TOWARDS HOLINESS, PART 6: WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS...

What does Holiness have to do with money? Maybe it is time to reexamine what the full scope of personal holiness is and maybe is not. Personal holiness is operating under the power of the Holy Spirit, in ALL aspects or facets of our lives, from the smallest detail to the big things. After gathering the knowledge of our entire spiritual, emotional and physical beings, we submit them all to the Authority of God, Who has the Power and Will for our lives, to see us succeed in doing these things well.

The Key to living a good clean and righteous-unto-God life is to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ now. The spiritual lost of this world can also live upright, raise great kids, not cheat on their taxes and wives, and still go away from God into eternal separation, because they never gave their lives to Jesus Christ.  Every country is full of the majority of its citizens who live this way.

In the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 19:14-30)  Jesus told the following story of the rich young ruler. In brief, this rich prince came up to Christ, during His days on earth, and is Exhibit A of a person who lives what seems like the “perfect” or “best life now”! He did not break man’s law. He did not break God’s law. He even gave charity and tithes and offerings. In today’s terms, he gave to the Cancer Society, and Animal Rescue and even Habitat for Humanity to build houses.

But Jesus told him one thing to do which would make suitable for the Kingdom of Heaven (or to be saved) – “go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and (then) come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). The Scriptures said the rich young man just got really down and depressed and walked away “grieving”.

Many people have this completely upside down. God does NOT want our money. Jesus was testing the rich man, just as He is testing those who have even no more than $5 to their names today, to see where we are at.  It is not about money. It is about where are hearts, minds, body and souls are.

The panhandler who rakes in $300 a day in handouts from passersby on the street is just as guilty before God as is the bank manager who owns a house by the  lake, a boat and wants nothing to do with God.

The Bible tells us “where your treasure is, there your heart is also” (Matthew 6:21). When the rich prince in Matthew 19 walked away from Jesus, Matthew 19:22 tells us that he was grieving “because he had much property”.  What is glaring, in its omission here, is that this man completely disregarded the command from Jesus to “come follow Me”! Like the majority of mankind today, he chose what he could count in his hands as “his own” over the future eternal riches of Christ!

He is NOT the first, nor will he the last. In June 1989, my landlord at the time told me something I cannot forget. It was just two weeks before I was to marry the love of my life, Vicki. I was wrapping up business at the apartment I rented from him and conversation took a spiritual turn. Italo (his real first name) told me that he was studying for the priesthood, as we discussed prayer and the Bible.

However, and here is the kicker “I left seminary, because I wanted it all now”! So he got into his version of riches – a few simple houses with middle class apartments….because he wanted all he could get NOW. Like the rich young ruler to whom Jesus spoke (in Matthew 19), Italo’s “spiritual” heart was  in the here and now – not in the Creator of those temporary fleeting shiny objects.

These real life examples still do not drive home the matter of Personal Holiness, as regard one’s finances. The monetary side of a Christian’s life is an EXTREMELY sensitive subject, especially in the affluent western world (North America, the U.K, Europe, Australia and New Zealand). Tithing in previous generations (pre-Prosperity Gospel or Seeker Sensitive heresy) was not as huge a disputed problem as it has become, in modern times.

Christians who have a tradition of solid bible teaching (now called “Evangelical”) instinctively gave up to, and even more than the 10% of their income to the work of the Lord in the church. As the falling away (as prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3), even in spirit-led and conservative bible teaching churches intensifies, even born-again Christians have gone wobbly on obedience to God, as regard their finances and tithing.

The Scriptural Truth that God loves a cheerful give stands forever, until the return of Christ. There are understandably instances, growing in magnitude, of Christians being very concerned of what they see as bad stewardship in their churches. However, having the Heart and Mind of Christ in obedience in finances, does not and should not prevent the obedient disciple of Christ from:

1. Deducting 10% (recommended) right off the top of our gross income from our jobs.
2. Giving to the work of the Lord.

Another way, in which finances can relate to Personal Holiness can be found when we listen to the Voice of the Lord.  We are meant to be a people who have a loose grip on the things which we think matter more to us, than even our own families. We are not speaking here of supporting false Television Evangelists who constantly ask for money for expensive private jets, a dozen cars in their garages and a mansion by the lake have helped to destroy this aspect of Christian life, which has contributed tremendously to local congregations and missions worldwide.

Even with all of this, each individual believer – you and I – are still 100% responsible for handling the money and gifts, with which the Lord has blessed us, in a transparent way that is full of integrity.

Here are some final thoughts on keeping our spirits clear and free of worldly clutter, simply by the way we follow the basic principles in handling our money – regardless of how little or how much we have:

• Know this, the Lord will not judge the Christian by how much he or she gave, or did not give. He will judge according to the condition of our spiritual hearts. The panhandler or dirt poor farmer who has almost nothing, is in the same danger of hell as the wealthy patron of the arts in New York or Houston, or the church secretary who has never been born again.
• Grasp this: the very job we have, the house we live in, the career path we are on (or the retirement path ahead) were already ordained by the Lord. They are all gifts from Him. The home we live in – the bank and the Lord own it. The car we drive – the bank and the Lord own it. The clothes we wear, God gave us the health to earn the money, to use our God-given skills, to drive a car to the Mall, so we can buy those clothes. Everything is His. Nothing is ours. Exhibit A: - the person who is in a casket at his/her funeral.
• Believe this: Our God is a generous God. He gives and gives BIG when we are not looking, forgot we were even looking and thinking about it. You see, God loves us and blesses us, especially when we don’t deserve a raisin or a fig newton.  As the old Glen Campbell song goes “if you see your brother standing by the road, with a heavy load, from the things he sowed…..Try a little kindness”. Always be prepared to give someone either a cold cup of water for their thirst, or a few dollars- IF THE SPIRIT LEADS – to buy themselves a sandwich.  If you can buy them a meal; or give them your brand new leather jacket or your hat or something which the Lord leads, never hold on to it! Ask the Lord to release your hold on these things and immediately give them away. Be generous and kind.

These things may seem very simple and sound like they do not even belong in a series on Holiness. However, they do.  A completely Biblical outlook and thus, lifestyle, according to the Word of God, frees up the Christian to grow exponentially in the Ways of the Lord.  Once we get the correct view- God's view - on the role of finances in our daily Christian Walk, we have then removed one of the biggest weapons which sin, the flesh and the devil can use to stunt the maturity of the believer. Glory to His Name. 

LIFE LESSONS FROM MOSES AT THE ROCK

The words "self-control" or "self-discipline" are mentioned many times throughout the Bible....and for good reason. They are actually put there for our own benefit, as we see from this very important lesson from the Life of Moses. This account, which occurred during the Exodus and is mentioned more than once in the rest of the Bible, speaks to a human emotion which, if we are not careful, can literally destroy us.

In Numbers Chapter 20, in the Torah (first five books of the Bible), we see almost two million Israelites in major distress in the barren desert. There was no food or water for miles and miles.  They are almost to the end of the forty years of wandering in the desert for not just disobedience against God, but complete rebellion. A trip that took between 2-6 weeks from Egypt to Canaan became 40 long years for a reason. 

The millions of Israelites had not only had it with the incredible God Who had fed them from the heavens with manna, brought water once before from a rock, parted the Red Sea and more, but they had it with Moses as well. Moses was at the end of his wits and went into the Tabernacle to meet with God, face to Face as he always did. They were wrong, of course, but that never stops those who lack Faith, when it is needed the most. A worried and stressed out Moses did what He always did in these times - he ran to seek the Lord.

Here are the instructions which God gave Moses, when the latter desperately sought His help: 
"Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink." (Numbers 20:8)

Here is what Moses actually said and did, as he returned to the multitudes: 
"...and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?”  Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. (Numbers 20:10-11)

Here are the results of Moses' words and actions: 
"But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” "(Numbers 20:12)

Here are the facts as culled from these four verses above:
Number 1: Moses (and Aaron) were so overwhelmed by the giant of a problem they faced, that seeking an audience with God was the only answer. 

Number 2: God had the answer to the dilemma, as He always does, and gave Moses extremely clear instructions on how to get water to his people below.

Number 3: Moses was so filled with rage, while it is very understandable on a certain level, that he let his anger and temper overrule his usual sense of obedience to God and he acted irrationally. 

Number 4: By the aforementioned irrational act and momentary lack of righteous judgment, the Lord shortened Moses' physical life and did not allow him to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

What can we learn from this? There are some huge life lessons.

Lesson 1: There is nothing wrong with becoming very upset at a situation which seems virtually impossible to overcome.  It is one thing for we, flawed humans as we are, to find ourselves in difficult temporary fixes (financially, health-wise or otherwise). It is a whole other thing to thought to be responsible for everyone else.

How does one face these insurmountable odds which Moses faced, in order to look after the literal physical survival of two million plus people? He did the right thing- he ran to the Lord. We too, must go to God. We must NOT only go to the Lord in prayer and supplication as Moses did, but we go HUMBLY and flat on our faces! By doing this, we are acknowledging our complete inability to do anything except recognize the hopelessness of our own weaknesses.

LESSON 2: When we approach the Lord, in all humility in our utter helplessness, and we surrender all to Him, He will answer. When the Lord responds with specifics, it is to our benefit to take note of EVERYTHING He said to do - not just in the letter of His command, but in the spirit of it.

Sometimes the Lord will respond directly to us, that He is in control and has our massive problems in His capable Hands. Sometimes He will respond by sending help via others. Sometimes He will deal directly with the giants in our lives, Himself. Our part in this relationship, is to be constantly looking for His divine Hand in our lives, with the expectant Faith that He can and sometimes, will do, exceedingly above and beyond what He said He would/could do.

LESSON 3: Remember it is NOT about us. The fatal mistake which Moses made was equating Himself with God. Look at his statement again, just before he STRUCK the rock, instead of SPEAKING to it as the Lord instructed. Moses said "“Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Who is this "we" of which Moses spoke? He was not speaking of he (Moses) and God.  Moses stood in front of the multitude of people and made it look as if he and Aaron were the ones who were supplying the much needed water! He completely ignored what God told him to say and temporarily forgot Who sent him, Who he represented and Who gave the water, to begin with.

Moses enjoyed an access with the Lord, which only the disciples and the Apostle Paul could boast of, as we read in the New Testament. Therefore, he, most of all,  would be held more accountable than those to whom he spoke. The Bible mentions that to whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48).  Then James 3:1 tells us "let not many of you (us) become teachers (pastors, leaders etc.)...knowing that we will incur a stricter judgment".

We Christians, of all people, should be very careful that we do not allow our close relationship with God, through Christ, to allow us to let our guard down and sin. We will be held to account! Attributing words which God did not say as being from Him (as in "God told me to.....fill in the blanks") is just completely ignoring His direct command and to make it look as if we have the power to some miraculous event.  When we do this, we not just dishonor the Father, but usurp His Glory, and thus commit a form of idolatry, by bringing attention to ourselves as the "source of some divine power". This serious error is deadly, as Moses discovered.  Let us all learn from to not do likewise. Let us exercise more self-control and discipline ourselves to be aware, at all times, of our surroundings and especially, of God's expectations of us, His people.

TOWARDS HOLINESS, PART 5: EXAMINE, TRY, TEST-> REFINED

1    Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2    Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart (Psalm 26:1-7 NASB).
The Christian life today is no picnic. Sin, the flesh and temptation are everywhere. There is also a daily piling on of bad news. Each day brings a new horror of the "people of the Book (the Bible)" as some call our brethren in distant lands, are routinely persecuted, martyred and more. The Easter Sunday 2019 church destruction by terrorists, while Christians were gathered for worship in Sri Lanka, stunned the world as over 400 perished. Churches are still closed, weeks after this horrible event.

Yet, with all of this, we are not only expected to persevere in tribulation, but just like King David, who wrote most of the Psalms, we must shine. We shine above the fray, muck and dirty clay of the day through our constant repentance and drawing near. This is the essence of Holiness. The word, Holiness itself means to be set apart. The spirit of the word implies not just being absolutely 

This means that we do not participate in outings and after work drinks at bars with co-workers; share their R or X rated movies; laugh at their dirty jokes; read their books; engage in "Christian yoga" or agree with them that any other "faith" system is even comparable to the Incomparable Majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to be so much above reproach that we can appeal to God as David did, above, in the first two verses of Psalm 26, as he called out the Yahweh.

THEMES:

Psalm 26:1a "Vindicate me"
Holiness in the Eyes of the Lord can only be attained to, if a person is made right before God. This means only born-again, Bible-believing Christians can pursue Holiness, without which we cannot see God. This is the premise underlying everything which follows here and in the rest of this discussion. The cry for “vindication” here, therefore, is one of an appeal to the Righteous Judge of Heaven – the Lord Jesus Christ.

Vindication is not just “cleared” in the worldly sense, but it is the Lord continuing to execute judgment by defending us, even when we cannot see it, earn it, deserve it and more! In this process, God, our Father, has done His part.  He is not only actively defending us (gleaned from the original Hebrew language) but if we stay close, plugged-in, tuned-in, by His side and daily in worship and repentance, He will also ensure that the world sees a man or woman of integrity, honor and decency. 

As He has done His part, so must we. The last part of verse one needs no explanation. It underlines our solid commitment to Christ, with no compromise ANYWHERE :“I have trusted in the Lord, without wavering  (Psalm 26:1b)

Psalm 26:2  "Examine me...try me.....test me"
This verse has a trio of commands which we had better be prepared to stand in scrutiny for, if we are to move to and live in Holiness! Let us look for a moment at the active, present tense verbs here: Examine, Try, Test. Taken individually, it requires much attention paid to the and against the human propensity to sin. Even good Christians sin, miss the mark at times, either actively or passively.  So when we invite God to examine, try and test, we had better be prepared for some, even, fiery, refining!

EXAMINE: this is exactly what it sounds like. God can “weigh us in the scales”, of righteousness and holiness,  and we can either be found wanting or not. Further action is optional. 

TRY: However, when we ask the Lord to “try”, this literally means “Lord, put me to the test. I can handle it”.  This is a very dangerous thing. If this is not prayed to Abba Father in all humility, and we pridefully think we are already “there” and “God will be really happy with me”. Please reconsider. Personal experience points elsewhere. We should only have to learn this lesson once, reset and approach the Lord, in the correct manner, the second time around.

To ensure that our bodies, minds and souls are even ready to be put to the test, let us resolved to not just pray daily, but to commit ourselves to a lifestyle compatible with Scripture to the point of a day or so, of prayer and fasting to evaluate our personal walk. There is nothing complicated about any of this. Yet, because the process of Holiness in the Lord is easily comprehended, it still remains hard work. It is most definitely rewarding, and yes, and all faculties must be in agreement to be engaged 24/7.

To compound this bold statement of “Lord, weigh me in the scales (Examine) and put me to the test (try), but now the Psalm says “test my mind and my heart”!

TEST: The word for test here, in the original bible language, connotes “refining”.  Whether it is crude oil or a diamond straight out of the mines of South African, refining is a very intense deal. Think of the refining process for gold. When gold is mined from the ground, it contains all kinds of impure stuff. These include metals mixed into the gold such as zinc, copper and iron. In a furnace of up to 1950 degrees Fahrenheit, the gold is smelted by using borax and soda ash to the now melted gold, thereby separating the pure gold from the less precious metals like copper etc.

In addition, one of the meanings of the bible word for “test” – Tsaraph – is smelt (as mentioned in the paragraph above). Smelting is not some small fishing here. It is the direct application of heat to ore (silver, iron, copper etc) in order to extract metals from that particular ore in this case - gold.  Fire and heat brings out the precious metal sought, from the raw materials. The Lord cleansing, purifying, molding and making us in His Image is the only way He can make us more like Him.

There is a reason He said the following in Romans 12:2..."do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect"

Holiness is a process as we have just seen. Salvation and conversion can occur in the twinkling of an eye, but sanctification in the ways of the Lord takes a lifetime.

Holiness is a commitment otherwise we would not be able to survive the examining, trying and testing it requires when the Lord begins to make us whole and clean.

Holiness is the call of the Christian. Let us therefore resolve to persevere and prevail, through constant prayer and the washing of the Word (reading the Bible more than once daily, when possible). Let us then meditate on the following prophetic passage from Malachi 3, verses 2 and 3:
"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness".

Credit: "How Things Work" - https://science.howstuffworks.com/gold5.htm
Bible Used in all blogs in recent years: New American Standard Bible
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."
Bible Gateway Website

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS 2019

TOWARDS HOLINESS, PART 4: PRAYER POWERS PROCLAMATION

Whether one is a pastor, public speaker or professional "life-coach", there is one common denominator. The principle is this - no preparation, no power.

Not being a full time pastor, but a bi-vocational ministry leader for a couple decades now in area-wide men's ministry in Central Illinois, affords increasing opportunity to share the message of the Kingdom, in various venues (including secular ones).

Recently, the privilege to speak at my first Good Friday service was such a time. It demanded a level of preparation and prayer which has led me far into a place, I have never previously been. In reflection, it should have been the first stop. I was asked to speak on Statements 3 and 4 of the Seven Final Statements, which Christ delivered from the Cross. He made those statements just minutes before He paid the ultimate price for all sin, of all mankind, for all time.

For weeks, I struggled with how to present Statement 3 from the Cross, which can be found in John 19:26b-27: "“Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” That is, until days before I was to speak, I cried to Jesus and asked Him "Lord, these are Your Words....how do I present them at this service?"

As I sat outside the church in my car, half hour before the noon service, in tears, the enormity of what had occurred during Holy Week, how I got there and what it took was just too overwhelming. Operating within the confines of the Word and the Holy Spirit is not only empowering, but liberating at the same time. In essence, it drives us to even more distance between us and the foolishness of this current world. In practice, it moves us towards Holiness.

Several lessons were taught to me which can be universal, if observed by anyone who is called to inspire, encourage and/or move others to action in service of the Kingdom of God. In short, here they are:
     -  Jesus has all the answers! We may think that we are wise. We are nothing outside of Christ. It does not matter if you are "Reverend Dr. So and So", or a seminary dropout like me - without His Knowledge and Power, we can DO NOTHING!

     -  Humility is key. You can read all the Hebrew and Greek and google Bible passages on every topic under the sun. Until we realize that we are like the disciple in John 19:27 who was "volun-told" by Jesus "Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.", we are operating in pride.

    -  Put your own agenda to the side. One of the greatest speakers in America in 1863 was the former Secretary of State Edward Everett. On November 19, 1863, on the National Cemetery Dedication at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He spoke for 2 hours at this event. The very next speaker spoke for only 2 minutes.  That final speaker was President Abraham Lincoln, whose two-minute "Gettysburg Address" remains one of the greatest speeches in history.  We, who speak in the Name of Jesus, from the Bible, represent the King. We are commissioned, from Scripture, as His Ambassadors. We are not here to promote ourselves, our products or our performances. We are to proclaim the Savior and love His people, by encouraging them. Strangely, this sounds like the Two Greatest Commandments!

     -  Listen, then follow directions. The Holy Spirit is not just the Power of God living in the lives of authentic born-again disciples of Christ. He is God. When He speaks, we should listen. We all have ignored the prompting of the Spirit's leading too many times to count. When we do listen, however, the results are incredible. The key to listening is all of the above: Jesus, humility and putting Him first. All three items above reduce our tendency to operate in the flesh, to even sin and to remove obstacles which prevent the Spirit's free flow in us. When we ask a question in Prayer, He will respond 100% of the time. Then when we pay attention AND DO what He says, the fruit is immediately obvious. 

It is really this clear-cut. The simplicity and beauty of the Lord and the Kingdom, to which where ordinary men and women are fortunate to be blessed to be called, are not to be dismissed. This brief discourse may seem elementary and ho-hum or even trivial to the over-educated or the weak and non-believing, but yet, it remains the internal combustion which ignites great men of great power and preaching like D.L. Moody, Billy Graham, Luis Palau and Greg Laurie to lead countless millions in total, over a lifetime.

Do not neglect the basic road map to the exciting life in His Kingdom. This road map will surely direct our journey towards the life powered by prayer, to a place called "the realm of Holiness". Many will seek, few will find. Those who are wise, will shine.

EMPOWERED - A BOOK REVIEW

EMPOWERED - WHY WE NEED SPIRIT-FILLED CHURCHES, by Dr. Kie Bowman, Senior Pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church (and the QUARRIES) of Austin, Texas is the best primer on the Holy Spirit, that I can remember reading. It comes in at 135 pages and I was able to read it through in just one night, it is such an interesting book.

Dr. Bowman does as masterful job in weaving a narrative direct from Scripture, in full context, while keeping the reader engaged through both some little known historical facts, as well as some personal humorous anecdotes.  Without giving away anything, all I can say is I have, myself, forgotten to put in a blank video tape in my camcorder one time, when I went to record one of my daughter's ballet dance recitals! Fortunately, there was a professional crew there too, and I was able to buy a copy. There I was recording all the angles, only to get home and find out I had not tape in the camcorder!

EMPOWERED will empower the Christian man or woman, of any stage of spiritual maturity, to be lifted to the next plateau of intimacy with the Savior, if we can just grasp the historical background of the Holy Spirit and how we can truly come into an effective prayer life, which will then enable that graduation to a higher plane. 

There are both practical steps, sometimes paralleled by the examples of the Early Church and how they prayed in tougher circumstances, than we experience today. Yet their ground-shaking prayer and evangelistic intercession led to a divine movement with over a billion Christians worldwide today. How did those early saints do it? They were filled with the Holy Spirit, remained "topped-off" and exploded from a sect in Jerusalem to take the world by storm.

Get your copy of EMPOWERED by Pastor Bowman, here. It is a great gift for the Resurrection Week ahead!

EMPOWERED is published by AUXANO PRESS.
Foreword by Dr. Ronnie Floyd, President of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and the National Day of Prayer Task Force. 

DEFINITIVE DOCUMENT TO IGNITE FAITH THAT INSPIRES

It is indeed an honor to announce the release of my new book – ONE ONE NINE – albeit almost three months behind schedule.  This book has been an absolute joy to write. It is designed to be, not just a fast read, but one flowing document on great faith, enthusiastic faith, joyful faith and solid bible-based Faith.

CLICK HERE FOR ONE ONE NINE PURCHASE OPTIONS

ONE ONE NINE’s platform for 90% of this book is its dynamic 21^st century look at the longest chapter in the Bible – Psalm 119!  This is NOT a seminary book on the theology of the Psalms but a literal look at what God says and how it applies to our lives, almost 3000 years after His Spirit inspired King David to write it. Also, please do not let the physical length of the Psalm intimidate. On the contrary, this Psalm is an ongoing love letter to the Lord, for Who He is and what His Word, Precepts and Counsel should, would and could mean to each and everyone of us.

All twenty two sections of Psalm 119’s one hundred and seventy verses are kept the way which the Bible presents them. However they are examined in twenty two short fast moving modules  (or very short chapters) which take a deeper look at what God wants us to know, and what it means to us. God is a God of order and discipline. This book stays true to this fact and everything ever written on this site or in my books, will always reflect our Heavenly Father's unchanging attribute.

This examination of Psalm 119 actually begins in Chapter 5 because I thought it necessary to present an easily understandable look at the true definition of Faith. This is done in Chapters 2-4. This leaves us with Chapter 1 – The Signature of God.

Most Bible readers and most defitnitely, the vast majority of Christians, do not know that the Lord Himself left His Signature in the Scriptures, right from the Beginning in the Book of Genesis.  His “signature” is signified by the two well places letters –  אֵ֥ת (Aleph Tav) – in Genesis 1:1 and elsewhere which when translated into English, via the Greek Language, is the Name which Jesus called Himself – The Alpha and the Omega (or the Beginning and the End).  The various placement of these letters in the Old Testament leaves them untranslatable because they are only there for indentification purposes

My purpose for starting the book off with the Signature of God is to present the Author of the Bible and thus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith.  This sets the springboard from which our Faith definitions plunge directly into THE most incredible Biblical work outside of the Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A lot of this work actually began when I prayed through every verse of this incredible psalm – twice – over a total of 5 months. The more you pray the Scriptures, the more alive they become. So is it with Psalm 119, and each of its eight-verse per – sections, all headed by every twenty two letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. 

May this book, a celebration of Faith in the Lord, through Jesus Christ, lead the reader into a closer relationship with Him. Amen

ONE ONE NINE CAN BE PURCHASED HERE (CLICK)

UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, PART 3 - PASSION FOR THE MISSION

What are your motives for ministry? A good friend of mine was telling me recently how he went from unsaved skeptic to fired up leader for Jesus Christ, being now, on a variety of media just going full bore with the Gospel of Life. When he was in college, a well-known fire and brimstone evangelist at the time visited the church, to which my friend was invited. 

At this time, my good brother was close to giving his life to Christ, but if he was not at the very door of salvation, he would have walked away from the Church. This preacher proceed to hit him over the head with the Bible, telling him he would be going to hell now, if he didn't say "the Prayer". Obviously, if the preacher's tactics had worked, he would have a good story to tell at this next stop, to make HIMSELF look good to the people listening.

This is absolutely not biblical and wrong way for the surrendered Christian to evangelize and make disciples. Unconditional Surrender to the Will and Ways of God extend even to this aspect of our lives. When Christ rescued us from the pit and brings us into the right relationship with the King of Heaven, we want to tell someone....or a whole bunch of people. However we have to do according to Biblical principles, to be an effective witness for the Gospel, which would be pleasing to the Lord. Pride is an abomination to Him.

This is how the Lord teaches, through Paul. This is how it works, remembering at all times, to be mindful to Whom we belong and to WHOM we owe everything. Before reading this passage, please pray for the Lord to open our minds, give us wisdom and then give someone to whom to share the Gospel. 

1 Thessalonians 1:3-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB):

3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

As we pray and commit current and future opportunities to witness to others for Jesus Christ, not the following methods God's Agent of Change the Apostle Paul used:

  -  In verse #3 always be aware of your surroundings and the people to whom we are ministering, or potentially reaching. Take nothing for granted. What worked in one place, may not work in another. Then pray this opportunity up to the Lord, give it to Him, and then go do the work in Love. 

 -  Reread verses 3 and 4 above and it will become evident to us, that the Power and Presence of God MUST be in present in our evangelistic opportunity for conviction of sin and turning to Christ to be the result. 

  -  Be not like that self-absorbed evangelist I mentioned at the beginning of this post who was just trying to get another notch in his belt. Be like the sold-out apostle of Christ here - Paul - who bore his burden for the people of God, with love.

  -  As we surrender the opportunity before us, into the Hands of the Holy Spirit of God, any pushback we get (and we may most likely get more pushback in the beginning, than a welcome sign). Verse 6 talks about tribulation. This world hates us, hates our Faith and are enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ. There will be more obstacles than welcome signs. But remember, this is not about us, but the One Who has rescued us. At the same time, be aware of the joy of being counted as one who is worthy to be persecuted for Jesus, just as all twelve of Jesus' real disciples were.

Wisdom, Godly wisdom, is allowing God to do His Work, through the Holy Spirit and His Word, rather than us attempting things in our own power, for our own satisfaction. Trust God with our evangelistic opportunities and watch Him work, for His own glory. This is the only pathway to pure Godly passion for the mission.

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AUTHENTIC BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP NOT ALWAYS A GIVEN

The discipline of God is not a thing to be taken lightly. On a personal level,  His Elect – those who are saved and bound for Heaven – are saved, yes. However we are also to be tested and tried to be molded into the Image of Christ. Trials and tests take many forms. Just like a carbon coal-like substance is mined, and then pressed down into a diamond, the child of God must be pruned, molded and shaped into Christ-likeness.

This is the discipline for the personal, spiritual life of the true believer.

However, did you know that the Lord also will discipline a group of people? He will do so, whether it is a church which has strayed and most definitely, entire nations!. The Lord said so. He did it. He did it many times. He is and will do it again.

Most of the countries of the world have abandoned the One True God of Heaven – Yahweh. It is blatantly obvious from the daily news accounts for decades. After the Protestant Reformation and its spread west, Europe turn from God.  England, which gave us the great Christians of the 1700’s and 1800’s is now mostly Islamic. The Father of Missions  was the Englishman William Carey. The Wesley brothers broke away from the legalism of the Church of England and brought the Grace of God to both the Old and New Worlds. The Prince of Preachers is the great Englishman Charles H. Spurgeon, who is still studied and quoted by both English and American Christians.

But something happened, both in the U.K.; Europe and North America. After the prosperity of the post-World War the men of God became creatures of comfort, especially here in the United States. Good living; wealth; the loosening of solid Biblical standards allowed that generation and subsequent ones (Baby Boomers, their children and Generations W, Y and Z) to grow up under diminishing leadership which standard was set by God.

The absence of fathers (good and bad) has destroyed all American cities along with ungodly social policies. Now in all strata of society, we see the dearth of the authentic manhood in the homes.  When this has happened in the past, God removes His Mighty Hands and here is what happens:

ISAIAH 3:1-12

1   For behold, the Lord [God of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah

Both [supply and support, the whole supply of bread

And the whole supply of water;

2   The mighty man and the warrior,

The judge and the prophet,

The diviner and the elder,

3   The captain of fifty and the honorable man,

The counselor and the expert artisan,

And the skillful enchanter.

4   And I will make mere lads their princes,

And capricious children will rule over them,

5   And the people will be oppressed,

Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;

The youth will storm against the elder

And the inferior against the honorable.

6   When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,

“You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler,

And these ruins will be under your charge,”

7   He will protest on that day, saying,

“I will not be your healer,

For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;

You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”

8   For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,

Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord,

To rebel against His glorious presence.

9   The expression of their faces bears witness against them,

And they display their sin like Sodom;

They do not even conceal it.

Woe to them!

For they have brought evil on themselves.

10   Say to the righteous that it will go well with them,

For they will eat the fruit of their actions.

11   Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him,

For what he deserves will be done to him.

12   O My people! Their oppressors are children,

And women rule over them.

O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray

And confuse the direction of your paths.

Why is this important in 2019 and beyond? It is significant because of the paucity of Biblical leadership in the home,  CHURCH, school, community, city, state and country.  It is blatantly flaunted by those who oppose God, via the corrupt culture, mass media, academia and in all levels of politics. Biblical leadership has been replaced by a confused, ungodly and dysfunctional "leadership" model, where the few real men of courage and Christ stick out like a sore thumb, and are called all kinds of unsavory names.

Still, though despised by the current culture of this perishing world, these authentic men - a remnant of God raise Godly families, follow the Word of God and remain in His grace and favor....and will continue to do so, until Christ returns.

Is there a solution for this? Yes – only when the Second Adam – the Lord Jesus Christ, returns on His White Horse in the soon-coming future and begins His 1000 Year reign on earth. Amen.