Author: rbeaird

WHEN THE SPIRIT SPEAKS EXPRESSLY – Time to Sit Up and Listen


Spiritual Blog - Spirit Speaks

1 Timothy 4:1-5 – “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”  NKJV

 

It is impossible to read this passage and not realize that this is not coming from an alarmist who walks the streets with a sign saying, “Repent the End is coming!”  It is coming from one of the chief apostles and is a statement from God EXPRESSLY or clearly, distinctly, emphatically, plainly and unambiguously.  This is not a “maybe” but a “definitely” concerning the conditions of the Last Days.

In light of our current world and national conditions, I believe it behooves us to consider what the apostle declares to his son in the faith.  If you will allow me I want to take this somewhat systematically and progressively.

  • This Is A Direct Word From God Through the Holy Spirit.

“Now the Spirit expressly says…”  That should attract our attention immediately.  If God is taking the time and exerting the effort to communicate something emphatically we should pay careful attention to what He is saying.

  • This Is A Description of Conditions In The Last Days.

“…in latter times…”  What happens in latter times?  What is the message or conditions we should take note of to help us identify our times and seasons?  Consider his list:

Some will depart from the faith.  I suggest it is difficult to depart from that which you have not had, or from a position or condition you have not attained.  What will they do?  They will give heed or accept “deceiving spirits” and embrace “doctrines of demons”.  It would take more time and space than I have to address those two statements but consider how much of the world and even those professing to be followers of Christ are embracing things, lifestyles, conditions, and attitudes the Bible calls “abominable.”  The move to be PC in the Church has the same potential to destroy as it does in our nation as a whole.

He continues that some or even many in the latter times will engage in “hypocrisy”, have their “conscience seared” thus showing no remorse or moral fiber.  The directive of “forbidding to marry” and “abstaining from certain foods” is in itself a worthwhile study.  Jesus taught the He was Lord of the Sabbath and the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.  Paul taught that all foods could be received with thanksgiving and prayer.  Therefore, these prohibitions are part of the “doctrines of demons” and falling prey to “deceiving spirits”.

When I consider the attitude of many regarding the destruction of the unborn, at will and the drive to embrace and accept any belief and practice offering alternative paths to salvation other than Jesus and His Sacrifice on the Cross, I see the Last Days.  We are seeing a perversion of the Gospel and even the refusal to preach the Cross in Churches.  I have heard some prominent well-known National Ministers state that there are many paths to God and included Islam and other religions as valid and viable alternatives to the Bible and the Message of the Gospels.  I find that repulsive and completely foreign to the clear words of Jesus, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”  (John 14:6). 

There is no alternate path and the apostatizing of the Gospel is, to me, a clear sign of the times in which we live.   God bless you and help you to maintain a steady course walking in the Light of His Word.   Blessings abundantly!

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IMITATORS OR IMITATIONS???


Spiritual Blog - Caution

Ephesians 5:1-2 – “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”  NKJV

 

The Greek word translated “imitators” or “followers” in verse is “mimetes” the root of the English word “mimic” meaning “one who imitates or emulates.”  It is said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and while that may be true in the natural, God desires no flattery but does desire us to pattern our lives after His revealed character.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul instructs his listeners to, “Imitate (follow) me, just as I also imitate (follow) Christ.”  He is not asking us to be “fake” or “fake it till we make it” but rather to pattern our lives after the character of Christ.  It is one thing to imitate and another to be an imitation.  It is one thing to pretend and mimic all the right words, right dress, right associations and quite another to pattern your life so that which is visible comes from that which is inside, Christ.

Through the years, I have had people ask me to mentor them and have been told they were following me.  I always caution, “Follow me, just as and only as I follow Christ.”  If what you see or hear, in my life is not consistent with the revealed word, heart, and character of Christ DO NOT FOLLOW.  When I was in Bible College there was a saying that all who attended SAGC in those days will remember, at least, a version of this.  I would hear, “If it is not Harrison it is heresy.  If it is not Jeter it is junk.  If it is not Moon it is malarkey.”  There were others but that illustrates what I’m trying to convey.  We said those things jokingly but it is something that all in positions of leadership must contend.  We want people to accept what we are presenting and to be able to follow us but never want them to become disciples of us but Disciples of Christ.

As a pastor and when traveling in itinerant ministry I frequently advise the congregations, “Do not take what I’m saying because I’m saying it as truth.  Examine the Holy record and if what I present aligns with the written word of God incorporate it into your life.  If it does not then please come to me with what you see and after we discuss it if you and/or I consider what I’ve said inaccurate we will discard it.”  Just because I say something or believe something does not mean it is the final truth for we are all progressing on this path and as we learn we adapt and a metamorphosis takes place.  We move from glory to glory, line upon line and precept upon precept.  It is both flattering and terrifying that people are willing and desirous to follow me.

I want to imitate Christ not be an imitation.  I want the Christ who lives in me to live his life through me and when the world sees me, they see Jesus in me.  I want my life to be as John the Baptist declared, “…a decrease of me and increase of Him.”  It has been said that we are the only Bible some will ever read and if that is accurate then what is the message they are receiving through our lives?  As a follower of Christ our conduct, character, integrity, presentation and presence should be that of the heart and nature of our LORD.   It is “Christ in us” that speaks volumes to those we come in contact.  I had a person say to me some years ago, “If we were on trial for being Christians would they find enough evidence to convict us?”  

Let us “walk in love” demonstrating and exhibiting the Love of Christ and thereby be imitators of our Lord Jesus.  I desire to be a follower or imitator, not an imitation.  God bless you as you embark on the journey through this day in Christ!

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THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT…


Spiritual Blog - Devil

Genesis 3:11-13 – “And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” 12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” 

13 And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”  The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”  NKJV

 

I find this account arresting, alarming and amusing for I have encountered the same kinds of excuses regarding behavior through the years.  I am unable to count the number of times I’ve had someone say as justification or excuse, “The devil made me do it.” 

I notice that when God came to Adam, the first in line for responsibility and Adam blamed God indirectly and Eve directly for his failure saying, “The woman whom You gave me…”  It’s your fault God because You gave me a flawed vessel as my companion.  I’m not responsible!  Then when God went to Eve she continued in the same vein but she could not blame Adam because she offered him the fruit.  She could not blame God directly so she took the path that humans have taken since that time blaming the Serpent or the devil.  In essence, she said, “The devil made me do it.”  God was buying none of it for His directive or command required obedience and choice and they had failed.  Adam could not blame Eve, Eve could not blame the serpent and none of them could blame God.

Does the devil tempt?  Of course, he does and is incredibly good at it.  James declared in 1:4, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires…”  Paul gives a list of the “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5 and that list does not include “the works of the devil”. It is our personal responsibility and in truth, the devil cannot MAKE us do anything UNLESS there is full demon possession.  You really do not want to make that your defense.

When I am angry, I have the choice to speak or act out or take control of my emotions and allow the Holy Spirit to bring a calmness to my heart and mind.  If I am tempted I have the choice to succumb to that temptation gratifying whatever desire or yearning it seeks to feed or satisfy or resist.

  • God Does Not Tempt – He Tests.

That is a clear message in the Bible and especially in the account of the Wilderness Temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4.  James tells us that when our faith is tested it produces perseverance or patience and enables us to weather the storms of life.

  • The Word Is Our Defense.

If we follow the pattern and example of Jesus and have invested ourselves in consuming the Word of God we can also say, “…it is written…” and ward off the assaults, uncover the lies, and thwart the temptation of the devil.  We are told to resist the devil and he will flee from us.  If he had the power to make us do things that would invalidate that truth.

It is a cop-out to say, “The devil made me do it.”  It is seeking to transfer the blame for our choices to someone or something else.  We are commanded to “resist temptation” and that is facilitated by having those you can turn to in times of temptation who will give you sound biblical advice.  Making prayer and Bible study a daily part of your life will give you the information to resist.  Surrendering your life totally and “seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” will open the door for the power of the Spirit of God to come and when you have done all to stand He enables you to stand.  No, the devil did not make you do it, you cooperated with him, took his suggestion and did it.  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!

          God bless you as you go through this day!

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IS GOD UNFAIR???


Spiritual Blog - Fearfully and Wonderfully

Psalm 139:14-16 – “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.  15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”  NKJV

 

Through the years I have encountered those who defend particular lifestyles and abhorrent character flaws, declaring that “God made them that way.”  My problem with that ideology is that, if true, makes God a horrible tyrant and not the God of Grace the Bible describes.  The Bible clearly reveals that God is Love and that He is also Holy and demands holiness from His children.  He does not wink at sin and holds people accountable for their actions.

I heard a politician says recently regarding homosexuality, “…they were born that way…”  This politician has also declared a strong commitment to the Christian faith.  I won’t name the politician for I would not be surprised if more of them feel the same but have not heard them say so and rather than making this political I leave the politician nameless.  My immediate question was and is, “If God made them that way, how can he then call the lifestyle an abomination?”  I would press it further and ask, “Is God to blame for sin?  Is God a sadist?”  How can a loving merciful God create someone with a genetic makeup that causes them to exhibit characteristics that He calls abominable?  If that is God, then I have a problem with God, and I do not.

This issue goes far beyond a particular sexual preference for if they are made this way it is not a preference but a normal execution of who they are.  Could this be applied to pedophilia or a host of other conditions or choices people make?  If this is how they are created then they are not responsible for their behavior, God is.  It cannot be viewed as sin if they are the way they are because of how God made them.

Jeremiah spoke as a messenger from God in 31:30, “…every one shall die for his own iniquity…”  I have heard the defense so often that I wonder if I should have chronicled them and published the protests of people seeking to justify their behavior and blame God.  Let me give you a few quick examples:

  • ANGER – – I have dealt with people who have an incredibly short fuse and when confronted they would often argue, “God made me this way. I just tell it like it is.”  Matthew 5:22 addresses that issue, “But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to the same judgment!  If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council.  And if you curse someone, you are in danger of hell fire.”  [NLT]  The Message Bible translates it, “I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder.”  The NKJV renders it, “…whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment.”

If God places uncontrolled or unbridled anger on the same level as murder, why would God create some people more susceptible to anger?  Genetics are a factor but so is one’s environment, upbringing, developed attitudes and ultimate choices.  That could be applied to many of our flaws and failures where discipline or lack thereof and choices play a major role.

  • PROMESQUITY – – I have had more than one tell me that their almost insatiable appetite for gratuitous sex was simply the way God made them and they could do nothing about it. So, you are violating the marriage covenant, participating in decadent behavior and living like an alley cat is God’s fault.  1 Corinthians 6:18, warns, “Flee from sexual immorality…”  Galatians 5:19-21 describes this as a “work of the flesh” and sin.  2 Timothy 2:22 issues the warning to “…flee youthful lust or passions and pursue righteousness…”  (Choice not Creation).  Romans 13:13, the apostle Paul issues the directive, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.”

God made us “fearfully” and “wonderfully”.  We are created in the Image and Likeness of God.  If God made us, as some argue, with the inability to be anything but what the Bible calls abominable and reveals as sinful, He is a diabolical sadistic terror and not the God the Bible describes.  How you view God is important and if you blame Him for your failures you create a God I could not serve.  God is Love and He is Holy.  He not only created me fearfully and wonderfully, He has made provision for me to live a life that is pleasing to Him and consistent with His word.  Another statement, I will address later is, “the Devil made me do it…”

         God bless you as you go through this day!

 

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TELL THEM WHO I AM – Part 2…


 

Exodus 3:13-16 – “Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'”  NKJV

  

In our last devotional we began looking at some things from Exodus Chapter Three which hopefully will help us to KNOW God more deeply not just KNOW ABOUT Him.  We covered two of the truths revealed.  He “IS”.  The existence and reality of God must be a cornerstone of our approach to spiritual life and life in general.  He “Sees”.  The reality that God SEES EVERYTHING must also be a foundational principle in our lives.  There is no place we can hide and nothing is done that is not observed by our creator.  Those can be troubling but should be comforting if the desire and pursuit of our life are Him first and foremost.  Now let’s consider a few more things that will help found in Exodus 3 and 4.

  • He HEARS – [v. 7] – – He is not an inanimate object nor an absentee landlord creating us and leaving us to flounder in our own messes.

Psalm 34:4 – “I sought the LORD, and He heard me…”

Psalm 34:15 – “… His ears are open to their (righteous) cry…”

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me, and I will answer you…”

John 14:3-14 – “…Ask anything in My Name, I will do it.”

1 John 5:14-15 – A powerful promise regarding prayer and God hearing our prayers.

He is the HEARING GOD!

  • He KNOWS – [v. 7] – – Your Plight has not escaped His notice.

Matthew 6:8 – He knows what you have need of BEFORE you even ask.

Psalm 139:4 – Even before there was a word on our tongues He KNOWS.

Psalm 139:1 – He has searched and know us at all times.

He KNOWS!  We can trust Him!  We must also realize that He acts in His perfect timing, not our determination of when something is required.

  • He Comes to DELIVER – [V. 8] – – This is a Covenant Promise. When we KNOW Him we know he never goes back on His Word or His Covenant.  He is the God who Delivers and does not have a Plan B.  He knows, sees, hears and delivers!
  • He SENDS FORTH – [v.10] – – Consider Moses: Before he received the call and God sent Him forth as the deliverer he spent 40 years training in Egypt and another 40 in the Wilderness.  God engineered the situation to get Moses out of Egypt and then the wilderness to get Egypt out of Moses.  In Acts 13:12 we see an example of God’s sending forth.  “Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them…”   Before the call came the preparation and then the Sending Forth.  God calls, develops, and then sends forth.
  • He is WITH those He send forth – [v. 12] – – He will never leave us nor forsake us.
  • He Desires WORSHIP – [v. 12]
  • He is ALL WE NEED when we NEED IT – [v. 14] – – “I AM Who I Am.”
  • He INSTRUCTS – [v. 15] – – As we learn the particulars of the Covenants we see a revelation of God and His character that should inspire, encourage, and embolden us in our walk and warfare.
  • He is ORDERLY – [v. 16] – – In the New Testament we see Jesus feeding the multitude at the end of the day. Someone suggested that had He performed this miracle earlier before He had taught them they would have been a mob and sat where they pleased but at the end of the day, He had them arranged in companies where orderly progression could transpire.  In His order, He unleashes and releases His Power.  I am totally convinced that following God’s Plan is a catalyst to releasing His Power and Provisions.
  • He PROSPERS – [v. 21] – – Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke, “It is My Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” We learn that God is laying up the wealth of the wicked for the just and John prayed that we “prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers.”  Prosperity begins on the inside.
  • He Uses WHAT WE HAVE – [4:2] – – God is able to do mighty things through that which we have providing we do not reach a place that we think we have it and cease our total dependence upon Him.
  • He is the God of MIRACLES – [4:6-9]

As we develop a relationship with God where we KNOW Him we find something interesting in those God chooses to use and it reveals the heart of the Father.

 

Moses – Empty of Self.  He kept making excuses why he was not qualified.  David – Was not looking for the Job or assignment as King but was a hardworking humble shepherd.  Joshua – Willingly followed the lead of Moses as a faithful servant providing service, assistance and aide.

It is when we lose our “self-sufficiency” that we move into His sufficiency.  It is when we decrease He increases.  It is when we empty out of self we find room to be filled with Him.  God is not seeking those who are “self-seeking” but for those who will “seek first Him and His Kingdom.”

Who is He?  He is the Covenant making and Covenant keeping Creator of All Things!  This God is the God who CAN, who DOES, and who WILL.    May he empower and encourage you as you venture into His wonderful world this day!  Blessings!

 

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TELL THEM WHO I AM…


 

Exodus 3:13-16 – “Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'”  NKJV

 

In 1989, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart that my message to the Church and the World was, “Tell Them Who I Am.”  That echoed in my head and heart for weeks and has now echoed for years.  When I first heard this I thought, but that’s what I’ve been doing but felt the urging of the Holy Spirit that I was to consider and reconsider what I had and was saying.  I knew, after prayer, that He was telling me that the desire of the Father was that we KNOW Him not just KNOW ABOUT Him.  He was not interested in our knowledge but our hearts.  He was desirous of a continuing relationship based on both head and heart.  I sensed the LORD saying to me, “When My people KNOW ME, fear will be banished.  When My people KNOW ME they will be able to Trust My Provision, Love, and Timing.  When My people KNOW ME they will be able to exercise the Victory of Calvary, establish My Covenant, set the captives free and walk in the Abundant Life I gave and give.”

             It was then, in a much deeper way, that I realized that God’s motivation was LOVE!  I could see that demonstrated throughout His Covenant(s).  I saw, in an expanded way, the Lovingkindness (HESED) of God.  I saw His faithful love in action.  I saw his Unconditional Love (AGAPE) in a more powerful manner.  Tragically, we think in human terms and when God seeks to elevate us above the natural into the eternal (spiritual) we frequently fail to make the leap.  As I prayed and mused on what I was sensing in my heart I saw the “Binding Love” of God in His Covenant(s).  God has bound Himself in Love to us so that we can become ONE with Him.  It is through His LOVE demonstrated in His Covenant(s) that we see the TOTAL COMMITMENT of God to us.  That turned my world and thinking upside down.  Some will say, “But I’ve always seen that.”  I thought I had too, but it did something inside that I find difficult to explain and created a longing for more and more of Him than I had ever experienced.

In Exodus Chapter Three we find a number of things about God in His dealing with Moses that can and hopefully will help us to KNOW HIM and more deeply relate to Him on a personal level.

  • HE IS – [v. 6] – – He is not “A” god but “THE” God. The Bible offers crystal clarity that we MUST believe that He is.  If we do not believe He is we have no basis of faith and no common ground for developing a meaningful relationship.  Everything begins with God and from that beginning we find His Covenant, through which comes His Provisions and we are transformed.
  • HE SEES – [v.7] – – EVERYTHING. The Bible reveals that His eyes run to and from through the entire Earth to show Himself strong.

Psalm 34:15 – “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous…”

Psalm 33:18 – “Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him…”

Job 36:7 – “He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous…”

Psalm 139:12 – “…darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

 NOTHING escapes His notice!  He is the ALL SEEING GOD!  He is Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent Creator of all living!

I apologize that I only touched on the surface and have much more I’d like to share prayerfully and will continue in the next post on “Tell Them Who I Am.”   Until then, may the LORD bless and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, be gracious unto you, and give you peace.   Have a fantastic day in Him!  Blessings Abundantly!

 

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INCOMPREHENSIBLE…


Spiritual Blog - Incomprehensible

Romans 11:33-36 – “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the LORD?  Or who has become His counselor?”  35 ‘Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”  NKJV

 

The incomprehensibility of God has caused some to be unwilling to embrace His reality and existence.  They want an ordered detailed explanation for everything and yet they will accept theories of Science and Evolution as realities when yet unproven.  I find that incomprehensible.  When I look at any human being, the creatures on earth, the atmosphere around our planet, and the order of the Universe I find it IMPOSSIBLE to believe it just happened.  I cannot explain the eternality of God and the devil has attempted to shipwreck my faith more than once on that front but then I consider my own body and my world and find it IMPOSSIBLE to believe anything but Divine Creation.

I can relate to the speaker’s declaration that, “It is incomprehensible to believe in the existence of God, but I find it even more incomprehensible to not believe in His existence.”  I may not be able to explain everything with proofs most require but I have experienced Salvation and know the transformation of my own life.  I have experienced divine healing in my physical body.  I have witnessed lives completely transformed and a person who could only be described as a reprobate transformed into a wholesome, godly, honest, and dependable person.  I heard a medical doctor say that before Medical School he was an atheist.  He said that in Medical School he found so many unexplainable things about the human body he became a guarded skeptic.  He said that after a few years performing delicate surgeries and seeing what he saw in the human body and how things interrelated he determined it was IMPOSSIBLE for that to have just happened or evolved and the design he witnessed demanded the existence of a designer.  He became a believer and has lived with a settled faith for decades.

I make no attempt to make the INCOMPREHENSIBLE simple and comprehensible for that would take an intellect and experience greater than I possess.  I know that I was once lost in sin and on that faithful night at my sister’s home at the kitchen table all alone in Palestine, Texas the Lord Jesus forgave me of my sins and transformed my life.  I was changed and things happened in me and in my life that I cannot explain but know they are real.  I recently read that a man who has translated 17 books of the Bible for the Vatican has declared that the language of Genesis where the “Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters” is Starship and the “let us make man in our image” the Elohim refers to DNA cut from the Elohim.  He was arguing that we exist because of an experiment by extraterrestrial visitors from outer space.  You may believe that if you choose but I believe, “In the beginning God…”  I believe John 3:16 and fully believe that I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the Image and Likeness of the Eternal God and that Jesus, the Son of  God who came, died, rose again and has now ascended to heaven is or has made preparation for me to spend eternity with Him in heaven.  It may be Incomprehensible to the human mind and reason but it is Incomprehensible to my heart and spirit to not believe in the existence of God.

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day!

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VALENTINE’S DAY…


Spiritual Blog - Valentine

Song of Solomon 8:7 – “Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it.”  NKJV

 

Today, millions all over the world celebrate this holiday, a day that focuses on Romantic Love.  The Bible is not silent on the matter of romantic love and the power of all kinds of love.  Romantic love will and has literally driven some mad and will cause people to do things they would never have thought possible to please the object of their affection.

I realize that Valentine’s Day was not originally a Christian Holiday and although its origin is associated with Saint Valentine its roots are largely rooted in the Greco-Roman pagan fertility festivals and a medieval notion that birds paired off to mate on February 14th each year.  The tradition of exchanging cards, candy or other tokens probably originated in England and France during the 14th and 15th centuries but became incredibly popular in the United States in the 20th century.  Whether you participate in this holiday and the traditions of Valentine’s Day is up to you and a decision you must make based on your personal convictions.

However, on this occasion when so much focus is on love and especially romantic love I want to address the power of LOVE.  Jesus said that the greatest demonstration of love was to lay down one’s life for their friends. (John 15:13)  Paul addressed Love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, saying, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” NIV.  He goes on to say in verses 4-8, “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails…”  NIV

Paul addressed marital love in Ephesians 5 telling the husbands to demonstrate the same love toward the wife as Christ does for His church.  It is to be a love that is exemplified in 1 Corinthians 13 and Proverbs 31.  We are advised or commanded in Colossians 3:14 to “put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”  Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”  Then in John 3:16 we have the picture of perfect and ultimate love.  In 1 John 3:16 we read, “This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (NIV)  In 1 John 4:18 we are told of the power of love, “There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (NIV)

So on this day in which millions focus on love and celebrate love and all its qualities and benefits I encourage you to turn your heart first to the LORD, then to that one God has given you, then to your children, your family, and your friends.  Let us demonstrate the Love of God to all men.

Blessings as you celebrate this beautiful day in Christ our Lord!

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DOES JESUS CHOOSE SIDES???


Spiritual Blog - Question

Luke 11:37-44 – “And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 

39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  41 But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”  NKJV

 

Yes, Jesus does choose sides!  I love this story which depicts how our LORD views pomp, ceremony, and outward show.  It reveals how Jesus views our man-made traditions that are not consistent with the Heart and Spirit of His Word.  The Pharisee, not unlike many even in our modern times, was all about appearance.  His focus was dotting all the ceremonial I’s and crossing the T’s religiously and doctrinally.  He was far more interested in the visible than the invisible; the outward rather than the heart.

When Jesus accepted his invitation to break bread with him he was shocked that Jesus did not participate in the ceremonial washing before eating.  Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach spiritual truth regarding the difference between the external (visible or ceremonial) and the internal (heart).  He addressed the fact that putting on a show, giving the appearance of righteousness, spiritual correctness, and piety, while the inside was full of wickedness and sin, was WRONG.  Jesus did not, at that point, call him a hypocrite but addressed the incorrectness of his views and actions.

Jesus continued by addressing the religious correctness and outward show of tithing on EVERYTHING but failing with regard to justice, doing the right thing out of love for God.  He did not say he was wrong for doing the things he did with regard to giving saying, “These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”  He addressed the public show and taking the most visible position and then called him a hypocrite.

Which side does Jesus choose?  The INSIDE!  He chooses the inside (heart) rather than the outside and if we remember in 1 Samuel 16:7, the LORD spoke to Samuel saying, “Do not look at his appearance, because I have refused him.  For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  Oh, how guilty we are!  We are often impressed with the visible rather than the heart.  We are impressed with the oratorical ability, the fine dress, the fancy car, the accumulation of wealth, the size of the congregation but too often fail to take note of the condition of the heart.

You can look like you are a devout believer.  You can look charitable.  You can look successful and may well be by man’s standards, but if in our hearts we are full of dead men’s bones we come short of God’s Glory.  Jesus is looking for hearts that are pure before Him and when He finds such hearts He will develop hands that heal, help and lift up.  Which side does Jesus choose?  He always chooses the INSIDE!

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

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THE KEY – Where Is Your Focus???


Spiritual Blog - Focus

Matthew 14:22-33 – “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”  NKJV

 

I can only imagine how the disciples felt and what was going on in their minds when they were in the middle of the lake, without their leader and turbulence arose and they feared for their lives.  According to Jewish and Roman calculations, there were four watches in the night.  The first began at 6 PM, the second at 9 PM, the third at Midnight, and the fourth at 3 AM.   It was in the wee hours of the morning that they disciples were in troubled waters and saw what they considered an apparition or omen of their impending death.  What they saw was not a ghost or vision but Jesus literally “walking on the water” and He called out to them, “…Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid.”  I have no doubt that Peter’s response was rooted in his fear, question and doubt about what they were seeing and experiencing.  He said, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 

Jesus bade Him, “Come.”  Peter had two options at that point, he could stay in the boat with his fear, doubt and questions or get out of what little comfort zone the boat provided and do the impossible and unthinkable.  If this was, in fact, an apparition and he moved from the boat to the boisterous water he would drown.  However, if this was, in fact, Jesus he would not only witness a miracle but be a part of it.  Peter opted to get out of the boat and turned his focus to Jesus and as he stepped out of the boat the water, under his feet, was firm enough for him to stand.  It was still water but had no effect on him.  He began walking toward Jesus.  Had the story ended there we would be rejoicing but it did not.

As Peter’s focus shifted from Jesus to what was happening around him, nature took over and gravity began to pull his body into the sea.  It was at that moment, Peter cried out in desperation, “Lord, save me!”  He allowed his circumstances to shift his focus and fear gripped his heart, subverting his faith.  If we are going to “walk on water” figuratively in the spirit realm we cannot allow circumstances to draw our focus away from God and His Promises.  If we do, we will sink.  If we are going to operate in the world of the supernatural and enforce the victory of Calvary we cannot allow our focus to shift from Jesus.  It is Christ in us, the hope of Glory.  In Him, we live and move and have our being.

God bless you as you get out of your boat and walk on the waters of life.  Blessings!

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