NO RETREAT...SEEK...ABIDE

TEXT: PSALM 27:1-6 (KJV) - PUBLIC DOMAIN

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

THIRTY ONE DAYS OF BIBLE TRUTHS - DAY 12 (VICTORIOUS)

BIBLE VERSE:  For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14)

TRUTH:  Can a Christian live in victory in these times of evil and destruction? Of course we can. So why are so many Christians cowering and hoping Jesus would come tomorrow and take them away? This is so because of little understanding of the meaning of this verse and the authority the Believer now has over sin.  This also argues for true conversion from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of His Marvelous Light! Because most of us have difficulty memorizing or remembering endless chapters of the Bible, let us then resolve to remember this Truth: the Grace of God which saved us when we trusted in the finished work of the Cross and repented/renounced/rebuked our sin and our past, has activated the NEW nature within us  which has the Power of God embedded, via His Holy Spirit. This Power is what  has now enabled us, through daily vigilance and diligence,  to say NO to the sin that destroyed us in the past and threaten to do so until we are called home. The use of this sin-busting Power is what gives us confidence to win the victory daily. This is a Truth that leads to True Peace and one worth celebrating - YOU CAN OUTRUN SIN!

Image Credit Here

THIRTY ONE DAYS OF BIBLE TRUTHS - DAY 1 (LIGHT)

Today, the first day of 2016, in between studying the Great Prayers of the Bible and the Methodology of Prayer, we look at a different Truth each day to get the year off firmly planted in the Word of God. The first thing we, who are called by His Name should draw into our very consciousness on this day, is WHO we are as a Christian. We are His children and He is a good, good Father. It is Who He is.

VERSE: "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light " These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them". (John 12:36)

TRUTH: Jesus is the Light of the World. He is the Light that came into the World to cast out darkness and draw many unto Him. Most have rejected Him, choosing the darkness and the deeds performed in darkness, rather have the blessed transparency that comes with being living a life which is being transformed into the likeness of Christ - the likeness of One in Whom there is no sin or darkness. So today, if you hear His Voice, do not choose to be like those who live in rebellion, but like the One Who calls us "son" or "daughter".

 (Free Clip Art Image Credit Here)

THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

Apples are an amazing fruit. In the summer, it's a favorite of picnics everywhere as baskets get packed for the great outdoors of Creation. In the Fall, the fragrance of apples light up the atmosphere as cold pressed cider from your neighborhood orchard attract us like bees to the honeycomb. By winter, Apple pies coming out of hit ovens and garnished with vanilla ice cream are the essence of life.

There's an apple for every taste bud- the stock red delicious for everyday, or the Gala for the exquisite. How about the Jonathan, Braeburn or golden delicious itself! Most of the apples on display from late summer through Fall are grafted. They come from rootstock which combined with the PH factor soil and the scion added to the rootstock, gives us variety of apples we see at Apple barns and markets. The rootstock is the main root in the ground and the scion is the chip or portion of another tested variety which is grafted to the rootstock. The same is true to other fruit trees like pears, berries and more.

When a new apple tree is transferred from the nursery to the ground....whether the residential backyard or the commercial orchard, everything then depend on the rootstock and the soil. The apple tree in this photo was planted less than two years ago. However, it will be another 2-3 years before it begins bearing fruit by the bushel, no matter how many tiny little apples are showing here. So it is with our faith. 

At the moment of conversion, when Christ brought us out of the domain of darkness into the kingdom of His Marvellous Light, we were grafted into the very Rootstock of Heaven! Everything depended on and still depends on Him. We are the little scion grafted into the rootstock. The Holy Spirit provides the nutrition for us to go and it does take time for us to grow and bear fruit. 

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude....Colossians 2:6-7

The analogies to the productive and powerful Christian life are so real in relation to apple trees that it's uncanny. These two short verses are proof from the Word of God. The maturing Christian life starts with Christ, remains in Christ and grows in Christ! 

So, how do we grow, mature and live a fruitful life which is pleasing to God?

1. Receive Christ. Jesus is Lord and He died for all. The Holy Spirit convicts, we respond, relent, repent, reach out and surrender to His calling for rejuvenation. We must then receive the gift.

2. Just a closer walk with Him. When Jesus saves you and I, He is immediately our best Friend! He knows the way because He is Way. He saved us to be with Him for eternity so this is absolutely natural. Enoch WALKED with God for 300 years and was no more because God took His best friend at the time Home, to be with Him while he (Enoch) was still alive. The fruit of Enoch's evangelism, faith and family was found in men like Methusalah and Noah! 

3. Be a scion to the Rootstock. Like the bunch of grapes is connected to the vine, we. MUST be firmlygrounded, having taken up personal residence in the Rock and Root called Jesus Christ. 

4. Be built up. The scion is grafted into the rootstock of salvation and we are nourished in the rich soil of the Bible, prayer and praise fueled by the Holy Spirit. 

5. Be established. This kind  establishment is NOT the status quo of mortal worldly lost men. This is the maturing status of the Qualified...the qualified who shows a little fruit in a few years only to bear bushels of bountiful goodness, worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. 

The maturing Christian is like an apple tree in many respects. The faithfully surrendered believers among us seek to become apples of His Eye. Why not, press on? Amen

TODAY ON THE RIGHT ANGLE - FEAR NOT!

KEYS TO A GODLY LIFE PART 10/12 - OBEY THE WORD

THE DAWN OF GLORY SERIES:

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

2 Peter 1:12-21

12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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

THE MEANING OF LIFE: PART 10 OF 12

A CHAPTER BY CHAPTER STUDY OF THE BOOK OF                                                        ECCLESIASTES......CHAPTER 10

"A LITTLE FOOLISHNESS"

Does your life have fragrance? Are people attracted to the Light that shines through you? The answers to these and other matters raised here in life are answered here in Ecclesiastes 10! This chapter contains several proverbs which make us think and then use that process to drop the plumb line against our own lives, to see if we are lined up in accurate thinking about these things - the things of God!

Ecclesiastes 10

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

A Little Foolishness

10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his [a]sense is lacking and he [b]demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s [c]temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— 6 folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [d]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must [e]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites [f]before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. 12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF CHAPTER 10

CHILDREN OF DARKNESS

If you look at all the glittering lights, glamor and gaudiness of modern lifestyles or culture, the untrained eye could be led to think "we sure have come a long way". The world measures progress by all of this and more: that is, who has has the best toys. Another yardstick is - who is more technologically savvy or proficient. 


We have become so advanced in an electronic age that we see companies pushing the envelope to compete with each other. They spend billions of dollars on Super Bowl commercial ads which range from race car driver Danica Patrick, shedding her clothes year and yea, to promote an internet hosting site called Godaddy.com to a large dog seemingly burying a cat and paying off a witness with Doritos chips to say "You didn't see nutthin", supposedly written by the dog. 


This is where the culture is in 2012. We have a so-called sophisticated society simmering in a soup of what Scripture says is "Darkness"! How can it be darkness, when we are so "enlightened" today?! Well, consider this verse "...And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil".... (John 3:19 ESV)


The basic truth of the matter is that the "light" of the world is completely different and opposite to the Light Who came into the world over 2000 years ago! The thirst for knowledge and reason has led many to an age of Enlightenment for centuries now, but the end result of all of that is deception by the angel of light - Satan! The god of this world has so blinded so many it is now critical that we do all we can to rescue this and the next generation from the oblivion they face. This oblivion is an eternity separated from God because our kids and their kids have followed a system of education and "leadership" which turned their hearts from the One True God and Light - Jesus Christ.


Just last May, in a case which stunned America, San Antonio, Texas judge Fred Biery handed down a ruling which banned student-led benediction or invocation from graduation exercises. This is unconstitutional in itself, as the Supreme Court has allowed this freedom, as long as students lead it and not teachers.


Just last week, Cranston High School in Westerly, Rhode Island, one of the few religious towns in Rhode Island, was forced to take down a prayer banner because an atheist named Jessisca Ahlquist and the ACLU forced the matter in liberal courts there. Not just that. now Ahlquist and the ACLU want the school district to pay over $173,000 in court costs due to assuage the "pain" they suffered from having to see that banner!!! If there is any justice in America, a judge will award her no more than $1 in damages!

Men and women love the darkness. They meet in secret to have illicit affairs and trysts. They have their slimy secret societies and groups and exchange secret handshakes with an pagan oaths. Their music is disgusting as we see with Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga and every genre from heavy metal to gangsta rap.


Their TV shows are despicable and would have led to producers getting arrest as recently as 30 years ago. From MTV's Teen Mom and Jersey Shore to the low-life who populate primetime TV on ABCNBCCBSFOX....from some of the cable channels like the MA Rated shows on FX to the not-so-subtle anymore corruption of children on the DISNEY CHANNEL (more on that in the future)....there is nothing safe for families and children anymore in the culture.


Men and women in power love the darkness. They persecute Christians - for now with their words and deeds - while saying we must be tolerant of any weird lifestyle or cult. Yet they trample all over the Gospel of Christ while calling themselves 'good people' who have their own faith.


Men and women in power love the darkness because they have successfully lulled modern parents into submission  to this evil, by raising up the last two generations as mentally and culturally dependent on the state for everything from education, to character-training and even school lunch.....WHEN ALL THREE OF THESE THINGS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTS.


But "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20).

We can list every wrong here...but let's just give it today to the Lord in prayer:

Father in the Name of Jesus we thank You that You are the God of all Truth and You give good things to Your people as James says "All good things come from You, the Father of Lights". Lord I thank You this day for Your Provision, Protection and Permission to approach the Throne of Grace in prayer, praise and supplication.

Lord, we worship Your in the Light of the Beauty of Holiness, Your Holiness because You live surrounded by the Shekinah Glory of God, which the dying world will never see until they stand briefly before You to be judged for their evil deeds.

Lord nothing You have done since creation was done in secret or in the dark, but out in the open where all can see and rejoice since the beginning of Time. Yet men and women today, under the power of satan, have taken that which is pure and good and are now accelerating the slide into oblivion for not just themselves but are taking our children and the future of society down with them.

They have ensnared and corrupted everything from the media to government to school districts to the culture of books, movies, music and entertainment....they have so followed the serpent of old, that everything those people touch has the stench of death and hell in it. 

Lord we lift up our families to you right now, in light of all this madness and mayhem, and ask that You send Your holy angels to come around us and protect our people from this. We pray that those who are saved will not be further caught up in these things, if they are mistakenly following elements of it, thinking Your Grace will cover all their sins. We pray that those of us who are saved will fortify our own families first in the Truth of the Word of God and that Your Spirit will lead us to lead others away from the darkness and into the Marvelous Light Which is only found in Christ Jesus, the King!

Father, enlighten and illumine our paths to those who need to know You so they will not follow the path of darkness and destruction which their parents and forefathers followed. Give us guidance, strength, courage and boldness to share that Truth and Joy and Peace with them, in the only true love which can be found in Your Great Son - the Lord Jesus and it is in His Name I pray, amen and amen!

(image by google images)

THE PILGRIMS OF DISPERSION

by RICK AND DANA STASSI

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1 (KJV)

We are a stranger in this land. We are on a new path and as we walk, one-by-one, we are joined by others who  are strangers too. We strangers are pilgrims on a sojourn through our time and place here to seek, to listen, and to emanate the truth of the Lord. We are in God’s image He had foreknowledge of. He sees before, during, and after. We are in awe of the Lord and walk upon this earth sojourning in reverence of Him. We rest in our reverence. It is the beginning of our wisdom.

The Lord authored our separation, the core of why we are strangers. We are set apart from this world as God does a work on us. We left our homes and our old selves, to walk where He guide us with hands of strength, a voice of wisdom, and a heart of love. Work on us! Mold our hearts! We know where we came from and dream of where we go for eternity, but what must we do now? God will show us. We are sanctified by our submission to Jesus, therefore, the Spirit is within.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

We hold captive this message, Lord, we embrace the Spirit in us. He guides us in our sanctifying process. He does a good work each day. We rest in our sanctity. AMEN.

We are saved by the blood of the unblemished Lamb. Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega. We are cradled in time by the eternal endpoints of the Lord and we are safe. We rest in Him. We need not have angst over thing to come or things of the past, we must just be pilgrims sojourning in the Light. 

The sprinkled blood of Jesus, the Light, is salvation. It heals, protects, and fortifies. I plead it over us pilgrims now! We are His flock, both the Shepard and the unblemished Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In Jesus is hope. He died and resurrected. There is rebirth and restoration in that. We are dispersed from Calvary in our many directions to show this image, to emanate Light, to be joyful in our hope of the Resurrection.  We rest in the Resurrection.

…and through His blood, we are incorruptible.  We cannot be defiled for what force shall overtake He who is infallible, omnipotent, and omniscient? We are pilgrims dispersed: equipped in His very nature and He nor His nature shall abandon us. We rest in His peace.

In the Lord, we shall not fade away but be a powerful presence and witness to Him. Our sojourn is not in vain, but with purpose. We await our inheritance reserved in heaven. We skip no steps in our journey. God sees and places us on our continuous path for His purpose, for our good.

All will see one day as true salvation is revealed and Jesus triumphs in His return. We are at rest in His arms, in His hope, and walking from Calvary to our place of Dispersion, the path God sets for each of us, and we are strangers in this land for the world is confounded. God thank You that the Light, Jesus, will penetrate confusion and bring Your children home .


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