“IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD!”

 Ephesians 2:8-10                                  (ESV)

“8 For BY GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH. And this is not your own doing; “IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD”,

9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

10 For we are HIS workmanship, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, which GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND, that WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.”

Not being one of the sharpest knives in the drawer is something that I am made more aware of every time I look into Scripture.  As I was reading Ephesians 2:8 recently, the question came into my mind about the statement “IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD”.  Was it GRACE that Paul was speaking of, or was it FAITH that he referred to?  I’ve been told that the greatest commentary for Scripture is Scripture itself, so I that is what I used!  

Over in Ephesians 4:7 it says “But GRACE WAS GIVEN to each one of us ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF CHRIST’S GIFT.”  Since GRACE was given to us ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF CHRIST’S GIFT, it is clear that GRACE must be the IT Paul was referring to in Ephesians 3:8?

However, Romans 12:3  says “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to THE MEASURE OF FAITH THAT GOD HAS ASSIGNED.”  Since ALMIGHTY GOD HAS ASSIGNED THE MEASURE OF FAITH to each person as HE has determined, how is it NOT FAITH that the Apostle Paul was speaking about?

That is when I was gifted understanding from the HOLY SPIRIT!  Both GRACE and FAITH are gifts from GOD!  Psalm 14:2-3 tells us that there is no one who does good, NOT EVEN ONE!  To have our EYES OPENED by the CREATOR to our sinful selves and know that HE even gives the desire to be regenerated is the most humbling thing that I can imagine!  “IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD” that I will not spend an eternity separated from HIM, because of HIS GRACE, and through the FAITH HE has assigned to me!  It is “not a result of works, so that no one may boast”, “IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD”!!!

“CHRIST HAS SET US FREE!”

 Galatians 5:1-6                           (ESV)

“1 FOR FREEDOM “CHRIST HAS SET US FREE”; STAND FIRM THEREFORE, and DO NOT SUBMIT AGAIN TO A YOKE OF SLAVERY.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, CHRIST WILL BE OF NO ADVANTAGE TO YOU.

3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

4 You are severed from CHRIST, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

5 For through the SPIRIT, BY FAITH, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

6 For in CHRIST JESUS neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ONLY FAITH working through love.”

A congresswoman from a western state was recently advertised as being a person who exercises her GOD-given, constitutionally protected right to bear firearms.  Although Washington D.C. has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, it also was known as “the murder capital” of the United States in 1991. Since then, D.C. has reduced gun control laws in several steps in 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017.  When people have the right to protect themselves, the enemy has to flee (James 4:7)!  

Our Spiritual freedom is very similar in that when we are carrying THE WORD in our hearts, the enemy doesn’t have nearly the success against us.  Yet many Believers depend upon others strong FAITH to get them through the difficult times of life.  We are instructed to HIDE HIS WORD IN OUR HEARTS (Psalm 119:111) so that we will not sin!  One reason that some may be weak in their FAITH is that THE WORD has not been HIDDEN in their hearts and minds?  When we don’t have protection properly displayed, the enemy is emboldened and attacks with no restraint!

FOR FREEDOM “CHRIST HAS SET US FREE” to NOT live in the bondage of sin!  We don’t have to live in FEAR of sin and it’s affect on ourselves, but we MUST “hide HIS WORD in our hearts!  We can CHOOSE to depend on others FAITH, but what will we do when the enemy attacks us when we are alone?  The SPIRIT OF GOD wants each one of us to be a strong warrior for HIM, but we must sharpen our defenses by applying HIS WORD in our lives, FOR HIS GLORY!  

The District of Columbia has experienced physically having a weak defense system, and it changed its mechanisms!  We have to assure that our Spiritual defense mechanisms are adequate for the fight that are in our future.  FOR FREEDOM, “CHRIST HAS SET US FREE” but the enemy needs to SEE us in THE WORD OF GOD preparing for battle.  JESUS lives in us and we need to be certain that we have evidence that “CHRIST HAS SET US FREE”!!!

“WHEN HE COMES!”

 Luke 9:23-27                               (ESV)

“23 And HE (JESUS) said to all, "IF anyone would come after ME, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and FOLLOW ME.

24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for MY sake will save it.

25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

26 For whoever is ashamed of ME and of MY words, of him will the SON of MAN be ashamed “WHEN HE COMES” in HIS GLORY and the glory of the FATHER and of the holy angels.

27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of GOD." 

There are many lessons in these five verses that are worthy of further meditation, but this morning I am consumed with “WHEN HE COMES”!  JESUS is saying to everyone that HE IS COMING BACK!  We say that we Believe HIM, yet we live our lives worried about the things that we have absolutely no control over.  How do we reflect JESUS with our actions and live in fear and doubt?  The bottom line is, many of us have never experienced a TRANSFORMATION, a life altering experience that is the NEW BIRTH!

In verse 23 JESUS begins with “IF anyone would come after me....”!  JESUS didn’t say that we needed to repeat a “sinners prayer”, nor join the largest congregation, nor do whatever the latest, greatest fad calls for people to do.  HE said to “...let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and FOLLOW ME”.  When DENY ourselves, we are saying that we are unable to save ourselves, that we need DIVINE intervention!  It is a FATAL miscalculation to ASSUME that a person who is “not that bad” will enter Heaven.  Romans 3:23 says it like this, “for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD,”.  It has been said that ALL means ALL!  I am unable to translate that any better!  ALL!!!!

Sometimes the BIBLE is hard to grasp, to FULLY understand!  But here it is without debate that JESUS commands us to DENY ourselves and to “take up his cross daily and FOLLOW ME”!  JESUS says in John 16:33 “...In the world YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION. But take heart; I have overcome the world."  JESUS didn’t say that we MIGHT experience trials, that we COULD have problems.  No, HE said YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION!  That is a PROMISE!!!

But just a couple of verses later JESUS says “WHEN HE COMES”, speaking of HIS coming in all of the GLORY of HIS FATHER and the holy angels!  It isn’t that we need to do HIS commandments in case HE returns, that we need to clean up our acts just in case we make it to HEAVEN.  NO, “WHEN HE COMES” is another PROMISE from our CREATOR that is MOST DEFINITELY going to occur.  Which group of souls will you be in?  The ones who are weeping and wailing with gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50; Luke 13:28)?  Or we who have died to ourselves and taken up our cross and FOLLOWED HIM? “WHEN HE COMES” it will be TOO LATE!!!

“WAIT FOR THE LORD!”

 Psalm 27:14                            (ESV)

“”WAIT FOR THE LORD”; BE STRONG, and LET YOUR HEART TAKE COURAGE; “WAIT FOR THE LORD!”

Not long ago during a thunderstorm I was looking at a website that tracks air traffic across the United States and the world.  A commercial airliner was enroute to the city I live in.  With the thunderstorm occurring in our city, the commercial aircraft was put into a holding pattern northwest of the city for approximately 25-30 minutes.  As soon as the thunderstorm passed through, the aircraft was allowed to proceed on its mission and land at the local airport.  However, it had to be cleared by air traffic controllers before arriving at its destination.  

My mind immediately went to my “wanting” things when I want them, and occasionally having to “WAIT FOR THE LORD”!  In Job 38:12 GOD asks Job “"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell ME, if you have understanding.” GOD, THE CREATOR, KNOWS WHAT IS BEST for us, but I sometimes want HIM to fly through a thunderstorm without knowing how much danger is at hand.  If a loving HEAVENLY FATHER gets Glory from my trials and hardships, shouldn’t I look forward to seeing HIM bring me through some rough times....for HIS GLORY?  

Why do I seem to think that I am more capable than ALMIGHTY GOD?  HE has everything in HIS HANDS, so why don’t I trust HIM instead of worrying that things are not going to work out the way “I think” they should?  “So then HE has mercy on whomever HE wills, and HE hardens whomever HE wills” according to Romans 9:18.  HE doesn’t require me to assist HIM, but HE allows me to be used to be HIS HANDS from time to time.. if I “WAIT FOR THE LORD”!!!

GOD IS GOD, and I am NOT is the slogan that keeps ringing in my ears!  Too many times it is MY DESIRE to fly through the thunderstorm in life, but my PILOT is seemingly flying in a “holding pattern” for my good!  We have to be cleared by THE ONE controlling our journey before we can proceed in life!  James 1:12 says “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO REMAINS STEADFAST UNDER TRIAL, for when he has stood the test HE WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE, which GOD has promised to those who love HIM.”  Knowing that I am having to “WAIT FOR THE LORD” should make the wait worthwhile!!!

“AN EVIL TIME!”

 This was shared in April last year.  As I read over it again, I was once again convicted that “there, but by the grace of GOD, go I”!  

Amos 5:12-15                                          (ESV)

“12 For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins- you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. 

13 Therefore HE WHO IS PRUDENT will KEEP SILENT in such a time, for it is “AN EVIL TIME”. 

14 SEEK GOOD, and NOT EVIL, THAT YOU MAY LIVE; and so the LORD, the GOD of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. 

15 HATE EVIL, and LOVE GOOD, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the GOD of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

It can be hard to KEEP SILENT when you observe EVIL being evidenced by the actions of others.  “Spiritual Immaturity” is something that I have displayed over the course of my life, and admitting it is certainly not the most glamorous thing I have experienced.  But Spiritual Immaturity is rampant in “the church” today.  There are those who have been Believers for a number of years, yet they don’t act like they have been through the wilderness for more than a day!  It makes you appreciate the forty years that the Israelites wondered escaping Egypt???

GOD is telling me in the passage above that HE KNOWS me, “how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins”, yet HE wants to BLESS me and use me for HIS Glory.  Why would GOD use a sinner like me when others appear more worthy?  GOD typically uses the least (Deuteronomy 7:7) for HIS Glory, and I am qualified to be the least!!  Although we live in “AN EVIL TIME” we may need to KEEP SILENT and let GOD work in other people’s lives without our interference.  HE doesn’t require us to accomplish HIS Plan, HE uses us when HE chooses, not when we choose!  

Seeing others who still have growing to do does not indicate that they are beyond GOD’s ability to modify their behavior.  HE has a track record of using the LEAST to accomplish HIS Plan.  They might be in the Spiritual oven having their bread baked for HIM?  

1 Corinthians 7:17 states “Only let each person lead the life that the LORD has assigned to him, and to which GOD has called him. This is my rule in all the churches”.  Living in such “AN EVIL TIME” will reveal a lot about others, but chiefly it will reveal exactly where we are in our own Spiritual Maturity.  It is one thing to observe the actions of others, but when WE try changing their actions instead of praying that GOD change them, we risk becoming Pharisaical.  

FATHER, cause me to get the BEAM out of my own eye before trying to help get the splinter out of my brothers eye!!!

“THEY REFUSED TO LOVE THE TRUTH!”

 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12                 (ESV)

“9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,

10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because “THEY REFUSED TO LOVE THE TRUTH” and so be saved.

11 Therefore GOD sends them a STRONG DELUSION, so THAT THEY MAY BELIEVE WHAT IS FALSE,

12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

“THEY REFUSED TO LOVE THE TRUTH” can be said in a loving manner that isn’t offensive, but when people have a STRONG DELUSION, so THAT THEY MAY BELIEVE WHAT IS FALSE, THE TRUTH is offensive!  We need to BE CERTAIN that we are not part of “THEY REFUSED TO LOVE THE TRUTH”, lest we are swayed by the lies of the enemy!!!

“YOU HAVE ONLY TO BE SILENT!”

 

Exodus 14:10-14                          (ESV)

“10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, AND THEY FEARED GREATLY. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD.

11 They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?

12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."

13 And Moses said to the people, "FEAR NOT, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which HE will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, YOU WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN.

14 The LORD will fight for you, and “YOU HAVE ONLY TO BE SILENT."”

Most people have a built in mechanism to desire for doing what we can to “make things happen”, maybe because we think that we must be doing “things”, even when those “things” are wrong?  For me, doing something, even if it is wrong has almost always been my default!  The Children of Israel were experiencing FREEDOM for the first time in over 400 years and they were not always doing what GOD told them.  Apparently they weren’t expecting to be used by GOD for HIS GLORY.  They just wanted to experience HIS BLESSINGS while not being concerned with HIM being GLORIFIED???

In life, the tendency is to be so caught up in OUR success (and leisure) that we can’t SEE that we are only here for GOD‘S GLORY.  We do whatever is needed to make life easier for us and our family, but do we ever surrender to our MAKER to draw PRAISE, HONOR and GLORY to HIM?  When our EYES are OPENED to SEE our purpose, ONLY THEN can we begin to have the PEACE of JESUS (John 14:27)!  

JESUS recognized that HIS PURPOSE was to allow THE FATHER to be glorified, through HIS birth, through HIS life, through HIS sacrificial death, and GOD “rewarded” HIM by bringing HIM through the darkest valley WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM HIM!  GOD raised JESUS from the grave and HE needed no assistance!  Now JESUS CREATED everything that was CREATED (Colossians 1:16), but HE allowed GOD to be GOD and yielded HIMSELF to the authority of the SPIRIT OF GOD!  

When our EYES are set upon THE LORD, the simple fact that the enemy is drawing near doesn’t cause us to FEAR GREATLY!  Maybe we have to experience the cloud of dust of the enemy drawing near to remind us that THE LORD is ABLE to deliver us?  Maybe one of these days Ecclesiastes 12:13 will be more than a memory verse for me!  “The end of the matter; all has been heard. FEAR GOD and keep HIS commandments, for THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN”.  When we understand that JESUS lives within us, “YOU HAVE ONLY TO BE SILENT” becomes a lot easier because we are watching JESUS work all things for HIS GLORY (Romans 8:28)!!!

“DOES NOT FEAR WHEN HEAT COMES!”

 Jeremiah 17:7-8                                  (ESV)

“7 "Blessed is THE MAN WHO TRUSTS IN THE LORD, whose TRUST IS THE LORD. 

8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and “DOES NOT FEAR WHEN HEAT COMES”, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."”

A friend from many years ago was visiting with me recently and commented that in his opinion I had always been a strong Christian, a man whose TRUST IS IN THE LORD.  Of course I explained to him that his eyesight might be skewed because when I think of my testimony, I think of the Apostle Paul writing in 1 Timothy 1:15, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that CHRIST JESUS came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost”!  

What others “think” of us should not be taken too seriously, whether it is good or bad.  It is what ALMIGHTY GOD “knows” about us that should cause us concern!  HE is a loving, caring FATHER WHO grows us using trials, disappointments and hardships to mature us into vessels that GLORIFY HIS NAME. When we stand before HIM to receive the reward for our lives, our money, fame, reputation among men will matter little, if at all!  Having HIS SPIRIT be reflected in my life is what I desire from my being.  

My prayer is that I am becoming more like the man that “DOES NOT FEAR WHEN HEAT COMES”, who has a TESTIMONY that THE LORD even orchestrates what we might believe are calamities for HIS GLORY!  Isaiah 45:7 tells us that “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I AM THE LORD, WHO does all these things”.  How many times do I see a storm cloud headed in my direction and start running from it, trying to avoid the difficult times in my future?  

Realizing that I am “being groomed” by The CREATOR to be in HIS likeness is humbling, but ultimately is our purpose in its entirety!  GOD doesn’t need or want me to do anything for HIM.  However HE is GLORIFIED when HIS CHOSEN “DOES NOT FEAR WHEN HEAT COMES”!!!

John 17:14-15

 John 17:14-15                       (ESV)

“14 I (JESUS) have given them YOUR WORD, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

15 I do not ask that YOU take them out of the world, but that YOU keep them from the evil one.”

“WHEN WILL THESE THINGS BE?”

 Luke 21:7 (ESV)

“And they ( the disciples ) asked HIM, "TEACHER, “WHEN WILL THESE THINGS BE”, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?"

‘JESUS foretells the destruction of the temple’ is the caption above the verses 5-9 paragraph of Luke 21. Telling HIS disciples that the temple would be destroyed was seemingly beyond comprehension, and I’m sure they perplexed as to the details surrounding the destruction. But they didn’t question how the temple would be destroyed, nor the degree it would be torn, but “TEACHER, “WHEN WILL THESE THINGS BE””???

Likewise, in our lives we want to know “WHEN WILL THESE THINGS BE”, as if we NEED to know so that we can prove we are CHOSEN by GOD? But JESUS says in Mark 11:22 “Have FAITH in GOD”. Not just that GOD IS ABLE, but that HE knows “precisely” WHEN HIS MIRACLE needs to happen in our lives.....for HIS GLORY!!!

In Exodus 14 the Children of Israel were leaving Egyptian captivity headed towards the Promised Land. GOD instructed Moses to TURN BACK AND ENCAMP at the Red Sea. We NOW KNOW that the Egyptians were swallowed up by the waters and were never seen again. But the Children of Israel had to WAIT for The LORD.  

GOD was preparing to do a work unlike humanity had never experienced. The Children of Israel HAD to wait for 10-14 days encamped on the banks of the Red Sea, I’m sure wondering WHAT they were waiting for? They couldn’t SEE what GOD was doing. We cannot always SEE what GOD is working on today either. But we MUST HAVE FAITH IN GOD, both in HIS abilities AND HIS TIMING!!! GOD has a PLAN! We can be confident that “WHEN WILL THESE THINGS BE” is figured in HIS PLAN!!!

“GOD IS FAITHFUL!”

 1 Corinthians 10:13-14                                     (ESV)

“13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. “GOD IS FAITHFUL”, and HE will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation HE will also provide the way of escape, THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ENDURE IT.

14 Therefore, my beloved, FLEE FROM IDOLATRY.”

Addictions can appear in a variety of ways that REMARKABLY difficult to identify.  Since I am over three score years old, one might assume that I am able to identify when a weakness is trying to find a way to manifest itself in my mind, but so often temptation is upon me before I know it!  When that occurs, I am usually living at a pace set by “this world” instead of WAITING ON THE LORD to guide my steps.  

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:5-10 that THREE TIMES I pleaded with THE LORD to take this “messenger from Satan” from me!  

“But HE said to me, "MY grace is sufficient for you, for MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS." Therefore I WILL BOAST all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that THE POWER OF CHRIST may rest upon me”!  

Although I am 6’6” tall and weigh 300 lbs and have been physically STRONG even beyond my knowledge, MY WEAKNESSES have always been something that I have had difficulty accepting.  But James 4:7 instructs us to “RESIST THE DEVIL and he will FLEE from you”!  The best way for me to RESIST THE DEVIL is to quote Philippians 2:10 which says “so that AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, IN HEAVEN and ON EARTH and UNDER THE EARTH”!  

It can be very tempting upon sitting to relax to open a social media site, or watch the television, or read an article written by man.  But when we are reminded that GOD desires to have us sharpening our hearts and minds with HIS WORD (Hebrews 4:12), only then can we SEE that HE wants us to acknowledge our weaknesses and let HIM be GOD!  “GOD IS FAITHFUL”, but how FAITHFUL am I to be in Scripture?  “GOD IS FAITHFUL” to continue mold us into vessels that GLORIFY HIS NAME (Isaiah 64:8-9)!  “GOD IS FAITHFUL”!!!

“HE GAVE NO ANSWER!”

 Matthew 27:11-14                         (ESV)

“11 Now JESUS stood before the governor, and the governor asked HIM, "Are you the King of the Jews?" JESUS said, "You have said so."

12 But when HE was accused by the chief priests and elders, “HE GAVE NO ANSWER”.

13 Then Pilate said to HIIM, "Do YOU not hear how many things they testify against YOU?"

14 But HE GAVE HIM NO ANSWER, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.”

The trial and crucifixion of JESUS was THE MOST blatant display of WHO HE is in contrast to who the enemy is!  HE freely gave HIMSELF, while the enemy THOUGHT he was taking what he wanted!  Even though JESUS KNEW that HE was being falsely accused, HE remained silent to allow THE WILL OF GOD to be completed.  HIS silence wasn’t a sign of weakness or ignorance, it was so THE PLAN OF GOD would be carried out!  JESUS IS THE ANSWER to every question in life, yet HE CHOSE to remain silent during the most crucial of times, for the GLORY OF THE FATHER!

Trusting THE PLAN OF GOD for our lives while being silent is NOT what our “NATURAL MAN” is built to do.  According to HIS WORD, the NATURAL MAN MUST DIE and we MUST BE BORN AGAIN (John 3:7)!!!  JESUS was brutally tortured and crucified, but HE was raised from the dead by the SPIRIT OF GOD, for the GLORY OF THE FATHER!  

HIS LOVE for we who are CHOSEN has to be far more than we can fathom.  HE left HIS THRONE IN GLORY to be born in a cattle stable, among the least of HIS CREATION, so that we could be AS HE IS!  JESUS created (Colossians 1:16) everyone and everything that ever was, yet HE willingly debased HIMSELF because we couldn’t live the perfection required to enter HEAVEN and live forever with HIM!  Our CREATOR overcame sin just because HE LOVED ME!  

In order for me to have the gift of salvation, “HE GAVE NO ANSWER” in the midst of LIES and severe persecution!  It was something that JESUS was compelled to do by HIS DIVINE LOVE for us, and obedience for THE FATHER.  HE wasn’t tricked into it!  HE wasn’t surprised by it!  HE could have beckoned twelve legions (144,000) of angels on HIS behalf (Matthew 26:53), but HE CHOSE to SUFFER to pay for our sins!  “HE GAVE NO ANSWER” and kept HIS silence, even though HE HAD THE ANSWER!!!

“I IN THEM!”

 John 17:22-26                            (ESV)

“22 The glory that YOU have given ME I have given to them, that they may be one even as WE are ONE,

23 I in them and YOU in ME, that they may become perfectly one, SO THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW THAT YOU SENT ME AND LOVED THEM EVEN AS YOU LOVED ME.

24 FATHER, I desire that they also, whom YOU have given ME, may be with ME where I am, to see MY GLORY that YOU have given ME because YOU loved ME before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous FATHER, EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD DOES NOT KNOW YOU, I know YOU, and these know that YOU have sent ME.

26 I made known to them YOUR NAME, and I will continue to make it known, THAT THE LOVE WITH WHICH YOU HAVE LOVED ME MAY BE IN THEM, AND “I IN THEM”."”

It is IMPOSSIBLE to be IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST while simultaneously while living in FEAR!  If we are the bride of CHRIST and have THE SPIRIT OF THE CREATOR living inside us, how can we be AFRAID of anything?  Colossians 1:15-20 says JESUS was before ALL THINGS which were created by HIM and for HIM!  When we allow something or someone that JESUS has CREATED to be used to infiltrate and control our minds with FEAR, we are exhibiting a belief that GOD may not be able to conquer something that HE has created????

Ephesians 6:12 says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”!  “The enemy” can be manifested in several ways, even though fellow Believers!  Peter was used to show this in Matthew 16:23 when JESUS said “Get behind ME, Satan! You are a hindrance to ME. For you are not SETTING YOUR MIND on the things of GOD, but on the things of man."”

How many times have I been guilty of SETTING MY MIND on the cares of “this world” instead of on WHO is living inside of me?!?  “I IN THEM” should be so tremendously evident in my life that Satan will flee (James 4:7) when I enter a room!  As Believers that JESUS and GOD ARE ONE (John10:30), it is our calling to display this TRUTH in our everyday testimony!  The Children of Israel were entrapped at the Red Sea and we know that GOD buried their enemy in the bottom of the sea.  But GOD could have caused an earthquake to fall onto the Egyptians!  Or GOD could have struck the Egyptians dead while they pursued the Israelites.   

When we allow our MINDS to try and figure out how GOD will deliver us, we are basically saying that our FAITH is limited to what “we think” GOD can accomplish.  GOD PROVIDED my beautiful, fantastic wife to me without me having a clue how HE WAS WORKING FOR MY GOOD! HE is NOT losing strength nor ability! By HIS WORD, the worlds were spoke into existence.  “I IN THEM” is living in me and my actions need to reflect that!  

HEAVENLY FATHER, make the TRUTH of “I IN THEM” evident in my actions FOR YOUR GLORY!!!

“EVEN I ONLY!”

 1 Kings 19:9-18                (ESV)

“9 There he (Elijah) came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and HE said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

10 He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the GOD of hosts. For the people of Israel have FORSAKEN YOUR covenant, THROWN DOWN YOUR altars, and KILLED YOUR PROPHETS WITH THE SWORD, and I, “EVEN I ONLY”, am left, and THEY SEEK MY LIFE, to take it away."

11 And HE said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a GREAT AND STRONG WIND tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE WIND. And after the wind an earthquake, but THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE.

12 And after THE EARTHQUAKE A FIRE, but THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE FIRE. And after the fire THE SOUND OF A LOW WHISPER.

13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, Elijah?"

14 He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the GOD of HOSTS. For the people of Israel have forsaken YOUR covenant, thrown down YOUR altars, and killed YOUR prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." 

15 And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.

17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death.

18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.””

There are those who believe that they are able to stack the odds in their favor so dramatically that they are untouchable!  Jezebel was the daughter of Ithobaal I of Tyre and the wife of Ahab, King of Israel.  Ahab was one in a line of increasingly evil kings in Israel’s history, starting with the reign of Jeroboam.  King Ahab “did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him” (1 Kings 16:30).  Among the events chronicled in Ahab’s life that led to his downfall was his marriage to an evil woman named Jezebel who had a particular hatred for God’s people (1 Kings 18:4).  Because of his marriage to a pagan woman, Ahab devoted himself to the worship of the false gods Baal and Asherah in Israel (1 Kings 16:31–33).  

Jezebel believed that she could not be challenged because of who she was.  She sent a message to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:2 “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow."  Elijah had just killed the prophets of Baal, the god that Jezebel worshiped.  Because of her “reputation”, Elijah was fearful and “came to a cave and lodged in it”.  There he remained until GOD came to him and inquired “What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Don’t we do the same thing in our lives?  We allow FEAR because of an enemy’s reputation, but JESUS told us HE would NEVER leave us nor forsake us (Hebrew 13:6)!  I Samuel 6:20 says “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this Holy GOD? And to whom shall he go up away from us?" Our GOD isn’t impressed with money, fame, power, or popularity!  Isaiah 48:11 states “For MY OWN sake, for MY OWN sake, I do it, for how should MY NAME be profaned? MY GLORY I WILL NOT GIVE TO ANOTHER!”

Jezebel was bestowed with a TESTIMONY, one that most would prefer avoiding!  In 2 Kings 9:30-37 Jezebel was thrown into the ground from her window and the horses trampled her.  After eating Jehu, King of the Northern Kingdom, told his servants to bury her.  They went to the ground where she landed and reported that “the dogs” had eaten her!  The enemies of GOD don’t understand WHO HE really is!  Yet neither did Elijah, or he would have never said “EVEN I ONLY” to his CREATOR!  The devil tries everything in his power to get us to “give up” on GOD, to doubt HIS ability to deliver us.  Elijah said “THEY SEEK MY LIFE”, but GOD quickly showed him WHO was in control!  When the devil attempts to cloud our vision, remember that “EVEN I ONLY” and GOD can change the world!  

“BE GRACIOUS TO ME, O LORD!”

 Psalm 86:1-5                         (ESV)

“1 Incline YOUR ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 

2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in YOU-YOU are my GOD. 

3 “BE GRACIOUS TO ME, O LORD”, for to YOU do I cry all the day. 

4 Gladden the soul of YOIR servant, for to YOU, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. 

5 For YOU, O LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon YOU.”

It can be comforting to know that even King David, a man after GOD’S OWN heart (1 Samuel 13:14), cried out to THE LORD, not once, but many times, “BE GRACIOUS TO ME, O LORD”!  When I look back on the many times I have needed THE LORD to supernaturally intervene in my life, HE almost always has to HUMBLE my spirit, therefore HIS is elevated!  

When GOD humbles someone (or a group of someone’s), most of the time HE doesn’t do it in a punishing manner, but rather a loving way to display that HE IS ABLE, but HE WILL NOT SHARE HIS GLORY WITH ANOTHER (Isaiah 42:8)!  Exodus 14:14 states “The LORD will fight for you, and YOUR HAVE ONLY TO BE SILENT."  

When things are TOO BIG, TOO DIFFICULT, and TOO COMPLEX for our abilities, GOD may be humbling us and longing to HEAR “BE GRACIOUS TO ME, O LORD” before HE DELIVERS US???

“TRUTH vs propaganda!”

 prop·a·gan·da

/ˌpräpəˈɡandə/

noun

1. 1. 
   information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

The word(s) above is/are taken from the dictionary.  No additional information has been added to them.  My reason for stating them in this manner is to make a point, and that point is TRUTH is the enemy of propaganda.  The words “especially of a biased or misleading nature” let’s us KNOW that propaganda is a tool of the devil to sway people who haven’t grounded themselves in THE TRUTH.  My mind immediately goes to Exodus 20:3, the first of the Ten Commandments.  The English Standard Version of Exodus 20:3 states “"You shall have NO OTHER gods before ME.”  “This world” as a whole has devolved into a society that has drifted so far from what Scripture instructs mankind to be that there is very little structure for society any longer.  Doing things with ORDER and RESPECT for the rule of law is what our nation was founded on.  

Imagine going to the capital building and walking in during a session of congress to explain to the “servants” chosen to “represent” WE THE PEOPLE that your life isn’t fair and they were fired, to clean out their things and go home!  Most of them deserve the aforementioned fate, but we have RULES that prevent that from happening.  But we also have RULES that state ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE!  According to a Cornell Law School article, “The One-Person One-Vote Rule refers to the rule that one person’s voting power ought to be roughly equivalent to another person’s within the same state.”  When that right is abused, it in essence deprives another’s right to be counted equally!  This is referred to as the “equal protection clause” in Amendment XIV of the United States Constitution, which in parts states “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;”.  

The elected leaders have no more GOD given rights than the invalid on life support in the local hospital.  We do GIVE THEM a certain amount of respect, but they have to earn keeping that privileged position.  When that respect is gone, faith in their leadership abilities is gone as well.   The previously mentioned ORDER and RESPECT has been violated leading to a chaotic environment.   

When we get the ORDER and RESPECT out of STRUCTURE OF GOD by placing other gods before YAHWEH, we have jeopardized the FREEDOM that GOD grants us.  The tyranny of sin is something that is an anchor that most souls are unable to overcome.  JESUS says in John 14:27 “PEACE I leave with you; MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  Abandoning HIS PEACE, HIS ORDER and HIS RESPECT leaves chaos.......which is exactly what we are experiencing now!  Only we who have HIS PEACE can survive this chaos! JESUS says in John 6:44 “No one can come to ME unless the FATHER WHO sent ME draws him.”  

John Adams is quoted as saying “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  Our founders KNEW that the ORDER and RESPECT must be at the forefront of our republic.  Just as the first commandment shows “You shall have NO OTHER gods before ME”, to have PEACE we must keep JESUS preeminent in our lives.  I understand that some people might say that we have to separate the church from the business of the state, but John Adams thought differently!  Unless we get back to the ORDER of the late 1700’s, we WILL NOT have PEACE!  

“LEAVING THE CROWD!”

 Mark 4:35-41                        (ESV)

“35 On that day, when evening had come, HE said to them, "LET US GO ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE."

36 And “LEAVING THE CROWD”, they took HIM with them in the boat, just as HE was. And other boats were with HIM.

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

38 But HE was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke HIM and said to HIM, "TEACHER, do YOU not care that we are perishing?"

39 And HE awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 HE said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"

41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "WHO then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey HIM?" 

This report of happenings of JESUS and HIS disciples can be read so quickly that we miss a very important nugget.  Usually when reading this it is about JESUS calming the storm.  However, GOD has a way of OPENING my EYES at the most awkward moments!  When I read this passage recently I was amazed that I saw the words “LEAVING THE CROWD”, like they had just been written?  

“LET US GO ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE” is the message that I have focused on before.  JESUS had told HIS followers that they were going to arrive on the other side of (most probably) the Sea of Galilee.  But before they got into the boat they had to “LEAVE THE CROWD”!  They had to get away with JESUS, all by themselves!  

The storm didn’t just come up on the boat JESUS was in.  Verse 36 says “And other boats were with HIM”, so apparently they ALL had tumultuous weather.  JESUS calmed the sea, but then asked “Why are you so afraid?” It was as if JESUS was asking didn’t you hear ME tell you “LET US GO ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE”?  “I wasn’t just small talking to fill the time”!  “I told you and you didn’t believe ME”?!?

When GOD tells us through HIS WORD that something is going to happen, you can write it down because......IT WILL HAPPEN!  JESUS promised us that HE would NEVER LEAVE US (Matthew 28:20), so why do we fret when “things don’t go our way”?  Maybe we need to begin with “LEAVING THE CROWD” and getting ALONE WITH JESUS???  

“THE WILL OF THE PILOT!”

 James 3:1-4 

“1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.

4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever “THE WILL OF THE PILOT” directs.”

From time to time a passage of Scripture is in my mind and I research and study for a period of time to SEE what I am needing to HEAR.  Similarly, I recently I had the words “rudderless ship” that kept reverberating in my mind, so I decided to discover what was in the BIBLE about them.  The verses above were given to me and I have been mulling over them for a few days.  

I am uniquely Created by GOD, and most are thankful that they are not exactly like me!  But some characteristics that I have are just because I am human. Desiring to know what I am going to be doing and how I will be accomplishing it is one of the things that I try to do, at least some of the time.  You might think that is prudent, and Scripture does say to  sit down and count the costs (Luke 14:28), but Hebrews 11:6 says “...WITHOUT FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please HIM, for whoever would draw near to GOD must believe that HE exists and that HE REWARDS THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.” 

Holding on to the rudder too tightly is something that I have been known to do in my life.  Sure, I have done a lot of things “on the spur of the moment”, but usually it was things that I wanted to do.  One of the biggest BLESSINGS that I have had the privilege of experiencing was the Brain Hemorrhage in 2007.  The entire ordeal has taught me that I AM NOT IN CONTROL!  For the almost three weeks I was sedated, I was totally dependent on machines and medical staffing to keep me alive.  The lessons learned from that experience are invaluable to me.  GOD didn’t require my assistance TO EVEN BREATHE, and the HEALING was “a miracle from GOD” according to one doctor.  

As I reminisce about the past 13+ years, my eyes begin leaking from humility as I observe that HIS PLAN is FAR better than anything I can imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9)!  My EYES were OPENED during a book study (JESUS Continued) at church a few years ago.  Page 171 of the book says “GOD, however, never invited me to be a co-GOD with HIM.  This means the some reasons for what HE does in my life may well remain a mystery to me for all of my days!”  The most troubling storms in my life have been when I was trying to DIRECT MY PATH, or guide my ship!  Trusting ALMIGHTY GOD to pilot my ship is far better than my choices.  PEACE comes when “THE WILL OF THE PILOT” directs your life!!!