Friday, November 30, 2018

GOD REWARDS THE RIGHTEOUS AND DEVOUT - THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, PART 2


There is another Christmas miracle which is not spoken of much, today, outside of a few Christmas programs at church, or as a footnote as preachers tell the background story of the Nativity. 

This often overlooked, yet significant account in the Book of Luke, carries both a one time incident, combined with a lesson for the believer, through the life of man called Simeon.  Who Simeon is, how he lived and the miracle the Lord our God allowed him to witness are integral to the Christmas story, as it happened just 8 days after the Lord was born in the Bethlehem manger.

Bethlehem is almost 6 miles south from the center of Jerusalem where the Temple would have stood (the current Western – or Wailing – Wall is the only remnant left of the Temple). Under Jewish Law, ALL Jewish boys had to be circumcised on the 8th day after their birth and Jesus was no exception. His parents would have had to walk to the Temple in Jerusalem, so that a Levite priest could conduct this ceremony. There was ample time for the Joseph, Mary and Jesus to make it back to the Temple and then get back to Bethlehem so that the census down there could continue. 

Something spectacular then happened when Mary and Joseph got to the Temple with the baby Jesus, which involved two elderly and faithful followers of Yahweh whom God had decided to bless in the most incredible way, in His Sovereignty. One of them was a man named Simeon.  The Lord, had previously promised Simeon that he would not leave this earth until he saw “The Lord’s Christ” (New American Standard Bible)…meaning the Lord’s Messiah (Moschiach).  When Mary and Joseph entered the Temple in Jerusalem, the story picks up in the following two verses:
"And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ" (Luke 2:25-26).

To wind up the historical account, Simeon, under strong Power from the Holy Spirit, blesses Mary and Joseph and the Baby and goes on to make accurate prophetic statements which came directly from the Holy Spirit. READ SIMEON’S PROPHESY HERE.  The prophesy, which he gave about Jesus, has turned out to be absolutely accurate, because Jesus remains the only Eternal Force in all human history Who is the Sign of the rise and fall of many.

What is relevant to us today, as Christians in the end times, who are called a Holy Priesthood, a Royal Nation, are two words which were used by the Holy Spirit to describe Simeon, in the Scripture quoted from Luke 2.  

These words are “righteous” and “devout”. Here is what the Bible says about Simeon in the original inspired language of Scripture:
Righteous (verse 25) - the original word is "dikaios" and it literally means "approved by God". Why? Because he - the righteous one - lived his life in alignment with God, and the Will of God. How did Simeon know the Will of God? He knew the Scriptures intimately. Do you know and love the Bible that way?

The question for you and I is this: are WE, who call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ, in alignment with His Word, His Will and His Ways? This serious question makes all the difference between a truly converted, born-again believer and a professing false convert, or so-called Christian. The worldwide church today is full of the latter. God is only looking for those whose hearts are fully set on Him, are loyal to Him and are in line with all His Teachings.

Devout (verse 25 again) - the original word here is "eulabes". This word means careful, pious or holy, circumspect and God-fearing. This characteristic  is deadly serious because, God demands complete respect. On the final Day, every knee will bow, including those from pagan so-called religions and those who hate the Lord. They will bow and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. For now though, what the Bible and the word "DEVOUT" is telling us, is the following: in addition to being in full alignment with Scripture and thus the Will/Work/Ways of God, Simeon walked the talk!

In other words, the man who knows all this about the Father in Heaven was very careful with his faith, took it serious and walked the straight and narrow. It reflects the words of the Apostle Peter, who repeated the Old Testament command that we must holy as God is holy. Simeon was all of this and more. Because of his pious, healthy devotion and love for God, our Heavenly Father gave Simeon a privilege which no one will ever have then or since.

We already know that Biblical ignorance is worse now in the western church than ever. Because the culture has crept into the church and most Bible readings are now not from a physical bible taken into the Sanctuary, but a temporary visual on the screen behind the pastor, the Biblical worldview of western adults according to both the Pew Center for Religion and George Barna surveys is a pitiful 9-11% of adults! How can a person be in alignment with a God of Whom he/she knows almost nothing except for John 3:16? In spite of all kinds of compromised paraphrases and electronic versions of Scripture, now more than ever, Biblical ignorance is condemning people - and people in the church - left, right and center.

To compound this deadly spiritual error is the lack of respect for God by an increasing number of Christians and no discernment whatsoever. The wacky antics of a coat-swinging Benny Hinn and dozens "collapsing in the spirit" while the cameras roll (as pre-arranged) are well known to people, but the secrets sins of a lack of repentance which leads to holiness and sober respect for God inside of churches, by both young and old, stun.  One of the meanings of the word for "Devout" which Luke 2:25 tells us that Simeon was, is circumspect. 

The dictionary describes Circumspect, in essence, as being very prudent, watchful and discreet. It also means being able to have the presence of mind to think critically and see the consequences of potential actions, where forethought of these things would lead us to make the right decisions and step out of the way of trouble.

Being a Christian who is circumspect is just being what Jesus calls us to be and do. He says in John 10:10 that "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly". Therefore, we MUST be on the alert!  A devout and God-fearing follower of Christ is ALWAYS on the alert. When we let our guard down, the Holy Spirit is there to protect us and our blind sides, if we trust. 

These powerful lessons for us Christians today are all tied up in this great man, whom God blessed with a unique promise. We have a similar type of promise and it involves the same Jesus Whom Simeon held and prophesied over. All that is required is for the justified man or woman or child of God to walk fully grounded in the Bible, and to have a healthy respect, fear and love for our wonderful Father in Heaven. Just as the Lord rewarded Simeon for his lifetime of service, dedication and love for God, so will He reward any who submits to and love Him with all heart, mind, body and soul.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

NEVER TOO LATE FOR GOD TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS & PETITIONS - A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, PART 1

Obedience to God always leads to a life bursting with Praise. This truth has no greater example than in the case of the father of John the Baptist himself – the priest Zacharias. As an authentic minister of the Lord, under the Law of Torah, the ancient Jewish ceremonial system, Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were both called “righteous and blamelessly walking in the law, commandments and statutes of the Law of the Lord” (Luke 1:6).

Faithful and true, Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were both getting on in years and childless. It was to this wonderful couple which the Lord sent His angel with some incredible news. It is confirmed, from what the angel told Zacharias in Luke 1:13, that as old as he was, Zacharias was still praying for a son! We are not told if Elizabeth, his wife, was aware of any of this, but great change was coming to her as well.

What was about to happen to her husband, Zacharias, reflects this fact – God hears our prayers. The angel said “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, your petition (constant prayer) has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you will name him John” (Luke 1:13)!

There is a reason for this “second verse, same as the first” modus operandi by the Almighty – God the Father and Ruler of all things.
  1. God is Sovereign and can do anything He wants.
  2. God is a God of timing and nothing happens before He is good and ready.
  3. God will do as He says. Age, location and circumstance mean nothing to Him. His Will be done.

One would think that a holy and righteous son of Abraham and priest of the Living God – Zacharias – would remember his ancestor and the Patriarch Abraham became a father at the age of 100, with this over 90 year old wife Sarah!  But human nature is what it is. He was skeptical with God’s angel who was extremely specific about what was about to take place! To make a long story short, because this man of God expressed some doubt when God’s great angel Gabriel gave a report directly from the Throne of God, Gabriel temporarily took Zacharias’ voice away.

Here is the parallel with Abraham, in relation to Zacharias:
Genesis 17:17 says "Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

Luke 1:18 says "Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

So why did Gabriel, the main Angelic Spokesman from the Throne of Heaven, take away the priest's voice for 9 months while nothing happened to Abraham?

Well, for one thing, this is a good lesson for those of us who call ourselves Christians AND are active in ministry. Whether we are a church leader in charge of making sure the snow is cleared off the parking lot on Sundays in December or a mentor to a small group at church - we have a much higher level of accountability than the average person. In fact James, the brother of the Lord, tells us that explicitly in James 3:1.

Zacharias, like us, sometimes forget whose we are and what is expected of us. Scripture tells us that whom the Lord loves, He disciplines. Many of us know this lesson well. Even so, the Lord is still in the miracle working business. Because while the faithful servant Zacharias was without voice for those 9 months, he grew in power, spirit and adoration for the Lord, as we will see in the next post. Just as important as praise which will burst out from the heart of this man, is the fact that while He may take almost a season of refreshing and reflection to teach a man, our Heavenly Father always remembers our prayers, petitions and supplications. He will respond to those prayers and He will do so, in some really incredible sounds.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

WHEN GOD AND DAVID WROTE A SONG.... OF THANKSGIVING

Regardless of all his human failings, King David remained a worshiper. Even our Heavenly Father called David. as Acts 13:22 says "He also testified and said, ‘have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will." There was a reason God had a soft spot in His heart for the greatest king of Israel, of all time. David was His kind of man - humble in spirit, reverent, knowledgeable in the Ways of God (Psalm 139) and full of the Holy Spirit.

There are many instances of David's faithfulness, trust and respect for God, but this one stands out in particular because it shows the character of the man of God. Here in 1 Chronicles 16, we see a king who loves God, and loves his people. His generosity to his people, Israel, is unsurpassed and were probably the best years which that nation has ever had, in the 3000 years of existence (even in diaspora).

The background of this historical account is the move of God's Ark of the Covenant to its first ever, new home in Jerusalem. David had prepared a place for it and pitched a tent. These biblical tents were not as flimsy or cheap as the kinds in which we camp these days. These were secure, elaborate domains. The Lord Himself had to assist the Levite priests on their march up the hill to the eternal city while their King - David, did his famous dance to the first megachurch worship band ever assembled! 

When the Ark arrived in Jerusalem, thus began the Worship service first with the offering as prescribed by God in the Book of Moses' Law (the Torah). Then the following happened: "
When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. He distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake" (1 Chronicles 16:2-3). This act of love and genorosity and worship, reach the ears and eyes of the Lord, which runneth to and fro across the Whole Earth, in search of those who are always faithful to Him.


Under the Power of the Holy Spirit, David appointed all the Temple officers from God's ministers (the Levite Priests) to the large musician worship unit. They created quite a powerful loud sound, as the Scriptures recorded. They had to as their services, ministered to hundreds of thousands of Israelites at a time! There is no modern Christian church which could approach what David started here in Jerusalem. The only thing which will outshine these massive gatherings will be during Jesus' 1000 Year Reign in Jerusalem, one day soon.

When this was all set up, then the King, a man after God's own heart, wrote this amazing song of Thanksgiving. He wrote this, for the worship of God's people then, and because of its place in the Scriptures, David wrote the following, under the Spirit of all peoples of all times, to give thanks to God. We shall never come close to the level of gratitude required as an expression to God. What we can do is stay firmly grounded in His Word and follow the example of the man who wrote this Song of Thanks, under inspiration of God the Holy Spirit. 


Psalm of Thanksgiving
8     Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
9    Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His  wonders.
10  Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
11   Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
12  Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
13  O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14  He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
15  Remember His covenant forever,

The word which He commanded to a thousand generations.

(Click here to read the rest of this Song or Psalm of Thanks)

After this song of praise and thanksgiving was over, the final verse of 1 Chronicles 16 was a beautiful thing to behold on the pages of the Bible:
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord

Sunday, November 18, 2018

WHEN GOD AND MOSES WROTE A SONG

A lot of people - Christian and non-Christian - use this well-worn phrase "God told me to.....". More times often than not, you can tell by their fruit that God told them no such thing! The Holy Spirit, Who IS God, does guide, direct and provide a way for us to do the things we are supposed. If we are living by the Spirit, repentant and close to the Flame, our love for God will never grow cold....and He will speak to us and our Spirit and nudge us towards the things we should know and do. 


There is an unique instance in Scripture where God audibly told His servant Moses to write a song. God always spoke Face to face with Moses as He spoke directly to Samuel, Jeremiah and for three years in the Arabian desert to the Apostle Paul.
The Book of Psalms is both the Prayer and the Song book of the Bible, but there are several instances of the other psalms and prayers in the Bible which are beneficial to the Christian for study and dissecting to find what the Lord is teaching. This song of Moses is very instructional, as well as fearsome and prophetic for the coming rebellion of the people of God, even after He rescued them from the dominion of darkness and slavery.

In Deuteronomy Chapter 31, we come to the end of Moses' long goodbye, counsel and instructions to the several millions assembled and ready to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. God had told Moses that he (Moses) would never make it across, since the latter had disobeyed Him when God told Moses to speak to the rock. In anger and pride, Moses struck the rock and sealed his earthly fate. God did allow Moses to go up to the mountain called Nebo and view the land from the best birdseye view.

In this chapter of Deuteronomy, the LORD told Moses what would happen when he (Moses) died and went to be with Yahweh and his ancestors. The Almighty said the people would soon return to their pagan ways, wanting to living in the evil and flesh of those around them in the other nations. They will turn their back on God and see the fleeting pleasures of sin for many season. It has always been so with all mankind and even some carnal Christians, who love the things of this world more than they love and worship God.

So God literally told Moses in Deuteronomy 31:19-22  the following:
19 “Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it [on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. 20 For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” 22 So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

This Song of Moses, therefore, is not some sort of party song or celebration of whatever, it is war-cry, a mournful dirge, a historical recitation of God's goodness to this rebellious and perverted people and the severe discipline which is to come. There is no need to explain the Word of the Lord in this Song of Moses.
DEUTERONOMY 32:1-5
“Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak;
And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
“Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As the droplets on the fresh grass
And as the showers on the herb.
“For I proclaim the name of the Lord;
Ascribe greatness to our God!
“The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.
“They have acted corruptly toward Him,
They are not His children, because of their defect;
But are a perverse and crooked generation.


Friday, November 16, 2018

AUTHOR/PRODUCER KRISTEN COLLIER - GREAT LAKES CHRISTIAN TALENT NETWORK

Meet Kristen Collier!  This wonderful young Michigan native, wife and mother is on the ground floor of something potentially huge in the Great Lakes/Upper Midwest region which could take Christian multi-media to a whole new level. While her action-packed Facebook group page is full of activity from a wide variety of Christian movie production and other professionals, as well as up and comers, what is little known about Kristen is the prolific side of her career as an author, and many times co-author with her husband Kevin Collier.

Here is an example of some of their books – both for adults and children, currently residing on the Amazon.com bookstore. I am currently reading one of her latest books called King of Glory, a fast paced Bible based fiction which is really very well done. I am, so far, very impressed by the dialogue between the characters and the solid biblical background of Ms. Collier’s writing.  In my opinion, she has an untapped potential of a screenwriter, judging from the conversations in this fast moving book!

As Kristen says, the story behind “KING OF GLORY” is and it was developed from the famous “Footprints in the Sand” poem where at the end of the poem there is only one set of footprints in the sand, after the person in the poem had walked alongside Jesus for most of the tome. At the very end of the poem, where we see only one set of footprints, we “hear the words” of Jesus saying the following, in essence – “you know, there were times in your life where you walked alongside me in the Christian life. But many times, when you see only one set of footprints – those were MY Footprints. Those were Mine because those were the times you could not make it, you stumbled and fell and then could not get up. It was I, the Lord, Who picked you up”!




Kristen's apparel website can be found here (click). Apparel will be on Amazon.com very soon.

Kristen also runs a chapter of the Hollywood Prayer Network, of which I am also a member. Please click here for her other social media  outlets:


Tuesday, November 6, 2018

THE GOD WHO INVITES, PART 2 - THE MATCHLESS LOVE OF GOD

If someone had a child or a friend who did not feel the same way about you as you did towards them, a certain amount of heartbreak would be absolutely normal. Depending on the circumstances, whether we are talking about a spouse or a young lady, whom your son wishes would give him the time of day, nothing is as disappointing as love not returned.

While relationships are critical to our human condition, on the horizontal or people to people level, the only real relationship which lasts beyond our brief time on earth is the one with our Heavenly Father, Creator and Sustainer.

In light of this absolute fact (God as Creator/Provider/Sustainer/Savior), we who are called by His Name, are provided free choice to a certain extent. There is no such thing as absolute free will,  obviously, but humans do enjoy a significant amount of freedom to choose or reject God’s offer of Grace, Love, Mercy and Salvation. Hell is full of those people.

For the Christian, God does offer a really beautiful invitation, which if we accept, will lead to such a wonderful life of peace, joy and contentment. This, along with the tremendous ability to persevere through all kinds of trials and tribulations, are the hallmarks of all who choose to accept the offer from the Lord to take Him at His Word.

To this end, let us read this tremendous promise and invitation from the Almighty Himself, to all His people, of all time, from Proverbs 8:17 - "I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me".

This is His Word “I love those who love me”This is the foundational statement. You either love God or you do NOT. There is no middle ground, regardless of a world system of grays and shaded colors. You either believe in and love Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world, or you do NOT. On this one, the majority of the world has already decided, on the negative, to their own eternal peril.

“ Those who seek me” - the unsaved person does NOT seek after God. Those of us who are saved, know this to be true because it was the Lord Who initially sought us out, to offer His Saving Grace.  Therefore, this literally means that the Christian has the real, and always available option, to pursue more than a dysfunctional relationship with God. We have the option to maximize and move so much closer to Him that there is the same kind of glow in our spirit, which Moses had on his face, when he came off Mt. Sinai after 40 days with God. (Exodus 34:29 "It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him).

The first thing we see is that Love is the Key. God loves us first. He had to, in order to create us, knowing we would disappoint Him, more times often than not. He does love those who love, obey, place Him in the right order (first above all else) and He acknowledges them. He once said of the Exodus hero, Caleb, (who was with Joshua obeyed God in the desert after Moses died, and were the only two original elders of the Israelites from Egypt who were allowed to cross into the Promised Land). God said of Caleb, “My servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows Me wholeheartedly", as He showered kudos on him.  God’s great angel said the following of Daniel in Daniel Chapter 10:11 "He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." 

God loves those who not only loves Him, and especially if we pursue Him in obedience, prayer and service – DILIGENTLY as Proverbs 8:17 says!  This word “diligently” actually implies a pursuit of God which begins early in the day and often….or early WITH purpose! In daily Christian living, it definitely means that we should seek God the very first thing in the morning in prayer and devotion and then have a lifestyle of Godly living all during the day, ready to give an account or word of encouragement to anyone, about “the hope that is within us”.

This is one of THE most significant invitations from God, which ALL Bible-believing Christians should grab on to and never let go.  This invitation with a promise, and the evidence to back it up from Scripture, gives more than a glimpse of the matchless love of God. It underscores it, in permanent marker, in our very souls.