Haves and Have-Nots

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1 Samuel 1:2 He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Tony Evans once preached that: Debt has become a way of life. There are now three groups of people in our nation: The Haves, the Have-Nots, and the Have-Not-Paid-For-What-They-Have. Instead of living for the future, people are now paying for the past. Debt has become the new addiction.

Hannah was barren physically. For whatever reason she could not bear children. She was a have not. Unfortunately she failed to see what she had: 1 Samuel 1: 4-5, 8 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, ….But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children….Then Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons?

Hannah focused on the “haves” and the “have nots” – rather than focusing on what she had. Unfortunately, her focus on the “haves” seemed to lead to an offense with God: but the Lord had given her no children….Psalm 119:165 states: Great peace have they who love Your Law and NOTHING shall offend them. John 5 recounts the story of a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Although Jesus knew of his condition He had not healed him, yet. In Acts 3 Peter and John entered through the Beautiful Gate, or Eastern Gate – Jesus, and all Jews would have passed through in order to pray three times a day. Jesus would have passed by this lame man – without healing him. How many times have we failed to see where God is at work because of our offense at where He wasn’t?

Making matters worse, Hannah had a “sister wife” who added to her offense: [This embarrassed and grieved Hannah] and her rival provoked her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless.7 So it was year after year; whenever Hannah went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah provoked her, so she wept and did not eat. (1 Samuel 1:6-7) Beware of anyone who seeks to aid you in your offense – whether it be yours or there’s. Oftentimes, we are led to believe that we need to find a commiserator – one who will share in our offense. Truth be told nothing good comes of it.

Peter and John proceeded through the Beautiful Gate to worship – not stumbling over any offense. The interesting thing about the word Beautiful is that in the Greek it carries the sense of “at the right time,” thereby signifying “ripe” or “perfectly developed.” Peter, John, and Hannah’s faith, perfectly developed, overcame their possible offenses at barrenness and pressed in to God: 1 Samuel 1:10-13 And [Hannah] was in distress of soul, praying to the Lord and weeping bitterly.11 She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; … And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli noticed her mouth.13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. In that moment of faith, Hannah moved from the have nots – to living in the future Hall of Faith. She ceased being a debtor to the past – breaking her addiction to it. Her faith moved God. She became intoxicated with trust in a God Who could be moved. Scripture says, We have not because we ask not. Yet, it adds, Ask, Seek, and Knock.

A.W. Tozer once said, Behold how these Christians die, they say. And I repeat, they only died well because they’d lived well. And a man who hasn’t lived well will have a tough time getting in.…So, remember it, that a Christian dare die if he’s lived right, and he’s got his hope alive and he’s been born of the Spirit and walking with God. But he doesn’t dare die if he hasn’t. A man who’s only a church member doesn’t dare die, and yet he has to, and there’s a tragedy of it. Forced to do what he morally doesn’t dare to do. They said to old Uncle Tom, tell me where she is. He said, I can’t, Master, I can’t. Tell us where she is. I can’t, Master, I can’t. Tell us where she is or we’ll kill you. Well, Master, I can die. He couldn’t betray a friend, but he could die. So Christians dare to die.”

Followers of Christ will eventually have to choose to follow Jesus to their own death. But the death will not be physical but spiritual. Often Jesus will invite us to surrender our offenses yielding to faith in the unseen. He will invite us to worship through our times of asking, seeking and knocking. During these times will others be able to say of you, Behold how these Christians die? If you consider Jesus your friend, or truly want to be, can you lay down your life for Him?

Vines, Branches and Trees – Grow Up Into Jesus

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James 1:5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

Years ago, while driving a semi in the winter, from central Colorado to Western Wyoming , I discovered I had a lot of time on my hands. While driving I got this crazy thought: You’ve got parts of the book of James memorized – Why don’t you memorize the whole book? When I began the undertaking one thing that annoyed me was that it seemed to be a mixture of disjointed thoughts. But as I was provoked with questions I slowly began to see their interconnectedness. For example in verses 2-12 you see that if you are going through trials – you should consider it joy. Why? Ask for wisdom. To ask for wisdom during the trial requires belief, and humility. As you submit to the process above – you grow and mature, become integrated (no longer double-minded or two souled), and you receive the Crown of Life. Now that should be counted ALL joy!

This wisdom provides an understanding of the process. Understanding the process empowers you to cooperate and grow rather than kicking, screaming, and resisting the Hand of the Lord. For example yesterday I was reviewing some Scripture memory. Before I began I asked two questions: Is this empowering me to be connected to Jesus? Am I making room for Jesus in this process? After checking myself spiritually, and focusing my minds attention on connecting with the Lord – not just reviewing Scripture, John 15:1-2 stood out to me: I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.

What struck me was that Jesus was identifying with the Vine. The Vine He is – is being pruned by His Father the Vine Dresser. Even more startling is that Jesus had some branches that weren’t bearing fruit, and branches that were. The branches that were – got exposed to the process of pruning in order for them to bear more fruit.

When I was around 14 years old I began searching for God. One of the things I was drawn to was a simple little devotional called My Daily Bread. One of those devotionals pointed out the promise found in James 1:5 and so I began praying this promise almost everyday of my young life into adulthood. As I began to see the promise manifested I added other promises to my daily routine. I added insight, knowledge, foresight, discernment, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit – and those grew. But what I failed to see was that I was growing even though I was heavily demonized, self-centered, arrogant, angry and proud. In our maturing process the enemy will often remind us of our failures, regrets, and shame. But the tares always grow with the wheat. The question is, Are we sowing more wheat than tares – every harvest? Eventually the wheat of God’s Word will choke out the tares and you don’t even realize it. (You didn’t even have to help God by tearing out your tares).

Back in May 2023 we were doing a prophetic exercise with our church in which everyone received a number. These numbers were folded in half, thrown into a basket, and jumbled up. Our facilitator then took the basket and had everyone blindly choose one of the folded pieces of paper. The only person who knew their number was you. Matt Wagenmaker drew my number and wrote the following on a 3×5 index card: Extremely large tree, with a thick trunk and a large canopy of leaves which is flowing next to a river. I still have that index card. Why? Because it sums up everything James is talking about. What Matt “saw” was Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. That word blesses me to this day. I keep it in my Bible as a treasure, a reminder and an encouragement.

As followers of Jesus our process is daunting, but simply stated: Grow up into Jesus. You might ask, How? Start with Wisdom (that’s Jesus in the Old Testament. He’s Truth in the New Testament). Get understanding regarding the Words meaning. (Wisdom commands that) Obey and apply all that you know and understand.

You see Jesus is not only the True Vine, He is the Tree of Life planted by the Rivers of the Holy Spirit and His leaves never wither. While focusing on this simple process you eventually become assimilated into Who He is. Small things pay off into eternally, big dividends and rewards – AND – Wisdom crowns us with Life.

That screwed up, nobody teenager took God at His Word, and started becoming His tree. And all of it begins with simple faith.

Who’s Your Daddy?

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Ruth 1: 1, 20-21 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, his wife, and his two sons…..20 And she said to them, Call me not Naomi [pleasant]; call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.21 I went out full, but the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?

There are many peculiar contradictions embedded in this first chapter of Ruth: there was a famine in the land…but Naomi claims, I went out full; there is a famine in Bethlehem…the House of Bread? Moab means Who’s your father or Who’s your daddy?…When God was to be their Father. Moabites were historical enemies of Israel from the Exodus through the times of King Saul. Yet this is where Naomi’s husband led his wife and family. What’s really sad is Naomi’s perspective on the entire ordeal: …call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me….the Lord has brought me home again empty…the Lord has testified against me….the Almighty has afflicted me. The Lord is receiving the blame yet she is missing the obvious and glaring fact that Her husband, Elimelech, led them into their predicament.

Ruth 1:1 states that these were the days the judges ruled. Yet the book of Judges states, But the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hands of those who robbed them. And yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them. They turned quickly out of the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not so. (Judges 2:16-17) The book of Judges agrees with this Scripture stating that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. (Sound familiar?)

Naomi left Bethlehem full but returned spiritually famished after feeding off the idolatry of Moab. She had grown accustomed to the sacrifice of children in the land of Moab – the god of Chemosh. Her return to the land of her inheritance should have been a returning to God – her Father – instead all she could do was find fault with Him. The only thing she was full of was bitterness and self-pity. But that’s the life of one ruled by self – doing what is right in your own eyes. Hebrews 12:15 warns: See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;…ESV Over the years I have prayed for people who, although, they began with a root of bitterness – the root grew into a tree, and the fruit it bore was disastrous. Usually this seed sprouts from a perceived hurt. The hurt breeds unforgiveness. Unforgiveness evolves into judgments, and judgments become vows (I would never have done, I would have never said, etc.) While all of these things are rooted in pride, and the center of self, you become a curse. The good news is that our Father is forgiving and loving and Jesus, our Kinsman Redeemer, has already paid our redemption, or ransom. All you have to do is acknowledge your sins, release the person or persons from the judgments you have had, confess your vows, and be restored into right relationship with your True Father. In other words, be released from the prison cell of your own making.

Staying Sown

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1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ, [writing] to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts].

The Parable of the Soils describes how Jesus’ word is received within the soil of our hearts. Some hearts are trodden down, others are thorny, or rocky. Only one of the soils receives the seed of the Word and produces fruit. Billy Graham used this parable to make the point that only one in four people who gather in our churches has actually been born-again.

What I have never thought of is that not only is our heart a garden – with seeds sown into its “ground” – we are seeds. Our lives and the way we live them are seeds. From one seed come many seeds that either bear fruit for righteousness and the Kingdom of God, or bear fruit for evil and Satans’ kingdom. Question is, Am I consciously aware that I have been sown by the Lord? Everyone quotes Romans 8:28 God works for the good for those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. But few actually believe that promise. If we believed it we would wait for the Lord – the Sower of our lives – to bring fruit out of the pit He has buried us in. What does this all mean? In order for a seed to germinate a “pit” must be dug to plant the seed, burying it in the soil that will “entomb” it. In the Old Testament Joseph was “buried” in a pit (tomb) by his jealous brothers to be “resurrected” into becoming a ruler of Egypt. We see the same in Jesus’ life. Planted in a “pit” or tomb He burst forth 3 days later securing the salvation of the world. In speaking of His crucifixion Jesus stated: I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest. (John 12:24). The best place to sow any seed is in the dark ground. The soil that is fertile has rotten, stinking stuff in it. It’s not clean, or sterilized. The pit, darkness, and fertile, stinking soil is actually good for the seed. In other words, all of these things are good for you – if you are God’s seed. I once heard Brad McClendon teach on this and he asked, What happens to the seed when we take it out of the pit? It dies and the transformation is halted.

Many times the Lord has led this “seed” (me, myself, and I) to a place, circumstance, assignment, difficult person, or situation – He had chosen for me; He had designed for me – to be buried. Unfortunately, I halted the process of transformation by taking myself out of the “pit” He had buried me. Sadly, over the years of ministry, I have watched people claim God’s leading to this or that – but once they started feeling the darkness of His pit, and smelled the rotten, stinking soil used to bury them – they quickly jumped out. They missed an all important truth: If you say you are a follower of Jesus then eventually you are going to have to follow Him down into the “pit;” the place where it seems the enemy has scattered you. The soulish man, or fleshly nature, is always seeking to save SELF – mind, will emotions and personality. It will avoid its death at all costs. Hebrews 12:7 states that we are to endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as sons….You can’t be a son (or daughter) like Jesus until you learn to suffer with Jesus. Romans 8:17 affirms this fact: And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.

Matthew 13:8 reminds us: Other seeds fell on good soil, and yielded grain—some a hundred times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some thirty. When I submit to this process I will bear much fruit.

Milk and Meat of God’s Promised Land

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Judges 1:1-3 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them? 2 And the Lord said, Judah shall go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.3 And Judah [the tribe] said to [the tribe of] Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my allotted territory, so that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your territory. So Simeon went with him.

There are several ways to interpret the writings found in the Bible. Some are literal, like commands, instructions, and teachings. Others are inferred, like following the examples set before you. Still others are historically, and literally true, yet there is an allegorical, or symbolic meaning behind their narrative. For example when you read the parables of Jesus, or the Book of Revelation, most are not to be read literally, but symbolically. Participants in the New Covenant, primarily get their spiritual “milk” (a metaphor for the Word of God) from the New Testament. We can read and ascertain clearly what we are to do and not do. (which explains why most New Testament readers scratch their heads in confusion when they read the Parables of Jesus or the Book of Revelation). Unfortunately, or fortunately, when it comes to reading the Old Testament you will need to come prepared to read most of it allegorically, or symbolically (although it is literally, and historically true). You will need to see the message behind the message.

The passage in Judges 1:1-3 is just such an example. You can read it literally, and historically but it doesn’t make for much of an in-depth Bible study. As a pastor-teacher I could make the obvious point (which we all know and need to be reminded of) that when it comes to conquering our enemies we can’t do it alone. We need to call on others to help us achieve our goals. Which is a nice devotional thought – what the Apostle Peter, Paul, and the writer of Hebrews would call spiritual milk. But if you want some spiritual meat added to the meal you would need to ask for revelation from the Holy Spirit. He would reveal the message behind the message. You could begin with the Hebraic meanings of the words for the two tribes that partnered together: Judah, and Simeon. Judah means to praise, or give thanks, which is a form of worship (serving or ministering to the Lord). Simeon, on the other hand, means he who hears or a man of listening; or one who hears and accepts what is heard. Now, what’s the application? When I, or the church, partners in praise, thanksgiving, and worship (serving and ministering to the Lord) – with hearing and listening (to God) – accepting what has been heard – I, or the church, can defeat enemies. Not only can you defeat your enemies you are empowered to possess the manifestation of His Promised Inheritance. The real challenge comes when you ask, Is He calling you to partner with another – to see the manifestation of His Inherited Promises – in your life and theirs? Another thought, even more challenging, would be to ask, Do you want me to lay down the promises You’ve specifically given; the inheritance you have prophesied was mine; the dreams, and prophetic words You have given – so another can inherit theirs? Now, all of that taken together has enough milk, to wash down the meat at the table He has prepared for those who are spiritually hungry. But that table has only been prepared for those who have made the Lord their Shepherd.

The Lighthouse and the Battleship

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2 Peter 1:2 May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

For several months I have been asking the Lord to help me understand the remaining phrase in Revelation 3:18:…and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. The two questions I have been asking are: How do I anoint my eyes with eye salve that I may see? Once I have that answered the next question becomes, What difference does it make – to see spiritually?

Two battleships assigned to a training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days, making visibility very difficult. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.”” “Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out. Lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain then called to the signalman, “Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.” Back came a signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.” The captain said, “Send, I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees.” “I’m a seaman second class,” came the reply. “You had better change course 20 degrees.” By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, “Send, I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees. “Back came the flashing light, “I’m a lighthouse.”

What difference does it make to see spiritually? Ask the captain of the battleship. When the Captain of our Lighthouse speaks we need to make the necessary adjustments to correct the course of our lives to Him. To answer the question, What does it mean to see spiritually, you need to understand Jesus’ exhortation. One of the clues to understanding Jesus’ exhortation is found in Mark 7:18 And He said to them, Then are you also unintelligent and dull and without understanding? Do you not discern and see that whatever goes into a man from the outside cannot make him unhallowed or unclean,…

Seeing, or not seeing, is connected to understanding. If you do not have a full, personal, precise, and correct knowledge of God (the Father) and of Jesus, you will not cooperate with His processes and purposes for your life. Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God states: “Your walk with God (Father, Son, and Spirit) is the single most important aspect of your life. If it is not as it should be, nothing else will function properly.”

You receive a full, personal, precise, and correct knowledge of the Godhead when you seek Jesus to understand Who He and the Godhead are. This revelation becomes your vision, and your light, guiding you into becoming like Jesus.

In God We Trust?

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2 John 5-6 And now I beg you, lady (Cyria), not as if I were issuing a new charge (injunction or command), but [simply recalling to your mind] the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And what this love consists in is this: that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments (His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching). This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it].

It sounds so simple to obey the command to love. But in reality it’s easy to love the people we like or that love and like us. The difficult people not so much. I’ve been pastoring for over 30 years and I have had the “blessing” of being on the receiving end of all of the above. Practicing this command hasn’t gotten any easier but I can say that the Lord has given me some tools to help cope with the pain that comes from rejection, hurt, criticism and pain. What are some of those tools?

  1. Become like Jesus. That’s a simple but profound truth. It’s been said you can’t become an overcomer till you have been given something to overcome. The same is true of becoming like Jesus. If I am going to “become” then I will need to face the challenges that do not look or sound like Jesus. When I am challenged I am learning to see that as an opportunity to become like Jesus. In other words, I lean into the pain. John 4 states that Jesus had need to go to Samaria. Samaritans hated Jews. Thus you can infer from this passage that Jesus had need to be rejected. He knew He would grow through it.
  2. Pray to see the person or difficult situation as Jesus sees them (or it). In the Book of Genesis God goes looking for Adam and Eve after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. Adam tells the Lord that he had hidden himself because he was afraid; and I was naked. The Lord wisely asks, Who told you that you were naked? The enemy, the accuser of the brothers, is in the full-time business of reminding all of us that we are naked. God on the other hand covers our sins, nakedness, shame, and guilt.
  3. Release the person from your expectations. One of the weirdest passages in the Bible is found in John 2:24: But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men];…How can Jesus, Who loves all people perfectly, not trust them? 1 Corinthian 13:7 states that Love always trusts. I asked the Lord about this and He gave me a great answer. He reminded me of my children when they were toddlers. He asked, Robert did you love your children when they were toddlers? I said, Absolutely Lord! He asked, Would you have trusted them to drive your car? I answered, Absolutely not! He asked, Did you love your children less because you didn’t trust them to drive the car? His point was made. Jesus loves, and He always trusts – yet He has realistic expectations of what we are and are not capable of doing and being.

Chuck Swindoll author of, Make Up Your Mind, writes that: In the 1960s a teacher was given a roster showing the actual I.Q. test scores of the students of one class, and for another class a roster in which the I.Q. column had been (mistakenly) filled in with the students’ locker numbers. The teacher assumed that the locker numbers were the actual I.Q.s of the students when the rosters were posted at the beginning of the semester. After a year it was discovered that in the first class the students with high actual I.Q. scores had performed better than those with low ones. But in the second class the students with higher locker numbers scored significantly higher than those with lower locker numbers!

When we shift our focus, and expectations from others onto Jesus, He empowers us to do all the above. Which really is all about trust. Who do you trust? Isn’t it funny that we have trouble trusting Jesus and others? Yet, we trust ourselves – more than them – to protect us from being harmed or hurt. We say we Love Him. If love always trusts then our focus will need to shift from us – onto Him.

Reorienting to God

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In 1977 the entire Chesapeake Bay froze over. The U.S. Coast Guard sent vessels to break up the ice in certain places. In an article from the Chesapeake Bay Magazine, titled: Ice Heroes – A Maryland Pilot’s Firsthand Account of the Historic 1977 Bay Freeze, states: The news reported that the Chesapeake Bay was shut down. Except it wasn’t. Not for the Bay Pilots. From Dec. 24, 1976, through Feb. 28, 1977, there were hundreds of ship movements, and cold was the order of the day. From the Bay Bridges south 100 nautical miles…navigational aids were nonexistent or useless. The weight of the ice, plus wind and tidal currents, pushed the buoys underwater or moved them markedly off station…..There was no GPS in 1977. Without buoys, pilots used radar range and bearing off specific points to navigate their ships. Just as importantly, the pilots employed their own ice marks, such as lining up a flagpole with the corner of a house, or a stand of trees with a dip in the land behind. This “old School” method was very effective in enabling the pilots to move ships when other mariners wouldn’t consider it.

The NLT states in Isaiah 40:12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? In other words, our Father – God Almighty, is so big that He holds the oceans in His hands and has measured off the heavens (outer space)…WITH HIS FINGERS?! Scripture clearly states He is Omnipresent. In other words, He is everywhere. Yet, Scripture teaches that all who call on Jesus’ Name to be saved, have the Godhead come to reside within them.

Presently our church has partnered with the Way Church to fast and pray this week. Why do we fast and pray? It’s the same reason that the Bible has over forty different Scripture referencing seeking God to find Him. You fast to position yourself before Him to seek His Presence – to reorient your life to Him. Like the Chesapeake Bay pilots you position yourself to find your bearing, or your mark, in order to navigate the icy waters of this life. But here is a profound question: Since God is everywhere, and He is so enormous, and He lives within us – How big does our ego, pride, and self-centeredness have to be in order to not be connected to Him? How big does our lofty impression of ourselves have to be that we don’t think we need to seek God? It’s an interesting fact that demons long to live life through humans. What is it about living in us that makes them comfortable? What is it about our nature that feels like home? Have the icy mountains of our self-sufficient pride cast such a shadow, and is so immense, that it eclipses the enormity of God?

Acts 17:27 in the AMPC translation states: So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us. This passage is referring to pagans. People who haven’t even seen their need to trust in Jesus. Yet, American Christians are quite content with ignoring Him. We won’t take the time to seek after Him to find Him failing to recognize we have drifted off course. We have failed to see the landmarks because of the icy bay of our heart.

Revelation 3:19 records the rebuke and exhortation of Jesus to the Laodiceans. Jesus reminds us: Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].

Where is the “ship” of your life really? Is it frozen in religious traditions, and spiritual routines, divorced and void of connecting to the Living God? We pray, we fast, we seek – to bring the “Mountain of Me” to bow before the Most High God; to humble ourselves before Him by positioning ourselves to be reoriented, and re-centered in Him. We seek to find Him – not us. We are the generation of Jacob – that seeks His face. (Unless you are not of His born-again generation). The Jacob generation seeks to draw near to God in order to obtain the blessing of knowing Him.

Seeing Jesus

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1 John 1:3 What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

There are some pretty bold claims in this passage. For one John is saying that they have seen and heard Jesus. Second, he is stating emphatically to this gathering of believers: this fellowship – this experience is available to you. Third, they are not only presently having this kind of relationship with the Ascended Jesus, they are having it with His Father! Those are bold claims.

Jesus made claims like this. In the Gospel of John He makes a bold pronouncement to His disciples when Philip asked to see the Father: Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father—that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied. 9 Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father? You could reason, Well, Robert, He is Jesus. Of course He could make that bold claim. But hold on a second. In the letter to the Ephesians Paul prays: May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! AMPC Galatians 2:20 echoes these words when Paul emphatically states:  I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me…

Did you catch it? Paul believed Jesus lived inside of him! And if He lived in Paul He also lives in you and me? The implications behind this are far worse than you can imagine. For Paul is saying, If you have seen me – you have seen Jesus. You may be tempted to say that this is not so bad. But wait a minute. If what Paul says is true of himself it is also true of everyone who calls themselves followers of Jesus. I should be able to confidently say: If you have seen me – you have seen Jesus! If you are a follower of Jesus you should be able to confidently say: If you have seen me – you have seen Jesus! Does that cause you to pause? Why? Could it be that the answer is found in Paul’s prayer? May Christ …through YOUR FAITH …[actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts… Maybe the manifest reality of that truth is weak simply because our faith has been weak. We either don’t believe Pauls’ words, or we don’t believe Jesus, or our focus has been stuck on our performance rather than Who Jesus says He is and the Power of His Word. We believe more in the power of the devils lies than the truths of God’s Word. Now that should wake us all up. What are we doing that awakens and reveals Jesus in and through us? What are we cooperating with that causes our faith to grow so big Jesus comes out?

Luke 17:21 states: People will not say, Look God’s Kingdom is here or there it is! No! God’s Kingdom is in you! Is the weakness of our faith predicated upon the immensity of our king? Who is the King in our life?

Where Am I?

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Deuteronomy 1:2 It is [only] eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea [on Canaan’s border; yet Israel took forty years to get beyond it]. AMPC

A helicopter was flying around above Seattle when an electrical malfunction disabled all of the aircraft’s electronic navigation and communications equipment. Due to the clouds and haze, the pilot could not determine the helicopter’s position and course to fly to the airport. The pilot saw a tall building, flew toward it, circled, drew a handwritten sign, and held it in the helicopter’s window. The pilot’s sign said “WHERE AM I?” in large letters. People in the tall building quickly responded to the aircraft, drew a large sign and held it in a building window. Their sign read: “YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER.” The pilot smiled, waved, looked at the map, determined the course to steer to SEATAC airport, and landed safely. After they were on the ground, one of the passengers asked the pilot how the “YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER” sign helped determine their position. The pilot responded “I knew that had to be the Microsoft building because, the response they gave me was technically correct, but completely useless.”

Horeb is another name for Sinai. The etymology of the Hebrew word for Sinai means “thorn” and its root means “to pierce.” On the other hand Horeb means to “dry up, lay waste, or sword.” How did Mount Sinai, the “piercing” get to be Mount Horeb, to dry up, lay waste, and to be the place of the sword? Israel made some choices along the way that set them on this course of trajectory. What were the choices they made? When God gave them the invitation to have a relationship with Him, they rejected that and asked instead that Moses be their mediator. Through that choice they received the Law. Unfortunately the Law without the Pierced One is simply a sword that cuts and divides. But when you wed the Sword with the Pierced One you not only have direction for your life, you have the Life-Giver Himself. He brings the Sword of God’s Word to Life and as Psalm 2:12 exhorts: Kiss the Son [pay homage to Him in purity], lest He be angry and you perish in the way, for soon shall His wrath be kindled. O blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are all those who seek refuge and put their trust in Him! Why is that significant? Revelation 1:16 …and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full power at midday. Day or night, you don’t have to ask for directions – for He is the Light and He is the Way. How can you lose? You can lose by ignoring the Pierced One, the Way, and the Truth of His Sword. That choice turns an eleven day journey into a forty year death march. Over the years I have learned that if it feels I am going around in circles then its time to look up the Way admitting my lostness. Through that moment of clarity I have confessed, I know You are wanting me to learn through this. I know this is a test. So what do I need to do to pass this test and quit going around the mountain? Could that be the answer? We’ve been ignoring the Pierced One and the Sword of His Word and so we have lost our way. Could it be that this is the reason there are over 60 references in the Bible regarding seeking the Lord to find Him? Which is really odd when you think of it. God is everywhere. (Which is a pretty big target) Yet we keep losing sight of Him over and over. Why is that? Could it be that our impressions of ourselves (self-centeredness) is so immense; that the mountain of our ego is so large that it eclipses God in importance? Now that is something to think about. This is why you and I get lost, and lose our way.

The Experiment

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2 John 1-2 The elderly elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the elect (chosen) lady (Cyria) and her children, whom I truly love—and not only I but also all who are [progressively] learning to recognize and know and understand the Truth—2 Because of the Truth which lives and stays on in our hearts and will be with us forever….

As we asked in a previous blog, What is truth?, it helps to have a refresher. How is truth defined? Truth is that which affirms propositionally the nature of reality as it is. This means that when we talk about truth we are not talking about something being subjectively true for me. We’re talking about something that is objectively true and actually real. (Medium, In Defense 315)

Ravi Zacharias, in The Logic of God, stated: Truth by definition is exclusive. Everything cannot be true. If everything is true, then nothing is false. And if nothing is false, then it would also be true to say everything is false. We cannot have it both ways. One should not be surprised at the claims of exclusivity. The reality is that even those who deny truth’s exclusivity, in effect, exclude those who do not deny it. The truth quickly emerges. The law of noncontradiction does apply to reality: two contradictory statements cannot both be true in the same sense. Thus, to deny the law of noncontradiction is to affirm it at the same time.

There are three ways to test Truth. Now think about that. Jesus is the TRUTH. You could say, then, that Jesus can be “tested” to see if Who He is and what He says is TRUTH. Not only does Christianity teach that TRUTH is objective and absolute it also teaches that TRUTH is knowable. WE can know Him – the TRUTH. Hebrews 3:10 in the AMPC verifies this stating: And so I was provoked (displeased and sorely grieved) with that generation, and said, They always err and are led astray in their hearts, and they have not perceived or recognized My ways and become progressively better and more experimentally and intimately acquainted with them. The Greek word that the AMPC translation is drawing this meaning from is ginosko. Ginosko speaks of a knowing on multiple levels. Thus experiment is defined in English as, a test, or investigation, done in order to learn something or to discover if something works or is true.

We come to know Jesus the TRUTH through “testing” Who He is, what He says, and what His followers say. The three ways of testing something to be true are as follows: logical consistency, empirical adequacy, and experiential relevance. Is Jesus, His claims and His Word, logically consistent? Is it rational? Does it make sense in itself? Medium, In Defense 315 blog states: Basic doctrines like God existing, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, and even the Trinity need to be logically consistent. Now this is not to say that we can comprehend the complexity of a thing, but only that it is apprehensible. Can you apprehend Jesus? Can you perceive or grasp Who He is, His words, and His lifestyle – mentally? Can you ask Jesus to allow you to apprehend any of the above and receive an answer? Absolutely! He stands the logical consistency test.

Yet, Its a funny thing about putting something to the test. Eventually, if you are sincere and honest, the test should have a boomerang effect. Namely it should cause you to pause and ask yourself, Do I pass the logical consistency test? Does the life I live – my thinking, language, actions, etc. – match what I say I believe about Jesus? As John encourages the recipients of his letter by stating that they were: [progressively] learning to recognize and know and understand the Truth. This was something that was observable. But not only was it observable it passed the empirical adequacy test. Empirical adequacy correctly represents observable phenomena. For example, When people see your version of Christianity are they simply seeing someone going to church, and being a good person OR are they seeing someone radically following Jesus; doing things only Jesus can do? When you are tested or squeezed by life’s circumstances does Jesus exude through the stench of the difficulty? Which leads to the next test: experiential relevance. If Jesus passes the first two tests then I guarantee He will pass this last test. Experiential Relevance is just a fancy way of saying, Does this work in real life? Does Jesus work in real life, and more importantly does He work in your life? Does He challenge you, change you, and sustain you through good and bad times?

If He hasn’t, may I suggest that you do some faith experiments with Him today or this week. See if He works in your life. Talk to Him and let Him know that you desire to [progressively] learn to recognize and know and understand the Truth – that you want to know Him better as TRUTH. Ask Him what area of your life He wants you to experiment in and then ask for the GRACE and the Power of the Holy Spirit to step out in faith.

Cycles of God

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Numbers 1:1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month in the second year after they came out of the land of Egypt, saying,…

Recently I saw an article entitled: Fasting – What a Blessing! When I was younger I undertook fasting for 40 days and only lasted 30. The next time I was called to fast I went for the full 40 days. Other than the physical weakness, once I surpassed the 2-3 day mark, I was amazed at how His Grace carried me through. I even began to feel better, experiencing clearer thinking. I say all of this to say I am no stranger to fasting and have to admit that when God has called you to it – there is a great grace to make the impossible become possible. It’s quite amazing. But in all my fasting I would be quick to confess that I’ve not been caught up to the Third Heaven with the Apostle Paul, or experienced Throne Room worship with the saints and angels. Actually quite the opposite occurred and I would not have called it a blessing. But thank the Lord for His Grace that has caused me to learn a better approach in what to expect, or what some may call its’ secrets. What are some of those secrets?

Prepare to Enter a Spiritual Wilderness. When I first read books about fasting I was misled to believe it was going to be this glorious mountain top experience. But that was not to be the case. The Bible teaches that God has spiritual cycles that it carries us through (if we are paying attention): Ecclesiastus 3:1-4 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Studying the life of the children of Israel from the exodus out of Egypt – through the wilderness – to their emerging victorious to enter the Promised Land – you observe three major cycles of God for His people. The Mountaintop Season or Cycle, the Wilderness or Valley Season or Cycle, and the Season or cycle of Warfare. To choose to enter a fast or even to seek after God will automatically default you to the Season or Cycle of the Valley or Wilderness.

Many of the things you lean on for spiritual props are removed during fasting teaching you to get in touch with your spirit. Prayer warrior, Andrew Murray once remarked: Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal.  Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God. And there it is: fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. It is not to be an emotional high but a walk through the dusty places of your soul in order to get to the wealth and riches of your spirit man. It is a journey of faith – not sight; not emotional highs – but one that can only be taken one day at a time.

Prepare to Listen for His Still, Small Voice. I have learned that through fasting I can count on receiving more revelation from God’s Word. The spiritual wilderness is where the “manna” of His Word falls. Like Israel of old rise early to gather as much as you want and trust and believe God will provide. Position yourself to hear His Spirit unlock the Word of God for you like never before.

Prepare for Offense. Another thing I have observed and experienced is that fasting “kick’s” up the offenses in me. Fasting is a means of humbling yourself not going on some quest to pay penance for your sins (although you can do that). Dt. 8:3 And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

Fasting is a means to humble yourself under what the Spirit causes to surface through others. What do I mean? I have learned that while fasting I need to pay special attention to every negative event in my life (for they will surely come). People will make me angry, offend, irritate, and confound me with all their many sins, weaknesses, self-centeredness, and pride. The painful truth is that their so-called weaknesses are really being used by God to expose my own. I’ve learned to not blame others for my offenses and irritations – but that these are the very things God is seeking to eliminate in me. I have learned to turn those issue into prayers of confession and repentance. I have learned to press into more of His Presence through thanksgiving and worship. These are the weapons that fight my battle.

Whatever season or cycle you find yourself in learn to open the DOOR of Laodicea and listen for His call and knock. He’s longing for any one who will take the time to enter His Narrow DOOR.

Everyone’s a Winner?

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In the Gospel of John, Pontius Pilate responds to Jesus stance on Truth by asking, “What is Truth?” (Jn. 18:38) Unbeknownst to him he was having a conversation with – the TRUTH. We are all familiar with Jesus’ statement in John 14:6 in which He declares that He is the TRUTH and from that we can rest assured that He is not a truth but the sum total of what that word implies and defines.

Ironically, it appears that Pilate has risen from the dead enlisting his own disciples of what we term relativism. Amy Davison, in her article for Women in Apologetics defines relativism as: the thought that truth is a socially or culturally agreed upon set of beliefs. Adding No one set of beliefs is any more right or wrong than the other, and attempting to argue as such is considered oppressive or bigoted. By denying the existence of objective truth, Post-moderns offered the equivalent of, “Everyone is a winner!” in the form of a tentative, “Everyone is right!” Which is partly why it is so attractive. If truth is subjective then each person is their own lawgiver, judge, and jury. Every culture, every practice, every belief is on the same subjective playing field. There is no longer an objective standard because we no longer have an objective lawgiver, and with no objective standard, morals become, as philosopher A.J. Ayer states, “Mere public opinion…an emotional preference.”

Carla Alvarez, in her blog, An Unexpected Journal argues successfully against the moral relativism that has emerged in our culture as a plague far worse than any pandemic. She notes that C.S. Lewis was once approached by a publisher seeking his endorsement: Looking for an endorsement, a publisher sent an elementary grammar textbook to C. S. Lewis for review. (Lewis would later refer to this book as The Green Book) What he read within, based as it was on a relativistic worldview, so disturbed him that it prompted the essay, The Abolition of Man….(Later) Lewis warned his fellow British academics that the acceptance of the ideology in The Green Book would certainly lead to “the destruction of the society which accepts it.”

3 John 3-4 states: In fact, I greatly rejoiced when [some of] the brethren from time to time arrived and spoke [so highly] of the sincerity and fidelity of your life, as indeed you do live in the Truth [the whole Gospel presents].4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living their lives in the Truth. AMPC

What’s really powerful about Jesus being the TRUTH is that He doesn’t take sides. There is no “your truth” and “my truth.” Davison adds: It cannot be ‘absolutely’ true that my truth and the exact opposite of my truth are both equally true, because this violates the law of non-contradiction. Jesus, the Truth, has no contradiction in His nature. He simply IS – the GREAT I AM! For Gaius, the recipient of Johns letter, to be in the TRUTH means that he had joined himself to Jesus; subjective opinions and feelings became irrelevant in the LIGHT of JESUS, the TRUTH. Davison continues: Nor can all truth be subjective because that statement in and of itself isn’t subjective! Something that is subjective is based on personal opinions and feelings rather than on facts.

Relativists, and those who parrot this ideology, believe Everyone is a winner and Everyone is right. The good news? If everyone is a winner then no one is a winner and the concept of winning becomes meaningless – as there is no distinction between those who excelled and those who did not. If everyone is right then no one is right then there is no true standard of right and wrong, effectively making the concept of “right” meaningless because it becomes subjective and relative to each individual. The Champion of ALL – is Lord of ALL – and only through taking the time and effort to daily align yourself with Who He is are you made right, and win for yourself the depths and meanings of ALL that it means to be a winner. Thus if you want to be a winner you must lose the right to being your own champion. How can you achieve that status today? What circumstance are you in that Jesus, the Truth would invite you to die?

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!?

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We are familiar with the nonsensical word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious used in the Disney movie Mary Poppins. Those born in the 20th century are well aware of the degradation of the English language in which presently elementary age children are taught to simply spell a word based on what they feel. Modern media talking heads, and social elites freely redefine words attaching new meanings to fundamental understandings of the concepts expressed in the word. Unfortunately the same recklessness has been used regarding the word Christian. C.S. Lewis observed: unbelievers,…will no doubt cheerfully use the word [Christian] in the refined sense. It will become in their mouths simply a term of praise. In calling anyone a Christian they will mean that they think him a good man. But that way of using the word will be no enrichment of the language, for we already have the word “Good.” Meanwhile, the word Christian will have been spoiled for any really useful purpose it might have served.

The following words, committed, believer, dedicated, and follower all appear to be very similar in that in our usage of the English language they have become synonymous with the title of Christian. George Orwell once remarked: “The slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts… if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” Truth be known there is a distinct difference between the usage of these words that should warrant our attention because they have corrupted our thought.

Leviticus 1:1-2 The Lord called to Moses out of the Tent of Meeting, and said to him,2 Say to the Israelites, When any man of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of [domestic] animals from the herd or from the flock. AMPC

In Exodus 25:1-2,8 the Lord instructs Moses to call Israel to bring offerings to build a sanctuary: And the Lord said to Moses,2 Speak to the Israelites, that they take for Me an offering. From every man who gives it willingly and ungrudgingly with his heart you shall take My offering.…8 Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. Following this Moses receives detailed instructions for building the tabernacle or sanctuary: 21 You shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] that I will give you.22 There I will meet with you and, from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the Testimony, I will speak intimately with you of all which I will give you in commandment to the Israelites. AMPC

Leviticus 1:1 reveals the manifestation of Gods’ promise providing specific instruction for sacrifices. After reading you could surmise that in order for God to dwell among them they had to bring willing and ungrudging offerings, and sacrifices from their heart – to build His sanctuary. The Hebrew word for sanctuary implies a place of sacred space; holy, consecrated, offering asylum, or refuge. The root meaning for this word echoes many of the same meaning but adds a few more details: to prepare, dedicate, and separate.

Recently I asked in a service, How many were believers in Jesus? This question was followed by asking, If those who believed were followers of Jesus? Before Christmas I asked a trickier pair of questions: Were those present Committed to Jesus or Dedicated to Jesus? I followed that query with definitions. Commitment being defined as the decision to stick to a course of action regardless of difficulties or obstacles that may arise. A pledge or promise to follow through on a task, often with a stronger sense of obligation involved. Commitment being made with the head.

Dedication, on the other hand – implying a deeper, more passionate devotion to a course or goal; personal passion, devotion, and enthusiasm for a goal – pursuing it with excellence and quality regardless of reward or recognition; involving enthusiasm and faithfulness. Dedication, thus comes from the heart.

What’s the point? “Believers” in Jesus are often committed to Jesus but lack the dedication of “Followers” of Jesus. “Believers“, without a dedication of their heart, will simply attend church, as a spectator in the sanctuary. “Followers”of Jesus, dedicated to Jesus from their heart, build the sanctuary, the sacred space – where Jesus dwells and speaks. “Believers“, who are simply committed to the idea of Church, and worship – miss meeting with Jesus by 18”. 18″ being the distance between the mind and the heart. What enjoyment and experience committed “Believers” in Jesus have is created by the heart “Followers” and lovers of Jesus. The “Dedicated” – “Followers”, willingly, and ungrudgingly bring their offerings, and sacrifices to meet with the Lord. They prepare, separate, and dedicate themselves to the Lover of their soul. They become His sanctuary, His meeting place. Taking all of that into account, How would you categorize those who “visit” church, and worship infrequently, and half-heartedly? They are neither the “Committed” or “Dedicated” often having the attitude of being a consumer rather than a giver – often joining in with the other spectators. The “Givers” are the “Lovers” who respond to His calling, and His wooing – they are not spectating. Obviously this raises a whole lot of questions. Are you preparing, dedicating, and separating yourself to worship and meet with Jesus? Are you responding to His calling, and wooing? Are you bringing the sacrifices and offerings willing, and ungrudgingly?

Underdog?

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Exodus 1:12 But the more [the Egyptians] oppressed them, the more they multiplied and expanded, so that [the Egyptians] were vexed and alarmed because of the Israelites. AMPC

Amit Chaturvedi, of NDTV defined Quitters Day in the following way: Quitter’s Day, observed on the second Friday in January in the US and several countries, marks the point when some begin to re-evaluate their New Year’s resolutions. Coined by data analysts studying fitness app usage patterns, this day highlights a common trend where enthusiasm for new goals starts to wane. This year, the day falls on Friday, January 10, 2025.

But what does the Truth (Jesus) have to say about this? Romans 8:31-39 What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] 32 He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?] 34 Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us? 35 Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? 36 Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Christian Group, Audio Adrenaline penned the lyrics to a song that I used to call my theme song. It sums up what Paul is talking about and what many of you have felt from time to time: I am so weak and I’m so tired. It’s hard for me to find enough strength to feed the fires that fuel my ego. And consequently all my pride has all but died which leaves me down on my knees, back to the place I should have started from. Been beat up! Been broken down! Nowhere but up when you’re face down on the ground. I’m in last place if I place at all but there’s hope for this underdog! That’s the way, we like it! You can call me the underdog. I’m in this race to win a prize – the odds against me. The world has plans for my demise. What they don’t see is that a winner is not judged by his small size but by the Substitute he picks to run the race and mine’s already won!

Did you catch that last part? When the devil comes to knocking on Quitters Day and he reminds you of your failures, or he tempts you to throw in the towel to the plans you’ve made with the Lord – just sing him this song, or read him Romans 8:31-39. And thank him. Thank the devil? Absolutely. Why? For reminding you that you may be an underdog but you have chosen your Substitute Who Runs His Race through you and has already won the prize. The more the enemy oppresses you like an Egyptian the more you multiply and expand. Hallelujah!!

Lost and Found – Fitness?

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The New York Times: At its core, the secret to a healthy fitness routine is simple: Find ways to move. There are limitless options these days, but the best exercise is whatever you enjoy enough to keep doing it.…Exercise to ease pain. Take a walk. Get your butt in shape. Find the right balance. Exercise to help boost your mood. Improve your sleep.

PBS NewsHour: It’s been well known for many decades that exercise provides many benefits to our health. But a new scientific consortium is revealing new insights into just how profound exercise can be for the human body.

Covenant Health: A new year is a chance for a fresh start and a great time to set goals for healthier habits. 2025 can be the year your fitness resolutions last a lifetime.…Here are a few pointers: 1. Reframe Fitness Resolutions as Intentions. 2. Embrace “Micro-Habits”. 3. Focus on Attitude Rather Than Outcomes. 4. Choose Self-Compassion Over Self-Criticism. 5. Anchor Resolutions in Gratitude.

When it comes to a new year resolution involving fitness many people groan, and moan rolling over to hit the snooze button. It has been said that we shouldn’t go on a diet. Instead we should choose to make the way we eat a new lifestyle. Truth be known physical truth often points to greater spiritual truth. Interestingly the language used for physical fitness can also apply to spiritual fitness. The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Tim. 4:8 For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come. AMPC

Notice that he says physical training is of some value. How you are physically can often affect how you are spiritually. Jude, a half-brother, of Jesus provides us with a few things we can utilize to improve our spiritual fitness. What are some ways we can begin?

Evaluation and Assessment: Jude 1:19 It is these who are [agitators] setting up distinctions and causing divisions—merely sensual [creatures, carnal, worldly-minded people], devoid of the [Holy] Spirit and destitute of any higher spiritual life. Evaluate how you have grown spiritually (NOT how you have failed). Can you recognize the activity of the Holy Spirit in your life? Ask yourself have you achieved a higher spiritual life? Sunday before last I handed out a checklist to recognize some of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit’s activity in your life. (If you need me to send you a copy email me)

Build Yourself Up Spiritually: Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;…Jude and the Apostle Paul both had private, regular, committed times to praying in the Spirit. (1 Cor. 14:18) Have you been baptized in the Spirit? Have you received a prayer language? (1 Cor. 14:14-15) If you have prayed for it without a manifestation simply begin thanking Him that it is already there (and keep thanking Him).

Commit to Loving Like Jesus: Jude 1:21 Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God;…Let’s all make a fresh commitment to guard everything we say and do in Jesus’ Love. Ask yourself, Am I seeing others the way Jesus sees them? Have I asked? Have you thanked Him for the difficult people in your life that are helping you to become more like Jesus? Are you utilizing those times to lean into the difficulties and become more like Jesus?

Commit to Sharing Your Faith in Public: Jude 1:3 Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. [But] I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort [you] to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith which is that sum of Christian belief which was delivered verbally to the holy people of God]. Commend for the faith by simply being available to share the good news with everyone you meet. Jude adds, Jude 1:23 [Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others take pity…

Let us be those who look for what’s lost and find it. Pray the Lord will reveal to you those who are lost and need to be found by Jesus. Pray He will make you sensitive to those who are lost without knowing Jesus and those who have simply fallen away from following Him. Let us make Revelation 7:9 our vision: After this I looked and a vast host appeared which no one could count, [gathered out] of every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne and before the Lamb; they were attired in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. AMPC

The Last!

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Revelation 1:10-12 I was in the Spirit [rapt in His power] on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a great voice like the calling of a war trumpet,11 Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Write promptly what you see (your vision) in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.12 Then I turned to see [whose was] the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,…

Natasha Bedingfield penned the lyrics to the song, Unwritten. Here are the lyrics: I am unwritten – Can’t read my mind – I’m undefined – I’m just beginning – The pen’s in my hand – Ending unplanned. Staring at the blank page before you – Open up the dirty window – Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find. Reaching for something in the distance – So close you can almost taste it – Release your inhibitions – Feel the rain on your skin – No one else can feel it for you – Only you can let it in. No one else, no one else – Can speak the words on your lips – Drench yourself in words unspoken – Live your life with arms wide open – Today is where your book begins – The rest is still unwritten. I break tradition Sometimes my tries are outside the lines – We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes – But I can’t live that way.

Only there are a couple of things I would disagree with: The pen’s in my hand? Mother Teresa once said: I am a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything and sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil and He has to sharpen it a little more. In 2 Cor. 3:3 the Apostle Paul reminds us: You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. NIV

Ending unplanned? Your ending is planned. There’s a curious Scripture passage which states: And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8 AMPC) Jesus was crucified before the foundation of the world? Your life has been planned. Take part in His Plans.

As Natasha reminds us: We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes. Stop it. Drench yourself in His Words and release you inhibitions. Try outside the lines of your comfort zones and break your tradition. Quit living that way. Reach for the One in the “Distance” that according to Acts 17:27 really isn’t that far away. And don’t just open a dirty window (your limited vision) but open up the Door you have been commanded to open (Rev. 3:20). You are the one with the handle. He’s knocking on the other side waiting for you to make room for Him; to open the Door. Walk with Him in the Light of the Lampstands, or Menorahs of His Holy Spirit.

No King But Caesar?

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In the Book of Exodus 7:10-12 Moses records the following: So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.11 Then Pharaoh called for the wise men [skilled in magic and divination] and the sorcerers (wizards and jugglers). And they also, these magicians of Egypt, did similar things with their enchantments and secret arts.12 For they cast down every man his rod and they became serpents; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. Interestingly enough in Exodus 3 Moses’ shepherds rod becomes a serpent. When taking the account regarding Aaron, Pharaohs magicians, and the showdown of the serpent rods one could deduce that the “King Snake” swallowed up all the other snakes. Also, you must add that the Shepherd became a King – this is true regarding Moses and Jesus.

I was curious about the etymology of our English word king and wondered where it all derived. The online etymology dictionary provides the following: a late Old English contraction of cyning “king, ruler” (also used as a title), from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz (source also of Dutch koning, Old Norse konungr, Danish konge, Old Saxon and Old High German kuning, Middle High German künic, German König). It proceeds to state that the word implied a leader of the people, noble birth, a chief, or ruler.

What I found interesting was the late Old English contraction cyning. When I seek to sound it out at first it sounds like I am saying, sinning. Which calls us back to the accounts in Exodus 3, and 7. Were you aware that Pharaoh wore a headdress which bore the symbol of a cobra? Incidentally you will see that symbol on King Tuts burial mask. The cobra symbol is called the uraeus, which is an upright or rearing cobra. It derives from the worship of the goddess Widget – the patroness and protector of the Nile Delta and all of Lower Egypt. Uraeus was a symbol of royalty, divine authority, and sovereignty. Pharaohs wore the uraeus as part of their crown, and it was often depicted with a golden sun-disk on top. The pharaohs thought they were gods and it was only fitting that their “priests” were able to perform supernatural feats.

What many Christians and Jews fail to realize is that Moses and Aaron were sent by God for a showdown with the “so-called” gods of Egypt, and to force all of these idols to bow before the feet of the True Shepherd-King – Jesus! It’s interesting to note that even in Herod’s day (1445 years from the reign of Pharaoh) it was a crime, (whose punishment was immediate death) to say you were a king – as there was no king except Caesar. Which sadly during Jesus’ trial before Pilate the chief priests stated, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). (The chief priests would not even acknowledge that only God was their King).

In 2025 you need to ask are you “cyning“ “making anything other than Jesus your Leader, King, Ruler, or Chief? Jesus is the King Snake who has come to swallow up all other so-called gods, or rulers and He rewards those who make that distinction with a crown of their own. But His crown will not have the depiction of the serpent, satan. No, Jesus’ crown, will only fit on the heads of those who have made Jesus their Crown. In 2025 why not surrender and bow your thoughts and actions to the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords? Will He be your King? Will you allow Him to swallow up all that has ruled your life?

Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise Dhuit!

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Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.2 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.3 And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.

At the beginning of the first books of the Bible there was a beginning. The title of this first book of the Bible originates from the Greek word “ginomai” which means to begin to be, or begin to be in a certain state or condition. It’s often used to mean to be born, but also to become something, start bearing fruit or the coming about of day or night. It may be used to mean to cause to begin, and thus to create or to perform, or even simply as to happen or to occur. (Abarim Publications, Etymology of Genesis) There was darkness but God spoke Light into existence and there was Light!

In the middle of the Bible, at the beginning of the dawning of a New Covenant – there was a New Beginning. There was still darkness, but God let there be Light and let there be His Word. His Word and His Light was there at the beginning and the middle. John 1:1-5 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.2 He was present originally with God.3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].

At the end of the Bible there was the Alpha and the Omega – the Beginning, the Middle and the Ending. There was no more darkness only the Word, the Light, and the Living Water. Revelation 21:5-6,22-25 And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new. Also He said, Record this, for these sayings are faithful (accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy) and true (genuine).6 And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life….I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Omnipotent [Himself] and the Lamb [Himself] are its temple.23 And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the splendor and radiance (glory) of God illuminate it, and the Lamb is its lamp.24 The nations shall walk by its light and the rulers and leaders of the earth shall bring into it their glory.25 And its gates shall never be closed by day, and there shall be no night there.

Isn’t it curious that God’s beginning had an ending – but His Ending has a New Beginning in Jesus? You are a new beginning. There was darkness in your beginning – probably some darkness in your middle – but in the ending there is a new beginning waiting. In Jesus He writes our book. He is the Author and you are His letter. He is the A to Z, the Beginning and the Ending. Your life, and time on this earth is simply another chapter being written, and added to His Book. Question is what are you going to do with this new chapter being written? This new year – 2025?

There’s an interesting Irish New Year’s tradition involving people opening the back door of their house just before midnight to “let the Old Year out” and opening the front door to “let the New Year in”. While opening the front door at midnight, people would greet their neighbors and wish them a Happy New Year! Revelation 12:11 promises we overcome the accuser of the brothers through the Blood of Jesus and the Testimony that blood brings. Through His Blood we can let the old year out and close the door on it. Through His Blood we can open the DOOR and welcome the new year in. Why? Through His Blood we have overcome. Through His Blood we are forgiven, cleansed, healed and made new. Through His Blood we can forget what’s behind and strain towards what’s ahead – His New Beginning. Let’s join Jesus – Who is the Door – opening ourselves up to begin writing a new chapter with our Author. Let’s begin again anew. Let’s become something new, and start bearing the fruit of His Light in the darkness – til the Dawning of His New Day. He makes all things new!

Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit! Pronounced: ath leen fui washa ditch = Happy New Year to You!

Two Faces of Time

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Today marks the beginning of the end – that is for 2024. Around the world, new beginnings from a new year symbolize a fresh start encouraging people to set goals and begin again. But where did all of this originate? As far as we know the first culture to celebrate the new year was Mesopotamia which began around 2000 B.C. – near the end of March. But Emperor Julius Caesars’ solar-based calendar (46 B.C.) helped to introduce our practice of January 1 – as New Years. January 1 being chosen for its dedication to Janus – the god of two faces, the god of gateways and beginnings. It was believed he could go back in time and move forward in the future (January also being named after Janus).

The practice of watching the ball drop at midnight in Times Square (a tradition begun in 1907) actually hearkens back to the tradition of the sailors use of “time balls” or chronometers for setting their timepieces. Through a spyglass, they would navigate the harbor and find balls thrown into the water at specific periods.

Navigating time seems to sum up our practice of looking forward and backward to chart a new direction for our life’s voyage. Which causes another interesting detail from the birth of Jesus to surface. When the Wise Men stopped in Jerusalem to ask for directions Herod sent them in the wrong direction. They would have gone backwards rather than forwards. Two Scriptures point out that when the Wise Men arrived to worship Jesus He was already around 18 months old and living in His own house: Matthew 2:11 And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. And Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been misled by the wise men, was furiously enraged, and he sent and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that territory who were two years old and under, reckoning according to the date which he had investigated diligently and had learned exactly from the wise men.

The Apostle Paul stated that the goal of his life was to forget what was behind and strain toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. (Php. 3:13-14) From all of these things you could surmise that your goal as a follower of Jesus is to be mindful of not getting lost looking for Jesus in the wrong direction, seeking to be free of being two faced, and charting out a new direction for your life through pursuing Jesus’ call. Ultimately the question begging to be answered is: How can you follow Jesus if your focus is on what’s behind you rather than the One Who is directly in front of you? Could you conclude that since God exists outside of time that the only thing truly two-faced is time – since you were created to exist in eternity – outside of time?

The Black Spot

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In the book written by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, pirates are presented with a “black spot” to officially pronounce a guilty verdict. The black spot consisted of a circular piece of paper, with one side blackened while the other side bore the message into the hand of the accused. It was a source of great fear because it meant the pirate was to be deposed as leader, by force or else killed. In the book, Treasure Island, Long John Silver receives the black spot, torn from a page in the Bible and taken from Revelation 22:15: “Without are dogs and murderers.” On describing the “black spot” Stevenson adds the following: The printed side had been blackened with wood ash, which already began to come off and soil my fingers; on the blank side had been written with the same material the one word “Depposed”.

Which brings to mind another interesting detail that’s often overlooked when we read or hear the story of Christ’s birth, and the facts which surround it. Luke 2:7-8 records: And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn.8 And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night.

These two verses alert us to a small detail often ignored, swaddling clothes. Why was this detail significant? Luke 2:12 records the message of the angel: And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

Why was a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes a sign? The researchers for One Path Research state the following: These shepherds weren’t ordinary shepherds…they had a special task that was critical to the temple and the sacrifices made to God. You see, when people came to the temple and made a sacrifice you were to bring a lamb without a spot or any blemish. If you did not have such a sacrifice, you could purchase one from the temple which the shepherds would provide.

Their task was simple. When a lamb was being born, the shepherds assisted with the birth as the lamb could not touch the ground until they were cleaned and examined thoroughly.  If they found that it had a “spot”, or physical defect, they would then put it on the ground so it could mix with the other lambs. It would not be suitable for a sacrifice as only the best could be offered to God.  If the lamb was spotless, or physically perfect, then it was their job to ensure that it did not get hurt in any way and possibly get a “blemish”, which is a small cut, wound, bruise, or any other small flaw from the time it was born to the time it was sacrificed. To make sure that the spotless lamb’s feet didn’t get cut on the rocks, they would wrap the lambs’ feet with clean “swaddling clothes” that were already there for that purpose. Only after the lamb’s feet were wrapped up would they place the lamb on the ground to walk. 

When the shepherds came….where Jesus was laid in the manger, they saw Him wrapped in the same swaddling strips used to cover the spotless lambs to prevent them from getting a blemish and they understood immediately that Jesus was indeed the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29) who came to be sacrificed at Passover, and hence providing a means by which the relationship between us and God can be reestablished for those that accept His gift of salvation and continuously be led by the Holy Spirit as we serve the Lord.

Why is this detail significant for you and me? We are all called by Scripture to “examine” Jesus for spot or blemish. Luke 2:15 states: “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” Even Pilate, in the Gospels of Luke and John, declares: I find no fault in Him. Yet when it comes to examining the claims of Jesus for ourselves we often take someone else’s word for it and forsake the examination. But when it comes to finding fault, examining others as if they were Jesus, we can do nothing but find fault. In fact it seems this is our predisposition. If you are one who is prone to make New Years resolutions, remind yourself that Jesus was and still is examined – in order that you and I could pass the cross examination and receive the “not guilty” verdict from our Holy and Righteous Father. And add to your New Years resolutions: Extend grace and mercy – not looking for the black spots in others lives.

Not a Creature Was Stirring, Not Even a Mouse?

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1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. NIV

There was a time in the 70’s and 80’s when the Scripture mentioned above would be referenced by a preacher or a popular Christian author and many a response would be: Oh, those days in the future will be filled with lies, deceit and deception. I’m so glad we are not living during those times. Truth be known the deception has already made its way into the minds of the very people who were bracing for the future, cataclysmic deception. Even more startling is the fact that “they” are we.

For example have you ever taken a Christmas quiz regarding the birth of Jesus? Was Jesus born in a stable? How many Magi were present at the birth of Jesus (that’s a trick question)? Did a star lead the wise men to Bethlehem (another trick question)? How many Magi were there?

You may be tempted to say, What’s the big deal? It’s just the Christmas story. What harm can there be? Have you ever made the mistake of pulling an exposed thread from a frayed garment? Pulling the exposed thread only makes the fray worse. Continuing to persist can lead to irreparable damage. Ultimately the garment analogy parallels our handling of the truth. When you “tamper” with the truth ultimately you are tearing at the Person of Jesus – Who is the full embodiment of Truth. Tampering with evidence is a criminal offense that involves altering, concealing, fabricating, or destroying evidence to interfere with an investigation. Evidence in a courtroom usually consists of testimonies, and physical evidence. Jesus’ story consists of testimonies that have been collected into a book comprised of other testimonies regarding the Kingdom of God. All of it has been submitted as evidence to those who are investigating the claims of Jesus and those who know Him (Their not dead. They’re still alive. They’ve just had a change of address). When we flunk the Christmas Quiz it simply demonstrates we didn’t take the time to investigate the claims for our selves and accepted another person’s testimony for what is true, although it was a lie, or poison.

We have swallowed the “medicine” we were told was good for us not even being conscious or aware that the “medicine” was actually poison. How do you kill a rat? One particular way is to use rat poison which is roughly 99% rat food and 1% Brodifacoum. This poison thins the rat’s blood so rapidly it begins to hemorrhage. The poison isn’t what attracts the rat. It’s the promise of food. Not only is the poison deadly, it is slow acting. This insures the other rats will not be alerted to the danger of partaking of the “food.” There are several things we have believed regarding the greatest historic event in the history of the world: the manifestation and arrival of God on earth! The enemy of our souls sees us as vermin he wishes to exterminate. The “poison” he has chosen to use is slow acting and “thins” the truth in our lives creating another Gospel, and ultimately an alternate truth.

Now the question is, What’s poisoning you from drawing closer to the Truth – this Christmas?

O Holy Night!

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On Christmas Eve 1906, Reginald Fessenden–a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison–did something long thought impossible. Using a new type of generator, Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man’s voice was broadcast over the airwaves: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed,” he began in a clear, strong voice, hoping he was reaching across the distances he supposed he would. Fessenden was probably unaware of the sensation he was causing on ships and in offices; he couldn’t have known that men and women were rushing to their wireless units to catch this Christmas Eve miracle. After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played “O Holy Night,” the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves. (Post by Anna Gabhart)

When Jesus entered human history as a tiny, helpless baby, born to poor, common, everyday folk no one could have imagined, not even his parents, how far His precious voice would reach. Scientists tell us that sound waves never cease. They continue on through time. What’s interesting is that with the proper equipment you can capture these sounds in the future. At one time it was believed that sound couldn’t go backwards in time but now even that understanding is changing. Another theory firmly believed was that sound could not be heard in a vacuum such as space. For example in the movie Alien it was stated: “In space, no one can hear you scream.” Yet even now scientists have discovered that even in a black holes sound can travel.

John reminds us of the beginning of sound when he states: In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. The Word, Jesus, transcends time and space, past, present and future. Through His Word He is making all things new. Because He transcends time His making all things new is simply reconciling all things to Himself, His Word. Now the question is, Do you hear what I hear? Are you being reconciled to His Word – His Voice? In the movie Polar Express the main character Chris is beginning to become skeptical of Santa Claus and is then transported to the North Pole via the Polar Express. Upon arriving, he and a few of his friends become disconnected from the group. Frantically they make their way to the central square where Santa is about to depart to deliver his gifts to children everywhere. He observes the elves, and children cheering at the sight of Santa, and his reindeer prancing up and down, pawing at the air. At that moment he realizes everyone is hearing the sleigh bells but him. That is until one of the bells becomes detached and rolls near him. He picks it up and holds it to his hear, shaking it, attempting to hear the bell. After many failed attempts his ears finally pick up the faint sound – which become louder and more distinct over time. Its during this time Santa chooses him to receives the first gift of Christmas and Chris chooses the sleigh bell. Near the end of the movie Chris, as a grown-up, narrates saying that he can still hear the bell, unlike all of his friends and his sister, who were able to hear it when they were children but at some point lost their belief and thus their ability to hear.

Threshing Floors, Separation, and Christmas

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Genesis 50:5, 10, 13 My father made me swear, saying, I am about to die; in my tomb which I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me. So now let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will come again.…And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond [west of] the Jordan, and there they mourned with a great lamentation and extreme demonstrations of sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and [Joseph] made a mourning for his father seven days....For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought, along with the field, for a possession as a burying place from Ephron the Hittite.

2 Samuel 6:6 And when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled and shook it.

2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

I am often amazed at the symbolic patterns which are hidden within seemingly, insignificant verses. The reoccurring topic of the threshing floor is one that yields rich treasures of wisdom and truth. Consider again the story of Ruth which on the surface should be the last Scripture a pastor chooses for Christmas – but here we must arrive. Ruth 3:2 And now is not Boaz, with whose maidens you were, our relative? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rachel, Jacob, Leah, Boaz, Ruth, and David – all have one thing in common: the significance of the threshing floor. Why does this topic appear throughout the narrative? Threshing floors were used for one thing: separating. Separating through threshing (crushing), and separating through winnowing (tossing grain and chaff in the air).

In the Gospel of John Jesus refers to Himself as the Temple, and the Old Testament informs us that the Temple was built on a threshing floor. Thus the “rock” on which Jesus stands is the place of threshing and winnowing. It was the foundation of His life, and the path His feet walked. The threshing floor of Jesus is the foundation of the who’s who of the Hall of Faith. It is what Christmas is all about. John 3:19 The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil. His Light has entered our darkness. That by itself is separation. Are you cooperating with His process of threshing and winnowing the grains of His Word to rise in your life into Living Bread? Are you becoming living bread?

Choices and Family Trees

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Ruth 3:7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then [Ruth] came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. 

That night Ruth made a choice. Steal enough grain to feed her and Naomi for maybe a week or heed her mother-in-laws counsel and rest at the feet of the one who owned a pile of grain and the fields it came from. She chose wisely and from that one small, seemingly insignificant choice her and Naomi were fed for the rest of their lives. What’s even more amazing? Her small choice led to her eventual marriage to Boaz, and from their union a baby was born named Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father to a shepherd boy turned giant-killer and king. And from this king came the Messiah. From an insignificant, pagan widow’s lineage the King of kings descended. One small choice impacted, and is still impacting the world.

Now the question you have to answer: Who and what is being “birthed” from the little choices you have been making?

An American educator, A.E. Winship decided to trace the descendants of Jonathan Edwards almost 150 years after his death.  His findings are remarkable, especially when compared to another man from the same time period known as Max Jukes. Jonathan Edwards’ legacy includes: 1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates. Max Jukes’ legacy came to people’s attention when the family trees of 42 different men in the New York prison system were traced back to him. He lived in New York at about the same period as Edwards. The Jukes family originally was studied by sociologist Richard L. Dugdale in 1877. Jukes’ descendants included: 7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction to alcohol. Of the 1,200 descendants that were studied, 300 died prematurely. (Larry Ballard, YWAM, Multi-Generational Legacies – The Story of Jonathan Edwards)

Who, what and where are you “resting” your choices on? Something that may feel good for the moment or something that will greet you in eternity?

The Glass is…?

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Ruth 1:19-21 So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred about them, and said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said to them, Call me not Naomi [pleasant]; call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.21 I went out full, but the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?

Whether it was intentional on the part of the author or not it’s ironic that Naomi’s husband leads his family to depart from Bethlehem, the House of Bread – full, while he and his two sons die in the “land of plenty” – empty. Not only is life drained from him and his sons, his wife also returns home empty or so she thought. For you see in the midst of a life that appears to have reached its’ lowest place she fails to recognize the “crumb” of faith being offered through her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Ruth, a Gentile unbeliever (Jews referred to them as dogs), makes an amazing statement of faith: Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you. (Ruth 1:16-17 AMPC)

This misstep by Naomi reminds me of a song written by my son-in-law, Brian Albin, titled The Best Part. Here are some of the lyrics: It can be easy to let a moment with You slip away. Awake my soul, remember. I get distracted. I am concerned with many things. But there’s only one thing I need. Chorus: This is the Best Part. You are the Best Part of my life. I love to be with You. (Repeat) I wait for You God. You’re the One worth waiting for. There’s only one thing I need. There’s only one thing I need. You are the Bread of Life. You are the Living Word. There’s only one thing I need.…

Are you living from the perspective that “life’s half-empty” missing the Best Part of the “Bread-Crumbs” He’s been leaving? At first Naomi missed it stating the Almighty has afflicted me. She missed the “crumbs” He was presenting through and in the most unlikely of places: a pagan, Gentile daughter-in-law – who chose to believe. Don’t let them slip away. There’s only one thing you need.

My God, the Stomach?

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Php. 3:18-20 For there are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, who walk (live) as enemies of the cross of Christ (the Anointed One). They are doomed and their fate is eternal misery (perdition); their god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they glory in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party. But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior,…AMPC

We are all familiar with Genesis 3 and how Adam and Eve got distracted by forbidden fruit. It didn’t matter that they were allowed to eat from all the other trees in the Garden – they had to have the forbidden fruit. In Genesis 3:19 Adam is cursed to continue eating food but under one condition: his food will be supplied through the sweat of his brow, or his own self-efforts. In Genesis 25 we discover the older brother of Jacob hungry for some red lentil stew. The price of the soup? The birthright of the firstborn.

According to Paul the enemies of the Cross of Christ (Anointed One of the Spirit) are those whose stomach comes first – their appetites, and sensuality. Sensuality is simply defined as the condition of being pleasing or fulfilling to the senses. What’s truly amazing? Is that throughout the Bible God meets us in our sensuality to redeem us from the curse it brings. You find His offers of redemption from the story of Ruth of Bethlehem, to the announcement of His birth to lowly shepherds. Ruth is gathering barley to feed her and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Shepherds are grazing sheep near the House of Bread – Bethlehem – overseeing sheep who do what they do best: eat. All are hungry for more not realizing the Bread of Life is the only thing that is ever going to truly satisfy them. We’ve all gone to the cafeterias, potlucks, and family reunions where our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. We piled our plates with food and desert, gorging on what our eyes delighted. Moments later we find ourselves feeling over stuffed and miserable. Which raises some interesting questions: Do you eat more physical food than spiritual? What qualifies as spiritual food? and Is there some spiritual food that is actually bad for you?

We have an idiom in our culture that expresses a profound truth: What’s eating you? Which is another way of saying, What are you worried or concerned about? But taking into account our previous discussion we can use that expression as a way of asking, Are the desires of my senses actually devouring my life? Are my desires being fueled by my senses or by eternal things?

Freedom From Religion

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The Prophet Ezekiel provides a stern warning for all who claim to be spiritual shepherds of God’s people prophesying: And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, even to the [spiritual] shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the [spiritual] shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you kill the fatlings, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The diseased and weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the hurt and crippled you have not bandaged, those gone astray you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought to find, but with force and hardhearted harshness you have ruled them. 5 And they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts of the field. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill; yes, My sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth and no one searched or sought for them. Ezekiel 34:1-6 AMPC

The Bill of Rights of these Untied States guarantees the free exercise of religion – but it does not guarantee the freedom from religion. Religion without a relationship with Jesus is what crucified Him in the first place (and still does). Religion is self-centered, and self-focused, on the self-effort of “do-it-yourself” adherents. Religion is rutted routines without Life or Substance. Religion puffs up its adherents with pride having knowledge void of experience. Religion generously measures its own performance while stingily judging the efforts of others considered inferior and lacking. Religion, according to Genesis 3:19, is plowing the fields for your own bread while eating it in the sweat of the curse of the knowledge of good….AND evil.

Christmas reminds us of the Good News declared to the first shepherds, and echoed in Ezekiels’ prophecy: Therefore will I rescue My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will raise up over them one Shepherd and He shall feed them, even My Servant David; He shall feed them and He shall be their Shepherd. 24 And I the Lord will be their God and My Servant David a Prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. 25 And I will confirm with them a covenant of peace….Ezekiel 34:22-25

Thy Kingdom Come (and Keep Coming)!

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Luke 2:1-2 In those days it occurred that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole Roman empire should be registered. 2 This was the first enrollment, and it was made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. AMPC

This mandatory enrollment by the hostile government of Rome was not received well by the citizens of Israel. Regarding the response of the people F.F. Bruce wrote: Quirinius, a Roman senator (was) dispatched by Caesar to be governor of the nation, and to make an assessment of their property…. Although the Jews were at first shocked…So those who were convinced… declared…the value of their property. Some rebelled,…under the leadership of Judas the Galilean, saying that such a Roman census was downright slavery. It was this uprising that gave birth to the Zealot party (described in Acts 5:37)

Prior to the 2024 Presidential Election Elon Musk promoted the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States which states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. According to the Constitution these were “inalienable” rights. But some were afraid it did not go far enough to protect individual rights so they drafted our Bill of Rights.

When Jesus was born America did not exist, and the inalienable rights addressed in our Constitution only existed for the rich and powerful. It was into this hostile political atmosphere a Heavenly Amendment was made: And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night.9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened.10 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.11 For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord! 12 And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find [after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.13 Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood), praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor]. Luke 2:8-14 AMPC

Have you received His Amendment to your life?

Thanksgiving PAC

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Before the presidential election Elon Musk made the news announcing America Pak. Through it Elon Musk promised a million dollar sweepstakes to anyone who was willing to sign a petition endorsing the US Constitution. Musk stated, “We’re going to be awarding a million dollars randomly to people who have signed the petition every day from now until the election.”

Sunday, before last, I challenged you to make a commitment to be a giver. A giver who knows how to be a receiver. A giver who knows how to forgive. A giver who knows how to give thanks and a giver who knows how to encourage. I’m not promising a million dollar reward for putting these actions into practice. What I am encouraging you to do is to seek to live a life that freely and extravagantly gives in all the areas above. Begin your week with 10 things you are thankful for and increase the thanksgiving by 5 additional things with each consecutive day. Let’s PAK America and the Heavenly Realms with thanks GIVING – being mindful that Heaven’s King gave everything to paupers like you and me. Seek to be a good receiver who gives away to others what has been freely given to you: forgiveness, thanks, and encouragement. Do it loud and do it proud.