Present Help

Present Help

4/22/22

All of us have fallen into the trap of wanting to help others but for some reason do not stay around long enough to complete such a wish.   We make such a promise almost every day with good intentions yet duty calls us away for the remainder of our shift or time around the ones that we say this to; in any case, we fall short of being able to fulfill our words of a helping manner and our presence to honor such a request.  However, when mankind makes a statement such as this and fails others we cannot ignore the fact there is One who shall never leave us nor forsake us when our needs require someone to help.  God has always been faithful in being around when times are bad yet many times we do not see Him or call upon Him but blame Him grotesquely.  For someone who gets blamed for many things, He sure does stick closer than any other human being I know; therefore, we should honor Him by taking His help at all times.

Do you find things a tad interesting that all of a sudden medicine has been able to rapidly make such a vaccine program basically overnight?  Don't bother to see that some of these processes were created over decades with numerous trials being conducted before a single dose is given to patients for prevention of the intended vaccine renders.  It is hard for some in the medical field to honestly trust such quickened vaccines as safe and effective for general usage.  Do not get me wrong, modern medicine has developed many techniques to find out and then protect humans from such disastrous germs and viruses, but to force people to obtain such unproven vaccines or lose their jobs is more on the lines of control instead of medical advancement.  This act is a desperate attempt to convince mankind's ideas and creations are always the correct choice and that no other option should be considered, another dangerous sanctioned condition from the world and its ruler.

It has become quite easy for us to take this help with a grain of salt and then reject it when things do not turn out as planned.  This type of response can occur in any situation we face it does not have to be in medical terms.  Humans are like that, and then when the setting is done we want our own pound of flesh to consume.  How many times have we found ourselves in this position all alone even when our friends said that they would be there for us no matter what, or if we needed anything just ask?  I find it difficult and somewhat embarrassing when I have these words run through my head and then say them to another because I know if I say them I do not know if I will be available or not to fulfill them.

Unfortunately, human behavior and actions are the ones that determine how much trust we have in God when hard times arrive.  We must incorporate a helping heart toward others when things become bad for if we do not keep our word how will the ones who need Jesus ever know His true presence of help?  We cannot hide the fact that Jesus walked this earth which makes Him part of human society and when people find this part out about Him they categorize Him as a human and will not trust HIm as they need, this is just a human fact of existence.  Therefore, they ignore our Scripture passage or do not believe in any part of it and will subsequently follow the world instead.

Psalm 46:1

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

This type of belief or solution may come at a troubled time but it does not provide the true help that is really needed for the current issues at hand.  It seems like that many other issues have popped up ever since the virus issue appeared a couple of years ago.  God allows such events to occur in order for us to turn our hearts back to Him and to give warnings to us reiterating that we cannot do things on our own and that He is the only one that can cure our needs and heal our troubles, and when this attitude of the world attaches itself to our hearts it becomes a solid system of denial against God and our seeking continues on the world's course and pace.

With the drawdown of the hype of the flu strain that we have endured for over two years now, it has been easy for our eternal enemy to sit back and watch many lives unnecessarily turn inside out and a good part of humanity falls apart, all the while he laughs at our responses against each other about how to handle such settings.  If you have not known that divisional tactics have been in progress for decades now, this setting should clear up any questions that anyone may have.  Satan loves that he can just implement a small difference in opinion in our societies and we will take this division to the extreme.  Think back to the Garden of Eden when he tricked Adam and the woman into eating the fruit, a disobedient act that continues to plague humanity.  This act of his continues today for we do not even care to recognize his antics, we just eat of what he places before our eyes all in the name of "for the good of humanity".

When you stop and look at all the responses the world has to offer when disasters occur, they are all disasters in themselves.  When people are running for office they never predict bad times ahead.  They will not go into depth about the problems that will be faced in the future, how can they?  However, humans can stand on repetitive platforms and take agendas out of proportion and extenuate their own beliefs if followed.  Leaders will promote a controlled anxiety pattern so when bad times do occur, they will have "answers".  However, what we are witnessing today is mass chaos with issues that we did not expect and our handling of them has cost everyone much money and turmoil.  Amazingly, we still turn to these same leaders to provide answers to our shaking knees, an event that confuses people, and then when the truth arrives become angry on all levels of existence.

God is the opposite of such hidden features, He is and always has been open to tell exactly how things are going to be in the present and in the future.  His Word declares what occurred in the past in order to tell us how to properly prepare for our daily bread and for our future presence.  It is well-known that the world shall fail you when tough times arrive, for it is not prepared due to the fact that it is always focused on itself.  Once again, God is the opposite He is focused on you and wishes to help you at all times.  This short and simple verse contains powerful words that only God can back up.  God is not ashamed of us even though we have sinned so many times we could not have kept an accurate count.  It is in this part of our lives that God wishes to reinforce that He is with us at all times and not hit or miss.

We joke around when the phrase "Hi, I am from the government and I am here to help" for we know that when any type of governmental assistance occurs, there will have to be some kind of payback involved.  This phrase says to us that the person or people who show up to work are not always there and only appear when times dictate their presence.  God is not like this He is always around us and waiting to help.  The word "present" here comes from the Hebrew word "nimsa".  We find that the KJV translates this word as a "very present" help while the Hebrew form and definition mean "an ever-present" help.  All of the anxiety and fear that infiltrate our hearts and minds do not have any place there, for where God is no fear or doubt can exist.  This is an important detail that many of us forget and even though God is standing right next to us we fail to see Him or ask Him for assistance.

Satan counts on the fact that human leaders shall fail us; therefore, causing us to lose all confidence in their capabilities which is a very effective weapon in our confidence in security and protection terms.  This physical fear also translates into an unsuccessful belief in God and His presence and willingness to truly help.  Life shall always bring us heartaches and disappointments and when these types of conditions appear we need all the help we can get.  God continually shows Himself to us, that is His job but it is our lack of knowledge and understanding about His presence that defeats His presence and help.  It is not God's Will for us to continuously suffer bad living conditions or have to live with debilitating issues for decades, His help includes both physical and spiritual help.  God's help is just not about physical ailments either, it could be any number of things that trouble our lives so many times we sit and think about things that we need to go through or conquer but do not ask God for wisdom and guidance.  Why?  He is always there we just need to ask Him.

Church, this is where we have the responsibility to tell people about this verse.  We can no longer afford to keep quiet as the world around us fades away.  There are so many problems that every human being faces each day that take a toll on them.  Suicides are rising at an astronomical pace, families are breaking up on a scale that has never been witnessed before and the basic fundamentals of life are continually being challenged.  This is where the Hebrew definition of "very present" comes into play and should resound within our hearts, ever-present means it never leaves and it never has left ever since it was installed.  It means now and is continually ongoing; also, God's Word is the only source that shall prepare us for such "very present help" for it too shall never leave us.  Over our physical American lives, we have lost the concept that God is everywhere and desires to protect and comfort us not only during troubled times but happy and storied times as well.

Church, we have fallen into the trap of self-gratitude which over time has eroded our need and desire for God.  We can no longer preach and teach the Gospel of Christ to those who need to hear His Word of Salvation, and we need to gain access to His presence once again for things are about to change drastically.  So drastically, that the buildings we call churches may not even be open or left in existence because we refuse to repent of our sins so God must take things into His own hands.  This is a sad day but one that is necessary.  This single verse is one of the most needed passages of Scripture that God has given; yes, all Scripture is necessary but this one needs to be present upfront in our hearts because the real (spiritual) fight is about to begin on our eye level.  Our understanding of this verse is evident that it has been only a superficial one and that needs to change quickly.  FOr when we do not understand what this verse means during pleasant times, we definitely shall not understand it during difficult times.

DLB

Let My People Go

Let My People Go
 
4/4/22

 
 
 
 
There are many passages in the Bible that have been mentioned in only one direction or for only a single purpose, there is nothing wrong with this and it is a correct way to learn the Bible.  But we cannot ignore the fact that as we read the Bible and the stories that are associated with such passages, we must remember that sometimes the words or phrases used have other destinations as well.  It is at this point that God wants to teach us a few more things for He wants us our minds and hearts to be filled with His Word, His Definition so that we may understand how to live an abundant and joyful life.  Things are not going to stay "as good as they are now" and when these changed times become a challenge to us all, we need to ensure that we have as much eternal protection as possible against our enemy.  Let us take a few moments to read about how this popular phrase can be used in our preparation for future spiritual conflicts.
 
Most people in western societies have at least heard of the phrase "let my people go" once or twice in their lifetimes.  This previous statement is not an unfamiliarity for we know that the majority of western states are considered to be Christian or have least heard about the Gospel on a continued basis.  However, it is also common knowledge that when such phrases become used regularly and "wear off" they no longer are taken seriously and are worn on the shoulder alone, even if the automatic intention of hope and freedom that this phrase implies is not considered to be an old used sock.  Still, no matter how one thinks about or believes in this phrase it is one of the most powerful and inspiring passages that God's Definition contains.
 
I have stated for a while now that the Bible is the eternal definition of God and this is a complete and accurate claim for if we did not have a pattern to mold our lives to, that we could understand, then God would not, and could not consider Himself to be God nor could He claim to truly love us.  When we think about this passage in the manner of being a part of God's Definition, we can see just what else this phrase represents and when our hearts are open to this wisdom our spiritual lives come alive for we know that God is with us and that He will make everything perfect.  Do we know that this phrase is also a phrase of warning?  Some may have thought about this previously but probably most have not, it was a shock to me when God revealed this definition to me and it has changed how I view things and situations, especially when prophets and people who know God's Word give such testimonies and accounts of what is about to occur in our land.
 
"Love in its purest form is discipline" is a phrase that Jesse Duplantis used in one of his sermons a while back, it is a true statement and another phrase that many of us do not wish to hear but it must be said.  Is God stating that this ancient phrase is going to be heard again as a cry of warning today?  Yes, this phrase has already been present in some hearts and it rings very clear and loud to those who are listening.  It corresponds with the phrase used for the title of this article and what God wants to get across to us today.  Now, we know that Moses (God's voice) used the phrase "let my people go" many times during his battle with Pharaoh, this is a known fact, so we will use its first time usage in the Bible as the passage of Scripture for this article and it is as follows:
 
 

Exodus 5:1-2

 

"And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.  And Pharoah said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?  I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go."

 
One of the more fascinating things about this phrase that Moses said to Pharaoh was that it was the exact Word from God, for previously God said that it would be Him that told Pharaoh to let His people go even though Moses was the one who actually spoke the words.  Sometimes I have a difficult time saying the things that God has said for me to write, for they can be harsh at times but that is what God tells me to say and I since I am just a boy who wishes to do his best to obey, I write them as He says.  I can imagine what Moses must have thought about the first time he heard the voice of God through his lips, it took a bunch of courage and strength to get through this first moment.  However, Moses understood that this was not just a physical moment but a battle of the spirit realm and the preliminary rounds at that, a shot across the bow if you wish to put it in those terms.  Humans like to play around with the words of God and do their best to water down the warning that is attached to them, a fatal mistake that so many pastors, leaders, and congregants of the Church have bought into.
 
There are a few aspects here that support the words that Moses speaks and should have given Pharaoh the idea that no games were being played here, for God spoke a statement, not a suggestion or even a question.  It is this statement form that sets into motion the spiritual battleground in which one participant understood while the other one did not.  First off, Moses and Aaron enter the room where Pharaoh was located and just begin telling him what God had said to them to say.  Moses opens up and proclaims that the God of Israel had said for him to let His people go.  Pharaoh never addresses the Children of Israel as God's people, only as Israel which means he did not recognize God or His existence at all; furthermore, adding to the words at the beginning of Exodus that a new king had come to power that did not know Joseph.  Moses and Aaron got right to the point, they did not hesitate.
 
Moses said that the Lord God of Israel had told him to tell Pharaoh to let His people go so that they may hold a feast to God in the wilderness.  If Pharaoh would have heeded this request, things might have been different between him, Moses, and God but he did no such thing and totally rejected what God had said to him.  Pharaoh even added the fact that he did not know this God of Israel and that since he knew nothing of Him that he had no reason to obey the words from Moses.  This exchange between God and Pharaoh was the first that if we read further in the book of Exodus of many more to come, each time bringing another supernatural fight that Pharaoh did not heed.  Notice something else here, God made His statement of what Pharaoh needed to do but God did not say what He was going to do as serving the consequences of disobedience.  This result was not known until the ordered plague hit and was actively being maneuvered among the intended people and targets.  Do you really think that things would have been different in the hearts of Pharaoh and his people if God had been cast as a predictable god?
 
I can just feel the oozing of pride and arrogance coming from the mouth of Pharaoh, the greatest and most powerful leader during that period of time.  All of the past kings of Egypt were considered gods, sent to the people of Egypt to serve them in a divine way which created a cloud of sovereignty and deity that no one even dared to challenge.  So when Moses and Aaron come marching in demanding that he let his captives and free laborers go, it had to be a funny setting at least in the eyes of Pharaoh.  Pharaoh physically heard those words from Moses but he failed to understand what they meant, the warning that God was giving him before something ugly occurred to him, his land, and his people.  Arrogant and selfish leaders have no true need for a god that will change their attitudes toward how they believe, nor will they accept authority over personal ambitions of themselves when it comes to heeding advice about bad things coming to a great land, especially coming from a "deity" that deep down they know is not even real.  How many of us fit into this type of category too?
 
These words that Moses said were ones of things to come if Pharaoh did not heed and obey what God said.  It did not matter if Pharaoh believed the words or not nor did it matter if he believed in God or not, what Moses said was a direct warning to Pharaoh that God meant business but at the same time was merciful to the leaders and people of Egypt.  God wanted His people to live in freedom once again, to be the light that saved Egypt from starvation many years before, the ones who worshipped God, the everlasting One who saves if obeyed.  Egypt had enslaved the Children of Israel, and the liberators had become the slaves of the same land a common scene unfolding today as well.  Let my people go became a personal and governmental message for anyone who would listen and do their best to understand.  When Pharaoh refused to listen to the words of God, we find that certain settings that were not pleasant began to occur in Egypt, deeper and more difficult plagues began to present themselves and by the time the last "let my people go" had been spoken, then the plagues became personal and death filled the land in just one short night.

The warnings from God continued and did not vary at all, His statement never waivered and the results of such disobedience also continued.  Until the last warning was issued but at the same time a new command came down from God to Moses to say and to give to the people of Israel.  Interestingly enough, Pharaoh intensified the harsh conditions of Israel to the point where it did not matter if people would die completing the tasks of Pharaoh.  But this effect did not have the same attitude reflected in Israel, they continued to suffer but worked even harder, an identical path to what the warnings and consequences handed out.  The last plague was a bitter pill to swallow for it cost many lives that night to those who did not listen and obey God's command.  Just as in every other scenario since that time, and even before, the ones who listened were safe from God's warnings and wrath, but to those who wanted to ignore His warnings, devastation like never known before came.

Why does it take humans so long to figure out what God is trying to say to them?  In this case, the Word of God was a warning and it should not have taken ten plagues to convince Pharaoh about what God was saying.  In truth, it should not have taken the first plague to occur at all.  But, humans have a large tendency to do what they believe is correct and stay with that stance until it is too late or something really extraordinary occurs, this type of behavior is not cool either.  It is known that when God must place judgment on people, He gives warnings first, today is no exception either.  God has given multiple warnings to everyone who will listen, but still, there is a far greater multitude who have ignored these warnings, we have no one to blame for ourselves.

It is obvious that the world is not going to let God's people be free from the bondage of their livelihood.  The problem is, that many of God's people have bought into this slave mentality from the world and now fight for it even in the pulpits of the Church.  God says fine, He will take care of rebellion appropriately causing many to fall from their positions in the Church; see, the Church is not exempt from the warnings that God has given, in fact, we should be the ones constantly checking to make sure we are properly prepared to complete the work that God has given us to do.  We should never assume that the warnings from God are just directed to the Egyptians, for even the Israelites had to be properly prepared and follow the specific instructions to be exempt.  No, it was not an easy night for even though Israel were safely in their houses they did hear the cries and moans of others in the land.

The people of Israel had examples of God's judgment to learn from and they followed the warnings as made mentioned, but as we follow them along their way in the wilderness how many of them began to doubt God and then curse Him for the terrible long journey that they took.  Furthermore, their doubts kept the older ones from seeing the Promised Land a direct result of their lack of commitment to God.  Look at our land today and the journey Jesus set us to do, we have failed miserably and have created an eternal mess that we are falling behind in.  Church, you are still good in God's eyes but we need to change our hearts by turning back to God and starting our ministry up again, Jesus' true ministry, not ours.  We have voluntarily begun to ignore the warnings of what God said to Pharaoh so many generations before us, we should not be promoting slavery or hardening our hearts to God's warnings.

Let's change back into godly people that love God and want to see His Work being completed in other lives.  Let us preach and teach the rejection of the world's slavery and once again be solid witnesses for Jesus.  God warned the people of Egypt for a reason, He specifically warned Pharaoh as well yet pride and arrogance prevailed and it eventually cost them not only their lives but their dynasty as well.  Church, we are on the verge of this same disaster and it shall be a terrible shame to see what Jesus commanded us to be to go down in destruction with the nation He created to be the land of salvation for all those who wished.  As we read in the Bible, God allowed His people to be set free, and He shall do the exact same process today.

            Hint: This is a warning

DLB

When Nakedness Was A Holy Status

When Nakedness Was A Holy Status

3/20/22

Being naked before others is one of those times when people feel the most uncomfortable, not many people long to be in this position.  All of us can look at our bodies and find something wrong with it enough to hide it from everyone else, this is human fear.  But there was a time in our existence that this state of being was not a bad thing and no shame or flaw was present.  God created us naked and it had its own representation with God and the relationship we had with Him.  It was a holy creation and one that had no faults, but we chose to override such status, and ever since that drastic change we have been trying our best to cover ourselves and to make our bodies better.  This is a sad state of being, but one that we shall never obtain again, and we must therefore focus our appearances on the spiritual and not the physical.

For many millennia now, humans have done their best to try and be one with nature, seeking out ways to get close to nature, one way that naturists accomplish this is by accepting the concept of being naked as much as possible.  Sex has been one of the most fallacies that human beings have been involved in, and sex has been proven to be the most-lied-about subject that the human mind can manipulate.  Sex deals with the human body and how we feel it should be treated, then the mind takes control and allows such atrocities to flood the human with sinful desires.  See, when we were created, we were created naked and it was a status that was special and holy through the representation of the relationship between God and mankind.  Even today, we are born naked and this process has not changed at all ever since humanity began recording and detailing birth.

For the most part, humans hide their nakedness because of flaws that others might see when exposed, this is also a normal process that humans display but it is one that also has roots in the Bible for when it all boils down we are ashamed of what our bodies look like and we turn to hide them.  I am not an advocate of naturalists at all, for they have their own ideas about being naked which for the greater part wish to be one with nature.  It would not be natural for us to try and cleanse ourselves with clothing on our bodies for the true cleaning part would be hidden from what really needs cleaning thus rendering this process void.  How many times do we have this concept when we try and clean our relationships on our own or by our own ways of believing relationships should grow?  Remember we came from the ground and the ground is cursed and we even return to its content when we die, so this belief is a lie as well.  I am not saying that the people who choose this way are by any means bad people but they do need to understand that their relationship goals are off and need to be redirected.

Our Scripture for this article deals with being naked but not living in the sexual manner as we may seem to think.  A while back, we dealt with the equal relationship status between God, Adam, and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  It was a time of perfect harmony, peace, and truth on an equal plane with God being the covering of course.  This status is what every human seeks to have and so far many of us have chosen to go about searching for this status on our own, or on our own terms a state that shall only prevail in sadness, darkness, and loss.  How many times and different ways have we tried to conceive, grow, nurture, and develop relationships with our own methods, countless if we are honest.  The passage is as follows:

Genesis 2:23-25

"And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

From a quick glance, it would seem like these verses pertain to the man and woman only, for it talks about what God did to create the woman, what the man perceived he should consider her, where they should live, and the current state of their bodies.  All of this information simply line up with humans with not much about God here, but this is a misconception for if we really look at this passage we see that God is present at the beginning of this passage and at the end as well.  His presence sets into motion the relationship that God wants with every one of His perfect creations and on what type of level too.  As we will see, this is a wonderful passage with a giant ray of hope that we can refer to when our spirits are down due to all of the division and hatred that this world and its ruler bring us each day.

Being naked is a status originated by God and at the same time this status tells us exactly what God expects in a relationship with us, and since this status was originated between God and humans it also means that it serves as the same standard between humans as well.  When Adam and the woman were in the Garden of Eden, their relationship was totally open and honest with God they hid nothing from God and God hid nothing from them either.  A holy standard of equality that is almost unmatched today, no matter if we refer to our relationship with God or with humans.  Our only problem is that we tend to try and hide our secrets from God just like we try hiding them from humans; however, we forget that God is the eternal and pure standard of relationships and already knows what our secrets are, a major issue that defeats our logic right from the beginning.

Satan has done a wonderful job in fooling us into believing that relationships can survive on a superficial basis and do not need to go any further than this condition.  When relationships were established it was God who ordained them with Him being the presence that all relationships are measured.  The passage for this article gives us the picture that all relationships should be based upon, God first and us being totally naked with all parties so that the truth cannot be hidden.  We must understand that the relationship standard that God created in the Garden of Eden was the pinnacle of all relationships, none could be higher.  When Genesis 3 rolls around and mankind accepts sin (disobedience) into our lives that sustained pinnacle was breached and the eternal status began to fall.  There is nothing purer than standing in front of a relational person with nothing to hide or to keep from them, this was the way God created Adam and Eve to be in the Garden of Eden.

Over time, the relationships between God and humanity have suffered and waivered greatly, so much so that it was not too many chapters later in Genesis that God had to repent for even creating humans because of the greatness of their sin.  This type of response by God is a purposeful one established by Satan through his work in our lives of division.  This division process began when Genesis 3 came about and that perfect relationship status was broken, and it was the job of Satan back then and it is still the job of him today to destroy any type of unity between God and humanity.  In no manner was standing in front of God naked promoting any immoral sexual content, it was purely a stance of honesty and holiness on an equal level, a level that we say we all want with God and with others.  It was the job of Satan to make nakedness and sex the front runner of relationships, not God.

When this type of belief is put into forwarding motion and the first step in a relationship it totally destroys the truth about being naked before God.  It is for this reason alone that so many relationships are ending in failure even after so many years of togetherness.  The rates of relationship failure are due to the fact that "me" rules the relationship and is the first and originating physical attraction to a potential relationship.  This is exactly what type of status Satan wants a relationship to operate within for it totally goes against the order of the heart and spirit first which God ordained for us to live within.  We have followed in so many misguided directions when it comes to relationships that it is no wonder that the motto of the day is to stay away from relationships and just get what you can on a one-night stand adventure.  When ruled by this lie, one can misrepresent the truth about themselves and every other category when asked, for there will not be any more nakedness to be shared with the exception of the physical.

We cannot ignore the fact that the experience that Adam and Eve had with the serpent was devastating and it completely changed their lives forever.  Lucifer understands this process quite well for it was the same tactic that he tried to use on God and it cost him his position in Heaven, eternal death, and an eternal name change.  Satan knows that if he can bombard us with bad relationship experiences with continued failure rates, it will be easier for him to drag us away from having an eternal and equal relationship with God and with another human.  Satan does not care anything about you and your relationships with humans, it is a side benefit when these occur because he knows that the more bad experiences you have with humans the less likely you will have any relationship with God.

This nakedness aspect of our lives is the highest emotional tie we have with humans and most importantly with God.  Nakedness, not sex we must keep that order in the correct position for when we don't, the actions of today appear and do further and deeper damage that can lead to certain physical death and eternal death as well.  It is not hard to figure out that sex defines our societies and that there is nothing more exciting and satisfying than this step, but it should not be placed first for when it is it takes away the holy nakedness of our lives with God.  Remember Adam was naked in front of God first before anyone else and so was Eve.  As long as this type of nakedness is not taken to heart in our lives, the more and more sexual indiscretions shall come to destroy our relationships, these percentages will only exponentially increase for that is what occurs when sin and disobedience rule humanity.

In order to have sex, one must disrobe and have at least the reproductive organs exposed or available, but when the relationship order is out of line there cannot be any holy order present before God which means that personal gratification (self) is placed first and therefore allows doors to be open for future discourse or breakage.  God created us naked so that we would understand first the importance of equality and purity before all parties involved in our lives, nothing hidden.  This order has not changed any and nor shall it change any time in the future either.  It does not matter if both parties agree to this type of non-ordained relationship, problems shall arise and they will fester until they become evident and this is the most basic explanation of inequality on the most intimate level known to mankind.  

Satan is the author of variables and disobedience and when Adam and Eve succumbed to sin, we found out that the ordination of eternal order was changed and that our lives did not respond well with this new living condition.  Yet, ever since this order and status change occurred we have done our best to cover up our secrets and lies.  Sadly, it is bad enough that we do this to fellow humans but eternally most of us do not think that we try to hide from God and we utterly end up failing on both instances.  We cannot forget that the only job Satan has is to come and steal, kill, and destroy your life.  He does not care which way this task is completed, all he cares about is that you are destroyed and that when you stand before God you have no eternal and Holy defense to warrant.

From the time God placed Adam in a deep sleep and created woman from his rib, we were meant to be on equal terms and levels, spiritually first and then physically.  It was a perfect combination, God first with man and woman standing in front of him with nothing to hide.  All levels of relationship were holy and pure with no blemishes to speak of, and if there was it did not matter because we were created in perfect relationship status with God.  In this capacity, everyone was supposed to see each other openly in a holy vision, it was not to have sex.  Why do we think so many relationships do south?  It is because we do not begin and then stick with God's standard in relationship status.  We would rather see the other person naked for our own personal gain instead of on a holy level established by God first.

What we do not realize is that when we place the physical nakedness first, we are doing exactly what Adam and Eve did immediately after they sinned, covering themselves.  Our holiness to each other goes out the window and so many other "options" will be thrown at us so that we fall further away from God.  It is an automatic process when we take things out of order, from the way God established things we not only hide from ourselves but we hide from God too.  It is the hiding from God that is the most significant because when we deliberately hide from God there is no way possible for us not to be hidden from each other either, nor will there be any hope of changing such living conditions in our lives either.

Well, Church, what do you have to say about this one?  The only thing we can say is that we did not learn this truth while reading the Word of God and because we have not learned this we have destroyed so many lives due to a failed policy of acceptance and love toward those who have been hurt.  Oh, we have taken the physical aspect of sex and have turned it into a whipping post and have damaged so many people that are already hurting and inflicted more pain upon their lives.  We have done nothing to teach them that there is a way of redemption and restoration by once again realigning their hearts back to God so that they can have the opportunity to know true love, not only in the physical form but in the holiness and spiritual form with God.  No, we are too busy proclaiming the world's perversions as acceptable and humanly pardoning folks, promoting sin, and publicly defiling God with no remorse whatsoever.

It is an atrocity to think that we are promoting sin to the world instead of promoting God and His Ordained Ways to those who are lost.  Furthermore, it is utter defamation of God that we do not understand or have taken the time to understand exactly what God's Word says concerning this matter.  It is hard to say this but we are even promoting sexual predators to become involved in the church thus exploiting people to sex trafficking practices as well.  It is time we get back into the Bible and ask for forgiveness for we have been partaking in a sin ritual of the ugliest proportions.  Repent, Church for our shaking is soon to come and unless you want to be shaken from your eternal existence, you better repent now!  We will once again stand before God naked and what will your body say to the Most High God, the One who Created you?

DLB

Destruction

Desolation

 

3/15/22

Modern times have approached the concept of destruction on an obtainable goal that only other humans can complete.  Hollywood and all of its minions have projected such directives so well organized that this subject has been rationalized into a personal development on a personal scale.  One that can be managed with a light switch mentality and carried out as quickly as possible and a rapid recovery to complete the set in one shift or less.  This is exactly what our enemy wants us to believe about destruction or any other type of devastation, but that belief is a lie and if not changed will be shattered in a blink of an eye.  It is time we look at the devastation on God's level and terms and the real reason it appears in our lives, for human destruction is one of revenge or power gain for God it is the start of restoration.

On a personal level, what do we know about devastation or desolation?  What is the most sensitive issue that we can think of when this question is posed to us?  Have any of you been in a severe storm such as a tornado or hurricane?  What about another natural disaster called an earthquake?  Almost all of us have read about or watched some type of devastation occur or the immediate after-effects of such productions, but even a World War cannot be compared to an entire global setting of destruction that affects and touch every family on the planet.  Also, when one takes the time to sit down and study the conditions of the origins of these human events at least, you will find that complete division is present between the people which led to such failed leadership.

We sit and watch far away places that are going through detailed wars, conflicts, and countless other social atrocities and wonder how things can come to such pinnacles of anger and riveted animosity, not figuring that these specific conflicts could ever invade our land and take over the dominate news stories of our day.  But as many great leaders have stated in the past, it does not take very long for the dominoes of freedom to fall, and once that fall begins it is almost impossible to stop until all dominoes have been touched by the previous domino.  We have a tendency to forget that it requires so much effort of every person in a free society to keep the freedom that has been granted and if these people forget the origins of such freedom then there is no foundation available to stand upon when these horrid times approach and begin their quest for dominance.

I heard the other day some people talking about how this nation has fallen to an extent never known before and that our fall has just begun, at the same time.  And what the other person said was that the majority of people walking around have no clue that this process has begun and that the patterns and trends of the recent past project the level at which we are falling.  Sadly, we do not understand that we are riding the ground down the side of a mountain, like an avalanche.  Our only problem is that we are approaching a cliff and we have not prepared any true measures in trying to stop such a slide and eventually over the cliff condition.  We are still in the notion that we shall overcome such a process and build back our lives again according to the selfish rules of events in 2001 and 2008.  God has had enough of our snobbish attitudes toward His Word and His Ways, so it is time we see what He has to say about such conditions.

We also have a tendency to forget that what occurred in the Bible was at the consideration of their modern times.  Bows and towers were their modern weapons with tanks, drones, and nuclear weapons being ours.  God did not forget this type of setting when He allowed destruction to happen to Judah and Israel and I guarantee that if He allowed such activities to occur in His chosen people, He will do the same for this group of sinners too.  Our Scriptures for this article are as follows:

Matthew 12:25-26

"And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."

John 10:30

"I and my Father are one."

What is the typical response to a natural disaster in our lives or when someone else is responsible for some sort of destruction to our lives?  If this kind of setting has not occurred to you count your blessings for many of us in this country and around the world have experienced such tragedies.  The most common responses to such events are ones of anger, justice, and side revenge all of which only fuel tensions between all parties involved.  When humans take matters into their own hands nothing good shall come as a result of such talk and action, the hurt deepens, and the more likely of scarred wounds remaining open for decades or even centuries to come to appear.

There is no question that many actions from humans are deliberate and should be punished from the highest pinnacle of the law but we sometimes do not understand when the limitations tend to fend off what really should be the result.  Therefore, further revenge efforts are then administered, and quickly the situation is out of control with many more wounds opened, the human reaction can be violently spectacular at times.  Knowledge of such settings is usually funded and reported by those in agreement with the ones that believe a wrong has been done and not enough "judgment or justice" has been done.  In other instances, it does not matter what the outcome would be, violence is the only answer in a selfish manner.

Do we realize that we see many acts of God in this manner?  Most do not wish to try and understand the reasons why God must allow certain things to occur, and once again we find that human emotions rule the day.  While many would suppose that the concepts of God's judgment and human judgment are the same, this is entirely incorrect.  We find this truth in the verses used for this article because it intensifies and highlights the major difference between the two, unity versus disunity.  When humans become entangled with one another, there are sides that look at issues from their point of view alone with hardly any consideration of other parties' opinions.  Wait a minute, isn't this the same type of fixture when God makes such claims?  Yes, but there is a huge divide here, one that cannot be ignored and left out.

When humans take sides, they do so with as much biased opinion as they can muster, their positioning comes with human interests first, and with sided views at best.  Personal vendettas are carried out with vengeful carriages carrying off the other sides' loved ones in a box if necessary.  Since the same attitude and outlook is represented on the other side of the issue, it is likely that the human response to one tragedy will upstage the first or previous one, and then the escalation process begins, a scene that will become a culture or turf war if not settled down within a short period of time.  What good comes out of these types of devastating contests?  Not much, only deeper and longer-lasting anger and divisions between the sides involved; the point is this, nothing becomes better only uglier circumstances abound with these marked divisions ripe for continued insults.

On the other hand, Jesus makes it clear that it is common knowledge that any human-controlled organization that does not have complete unity shall stumble and eventually fall so hard that no true identity will remain of said unity.  Jesus also states that the fall shall include every kingdom that is in such a state against itself to desolation.  This word desolation in the English dictionary means a place that is deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness, depressingly empty or bare.  This translation does the Greek word "eremoutai" somewhat well because the Greek meaning for this word is will be laid waste, totally destroyed, nothing left.  Furthermore and more direct, Jesus is making a statement here which His words state a fact and not an "if", for when kingdoms stand divided in any way between them, they shall crumble and fall completely beyond recognition.

Jesus goes on to say that cities and houses divided shall not stand either, this personalizes His remarks and should serve as a warning about what the hearts of others are capable of completing.  If something does not stand it means that everything and everyone within that structure is at risk of either total destruction or death.  The word "city" that is used here is the Greek word "polis" which means the city, the inhabitants of a city, a town.  This is an all-inclusive word and nothing or no one is left out of its definition, a remarkable statement from Jesus and it corresponds with the word "house" that is used in this verse as well.  It is the Greek word "oikia" which means residence, an abode, a family, it fascinates me how Jesus' own words on earth complete Him and do not contradict each other.

One can argue the point that in history that one would find some groups that fit together and have stuck with each other throughout time, this may be the case but they are very few and far between.  When I was taking German in college, my professor asked us how long do you think Germany has been unified?  Some said a long time while many said not very long at all.  Not long at all was the correct answer but when she narrowed this timeline down even tighter, it was found out that a united Germany has only been united as one nation since 1990 and has not varied since that time.  However, even today in this unified state, there are some issues that do not sit well with certain German states and a few tensions have risen up in defiance of such accord.  It is very difficult to get humans to agree on all points, which makes it virtually impossible for any human house, city, state, or nation to last very long.

Never fear, Jesus has the answer!  In our second passage, we find that Jesus makes a remarkable statement about Him and His Father.  It is a wonderful statement of comfort to us today but when Jesus walked the earth this phrase of His shook many religious leaders for it says that He and His Father are One.  We have discussed this verse before when we were describing the only time that this nation has been unified on an election, the very first one and after that vote, there has never been another one.  Jesus made this statement while He was on earth, which means that it was not just at that moment that He and God the Father were united, but it was always like this before human time began and shall always be present after the earth has passed away.  Now, we know God has never lied, we also know that He has never changed, so what evidence do we have that He will do so at any other time in the future?

The word "one" used by Jesus is the Greek word "hen" which means one, a primary numeral.  It means that there are no two, three, or more involved but only one.  Jesus did not give any other variables at all or referred to any other types of scenarios of wavering or fluctuations on this status.  This phrase and statement are meant to be intact for eternity, from eternity, and never have any division whatsoever.  This statement overrides all human anticipations of unity as we can understand and it gives God the ultimate authority to rule and lead over every Creation.  It means that what God says and proclaims is eternally true and cannot be changed or altered by Him, AND it means that when we live under Him that we shall never know true devastation without hope and understand why desolation comes.

You notice that both of these passages have one thing in common, it is an either/or situation, there is no in-between or any type of measured compromise present.  What type of compromise would there be by its definition alone?  Our compromise is humans that alter God, His Son, and Holy Spirit.  We alter it so they fit into our selfish security cabinet, take them out when we need them put them on display and then put them back into the cabinet when the condition or circumstance disappears.  THIS action of ours is the definition of division, separation, and failing.  It is these acts of ours that cause our churches, our nations, our cities, and ourselves to witness desolation, destruction, and devastation.  No compromise or alterations from God means that He is the only source of complete and whole safety and a solid foundation that will not slip from under us and the only Way to peace and eternal life.

Church, why have we dropped this truth from our lives?  We no longer strive to live a godly life and to share the Gospel with others, even when we know that people need God and His Son.  Why do we choose to ignore the lost by just sending a check to some organization that we have no connection to, and why do we walk away from those in our neighborhoods that do not care about what is ongoing within the heart of this nation?  How can we sit by and accept those who are living in public sin as normal and do not reach out to them to show them that they have been lied to by this world and that they need God?  Why have we forsaken the mission of the Gospel and picked up and adopted the mission of the world?  We preach a message of division and not of one that brings us back to the true unity of our existence, for we should know that no human being can be unified with anyone else unless they are back in unity with God first.

DLB

Nothing Can Stop His Word

Nothing Can Stop His Word

3/10/22

Many of us have a tendency to forget just how powerful God is and what He can do to our lives and in our lives.  There are also countless examples of ministers and other church leaders getting caught up in the lie that God is not around and is not present in times of need, their need.  This is an eternally deadly mistake made by many folks, certainly by those who have no idea who God is and what His Word actually says and does.  God is a living and breathing Being that our minds cannot fully comprehend but we do know that what He says He shall do no matter which side of His statement you are located.  God is not here to shake you down with every communication He has with you, but if you do not heed His words then there will be a time that changes need to be made.  This scenario too is not well received by some but when God speaks of such a situation know that His Word shall not return void on any level.

As current events seem to spiral out of control, so many people around this nation and the world do not see how bad our nation's response to these events is nor are they aware of what is about to occur either.  It is obvious that our eyes and ears are definitely on another target, one that is so close in front of us that it is not required for us to look up and see what is around us.  It is this type of living that we have adopted and desire to have at all times, such a self-centered and self-decaying existence.  We have become so used to a society such as this that we no longer care to do what is right, only what we want, and hopefully, somewhere along with this societal planning scheme of ours we will have our 20 seconds of fame then sell it for a fee.  It is frightening to think that anyone would thrive in such a governing living space but it is true our reality succumbs to the world's ridiculous state of being without any regard for true authority around us and the defense of such beliefs can be deadly if questioned.

It should not come as a surprise to know that the Church has fallen into this category and as a result, she has no true direction in the mission that we have from Christ.  It has become common practice that church denominations change their belief system as fast as the Pharisees and scribes wrote new laws; as they came across situations, they wrote what served them.  Even in the Old Testament, religious leaders took advantage of such beliefs and stretched them for their own personal gain, a practice so common that it had generational ties within its confines.  Also, it gave reference to the people in such a manner that they acted as their priests did, which is a way of truth given in the Old Testament, one that should have been detected early and irradicated before it grew heart roots.  After everything is said and done, will we be able to stand and say or finish what God has told us to say to those who need Him or will we fall and succumb to the humiliation that the world dishes out?

We find one of these examples in the Old Testament, it is not too hard to locate for the Old Testament is filled with these types of authority issues and how much power the religious rulers believed they wielded.  Our passage comes from the Book of Jeremiah and it tells of one of the times God's prophet was treated terribly by the religious leaders for telling the truth. It is a single verse but once again God's Word is filled with rich information that will help us to not fall into a long sinful trap of selfishness.  Our passage is as follows:

Jeremiah 20:4

"For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give Judah into the hands of the King of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword."

Never once in the entire Word of God did He, His Son, or Holy Spirit say that things for those who follow will have things easy.  All who have stated things that go against the world's view or what people believe will be subject to a multitude of adversaries and malicious settings, it is a guarantee.  Our passage deals with one of the times that Jeremiah has been placed into confinement after he was beaten, just for saying what God directed him to say.  What was said did not sit well with the religious leaders of Judah and hence the reason for Jeremiah's current condition.  Once again we find that the religious leaders had become so worldly-wise and accepting that they failed to recognize what God was actually telling them and warning them about.

However, because Jeremiah had been beaten and placed into stocks did not stop him from completing what God had told him to say to Judah's leaders.  We find Jeremiah out of the stocks and in this verse he immediately continues his mission, Jeremiah never backed down even though he was beaten and locked up.  God had a warning for His people and it was the job of Jeremiah to hand the message to them no matter the cost.  People who were put into stocks were placed in a very uncomfortable position, there was nothing easy or restful about it.  Plus, they would conduct such punishment in a very public place in order that anyone who disagreed with the prisoner could basically do whatever they wished to them.  It was common to have the prisoner in worse shape after their time in the stocks than they were before they were put there.

First off after the release from the stocks, Jeremiah continued with the personal message to Magormissabib, and how God was so displeased with his actions of leadership that He was going to make his life so miserable and tense that he would serve as a terror unto himself and nothing good would be in his future.  Along the same lines, remember God is a complete God, Magormissabib's friends would suffer the same fate as he but would fall before Magormissabib because God stated that he would watch them fall by the sword.  This means that Magormissabib listened to his friends and that his friends were part of the allowance of sin within the heart of Judah, this is why God repeats HImself many times throughout His Word to be careful of who you seek out as friends.  

The word "terror" here is from the Hebrew word "lemagowr" which means fear, terror.  One cannot misinterpret this definition for it is clear and precise and it comes from the masculine noun "magor or magur".  This is a powerful word and would have been easily recognized by Magormissabib.  What makes it so devastating is that it describes a person or place that is surrounded by fear and terror, it has become its own servant to the self-destruction process.  It does not just incarcerate from the outside or surrounding areas, but it also confines itself within your spirit and destroys your inner peace, and replaces it with turmoil and fear.  This is a price that one can hardly imagine and one that would be impossible to bear and survive holding.  Even the very presence of your body brings fear and installs pain, agony, and terror not only to yourself but to others around you.  This is what God changed Pashur's name to and it is what he represented from that moment onward.

The last portion of Jeremiah's word from God stated that because Judah had not repented and continued to live in sin that they would fall and then be taken captive and through this act would be totally destroyed.  God did not leave out any detail for He told Magormissabib who would be the enemy that destroyed them and their land.  Jeremiah did not hesitate in delivering this message from God, even in the dire circumstances that other men placed upon him for when a Word comes from God to be delivered to specific people or to be delivered in a specific manner it must be completed for if the messenger does not do their job then everyone involved is subject to the message.

This word of the Lord is pretty direct and gruesome but it has another meaning as well and it has to do with the sovereignty of God and the authority of His actual Word.  It should not be uncommon for the Church to understand exactly what is said here and why it is said, but we have fallen into the same category as Judah did when this Word was given to them so many probably miss its meaning of authority.  The leaders of Judah preached the sovereignty of God but used it as a weapon to hold over the heads of the people which turned their hearts away from God.  Then, Satan began to introduce his own ways into their lives and after a while, all had joined in the worldly festivities that could be absorbed, with the religious leaders at the front of the line in leadership.  Judah embraced this worship so much that they failed to see that what they were worshipping was offensive to God, and they did not care either.

Many times people forget that God will speak His Will through other people and when these words are spoken we tend to react in the same manner as Magormissabib did.  WE reject them since they are coming from someone who does not know the area, or the people or seems out of touch with what the leaders are portraying in the land.  It is not unusual for God to speak towards one person or a group of people but it is an extraordinary time when God refers to the entire nation immediately after He changes a priest's name.  It is even more radical to have your name changed to the exact type of judgment that God is about to allow to come upon your home and that your name reflects the attitude of your entire nation.

The overall point that Jeremiah made those few days was that God had a message, both to an individual and to a nation.  Both Words from God had deep and specific meanings along with warnings that were sure to follow.  Notice God did not set a time of when these things were going to begin, occur, and end but the only thing He said was that they would come to pass.  Jeremiah's job was one of warning and comfort; comfort, really?  Yes, for God always says what He is going to do and He allows for time to change our hearts, just as He did in this passage.  However, Judah did not change their hearts only dug them deeper into their idols and sin.  Whatever the time-sensitive materials proved, it was spoken by God and therefore could not be rescinded.  These things were made by a Holy and complete God, one who cannot lie or detract from the truth.  This is why God can make such statements and not be incorrect, for mankind shall always prove Him correct.  It is this part of God that we tend to forget about and blow His Words off.

Our goal should be to NOT get to this point in God's heart.  We need to recognize our mistakes and sins before God has to give us a warning from those who are listening to what He is saying.  When we do not accept God's Words for our lives it proves that we have been fooled enough not to even consider what is being said and why God is saying such things.  Ever since the Garden of Eden, God has been giving humans warnings about what not to do and the reasons why, how come it is still so difficult for us to get this pattern?  Look at our nation and world societies today, we have become terrors to ourselves and it is so blatantly obvious but we are blind to it.  We have rendered ourselves useless for the plan that we were created for yet we revel in our sins and call it a day anxiously awaiting another round of new worldly adventures tomorrow.

One of the most devastating lies that we have fallen for is what Judah allowed to happen to them in this passage.  Both the religious side of life and the secular side of life began to merge into one conglomeration needing the support of the other in order to survive.  When this type of atmosphere occurs compromise is the only pattern that will prevail and it is a guarantee that it will not be a righteous atmosphere to emerge dominant.  We see this type of pattern all throughout the Bible, in the New Testament Church as well and if those folks cannot keep the true faith intact there is no way that we stand a chance.  Look at the Church today, she has meshed herself within the boundaries of the world and it is painfully obvious that she has given all her authority to the world.

We no longer have any spiritual teeth to fend off any tactics of Satan, nor do we have any spiritual energy and any spiritual mindset to recognize or to hear spiritual instructions from God on how to defend ourselves.  It is for this attitude and action that God began to issue warnings and prophetic messages to this nation a few decades ago.  God saw the pattern that we had chosen to follow and He knows that we have not strayed from those horrid decisions.  It is for this reason that God has continued these messages right up until today, for He wants His children to understand that they need to repent.  Also, just as in the passage for this article, God has spoken words against this nation and He has not reversed His direction at any time either; in fact, some prophets have renounced their calling since things did not play out in the specific timeframe they believed it should.  Weak, weak, weak without any spiritual gumption to make the effort to seek God further for answers.

Once again we have fallen for the big lie, and it is about time that God allows such devastation to be heaped upon our land and lives.  It is obvious that our focus has been on the incorrect pattern and purpose for which the Church and this nation were established.  God has spoken and all He wants is for us to repent and to be ready for this dreadful day.  God suggests you prepare your lives for a change of unimaginable proportions, this includes spiritual levels as well.  Hold tight to His Word, which means get into His Word for if you do not then you shall have no idea what to hold on to when this time arrives.  This Word from God back in Jeremiah and the one that you have just read is no longer a suggestion - it never has been - but serves as a warning for what is to come.  Has our spiritual national name been changed?  You bet it has and we shall soon find out exactly what it is too.

DLB

Credibility

Credibility

2/25/21

All of us like to make statements in a certain direction and have them come to pass without any type of contingencies applied.  To make our word as valuable as gold or an old-fashioned handshake is what we desire the most with others, but we must be careful about how we approach such promises for when we make them we may not realize that attachments may come back to haunt us.  Of course, we would like all things to be smoothly completed but many times that is not the case which is imperative for us to know who we are dealing with on this level, because these promises may have to be called into practice at some point where decisions that were not thought about are enabled that can cause great grief.  God wants us to always be careful in who we make earthly promises to so that we will not have to back out of things or follow through with things that may seriously harm our reputation.  Choose wisely who you make agreements with and always rely on good counsel (God) to achieve your best.

How many times have we made promises to others in order to please ourselves in some specific or selfish manner?  It is a common trait of humans to promise the moon and approach this promise with a whole heart but in the end, regret that we even entertained the idea in the first place.  Most of the time the old adage our eyes are bigger than our stomachs comes into play on all sorts of levels and when the truth is told we would have taken a different approach to said promises.  Or, we find out at a later time that what we believed would be taking place changes and what we are involved in is controversial or even goes against our own personal morals, another fork in the road and a possible turning point that now questions our credibility and trustworthiness to complete the task at hand.

Who do you line up your credibility with, big corporations and popular ideas or sound transactions that will guarantee your success in the future?  The standard in this nation is to do what one can do without losing your shirt, no matter what occurs to the other parties involved.  This greed and lust of ours has grown over the past few centuries and it has become a major player in how we do business and entertain clients, it does not matter which venture one wants to encounter either for our hearts have become numb to the truth and associations with others do not matter much.  But is this new way of doing things good for our lives and will it always be safe that no major controversy will arise and demand your complete attention and completion?  We all know that when we deal with humans and make deals with them, they can give only general conditions at the start but provide damning details after the agreement has been reached.

We have been taught not to seek refuge with those who will do bad things in order to make a name for themselves or to gain control of certain things of a physical nature.  Mobs, gangsters, secret societies, clubs, or underground organizations are a few examples of shady groupings that usually are not in the upstanding categories of life.  However, with all the money, prestige, and security that they offer, it is hard for people to pass then become totally indoctrinated into these societies and are sucked into the everyday lifestyle of joined brotherhoods.  Many times the end results for these people are long prison sentences or even their own deaths and in both cases, a good portion of these folks wish they had never been associated with those organizations; but, too late the deals were made and done with consequences to be interviewed on a personal level.

The Bible gives us a good example of such a serious condition after a lustful and seducing party bribe occurred and it happens in the New Testament where Herod is involved.  It is a story of lust, sex, immoral acts, and truth bearers placed into prison, then murdered.  It is a familiar story but one that is relevant today because with the way businesses and government heads do their ploying this type of activity abounds.  The passage for this article is as follows:

Matthew 14: 6-11

"But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.  Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.  And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.  And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given to her.  And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.  And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother."

Talk about having bitten off more than one can chew, it is clear that Herod was taken by surprise about the request of the young lady, but it was a deal that was made and he had to abide by his words or face other wraths from people higher up than he.  John the Baptist was thrown in prison by Herod due to the fact that John called him out for having an affair with his brother's wife.  Fast forward to Herod's birthday and a large party was ongoing with all of the amenities and practices being fulfilled.  Nothing had been left out for this occasion including a young dancer.  This dancer did a very good job at what she was willing to do and completed the job beautifully, without hesitation, skepticism, or pausing.  The Greek word used here for pleased is "eresen" which means to please with the idea of willing service rendered to others.  This should stop anyone in their tracts as a sign that something was not quite right about the situation, but nothing was said or done and the show completed with all being happily served with a well-done performance.

Having intimate knowledge of Herod, Herodias had made a secret plan with her daughter, the dancer, and when it came time to thank the young girl, Herod told her that he would give her anything that she asked.  The plot was beheld and told.  The request took Herod by surprise but because of who she was he had no choice but to honor her request which was actually the request of his lover.  As stated above, John told Herod and Herodias that their affair was not moral and that they needed to stop, Herodias got her revenge on John and had him immediately beheaded in prison an act so severe that the historian Jerome states that Herodias gloated over the head of John the Baptist and then she drew out his tongue and pierced it with a needle.  I find this act quite intriguing since many young people have their tongues pierced for sexual pleasure to others.  This was her credibility and Herod's too.

There are many lines and tones that can be applied to by people with a few not even being too concerned about the act that was carried out, that is just the way humans believe and act not only today but even way back in ancient times.  This passage does say that Herod was sorry, sorry for the decision he had made and the oath that he had made with the dance.  Even though his lover had any and every type of contact with him, she kept a few details about herself quiet and did not display them directly until the time was convened.  However, because of his word toward the oath, that stance took precedent over the correct thing to do and therefore carried out the request asked of him.  It is this portion of our will that can be unpredictable for it is a standard of humanity to protect our word and credibility to the public eye and ears, it is also a pride measure of how far we fall when bad oaths are taken over the good.

This story proves just how far a human will go in order to justify their actions and choices, even to the extreme of beheading a righteous whistleblower.  Humans have not changed much over time because this practice of convenient disposal continues today, remember, the heart is evil above all things, and being right or wrong in these actions does not matter, only convenience.  While this story is based on a local event with a spiritual connection do we realize that this type of setting can be on a local, state, or national level as well?  It occurs every day somewhere around the world and we must contend that someday in our future it shall step foot into our nation.  When it does, how will your associations with such positions stand and will they support such drastic oaths being taken and then demanded to be carried out?  What will your credibility be?

Church, I do not believe you have considered this fact too much, not today, not yesterday and unless something drastic occurs (which it shall) you will not change your stance on this issue in the future.  What I find so disturbing is that you have read the Bible for so long and you still confine your faith in the world and confide your heart in its dangerous procedures and practices.  Do you not understand that by doing such an act that you align yourself with the world?  Have you forgotten what the world can provide?  Jesus is calling you today to change your heart and to turn back to Him for time is about to change and you are not going unnoticed by His Father.

Your credibility is not in good standing with God and He knows that at some point you will be shown accountability for this credibility.  Satan has already unleashed his plan of death in your existence and you are abiding by such demands.  How many souls have you hurt over the centuries with your worldly standards and alliances?  How many countries have you tried to destroy with your physical and militant strategies "for God"?  When you have been challenged, you have only responded with physical responses and vacant prayers in order to satisfy your "need" to be right.  How many people have you banned from God due to the hypocrisy in your heart, saying one thing but totally denying it in your heart?  Whether or not you understand it or not, we have acted and still act today like Herod being fondled by a so-called lover that has asked for Jesus' head on a charger.  Remember, it is through our actions and words that come from our hearts and define which type of credibility we have and wish to display.

We are in no shape spiritually to wage any type of defense when Satan asks us to do something, we no longer have a holy discipline (the Word) in our hearts, and no longer do we crave to be near to God and Holy Spirit.  Look at our position and look at the position of those who do not know God and if you are honest, we will see that we are in alignment with the world and not God.  There is a reason Jesus said that there needs to be a spiritual distance between you and those in the world, for it is existing in this manner that people who do not know God shall see Him in you.  This is the credibility that you want and need in your life, the credibility of John the Baptist, and more importantly Jesus.  No matter what comes our way, we must cling to the Word of God and seek Him and have our eyes on Him as these things come to pass for if we do not then our credibility will leave God when times become difficult and we shall not see the Kingdom of God flourish.

DLB

Beyond Belief

Beyond Belief

2/19/22

Many of us have witnessed events or actions that defile the commonality of mankind.  The majority of the time these types of things are projected on the good side of life but there have been other times where things have just gone awry.  It is inevitable that our eyes shall see things of amazement and then have corresponding words to describe such things, but what about when God allows such calamities to surge into our realm?  Will we understand what exactly is transpiring or will we sweep it under the rug and claim that it is a freak event and carry on our way?  Maybe God is trying to grab our attention about how we are living or that He calls us back to Him through repentance, or even continue supernatural events until He has reclaimed His creation back to the starting point again.  In any case, God will use such events to get HIs point of purity, hope, trust, and obedience back into His Order for all of our sakes.  God loves His children and wants only the best for us, but He cannot allow sin to dominate our lives so He uses such grand activities to show us exactly how far away we are from Him.

One would not have to look very hard or far to find stories from people about changes in their lives, like getting a new car, a new house, job, etc, and to have such beautiful plans come forth and blossom into utter happiness.  We hear o such stories on a regular basis with nothing but blessings and good hope in front of us.  We all wish for something like this to occur in our lives, for we should because we live in America, right?  This is supposed to be the land of opportunity, the greatest country on the earth and ever created, so what could ever deter someone from fulfilling this dream and goal for themselves and their family?  The one problem with this truth is that the younger folks coming up today do not wish to work or to be determined to make it such a great story so they decide to make it a nightmare for others.

Over the past decade or so, we have been witness to many travesties sweep over our land, with most of them being human-derived and thus driven into the ground.  While these events have been mostly limited to cities and metropolitan areas, we have now begun to see them in rural America.  After all, is said and done, many lives in every community feel these acts which fuel a wave of anger that is unnecessary.  Now we have political sides taking shape in nations where its citizens protest conditions or lack of conditions, all of which fall under the category of freedom.  Sadly, the responses to these protests also take political sides and if the ruling party agrees with the protests then a blind eye is turned and indirectly supported, but if the protests go against the ruling party's ideas then watch out they will take even more away from you and harm you for the remainder of your existence.

While these types of events are taking place, these are not the types of things that God wants us to know about for this article.  Yes, He sees these events and He does not agree with how they are conducted and play out, but remember God is a complete God and He looks at the heart of an individual and nation and makes things happen accordingly.  Many times we fail to recognize that when things fall apart they are for a supernatural reason and one that is hard to define if we are not in tune with God spiritually.  But when God sees the heart of our activities He gets a perfect view of exactly what the motives are and it really does not matter which side of the political aisle we are on either.  God is ALWAYS heart first and everything else nonexistent.  It is at this point where God decides either to continue His blessings or grab our attention and it is apparent that we are long gone from the blessings area of God's heart.

Recently, I used a song from the 80s and early 90s Christian music group named "Petra" in a previous article, I am going to do this again for it is a song that tells a type of condition that we sometimes forget about God, or at least lean toward one side of God.  The song is entitled "Beyond Belief" and the portion of lyrics are as follows:

"We're content to pitch our tent

When the glory's evident

Seldom do we know

The glory came and went"

The phrase beyond belief is an intriguing one and as humans, we like to associate this phrase with the good side of the meaning and for the majority of us, we would agree that this good side is what we expect or define this phrase to be.  Some would even classify this phrase into the "miracle" category, something that is powerful and wonderful that has the capability to change people's lives for eternity, a process of physical impossibility that our minds find it difficult to comprehend the extent and content of the phrase.  Also, a result that takes a long time to go away or one that never does, a lifetime achievement if you wish.  This brings us to our Scripture passage for this article, one that we have referenced before and might do again in the future.  The passage is as follows:

Genesis 13:10-13

"And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.  Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched tent toward Sodom.  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly."

Now, the passage that has just been presented will not be the exact reference for this article, but a setting in which most people will recognize what God does to this plain just a few short verses later.  We cannot forget that just a few chapters earlier in Genesis God had come to the conclusion that all humanity was evil, so much so that He repented for even making humanity.  Humans have a tendency to forget history and what led up to such disastrous conditions for humans, we like to believe that this generation is the best ever recorded, and thus everyone who experiences it is doing the only correct thing.  Here we have Lot looking over a well-watered area, perfect for his flocks and herds, yet ignoring the fact that Sodom is already in the sights of God and it is only a short time before God changes the setting.

After God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah, along with the other towns around it, the entire landscape has been changed.  Once a beautiful landmass has now become a desolate mess that nothing can grow on it.  It is hard to imagine such a happening, to go from one extreme to another from one beyond belief to another beyond belief.  It was unrecognizable as it once was, but this was the path and pattern that the people of this area chose to live under.  It was their choice and coming from a place that once knew God and His mercies and blessings, not many people were now around to discuss the issues.  Beyond belief, is the key phrase here, for there is no question that at one time Sodom and Gomorrah had everything they could ever need in order to live comfortably without want.  Lot saw no disappointment in what he observed that day.  Lot could not see beyond the physical aspects of his eyes, a quick fix to the problem at hand and from all things considered the best option of the two choices.  It is this word "beyond" that needs examining, for many of us just take the physical aspect of what we see, hear, listen to, or speak and then take whatever comes with the said territory.  

Verse 13 talks about what is beyond the physical aspects of that area, one that Lot did not see or predict the sin aspect, the spiritual aspect which was the real issue of the area.  It is the exact reasoning for the title of this article and one we should be very astute to know.  It is obvious that Lot had made up his mind with the area without asking God for guidance for as this verse states God already knew just how bad things were in Sodom and Gomorrah and He would have given an explanation about those conditions to Lot.  Things could have been very different if only Lot had asked God for advice on this matter.  See, Lot was under the authority of Abram, thus he knew the Ways of God and had known to pray and to seek God for answers.

The men of Sodom were wicked in the sight of God, which meant that they had performed such lifestyles for quite some time and through these wicked acts of theirs, God had made such a determination due to the wickedness of their hearts.  The lifestyles of the men in Sodom they enjoyed, promoted, sought out, and thoroughly lived out their lives in chosen sin.  Yes, they believed that nothing could be done to them because of the blessings around them, and as long as these blessings were upon them that God approved.  Lot believed this to be true as well and broke one of the most sensible laws of serving God, asking Him for guidance.  Things were okay for a while but as we see down the road all came crashing to a halt with destruction so methodical and complete that nothing grows in that land today.  

This type of living and lifestyle we have adopted as our own today and we are about to face the exact same type of destruction and devastation from God.  I wish I could say that our hearts still have some hope of God left in them, but it would be a lie if I stated such words.  In today's societies, we demand that our wants are heard and kept sacred and if you do not like them then you need to be permanently silenced.  This is a grave issue but one that is not just the "sinners" fault of action.  Christians have just walked away from such beliefs and have done nothing to curb this type of belief.  We are just as at fault as Lot was, for he got into Sodom and became a person that identifies with Sodom as his home.  Christ did not come into this world to be mocked by those who say or claim to serve Him, we should not be like Lot was in the Old Testament in reference to God.

The Church has accepted the world as its standard, a physical standard only and one that will cost us dearly.  Our landscape is about to become a desert for we shall lose our well-watered livelihood soon.  We have been warned for long enough, this nation has been warned long enough and it is time God brings down His judgment so that our land can be restored again.  But this restoration is not going to be a quick process for as we know when we look around our landscape, treasures, buildings, ideas, thoughts, and settings are far greater and so much deeper than what Sodom ever was.  The only thing in common that this nation, the Church, and other nations around the world have is our sin and it runs super deep and it will take a lot of digging to get rid of.  God suggests that we leave Him to His business and allow Him to dig out what is necessary for restoration to occur.  I have no idea what this process shall entail or how long it will last, but it is here and it shall be completed.  We have been warned for over two years now to brace ourselves and to be honest we have ignored this warning.  So, Church, nation, and nations around the world, here we go because it will be a beyond belief scenario.

DLB