AS FALL APPROACHES.........

The stunning beauty, smells, sounds, and sights of Autumn are a marvel to behold. It is more than just a bridge from the steamy days of summer and its associated activities, and the cold wintry nights. It should inspire us to be amazed at the God Who created the cycle of falling leaves, from trees of many colors. It should motivate songs and poems of praise and awe to the Creator for all this goodness,

While these days of some warmth and much refreshing cool lead to light jackets and even colorful scarves, the Word of the Lord comes to heart, mind, body, and spirit in such a flood that it overflows like a Niagara of rushing water over the edge. These days should drive us to our knees in search of the God Whose Name is praised in the Bible, for His great deeds in Eternity Past, to present and beyond.

This new Fall series will seek to bring out the beauty of His Word, in keeping with such excellence, to extol His deeds, in gratitude and love.

Psalm 19:1-4 (NASB) says, "The heavens tell of the glory of God; and their expanse declares the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them, He has placed a tent for the sun".

Have you ever wondered why the great rivers of the world, like the Mighty Mississippi, can keep flowing and flowing….into the Gulf? The Thames River in England flows directly into the North Sea. The great St. Lawrence River of Canada flows into the Gulf of St. Lawrence which then empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Snows come, and in Canada, especially, heavy snows come and go. They melt and flood their banks, yet the ocean is never full. The mysteries of life go on that way to the point that even the Book of Ecclesiastes mentions it.

This is the handiwork of the good Lord we serve. His mercies endures forever. His favor is for a lifetime and His love is overwhelming.

As we go through the approaching days of Fall, with its bright sunny days of crunching leaves underfoot, or the winds of November that come calling, may we call to mind, over and over – the awesome power, majesty and unfathomable creative Mind of the Creator, Who has given us breath.                              

PERSPECTIVE: BE A RIVER OF LIFE

Most people’s point of reference begins from the day they were born and then become aware of their immediate surroundings.  For the majority of mankind, who are not even aware of historical events and key milestones, all that matters is the here and now. Sadly very few even consider their future, on earth and beyond.

So is it with matters of the soul.  One thing the world’s systems have succeeded in is not just removing the Bible and moral teaching from daily life, but they have removed critical thinking from the last three generations of young people, and counting.  However it is more than the inability to think of anything at all, it is the corruption which culture and poor-on-purpose education has wrought on entire people groups, over the last 55 plus years.

Those who are wise, already know that the leaders of entertainment hate the one true God, substitute Him with ungodly idolatry and have slowly boiled the frog to convince the majority of youth to believe either in nothing or a combination of nothing. This combined with a horrible liberal education system, which indoctrinates rather than educates or grows minds to fruitful, happy thinkers, has given us an increasing number of people called "nones". Nones are the fastest growing demographic in America, in that, they represent a rapid growth of people who believe in absolutely nothing at all. Faith brings hope. Lack of hope therefore, results in the opposite.

If you are looking for the root cause of the rampant hopelessness among the majority of the population under the age of fifty, these are the main ingredients: culture and indoctrination rather than STEM education (STEM being: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). But church leaders are not guiltless in any of this. Almost every western church – from Europe to North America and Australia – has failed the Great Commission. The first part of this Final Instruction from the Risen Lord as He ascended back to Heaven was “Go make Disciples”. (A disciple is defined as a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosopher).

There is no shortage of study, facts and evidence of what has gone wrong.  One thing is apparent, however, and it is that the vast majority of the lost (the wider population) and even weak professing Christians, do not know God, His Word or His Ways.

It is so wonderful to watch the eyes of a baby, toddler or child under the age of 10, who discovers the wonders of Creation all around them. Whether it is a caterpillar changing to a butterfly; or a loving pet snuggling up to a four year old playing with building blocks; or an 11 year old catching his first fish at the lake, Life is new exciting, and full of so much potential. It truly is beautiful thing. Here is where Life begins and all the child and young person can see, is what they have right before them.

It is incumbent upon those of us who are charged with shepharding the young, and those who will come after us,  to pass on the Knowledge of the Ages, which we were taught growing up.  God expects parents and those of us who know better, to share the Truth about Him- Truthfully. This includes the Truth about the meaning, purpose and ways of God, as much as we are capable.

The Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri

One thing which a child could notice, who has been properly educated at both home, school and/or home-school are the wonders of rivers. Ecclesiastes 1:7  tells us that “all the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, they flow again”. This is a perfect observation. For example, when the snow melts at the top of the Mississippi River in the great winter wonderland of northern Minnesota, and flows into the 1.7 square mile Lake Itasca, most people never connect it to being the very start of the Great and Fabled Mississippi River.

This River then picks up steam, width, depth and more and gets bigger as it

The Biblical Rivers Tigris & Euphrates still exist

begins its 2320 mile journey down to the Gulf of Mexico. Then, all that water, pours into the Gulf. Yet, it never overflows. It is the same with every other river, worldwide. The Tigris and Euphrates are the two Rivers from Creation and the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:10-14). They bob and weave, even now, all over the land of the Bible, growing in massive water volume, yet when they empty into the Persian Gulf as one – the Euphrates – that Gulf never overflows. 

Or how about the winds? Where do they originate and to where are they going? Even the best meteorologists are unable to answer these questions.  These items plus the futility of trying to change things we have absolutely no control over. This includes so-called “climate change”, which is a prideful heresy, against the Power and Control of the Lord.

The complete and unquestionable Sovereignty of God remains in place, in this timeless, seamless story where only the personnel changes. Human beings during the time of King Solomon, who wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes over 2900 years ago, are the same as those being born in 2018.  Environment conditions and circumstances are obviously different, but the Plans and Ways of the Lord remain constant.

What was always will be. The entire book of Ecclesiastes describes the human condition from birth to death and all the turns, times and turbulence of life. However one thing remains true, and it is that God sees all. He will bring all to justice one day. Each generation will stand in the bright lights with our peers of our generation to account for our time here on earth.

While there is still time, we should be diligent to be aware of our Creator and His Law planted in the hearts of all who have ever lived.  The time to learn from History is now. The time to observe His ways in His creation is now. The time for our redemption is also now. Do not waver, hesitate or procrastinate. Tomorrow is never promised. In the meantime, roll on like the Mighty Mississippi and let your life be a testimony flowing into the Gulf of humanity, in all our immediate communities. Finally, may our lives be a River, through which the very life of Jesus Christ flows through us, to bless and improve the lives of others in our own families and communities.

SEVEN THINGS GOD HATES - #3: BLOODY HANDS

In another parallel with the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments), the Lord is telling us plainly what He expects from His people and the despicable actions which WILL bring Judgment – killing the Innocent. This abomination which brings devastation applies not just to drive by shootings in inner cities; or indiscriminate collateral damage from wartime ordnance; or the increasing phenomena of lunatics. Sandy Hook and other mass shootings in public theaters; Columbine and other such populated (by innocent people) are modern examples of this modern tragedy. This abomination has biblical principle behind it.

These six things the Lord hates,

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
 

A proud look,

A lying tongue,Hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil, 

A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren.

Proverbs 6:16-19 

If you’re thinking of such a Biblical example, there is nothing more despicable and evil than the worship of Molech in the Old Testament. Molech (or Chemosh) was the pagan god of the Ammonites (around the country of Jordan) and required its adherents to sacrifice their own live babies to this disgusting pagan idol. The idol was heated up and the pagans would place their babies in "Molech's" metal arms and watch the babies burn. References to this abomination can be found here: (2 Kings 21:6 ; 2 Kings 23:10 ; 2 Chronicles 28:3 ; Psalm 106:38 ; Jeremiah 7:31 ; Jeremiah 19:4-5 ; Ezekiel 16:21 ; Ezekiel 23:37 ,Ezekiel 23:37,23:39 ).

God has specifically warned against this here: Lev. 18:21 says, "Neither shall you give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the Lord." Even King Solomon, when he lost his mind, pride and relationship with the Lord, built one of these abominations to Chemosh (Molech) where the human sacrifice continued (before he repented and wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes).

There is a New Testament example of the Slaying of Innocents. King Herod thought the Magi had deceived him, sent out his butchering mercenary soldiers to kill every boy under the age of 2 years old in Bethlehem. The Gospel of Matthew confirmed the fulfillment of Scripture here when he quoted an accurate prophesy from Jeremiah 31:15 "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more". Josephus, the indepent Jewish historian spoke of many massacres by Herod, but it was the secular Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly and his co-author Dugard who confirmed Herod's Slaughter of the Innocents, down to the detail of which soldiers Herod used! Historical figures indicate that about 1000 people lived in Bethlehem around that time, so at least 20 boys where killed by this man.

These two Bible-based events, as evil and terrible as they and the Mayan's equivalent of Molech in Mexico, pale in comparison to the over 55 Million babies aborted in America since the Supreme Court created the Right to An Abortion out of the case of Roe vs Wade. The blood of scores of millions of babies are forever stained on the hands of those judges, lawyers, politicians, media and others. If there is one thing which will be so foul in the nostrils of the Lord - it is this. He cares for the little ones and every single one of those over 55 million people is His. Their souls are precious, the hearts are precious and their lives are precious.

Many of us can imagine the scene around the Throne of God where all 55 million babies are in His Presence and they cry out to Him for Justice...not much different than those Tribulation saints of Revelation 6:10. In fact, that same chapter of Revelation has a great closing to those who violate the direct Commands of the Lord to stay away from human sacrifice (which now includes abortion) and other things that shed the Blood of the Innocents. When they are left behind after the Rapture (or taking up) of the church, the lost and perishing of this world, who are still alive, the Books says the following: 
The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:14-17, ESV).

This is the third of seven things which the Good Lord hates.

KEYS TO A GODLY LIFE PART 3/12 - CALL TO RIGHTEOUS LIVING

THE DAWN OF GLORY SERIES:

PLEASE READ THE PASSAGE, THEN - WATCH THE BRIEF EXPOSITION FROM THE PLUMBLINE VIDEO:

1 Peter 1:13-25

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 

20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All flesh is like grass,
And all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word which was preached to you.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT OUT OF LIFE?

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady

Many go through life without grasping the full meaning of it life.  Like all of us, at some

point in our earlier years, many have questions, the answers for which they either seldom seek (and find) the correct answers  or get the world’s misdirection or even worse – just give up and let their lives just slip away, meaninglessly.  This is not what God intended for us – whether Jew or Gentile or rich or poor. There is something within the spirit of every human which instinctively desires more than the present condition.  Increasingly, we hear this, not only from those who have not surrendered to the plans God originally had for them, but those who frequently darken the church door.

Some think “if only I had a little more, a boat or a trip to Europe or….” It would make me really happy. Some seek love and relationship, and end up on some dating website or worse – a bar, looking for love in all the wrong places.  Some seek answers in their occupation, lacking the proper perspective of what work is really about. Some seek it in music, writing books or athletics.  However, no matter what the temporal condition of the person in question, it is all boils down – more times oft than not – to “is this ALL there is”?! Is this it?

This is the same question that Super bowl Champion New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had! Here is a man who has everything a man could want, in the world’s eyes! Brady has the big multi-million contract. Brady has the huge diamond-studded Super Bowl rings. Brady has the awe of his peers and the world sports media. Brady has the massive mansion in California. Brady has the fashion model pretty wife. Brady has it all…or does he? What did he have to say about all of this? Now he does seem to be a nice guy on the human level, and has taken a liking to born-again Christian and new Patriot Tim Tebow, so this not a personal attack on Brady. It is though, an honest look at what makes successful men tick (or not) and why honesty really is the best policy...as well as the first step to personal, spiritual redemption!

I recommend you watch this Plumbline program called “WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT OUT OF LIFE?” – It is the introductory program to my 12-Part study of the entire Book of Ecclesiastes which will be posted here over the next several weeks. This upcoming series is called “THE MEANING OF LIFE”. The underlying Spirit-led premise is this- if you and I really want to know what the true meaning of life really is – FIND IT IN THE GOD OF THE BIBLE!

HOW DID I GET TO THIS POINT?....Part 2

"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first"...Revelation 2:4

A lot of people - men and women - appear to make through life intact, but then fall apart at the end (or close to it). Think of it as a runner, who runs out of steam right at the Finish Line.  Many are the opposite of the great Triple Crown thoroughbred horse - Secretariat. Secretariat won the third jewel of this Triple Crown of horse-racing by a stunning 31 lengths, a feat which as never been repeated! This magnificent creation of God was going so fast, it could have gone another dozen or so lengths...but it would have died! The faster the horse went, the faster its heart was beating. If the distance was any longer, the heart would have exploded.

This is contrary to how many finish the race of life today. We do not give it all we have. Many have built their lives on one of the following: 

-  A lie (whether it is in a loveless marriage, dead end job, or even a double life of sin)

-  A false promise (the western or American dream of a high paying job/lifestyle that makes you happy)

-  A misconception of what we are really here for (are we here to satisfy ourselves or satisfy God's calling on our lives).

For some reason, less and less of us are giving it all we have as we see the finish line.  

We are seeing men and women getting divorced in their late 50's or 60's whom you would never imagine would 'go there'.  

We are seeing people coming out of closets who have been living in sin, with their lies and their sexual deviancy for decades. 

We are seeing churches filled with carnal Christians corrupted by culture because there was no conversion to the Gospel of Christ to begin with. 

We are even seeing so-called good churches producing the future 'pagans of America' by sending out youth into high schools and colleges to turn their back on our faith, because they came of out of churches led by preachers more interested in maintaining their own stranglehold on a church and organization, which was/is not theirs to begin with.

Solomon was that kind of man. He finished horribly because, among a variety of disgusting sins, he turned his back on the One True God Who gave him everything. Solomon sought after his own fleshly pursuits by trying to sleep with just about any woman of every color, class, creed and strange religion he could find. 

He not only had illicit sexual relations with them, he brought them into Jerusalem and corrupted the Holy City. 

He not only consorted with them, he bowed down to their evil strange and demonic gods of fire, human sacrifice and death. 

He not only did all of that, but had a stranglehold on the economy of Israel. 

He was a horrible taskmaster who taxed the daylights out of his people so he could live like the flesh-serving king he was.

We are no different today. While the culture shapes society, we help it by buying their indulgences. 

We pursue leisure. 

We pursue the latest toys. 

We pursue pleasure. 

We preach restraint..for everybody else but ourselves.

We mortgage the future to satisfy the present.

We give in to almost every sensory temptation...and some go even further in violating their marriage vows....and on and on....all in pursuit of the good life....and all is vanity!

You want to know how both Solomon and we get to the point were we become the anti-Secretariat? We get there because we have left our first love - Christ.  As a society and an "Ekklesia" (the body of Christ - the church) church leaders from all levels, in the past 100 years, have pursued the culture, and tried to blend it with Christ. It has never worked...and never will.

TOMORROW - PART 3

(Image Courtesy Google)