Saved by what?

     It seems, for years, that there has been a debate as to whether we're saved by grace or works.  It's everywhere.  But is this even a matter of dispute, or just a skirting of the real issue?  I believe the basis for this argument stems from the premise of "is God saving us" (grace), or, "are we saving ourselves" (works).  Since both words are used in scripture, the real questions are "what does each word mean, and if they are connected, how do they work together?  As I already stated, both words are found in scripture, so to throw one out would be a spiritual mistake.  I believe the Lord has a purpose for their uses, and it behooves us to understand His meaning and purpose for both.  Let's begin by examining each word individually.

     Grace, as defined by Webster's dictionary, is stated as "unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification".  I believe the key word here is "unmerited".  Perhaps the word "undeserving" could aptly be used here as well.  Either case, "divine assistance" is the driving force behind grace.  Let's examine a few scriptures, and see what we can determine about grace.  John 1:16 reads "For in the beginning was the Word, even the Son, who is made flesh, and sent unto us by the will of the Father. And as many as believe on his name shall receive of his fullness. And of his fullness have all we received, even immortality and eternal life, through his grace."  Acts 15:11 also states "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they."  Finally, from Romans 3:24 "Therefore being justified only by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;".  Obviously, there are an abundance of scriptures that make it very clear that we are saved by grace alone, through the mercy of Jesus Christ.  While I could add more references, suffice it to say that the point has been made.  We were lost through sin; we were helpless and could not save ourselves.  Christ had to come, and sacrifice himself so that we could be forgiven, and, by His grace, have the opportunity to receive eternal life.  End of discussion.

     So, where do works come in?  Well, simply put, belief is not enough.  WHAT?!!  You heard me.  To only believe in Jesus, as Delbert Smith once coined the term, is the "devil level".  If you recall, when Jesus cast the demons out of the man in the cemetery, those demons called the Lord by his name, acknowledging him, and asking him to cast them into the sea.  Those devils knew Jesus; better than any of us do.  But are they saved?  NO.  Because their WORKS betrayed them.  Let me, at this point, share with you an eternal truth:  You cannot keep a spiritual principle without expressing it temporally.  I cannot tell my wife I love her without expressing it temporally; by providing food, raiment, love, support, etc.  And this truth extends eternally.  For God so loved the world, that he expressed his love temporally-he GAVE his only begotten Son.  Consider the words of Jesus himself, given in Matthew 16:30 "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."  Or think about this statement considering Jesus himself from  Matthew 13:59 "And he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief."  Amazing!  Even Jesus had works accounted unto him.  And in his hometown, he could do little, because of the unbelief of those who dwelt there.  And finally, from Revelation 20:12-13 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works."  Notice the word "every"; no getting around this point.  Now, I know the problem with the word "work"; it sounds as if what is being done is by our idea, our planning, and our labor.  It's not.  It's a natural response to the grace of God.  Kind of like when you have the opportunity to witness of Jesus, you don't do it because "you're supposed to"; you do it because you have such a relationship with him that any time you're presented with an opportunity, something inside you has to express itself.  Personally, I like to use the word "fruit" when talking of our response.  Read John 15 for a better understanding.  Either way, we are judged by our response to grace.

     So, why the hub-bub?  I'll impose my thought here, since this is my blog.  The reason a lot of Christians bristle at the thought of works is because many want to simply accept Jesus as their Savior, but not their King.  They want easy salvation.  But even as Jesus suffered for righteousness, so must we.  The "once saved, always saved" term is not scriptural.  Being saved, by grace, is the key that unlocked the door of our prison cell.  It is up to us to conduct ourselves in a manner that will not send us back.  Humanity wants free stuff, with no accountability.  Jesus didn't die to give us a free path.  He died so we could again have the opportunity to get back on the path, and there, show our loyalty to our Lord.  We do this through our works, or the fruit we bare.  This is the point made by the Apostle James in the second chapter of his epistle: "What profit is it, my brethren, for a man to say he hath faith, and hath not works? can faith save him? Yea, a man may say, I will show thee I have faith without works; but I say, show me thy faith without works, and I will show thee my faith by my works."  To put it simply, grace is the expression of God's love toward us, and works, or fruit is the expression of our love toward God, which is what we will be judged by.  You see, the two work together, for the salvation of man, and to the glory of God.  if we're ever to experience the Kingdom of God here, on earth, it must begin with our submission to the will of God in our lives.  As we are saved by grace, let us be diligent in bearing fruit meet for the Kingdom.  God bless.

Never Far Away

     Proverbs 3:5 tells us "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."  I fear we trust too much in the arm of flesh, not only our own wisdom, but in those whom we trust, which includes those in high position.  I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but the times in which we live dictate that we must constantly seek the mind and will of God, if we are ever to survive these last days.  

     A few years ago, we had, at the branch I was attending, a visiting minister who spoke under, what he felt, was the power of the Spirit.  Let me say here that I am a believer in latter day prophets, and the gifts of the Spirit.  I don't believe these expressions have been done away with, as many denominations pronounce.  But, this particular message that was given disturbed me; not just because I didn't agree with all he stated, but that I had no witness of the Spirit that any of his words were from the Lord.  While several other priesthood confirmed the message, I was left in an unenviable position, because I had to state my concern over said message.  I found myself in the minority, opposite of those whom I knew and respected.  It weighed heavily upon me, and in a short time, caused me to begin to doubt my ability to recognize the Lord's Spirit.  

     At this juncture, I close my thoughts about the instance referred to above, because it was never concluded; the subject was just sort of, dropped.  But, the point of my testimony doesn't really involve the above stated problem, but rather, the situation of darkness that I allowed myself to fall into.  You see, I began to doubt, not only my ability to recognize the Spirit, but doubt the Lord's willingness to help me through my situation.  I actually took myself off the branch schedule for a time, and began to believe that I should not be trying to bring any ministry because of the state I found myself in.  As time went on, and my prayers seemingly unanswered, I began to be bitter toward the Lord.  

     At this time in my life, I was still working as the caretaker for our church campground, so I could set my problems aside and immerse myself in all of the chores that accompany such a position.  One particular morning, my mind wandered to the 49th chapter of Isaiah which reads: "Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.  But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."  It appeared, to me, that perhaps I was selling the Lord short on his dedication.  

     As I pondered these verses, I set about to clean the A/C units in the cabins, which meant pull each out, and wash the unit properly.  They are large and heavy; really a job for 2, but when there's just you, you adapt.  On the outside of each cabin was a large, metal box, with louvers that allow for air flow to each unit.  The process was simple: pull off inside cover, unscrew the bolt that kept the unit in place, then pull it out and set it in the back of the truck.  But, after following these steps, the unit wouldn't move.  I tried the next, and the next, with no success.  I finally called a friend that was in the heating and cooling business, but he couldn't figure out the problem either.  After he left, I offered a prayer, asking for forgiveness, and a solution to my difficulty.  Nothing.  Just more frustration.  I began to complain to the Lord, but all I really did was condemn myself for lack of faith.  I was now convinced that the Lord had abandoned me.  I went into the second cabin and began to sweep the floor, figuring it was something I could accomplish without divine help.  I got so frustrated with the situation, that I began to weep.  I didn't know what to do with myself.  As I sat on one of the bunks, crying like a baby, a vagrant thought entered my mind: "look between the louvers".  What a silly thought!  I quickly dismissed it.  But again it came, only this time, it came with power.  "Look between the louvers".  I recognized this voice.  So, I walked outside and looked between the louvers.  I then saw one screw, that was easily accessible, holding the unit in place.  I then checked all the other cabins, only to find the same thing-one screw holding the unit in place.  (Note: I am in tears, even now, as I am typing this testimony, because the Spirit is confirming itself to me.)  My heart leaped within me.  I have not been forsaken.  The Lord had tested me, and came to me at my time of weakness.  I immediately went up to the house and shared the experience with my wife. 

     I'm not exactly sure why this testimony came to me, or the urging to place it on this blog.  Perhaps someone needs to be reminded that we are never too far that Jesus cannot reclaim us.  Sometimes the answer to our dilemma is just to be patient and believe.  II Chronicles 16:9 tells us "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him."  Think about this.  With all of the duties that the Lord has in managing the ENTIRE universe, he still constantly is watching over his most valuable creation, us, hoping for a faith that would enable Him to show Himself strong to us, and bless us!  God doesn't take vacations, or sleep, or engage in any activity that would ever allow himself to be drawn away from us.  So, the next time you feel separated from God, ask yourself: Who moved?  He is always true and faithful to us.

     It is my desire, that as you read this, His Spirit would confirm the testimony, and call you to repentance.  His desire is that you would be brought back into His presence, to dwell with Him eternally.  And remember, we need not wait for death to take us to begin to experience this eternal life.  John 3:36 tell us "he who believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life."  The word "hath" is present tense.  God is actively seeking you.  Just look to Him and believe.  "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you" is the promise that He made.  May He be alive in you, that His light might be a testimony through you to others.  God bless.

     

What's On Your Mind

     Many times, in the Christian life, we think about sin; specifically OUR sin.  It's always staring us in the face, or at least, should be.  But why does sin so often beset us?  Is there a weak link in our spiritual chain?  The answer is yes.  It's called being human.  We have weakness of the flesh, which Jesus spoke of many times.  But the problem is not that there's sin in the world, as it is the fact that there is sin in us.  How does it get there?  Well, to be brutally honest, we welcome it, sometimes with open arms.  Is there an easy way to shore up the weak spots in our lives?  No, but there IS a way, and understanding how sin enters our hearts is the key to closing the gap.

     You see, there is an information highway that starts in our mind and ends in our heart.  This might seem strange to some, but this pathway is the means by which we make spiritual decisions.  Let's look at a couple scriptures:

Gen. 8:10  "And God saw that the wickedness of man had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart; being only evil continually."

Jer. 7:24  "they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels, and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward."

     How interesting; notice how the last verse mentions the word "backward".  When you're not moving forward, toward God, you don't just remain at the point you abandoned; you go BACKWARD!  

     It seems, the heart is the bad guy here; or is it?  I looked for a definition of "imagination" and found this in Webster's Dictionary: Imagination-"the act of creating mental images of what has never been actually experienced".  So, does all sin fall into this category?  Not at all, but the processing of the sin, from our minds to our hearts, is the same in all instances that I can think of.  Any unattended thought can be like a monster, waiting to take over.  It can be hidden for years, waiting for the right (or worst) moment to emerge.  The seed, any vagrant thought, enters our mind, and eventually, if entertained long enough, will find its way to our heart.  Imagine this process to be like an acorn from the mighty oak tree.  The seed lands in the fertile soil of your mind, and, if left there, will begin to grow roots.  The first root a tree grows is the tap root, the strongest root, and then spreads its secondary roots throughout the earth, giving the tree the ability to feed itself, and remain strong and unmovable.  Sin, like this tree, once entertained in our minds, will find its way to our heart, where that sin is then sent throughout our entire being.  Just as the heart sends life giving blood throughout our whole body, likewise, the spiritual heart will either supply us with spiritual nourishment, or sinful disease.  It's our choice; we decide what we feed ourselves.  And the consequences involve our eternal well being.

     The first point we must understand that there is an evil force in this world that seeks to destroy us, and anything that promotes the Kingdom of God.  Though some might joke at Satan, the truth is that he is much more cleaver than any of us are.  He's been at his craft for a LONG time.  With this in mind, let me present to you, what I believe to be, in part, his plan:

1.  Entice us to want things that are contrary to the will of God.  
2.  Once this desire is created, he continues to fortify that desire.
3.  He repeatedly brings this desire to our attention until the desire for that sin outweighs our desire for righteousness.  

Throughout this process, Satan seeks to prove to us that holiness is beyond our grasp.  Once we accept this lie, we are then content to relax and drift with the flow.  Our carnal mind wants to accept the idea that He (God) "made me like I am", so I don't need to try to change, while the Spirit fights to remind us that we were made in the image of God.  Let me state here that any thought that enters your mind IS NOT sin.  It becomes sin when we entertain it, and allow it to take root in our heart.  Vagrant thoughts will find their way to our minds, but it is our job to immediately expel them.  Proverbs 23:7 is a very good indicator of this line of thinking: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he;"  Alma reminds us "that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."  One author suggests imagining a television mounted on our heads, so that every thought that we begin to entertain would become visible to all around us.  I think, in this scenario, we would be much more cognizant of what's what's going on in there.  

     So, how do we preserve our hearts to righteous thought and action?  By using the same path, from head to heart, only filling the mind with that which is of eternal value.  This is what Jesus did to thwart off the devil's advances.  Philippians 2:5 concurs: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus;".  Jesus spoke the word of God because He was the word, and he knew how to wield it.  And we should take note that when Christ refuted Satan, he didn't try to debate him, or outsmart him, but began quoting scripture beginning with "as it is written".  So our goal is to fill our minds, constantly, with things of heavenly nature, so that our adversary has no place to insert his temptations.  Meditating on the things of eternal value brings peace and strength.  Immoral thinking drains away the spiritual power we should have, and causes our souls to be in anguish, which, if left unattended, opens the doors to Satans tricks.  

      Paul tells us in the Roman letter: "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. "  To nurture this peace we must learn to feast upon the words of Christ, and meditate on it regularly.  Is this possible?  For the most part, but the world beckons us also, so we must continue to seek communion with the Lord as much as possible.  Section 58:6d councils us "Verily I say, Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves."  Remember what it was like when you were engaged?  You still worked, had chores, demands from others, but all of these things were secondary, in your heart, to your preparation for the marriage;  your focus was the upcoming union between you and your spouse.  Likewise, we should be, in our preparations, as the Church, in getting ourselves ready for the coming of bridegroom.  It's a mindset- a way of life.  A life of purpose.  Scripturally, the the duty of the bride is to prepare herself for the bridegroom, and keep herself pure.  This is the task we must perform; keeping our hearts and minds pure in preparation for the great day.  And the only way to insure success is to be filled with Him.  

     Simple thoughts?  Yes.  Simple in application?  No.  But it is our lot to be here for such a time as this.  I believe that we are in the last days, so our being here, at this time, has to be through the providence of God.  He has a plan, and you and I are a part of that plan, in whatever capacity he deems according to His will.  It is our responsibility to be prepared for the time that He calls our name.  We were created, in His image, to do His will.  Luke 1:37 reminds us "For with God, nothing can be impossible".  Let us believe that He can give us strength to overcome our adversary.  Let us remain true to our bridegroom as He prepares to return.  Let us stand as one body, the Church, and declare His name to all nations, kindreds, people, and tongues.  We were created for the sole purpose of bearing record of Him.  To this end, may we labor together.  God bless.

     

   

Absolute Surrender

     Have you ever wondered what the Lord really wants from us?  Many times, our human intellect tries to come up with limits, or boundaries, which is basically trying to figure out what the bare minimum is: how many minutes per day, what percentage of my money, how far I should travel, etc.  But the truth is, Jesus told us in his ministry what that acceptable service is. In John 13:1  "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."  Again, He is not talking about a certain frame of time, but rather, an attitude, or a change of heart.  Jesus told us in the fifth chapter of Matthew that if someone compels you to walk a mile with them, then go two.  The historical context of this scripture is interesting.  It seems, during the Roman rule, that armies passing through Jerusalem, would pick out young men to carry their packs for them.  The Romans, being the more "civil" people, would only require the young lads to carry their packs for one mile.  Thus, many of these boys would place a stick in the ground at the one mile marker, so they could drop the pack and head home.  Jesus asks us to go further.  How far?  Consider the fact that Jesus himself planted a stick in the ground, as a sign as to how far he would go for us.  The difference is that Jesus' stick was much bigger, and he hung upon his and died!

     So, what can we consider, to bring us understanding?  Let us look at I Kings 20:1-4 "And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together; and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.  And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.  And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have."  Those who have read this story, know that the Lord intervened on behalf of Israel.  But what we need to consider is: what was King Ben-Hadad expecting from King Ahab?  He wasn't asking for half of the Kingdom.  He wasn't looking for ten percent of the riches.  What did he expect?  Absolute Surrender!  So, what is the key to being endowed with power on high?  Absolute Surrender!

     The Apostle Paul tells us "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God is.  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another."  So, the key is to submit ourselves to the altar of sacrifice; not a literal alter, but a sacrifice of ourselves, or our wills.  The problem with any living sacrifice though, is that the sacrifice tends to get down, off the altar.  We must remain steadfast.  It is the process of dying to self, and the "putting on" of Christ.  Of this, Paul also states "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus;"

     Let's look at this process through the life of Peter.  First, Peter was a man of obedience.  After being out all night fishing, Peter and his partners returned to shore empty handed.  As the men were wetting their nets, Jesus, with a multitude, showed up.  The Master then steps into Peter's boat and speaks to those gathered.  Afterword, Jesus asks Peter to go out to sea, and let his nets down.  Peter, a fisherman, was reluctant, but added "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net."  Of course, we know the story, and the great load of fishes that were caught.  Peter was also a man of keen, spiritual insight.  At the sight of the great haul of fish, Peter recognized, at least in part, who it was that stood before him.  Peter responded "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord."  Peter was also a man of revelation.  Remember the great pronouncement at the shore of Caesarea Philippi, when Christ asked who THEY believed him to be.  It was Peter who exclaimed "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." to which Jesus responded "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."  Can we not each see ourselves in these moments, at some time in our lives?  But Peter was still living the life of self.  Shortly after the great pronouncement, and the response of the Master, Peter got ahead of himself.  Jesus then began to speak of his death, and the crucifixion by which it would occur.  But Peter would have none of it.  Still, relying on his own strength and wisdom, he rebuked Jesus.  Jesus' response was swift and brutal: "Get thee behind me, Satan!"  Again later, Jesus would speak to Peter about his spiritual health: "when you are converted strengthen your brethren."

     Even with all of his good attributes, Peter was still unfit to receive the endowing power that the Lord desired to bestow upon him.  Peter did not know himself.  The death of Peter came quickly.  Remember with me the story of how Peter was told he would deny Jesus three times before the cock crew.  Remember how, after Jesus was arrested, that Peter followed along, from a distance, warming himself by fires, denying that he knew the Lord.  Then, it happened: "And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly."  How significant that their eyes met.  What did Peter see in the eyes of his Beloved Master?  Anger?  Resentment?  No; Peter saw the eyes of unconditional love.  And Peter died...to himself.  But this wasn't the end of his story.  At the Day of Pentecost, Peter was given a new life; one that was dependent upon the grace of God.  He became a new creature, in Christ.

   Thus, our journey is envisioned.  For Christ to be all in us, we must become dead to ourselves.  There is no other way.  If we are to become like Him, we must do as He says.  His word says "Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect."  Our perfection is all about 1. Relationship 2. Relationship and 3. Relationship.  Only by His power can we ever defeat ourselves, and become like Christ.  But God already knows this.  This is why He communicates His desire for us thusly: "this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality, and eternal life of man."  If we are ever to be with Him, we must be like Him.  If we ever hope to be a witness of Him, we must have His image in our countenances.  We cannot set a fire within someone else unless there is a fire ablaze in us.  He is THAT fire.  Surrender to him, and watch His might hand work in your life.  God bless.
    


     



     

Love

  
      "For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish; but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  I'm sure everyone who has ever gone to church knows this scripture from John 3:16-17.  It's easily the most used (overused?) scripture by anyone who claims to be a Christian.  It seems to be a "get out of jail free" card for all those who don't want to hear about repentance, or that have no intention on changing their lives.  "God will accept me for who I am" is the general response.  But is this the real intent of these verses?  I think not.  There is a well of understanding that is being offered into the character of God in these verses, and also quite a bit of wisdom as to how we should behave as believers.

     To be honest, as a young man, I hated these verses.  I grew up in a single parent family, with all of the poverty and scorn that accompanies it.  Love was not spoken in our home.  I knew my mom loved me, but I honestly never remember her saying so.  Perhaps my disdain over this beloved verse is because I never felt it.  Because of my "growing up years", I always found myself drawn to verses such as "my sword is bathed blood", or "my wrath shall soon be upon all my creation."  It wasn't that I really wanted God's wrath upon anyone, but, I think, it was more a stipulation on my part, that everyone will get there own some day; that what I experience will be experienced by everyone else.  I believe it's the old "misery loves company" syndrome.  How little I truly understood about the love of God, and the extents to which He went to show us this love.

     Arthur Oakman once stated that "the instrument of love is sacrifice".  I believe this to be a true statement.  If you claim to love anyone, you will be forced to make some difficult decisions on their behalf.  Is God any different?  Let's examine John 3:16.  In this verse, we find 3 realities: God, love, and the world.  Following these three words we find one word that speaks to the divine nature; GAVE.  He GAVE His Son for us!  There was no other way to bring His creation back to Himself.  And the Son GAVE Himself willingly, because He loved His Father.  Let me here introduce you to a spiritual truth: you cannot keep a spiritual principle without expressing it temporally.  I want you to read this again: YOU CANNOT KEEP A SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE WITHOUT EXPRESSING IT TEMPORALLY.   I cannot tell my family that I love them (spiritual principle) without taking care of their physical needs, such as food, raiment, housing, etc.  Without this temporal expression, the word "love" remains just another four letter word.  But the scriptures are filled with God's response toward us.  I once was watching a televangelist who was pointing at his bible and said "this bible represents mans search for his God".  I thought about this statement, and realized I couldn't disagree more.  The scriptures that we have are the testimony of God in a passionate pursuit of His people!  And it all began in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit.  As soon as Eve took a bite of the fruit, the death warrant for Jesus was signed.  Not as a second thought, but as the response of love from the God who we belong to.  Jesus willingly sacrificed himself for us.  There was no other way back to God.  There still is no other way back to God.  Jesus himself stated "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  

     So, how can we begin to love God as He deserves?  It all goes back to the relationship; spend time with him.  In prayer, in His word, in meditation, in singing.  We so often are too busy in life to make time for him-to sacrifice something on His behalf.  As we begin to know Him, we'll find that we love Him more.  And, interestingly, we'll find more love for those around us.  That's the way His Spirit works.  Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment in John 13, and it is just as pertinent for us today: "A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."  You see, THIS kind of love is beyond a physical type of affection or care.  This kind of love is "Agape"; it is fruitage of the Spirit.  This kind of love cannot be discovered through learning or practice, it comes only through revelation.  As the revelation of God through His son Jesus is placed in our being, it, like a seed, will produce much fruit.  When Jesus said "if you love me, keep my commandments", He didn't mean it a law, backed by a taskmasters whip.  He meant it as a response to His love, working in our lives, changing us into Heavenly beings that will abide in His presence.  As He died for us, so we must die for him, and all that we have opportunity to witness to.  It's a supernatural response to a supernatural love.  I once heard someone say "see the thing, be the thing".  Not sure what exactly was meant, but we need to see Jesus in our everyday lives if we're ever to be like Him.  Wonder when the Kingdom will come?  When we love as he loves.  God bless.

     :. 

Keep His Commandments

     "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."  In this post, we look at the last of the four reasons why the children of Israel wandered: "whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."  
    
     I remember, as a kid, my mom would tell me to do something, and I was often slow to comply, or even do it at all.  Yes, I was rebellious.  But the reality was, I didn't love her enough.  Jesus said "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).  Doing something you're asked to do is an expression of love.  I remember when my grandpa would ask me if I wanted to walk fields with him, which meant carrying a hoe, and taking out weeds.  I hated it; but I loved him, so I always obliged.  His body language, while I accompanied him, was always something that made me feel thankful, because I knew he loved me, and wanted to be with me, and I wanted to return that expression.  

     Scripture is replete with references on keeping the commandments; we know this.  It's the inner desire; a lack of love (to be brutally honest) for God, that keeps us from effectually being obedient.  When I was young, there were lots of reasons for not obeying my mom, because, I thought, I'm just a kid.  Paul addresses this notion in I Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Reality is such that we must take responsibility for ourselves.  The promises of keeping God's commandments are sure.  Genesis 9:21 states "And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself."

     The gospel, at root, is about relationships.  In order to build relationships, there must be trust, love, and sacrifice.  Our Heavenly Father demonstrated this desired relationship for us in the giving of His only begotten Son.  In any relationship, communication and cooperation, are the building blocks.   Being "of one heart, and one mind" is the fruit of said relationship.  This is what John was referencing in I John 2:3-4 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."  Knowing Him is the product of keeping His commandments. John adds later "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."  As any good parent, the Lord desires us to keep his commandments because He desires the best for us, and embedded in his commandments are the means by which we receive the best from him.  It doesn't always have to make sense; we just need to believe and obey.  

     Perhaps our greatest stumbling block in keeping His commandments is because we don't always understand them.  What would be our response to being told to walk around Jericho, once a day for six days, and then on the seventh day, you'll walk around Jericho seven times, after which the priests will blow their horns, and the walls will crumble down.  Imagine the looks on the children of Israel while Joshua explained this plan.  Truth is, the Lord doesn't need us to approve of His plans, He just wants us to obey.  Consider this lesson: in the fourth chapter of Genesis, we read about how the Lord commanded Adam to make sacrifice.  Adam obeyed.  Many days after, an angel of the Lord appeared to Adam and asked him why he made sacrifice.  Adams response was "I know not, except I was commanded of the Lord". It was then that the angel explained that the sacrifice was in similitude of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the Son of the Almighty.  The lesson here is: understanding always follows obedience.  Keeping the commandments opens the Heavenly windows for the revelation of God.  There is no other path to this intimate relationship with Him.

     Four reasons for the forty years of wandering.  How long shall we wander?   How long will it take us to embrace The Truth and look upward?  Does it matter?  It sure does.  So much so that God sent His Son to die for us.  What are we willing to sacrifice to dwell in the Kingdom of God?  How about our will.  Trust Him.  Make his will your desire.  Know Him.  Make His word your bread.  He waits. He longs for us.  Jesus didn't die so we could go to church; Jesus died so that we could become the church.  To His honor and glory may we serve.  God bless.

    

Thine heart

     "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."  In this, the third post on this scripture, we will be considering the heart, or the importance of knowing what is in our hearts.  We're not talking about blood, ventricles, or aortas.  We're going to look at what the Lord was meaning when he said "know what was in thine heart".  As in previous posts, He is not referring to what He needs to look at in our hearts; He already knows us.  Our hearts are open to him like a book, and all He needs to do is turn the pages.  The point of the scripture is so that he might expose to US what is in OUR hearts.

     There are many verses throughout scripture that speak of the heart; both in temporal terms, as well as spiritual terms.  Again, we will be looking into the spiritual meaning of the heart in this post.  Let's consider a few, both negative and positive.  Genesis 6:57 reads: "And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying, Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so, when they begin to grow up sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good."  Genesis 7:23 tells us "And the called his people, Zion, because they were of one heart and of one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there were no poor among them."  In the Psalms, we have two opposite views as well: "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works." and "His mouth is full of cursing and deceit; and his heart is full of fraud; and under his tongue is mischief and vanity."  How can these two extremes exist in the same heart?  They really can't.  It reminds me of the old story of an Indian who claims he has the spirit of two wolves fighting inside of him; one kind and gentle, the other mean and dangerous.  When asked which one will survive, the Indian pronounced "which ever one I feed".  Such is the truth with our hearts.

     Let's for a moment consider our natural heart.  It is the means by which the life blood is pumped throughout our whole bodies.  Without it, we would die.  Abuse what we take into our bodies, and the heart pumps the poison all through our being, making us sick, or even bringing us death.  Provide our bodies with good things, and we will be filled with life giving nourishment.  Such it is in the spiritual life also.   The Bible uses the word "heart" primarily to refer to the ruling center of the whole person, the spring of all desires. The heart is seen as the seat of the will, intellect and feel­ings. "Character", "personality" and "mind" are approximate modern terms for the Bible's meaning of heart.  According to the Bible, the heart is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. "Heart" and "soul" are often used interchangeably (Deut. 6:5;26:16; comp. Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33), but this is not generally the case. The heart is the "home of the personal life," and hence a man is designated, according to his heart, wise (1 Kings 3:12, etc.), pure (Ps. 24:4; Matt. 5:8, etc.), upright and righteous (Gen. 20:5, 6; Ps. 11:2; 78:72), pious and good (Luke 8:15), etc. In these and such passages the word "soul" could not be substituted for "heart." The heart is also the seat of the conscience (Rom. 2:15). It is naturally wicked (Gen. 8:21), and hence it contaminates the whole life and character (Matt. 12:34; 15:18; comp. Eccl. 8:11; Ps. 73:7 ).  

     Our problem, to some extent, is that we look TOO much at the sin, and not the heart.  Sin is the fruit of what lies in the heart.  Consider this: you and your companion are ready for bed.  It's late, and you have had a long day.  Suddenly, one of you remembers that there are a sink full of dishes waiting to be cleaned.  After bringing your companion to the attention of said dishes, you suddenly hear water being run into the sink.  Then, you hear the cleaning and rinsing of dishes.  Shortly after it becomes quiet, your 7 year old comes and stands before you.  With a big smile, this little servant announces that the dishes are done, and you can go to bed.  As good, respectable parents, you get up, go into the kitchen, and inspect the work.  You find that there is still food crusted on all of the plates still.  There is dried egg in the tines of several forks, left from that mornings breakfast.  Yes, your determination is correct- these are not good works.  But then, you look into the beaming eyes of your little one; so proud to have helped, filled with the desire of showing love to you; perhaps the works aren't perfect.  But the heart of this little one is!  This is what the Lord desires of each of us.  When our hearts are perfect, we become pliable in the hands of the potter.  When we reach this point in our lives, then the righteous works will follow.  In Matthew 5:10, Jesus says it best: "And blessed are all the pure in heart; for they shall see God." 

 

     A heart wholly devoted, a whole heart, a pure heart are commonly understood terms for any "first-love" relationship (Revelation 2:4) with the Lord. It is the "hot" rather than the "lukewarm" of Revelation 3:16.  There is one more expression to consider. Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord God with all one's heart, mind, soul and strength. It may be unnecessary to draw the distinction, but if a whole or pure heart is a perfect quality, then "with all one's heart" is perfect quantity.  To this end, may we labor together, for the good of His Kingdom.  God bless.

    

    

Prove Thee

    "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."  In this post, we shall consider the second point that the  Lord makes concerning why the children of Israel wandered for forty years: "prove thee".

     Let's first consider the meaning of the word, before we look at the Lord's purpose behind it.  The word "prove", scripturally, is a term that is expressed through four different, but connected words.  The first, "nacah" means to lift or weigh.  The second word "bachan" means to try by heat or fire.  The third, "dokimazo" means to try, and the last, "peirazo" means to tempt.  One other definition that deserves consideration is "to establish or demonstrate; to find by experience.  In other words, there is a work being accomplished, which is centered upon the revelation of God to his creation.  This is the key to the understanding of what the Lord intends for us to see in this verse.

     There is one other question that needs to be answered: who is this "proving" for?  It certainly does not mean to prove anything about us to God, for He knows more about us than we do.  But rather, the opposite is what is being accomplished; the means by which God proves himself to us, and the proving of ourselves.......to ourselves.  Let's think about this.  God intended Israel's experience in the wilderness to be the means by which he taught them that all of life, both the physical and the spiritual aspects, are totally dependent upon God's providence.  And it's the same lesson for those of us, in these last days, who labor on our pilgrimage to the Kingdom of God.  

     You see, God allowed difficulties for the Israelites to face; and he does so for us too.  Romans 8: 18-20 reads "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be named with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  For the creature was made subject to tribulation not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected it in hope;"  Notice the last sentence: "hope", "him".  Who subjected us in hope?  Him- God.  It is his hope that we become dependent upon him.  This is why he allows trials.  This is why such trials never come at convenient times; the more difficult choices seem to come in times of hardship, when our loyalty is put into question, and when it is much easier to serve ourselves.  God wants us to sacrifice ourselves, or our wills, instead.

     God works, with great wisdom, to expose our weaknesses.  It took forty years to expose the weaknesses of the children of Israel so that they would finally cry out to him to fill the void in their lives, and make them whole.   God's one goal is to break our pride and the continual process of focusing our lives upon ourselves.  Remember the experience of Isaiah in chapter six.  It took the vision of the Holy One to set the prophet free from himself.  This is Gods plan for us.  By allowing tribulations to come upon us, he sets the stage for us to recognize our true weakness, and then the revelation of Himself that delivers us from ourselves and sets us free in Him.  Remember; when Jesus sets you free, you are "free indeed".

     God does not waste his resources, and he never gives up on anyone.  Philippines 1:6 reads "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ;"   Willingly, he puts us into the furnace of affliction, so that we might return to him pure and unadulterated.  This is His hope, and His work.  And it's our work too.  We are to be the instruments in His hands to bring the light of Christ to all those we come in contact with.  This is the purpose of purging.  This is the purpose of tribulation.  Let us, willingly, lay our lives upon the altar of sacrifice, and glorify Him.  God bless.

    

Humility

     "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."  This scripture verse, from Deuteronomy 8:2, has spoken to me recently.  Any of us who grew up in the R.L.D.S. church know of a major split that occurred in 1984.  While the reason, and/or the people behind it are important, they are not the point of this particular post.  Even more pressing, to my mind, is the realization that we are still "in the wilderness" since the split, and our continued wandering is a product of our own decisions. Considering the scripture quoted above, we are now in the 35th year of wandering.  My concern is, that we are all too comfortable in our scattered state to really care enough to look into how we can be brought back together, as one church again.

     In the scripture noted, the Lord gives 4 reasons why he had the children of Israel wander for forty years: to humble them, to prove them, to know their hearts, and to see if they would keep his commandments.  I would like to begin to look at each of these reasons, separately, in upcoming blog posts.  Today, I wish us to consider humility.

     Christian life has suffered great loss, because believers have not been distinctly guided to see that nothing in life is more natural and beautiful, than to be nothing, so that God may be all.  It has not been made clear that it is not sin that humbles us, but grace.  We live in an era when it is assumed that one can be a Christian, and still serve self.  In this, we err.  When God created the universe, it was with the one object of making man the partaker of His perfection, and of showing in creation, the glory of His love, His wisdom, and His power.  Even today, God wishes to reveal himself, in and through us believers, the communication and revelation of himself to all of His creation. Let's consider Isaiah 6: 1-8  "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.  Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;  And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." 
    
     A lot to consider here.  I believe this to be one of THE greatest worship experiences recorded in scripture.  King Uzziah is mentioned because, history tells us, that Isaiah was a first cousin of the king.  Not only did he have royal blood, but he was also a prophet of the most high God.  It would seem easy to allow a little pride in occasionally.  How do we know?  Because of his reaction to seeing the King of Kings in vision.  "I am undone" is quite a phrase.  Imagine yourself being a piece of rope, created at a certain length, for a certain purpose by God.  Pride, or lack of humility, creates knots in the rope that actually reduce the ability of the created rope to function to the length intended.  When Isaiah beheld the glory of God, all of his pride crumbled; the knots became "undone".  The recognition of his filthy rags of sin had convicted Isaiah of his unworthiness, and left him without hope.  This is what sin does-separates us from God.  But the vision doesn't end there.  God has mercy upon him.  As the seraphim flies to Isaiah, and touches his lips with the coal, God is extending grace, and forgives Isaiah his sins.  This is true humility: to recognize your inability to save yourself, and then recognize the grace of God to you that sets you free.  Isaiah's response: "here am I, send me!"

     Humility is the place of entire dependence on God. Humility is the root of every virtue, the soil in which the fruit of the Spirit take root and grow.  Humility is not something we offer to God, but it is the sense of entire nothingness, which comes from when we see how truly God is all, and in which we make way for God to be all.  No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang.  Through all its existence, it can only live with the life that was in the seed that gave it being.

     Humility is not an act; it's a life.  Sometimes it's easy to think of ourselves as humble before God, yet in all truth, humility toward others will be the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real.  It is in our relationship to one another, in our treatment of one another, that the true lowliness of mind and the humility of heart are to be seen.  This is the true self-denial to which our Savior calls us; the acknowledgement that self has nothing good in it except as an empty vessel which God alone must fill.  Our humility before God has no value, except that it prepares us to reveal the love of Jesus to our fellow men.  We are called to be a light unto this world.  It is in the depth of humility that God can set us ablaze, for his glory and honor.  To this end, may we labor together.  God bless.