Fearing Yourself

 

Fearing your own evil inclinations is a good policy.  It should drive you to continually judge yourself and pray for mercy from your Creator to help you keep your feet on the right path.

Not all of us have the ready resource of a steady, godly parent or a circle of Christ-loving friends who are looking for His return and His kingdom.  Those of us who do still have the vulnerability of being human and the surroundings of temptation that pull the flesh in us toward self destruction.

Fear and pray, but don't despair.  Understand that this is something from which we will be delivered from with much joy.  The Master of Creation will show us how this element of our existence did fit into His plan with loving brilliance.

The Wonder of Gratefulness (Death of a Hero)

 

My warrior-hero is on his deathbed.  His body has a mortal wound and is wracked with pain.  This dark world has finally taken its’ toll on him.  He is the one who peacefully fought for truth and integrity for as long as I have existed.  He paid a personal price more than once because he stood for what was right.  He has always been my swift, sure defender.  Why would the Lord allow this dear man to go through torture just before he passes into paradise?

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

I realize that though I am anchored to my Lord Jesus Christ, my decision-making engine and so many other aspects of who I am are really anchored to my father.  He has been a steady, patient man.  Though a wise and observant young lady had to bring this to my attention, he has been the most patient person I have ever known.  Being a child who grew up with this father, that is a significant thing to say.  Could my children say that about me?  I cannot pinpoint his worst moment because he was profoundly even.  He is a far better man than I, though you would never get him to agree to that.

His pain is excruciating.  Yet, I get comfort by remembering the pain that he went through when mom died; knowing that emotionally, that time was far worse for him.  His heart-wrenching cry had stunned me as he expressed his depth of pain.  That was his worst moment of pain.  You can say this is his worst moment period.  There is no hint of anger, no shadow of cursing; just crying out, “Lord, help me...” 

Soon, they make him “comfortable” with pain killers.  Now he is medicated and unaware, but still groaning in tortured sleep.  This is agonizing to watch.  I cannot do or say anything to help.  As the day draws to a close and the wee hours of the next day start to tick by, I bury my feelings and keep watch.  It will be that much sweeter when he is released from his body.  The evening before, he was just marveling over his life, shaking his head with a look of wonder on his face; how he had been graciously kept and wonderfully gifted with good things from the Lord; good things that he knew he did not deserve.  I will never forget that.  He was ministering to me just as he was about to finish his race; still running, not slowing down for the finish line.  But what is it like to be him right now? 

“His Lord, his Savior is right there with him.  This isn’t torture.  This is what it is to triumph in Christ.”

The hospital staff asks me if I’m okay.  “Yes.  It’s all in the Lord’s hands”, I tell them.  They seem to understand. 

After going home to get a few hours of rest, we come back to the hospital and he has gone to his true home.  Not only is it a release from the nightmare, but it is exactly what he had been wanting.  Do not misunderstand and think he was suicidal.  He was determined to exercise and follow doctor’s instructions to the T.  He exercised for an hour every day – even the day he went into the hospital.  I conclude that his body had him trapped in these last few hours as I witnessed the struggle between his spirit wanting to go and the body fighting to stay alive.  Human-kind is a pure picture of conflict isn’t it?

Seeing Dad leave seems to be a lot harder than seeing Mom leave, and that was certainly not easy.  She left seven and one-third years ago.  Dad had been hoping to go home every day since then.  I was hoping the Lord would come first because I knew Dad was my anchor point.  Being older now, I am worried about how this will really hit me.  I stuffed all of this negativity into a box and closed the lid, knowing that although I can make an attempt to keep my eyes and heart on the One who is the Great Physician - the Great Shepherd - the Healer, there will be consequences to being exposed to this harsh reality.  After leaning on Him to pilot me through this day of death, I worry about the night to come.  Will that box of negativity stay shut?  Will the lid come off during my sleep?  Will the lid come off in public?  I cannot handle this on my own.  If Dad struggled with these types of things, I never knew it.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:”

 

If I had arrived two hours earlier the afternoon before, I could have told him to greet Mom for me.  Would that work?  Not only will he be blissfully occupied by His gracious Savior, but he will no longer have to exist in this dark world without his wife.  Not only is Mom there, but so is a miscarried grandchild that we never got to know.  I wonder if he will find that out rather quickly once he arrives.

“This world really is not dark when the Lord is immediately available with His swift, sure hand – ready to save.”

The Lord is so very good.  His timing on all of this was absolutely perfect.  I slept the sleep of the blessed the next night.  He kept the lid tightly fastened on that bad box.  He will keep it on as long as it is necessary and will temper the contents for His own glory.

READER, TAKE NOTE:  This unobtrusive, patient, thankful, quiet and humble man never promoted himself or his family.  He never would have thought to take a self-promotional picture of himself and put it on Facebook.  He wasn’t concerned with social networking or climbing ladders of personal achievement or wealth.  He had no friends waiting to see his status message.  He was concerned about preparing for and providing for the welfare of his family, from his own parents to the wife that he knew he did not deserve.  His concern also included attendance at the meetings with the Lord’s people – in the Lord’s presence - whenever possible. 

Dad constantly lived in the wonder of gratefulness instead of the bitterness of self promotion.  No matter what happened, he was getting better than he deserved.  There was no masterful use of the spoken word or emotionalism.  There was no eloquence of speech to convince me of some right way of living.  Example spoke louder than any words.  He has programmed me in a right way.  I need to stick with the program.  He lived out a heroic life showing the simplicity of Christ in a world full of the complications of treachery and darkness.

^“The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.”

Badness

 

God's Master Plan is actually based on the fact that there was, is and will be badness.

Without badness, there is no salvation, no hope, no grace, no mercy and no delivered heart singing praise to God forever.

SO - why get so discouraged over the badness around us?

Confidence (5)

 

The Prophet Jeremiah says to the Lord:

"Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?"
 
Thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]:

"If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God's faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. [But do not yield to them.] Let them return to you--not you to [the people].  I will make you to this people a fortified, bronze wall; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord.  I will deliver you out of the hands of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the palms of the terrible and ruthless tyrants."

Confidence in HIM always plays a role in the closeness of our relationship with the Master of our bright future.

Bankruptcy

 

"...only one paycheck away from bankruptcy."

Political opportunists like to use that phrase to further their agenda.  However, in a way, that's us.  Our credibility or reputation is one footstep away from destruction.  The Upholder of all things keeps our credibility and reputation.  If someone comments on your good credibility, speaks positively about what you "bring to the table", or comments on some job well done, your mind should go immediately to the One who made it possible.

There's no way that it came from within you.  You are naturally bankrupt.  One little "hiccup" and your reputation is gone. 

Thank God that your times and your walk-way are completely in His hands.

Dried Fruit

 

The cells in our body are miraculous little creations.  Each is like a manufacturing plant; taking in raw materials and producing an essential product that sustains a high quality of life.  Cells run primarily on water.  Water powers, cleans and drives the primary throughput of these amazing little manufacturing plants. 

If you weigh 160 pounds, you need to drink 80 ounces of water each day.  When you sleep, you can lose almost 2 pounds of water weight.  When you wake up, it is essential to drink 16 to 20 ounces of water, (pure water - not coffee, not orange juice, not tea and certainly not a soft drink).

The Bible relates God's Word to water.  It is essential to read His Word EVERY DAY.  When you wake up and drink water, you can feel the morning life flow into you as your body absorbs exactly what it needs.  When you are dragging at mid-afternoon and your energy is spent, there's nothing like knocking down a big glass of water to bring you back.  His mercies are new every morning.  There's nothing better than to spend time absorbing His eternal Word.  When you are having a day full of defeat and disappointment, there's nothing like drinking in a healthy dose of His Word.

You know the world and it's influence is EXACTLY like being in a hot desert.  Don't turn into dried fruit.

Confidence (4)

 

Believe [in Him and you will be righteous] *
Remember [that He has helped you this far] ** 
Wait [for His plan concerning you to develop] ***
...and the Lord will perfect that which concerns you.****

*      Ref. Acts 16:31..."Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
**    Ref. 1 Samuel 17:12..."Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." and
        Psalm 106: 13a..."But they hastily forgot His works..."
***  Ref. Psalm 106:13b...They did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them,"
****Ref. Psalm 138:8a..."The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;"

Snatching Defeat, (From the Jaws of Victory)

 

Since we are human; we have an innate ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory: 

A well-loved young man with a young family had many certain years of triumph in Christ ahead of him.  He was used of the Lord to lead younger men to stay on the path that the Lord had for them.  They are thankful and will never forget.  Some years later, as a husband and father, caught in despair and in the throes of some difficulty, he commits suicide.  Those that knew him are shocked.  His family is devastated.  He was a precious brother in the Lord.

A Christ-like young lady, beautiful inside and out, because of the love of Christ pouring out of her heart and life decides, (because of the pressures of the world, the flesh and Satan), that she needs to take matters into her own hands and step ahead of the Lord's plan.  She contemplates bringing tragedy on herself and her family.

Two stories out of hundreds of thousands.  We would reach out and cling to defeat, stabbing ourselves in the back when our Savior had our back the whole way and we could have triumphed in Christ.  The strength of the urge to self destruct is tied directly to how close you are to triumphing in Christ.  When you feel that evil urge, that tractor-beam pull of the world, know in your heart that you are close to another victory and let it motivate you to turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Read your Bible.  Pray every day.  Cling to Him.  BELIEVE. Have 100% total confidence that He will perfect that which concerns you at exactly the correct time.

Gateway to Life

We all know there is a very prominent religion that has shown itself to successfully operate using the wrath of man.  Manifested for everyone to see is the fear, hatred, anger and resulting merciless death by those who are zealous to follow this religion and who wantonly kill those that choose not to follow.

We also know that there are not a few countries dominated by this religion.  Observers say there are MANY in those countries whose hearts tire of the fear, hatred and anger.  These dear souls are seeking peace, truth and a truly loving, kind and merciful God; a God not requiring His followers to be angry, hateful and treacherous murderers.  A God not CALLED "merciful", but a God who IS merciful, and actually defines selfless love.  Though it doesn't make the news, observation and actual statistics show they are finding HIM in significant numbers.  Probably more so, because of the terrible evil that has actually driven their hearts away from this darkness to look for light.

What an encouragement to know that this very evil is what actually drives new believers to search for the gateway to eternal life in Christ.

In light of these facts, the meaning of this mysterious verse becomes entirely understandable:
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; the remainder of wrath shall You restrain and gird and arm Yourself with it."  Psalm 76:10

How can a false and dark religion and the doctrines of demons be the gateway to life? 
Psalm 76:10 explains it.

Error

I have seen believers excluding themselves because they feel they are not "worthy".

I understand.  They aren't worthy.  Nobody is. That doesn't make it right though.

It is correct to understand that you are not worthy, but it is INCORRECT to allow your feelings to lead you into the ERROR that the complete work of Christ is not sufficient to supply all of your missing worthiness. 

This form of self-oppression has no place in the life of a follower of Christ. Just like the self-oppression and blind error that says you might lose your salvation.  Why do we question the effectiveness of His perfect work and His holy love?  He is either God, or He isn't.  Why do we have the compulsion to make Him something "in-between".

The best quote I've heard recently is this:  "What God's holiness required, God's love supplied."

Our worthiness and holiness are complete in Him.

The Helpers

At a recent college reunion, I was reminded of the dear brothers-in-the-Lord that helped me while in college.  With limited funds, limited possessions and limited knowledge, I would not have been able to execute certain necessary tasks without their kind help. 

While talking with one of them, I gained more needed knowledge to help guide my family in an immediate circumstance.  Another freely offered of his possessions to help my son learn another important life-skill while we were there.  There we were again.  Just like the old days.  They haven't changed.  Still valuable friends, brothers and my helpers after 28 years apart.

Working While You Sleep

There's nothing spiritual about sleep deprivation.
There is no profit in the statement, "the early bird gets the worm".
There is no wisdom in beating your head against the wall until it finally breaks through from your own perserverance.

Having been in sales for 28 years now, I noticed that a lot of time can be lost trying to get new business.  Time spent during years of effort trying to win a particular customer goes wasted.  Then, suddenly something big drops into my lap through no effort of my own. 

When I get sick, unable to get up and go, I pine away about missing time and exposure in my sales territory.  My competitors are out there making progress and I'm in bed. But, sales grow anyway.

The verse below says all of this and more.  It says it better than I just tried to above; and I believe it wholeheartedly from rock-solid experience.

"It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil--for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep."  Psalm 127:2

Don't let the world push you into it's mold.

Confidence (3) - Anxiety

Anxiety is born out of a lack of confidence in our God.

The phrase from the Amplified™ Bible in Psalm 106 keeps repeating itself as I see my festering anxieties and the anxieties of believers around me:  "...they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them."

-Dad has anxiety over the concern that his job really won't pay the bills anymore and he's going to have to do something...
-Mom has anxiety over the concern that her kids are really not getting what they need in homeschooling and she's going to have to do something...
-One kid has anxiety over concerns that his natural tendency toward unproductive behavior is an impossible obstacle to overcome and he he's going to have to do something...
-Another kid has anxiety that his "sure" future won't wait any longer for him and he's going to have to do something...

Hitherto, the Lord has helped us all.  We lose confidence.  We get anxious. We are "going to have to do something", (on our own).  WE DO NOT EARNESTLY WAIT FOR HIS  PLANS TO DEVELOP REGARDING US.

We do need to do something.  We need to earnestly wait for His plans to develop.

He Has Done It

Buddha
Joseph Smith
Sun Myung Moon
Muhammad
Anton LaVay
L. Ron Hubbard
Charles Taze Russell
Confucius
et al.*

These men developed or recycled a religion based on some being(s) or a force that is more powerful that a human:  Beings or forces ranging from the universe itself to aliens from outer space. Adherents are to follow an organized behavior or set of rules to attain a higher state of existence and to reverence some feared higher power, or reverence some material object - like our environment or the universe.

Special behavior and rule-following to make ourselves better appeals to all of us.  Even an atheist seeks self-improvement.  What is religion without self-improvement and attainment of a higher state of being?  When I hear a comedian saying that religion is "(foul expletive)", politicians say that the religious are bitter-clingers and Hollywood's finest say that religion is a crutch, I have to think they might have something right, (although the foul expletive is not necessary to make the point). The word "religion", as it is used today, is just an adherence to a behavior designed to make people feel better about themselves and their future.  Those misguided entertainers and politicians appear to understand that, though they usually have their own religion of fame, power and ideology, (making hypocrites of themselves).

How about dropping the "religion" and going free?

Perfect freedom has only ONE requirement:  BELIEVE.

There is only one Man that has made the way to heaven available.  That way does not require organized behavior or some man-made system. There is NO SELF EFFORT here. This One is the only Man who had the following words written about Him a thousand years before He walked the earth, (unlike the men listed above):

"I will thank You and confide in You forever, because You have done it, [delivered me and kept me safe]. I will wait on, hope in and expect in Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your saints (Your kind and pious ones)."  Psalm 52:9

"All the mighty ones upon earth shall eat [in thanksgiving] and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall bow before Him, even he who cannot keep himself alive.
Posterity shall serve Him; they shall tell of the Lord to the next generation.
They shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born--that He has done it, [that it is finished]!"  Psalm 22:29-31

It is finished!  Your attainment of a higher state has been accomplished through no effort of your own.  You don't need religion, a crutch, an opiate, a rigid set of rules or organized behavior.  Why make your life more burdensome than it already is?  This is between you and God.  No need to "farm it out" to a clergyman or anyone else.  Just BELIEVE!

*These men didn't do it. Yes, the name of Jesus Christ is missing on purpose.  He doesn't belong on this list.  He is God; not only a man and HE HAS DONE IT.  His bones were not laid to rest somewhere on earth.  Don't you think His followers would protect and reverence His remains if He were only a great human being, prophet or founder of a religion?

Peace Box

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness.  Psalm 84:10

Men compartmentalize.  We have "boxes" for storing thoughts and information.  Yes, the "nothing box" is an all-time favorite, but there's one even better:  It's called the "doorkeeper box". As aware as I am of what this world has to offer, the chaos, treachery, brutality, deceit, the decay and darkness; that doorkeeper-in-the-house-of-my-God gig seems like the best form of eternal employment possible.  It's that peaceful state that the New Age movement is always trying to pursue.  It's what people turn to mind-bending drugs to try to find.  It is really service to Him, (being His bondman), in His own beautiful, safe place - but only as we trust Him in everything.

There's peace beyond my understanding in that verse and in that box.  The real truth is, we that believe are looking forward to something much better than a peaceful doorkeeper job.  We are sons of God and will be enjoying the unfathomable privileges of that.  Peace is one of the great rewards of trusting Him.

Insistent Desires

 

When we are self-focused, more interested in our own plans and want to get it now, we become the ones described in some verses in Psalm 106.  When we say, "Lord, how come I can't hear you, aren't you with me to help lead the way?" we are probably in the middle of the throes of our insistent desires.

"But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] WAIT for His plans [to develop] regarding them,
But LUSTED exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted and tried to RESTRAIN GOD [with their insistent desires] in the desert."

If this becomes true, watch out for what comes next:

"And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls..."

We have this tendency to forget, lust and insist on our own way.  We can also evaluate ourselves in the mirror of God's Word and are able to recover because we tap into His all-sufficiency by way of that precious book that He gave us.

Purple Attraction

I noticed that the state troopers have gone from blue to an indigo flashing light set on their vehicles.  The result is an increased attraction of the eye to their vehicle when the lights are on.  Out of the large field-of-vision on the highway, the eye is drawn to the first tiny revelation of that indigo light, even miles away.

There's something about the attractiveness of something that is almost off the end of the visible light spectrum:  Almost beyond perception, but it hooks your attention more powerfully that something in the middle of the light spectrum.

There is an association here:

"...so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible."  Hebrews 11:3

"...while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:18

So it is that the human mind and soul is attracted to spiritual things.  Spiritual things are just beyond our senses, but the subject matter hooks our attention.  Thus the success of Buddhism. Catholicism and other religions that tap into the spriritual realm, but require human effort rather than simply believing in the all sufficiency of the great I AM.

The purple lights are attractive, but watch out for that last-second fork in the road as the world, the flesh and Satan would derail from the path to true eternal unseen things.

What is a "Believer"?

The application form asked what I would answer if God asked me why I should be permitted to enter Heaven.  After I kicked back at that question in my mind, (because the first thought was, "that's absurd"), I realized that it was an effective way to extract the desired information from someone.

The answer that came to mind is actually a good tool to simply explain to someone who is unaware of God's ways with man:  God says that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from ALL sin. I believe that, and He accounts or credits it to me for righteousness.

That's simple.  I believe Him and I'm righteous. 

Are you a believer?

The Gas Cloud of Human Thinking

(This is a modification of an older post)...

It is increasingly sad that so many are drawn aside into the false religion of environmentalism. As it turns out, the news is no longer that we are trying to avoid a 2 degree rise in global temperature. Now we are to be frightening ourselves with the prospect of dropping temperatures because the earth is making a correction for our terrible misbehaviour in regard to the environment.  My, what a difference a few months makes!

We might as well be an ancient isolated tribe, living in fear, darkness and treachery on the Dark Continent somewhere. We've been looking for a witch doctor that is bold enough to claim he has power to change the climate because the gods are angry with our behavior.  We did just elect leaders that promised action to address this very fear.

As it turns out, we are not being deceived by our fear as much as by our own arrogance. Little humans actually think that we are big enough to change the weather in this world that God has made. If we cannot change the weather in the next few minutes, why do we think that our activity, or lack of it, can change it in 10 years? God would not be God if He would allow His creation to be manipulated by man's normal activities. We destroyed all that we could thousands of years ago.  That was back when history was being recorded, but the prevailing wisdom doesn't want to acknowledge it because they would have to deal with the true I AM.

The leaders don't care whether climate change is real or not. They are using our arrogance for their own gain while we wring our hands. We think we are such a sophisticated, advanced, evolved society.  Look what "hundreds of thousands of years of evolution" have done for the human race in particular.  Why, we really haven't improved have we?

"The arrogance of your heart has deceived you" Obadiah 1:3
 
It's really sad to see the gas cloud of human thinking being blown about by destructive-shepherd-wind-bags.  However, it's God's way to reveal the futility of human thinking apart from Him; for those who are paying attention.  Pray that there are many who will see the bankrupt nature of our thinking and turn to the One who wants all men to come to Him.

Area Representative

My business card says I'm an Area Representative for my company.  Thankfully, the company is run by a man, (man of God), who actually cares about the employees and the customers.  I've never known us to allow a situation to go unresolved and not take care of the customer in a fair way.  Knowing this gives me confidence as I represent them.

"You cannot represent someone you don't know."

A simple quote from a brother who was expressing the importance of a close walk with God by prayer and thoughtful reading of His Word.  As believers, we are His area representatives.  We can have complete confidence that we are representing perfect lovingkindness, holiness, goodness and unchangeable power that meets EVERY need.  There never will be shortcoming, corruption, crime, deceit, back-stabbing, unholiness of any sort, abandonment or injustice with the unseen One who rules over all.