Confession

Confession

7/31/21

What concept comes to mind when we hear this word being used?  Usually, it has reference to having to do with someone telling the truth about what occurred or what was being planned.  For the most part, this word means to tell or to share with others a specific event or happening that we did sometime in the past.  But what we forget or do not realize is that it is a word that represents so much more, a good thing and testament one that can actually bring about eternal life.  It should be taken into consideration that this word means astonishingly more and in this context taken more seriously.  In this sense, God confesses to us every day His faithfulness and mercies which is a part of His definition.  So when we use this word, we need to look at its meaning in this context, Covenant for it is this expression that brings us together with God.  So, weekly or even daily comings to God with meaningless confessions are just that, meaningless, and is a waste of time because our heart has no intention of changing, a state which shall cost us eternity.

For those who have been associated with the church, the word confession is one that prominently comes into the forefront of our lives so much that it has the everyday opportunity of becoming an idol within our spiritual definition.  Yet, this word has been taken out of its true meaning, the one that we should be willing to surrender our lives to and to live under no matter what comes our way.  Instead, we have cheapened its covering and how it lives inside our hearts; furthermore, we have no intentions of studying this word's meaning and turn it into a vital and life-sustaining part of our existence.  We have watered this word down into a "telling things" to someone else with no remorse needed or wanted, a short sad prayer and lyrical verse a couple of times, and "bam" all is okay until the next hour or day when our confessed sin returns without any hesitation.  

One may think that these words only apply to one or two denominations but God says we need to think again for this type of mentality that forgiveness is a revolving door and can be applied each time we have a guilty thought or execution of sin.  One does not have to be a member of a certain denomination to practice such antics, look at yourself and take a close examination of what lies within your heart, and what you shall see is a darkened or blackened heart that has not true blood supply left.  Telling someone that is in a position of pastoral care does not make that person any more worthy of providing sound salvation for what you have done over the past few weeks or months.  Telling is totally different from confession, for telling someone just allows your mind to ease and to relax with something you know is wrong; you know, it is the identical setting of showing the public that you are the dutiful religious type who wants everyone to believe you are living correctly and what you are doing is sanctioned by God.  Through this superficial lying state, the livelihood of the word confession has become an abomination before God, because we have no intentions of living according to its Ways.

The verses for this article tell another story about the deepness of the meaning of the word confession, the True and biblical meaning of such an important word.  Confession should be taken as a holy word, one that when spoken, comes strictly from the depths of the sinful heart for help in receiving restoration into holiness.  When we study these two passages, we will find that each one contains a specific and unique setting that God uses to grab our attention about the distinct importance of this word in our lives.  There are two passages for this article, one in the Old Testament and the other in the New Testament, and are as follows:

Genesis 15:17-18

"And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp passed between those pieces.  In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:"

1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

It is well known that the outline for Covenant is written here in this passage of Scripture, and while it is a familiar passage, it is not really taken very seriously because few ministers teach on this subject.  Why is this?  Why would the most important item and definition of God be misaligned and ignored, I believe that the answer to that question lies within what Satan has done to establish enough deep interest in this subject in our hearts long enough that we have deemed it a minor topic and not really worthy of our time.  The New Testament passage also deals with this word but since Greek is a very specific language we should know that what this verse states are of vital importance and that it deals with the exact same topic and subject as our Old Testament passage does.

In Genesis, God makes it clear that He is establishing a covenant between Him and mankind.  How can God do such a thing and it be long-lasting enough and endure all tests?  God does not just tell Abram about this covenant, or try to explain it with words alone; no, He demonstrates His seriousness with specific instructions about a few certain animals a few verses previously.  It should be understood that when God says something and speaks it into existence it cannot be undone or changed from its original definition.  The word "covenant" that is used in Genesis comes from the Hebrew word "berit" and means covenant, alliance, pledge, constitution, ordinance, and league.  All of these descriptions of the word "berit" are defining terms and can be used in order to allow for understanding about how God works when it comes to His commitment to humans.  God is giving Abram a verbal and descriptive definition of Himself, one that will set into motion a partnership that cannot be broken.  We all know that God cannot change so through this truth concerning the originator of the covenant this agreement can only be violated by the other party involved; remember, if one party cannot move then any agreement cannot be actually broken.  

In the 1 John 1:9 verse, we see the word "confess" being used.  The Greek definition of this word comes from "homologomen" which is the first-person plural in nature and it means to assent, Covenant, and acknowledge.  When one assents to something it means they agree to it or to the principles to which the agreement contains.  Another part of its definition is the word for Covenant, and we all know what that word means and how specific its meaning is.  It is this directive that God wants us to understand, that when we confess anything it comes from our heart and is a statement of application, an application that has eternal meanings to it.  See, ever since God physically made Covenant with mankind He has not violated such pact, it has been mankind that has been the one to test the limitations of God's mercy and grace.  God confessed His grace and mercy to us through His Covenant with us and even though He knows we are sinners He expects the same level of confession to Him on a continual basis.

It is a known fact that God already knows we are sinners and that our hearts are eternally evil, but this is where Covenant begins its extension, not its ending.  It is here that God wants us to confess to Him our sins so that He can forgive them and wash them away like they had never been an issue before.  Confession is a choice, a decision that means we shall not ever do that particular sin again and that it is our will to please God in every way concerning such iniquity.  Unfortunately, we have watered-down this confession of faith into a telling of our events so that we may have no guilt or corrective action besides a few words in prayer in order to be forgiven; or at least that is what we have been taught to believe and do.  Believe God folks when He says there is a huge difference between a telling of sins and confession of sins, one is lovingly and voluntarily done and the other is done at the time of judgment.  Ironically, all you are doing when you tell of your sins is just preparing yourself for those words to come back to you again some time down the road.

If a confession becomes continual telling there is no confession present or meant at all.  Nor should this tactic or procedure be used in such a manner to be thought of as a replacement for the confession itself.  When the practice of confession becomes a ritual, it automatically becomes part of a physical or human institutional procession that only can claim bells and whistles in a church service; in other words, just noise.  God is an alive God and One who wants a total relationship with on a minute-by-minute basis.  This can only be achieved by having our lives raised up to His level, not having God lower Himself to ours.  Confession amounts to being completely open and honest when it comes to allowing God to intervene in places where we need correction.  This is where confession becomes the centerpiece of Covenant for it remarkably and wholly extends itself over our lives to cover us in our sinful ugliness.

It is this process that begins to grow within our lives and our desires change to please God, not disappoint Him.  The desire to become a mature servant for Christ becomes our objective and we continually look to how we can improve on this measure and draw closer to God during this process.  It is not a popular move where the world is concerned, the world shall fight you on many levels and try to make you return back to your telling of ways.  Furthermore, it is this defined status of this word that places us in a separate category from the world, for confession cannot align itself with the world which means it cannot be broken only violated; once again, Covenant.

Confession should be taught in every church building and in every heart of the Church.  It is an eternal word and it needs to be understood properly.  It is not a whimsical word that can be used to rid of our guilt in the world, but one that should draw us closer to God every day that we walk this planet.  It should also serve as the foundation of the mission that we must follow when we witness to those who do not know God or have any type of relationship with Christ.  Confession is not a simple two or three-minute conversation with someone in secret, but it is a public change of life that should be recognized by all who come into contact with us.  Repentance comes not through any simple or superficial prayer either, but it comes from the heart and it should be meant when said.  Yes, the words of the prayer can be simple and easy to come up with, but its meaning must come from the heart, and a complete stoppage and about-face must accompany it or it means nothing but for show.  For the season that is about to be upon us shall expose the superficial chaff of religion and it shall be blown away with the spiritual wind of God according to His Word.  None shall escape such a storm and if we are not truly grounding in Covenant our lives shall be so shaken we may never recover.

Church it is time we stop skimming the surface of the Word of God and begin to study its true meaning, we have played around with the Bible for centuries and look at where it has gotten us.  We have no spiritual strength, nor do we even know how to draw spiritual food from this eternal source of eternal life.  This word in 1 John follows the same pattern as in Genesis 15, nothing has changed from the Scripture in Genesis until 1 John in the seriousness of confession and covenant.  Also, we cannot forget the remaining chapters and verses that fall outside of our text confinement, for the entire Bible is the definition of God and it is our responsibility to witness to the dying world through His Word.  We have had plenty of time to prepare our lives for the witnessing of the world, it is time now to face it with the Covenant we have and go forward and be an eternal confession of Truth.

DLB

I Don't Believe It

I Don't Believe It

7/18/21

How deep do humans believe in a subject or in people?  From history, we have learned that some beliefs may lead to death while others for the most part have little or no consequences to them.  However, when it comes a time when a challenge will arise and we must take a stand for what we believe, it is a common human action.  Many people believe this strongly against God and His presence in our lives, for how can someone so good allow such hideous activities to occur?  God does not always show up when mankind expects Him to, nor does He always grant our wishes in the manner to which we expect.  But God has never left us nor will He ever as long as we continue to believe in Him and allow Him to be the existing part of our lives.  God proves Himself correct as every day passes but in order for us to understand His Ways, we must first take a step of faith and trust His presence and leave all doubt behind.

There have been numerous times that I have heard this phrase from those around me expressing how they do not believe in God or that He ever existed in the first place.  They become very intense and emotional when someone brings up or mentions God's name and they are quick to point out that they do not want to talk about Him at all.  Many times they then go on a rant about why they do not believe in God and why they believe that anyone who does is lunatics, idiots, or candidates for insane asylums.  They will argue and call people names when they try to have a debate or conversation about God with them, usually ending up with an argument and leaving mad at each other.  What they do not want to understand is that they can believe what they wish for it is their choice to do so, but this choice not to believe in God does not make them correct.

It is a bold statement from someone who says they have been around for all eternity, that they are present today and that they shall always be around for the future of eternity.  Being convinced of something is a human gift that serves its purpose on its own and for its own.  Once again, that does not mean that you are automatically correct.  Do you remember a fellow in history called Galileo Galilei?  He was a 16th-century Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer who lived in Pisa.  His searching led to the understanding that the earth revolved around the sun and not vice versa as the Church and some astronomers believed it did.  It caused enough rift between both the religious and scientific communities that Galileo was shunned by both sides and basically exiled from all society.  So much so that he was placed on trial and found guilty resulting in a grossly amount of punishment for these beliefs.  Even years later, when Galileo was on his deathbed, it was approved that he could be buried in the church courtyard, but that decision was overturned by the current pope and all plans for his burial had to be made elsewhere.

It took time after Galileo had died that scientists proved that Galileo was correct in his presentations concerning the earth orbiting the sun and not vice versa.  This opened up many further studies that eventually proved that space was a vast science that many had no idea how to study or much less comprehend.  It is safe to say that with all the technology that we have to look deep into outer space we still have little information about exactly what is located where.  The pictures we see from far away places astound us and invigorate our imaginations furthering our desires to know more, yet we quickly say that there is no God or that He ever existed?  Our passage tells us a different story, one that gives a glimpse of how things were created, not only in our lives but in other worlds as well.  Our passage today is Isaiah 44:6 and goes as follows:

Isaiah 44:6

"Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."

Hebrew

"Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me."

God asks us a question today, and the question is this: do you completely believe that I do not exist or that I have no say in your lives?  How many of us know people who really have no belief in God or that He is always around us?  I know I have some co-workers and other friends that have that thinking and belief, and I watch their lives unfold I cannot help but have a sinking feeling because almost every day I see them with gloomy eyes and sad faces, oozing their innards out with nothing filling them back up.  It amazes me that people who take countless breaths each day and create new items to improve the quality of life fail to recognize just who gave us the ability to perform such precious destinations.  This process is a pathway that all of us have within our hearts, humans by creation are curious, long to know more, and search for answers to the unknown.  There is no logical perspective or even proven point that determines we came from ooze or all of a sudden came into perfect human form in an instant alone.  If so, why haven't we perfected such imperfections over this millions of years time frame?  This is a lie from the pit of hell, in that Satan wants this type of belief to run through our lives, for doubt is the single most effective disobedient act that will separate us from the Truth about our lives and purpose for existence.

As long as Satan can fixate in our hearts that God is not the God of Isaiah 44:6 and who He says He is, then he has us on a puppet system and can control our every move until God cuts those strings of slavery.  What does this actually mean, you ask?  It simply means that this verse states that there is only one God and that is god, which means that any other "god" that is proclaimed is made up or fake in every aspect of its existence.  A made-up god can have the capability of "changing" its behavior, looks, temperament, size, shape, and color at any moment without any real reason given.  How can any stability be present in such a state?  Yes, it allows for situational changes and off-the-cuff quick law claims, but that in itself is self-serving alone and shall vary with each person believing in such a frail god.  Plus, there is an origin to it, a humanly created thing that has the capability of coming and going whenever and where ever it chooses.  This is a disaster in the making yet so many people fall for such laws and gods.  Humans creating a god that serves situational standards is not an advantage of life, it is a positional and situational idol that will fade at a moment's notice and leave you high and dry without any protection or defense.  This concocted god is whimsical at best, satisfying one's pleasures on a superficial and baseless foundation.

Are we this naive and superficial that we set our standards on a god of pleasure instead of the God of eternal wisdom and courage?  Any god who is whimsical cannot honestly claim to be any type of defender, for its contingency is based upon itself, not for you.  In the first portion of this verse, God mentions that He is the Redeemer of Israel, this means that He does not leave when times become tough or when it looks dark on the horizon.  God has always stated that He is an eternal God, one who shall never leave you.  He cannot leave you for He does not have the ability to change His positions on anything, period!  

In this passage, the time stamp is of course in the Old Testament which means that the standard of separation is Israel.  Today the example of separation is the Church both of which are called to live and to witness as a separated eternal entity from the world.  Unfortunately, the Church has fallen into the same type of living conditions as Israel did, for we have allowed so many personal gods to infect our lives that their presence has been granted access to the Church's heart with false deities and doctrines to cloud our walk in Christ and to complete His mission through us.  Just as Israel had lost her mission to be the example against the world, we have done the exact same thing; scarily, many things in an identical manner.  The ultimate lesson of proudly and boldly stating that we do not believe there is a God even though all of our foundational upbringings taught us differently.

Let's take this Truth a bit deeper, and proclaim that God has always been and shall always be no matter how long mankind may inhabit existence.  In all honesty, our sinful, limited, and finite minds cannot honestly comprehend such a state of existence; therefore, how can we honestly project that what the Bible says is incorrect, especially the details and other items about God?  If one would study the Word of God thoroughly they would find out that many of the same issues and problems that Israel faced in the Old Testament, many of the same deteriorating living conditions, and devastation occur in our societies each day today.  What is so ridiculously fascinating is that the Church of today is demonstrating the exact same attitude toward the warnings that have been given to them as Israel did so long ago.  Are we to believe that we are just as naive to the warnings from God as Israel?  It sure does seem like our attitude is the same.

The challenge of the Modern Church is to change such settings, but unfortunately, we have fallen in line with the Early Church in that we have caught ourselves up in a denomination war and have turned to the world for help in sustaining the "lead" over others.  This passage tells the truth about God and because of our silly foolishness when it comes to God, we have failed to show the world that what the Bible says about God is the truth and not some mythical god-like being that does not exist.  How come we have chosen to discredit this verse, thus the definition of God with our own selfish pride?  Many times throughout the Bible, God states that He is first, foremost, and only Living God, so why does He continually remind us of this?  It is because humans have the habit of understanding short-sided versions of life, superficial ones that do not require deep and constant learning.  

Sadly, the Church has fallen into this category and has accepted many other gods before God and has created a conundrum of failings that she no longer sees as pitfalls, but as opportunities to be closer to the world.  The advances in life should never be a hindrance to the Church or her mission that she is supposed to complete but to remind us that there is so much more to learn about God and when we learn about God He shall provide new information and knowledge to help us truly defeat our problems.  Today, we hear that there is no God at all, that He never existed or that He died a long time ago, or that He has left us hanging out to dry.  Also, their belief that God does not exist gets support from Christians who do not live according to the Ways of God, thus building up the false claim that God does not exist.  This action of ours does not make these nonbelievers correct but promotes a lie to be correct an eternal lie that all of us shall answer for one day.

Many people fail to understand what is really going on in our world, passing it off as changing of the times, climate control, a new moral standard, etc but what we miss is that God is giving us warnings for what is about to arrive.  We are being bled dry of all kinds of resources and we totally ignore the reason why this is occurring.  In our passage, Isaiah writes to the people a statement from God that he should not have to do for they should know it to be true.  Also, God should not have me writing and reiterating this verse to a people, a nation, and The Church for something that we were founded upon.  Yet, I write what God tells me to, and sometimes the subjects are hard and difficult to transfer, but I know I must be obedient and do what I am commissioned to do.  Church, we have fallen away from the standard and plumb line that God told us to be and if we do not understand this now, we shall in the very near future but not in a setting such as we have today.  Yes, times are difficult and uncertain now, but in a short time, things shall be totally out-of-control and in pieces.  Repent and return to God NOW!  Not tomorrow or next week for God does not want to see us have to confess before Him that I did not believe it.

DLB

God's Timing

God's Timing

6/27/21

Humans have an ugly problem with timing, or most of us do with hardened schedules being the stable foundation of our lives.  How many times have we followed such routines and come to find out that even though our schedule may say one thing another actually takes place.  Routines become habits and habits become dependencies upon which we allow to become dictations instead of suggestions.  So, when things do not pan out as we believe or what we have been told we become angry and then doubt the further words from those sources.  The methods and calculations that we place of God and His timing are presented in the same way, we continually place God on human timelines which is a bad order to place God within.  God always sees His timeline and nothing else and it is this pattern that He wants to remind us that He is in control of everything and not you or I, another concept that humanity struggles to deal with.

For as long as I can remember, the jobs that I have had always gave a schedule out to guide when and where I would work.  Sometimes the schedule would be made for a month at a time and other times it would be made for two or three months at a time.  For the most part, this type of future knowledge is a good idea for it allows people to make plans for time off but on occasion, those time-off plans are messed up with sicknesses, deaths, or any other incident that would require schedule changes.  We can live with these short-term switcheroos and gladly help out a fellow coworker in need.  But how do we feel about the times when something that has been guaranteed to occur doesn't according to how we look at things or in a certain known pattern?  It is these times that make our minds and hearts send questions to our life processes and potentially stir up anxiety levels.

What does this type of scenario tell us about ourselves?  And if we include God and what He says to us into the equation, how do we justify things when they do not go as planned, or at least how we perceive them to be planned?  These questions if lingered long enough will definitely become doubts which will then lead to deeper issues of separation from God more likely.  Waiting upon the Lord to do what He says He will do in a society that moves faster every day will be difficult if our hearts and minds are not totally fixed in His Word. To be totally fixed upon God takes us into a different place than what the world operates in, it shapes us to leave our earthly beliefs and directs us into the truth about us not being from here but just passing through.  We see this activity in Jeremiah and when we understand that God may not always show up on our timeline, He does have His own timeline and when the time is just perfect, His presence abounds.

The passage for this article demonstrates that when God says something He will do it, but not according to what mankind believes.  Patience is not many of our strong points and this truth is evident every day.  Impatience is a deadly force that we listen to when waiting on God should be the course of action.  Our passage is Jeremiah 1:1-3, a simple yet informative passage that shows us exactly what it means to go through God's timing.

Jeremiah 1:1-3

"The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.  To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.  It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month."

Hebrew

"[These are] the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.  The word of the LORD came to [Jeremiah] in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah  son of Amon king of Judah, and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile."

This passage seems to be just one of those chronicles of time that the Bible has been famous for, another portion where we read it but do not pay too much attention to, some may even call it boring and skip over it all together.  But it holds a key presence in how God works and how we should consider just how gracious God is in that He gives people time to repent before He must act His judgment upon them and on their land.  We cannot ignore the fact that are some serious timelines that pass through these three verses and all three of them reflect upon one theme, and that is God's Word comes forth through Jeremiah about the impending devastation of Judah.

One of the signs of impatience is that we begin to relax our hesitations and worries toward what we have heard to be true.  Right at the moment, there are prophecies about President Trump that have stirred many emotions in our lives.  Through our impatience, we have dropped off the level of intensity - further - and have publicly and loudly criticized those prophets and people who have declared the Word of the Lord in this matter as liars, or that they missed what God was "actually" saying.  This type of belief is exactly what Jeremiah faced each day of his life as a prophet.  God asks a question here: how much of our jobs do we get accomplished when we live in such an impatient state and how much are we truly waiting on God during this time?  That answer is easy, for not much to both portions of that question.

We must remember that in the days of Jeremiah there were prophets that did not have the faith in God that they needed, nor did they want to have faith in God either.  They were the popular prophets who always said good and kind things about God, and how God would protect them and never allow things to occur to the people or to the land.  These prophets were many and constantly contradicted what God was REALLY saying to the people through Jeremiah.  These other prophets were present for show only and truly acted as thieves for their words of worldly comfort served as stealing of what was coming to the people.  This setting provides us with a great picture of thievery and how if it is not dealt with adequately and quickly shall grow into a presence of great magnitude that with having the authority to destroy an entire nation.

Once again, we have the picture and related question of: Are our hearts fully committed to what God has ordained for our lives, or are we distracted from what we are waiting for in the first place?  In this passage, we should clearly see that Judah's heart was waiting on what the popular prophets were saying and not what God was telling them, a situation that is so attractive in our lives today as well.  These suitable words reassured the people of Judah that they could continue their ways without the fear of any retribution from God and that what Jeremiah was saying while true, was not completely accurate.  They placed their hopes and trusts on the enemies around them to be easy on them and to shy away from them, you know, be on their same level of existence.

Jeremiah never waivered from what God shared with him to say to Judah.  This process was not an overnight Word from God, it too was the original Word and stayed the same as time went along.  How long did Jeremiah proclaim such a message?  I am glad you asked because it is the focal point of what God wants us to hear today.  As you read these three verses there are some kings mentioned, all of them were sons of Josiah.  One may believe that this might not be a long period of time but in reality, it was.  When you add all of the reigns of these kings together, it comes up to 53 1/2 years forty of which were actual days of Jeremiah's speaking, and when you put it in these terms his preaching of what God said was longer than the Children of Israel were in the wilderness.  This should also tell us something, that the Children of Israel did not learn much while they were walking in the wilderness for all that time because if they had learned anything it had been put aside again for this time around it was a longer period of time before God had to step in and do something about the direction of their hearts.

The end of verse three gives us the ultimate plan of God upon Judah.  There is no way possible that anyone could say that God did not give Judah plenty of time to change their hearts for there was an incredible amount of time for this process to occur, but one should also recognize that when God says something He already knows what the possibilities will be, a truth that should strike fear into every heart.  Also, when we look at the timeframe in these three verses, we must consider that this amount of time was approximately an entire life span of a person, some lived to be what we would consider being as old folks but not the majority.  God allowed over half a century to pass until He fulfilled His Word, Jeremiah never stopped preaching the truth and doing his best to get the people of Judah to turn from their ways.

Today, the Church has fallen to the wayside through listening to what is popular instead of what is Truth, and for those who are spiritually watching and listening they understand these two statements to be correct.  Today, just as in the time of Jeremiah, many people label unpopular prophets as liars, scoundrels, trouble makers, or any other derogatory labels in order to "put them in their place".  This concept now being presented by the Church is a result of laziness in believing in the Word of God and fulfilling its promises and truths concerning God's Son.  Judah portrayed the exact same sin and over a period of time began to apostatize God and form their own futile and weak, feeble religion with their own personalities their deities.  What is the difference today?  Of course, we would expect this type of activity from the world but from the commissioned Church of Jesus?  Man, humans are so predictable sometimes.

How do we view those people who are visibly on fire for God?  How many of us shy away from them when they approach us or how about, we turn and tell others around us that they are crazy and not to be taken literally?  I believe that a great number of us fall into that category.  It is this type of acting that proves God is alive and will show anyone who wishes how things will become when His prized creations do not live for Him or believe in His Word.  Church, stop for a moment and take a look at our heart, it is sick and dark in color with a disease that pours out from our lives with an eternal stench that no one can deny.  God shall strike us due to the fact that we have chosen the ways of the world instead of HIm, and this striking shall be more difficult and thorough than what the world shall receive for a wicked servant God cannot stand.

I have no idea when this strike shall occur, nor do I understand what kind of method God shall use in order to crumble our selfish temple; however, I DO know that He shall do this someday soon.  No, I am not saying that it shall occur tomorrow, next week, or even next year but it could be, for God's timing is His business and in that moment of reckoning we shall all face the music.  Humans have an absurd image of control when it comes to God and life abundantly, we believe that we should constantly use the gifts of God for ourselves and shun those who need them a gross injustice when it comes to the law of sowing and reaping.  The portion we forget about is that if we do not share what God gives us then we place our lives and eternal placement in danger according to the judgment of God.  Jeremiah preached this truth to Judah, they ignored it.  Many preachers and prophets today have preached the exact same thing, and we too have ignored it.  So, yes, God's timing is on His watch and only He shall know the time and place to set our destruction in motion and just how severe "Jerusalem" shall fall.

DLB

No Combat Presence

No Combat Presence

6/22/21

Why is it vital to make sure we know how to fight properly when it comes time to defend what is correct?  More importantly, why is it that we have such a fear of being in battle, do we think that we will win this eternal fight through our names alone?  God has stated many times in His Word that what we face each day is a battle and that we need to make sure we understand our enemy well enough to outmaneuver his attacks; but, we cannot do this if we do not fight the enemy face to face and gain experience while these battles occur.  We cannot be defenseless or any type of pacifist for what we face each day is a war for our lives and if we do not listen to God and understand His Words of victory we shall eternally die.  Combat experience on the battlefield means the difference between life and death and God has provided us with the battle plan for eternal living, not eternal death.

There are not too many people in the world that actually prepare themselves for war every day, not even the active-duty military personnel do this on a continual basis.  Not many people admire taking aim at another human being in anger or as a means to defend themselves from an attacker or combatant enemy.  However, when the person aiming at another has proper training it should be too difficult to make sure that the situation is handled quickly and accurately without any large foul-ups.  Sometimes, however, even though nothing is done incorrectly, human armies realize that they are outnumbered or have been tactically outmaneuvered and must surrender.  It is at this time that many continue to hold their heads high and silently say that one day they will fight again, somewhere and somehow.

Some of you may remember the series "Band Of Brothers" and how towards the end of the final episode a scene took place where a German General gave a final speech to his troops.  In this scene, he commends them for a good fight and how proud he was of them due to their bravery for such a long time.  He also stated that they should be proud of their accomplishments and how they also should be proud of their fellow brothers that they lived with day and night.  They formed a bond with each other that even though in defeat would continue to hold true and firm for as long as they live.  This scene was one of the more somber and sobering settings of the series but was necessary in order to ensure that all aspects of the series were properly covered.

The experiences that each one of the soldiers took back with them to their families would remain in their hearts and minds until the day they drew their last breath.  It changed their lives in a certain way that is hard to explain to those who have not been in combat, sometimes one that can never be properly told.  When people who experience combat and continually are on the losing end of battles and skirmishes, they tend to become bewildered and even approach the suicidal point of aggression to the extreme where they turn on each other and take their frustrations out on their own comrades.  Soldiers should be trained well enough and have enough battle experience to recognize such conditions and avert such problems through recognition before it arrives and takes over the front lines.  The same type of atmosphere can occur when the fight is heated and the majority of the troops involved have little or no combat experience, a sad sight to watch unfold but occurs more often than one thinks.  

It is the lack of experience of combat that God wants us to talk about here, for even though we are supposedly tired of fighting these days, the true battle has not hit our lives just yet.  The reason that the battle has not reached us yet is that we have been sitting around in our pews playing video games instead of being out in the streets (spiritual) conducting war against our enemy, and it is this lack of experience that is going to cost many people's eternities when the battle is brought to us.  God has made His battle plan quite clear to those who have been in His places of worship and just as Job experienced it shall be God who allows such things to occur in our lives very soon.  Unless we figure out that a devastating attack is imminent, the future for many will end soon.  This fact is a huge issue here and it is being portrayed in the Church as something that will not occur at all; a false sense of security.

It is difficult for me to believe that any church member (body of Christ, The Church) does not have any spiritual combat experience.  I mean, look around and it does not take very long to notice all of the attacks that the Church is undergoing, yes, even in this nation.  But the question remains is: how come not many are talking about their experiences, strengthening others through these times of combat?  The answer is quite clear, we walk around such opportunities or turn our heads the other way when they approach which nullifies any time of the spiritual head-to-head battle that should be taken.  Also, this lack of spiritual battle positioning is not being addressed in the church buildings either, which means that this assessment about no battle experience is correct.  Talk about a divided state when considering the mission of the Church, no wonder our time is spent more in front of the television or computer screens than in the Word of God.  We should be ashamed of ourselves and rightfully embarrassed to call ourselves Christians or followers of Christ.

Steve Camp wrote a song many years ago called "Run To The Battle". It was a call of duty song in which it gave us specific instructions of what to do as Christians.  When we became Christians we automatically receive our orders and it is our responsibility to run to those who need help.  We should believe in what we profess to be true and when we believe in such eternal Truth we cannot help but have the boldness and the spiritual enthusiasm to tell others about Christ.  The passage for this article explains just exactly what God wants us to share with others, but cannot if we are battle-tested.

James 2:19

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

Greek

"You believe that God is one. Good for you!  Even the demons believe [that] and shudder."

This verse gives results of what the results that the Church should have, but once again we continually see that this is not the way it is at all.  I was in the military but was never involved in any of the actual fightings but was ready at any moment to leave my comfort zone and enter the said battleground.  This placement in my life created a bond between many people that otherwise I would have no opportunity to know and to build trust.  Even though I have been out of the military for almost thirty years now, I still feel a tug of bonding when I see or read military stories about those who have served or who are currently serving.  We in the Church cannot get past which denomination (division) is best, or which one is bigger, or who carries more truth and sanctity.  Really?  No wonder we are weak and feeble at best, we have no spiritual teeth to use against the world.

James tells us that the demons believe that God is one, and they should because at one point in history they shared the same living space as God.  They know, and you know what else they know?  God has not changed from the day He created them and He shall not change ever, for any reason.  This is the reason He is one and it is for this reason that the demons shudder to think about such eternal Truth.  And we do not have the guts enough to go and explain this to those who are being tormented by such evil creatures?  This means that we do not believe the first half of this verse, thus limiting our capabilities of effectively combating the spiritual entities that have their grip on so many wonderful people.  If a defeated enemy believes that God is one why can't we agree on the same thing?  This should be a no-brainer, folks.

This also gives us a very disturbing detail about the battle scenes that have been fought, are being fought today, and those that will be fought in the future.  These destructive and evil spirits know that God is one, which means that not only have they been in the presence of God they have also fought against His people as well.  If these evil spirits can come to an agreement about God, it means that they have had the decency to follow their ruler even though it is for a lost cause they have their mission to fulfill.  Um, why are we not doing the same?  How do we know this fact about demons and their activity?  Look around you, so many people are influenced by demonic activity simply because they are following the orders of their ruler, yet they are defeated.  Here lies the key, if a defeated enemy is leading successful charges against others what does this tell us about the effectiveness of the other side, you know the one that is not fighting back?

Demons are combat tough and have adequate responses that should quickly be pushed back, but are not on almost every level.  It is fact, that proves the Church has no combat experience whatsoever and unless something changes God is going to have to clean our clocks with His righteousness and holiness so that we may once again complete spiritual combat missions against the enemy.  A shuddering enemy should never be allowed to claim ANY victory over any person, period!  Church, we are sick and in need of help immediately.  It is obvious that we have lost our vision and it needs to be restored.  We cannot afford to sit back and allow such wimpy losers to take over the world and destroy people's lives.  Remember, it is okay to witness to people before they have fallen to pieces, just as it is acceptable to witness to those who have fallen to pieces, BOTH are precious in the eyes of God.

Many Christians voluntarily forget that the Bible is a sword, and this sword divides the kingdom of the world's strongholds.  It does not in any way have the authority to divide people themselves, but we have sure done a pretty good job of mowing down people over the centuries, even our own.  The standard of God has been given to the Church and we have dropped that standard to make it more "appealing" to the world.  We have done a fabulous job of lowing this standard, but we have in no way lowered the Standard of God.  As I read a quote the other day and this sums up this point, it goes like this: "The Bible does not work like Facebook, where your likes or opinions matter. God's Word is true regardless, whether you agree with it or not."  So, this verse tells us that unless we are running to the battle and taking our spiritual combat experiences with us, those shuddering, defeated demons are winning.

DLB

Cancer and the Church

Cancer and the Church

6/15/21

Does anyone believe that cancer has entered into the heart of the Church, or does everyone believe that all things are set in place and all is okay?  Do we understand why pain circumvents our every move and that as long as it continues to be misdiagnosed, our pain and agony will become greater and greater?  These questions are legitimate ones that need to be addressed now and the reasons for such pain properly dealt with by the eternal Surgeon, for if we do not allow this to occur, when He operates it shall have uncontrolled consequences afterward.  We are on a path of eternal death due to our own intake of sin within our hearts, and it is necessary that we change our ways before we take our last breath.  God does not desire to see us suffer but if we do not change there is no way that we can complete the command of Jesus and live in the freedom that His Father wishes us to be.  There is a fraction amount of time left, God wants us to hear this message so that we may live again and witness to those who need Him in their lives, cancer-free.

One of the most frustrating characteristics of humans is that of denial and how long we refuse to see the truth about settings or conditions.  I understand that this portion of our emotional standard is a natural process and it must occur at some point and at some level, but to make it a semi-permanent fixture or even a permanent fixture in our lives is devastating and shall only serve as a detriment for our future and one if allowed will dig a divide between the denier and the ones trying to get them to see.  A decades-long adherence to denial can only prove a single outcome, loneliness and once this process begins for a single issue it is not too difficult to add other denial categories to other issues that we encounter.  We become blind to our surroundings and then deaf to those who are trying to get us to move along the path of life, has anyone been in this situation before?

I have had the privilege for the last decade of my life to be able to work with an extraordinary group of people, people who have been dealt an ugly hand in life and for the majority of them a death sentence.  I have stated plenty of times before that I did not understand what the word courage meant until I stepped foot into our cancer clinic and I must admit that my knowledge and understanding of that word continues to shine and grow each day.  Physically and psychologically, the word cancer is probably the most frightening word in any language that human ears can hear.  This word does not have to be directed toward you per se, it still brings fear into other people's hearts and you cannot help but feel their shock and pain.  Denial is one of the huge issues and products we in the Oncology field have to face, for it strikes like no other medical term and will present a battle that many shall not endure.  It is at this point that many of us find ways to support these beautiful people and to guide them as much as we can through the stages of treatment, a process that could be a maintenance job for many years to come.

Once the process of denial is dealt with, the entire treatment policy can begin, for when denial is present there cannot be any complete form of combating the disease because it is allowed to eat away at the host unabated and as long as this is the case, not much can be done to heal what has already been affected.  In a world that promotes giving up or not even standing up to adequately fight for something you need, it does not help to hear that the home life is rough or non-supportive, for abandonment is definitely not the suggestive behavior to go home to after poisons are placed within your veins and arteries.  Denial is a voluntary process that is chosen and accepted by the world and is an eternal detriment to each one of us; so goes many of the churches in our societies as well.  

It is tough for me to write these words but God has specifically instructed me to do so and I cannot hesitate any longer.  So here goes; the process of denial as stated above is a voluntary one and it has been chosen and accepted by the Church.  The Church has adopted this denial process concerning sin (cancer) and it is time that we allow the Eternal Surgeon to cut this cancer out of our lives so that we may thrive and live again as we were designed to do.  The Church has increased its belief that the world is not that bad and has in a corresponding manner allowed the world access into her heart.  Remember, the world cannot represent anything but death, and this death is not an easy process nor is it a nice process either.  We all know that when denial arrives it will not be allowed to be touched for it has a process to complete before it will be recognizable.  The passage for this article is as follows:

Exodus 15:26

"And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee."

Hebrew

""saying, If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, [then] I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."

One of the most forgotten truths about the kingdom of the world is that the world shall not defeat itself with admonitions of wrongdoings, everything the world does believe 100% that it is the best for you, and it will tell you such lies when trying to apply itself into your life.  The world shall follow this lie until every living human being leaves this earth for complete eternal separation from God; this is the law of the world.  Cancer cells have the same projection and will not stop growing and accumulating in the surrounding (host) organ until the entire organ is filled with cells that it does not recognize as its own, it then shuts down, and it is this same type of cancer cells that the Church has allowed to adhere to parts of her body.  The Church now promotes the world and its standards, God wants us to know that the Church is no longer in Communion with God but in communion with the world which means that she harbors cancer cells.  In other words, the Church now chooses the world as her first choice, not God.

The passage here tells us that if the Children of Israel would listen to the voice of the Lord that He would guide them in everything they did, but as long as they continued to promote the world (Egypt) that their days would be long and filled with the same diseases and conditions that God placed upon the Egyptians.  We all know that anyone who left Egypt that was of a certain age or older would not see the Promised Land due to this acceptance of the world within their lives.  The world (Egypt) promoted slavery, sickness, captivity, and death, eternal cancer to all who trust in it.  This is exactly what the Church is facing today because her eyes have been blinded to the Truth and her spiritual ears have been deafened with the diseases of the world.

Jesus can no longer be the partner to the Church as long as we continue to revel in such a condition, God is a complete God and shall not allow His Son to be associated with the world in ANY partnership desired, nor would Jesus even want to be associated with such a disgraced bride.  I work with this subject every day, and I see what its presence does in each body that it habitats.  There is nothing good about cancer for it does nothing good to the body, it invades it and then latches on to many organ linings and then goes to work on spreading its seed.  My eyes see tall folks and short ones too, I see both elderly and young people in the clinic, ethnically there is no distinction of which cancer invades, nor is cancer a respecter of gender all human bodies can be affected and these outcomes are not good by any means, for the vast majority of these wonderful people pass away from such insults.

So, why would the Church have any inkling of an idea to support and condone such inclusion of deadly conditions?  It is appalling to think that the only representative of God and His Tabernacle has anything to do with the world; however, I guess it is not too difficult since all throughout the Bible God has to continually remind His remnant that their hearts are to remain circumcised from the world.  It is obvious that we do not believe that the acceptance of the world represents death, or that we have become so self-centered that death does not mean too much any longer.  In truth, the Church is in total denial concerning the condition of the world and her approval of it within herself.  She is blind to the fact that the ways that she now believes in are of the world and not the Ways of God, His Word, and thus God Himself.  Since this is the case, we cannot deny the fact that we now believe in cancer that the world offers more than the Foundation of our lives, this can only promote and favor the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.

It is this very identical behavior of the Children of Israel had concerning Egypt, they were supposedly free from the conditions of slavery but they were never free from their captors at all.  This lack of trust and surrender to God cost many of the people of Israel not to see the Promised Land that God had given to them so long ago.  But at the same time, Israel's blindness was so dark that they could not even see from their eyes to their hearts just how bad their worldly desires were eating at their existence.  May times over, the Children of Israel complained about how good their lives were back in Egypt compared to how they had it after their release, they never understood that Egypt had to be taken out of them and not just on the physical aspect either.

What is so devastating to the Children of Israel is that they actually longed to go back into slavery in order to have a better life, talk about a ridiculous way to build back better, eh.  God specifically states that if they would turn away from the world (Egypt) and listen to Him and His Ways, that He would not inflict the same conditions and diseases on them as He did on Egypt.  Now, this was a guaranteed statement by God, and it does not matter in which direction they chose to follow.  The health of Egypt was not good in any way and yet Israel wanted to go back and chomp on garlic and onions beside the Nile?  Something is just not right here in the thinking and in the hearts of Israel, who would want to go back into captive settings?

Another issue here that Israel seems to forget and that today's Church forgets is that Egypt (the world) wanted to place restrictions and heavy burdens of slavery onto the people of Israel.  The leaders of the Egyptian society demanded harder and tougher living and working conditions upon Israel in order to defeat them both physically and willfully.  The world has not changed one bit through the eons of time, nor will it ever change either because its campaign of captivity and death produces such great success.  When you take a look at the path of cancer it follows the exact same pattern, the people inflicted with this nasty condition may begin with few symptoms or agony but by the time cancer has invaded other parts of the body, they are a shell of what life represents and means and when we allow the world into our lives it shall do the same to us.  We need to wake up Church and see that our spiritual body is in a mess and that there is something seriously wrong here.  We have a few more moments to change our hearts and to reverse this disease pattern.

While every word, verse, passage, chapter, or book represents how to live in a spiritually cancer-free environment, if we live by this verse and what it says we will be able to obtain this type of eternal lifestyle without any problems from the world.  Of course, the world is going to roam and roar around you but because we are listening to God and to His Ways those worldly sounds will be drowned out quite easily.  All of us agree that the word cancer strikes fear into any person's heart when it is mentioned in a personal and private setting.  Church, not only do we have the perfect manner in which to live, but we also have the perfect presentation to give to those who are being eaten up with this junk.  We cannot take their issues away from them, so we need to stop trying to heap their ailments upon our lives, only God can give eternal life and only His Son can cover us with the necessary cleansing blood strong enough to wash away all blemishes forever.  Physical conditions of cancer not many people escape healthy after a diagnosis, spiritual cancer is fully treatable and curable but it can only occur when we place our hearts under the condition of this verse.  God is good and it is His desire for us to live and to thrive and be living witnesses for Him and His Kingdom.

DLB

Reversed Order Thinking

Reversed Order Thinking

5/25/21

How many of us would say that we have fallen victim to looking and then accepting only our way of thinking when a situation develops?  If we are honest, we have all wanted our names in the spotlight when matters such as these arise.  We must take into consideration that there are many ways to view a situation which means there are other means and explanations to such settings as well, there is nothing wrong with this as long as the core is kept true within the intended words.  In this case, the core of what is intended is the Word of God and when we speak of passages and verses we must never deviate from its Truth in meaning and standard.  This type of realization needs to be understood in order for us to witness to others when an opportunity comes along, for if we do not, then that opportunity will fade away without any seed planted or future fruit produced.  Another question now begs here and that is do we realize just how many opportunities have been missed due to this lack of knowledge?

There is not one of us who has kept every law in the books willingly and purposefully.  This does not mean that we are bad people but the ones who have done things wrong.  How many laws and rules have you broken?  I know that I would lose track if I began to think about those instances in my life.  It does not matter how big or small these breakings were/are, they represent a stat that none of us can be excluded.  While the majority of people do their best to keep the truth in place we have to admit that there are those who see nothing wrong with lying, stealing, and doing other no good deeds to people along with harm to others.  The younger generations seem to have these mischievous acts down pat and have no remorse about the acts they do nor do they display any emotions when caught.  It cannot be argued that many of today's younger people have total disregard for laws and respect, but how do we talk to these people and approach their needs in the correct manner?  It is only achieved if we understand how the people who do such activities see things and appropriately respond to them.

How do many people look at the Bible or the contents of the Bible?  In that light, how do people view God?  The responses would seem endless on both of those topics and should not come as any surprise.  You might be surprised that even a good number of Christians do not have a favorable view of God or how He operates within our lives.  Since this is the case, we cannot blame those who have no idea about God to also not have a favorable view about God.  Have you ever encountered such a person?  We should have, for it is these people who Jesus commanded us to witness.  One of the most effective lies Satan tells us is that God does not love us and that if He did why would He send His only Son to earth just to die.  Countless people are so lost and without love, in their lives, it is easy for them to believe such a lie; therefore, stay away from such a Being that would do such a horrid thing.

The passage that God uses for this article is probably one of the most famous ones if not the most famous and that is John 3:16-17.  Yet it is a passage that is used against God in many ways and forms and when it is presented to the Christian for explanation some of us cannot adequately explain why God had no choice but to send Jesus to earth, live, die, and rise again.  This is a sad thought to have to cross our hearts but it is true and as long as we cannot truthfully explain why Jesus came here, every effort that we do to try and reach the lost shall fall on the cemented ground and immediately burn up from the heat.  The passage goes as follows:

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Greek

"For God so loved the world that He gave [His] one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God {did} not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

The word "loved" used in verse 16 is the Greek word "egapesen" which means to love, to wish well, to take pleasure in, long for, the love of reason, and to esteem.  It has never been the intention of God to destroy the world, He has always tried His best to get people to understand why it is important for us to keep Him first and live under His Ways.  Take a look at this word's definition, do you see something of a pattern that was followed some time back at the beginning of the Bible?  It is the same affection God had after each Created day in Genesis.  It is this same love that God had for the Creation of the world that allowed Him to send His Son to the world for us.  Can we explain such love to a person who has never experienced such a state?  We better, because the world even though it was loved by God, cannot provide such a perfect condition and it is our job to know this passage well enough to find ways to explain such love to them.

In verses 17, we see the usage of the word "save" and it comes from the Greek word "sothe" which has the definition to save, heal, preserve, rescue, deliver, protect.  This word too is a powerful and strong word that has an eternal meaning for it responds to the reason God sent His Son to the world because God recognized that the world was in trouble and that mankind could not do it on its own.  God makes a brilliant move here that mankind could never do in such a capacity, the only one teste close enough was Abraham but God knew that a true human sacrifice would not be sufficient for all of eternity since animal sacrifices, created by earthly methods, were already not good enough for eternal sakes.  With all of the ones looking for the answer to life's questions, it would seem like these beautiful people would quickly follow God yet so many die each day in their sins have no clue about their Savior.

Now, given the fact for many churchgoers this passage is the core of the relationship that God wants with us and the single purpose Jesus came to this earth.  Even with this knowledge, it is still difficult for many to come to grips with such a Truth.  We have grown up with this passage etched into our minds and heart as one of faith and the Hope that we have in Christ in a relationship and in Covenant terms with God.  It is common knowledge for us to think about this passage and draw upon its love and security for what God allowed to occur simply because we failed Him way back in the Garden of Eden.  But this true and heavenly promotion is not shared by everyone and the promotion that has been provided to them is not a healthy one for no lie is healthy to anyone or to any part of the human being.

Let us take a look at how many people feel about this passage of Scripture in that they do not see what we know about these two verses.  Remember there are countless people who grew up in violent or broken-filled homes with no stability whatsoever to speak of.  When you take this point of value it changes things when it comes to giving and receiving, you know the same concept of sowing and reaping.  These people know nothing about what it means to properly give something to others strictly out of love, with no strings attached.  So, to be honest, when these people question why God would send His Son to the earth just to die they are only following the pattern that they have watched all throughout their lives, and that is selfish content based strictly on lies.  "How can you believe anyone who would give up their son to purposefully die" is usually the form of the question that is posed and through their experiences in life it is a valid question.

Have you ever thought about their side of the story and the reasoning they have such doubts about God?  What would expect from a person who has grown up with a lousy childhood, a violent upbringing, men and women in and out of their parents' bedrooms with no stability guaranteed for the next morning, or any one of the numerous other toxic conditions that humans can dream up?  How many of us would react according to what we have been taught to do by the methods of witnessing, that is to say, begin your arguments about these two verses in shock and awe that you would find out that someone differs from your opinion or beliefs.  This type of setting occurs on a regular basis and by the time the conversation ends, you are frustrated that your words were not heard and the people leave with deeper and deeper agitations concerning God.  Nothing solved with the exception that someone down the line will have a more difficult time correctly witnessing to them.

For someone who has not been subjected to a family that demonstrated real love to them, they cannot help but have different outlooks on what love is and how it is shown as stated above.  In like manner, for those of us who have not been in a predicament of lying love, it is difficult for us to understand what those hurting people have been through.  Thus, we need to be aware of what their feelings are in order to adequately speak to them in a way that they can know that the truth is out there and wants to be a part of their lives.  Yelling and screaming at them does not help anything, in fact, it deepens their commitment to their beliefs and thickens their course of freedom from the lies they have been told.  This is where we need to have the knowledge of being in the world because we live in it but not be of the world, for when we live this life we can know how to relate with these people and witness to them properly.

We have been so busy mucking about with the dissertations of our own religiosity that we have totally forgotten what it means to witness or to be a witness for Jesus Christ.  We shall never win one person to Christ with a continued attitude of "holier than thou" toward people who do not know God, the only position with unbelievers when we present this attitude is that of what the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes did.  Until we understand Jesus' message to the people of His day and to the command of what He gave His Church to complete, our numbers and influence upon the world shall decrease.  Jesus taught in parables, which meant that even though He was the Son of God He still knew how to relate to those who were listening to Him.  Jesus never chastised the people for their lack of understanding of God, He told them about it but He never was angry at them, even as He was dying on the cross.

Do we know how to really grab the attention of those who do not believe that God really and truly sent His Son to die for our sins and to rise again in order to provide an eternal Sacrifice for every bad deed we have ever done or will do?  Do we know the Word of God well enough to reach these people in the same manner as Jesus did, or can we only quote verses of Scripture that we cannot explain to them when they ask?  This ineptness goes back to the lack of knowledge that is talked about throughout the New Testament and referred to in the Old Testament.  We have conceded that knowing famous verses in the Bible and then just quoting them when in time of need is sufficient enough to win over those who do not believe, or enough to bring us out of a jam when all of a sudden we need God.  I bet you that many of those who read this article have no clue what kind of love this passage of Scripture refers to and since this is the case how can we even claim to be an adequate source for God.

We should hang our heads sharply down in shame for we have produced and sold a sham of a Way to God simply because we ourselves have no clue about what should live within our hearts.  It is time that we dive back into the Word of God and study its true meaning for life and for survival.  In no manner whatsoever should we be focused on our own survival first fro we should have already been confident enough to advance past this Foundation, we need to be out talking with those who do not know God and showing them through the Word of God from their point of view.  Jesus taught in parables so that everyone would think about what He was teaching and telling the people.  Jesus always said that there was much more to life than just the physical aspects of our existence, that the spiritual was far greater than what we see with our eyes and the method by which He taught people this is brilliant.

This method of Jesus' teaching is exactly what God is trying to say to us today through this topic, He wants us to relate to the people that are lost and are suffering.  God understands that He cannot force anyone to accept Him and His Son but it is only their choice to do so.  Jesus knew this as well when He was on the earth, He always stated the facts and as to what was occurring around the people they were acquainted with.  Jesus knew that these people would have a difficulty in believing why God would do such a thing, not because they were stupid or dumb but because the enemy of all eternal humanity had been able to run roughshod over their lives from all angles.  This cannot be more specified as to why God stated in verse 17 that He did not send His Son into the world to condemn it; well, for a person who has been witness to everything pain and hurt for their entire life, I would have a hard time accepting this verse as well.  Can we say that we have enough faith in these two verses to counteract the reversed order thinking that so many people have?  Are we prepared enough to lovingly receive such words from hurting people and have the understanding of where they are coming from to help them hear and accept the Truth?

I look at many people who I have known for a long time and who call themselves Christians and through their actions, it is obvious that they could not defend such a powerful passage if it ever came to the point of its challenge.  This is a sad state, especially when a great number of Christians fail to recognize that they live in the exact same condition that those who question this passage live.  We have become spiritually blind to our own teachings, and it breaks God's heart.  Defending God's Word does not just lie within one side, Jesus understood how to reach the folks of His day and it is our responsibility to reach the people of our day in the same manner.  That takes studying the Bible on a daily basis, and seeing, really seeing that people do not know God and if they do not know Him that there is a place that they will be sent that is not pretty at all, in fact, it is Hell.

It is this same complacency from our hearts that will lead many of us into separation from God when He says that it is time for His shaking to occur.  Many will not understand why these things will be happening, and once again we shall be placed into a position of questioning and we shall not know how to answer them correctly.  In no way is God referring to the rapture of the Church here, He is talking about getting us ready for a return to Him and His Ways.  It is coming and we need to be prepared on all levels for there will be a bunch of angry people running around doing their best to seek out unsuspecting folks and groups wanting to have some type of sustenance.  Actually, all of those mishandled questions and answers for all the past years shall be commencing to expose themselves in a physical manner, think about that for a while Church.  God wants our hearts back to Him and the time for repentance is now and immediately after repentance we need to study, study, pray, pray and pray some more.

God asks you this question: are you prepared well enough to handle people who have a reversed order thought process concerning God and His Son?  It is vital not only for those who absolutely have no idea about God but for you and your eternal position too.  Stop and think about things for a while, if people knowing the Word of God and then just going out and speaking its content on a regular basis worked, then the majority of conversions to God would occur in the church building alone, but they do not.  For as long as I can remember, and way further back, people witnessing to their friends, families, coworkers, and other acquaintances brought in the majority of people who accepted Christ as their Savior.  Today, hardly anyone is coming to Christ in any manner of witnessing which shows us exactly that we do not have enough knowledge about the Bible to answer simple questions from others.  There are a few days left folks before things drastically change and our command from Jesus becomes harder to complete.  Let us do our part by repenting ourselves and then daily be a witness to those who need Him and reverse the reversed order thinking that has so many far away from God.

DLB

Which Is Greater?

Which Is Greater?

5/2/21

There is no shortage of tragedies in our world today, it seems like it is an endless supply of something that angers our hearts.  While these instances are of great concern to all of us, there is a higher issue that is being ignored or better yet, not even thought about.  This issue is of the eternal manners in which these people face as soon as they take their last human breath.  It is easy to quote Scripture to support such a stance and truth, but God does not need our support, He needs us out on the streets and in communities witnessing and telling the ones who do not know HIm that they need a Savior for their time could be short.  It is not any desire from God that anyone perish and live eternity from Him, but tragically it seems like we wish to keep these eternal issues superficial.  This belief of ours shall not only cost other people their lives but ours as well.

For quite some time now, years in fact this nation along with other modern nations have witnessed their share of informative settings that target certain groups of people.  Inevitably, some type of ugly event occurs and that part of the specific nation is set ablaze with a hotbed of violence, anger, and vitriol on display.  It seems like it is one thing after another that our eyes and ears see and listen for countless hours just to see what the current results will be.  What is disturbing is that this watching and listening process continues on a distance course that lasts for weeks, months, or as in one place for over a year.  In no manner of speaking, this type of anxiousness on a continuing basis is not healthy for any sized community, and the longer its uneasy presence present the more likely deeper violent attitudes will arise and prevail.

Unfortunately, these types of settings usually involve at least one death, with the issue of race, coming into question.  While most of the time this is the case, there are other conditions that warrant such outcries but in our modern nations, the race is the catalyst that starts the raging.  Even though the majority of rural areas are not subject to such animosity conditions, we do see what has transpired and therefore cannot ignore the graphics of our surroundings.  What it boils down to is that humans have become a very selfish occupant of these lands and we harbor an indefinite amount of bitterness within our hearts and we are itching to release these growth patterns whenever we feel like necessity brings them forward.  Yes, these instances are mortifying and totally sad and disgusting, there is the most important fact that has been left out of this process and examinations, God.

As I have studied these events over the past few years, I have noticed two constant things about the end results.  First off, is that at least one person is dead or severely beaten to the point of them being left unrecognizable.  Secondly, when the results are handed down, it is all superficial manifestations that are noted and proclaimed.  These two factors when used in combination alone, present a deeper misunderstanding of how to end such ridiculous issues, and yet, this lack of knowledge fuels more and deeper results upon humanity.  As this latest issue has unfolded, the responses of many of the onlookers have been atrocious, everything from never being satisfied to using foul language and hoping the person rots in hell and that they will hate this person for the rest of their lives.  ALL of these responses have produced superficial satisfaction and do not deal with the real issue of combating these types of settings.  In every time that I have studied concerning these events, no one, including the Church, has made the Truth known about how to avoid such confrontations in the future.

Galatians 5:24-25

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

Luke 23:34

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."

After everything the ruling party of the world did to Jesus He still had the knowledge and strength to pray for the children that He loved so much.  But the meaning of such prayer was much deeper than they understood and to what level we understand today.  For these simple words gave notice to all humanity that there is a physical aspect of our lives that will pass away but there is our spiritual aspect which shall live forever, but where it lives is strictly up to our acceptance of the Truth that is placed before us.  The people who had allowed this type of action to pass had no inkling that they were fulfilling thousands of prophecies foretold long before that day.  They had no idea that as soon as Jesus drew His final breath that He was still at work but on a spiritual aspect, not a physical one and it is this aspect that the majority of the people walking on this earth today do not understand.  

Many believe that is the physical part of our bodies that matters and that there is no other part of life as we draw this last breath.  But just as Jesus immediately went into the spirit realm up His last breath, we do the exact same and it is THIS aspect of our lives that deems us worthy of eternal life or eternal death.  In almost every high-powered social instance, when the person takes their last breath it is treated as a sacred moment even if they never stepped foot into a church building.  I cannot help but sit in amazement when this type of death occurs and people fall out from out of nowhere in order to get their name in lights over a person who has died.  It is one of the most self-centered acts a human being can do to glorify themselves at a time of mourning.  When the so-called ministers land at these events, it is a photo op gig that steals the show.  Recently, at one of the more tragic courtroom scenes in this nation a self-styled minister made sure it was known that he was going to attend the final proceedings.  He showed up in his private jet along with his entourage and all the media possible, just to ensure his agenda was met, not God's.

While this type of show draws attention, ratings, and money it shows no respect for the eternal placement of the person that has passed away; it is this aspect of life that God wants us to understand today for it is not the physical that is the greater good but the spirit that counts.  When there is a death warrant already hanging over your physical existence what good does it do to cultivate this entity?  It is meaningless and empty at best when the glorification of the flesh (body physical) is subjected to all things edified even after we draw our last breath.  Having an awesome-looking body, or being known for a great working being, or the one who walked their dog each morning at 0700 means absolutely nothing when the destination of the eternal portion is not woven into the very fabric of the eternal Being that created you.  Yet, we spend so much time trying to convince others of what a great person this dead lump of flesh was and how much they would have meant to the world if only they were not snuffed out at an early age.  Physical death can only glorify one being and that is the god of this world, who is a loser at best and one that cares nothing for you.

Why do we not see any people speaking at these funeral events telling the audience present that they need Jesus?  The reason we do not see this is because it would take away the ambiance of what is trying to be presented to the on-looking eyes that my physical resistance far outweighs my spiritual resistance.  We do not care about what the afterlife might tell, so we make sure that our physical life is projected as loudly as possible even after our last breaths are taken.  Pacification in the physical life does not give a pass into Heaven or eternal rest in the spiritual.  Until we realize that our spiritual setting is far greater than our physical one not much is going to change for the positive in our lives. It is this portion of life God wants us to understand, that it is not the physical that lives forever but it is the spirit and since spirit is eternal it is greater, far greater than the physical.  Of course, the world shall never tell you this nor will it even broach the subject for only death (physical) can reveal itself in the world.

There are many ways to say what Jesus said when He was about to die on the cross.  This famous phrase of His says it all and reinforces the fact that eternity relies on His blood in order to live forever in liberty and freedom.  The physical should never direct what the spirit has to live for, for when it does it means that the order in which we should live is out-of-order and thus subject to ridicule, pain, agony, death, and eternal damnation.  When my father died last year it was a tremendous loss for our family.  Yes, it was a sad day and it has been a struggle that all of us have approached with difficulty; however, I am so glad that he did not have to face all of this junk that has transpired over the last year.  This experience would have included the medical side of things but more importantly, his heart would have been broken to see how the Church has responded, or not responded.  Every day of his adult life, pop dedicated his every breath to preach the Gospel and to ensure that the Church understood the importance of spiritual warfare.  While his words were not in vain, it seems like that as soon as many left the building so did the Word of God that he shared.  

How have we allowed such physicalness to invade and conquer our spiritual lives with such methodical ease?  That is an easy question to answer and once again it stems from the actions or lack thereof from the Church.  Contrary to many beliefs, the Church is supposed to be in control of the spiritual aspect of our lives and NOT the physical.  We have become so concerned about offending people and being placed into the spotlight of newspapers, groups, and other organizations than to teach the truth about what people need to hear.  See, the word "offend" or to be offended has become an offensive weapon to silence people of truth. Do you realize that this word and its usage is of a physical nature?  It has nothing to do with the spiritual aspect of our lives; however, we treat it as such because we have bought into the lie that we should not tell the entire truth to those who need God.  Satan's plan has worked to perfection and since we refuse to muddy the waters anymore, that "offensive" condition now rules the way.  We have forgotten that the spiritual realm is at war with each other, and that war includes us.  Spirit recognizes spirit and fights accordingly, the physical cannot withstand such battles which is why we are not supposed to fight physically.  Neither spirit realm backs down from the other but if one does not know how to fight correctly, then the other automatically gains the high ground, and that my friends, is exactly the place where we are at today.

Church, we have lost the edge that Jesus gave us, and we have turned the advantage over to the enemy and he has run with it.  We no longer know how to fight in the spirit or do we even have the stamina to do such a fight.  We have become lazy and have allowed ourselves to take off the armor of God and put it on the ground.  A while back, God gave us the article about fighting a fight with the wrong weapon, a weaker and an inadequate one to what the enemy carries.  This is exactly what Jesus meant when He made this statement on the cross, for even though the life of Jesus on earth was ordained as such we still had no idea about what fight was going on during those moments, we were all focused on what was transpiring in the physical.

There have been many prophecies over the past few years about a great reset and how things are going to be different.  The physical aspect of these prophecies is going to rock our lives and shake them to the core of our existence, the Church INCLUDED.  In fact, the Church shall be hit hard for lack of living up to her responsibility as the standard by which all humanity should strive.  We are the standard and God cannot shake others and leave His Standard-bearers alone; God did not allow Israel off the hook when they lived in such wimpy lifestyles with no intentions of returning back to Him.  Therefore, when God does begin His shaking, the Church or the majority of the Church will not have a clue as to how to defend herself, or how to survive what is coming.  People shall leave the Church after their eyes behold what God will do, this is a fact not a whimsical idea.  Why?  Because we have no idea what we have done or what we are allowing to occur.

For those who stand on the promises of God and have hidden the Word of God within their hearts, continue to stand firm and tall.  Things shall become tense and tight but your spiritual eyes shall see what is occurring and shall know exactly how to pray for strength and encouragement.  God shall provide for those who have kept His Word, for they shall understand and be wise to listen to His instructions.  So, the question's answer that is posed in the title of this article should be crystal clear by this time.  Spirit is always greater than the physical, it always has been and it shall always be for spirit lives for eternity.  Let us get back into the Word of God, the ENTIRE Word of God and once again teach and preach the Truth about our lives and what God has for us to do.

DLB