God is in Every Detail!

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Exodus 12:26-27 And when your children say to you, ‘ What does this rite mean to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’” And the people bowed low and worshiped.

I still cringe when I think I told my teacher, pastor and mentor that in my opinion the Old Testament was “just” history.

I’m not a fan of history because there are so many details (do they really matter?) to memorize, besides the fact you had to BE THERE to understandable the minutia.

You get it, right? Will it really be worthwhile to use up my limited and therefore valuable brain real-estate for details I may never use nor a passion to understand? ESPECIALLY since I am a Gentile and NOT a Jew! (FYI, I might have I heard recently, the same rumblings from some rather star-quality preachers? Not that I listen to them either!)

But God…

I had the BEST pastor, teacher, and mentor in my new-born Christianity who believed the WHOLE of Scripture is God breathed! Johnny V. Miller, you know who you are!

Then God led my daughter to a Messianic Synagogue. A place that preaches and lives and loves the same Savior as me AND claims the unity Jesus brought to all of us.

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “ Uncircumcision” by the so-called “ Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (Ephesians 2:11-14)

Well, now we’re talking family not just the minutia of history!

Through Nicole’s journey, I was led to finally understand that there are NOT two separate and unequal possessions of God. There are NOT two separate and unequal messages of Old and New Salvation, only the TESTAMENT (true  testimony) of God’s Will, containing all of the DETAILS God set into place from Creation to eternity to fulfill His Will. 

Man divided God’s Word giving the impression that old and new are separate and separated from the promises and provisions (DETAIL!) God made in each. God never allows His details (the law and the prophets) He sets in place to be abolished… “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Matthew 5:17-18

God’s Testament is the WHOLE story (EVERY detail) of HIS family… OUR family… MY family (if indeed we “own” our position in the family of God)! If it was not a detail of unchanging importance it would not be a detail at all.

[Just a note about learning to understand God’s details: I was not born to be a Jew, but because of my Savior, who IS a Jew, I have been born-again to be an adopted Jew (Gentile who is now grafted into Israel). My task now, just as it is in any adoption, is to passionately pursue all things FAMILY. Because I have not been raised/immersed (from the age of 2) in Hebrew (the original language given to God’s nation), our Rabbi is a God-send! I can read a translation of the family’s beginnings and journeys and all things human, but without the original content and context, I will often fail at owning the identity nor will I fully understand that God’s Will from the days of creation, to the days of now, to all of the days to come, has NEVER changed.]

Take for example God’s DETAIL in His Testament about His first nation.

When Israel was enslaved by Egypt, though I was yet a twinkle of a twinkle of a twinkle of a twinkle in the eye… of these my forefathers, I was a slave, not just to Egypt, but like all of humanity, to the knowledge (the reality AND the choosing which to serve) of good and evil. I, as much as them, needed freedom from evil’s slavery. What began in the garden, our sin of giving evil access to God’s creation, brought forth God’s immediate judgement of sin (wages of sin is death) and the details to free His creation from evil. Every detail that God has put into place, puts into place, and will put into place, from beginning to end, in every life are His Word going forth for the purpose of life in the immediate life and life eternally.

Now you may think Passover (God’s details put into place to free Israel from Egypt) has nothing to do with you if you are not Jewish. After all, our detail is Easter Sunday! we celebrate the RESURRECTION (victory over death) and of course the Easter Bunny so the death on the cross of the Lamb of God is not so scary for the children.

But do you know that Passover is about the first lamb sacrificed to save the firstborn from the death. The whole of the details of this time in our family, were to bring God’s people out of slavery (Egypt) and into freedom so they might journey to the Promised Land – the land of milk and honey.

As with most of the TESTAMENT of our forefathers, EVERY DETAIL of their story is not only dealing with the current needs of the day but also looking ahead to the coming of MESSIAH that was promised for the salvation of God’s beloved people.

Passover is also the prequel to the last sacrifice that forever saves us from eternal death if indeed we cover the doorposts and lintel of our hearts with the blood of Jesus – our Savior – the Lamb of God. 

His last meal before giving His body and blood to obtain the desire of God that none should perish, was the observance and remembrance of that first Passover.

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household.  Exodus 12:3

Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.  Exodus 12:5-6

Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  Exodus 12:7-8 

Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover. For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments— I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.  Exodus 12:11-13  

Jesus, at the Passover meal, what we sometimes call His last supper… While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26-28 The Passover of death to ETERNAL LIFE… the covenant of God to save His people!

The command in Exodus to our forefathers (Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as  a permanent ordinance.  Exodus 12:14)is as active and present to us… “Do this in memory of Me”

So… when your children or anyone else say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’

What will you answer?

Will you say ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of God’s children when He smote EVIL, but spared our souls for eternity.’?

And the people bowed low and worshiped.

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

What Are the Odds?

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Psalm 139:13-16  For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

Billions of people on one small planet able to sustain the basic needs of a creation, that, while it has changed and will change over time, it remains a world built for its creatures great and small. Though many argue it is just years away from complete destruction, these same people age the planet at billions of years old. Remarkable! One can only imagine how that happened when it is only this generation that is wise enough to save the planet from the human race (mankind) that has selfishly used, abused and put us on this path of destruction.

What are the odds? A world full of creatures, created supposedly by a chance super explosion (the Big Bang), have had the energy/power to breathe, walk, eat, produce mini me’s, learn, teach, grow, and live each moment that is allowed… by chance.

And yet, there is only one world we have discovered, like us. In fact we have yet to find another planet that could provide even temporary sustenance for this creation. We IMAGINE that there are more but as of yet there isn’t a vaca to the New Earth star. So… we better get busy SAVING this one.

What are the odds?

On the other hand, what if it’s not chance at all, but God?

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

What if there is Someone Who has a Master design plan? What if there is Someone who took time to prepare the earth, provide for its long term sustainability, and manages every detail to insure His Creation will indeed fulfill His Master Plan for it. Someone Who doesn’t just play with the world He creates and sustains, but desires intimacy and partnership with the creatures and their world.

Psalm 139:1-5 You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. And, Oh, the audacity, does all this (and keeps on doing it) without my permission or awareness, or god forbid, without my agreement.

Psalm 139:7-12 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

Are you betting that there is NO God? Are you counting on the idea that there is no higher authority than man himself or herself? Are you convinced that all of life happens pretty much by luck?  Do you “Imagine” that your perception is the only reality, and therefore YOU are the judge, jury, and alpha of YOUR WORLD.

For some this is comforting. No one to “really” answer to, and no one to make me do what I don’t want to do or not let me do what I want to do. FREE to be me!

Someone once sang… Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose… (“Me and Bobby McGee” is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson intended. A posthumously released version by Janis Joplin topped the U.S. singles chart in 1971… Wikipedia…)

But what if the odds are against you? What if you have A LOT to loose? What if by choosing to bet against God, you loose Him, for eternity?Might I suggest you give your deck of cards one more shuffle before you go all in with your bet?

Since we have no idea of the number of our days written in God’s book, we might want to consider that the final card dealt will end the game. All bets stand as is and all cards are turned over to reveal, for eternity, if you’re a winner or a looser.

I am always glad to be given the opportunity to talk about the gamble I have made in the game of life. Just ask and I will tell you, “I am ALL IN with God, My Father, who loved me so much He sent His Son to save me. I will tell you He sought me and caught me and bought me redeeming love.” I will tell you that, “Because of Jesus, I am declared WINNER and will never loose eternity.”

But I will also tell you that no one could ever “tell” me (and MANY tried) to chose to believe in God. I was once one of those people who now think of me as an idiot, but smile and nod so as not to “hurt” my foolish feelings. So I know, that what my Rabbi (Rabbi Michale Vowell) said on Saturday is true… you can tell someone all day long but until they MEET GOD FOR THEMSELVES (person to person) they will not know Him nor believe in Him. **not a quote – only my comprehensive summary**

And so I pray and encourage everyone, before the final moment written in God’s book comes along, seek God for yourself. Ask, Seek and Knock before you decide.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13)

God is not afraid to meet you face to face, nor will He withhold the truth from you in order to “make” you believe. He will not sugar coat or lie or hide from you. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free!  FREE to chose.

We have a lot of opinions and a lot of personal beliefs. We boast that we KNOW everything we NEED TO KNOW. If that is so, I challenge you to do as God challenged Job (who believed completely in God but was sure he could have changed God’s mind about Job being allowed to suffer – don’t we all think that?).

Then the Lord  answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? “Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!  Job 38:1-3

Just a warning, if you are speaking.to.God, you may want to be sure you KNOW what you are talking about… but none the less, if you are going to talk crap, gird up your loins and get ready to answer God’s questions.

After all is said and done you may just find what Job found (and again he KNEW God before but fund out how little he knew). Then Job answered the Lord and said, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-6

What are the Odds?

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

Peace… Pursued, Prepared For, Practiced and Perfected

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Philippians 4:4-7  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Last week I was amazed in the moment I realized, it is indeed “WELL WITH MY SOUL”.  Truly a place I want to live out my days!

A place of perfect peace (Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. John 14:27) The Jesus peace!

Then came a “sea-billow” (from the song mentioned last week) called Coronavirus.

Hello God… about that place of perfect peace…

Welcome to God’s virtual classroom! A place where ALL of God is available but NEVER to be thrown “as pearls before swine”. A place where all of God must be Pursued… Prepared to receive… Practiced until perfected… and Prayed for until . And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.  (Romans 8:28-30)

Here I thought it is all just a touch of God’s magic wand, some Words He would/or has spoken over me, that eliminates any need for me to spend time in the study hall  of blood, sweat and tears.

There is a rumor going around that we are ALREADY perfect, we just have to name it and claim it. I say we are perfect – CHILDREN (some of us more than others) of God.   But not perfected… conformed to the image of His Son… revealed when heaven comes to earth.

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  Romans 8:19-21

In the meantime we have some work to do!

Pursue, Prepare, and Practice the training up God, our Father is producing in our lives (if indeed you are His child) to Perfect those saved by faith in Jesus.

Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 

Pursue… Peace with God. You can search the world over for people, places and things that temporarily make you happy, or comfortable, or secure, but all will turn into nothing more than false gods who promise but cannot nor will not satisfy the need of your soul. Your soul knows, YOU NEED GOD, even if you don’t agree.

That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  Romans 1:19-20

Prepare for peace… Know that peace isn’t always getting what you demand. Peace is rarely about being happy, healthy and wise. In fact peace is being convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

Practice peace…  Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  James 1:2-4 Practice KNOWING that God will never leave you nor forsake you! Practice KNOWING that God has a plan – plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 

Practice… The Lord blessing you, and keeping you; The Lord making His face shine on you, and being gracious to you; The Lord lifting up His countenance on you, and giving you peace.  Numbers 6:24-26

Until Peace is Perfected through practice… yes, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, but I’m thinking more of a wrestling match like Jacob had. (see Genesis 32:24-30)

The kind of wrestling match that a good father & a beloved child would consider essential in their relationship. The kind of wrestling match that teaches, and encourages, and exercises, and creates unbreakable bonds. The kind of wrestling match that touches both lives in love. Wrestle in peace… Pursued, Prepared For, Practiced and Perfected.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

The Lord is near.

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

The Perfect Dwelling for Me!

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Psalm 27:4-5 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

The ONE thing I have asked for that I shall seek… I’ve asked for MANY things (and still do), some of which, in hindsight, seem silly! Some, seem impossible. Some are selfish and some are somewhere over the rainbow.

Most of my “prayer” requests have one thing in common – me! They are important for the moment of asking, and become a distant memory as more requests follow. And that’s ok, especially for a child… we are encouraged to run to Daddy… Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6.

But I was thinking (it happens!) the other night, “What ONE THING do I want that I am willing to PURSUE with all my heart? What ONE THING do I never get enough of? What ONE THING overrides every moment of grief and fills me with hope? What ONE THING makes me want to sing of it, in the midst of anything and everything?”

And then it happened!

I was singing, “It is well, it is WELL, with my soul!”

“It Is Well With My Soul” is a hymn penned by hymnist Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss. (According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) This hymn was written after traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first two were the death of his four-year-old son and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago that was extensively damaged by the great fire).[2] His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873, at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre. In a late change of plan, he sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone …”. Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.[3] Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.[4]

That’s IT!!

The ONE THING I desire, not just in heaven but here, and now, no matter how, when, where or what, no matter why!

The PERFECT dwelling for my SOUL (all that is me). The ONE PLACE that forever holds the beauty of the Lord. The ONE PLACE that I can meditate in His temple and see beyond the chaos and danger and foolishness of this earth. The ONE PLACE, in the day of trouble, He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me.

The ONE PLACE where it is… WELL WITH MY SOUL!

YES! Lord, please?… I have asked from the Lord…

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

And now…I shall seek!

We are encouraged to ask, for everything, always. (If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!  Matthew 7:10-11) Our God is a GOOD GOOD Father!!! In our prayer life we tend to “live” here on earth (at least I do). We “dwell” in the here and now, with little thought, other than making our requests, of WHO those requests are going to and WHERE HE DWELLS. I’m not even sure we are in the vicinity of His door when we yell our requests, much less at His door, knocking. I sometimes think I am hiding from God, in my prayer closet, rather than opening the door for a face to face visit in my future eternal home.

For the longest time, probably since my new-birth, I’ve wanted to/begged to know how to pray, what to pray, who to pray for. Many many wise people have taught me and I have learned fruitful techniques and Spirit-filled words. The first and foremost of all prayer, being, to KNOW WHO you are praying to. The second and equally important tenet of prayer is to be KNOWN by Him (Search me O Lord, and know my heart).

Over 35 years later, I still pray for, seek, and knock on Lord’s door for more of this ONE THING. To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Am I not there already? I know, theoretically, I am signed, sealed, delivered, and safe eternal death. The blood of my Savior, Yeshua, over the doorpost of my LIFE, guarantees He purchased me. It is well with my soul!

But this ONE THING I still want… this ONE THING I still seek…

To SING because my soul KNOWS, and not just theoretically, it is truly dwelling!

Job’s kind of knowing (because he’s been there, done that)…

Then Job answered the Lord and said, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” (Job 42:1-4)

Horatio Spafford’s kind of knowing (in the midst of the hell our enemy throws at us)…

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

To sing in the midst of whatever!

To sing because I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and behold the beauty of the Lord and meditate in His temple

And never fear the day(many days!) of trouble because He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Yes, my friends, I think this is the Perfect Dwelling Place for ME!

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.”  John 14:2-4 

We know the way… He’s ready… Let’s go!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted

A Safe Space Designed by, Built by, and Occupied by… (your name goes here)

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Esther 4:13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.”

When you know what you have to do but all of your options don’t give you much confidence in the outcome.

Esther was concerned for her uncle Mordecai’s well-being. She loved him and didn’t want to see him in sackcloth and ashes (typical mourning garments), wailing loudly and bitterly. (Esther 4) When it was told to Esther, she “writhed in great anguish“. She wanted to help, truly she did. So she sent garments to clothe him that he might remove his sackcloth.

There you go, fixed that! Oh, don’t laugh! She meant well. She suffered for him for a minute and provided a widely used (still today) solution to grief. STOP IT! Pick yourself up, clean yourself off, and start all over again!

Mordecai refused. This was more than just a little tiff that escalated because Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to Haman (the current BFF of the king). Not that Mordecai ever considered trying to please Haman (the man was evil – he was filled with rage – Esther 3:5). This wasn’t about the normal honor an official could expect, this was about taking pleasure in planning and orchestrating the extinction of an entire people he hated just because! And now, he had the power of the throne.

Mordecai told him (Esther’s messenger)all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people. Esther 4:7-8

Whoa! What’s a girl to do? Besides, what could she do? Barely a teenager, chosen in a beauty contest she didn’t choose to enter, brought to the palace to replace a rebellious queen who happened to say “No!” to the king. For Esther to actively seek help for her uncle and all her fellow Jews, she would be risking death just to ask for a moment with the king much less ask for him to rescind an order authorized by the crown. “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” Esther 4:11 Beside’s the fact that no one knows I’m a Jew. Esther 2:20 Do you really want me to commit suicide????

Mordecai wanted Esther to realize this was her choice, but he also wanted her to face reality and choose righteousness, not self protection.

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14

“You are a Jew, Esther, whether they know it yet or not. You cannot escape who you are AND  there is no guarantee of safety and protection from this world of evil. If you choose to place your faith and life in the hands of a worldly system, you cannot expect God to abandon His people and His Will for His people, so that you do not have to risk what He has ordained for your life.”

No Spoiler Alert necessary… Did she or didn’t she put her life in God’s hands? Did evil Haman get his dreams fulfilled? I’m not telling! Read the rest of the book.

My point is… We spend so much of our time, our mind, our life, focusing on OUR WAY. How to build a safe space, a space that will not allow disruption of our peace, our plan, our pursuit. A space that only those who know and willingly follow my rules of safety first are allowed into. A safe space so well constructed and guarded that, “No Worries!” is not just a sign on the wall but the actual oxygen of each and every room. A Palace built for and by the  king/queen of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

I just have one thing to say to myself and anyone else who’s primary goal in life is, “Safe. Secure and In Control”… “Do not imagine that you, little earthling, in the king’s palace, you so carefully built, can escape any more than all the rest of the earthlings on this planet.”

I’m just sayin…

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

Quid Pro Quo…

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Habakkuk 3:17-19  Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places. 

Nope. This is NOT about politics! Maybe a little about hypocrisy. But it is about what is common to every man, woman, and child.

We are SELF-concerned, SELF-excusing, SELF-caring, SELF-promoting, SELF-serving, SELF-righteous.

All this SELF-stuff does make sense when we consider, we have spent 9 months with ourselves in a cocoon, developing into an amazing creature that is unique from every other creature in our universe, including the vessel that, not only housed us but provided sustenance, protection, a waterbed we could float and swim in. Apart from those who had to share their cocoon, we were the only ONE we were aware of. We were the only ONE that did such amazing moves, somewhat like what we later learned was an Olympian skill set. We have spent 9 months falling in love with our BESTEST friend! The one who is perfect in every way!

Then comes that rude day, when we discover IT AINT ALL ABOUT ME!

And, worst of all, even me – my bestest friend, can become my own worst enemy!

What is an enemy? Someone, something, somewhere that tells me… NO!

“But I NEEEEEEEEED!!!!!!”

And so we enter the world system of the promise makers. “You can be what you want to be, have what you want to have, live as you want to live, think what you decide to think, do what you demand the right to do…” EXCEPT… just one very small exception… EXCEPT if I or someone, something, somewhere else refuses to let you be, have, live, think, or do what you want.

“Mommy?”… “Daddy?”… “Nanny?”… “ANYONE?”

Desperation turns to planning, planning turns to bargaining, and bargaining turns to, you got it, Quit Pro Quo. (Wikipedia indicates this is a Latin phrase translated in English to “Something for Something” – meaning an exchange of goods and services, in which one transfer is contingent upon the other;)

Good thing it is not a crime!

Parents use it, “IF you’re good…”. Teachers use it, “IF you make good grades…”. Siblings use it, “If you, then I will…”. Enemies use it, “I’ll say yes, IF…”. And even church leaders use it, “God will bless you, IF…”.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

If there is one world wide Life Training Lesson (outdistancing even potty training in some cities, regions and countries) – locally, regionally, globally, and world wide, it would be “QUID PRO QUO” and its offshoot “What Have You Done for Me, Lately?” (1986 song, sung by Janet Jackson, and co-wrote with its producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis)

And here we go… Training up the children!

And yet… WHO gets the blame when the training produces results that SUCK, in our most humble opinion! You as the trained pet child, now training the next circus performers, children? You as the parents who give their animals children, to others to train? Or the government which steps in because someone reported that the village needed to totally do-over the mess you made?

Or… God… because He didn’t grant your wish, obey your command when you brought Him out of your magic lamp? Or, because He didn’t STOP you from screwing “whatever” up?

I have been asked (and possibly asked myself before I knew the truth), “IF God is soooooo good, why does HE LET BAD THINGS HAPPEN?” Or,  “Why does HE ALLOW EVIL TO EXIST?”

Let’s review… bad means, “I DON’T LIKE IT!” Evil, means, “I DON’T LIKE IT!”

But the TRUTH IS…

Back in the day, there was this ONE THING that God said “NO!” too.

The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”  Genesis 2:16-17 

We could almost feel sorry for our first ancestors, I mean they had no clue that evil was as evil does. They knew ONLY good – God, their Creator, Provider, Intimate Friend. How would they know that the snake was NOT good, he was “JUST a snake” (and now he is a snake in the grass!).

ALMOST feel sorry for them…  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Romans 1:21

No????  When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:6

And… then came the children… born to be just like our “old man” – Adam…

Professing to be wise, they (we) became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Romans 1:22-23 Learned our lessons well! “If God won’t give me what I want, I will make a deal with the devil”… “Quid Pro Quo, Baby!”

Something for Something… BUT… I CHOOSE!  Really???? Evil laughs! He will give you something…  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 He will give you death and destruction no matter what you give him.

There are those who have changed the meme just a little… Something for Nothing. Or for those who have given up on life… Nothing for Nothing. All of it bears the same demand – I CONTROL!  “I am the god of MY LIFE!”

And there you have the answer to WHO do we blame for the mess we’ve made? LOOK IN THE MIRROR!

But God…

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

No, God does not do Quid Pro Quo. He does God!  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:8-11

He IS The Promise Keeper!

The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

Quid Pro Quo? The Quid and the Quo are not worth the blood, sweat and tears it is written in. Seek God, He is the Something The Only Someone, our world (you, me and everyone) can’t seem to find but desperately NEEEEEEEEEED!

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

 

The Hour Has Come!

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John 17:1-2  “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ  whom You have sent.”

Has your hour come?

The hour when you KNOW there is no other moment in your life as important as this moment.

The hour that determines your place and position in eternity.

Or do you think you have time to delay? What is it, REALLY, that you wish to delay?

The cross? Your cross?

I think… of all the reasons excuses we offer for not “believing” in Jesus, and those we offer for not “following” Jesus, and those we claim for not “obeying” Jesus, is the one thing we fear the most… carrying THE cross. I think… we are all (falsely I might add) under the impression we are carrying the Cross of Christ. Why would I CHOOSE to carry the cross of the worst death ever imagines? Why would I FOLLOW a someone who put his own son through such anguish, suffering, and an unimaginable public display? Why would anyone freely OBEY a directive that reeks of such severe days for the rest of this earthly existence?

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Colossians 2:13-14

You were dead – He made you alive…

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness (The Perfect Righteous Judge), because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Romans 3:23-26

The wages of sin is death (eternal death) – the price HAD to be paid, JUSTICE demanded it! Justice also demanded that the JUDGE OF ALL honor THE RULE OF LAW – the guilty verdict and the punishment.

For those who confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) the Cross of Christ is not the one you carry. Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (Romans 6:9)

When we confess He IS OUR SALVATION and believe He IS OUR GOD, we “LIVE” like He does. The Hour Has Come… your place in eternity has been purchased.

So, if, for those of us who confess and believe, the hour of our place in eternity is settled, why do you lump us with non-believers with the same or similar reasons excuses for  delaying our “Cross-Training”.

To make a long story short(er)… I believe we share the same FEAR of THE CROSS. I also believe share the similar misconceptions of the cross we are to pick up and follow Jesus.

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.  Mark 8:34 

This cross is YOU! For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. Mark 8:35 It’s your soul… all your dreams and wishes, all your plans and demands. It’s the “life” that you have carved out from the very first moment you became aware that you had something to say about how you lived.

The question is… For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:36-37 You choose! Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christwhom You have sent.”

The hour has come… “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your (child), that the (child) may glorify You.”

And He does… we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become  conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.  Romans 8:28-30

His Way! Which requires you to pick up your cross (your plans and demands), knowing that there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18-19)

And… CARRY YOUR CROSS as a banner that you consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.  Romans 6:11-14

And this my friends, is what sets us apart from unbelievers! Our “position” in eternity… INTIMACY with God, WITHOUT FEAR!

The Hour Has Come!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

 

Now You Know!

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1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

However, it is NOT the temple we imagine!

There are those who take this idea into the galaxy of You Don’t Even WANT to Imagine! The Super Bowl of gods and goddesses, so to speak, vying for the MOST SHOCKING worship they hope will become our new normal, so that they themselves will become the ones all eyes and hearts are in awe of. Unfortunately, all roads of this new normal lead to Hell, roads built and maintained by all the crews of pornography!

It shouldn’t surprise any of us, and it certainly doesn’t surprise me, that evil (Satan by name rather than description), would take from God and re-mold the idea into his hatred for anything created and blessed by his enemy, The One True God of Israel. Knowing his hatred and desperate goal to destroy/devour anything and everything God loved, we, everyone of us (because we ARE God loved), should passionately avoid Satan’s GPS and  keep our eyes on only God’s road, the details fully provided in God’s Book of Maps… also known as Scripture/God’s Word/The Holy Bible.

One of the life changing principles I have learned (and cling to) in recent years is that God is the God of DETAILS. If you have questions about the details of your life, or your loved one’s life, look to God!

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11 

Every detail… EVERY DETAIL of life – yours and every created thing – was known, planned and blessed by God before He spoke it into being. It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

I’ve also learned (and cling to) that what God began, He carries through all of creation. NOTHING is random nor independent of the whole of creation. The highest example of this is God’s prophetic promise, made at the moment sin entered the life of His most prized creatures and the destruction of all He had made for us, was imminent. To protect us from eternal damnation (eternity without The One True God), He promised to provide Salvation (the wages of sin is death), Redemption (He stands at the door and knocks), and Sanctification (we become His children and are trained to inherit His Kingdom).

Yes, He sent us out of the garden (protection from eating form the tree of life and making our life of sin, eternal), but did not abandon nor forsake us. Immediately, EVERY DETAIL necessary for His beloved creatures to become His children were brought forth and sent forth to accomplish and succeed so that His most precious Creation WOULD return Him. He does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance… 2 Peter 3:9 To insure this, He had to send the best of the best Word to lead the way. He sent Himself! Starting with the first tabernacle (built after the people took it into their own hands to do what we also tend to do today – build golden calves and worship them with all our souls), God has “tabernacled” with His people.

Someday I want to do an entire study of all the details of God brought forth in the first “temple”. I can only imagine the foreshadowing of the temple the Holy Spirit is building in each and everyone of His congregation. Exodus 35:4-5 Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel (you do remember that Jesus makes us a part of this congregation, right?!), saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Take from among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s contribution:’

Because FREE WILL requires FREELY GIVING (duh), here’s the first DETAIL that connects our tabernacles. Not just a foreshadow but a principle that has remained, is still required and will always be a DETAIL that God spoke into His most prized creature… “Let us make man into our own image” Love is the full image of God! But, LOVE is only LOVE if it is given without condition – a choice of the heart for no other reason than the heart wishes to love.

The first tabernacle was built with the donations of the people’s most prized possessions. Our temple today is built by the Holy Spirit with our most prized possession… our self!

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The first tabernacle was built so that God could be with His people… Exodus 40:34 & 36-38 Then the cloud covered the tent of the meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

Our tabernacles temple is built to house God Himself, not just to be in our sight but be IN US!

God, Himself!

I can’t wait to do a deep study of the tabernacle built by our forefathers with all the details being given by God. Not only will it deepen my understanding of what my body houses, but I am sure it will also provide a deepening reverence for WHO it houses.

I encourage all of us to spend some time in the first tabernacle (Exodus, chapters 35-40) – the tabernacle built by God through His most precious creatures.

I pray it will open our eyes to the difference between the temples built by Hell and those built by our One True God. I pray we will understand the Holy Ground our temple is built upon and remains as long as the Holy Spirit remains. I pray we will be literally sickened when we are tempted to allow the unholy to dance on the holy altar God has built in our hearts. I pray we will confess our sins of offending the Holy Spirit as He prepares us to inherit the kingdom of our ABBA.

Now that we know… that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us…

I pray… before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant each of us, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled up to all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

Forever!

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Psalm 119:89-91 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, for all things are Your servants

Did you hear what I heard?

FOREVER… Your word is SETTLED!

YOU established the earth… and IT STANDS! They(all the people, places & stuff of earth) stand THIS DAY according to your ordinances… for all things are YOUR SERVANTS!

Do you get it?  It took me awhile but I know you are quicker than me!

Whether we BELIEVE or not… whether we AGREE or not… whether we INTERPRET differently or not… whether we KNOW HIM or not… whether we KNOW HIS WORD or not… IT STANDS!!!!

For ALL THINGS are… wait for it… YOUR SERVANTS!

Hello!!!

Maybe, just maybe, we are going about this “earth thing” the wrong way. Maybe we’re starting at the wrong end with the wrong person/people in charge.

We’re starting with a good idea… rather than starting with the truth. We’re starting with the perfect outcome… rather than all the jewels gleaned from the journey of life. We’re starting with our version of the experts (are they really experts??)… rather than the One True EXPERT – the Creator of all things – the One who knows every molecule of everything.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the very Person we are most afraid of. So afraid, we go to any lengths to make Him disappear, which only occurs in our FOOLISH MIND.

Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.  Isaiah 30:18

He waits… while we play. “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’”  Luke 7:31-32

I don’t know much about anything – or as I sometimes say to my tech consultants, “I know just enough to screw things up!”

I think there are a lot more of my style of expert living, than we know. They are the ones playing the flute, dancing, and singing the “Woe is Me!” (and the WHOLE world) if SOMETHING is NOT DONE! “So, give me all your stuff to do SOMETHING  with!!!!”

What will generally be done, is to give the demand/command to the government (the imaginary nanny/mommy/caregiver of all) where of course it will be put in the High Priority to Ignore file. The demand/command will be given to anyone and/or everyone who cannot not and will not solve our weeping soul.

“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the Lord, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; Who proceed down to Egypt Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!  Isaiah 30:1-2 

Israel tried it – didn’t work for them. In fact, taking refuge in anyone or anything but God (The God of Israel – The God who Loves) has NEVER WORKED because, though many promises are made, the promises are made without love and respect!

As my daughter mentioned last night, “It takes a village, sounds like community which we all seek and need, but then we discover the context is talking about THOSE who know best (government), not the people of the community. Without the people, the concept fails completely. Community requires neighbor, loving your neighbor as yourself!”

Not just any kind of love… the Love of God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17 kind of love! The kind of love that keeps on loving, keeps on providing, keeps on sustaining His Creation, EVEN when and while we are MESSING IT UP!

FOREVER! Or until God decides the earth is no longer needed – then comes eternity.  (Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.  Mark 13:30-32)

When you’re talking FOREVER until the Father speaks… well… this is THE EXPERT I want know – and walk with – and speak with – and follow in all His ways.

He is the One who will deliver us from all our earthly enemies (pain, suffering, hunger, homelessness, climate change & evil)…

And David spoke the words of this song to the Lord in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said, “ The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.  2 Samuel 22:1-3

He is the One who will direct our steps…

“ This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.  Isaiah 30:21

He is the One who places us in this moment – “For a time such as this”…

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 

To serve Him and His creation…

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 

We got some walking to do… we best get started!

FOREVER!  Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.  Psalm 119:10

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Location Location Location!

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Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

In the physical world we would say, “Duh!” And yet, there would still be those who, despite the danger, would still fall in love and build the sand castle, ON THE SAND. When the ocean wiped him/her’s dream away, we would think but never say, “FOOL!”

In the spiritual world, the world where faith does the walking, Wisdom is the great equalizer among all of us. We continue to try to analyze with our eyes – our experience – our expertise, and find ourselves on shifting sand in the sand castle community. What happened!? Our house of faith seems to be shaking with the shifting, and we know our house is in grave danger. It WILL FALL when the floods come – or the tide comes in – and we will be left with no house of faith to care for, enjoy, protect, honor, the heart (our heart) that LIVES by faith.

And great was its fall… Some are laughing at me right now. “Come on Mary! There you go talking RELIGION, again! Grave Danger? It’s no more dangerous than Santa Claus, unicorns, and Alice’s wonderland!”

If I were talking about “Religion”, I would laugh too!

Im not talking religion, I’m talking faith!  Matthew 6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Treasure… the pot of all that is gold… the PROFIT you have gained from living your life. Profit that is the results of our faith, or as Hebrews 11:1 defines it,“(Now faith is) the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” 

Faith, the movement of our life toward that which we believe (with conviction) will satisfy the hope within us that is not a wish but a necessary demand of our heart.  Everyone has faith! If you have life, you have faith. As long as you are alive you will pursue what you believe makes your life profitable… your treasure! Your Pot of Gold!  Faith vs religion, NO COMPARISON!

Wow! I just looked up the definition of “Religion” and was overwhelmed. The dictionary on this computer had one quote I just have to use… “An increasing number of scholars have expressed reservations about ever defining the essence of religion.[60] They observe that the way we use the concept today is a particularly modern construct that would not have been understood through much of history and in many cultures outside the West (or even in the West until after the Peace of Westphalia).[61]” I’m just saying… we are not talking religion here!

We are talking faith! The ability to think, process, plan, the opportunity to choose to live, and the authority of how we will live this life. It is at the core of the greatest gift (next to love) created in and for ONLY humans. We may differ in our thoughts/process/plan, our choices of a rich life, and our the actions we decide to take in pursuing life, but if we are a human being, everyone of us has the FREE WILL to activate THEIR FAITH into the life THEY want to lead.

So where does God (still not talking religion!) fit into this blog?

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!

If the house we are talking about in our lead Scripture is our heart (the vault of all things treasure), and it is, there are a few facts we might want to take into consideration as we live out our faith in life.

The fact that a wise man who built his house on the rock…we might want to determine the identity of the SAFEST place to build in this world where evil has been given princely authority over the earth for a time.  Evil is NOT THE ROCK, in fact evil will do whatever it takes to destroy and devour the heart, the soul, the life of a human creature. (Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.)

Who or for some, what is the rock you build your life upon? I vote for the One who loves YOU, will never leave nor forsake YOU, will be with YOU when the rain falls, and the floods come, and the winds blow and slam against YOUR house. The One who will never let Your house (heart vault) fall!

Or the fact that afoolish man who built his house on the sand… have you ever considered what the identity of sand might be?

Another human who can not or will not be there in and through every storm of YOUR life, nor will they have the ability or power to fix YOU after the damage is done.

Maybe it’s a church? Nope that’s just a building with nothing to offer YOU.

A religion? Too susceptible to potentially good food, the delight to the eyes, desirable to make one wise Genesis 3:6… we eat this stuff up like candy!

Maybe the sand is everything YOU. Maybe YOU believe YOU are the only one qualified to provide every object of faith YOUR life. Maybe YOU are the object of very core of YOUR faith? Prophetically speaking… when rain falls, and the floods come, and the winds blow and slam against your house…  it will surely fall! And great was its fall… the greatest of all!

Location Location Location… For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Luke 14:28 … Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Luke 14:31

Location Location Location… choose wisely…

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

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