WANTED – – Truth Tellers…


Spiritual Blog - Truth

Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.” NASU

 

I won’t get political or go on an all-out attack on religious hypocrisy but will say that what we need in this present world is men and women of THE TRUTH.  Paul tells the Ephesian Church that they are to “lay aside” FALSEHOOD and “speak the truth.”  He reminds them and us that we are not isolated from each other but as members of both the human race and the family of God we are part of the same fabric and while we sometimes are guilty of lying to ourselves or distorting reality in our minds we do not practice that regularly, at least I hope we do not.

My grandfather and father always told me, “Tell the truth it is easier to remember than a lie.”  They usually told me that when I attempted to pull the wool over on their eyes and they saw through it with amazing clarity and regularity.  Neither would tolerate laziness or dishonesty and were truthful to a fault and even if telling the truth brought them personal or financial difficulty.  They believed and so do I that “honesty” is not just the best policy it is the “only policy.”  If we are truthful then we do not have to worry about being exposed and that in itself brings a certain sense of peace and security to the heart and mind.  We have all known people who it seems would climb a tree to tell a lie when they could have stood on the ground and told the truth.

My children know that I told them, “If you lie to me and I catch you it will be far worse than if you tell me the truth.”  If they remember they can recall times when they told me the truth and escaped punishment and times when they didn’t and the punishment or correction was stepped up a notch.  If we encounter someone who tells us untruths on a regular basis, no matter how hard we try not to label or characterize them as being a liar we still do so, at least in the back of our minds and it affects our relationship or prevents us developing one that is positive.  No one wants to do business with a person that distorts the truth or facts.  No one would want to sit under a preacher who uses fabrications.  As a friend of mine had a member of his congregation asked him, “Pastor was that story you told the truth or were you just preaching?”  What a statement and while she may not have meant it as it came across that she would even entertain it is a tragedy.

You do not want anyone to tell you anything but the truth so why practice telling others something that is not truthful?  You would not want your doctor to tell you something that was not true regarding your health because that could cost you your life.  You would not want your banker or financial adviser to misrepresent your finances that might cost you your possessions.  In life (all of it) let’s be PEOPLE OF THE TRUTH!

May God bless you as you go through your day!

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SLAVES NO MORE…..


Spiritual Blog - Slaves

Galatians 4:1-7 – “Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ” Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” NASU

Paul’s way of explaining our relationship with God is powerful.  He brings to mind that a child although a member of the family and ultimately owner of all the family fortunes and worth is little different from a slave because the child is under the authority of his/her parents or those whom the parents have placed over them.  They are not allowed the privilege of operating as an “owner” until it is deemed by the father that they are ready.  The Child though Owner of all but operates in the authority of a slave is the condition described, yet he must never forget HE IS A CHILD, not a SLAVE!

Then he declares to us that we are “sons” (a non-gender term as used here) and because of that truth God has sent the Spirit of God into our hearts crying “Abba! Father!”  As a result, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters and if we are sons and daughters we are HEIRS OF GOD!  Oh my friends, how often do we as children of the Most High live beneath our privilege?  How frequently do we live as slaves rather than sons and daughters?  It is time that we assess who we are and whose we are.  It is time to reread the Bible and determine what this “New Covenant” that is established upon “Better Promises” is all about and what it affords.  It is time that we reevaluate our relationship with the Lord and that we have authority and power to not only overcome the enemy of our souls but the grace to live the Abundant Life that Jesus promised.  You are not a SLAVE you are a CHILD OF GOD and an HEIR according to His Promise!

Let’s move from a slave mentality to a son and daughter mentality.  Let’s move from timidity to boldness in our relationship, heritage, and covenant.  Let’s begin to live as HEIRS and bring real hope to this hopeless world outside of Christ.

God bless and keep you as you go through your day!

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STRONG IN GRACE…


Spiritual Blog - Grace

2 Timothy 2:1, 11-13 – “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…..11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” NASU

 

How about you, do you want to be “Strong in Grace?”  I believe that I can answer that for you without violating your right to make the decision for yourself and say, YES!  Paul identified in verses 11-13 some truths regarding our walk in Christ in this life by saying:

  1. If we have died in Him we will also live in Him.
  2. If we endure we will reign.
  3. If we deny Him, He will deny us.
  4. If we are faithless, He will remain faithful
  5. God cannot deny Himself. 

We are dead in Christ through the “new birth” and have been made a new creation through the gift of Salvation.  The result of that is that one day we will live with Him eternally!  Jesus never hid the fact that we would face difficulties in life and in the Christian walk and neither does Paul.  He tells us the end of that enduring is reigning with Jesus.  He warns that if we deny the Lord, God will deny us on that day and that is not something that any of us desires.  He tells us that we may be less than faithful but God will always be faithful because He cannot deny Himself and He is faithful.

So to be “Strong in Grace” is to embrace the faith that is in Jesus Himself.  It is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, words, and deeds. It is to allow the Holy Spirit to shed the Love of God abroad in our hearts and to teach us all things that Jesus said.  It is to allow the Holy Spirit to quicken our mortal bodies so that we shake off the shackles of carnality and move into the realm of the spiritual.  It is to become focused on the King and the Kingdom of God as paramount and supreme above all else.  It is to TOTALLY SURRENDER our life, all of it to GOD!

It is in that condition and position that we become “Strong in Grace” and no matter what comes we come out the other side IN CHRIST and therefore VICTORIOUS.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

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READ THESE VERSES AS A CONTINUING THOUGHT RATHER THAN ISOLATED AND SEPARATE…


Spiritual Blog - Contest

Matthew 7:1-10 – “Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly]. 2 For just as you[hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite (play-actor, pretender), first get the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give that which is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, for they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

7 “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will [instead] give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will [instead] give him a snake?

Most people read these verses as vv. 1-5, see v. 6 a bridge, then vv. 7-10 but since there were no verse divisions in the original I suggest you read these verses in the context of one continuing thought.  I think it will take on a somewhat different shape when you do.

Jesus begins with Judging and issues the warning that if or maybe when we judge (we all do) whatever standard we use will be the standard that others and God uses with us.  The emphasis is deal with your own issues BEFORE attempting to deal with the issues of others.  Then verse 6 shows up and the implication, if the verses are read as one thought, is when we fail to deal with the logs in our own eyes.  We will likely judge others critically the message we are conveying will be rejected and our pearls will be trampled in the pig trough and not have their intended effect.  Not only that, but those we are judging, while we have glaring issues in our own lives will result in them turning on us and attacking us.  If we are a Pharisee or Legalist, we will wonder why they treated us so vilely and will claim that we are suffering for Jesus when the reality is we are suffering because we did not follow the biblical directive and we judged without first judging ourselves and dealing with our own issues.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of the next few verses in light of the previous six.  Once we have judged ourselves and dealt with our own spiritual and personal issues THEN we are in a position to ASK and RECEIVE in a most powerful manner.  It is the man or woman who follows the prescript of the first six verses that is in a position to not only ask but expect to receive what we have asked.  BUT THERE IS MORE!  The Golden Rule is viewed by most Christians as a Stand Alone but when connected as in these verses it becomes incredibly powerful.  If we reject the temptation to Judge Others while needing ministry ourselves and we treat others as we want to be treated THEN, when we go to the Father in Prayer we go with an incredible sense of EXPECTATION because we are in Right Standing with the Father, walking out the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and Resisting the Devil.  We are DEMONSTRATING CHRIST and EVERYTHING that Jesus asked the Father, the Father granted.

I would be remiss if I failed to connect vv. 13-14 to these passages and suggest that the narrow gate Jesus is speaking of is directly connected to the actions and the directives in the preceding verses.  The wide gate is a Gate of Judgmentalism.  The wide gate is a Gate of following our feelings emotions and nursing our wounds rather than forgiveness and demonstrating godliness, mercy, and forgiveness to others in all things and at all times.

Maybe this does not impact or resonate with you as it does me, but it touches me in a way that changes my entire view of interpersonal relationships.   God bless you as you enjoy this day in Him!

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MOUTH AND HEART CHRISTIANS…


Spiritual Blog - Heart and Mouth

Psalm 19:14 – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” NASU

 There have been times in my life, Christian walk, and ministry that I have either found myself out of harmony with that directive or have encountered others who were so conditioned.  What does it mean to be out of harmony between the “mouth” and the “heart”?  It means that what you are saying is not what you really believe or living and that would fall under the definition of “hypocrisy”.  None of us wants to be a hypocrite.

David’s prayer is one that I pray regularly and with earnest because I recognize that if “my talking the talk” does not line up with “my walking the walk” then it is like “rain on a tin barn” and is only noise but no substance.  There will be no impact on lives for the good and God only repulsion and rejection of both the message and messenger.  But, it goes deeper than that because if my “words” are not in harmony with the “meditation” of my heart then I lose out in my relationship with God and do not develop or enjoy the bountiful benefits of walking with Him.  In that condition, I am, at best, out of fellowship with my Lord and at worst in a rebellious state and in danger of being spewed out of His mouth.

I want my words to PLEASE THE LORD as well as my thoughts and heart.  I want my actions, which spring out of my heart to be pleasing to God and productive for the cause of the Kingdom of God.  I believe that the vast majority of believers desire the same thing ALL THE TIME.  Therefore, the question arises – “How Do We Ensure That Is the Case?”  I believe that Jesus said it best in Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” NASU  Paul echoed that in a different fashion in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 – “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” NASU If we are to have our “words” and “meditation” or our MOUTH and HEART be in harmony with the pleasure of the Lord we MUST make Him first above everything.  We MUST take proactive steps to ensure that NO THOUGHT that is out of harmony with His Word is allowed lodging in our hearts or minds.  We MUST become people of PRAYER, PRAISE, and PURSUIT of God.  If we do that I am convinced that God will step into our situations and maneuver our “words” and “meditations” so that they are in complete harmony and pleasing to the Father!

May God be with you and guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord as you go through your day!

 

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SOMETHING THE WICKED CANNOT HAVE…..


Spiritual Blog - Peace

Isaiah 57:19-21 – “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the LORD, “And I will heal him.”  20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”  NKJV

 

Jesus said in John 14:27-28 – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” NASU Paul later wrote in Philippians 4:7 –“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NASU The Lord, through Isaiah, declares that He creates the fruit of the lips and grants peace to the one who is near and the one who is far off.  God promises to bring healing to those and I personally believe that means physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and economically.  Then He says something that should catch our attention if the first part did not.

God identified that there is something that the wicked cannot have or possess – TRUE PEACE.  The wicked will toss and turn on his bed at night troubled by shadows of things they fear whether real or imagined.  The wicked will always be looking over his shoulder because of the vileness of his heart and the corruption that proceeds from it.  He will never trust anyone because he cannot be trusted.  He is like a troubled sea that dredges up filth and pollution and THERE IS NO REAL PEACE.  So, if your life is marked by the absence of peace you might want to examine your relationship with our Lord.  I am not saying you are wicked but suggesting that if you allow the Holy Spirit to develop your relationship with Jesus, PEACE will become a natural product of your life and its continued absence is a definite sign of a problem.  On the other hand, if you are engaged in wickedness then you cannot expect to experience true peace or continual peace it is not something that God will allow you to have.

I know the PEACE OF GOD that goes far beyond what the human mind can comprehend or imagine.  I know what it is to be completely calm, collected, and restful in the midst of a situation that would cause any heart to be completely hysterical.  I know what the infusion of GOD’S PEACE can bring to any situation and any heart in the most difficult of times.  That place of peace is a place that I desire as my permanent residence.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

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LEGAL AUTHORITY…


Spiritual Blog - Authority

Matthew 4:8-11 – “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, ” All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'”  11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”  NASU

It would be impossible in a short devotional to fully exegete this subject, but I want to say a few things with the hope of giving you comfort and hope in your daily walk, work, and spiritual warfare.  This is a fascinating passage in that the devil insinuates to our LORD that he, the devil, has authority over the kingdoms of this world.  Jesus did not dispute that therefore, I conclude that it was the truth.  The Bible refers to the devil as being the “god of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Jesus called him the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31, and Paul addressed him as “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2.  

Therefore, when Jesus walked the earth, the devil had “legal authority” in the world and over man.  How did that happen?  It happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in their rebellion and the Fall of Man.  In Genesis 1:26-28 we find God gave Adam “dominion” over the earth and everything that lived in and on it.  Adam and Eve were to “subdue” and “have dominion” over the earth.  Man, was to “live forever” and “fill” or “replenish” the earth.  In the Garden, God walked and talked with him and man was in a perfect state of peace and purity living in harmony with and in total obedience to God.  In that state, they were not only made in the image of God they represented and manifested Him in all that He was.

There was a problem coming that God knew in which Adam and Eve would be put to the test and determine the future of man on the earth.  Lucifer as described by Ezekiel and Isaiah, a cherub angel, created by God began to be filled with Pride and a thirst for power and position.  He wanted to be “like the most high” and in his heart began to desire to be “possessor of heaven and earth.”  He didn’t just want to be “like” God, he wanted to “be” God.  His Pride and Rebellion resulted in one-third of the angels following him in that rebellion and God evicted him from heaven.  At that point, Lucifer or Satan became God’s chief enemy.  He had polluted heaven with sin and rebellion requiring a purging and now he was roaming the earth seeking to do the same and bring God’s creation into a state of rebellion.  The devil knew that in order to control the Earth, he would, of necessity, have to control the human race.

In Genesis 3 we read the record of Eve’s deception and her role in the deception and seduction of Adam in this rebellion against God.  The devil presented them with a lie or better THE LIE and used their reason against them.  His suggestion that God was keeping something good from them and they deserved more prominence, position, control, and power produced an infection that resulted in Rebellion.  The command of God to NOT EAT the fruit could have been a command to NOT CROSS a stream or anything.  The object is not the fruit but the act, it was REBELLION and DISOBEDIENCE.  Adam and Eve were co-regents of the Earth and in their act of rebellion they legally relinquished their crown to the devil and separated themselves from the care, keeping, and covering of God.  This gave the devil legal ownership or rulership in the Earth.

Jesus came, as the last Adam, and legally took back the rulership from the devil through his sinless life and sacrificial death.  Jesus has stripped the devil of his legal authority and since we are IN CHRIST we are not subject to the lordship of the “god of this world.”  The devil has NO LEGAL AUTHORITY in our lives and when we allow him to operate we are allowing a criminal to openly and without confrontation take our possessions.  We have been given weapons of warfare that are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.  We are more than conquerors through Jesus.  Do not accept the idea that the devil has any authority in this earth, EXCEPT in those who are not “blood bought.”  The Blood of Jesus is our badge of authority over the power and authority of the devil.  You are IN Christ and in that condition and position, you have authority over all the power of the devil.  The Bible says that if we “resist the devil” he will because he has no choice, flee from us!

You have Legal Authority through Christ and your authority frees you from the power of the devil!   So, as you enjoy this day, refuse to be intimidated by the devil and embrace your condition and position as a Child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We serve the Living God and in Him, we live and move and have our being!   Walk in peace this day!

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NATIONAL PRAYER – America and the World…


Spiritual Blog - National Prayer

Daniel 9:3-10 – “So I directed my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and extends lovingkindness toward those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed wrong, and have behaved wickedly and have rebelled, turning away from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 Further, we have not listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.  7 “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us confusion and open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away, in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the [treacherous] acts of unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 8 O Lord, to us belong confusion and open shame—to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers—because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and lovingkindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10 and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets.”  Amplified 

 

 As Daniel reflected on the Word of God, the Prophecies and the Promises concerning Israel to be realized after seventy years of exile, he prayed this prayer.  As I read it the immediate cry of my heart was AMERICA and the CHURCH.  If there ever was a time when this nation and the world should call a fast and engage in intercessory prayer, it is today.  Let me walk through Daniel’s prayer and suggest a similar path for us to follow in praying for today’s world.

He began by HALLOWING the Name and Person of God.  He recognized God’s Greatness, His Awesomeness, His Covenant Keeping, His Mercy, Longsuffering and Lovingkindness toward His people.  He begins by Praise and Adoration of WHO GOD IS as well as WHAT GOD DOES.  What God does is a reflection and outworking of Who He is.  Daniel entered the Gates and Courts of God with Thanksgiving and Praise.  His first recognition was not “What he or the nation needed, but WHO GOD IS!”  That conditions the heart for proper interaction with God.

His second step was ADMISSION and CONFESSION of his and the nation’s sins and acknowledged the wickedness of their behavior.  He admitted their actions and attitude amounted to REBELLION.  He did not shy away from the reality that they were not following God’s precepts and principles but were living as a Law unto themselves in Self-Centeredness.  He acknowledged that they had turned a deaf ear to God and no longer listened to His directives either by His Spirit, through His prophets, or in His written word.  They had sinned, and Daniel made an open and honest confession.  There was no sugar-coating, justification, or seeking caveats through which they could be absolved of any guilt.  They were GUILTY of sin and He CONFESSED and ACCEPTED his and the nation’s responsibility for their actions.

He then recounts WHO GOD IS saying, “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord…”  He follows that with accepting personal responsibility saying, “But to us confusion and open shame, as is this day…”  We are Guilty!  He called their actions treacherous and identified the unfaithfulness as the cause of open shame, confusion, and rejection.  He said, “WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU.” 

If you move down just a few verses you find the Arch Angel Gabriel coming with an answer from the Father and the Promise of help.  It would behoove us to remember the words of Jesus in Luke 12:32, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  Also, 2 Chronicles 7:14 enjoins us that if we will repent, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from wickedness He will HEAR our prayers, FORGIVE our sins, and HEAL our land.

Believers, if we are going to see God’s Restoration and Deliverance of our Nation and a Renewal and or Revival in the Church we need to heed, embrace, and adopt Daniel’s prayer.  We need to heed the words of our Lord in Matthew 6:33, “…Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…”  It is then that ALL THESE THINGS are added to us, deliverance comes, and God’s Spirit moves through the land in the hearts and minds of people and we are RESTORED.

God bless you as you set your hearts to seek him for the nation, the church, your family, and yourself.   Have a Great Day!

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WHAT IF GOD DOESN’T DELIVER YOU???


Spiritual Blog - Even If

Daniel 3:15-18 – “Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very good. But if you do not worship, you shall be thrown at once into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you out of my hands?”  16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”  Amplified.

  

 Let me begin by asking, “Have you experienced a situation in your life where the answer did not come or did not come in the way you desired or expected?”  Let me pose that a little differently and say that I am convinced each of us have prayed for someone that did not get healed, mothers have prayed for their sons in time of war who did not come, children or loved one’s lives have been snuffed out in a tragic accident even though we prayed for God’s protection and deliverance.  I realize that is a bit different from what these three young men were facing but the question is still valid – “What If God Doesn’t?” 

I fully believe that God can!  His ability to perform the miraculous is not in question for me.  I don’t even question His willingness and refer to numerous passages in the New Testament when someone said, “If you are willing?”  Each time Jesus said, “I am willing.”  One even said, “If you can” and Jesus said, “IF I CAN?”  Of course, He can, but WHAT IF.  I’ve ministered to people in tragedy, disappointment, and loss who waited until the event to decide how they would respond.  Some wait until matters are critical to pray, seek God’s face and help and then find themselves incredibly perplexed and troubled if things do not go as they desired.  You do not wait until the shooting starts to prepare for war.  You do not wait until the well runs dry to prepare for water.  You do not wait until the pantry is empty to begin searching for food.  You must plan, prepare, and decide BEFORE the crisis to survive the crisis.

These young men had determined in their hearts that they were going to serve God and not participate in the worship of anyone or anything other than Him.  Before, the Giant Statue and Edict came into existence they, along with Daniel had determined in their hearts to serve God REGARDLESS.  No wonder, the Bible says of Daniel that there was an “excellent spirit” in him.  No wonder, these young men find their way into the scriptural record. They had decided, settled the issue, and they were confident God was trustworthy.

The King’s edict was, “bow down or burn.”  Their answer to the King is powerful and continually serves as encouragement to me in times of ease or difficulty.  The place they had arrived and the position and condition of their hearts are where I strive to be and long to stand.  They said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you to this point.”  Fascinating!  “Hey, king, there is nothing to discuss the decision is already made.”  Hear what they said, “If it be so, our God whom we serve IS ABLE to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire…”  There is no vacillation in their hearts or minds – GOD CAN.  They continued, “…and HE WILL rescue us from your hand, O king.”   HALLELUJAH!  Hear their commitment, confidence, and faith in this.  God Can that is not a question or concern.  God will!  That is amazing because it expresses their confidence that one way or other, God will rescue us from you, Mr. King.  Notice the next statement, “But even if HE DOES NOT, let it be known to you, O king, that WE ARE NOT GOING TO SERVE YOUR GODS or WORSHIP the golden image that you have set up!”   In East Texas vernacular, “Bring it on, king!  Bring it on! We ain’t gonna bow down!”

The key is COMMITMENT and CONFIDENCE.  The key is TRUST so complete that even if death in the natural is the result there will be NO OTHER GODS before the Living God of Heaven.  Even if God DOES NOT do what we ask or expect, we won’t bend even if we burn because WE TRUST GOD.  It is critical, in our Christian Walk to reach a place that we are so confident in God, and so completely committed to Him that we have no other thought than serving Him.  That’s where the disciples were when imprisoned by the Sanhedrin and Peter said, “Whom shall we obey, God or man?”  If we reach the place in our lives where the issue of bowing or burning is decided, we can face all the WHAT Ifs of Life with complete peace.  We live, knowing that GOD CAN and are confident that HE WILL, but IF HE DOESN’T that changes nothing because in the end He still rescues us, and the reward is eternal.  What shall a man give in exchange for his soul and what is the benefit of gaining the whole world and losing our souls?

If you decide in advance that you won’t bow even if you burn your confidence will cause hell to tremble and your peace will guide you safely through all the troubled waters of life.  I pray that God will richly bless you and enable you to abide under the shelter of His arms.  Have a Great Day!

 

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GOD DEALS WITH OUR WANT TO, But…


Spiritual Blog - Want To

Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21

These passages give us a view of what we identify as the “Ten Commandments”.  I have neither the time nor inclination to take the one by one and give a dissertation or exegete them.  However, for the purpose of this devotional, I want to deal with a matter that has long been in my heart and one that many seem to struggle with in life.  The matter of our “want to” and what we are to do while God is dealing with our hearts in addressing the “want to” within us.

What am I talking about?  I am talking about the human heart and its total conversion to “Christlikeness” and “Conformity” to the Word, Will, and Way of God.  I am talking about the Christian Life lived in the fullest dimension and whether we can or should expect God to purge the “want to” from us regarding sin and things contrary or counter to His character and nature.  Some believe that there is a singular moment with God so transforms the heart that you no longer have a tendency or temptation to sin.  Others believe that God never takes away the desire or bent toward sin from us and others believe that it is a process in which we are progressively sanctified and the “want to” is dealt with divinely.  I am not trying to stir up controversy but suffice it to say, UNTIL God deals with the “want to” in our hearts regarding sin and the tug of the world WHAT is our responsibility?  Now, we are getting to where the rubber meets the road spiritually.  Daily living and personal responsibility.

I go to the Ten Commandments to help me understand this problem or potential and look at the command regarding COVETOUSNESS.  That is the “want to” commandment where God is focused on the human heart.  In all the other covenants we are told DON’T DO THIS or DO THIS but, in this commandment, He is dealing with the WANT TO.  The focus is on the desire of the heart or the “want to.”  I believe that when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, repenting of our sins and are born-again through the sacrificial blood of the atonement we are CHANGED and become ANOTHER PERSON.  We are not the same and although we struggle with many things in life and temptation continues to raise its ugly head our DESIRE is to Please God and we do not WANT TO SIN.  The problem is, we do fall short from time to time.  I am not talking about going back to a lifestyle of sin but an occasional bump in the road and stumble in our walk.  It may be attitudinal, omission, or commission but the problem is there, and we know it is wrong, often weep over it, and regret its occurrence.  If it is totally God’s responsibility to eradicate this condition then we have no responsibility and can just shrug it off and say, “When God totally transform me, I’ll be different,” thereby erasing our personal accountability.  That is flawed logic, in my view.

I believe, from my study of Scripture, we should desire THE CHANGE that comes to be complete and experience such sanctification that sin is a historic problem not a current one in our lives.  However, since most of us are forced to acknowledge that we do stumble from time to time and err in our words and deeds Determination and Will Power must be infused into the situation.  God expects, no He demands from us, personal responsibility and accountability.  That, to me, means that I have a part to play in the process.  I do not want to sin, not simply because of the consequences of sin alone but because of how it impacts God.  It breaks His heart and that I never want to do.  I want Him to be pleased with me and I want to become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and live holy because He is holy.  Therefore, UNTIL the “want to” is fully dealt with in my heart and the transformation is complete it is my responsibility to exercise restraint and DO NOT or DO what we know to do.  It may not be easy, and we may not feel like it but JUST DO IT.  Some have argued that doing so would be hypocritical because what we did was not consistent with the heart’s true feelings.  I say to that, “Just because your flesh wants to eat 5 pounds of chocolate, but your mind says, that is not healthy, should you just do it because of your desire?”   No marriage would survive allowing the eyes or desires of the flesh drive the actions.  If you still have a “want to” problem in some areas then it is your responsibility to reach deep inside, with the help of the Holy Spirit and DETERMINE that you WILL NOT, or you WILL do what is right.  You may fail, but over time, you will bring your “want to” to the place on God’s altar that it is crucified with Him and no longer problematic.  In fact, I’ve found that the more I exercise biblical restraint or engage in the pursuit of biblical principles even when I don’t feel like it or want to do it, the easier it becomes to do right which leads to being right.      It is a Heart Issue!

If my “want to” is not consistent with the “ought to” of God, then I must command, my flesh and exercise biblical restraint or pursue biblical commitment and DO RIGHT.  God will help us, and I have often thought that His allowing us to be tempted is to help us realize that we are incapable of living this Christian life without the aide of the Holy Spirit and the Grace of God.  He says, “Seek Me and you will find me.”  When we set our hearts to doing right regardless of the inner desires or temptations HE IS THERE, and His Grace prevails.

God bless you richly as you enjoy this day in Him!

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