who they are.  Makes perfect sense don’t you think?

Another one-sided communication life is one that prays for themselves and is the center of the conversation of such prayers, as in the usage of “I” many more times than who we are praying for or what we are praying for.  It is very easy to stick to a selfish prayer in the belief that we are trying to get God to change our settings or situations.  How many times have we prayed for God to let things go our way or to allow favorable results from some trial that is occurring in our lives? I have to admit I have been guilty of such selfish prayers and still find myself on occasion saying such prayers but my heart is one of repentance and as soon as I say the awful words I recognize them and repent of them.  These prayers do not and cannot recognize the real issues surrounding the ones who are offering such prayers which mean they have been blinded enough that they believe that the prayers they are speaking are actually genuine and come from a pure heart, a dangerous belief that will ultimately lead to a complete one-sided prayer level.

It is evident that this nation has followed suit that Israel followed so many times in their history.  It is clear that we as a society do not wish to have anything to do with God and His principles.  While having a worldly society is not shocking news at all the behavior of such activities within the societies can be quite troublesome.  But when we place our hearts in the world as its primary source of communication and ways of thinking we cannot help but enter into the rewards section of death and destruction.  I saw a sobering list the other day on one of the social media sites and it is one that tells a huge story both on the human side of issues and the other side, God’s.  I did not see this list on any of the major news channels but it should have been for it tells of what type of prayers this nation and other modern nations present to God and at the same time gives the answer as to why these such events are increasing in number and not decreasing.

The list of “prayers for ______” has become a popular choice of symbolism when it comes to cities or communities being hit by terrorism and while the coverage and participation in such sessions are well indeed, they fall on deaf ears of God because it represents a one-sided prayer chain that is based solely on look at me and remember what has been done to me instead of oh, God, please forgive us for our sins and we turn our hearts towards you once again for good.  You (we) do not hear these prayers, just the “look at me” prayers and that is the reason why these events are increasing instead of repenting of the reasons why these destructive events are occurring.  Now, when I saw this list it was updated to 3 June 2017 and since that date, there has been another incident.  The list is as follows:

Pray for Paris                          1/7/15                                      Pray for Paris              11/13/15

Pray for San Bernadino          12/2/15                                    Pray for Brussels         3/22/16

Pray for Orlando                     6/12/16                                    Pray for Nice               7/14/16

Pray for Wurzburg                  7/18/16                                    Pray for Munich          7/22/16

Pray for Ansbach                    7/24/16                                    Pray for Reutlingen     7/24/16

Pray for France                       7/26/16                                    Pray for Ohio              11/28/16

Pray for Berlin                        12/19/16                                  Pray for Istanbul         1/1/17

Pray for London                     3/22/17                                    Pray for St Petersburg 4/3/17             

Pray for Stockholm                 4/7/17                                      Pray for Dortmund     4/4/17

Pray for Paris                          4/20/17                                    Pray for Manchester    5/22/17

Pray for London                     6/3/17                                      Pray for Tehran           6/7/17

The trend I see in this chart is that for the last few years the number of “Pray for” has increased and this is a sure sign that something is not working correctly and since God cannot change His stance on ANYTHING, it seems like it probably is the other side of the issue, US!  It seems to me like we have adopted the position that Adam and Eve, Egypt, Israel, people, and all other civilizations who have rejected God demonstrate the same types of examples of devastation with no prayers answered.  Something to remember, if a person uses God’s Word as a source for mocking Him or not obeying His commands or Word, even if they were born and raised in church you can quickly understand what kind of prayer life they have and furthermore what type of response will come into the lives that are praying.   

The most fervent prayer life is one that recognizes the state of our hearts and seeks God to change it and to mold it into His image every second of every day.  This type of prayer signifies that the person understands their sin and knows the need for God on all levels and how important it is to hear His instructions on a continual basis.  This praying person knows what sin is and how it affects each life within a nation and then understands that the sins of the world need to be recognized and taken care of before they inflict damage, not afterward.  This type of prayer is not easy no matter how many times it comes from the heart for the person, group, Church, or nation who prays with conviction, knows that if they continue to harbor sin their protection shall be taken away and then subject to all types of physical and spiritual mutilation.  It is this type of prayer that will reflect the direct communication setting that humans once enjoyed with God.

It is easy for some to sit back and to criticize God for what He allows to come into our lives but how can we expect such dealings when we do not communicate with Him so that He can tell us what to avoid and what to accept?  Adam and Eve’s dominion was destroyed because of their lack of commitment to God’s devotionals each morning and since that pattern was established so long ago and it worked for Satan then why stop now?  It is our prayer life that allows our lives to either live in the Light or walk in darkness and it is how we understand and view prayer that counts.  It is guaranteed that if we have a ½ hearted prayer commitment then that will be exactly what we will receive in return for that is what we put into it.  Having a ½ hearted prayer life is like going to church on occasionally and that is it and if one lives this type of life there can be no direct relationship with God for if you do not care about church then how can you care about God’s Word? 

A third type of prayer is another example of a one-sided prayer but in this example the one-sided effort comes from God.  See, even though Adam and Eve had doubts about God and His command, God did not stop talking with them on a daily basis, He continued His course of provisions and warnings and even though He knew their hearts and that it would be just a matter of time before things would change, He did not stop.  After the judgment of our newly found sin God gave a perfect example of prayer when He made the aprons of skin to cloth Adam and Eve for it was a direct communication technique that God used in order for our senses to activate our minds and hearts in order to understand exactly what was needed.  This type of one-sided prayer life is still in practice today and is available to anyone who opens their ears and hearts to God’s voice.  A glorious example that answers a few questions concerning how important it is to have an honest and pure prayer life and why it is important for our enemy to do his best to severe such connection.

So, what does prayer prevention mean?  It means total protection and prevention of worldly settings being able to destroy our lives as we know it.  If only one person is praying and then truly listening for God’s voice for direction then that person is blessed of God.  But if that one person is in the midst of 1.2 million inhabitants and the only one praying in such manner, then there is a problem and while this person continues their course of holiness, God will still look at the hearts of that nation and judge accordingly, both the just and the unjust a painful consequence of God that He cannot change.  It is well known that the list for the cities and communities that being splashed over our screens on a routine basis do need help and they do need our prayers but when our hearts would rather sin and do things our own way do not expect God to listen and then intervene, remember He is a consistent God.

This is exactly why Israel found themselves in the predicaments that they did one sided prayers and look at what devastations they endured for millennia.  They were taken into captivity and left in slavery for countless years at a time.  It was by their own choices that God had to allow these events to occur and since their cries were in vain because of their lackluster attitudes towards His laws, God had no choice but to act as a parent.  Our society is facing the exact same types of sinful infiltrations due to the one sided prayers that we are offering up to God, there are so many bless me, bless me prayers reaching His ears that He is sick of the selfish complacency of the blessings He has already imposed on modern mankind.  All we ask for is “want this and want that with no thoughts of repentance what-so-ever, a true sign of entitlement that Satan himself invented and now parades around freely through our actions.

The only way that our lives and society shall change and actually shorten the “Pray for ____” list and others similar to this one is if we turn our hearts back to God, lose the selfish attitudes when referring to God and His presence in our lives, repent completely and seek God in all ways of our lives, IF we accept this truth again then we will not have too many problems changing our prayer life for we will want to know more about how to prevent all of these disastrous settings from occurring for our prayer life shall change accordingly.  If we turn to God then God is faithful to heal our land according to His Ways a beautiful truth that we need to revisit with our hearts.  Church, it is a simple process and this process starts with us for it is our lack of fervent prayers and continual lifting up our nation to God that has landed us in the predicament that we see today.  If we do not agree to reestablish this true prayer life with God again, there is no hope what-so-ever of our survival.  God is the only answer and His Son is the only way to this restoration and direct communication process again.  It is completely our choice.

DLB

The Change From Royalty to Slavery

The Change From Royalty to Slavery

6/5/17

The title of this message seems like an inconceivable concept that would never take place but when we study history we see that many settings of such disaster have occurred.  So many disputes create these conditions and with a death sentence being offered as the only option after the verdict is handed down.  It is this type of battle that God does not wish for anyone to endure, but humanity continues to ride out this lie with the bloodiest of results.  The personal question of this type of life can be raised at any time concerning our lives and unless we figure out that superficial words mean nothing and only a true and intimate relationship with God can provide the necessary covering to sustain our royal status.

I have always found that many societies and cultures in our past and present differentiate social status and classify worthy of not due to the physicality of one’s bloodline and how “special” one is deemed when they fall within this lineage.  While it is very important to understand and to know about your lineage we must never forget that each one of us places our pants on one leg at a time.  My wife and I are currently watching a popular television series that ended a couple of years ago called “Downton Abbey”.  Even though we knew about this program while it was still running, we were involved in many other series that occupied our attention and thus waited until those were finished first to watch this program.  I find it intriguing that British society and others within many cultures around the world adhere to such a level of blood as the defining status of a person, a concept that has biblical roots but grippingly misunderstood and misrepresented.

At one point in the series, one of the Lord’s daughters fell in love with a common Irish young man which had no status of any kind in the eyes of their family and was considered and treated as a “lower class citizen”.  With the angst of insults, connotations, and parodies, the spectacle of differences in ideologies of said cultures came to a head when the daughter agreed to leave her status and move to Ireland to marry this chauffeur from a faraway place.  The arguments of money, status, and placement were thrown around like the wind and hideous threats of expulsion soon ensued.  I understand the concept of leadership and the positions that these people have, but to use such authority to subdue a personal choice in any matter is a high crime against the ability of a person to choose.  If one is wishing to change a view of a person they should remain respectful for such a time until final decisions can be made.  Groundless accusations for such physical status requirements are useless in self-defensive measures in order to preserve any physical status.  Lowering a relative or group because they differ from your opinion is absurd and can prove to be physically fatal in the relationship department.

However, we must take a look at the other side of the issue and divulge into the ones who choose to commit to an institute that differs from your standards, including the foundations of that standard and what it means to fall from that status.  Why would anyone wish to lower their status and accept a lifestyle that is not conducive to what they were originally brought up?  A mystery of choice that brings many questions and hurts when examined on any level but deemed important enough to end such an upbringing and origin and change status.  By no means am I saying that this couple changed into a slave-like setting but there is a great change in status that everyone involved must accept and then adapt.  As we are still watching this program we have not found out exactly how this setting between the two kids will turn out but so far it is interesting how they justify their actions to the higher ups amongst the family.  What does this fictional storyline have to do with God and the lives that we live?  I am glad you asked for there is an eternal question we must ask here and one that sets into motion our existence and whether it differs or agrees with our original status.

A few months ago God gave us the example of “The Definition of We” and how through this type of truth our lives and existence was originated.  Our existence cannot be defined corrected if God is not included first and foremost in our hearts and if we do not acknowledge this truth then we are in line for our demotion from an eternally royal child of God to a being that is bound in slavery.  In Genesis Chapter 3 we have a great picture of the choice of mankind becoming and accepting slave-like conditions, a hideous choice yet one that is voluntary because of disobedience.  Unlike the storyline of the fictional drama examples above, this degradation of status came as a choice of not fully understanding of what was ongoing around them and thus falling into a trap that separated man from God, a setting which set into motion the foundational standards for Jesus and the restoration process.  It is this picture that God gives us that tell us about our choice to live in slavery and not as God’s royal children, and while this picture is bleak in statues at the same time God provides us with a glimpse of how He can restore us.

Adam and Eve had no idea of what lied ahead of them after their disobedience because up until that moment their status as royalty had not been in question.  It is difficult for us to imagine how this reality came to be since they were the only two to have direct and personal communication with God.  I mean, all of the questions and answers that must have been shared in these meetings, yet they disbelieved enough to choose another lifestyle, a process that we witness too often in today’s societies as well.  It is, however, obvious that both Adam and Eve had already made up their minds that God’s single command was not serious enough to override and obey, and consequently decided that their immediate surroundings and new acquaintances had better options than God.  The adversary was present then and he is present today, doing his best to trick us into living our own lives through our surroundings and emotions instead of God’s long-term communication and teaching program.

Another example of such a decision occurs in Exodus Chapter 1 where the Israelites had gone from a royal status to a problem community that demanded Egyptian intervention before the numbers of them became too large to control.  Devastating measures were taken by the Egyptian Pharaoh and his confidants to see that the population of the children of God would cease and then decrease at a steady rate.  When the tasks of slave-like tactics and workings did not work according to their plans, the leaders resorted to further drastic measures that eventually included the murder of innocent male children, the most effective way to subdue any population or at least they thought.  These measures came to naught and the population of the Israelites continued to grow and flourish because the Israeli women were strong enough to give birth than disobey the command of Pharaoh because they knew it was wrong.  Yet, their circumstances did not change but only became more difficult as time passed and it was not too much longer that their cries became deafening to God, but the sad part of this is that while they recognized their servitude conditions they failed to understand that their hearts had to be freed as well.  In this act, they followed Adam and Eve and kept the religious aspects of God in their practices but did not place Him fully into their hearts and reestablish their relationship with God.

Why do we as humanity decide that it is more important to succumb to the temptations around us and actually invite these into our lives while we are trying to correct them?  Do we understand that when we operate in this type of belief that we have already lost our royal status because we do not ask our eternal Father for advice first?  This means that we have already eaten from the tree and are now realizing exactly what is going around us and all of the issues that we have previously been protected from, but now are subject to because of the sin that we chose instead.  God wrote His name in my veins a very long time ago and His signature still courses through them and yours as well.  It is this definition that we need to return to so that we may truly understand what our ailments are both physically and spiritually and know how to righteously correct them.  It is this truth that defines our return to royalty from a life of slavery, but sadly, we do not even recognize our slavery as of now and until we do, our fall shall continue.

If we cannot obtain this type of sinful setting that surrounds us today we must acknowledge that we have completely lost our way and have been blinded so well and complete that we are walking blind in no certain direction and thus walking straight into the robber’s presence.  You want to know why this nation, the Church, and you individually are taking so many hits on an hour by hour basis?  It is because of this blind status that we have allowed ourselves to become engulfed within.  If we could literally rise above this land and have the ability to see exactly which direction that the hearts of the nation are striving for and against it would be appalling for there is NO cohesion being displayed.  A strong royal family portrays a discipline that is resolved and not divided, just as God and Adam and Eve had before they fell away and a picture that we should be painting when we witness to the world about God and how we need Him more than ever.  A royal family that is subjected to slavery is a mortifying placement and one that is treated as such by the conquering enemy, why do we not see this enemy who devours our lives due to our selfish means?  It does not have to be like this folks.

Here is something to think about and to pray about for it is coming at some point in time, how do I know this? Because it says so in the Bible!  When others reach the power status that this nation offers to the world, their seemingly “unified” status today shall serve them no deeds but bitterness when their time arrives.  When anything is taken into reference that does not originate from God – thus His Word – and is then allowed to portray itself nothing good shall come of it and when one places their controls into the hands of the being that want nothing more than your physical and spiritual death “Houston, we have a problem”!  This is pure and 100% slavery folks.  It is this collective functioning that God sees on a continual basis and one that He is not pleased with for it represents a dying captivity instead of what He created.

I could continue with example after example of biblical stories that would correlate God’s message to us in this article and I could do the same with the cultural and national examples of human history as well but I shall refrain because I believe that you understand what God is saying to us here.  We must come to the recognition that we ways that we have adopted as a society personally reflect what runs through our veins and thus what our heart produces for such running.  We do not even understand that the prayers we offer up are not to God but to the ruler of this world for it is his ways that we wish to live accordingly.  Our attentions have become personal instead of godly, we fail to act like God but cry out for His name’s protection when attacks are made, why?  We are reaping exactly what we live and portray, it may not be exactly what we want or expect but it is an eternal and Kingdom principle in action so, by all means, prepare for these wicked events to continue for our prayers are being heard by the ruler of our hearts and “graciously” being executed through what doors we have given him.

Want to change? Really change?  Then we must recognize our status as created beings and understand that we have chosen to live as slaves to the ruler of this world.  Then we must give all of our control over to God and allow Him to become the ruler of our hearts.  We must be willing to revive the true communication lines with God in order for us to understand what is going on around our lives and more importantly the source of these problems.  The issues of today are fixable and true peace between mankind is obtainable, but not as long as we continue to throw out God and bring in the world. 

There are a perfectly logical setting and the reason why God is willing to give humans another chance at being redeemed.  God is a complete God in all things and through His methods of choice He allows us, through His holy order of our creation, provides an opportunity for us to choose our lives with Him or without Him.  God knew what Adam and Eve’s thoughts were while they were walking and talking in the Garden of Eden, yet God continued to do His best to convince them of their lives in Him and not away from Him.  If God stood His ground yet continued to woo Adam and Eve He must do the exact same thing to us today and that is exactly what He is doing by calling people into His Kingdom so that they can be a strong witness for His restoration process.  It breaks my heart to understand that Adam and Eve chose to be slaves to their world around them instead of living under the protection and freedom that God created them in.  I also understand that Adam and Eve did not fully understand exactly what was going to transpire on that day, but we have no excuse for what not to do because if we chose to abandon God and His Ways, then slavery it is and look out for the captors of royalty hardly place nicely.

There is a huge detail that we need to remember in conjunction with these examples in this article and it is that this nation is another example of God’s grace to His people and how He has created a harbor for those who wish to worship Him and Him alone.  We have forgotten our roots and have chosen to be on our own when it comes to how we began as a nation.  This too God understands and knows and once again He shall allow us to mark our path but take this heed as a warning for even if we “forget” that God is a consistent God is still is a consistent God and shall follow the same patterns as He always has in the past.

Restoration is God’s plan for our lives and for each one of His children but until we truly stop in our tracks, completely turn around and allow God to change us in His manner, we shall only reap sorrow and pain.  Simple fact here and it goes like this: if we do not turn around and turn to God our world shall continue its current course and each one of us shall deeply know pain and death, and secondly, if we turn from our wicked ways then God shall restore our land – both personal and national and physical and spiritual – to a better place than before.  God is calling for repentance, true repentance that comes from our inner and deepest portions of our heart before we are permanently changed from our gifted status and die according to a slave’s status.

DLB

The Collective of Death

The Collective of Death

6/3/17

The word death comes to each one of us in a varying amount of ways but in the end, all reach this point and our fate is sealed.  In many settings, we gauge death as a single event and one that cannot be changed upon reaching that point, but unlike the common thought about death, this word has a beginning stage, a middle state, and an ending formality which constitutes the entire process of death.  The same can be said of our spiritual aspects of our existence another placement that we deem almost unimportant for we think of this aspect far less than the physical.  God understands our fear of death and has already provided an excellent escape plan if we only listen and obey His Word, simple as that.  Our only problem is that we would rather place our own emotions and feelings before the truth, which creates an eternal lie and sets into motion the collective of death.

The furthest idea in the minds and hearts of parents is that their child will die and leave this world before they do.  I have this fear every time one of my girls leaves the house and this fear crosses my mind and then plays havoc with me for seems like forever.  I thank God every day that all of my girls are still with us and hopefully with God’s grace they will live to be a ripe old age.  On the other hand, having dedicated myself to the medical field, I have been witness to many incidents where children left their houses and did not return and a sound that still rings in my ears and haunts my inner being is the sound of a mother cry when she learns that her child is no longer alive.  No one can explain this grief and the amount of pain that parents and especially a mother feels when this nightmare occurs.  I wish that I could say that I was in a position never to have to deal with a death of a young person again, but it reared its ugly head once again this past weekend and struck a family that we personally know.  So why would we assume that God has a different perspective about our lives and how He would deal with our wrongs?

I asked my wife the other evening about the word death and how she would interpret it if I said: “you will surely die”?  We all know that our minds can handle only a certain amount of incoming messages and information at a given time, and while that amount varies the information does go into our brains and stays there for our lifetime.  When we bring up this information we can then process it thoroughly and get the meaning of what the stored information was originally meant.  Whether we reject that information or use it to our advantage is strictly up to us, along with how we interpret the information in the first place.  All of this comes as a process and not just an immediate base that automatically can be referred to as fully understood.  As with this phrase “you will surely die”, my wife said that she would believe that death would immediately come and then life would be over.  I admit that I would believe the exact same way and would convey things in that manner to others as well. 

Tragically, of course, we do hear about certain people dying in traumatic venues and what seems like a normal and healthy individual being snuffed out in a blink of an eye.  While this type of death comes quickly we cannot forget that there are countless other ways that our lives physically leave this world, but most importantly and the main portion of our existence is our spiritual life.  Just as many scenarios are present in this category as in the physical but the spiritual is eternal and last so much longer than the physical, a collective in all of itself.

Many of you already know which direction that I am taking with this phrase because it is a “famous” one that those who have read the Bible have heard about before.  It is also used by some who do not believe in God or His Word and use it as a physical justification to live out their lives as they see fit for them at some point know they will die and no longer be around.  It is easy to get caught up in the simplicity of this verse and while doing so miss out on all of what God said in this verse, for it is a process that God was talking about and not just an immediate effect; a detail that Satan used in his deception code to both Adam and Eve and another detail about how a ½ truth can ruin someone’s life.

In Genesis Chapter 2 we have the foundations and origins of the existence of mankind and a direct conversation that God has with Adam.  Even with this short time frame mentioned, we can see that God is very direct and yet at the same time clear about His instructions to Adam.  Genesis 2:16-17 states the following: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  A powerful set of verse and would strike fear into anyone’s heart if spoken to them. But how does this effect Adam because up until this point Adam had no idea of what death was or what it meant to experience such a tragedy.

This brings us back to the question that I posed to my wife a few evenings ago when I used the phrase that God used when He was commanding Adam about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and one can imagine that Adam understood that something would occur if he did eat of this fruit and that the word death would mean that he would cease to physically exist if he did such an act.  This is feasible to believe because there are poisons that are either manmade or in their natural state that if we come in contact with can end our life within a few short minutes so this sudden death can be thought about when we study this verse.  Adam and Eve cannot say that they did not know what God was meaning here for God explains Himself through the communication settings each day with them.  We do know they conversed each morning and while their conversations are not recorded it is safe to say that they were told of the auricles of God and many of the events that took place at some point before.  Many people understand this quick and sudden judgment concept of God for I have heard many times in my lifetime that they believe that God has a big pencil and eraser watching every move we make waiting for us to do something wrong so He can erase our name from the eternal book.  This is simply not the case.

We also have a very specific detail here that should have caught Adam and Eve’s eye as this time frame unfolded, and maybe it did or maybe it did not but I know it should have been picked up upon and dealt with as the setting unfolded.  But, to be fair, it was not until a few days ago that God dropped this detail into my heart which explains a bunch of things about what occurred those days in the Garden of Eden, which has a direct response to our lives today.  It is easy to group God into one gigantic category and place Him on the table with the label “Life”.  When we look at Him in this manner it would be easy to just leave it there and describe Him to others as such, but God created us curious hearts that wish to know specifics and through these specifics learn about our existence.  There is nothing wrong with this philosophy, in fact, God tells us to ask Him questions for it is His desire to use the gifts that He gave us to answer such desires.

But we tend to forget that life is not just made up a single and gigantic package but that it comes as a process and one that has to be experienced in order to fully understand.  Life can end abruptly even before life reaches the outside world while other examples of life can live to be over 100 years with every second of life represented in between those times.  Life is full of adventures and experiences and it is these specifics that bring forth the true nature of life.  God, Himself is the definition of life and He is infinite in all areas which means that our feeble and limited minds could not accept all of His information at one time, it has to be slowly and methodically installed, then we can present a living definition of Him to others.  Adam must have known this process about God in the amount of time he had spent with God, for if God had given Adam the ability to absorb all of God’s definition at once there would be no reason for God to have any further communication with Adam, a detail that if left out would not accurately define God and ultimately prove Him and His existence to be a lie.

At the beginning of Genesis Chapter 3, we have the introduction and a brief characterization of Satan, the one who is out to challenge God’s perfect creations in order to get back at Him for the lust of perversion that Satan chose to harbor.  We find that verses 4-5 give us the clue of how Satan operates and how through these operations half truths are given in order for him to advance our demise.  Genesis 3:4-5 states: “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”  What a tantalizing statement and one that would surely peak curiosity if one had been told this bit of information.  But it is this verse that defines Satan and his character, for he understands God and His Word well enough to effectively twist God’s words around enough to make them sound like a lie and not as bad as it might seem if disobeyed.  God did know what would come about if Adam and Eve disobeyed a detail Satan left out while wooing Eve.

Now, back up a few paragraphs and this is where the concept of you shall surely die comes into play and where Satan uses his manipulative wording to undermine God and trick Adam and Eve into changing their lives forever.  See, when Lucifer decided that he was going to try and rival God he understood that God represented life eternal and therefore could not destroy what He had created.  Since this is a true statement and one that Lucifer knew existed, he tried his luck against God and failed miserably, thus issuing into existence an establishment of hate and progression of this hate at any cost for he now understood his eternal fate a powerful tool that Satan continually uses in order to watch us unknowingly fall before the eyes of God.  Satan knew that since he was not extinguished from existence but that his fate was already sealed that the same type of setting would take place if mankind would follow suit, hence a half truth told to Eve which she believed instead of God’s command.

We continue with the story about Adam and Eve when after their choice to disobey becomes reality and it becomes clear that the effects of sin have an immediate resound to their lives.  Genesis 3:7 states that their eyes were opened and that they knew they were naked.  They had to make clothes for themselves to hide such knowledge and to cover themselves, a provision that had been divinely completed up until that moment in time.  Both Adam and Eve knew exactly what had occurred and while they still were able to breathe something about their existence had changed.  I have no idea how that moment must have felt for them but it must have been a monumental moment because their bodies that had lived in perfect harmony with God Himself now was filled with another source of energy that did not measure up to the previous pure standard.  This is proven through this single verse for if they did not realize such a change in their bodies they would have never felt like they needed to cover themselves or even understand that they were naked at all, proof that what God said to them and stated as a fact was indeed a huge phase change and one that would occur over time and not just a quick end.

If we continue with Adam and Eve their death comes in many forms as their lives progress, a process that is never easy and one that only finds pain and suffering.  Being kicked out of their home place and then having angels with flaming swords guard the entrances so that their return can never occur again is a horrifying thought but it occurred and Adam and Eve had to face the consequences and the death of their home.  Look at their lives for the remainder of their years, yes there were good times for Eve gave birth to children which began the process of life on earth outside the Garden of Eden.  Yet, death again entered into their lives when one of their sons killed his brother, a first of its kind and a grossing lie of what sacrifice really meant.  The stories go on and on, not only in the lives of Adam and Eve but everyone else who the Bible gives account, even today death is a gruesome and sometimes torturous event that we have to endure, a result of a half truth believed so long ago.

While death can either be a sudden event or a process that occurs over time, the end result is still the same a final physical end to the presence of our life as we know it.  But we are not created in such a manner to which this physicality of ours ends when we draw our last breath.  When God created mankind He did so in such a manner that even though our physical may end our eternal shall always be present and alive.  The genius of this truth is that it is while we are physically alive that we have the opportunity to choose our Creator as our personal Savior and to study the wonders of His existence.  He communicates with us and through this communication never gives us any directions that do not line up with His Word, an all-encompassing source of wisdom that brings life into everything we experience if we just include Him in our lives. 

We are stuck with the fact that death shall always be a part of our personal world as long as we are here, and while we may fall for the lies of the world we also have the opportunity to shun theses lies and live in the truth and light of eternity defined.  We may have to endure the collective processes of death, but we have a grave robber who gives us life abundantly.  It is this process of the death process that we need to understand and to do our best NOT to adhere to its laws, or even invite its laws into our lives.  It is of dire importance and an importance that God continually stresses to His people that we understand the pitfalls of such a collective and to shun away from this trap as soon as we notice it approaching.  The only way that we can avoid enhancing this process is to study God’s Word and to live within its eternal definition constantly seeking further information to help others along the way as well.  God is the only way, the only provider that can protect us from this collective of death that pursues to engulf our lives thus ending any hope of eternal peace and happiness.

I can almost hear Adam saying to Eve how he messed up and missed what God was really saying to him when God gave the consequences to him.  The immediate turn in their lives is hard to imagine but there was nothing that they could do about their current facts either.  Claiming to understand God without a true, willing, constant and intimate communication system in place is a condition that is ripe for severing and devastation.  In no way can we expect to understand God and His Will if we do not have a direct and constant desire to hear His words.  God shall never force Himself on anyone’s life and even though it is eternally agonizing to Him if we do not keep this communication line, He will allow us to make the choice to accept Him or to go it alone.

In no manner is God a “snap decision” type of Being, for when one has been around with no beginning He has had plenty of “time” to figure out every minute detail about everything; and creating everything just adds to the perfect equation as well.  This means that if we begin to intimately study God’s character when we are young and then pass away at a grand old age, we will have only scratched the outer edge surface of who He is.  It is through this truth alone that it is a dangerous statement that we make when we say we “know God and who He is”.  We may know some things and a few aspects of God but our finite minds would literally melt, shut down, and cease to function if God began to reveal some of His eternal knowledge to us.  Through this truth, it is also important that we understand that in order for us to keep in contact with God on this personal level we must continually study His Word and apply its meanings to our lives each day, without living through a personal fantasy when it comes to living for what “I” WANT TO HEAR AND LIVE BY AT THAT MOMENT.  God is an eternal God and One who cannot change His ways in any shape or form.

So, when God gives us an example of an issue or consequence we must always take into consideration of the entire picture of what He is saying, and not just what we immediately think.  This is why it is very important to continually to study the Bible in its entirety for each time we complete such a vital task the Bible will speak to us in a more detailed manner.  Currently, we as modern societies have drawn the conclusion that our minds know better than God and have determined that He is out of date and no longer a desirable source of information or guidance.  At the same time, our lives have been inundated with horrendous activities that have thrown our existence into question and darkened our future to the point where the light bills cannot be paid. All of this deals with the physical alone which is the lesser of the two sides of our lives in importance, and if our physical is messed up this badly then we cannot deny that our spiritual is worse off; they go hand in hand you see.

Our lives and anger towards each other and God shall continue to increase and deepen until we stop and realize that we have no chance of survival without God being first in our lives.  Having a limited and flawed leader – personal or congregational – cannot result in anything but damaging.  Humans have good intentions but seem to pout when they do not get their way which brings into light exactly what controls their lives as well.  All of these types of destructive behaviors we are watching cross our eyes each day and with each passing discourse we have taken up residence in the blame game, with ourselves being the victim instead of the perpetrator.  We have fallen so off and so low that we actually believe that when our ideas fail or are not accepted we are a victim against society, really?  Talk about a pride pedestal that needs to be swiped away from underneath of us; maybe we are beginning to see such a mantle being destroyed with the new movement of historical statues and spiritual guiding monuments being removed around our country, a prelude to what is about to become of us?  Yes, it is, to be honest.

It is not God’s desire to bring animosity and devastation to His children but when His children turn into creatures that are not looking towards Him they cease to be children and lower themselves spiritually to the level of animals.  This is exactly what our enemy wants us to become for when we do we voluntarily loosen our grip of the eternal sword and allow the enemy to mow us down with division and certain destruction.  We no longer can be effective for the true Kingdom of God and cannot complete what Jesus called us to do.  Getting a person or a group of people to attend church is not what Jesus expects us to do, He wants us to witness to the people and to tell them about His salvation and that they should separate themselves from the world not join it. Yes, it is a battle and yes it will not be pretty for we have allowed Satan to penetrate deep into our spirits and to weave his destructive death nails as the foundation of our beliefs.

Church, we are guilty of this sin as well and it is a hideous setting when we promote this activity instead of conquering it through the spirit.  We cannot spread the news of the true Gospel to a dying world when we are sharing needles and then injecting ourselves with the same poison that we are supposed to be getting rid of then laying down and dying right along with those who are in need.  We are the only ones that God has to use when it comes to sharing the true light and to stop the spiritually dying portions of our lives.  We can all agree that there is nothing good about a death process and how it represents the wrong side of eternity.  It is so important that we understand God’s Word well enough that it takes away every selfish detail that we harbor and places God’s truth as the first line of defense and offense.  All throughout Scripture, God teaches us of this collective of death and it shall lead to our eternal death if we do not adhere to every single letter of His Word.  We as humans may never fully and completely understand each letter that lives in the Bible, but if we directly pursue God’s Word He is just and faithful to forgive through our obedience a guarantee that no article of the world can provide.

God does love us but He wants us to obey His Word on every aspect and to include this obedience in our daily lives.  Repent, Church and allow God back into our hearts for if we do not our lives as we know it shall quickly change for a cause unworthy of why we were created.  I honestly believe that if Adam and Eve had not become complacent with their physical settings that things might have been different for them and for our lives today, but as we all know that is not the case and because we have the same abilities as they did we follow almost identically with their choices too.  We can change this course before it becomes irreversible, choose God and His Ways and drop the world and its collective death sting.  Understanding God through His Word and not ours is a beautiful aspect and truth about wisdom and a practice we all need to do better.

DLB