When Trials Produce Patience

1 Peter 1:7 - That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Did you know the elements required to make a rainbow are always readily available during the day? The beautiful colors we see are a result of light, generally sunlight. So, why don't we see rainbows all the time?

Science shows when light passes through a prism or other similar object, it's "bent" and the color spectrum becomes visible. Recall the old ROYGBIV acronym from your science tests? As it turns out, light is reflected (bent) by rain, thus creating the rainbows we see.

So, in essence, it's not until it rains that we're able to see the beauty of the rainbow.

This is similar to the way things work in the kingdom of God. When we study the Word, we see most people really "shined" when they faced adversity. Just look at Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, and you'll find a veritable "Who's Who" of the Bible. When did the faith they possessed really get activated? It was when rain began to fall in their lives...

James 1:3-4 - 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

So, when trials come your way, or if it's currently raining in your life, remember that your faith is really being given a chance to shine, and through the adversity God will work patience and perfection in your life...

How Much Does God Care?

I love the fact that nothing is impossible with God. He could heal, deliver, and save the whole world and not be diminished one bit; not an inkling of His power would need "recharged." But on a more personal scale, it blows my mind that a God so powerful He spoke the universe into existence cares about each of us on an individual level. It's truly mind boggling...

1 Pet 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We can give all our cares, fears, and anxieties to Him, because He truly does care about us, not just to get us saved, though that is His primary focus. Yet, in addition to salvation, He loves and cares for us.

Acts 8:5 -  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

Here we see the grandeur of God, the extreme majesty and power of the gospel message. A whole city was turned upside down (or right-side up depending on your vantage point) through the power of the gospel. Philip had an awesome kingdom experience and saw miracles, signs, and wonders, and the people obeyed the gospel (1 Cor 15:1, Acts 2:38) and were saved...

But then we come to this passage...

Acts 8:26 - And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

WOW!!! In the middle of a great outpouring the Spirit leads Philip into the middle of the desert!!! Yet, there was an Ethiopian there who needed to hear the gospel...

Because of God's great love for us, He's willing to stretch the limits, go the distance, and save a whole city, or an individual in the middle of nowhere. What an awesome God we serve!!! He cares enough to reach the masses, and He cares enough to reach down and touch you and me right where we're living!!!

Faith That Moves Mountains

When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, " It shall be done to you according to your faith." [Matt 9:28-29, NASU]

WOW!!! Whenever I read scriptures like this, it really helps me to understand that one of the greatest factors that hinders or helps us experience the power of God in our lives is our very own faith. There are numerous examples in scripture where people received, or didn't receive for that matter, based solely on their level of faith.Obviously all answered prayers are within the context of God's will. It doesn't matter how much faith you have that God's able to rain down a billion dollars on your house, the chances are it'll never happen. Why? I thought God wanted me to drive a Bentley so I went to the dealership and prayed over the latest model. That's ludicrous, and unfortunately a lot of faith teaching has caused Christians to become materialistic. If you need a car, God will provide through faith, but He's not necessarily going to set you up with a private jet because you think it's a good idea. That's why we need a consistent relationship with Him through prayer, so we can know His will. When we pray His will, in faith, mighty things happen!!!

The basic meaning of the Greek word Pistis, which is translated as faith, is "persuasion" or "moral conviction." It's simply a belief or assurance, and when used in context of scripture, it's generally belief in God and the things of God. Such a simple concept, yet so mighty when we apply it...


Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" 20 And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.  21 " But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." [Mat 17:19-21, NASU]

Just look at the Biblical principles illustrated in these few verses. The first thing most people probably see here is that even a minuscule amount of faith can move mountains. That's incredible!!! But let's back up. The disciples were unable to cast out a demon due to their unbelief (lack of faith). So without faith, even invoking the name of Jesus won't have an effect. Just ask the seven sons of Sceva how that turned out for them [See Acts 19:14-16]. There were whole towns where Jesus Himself couldn't do many miracles due to their lack of faith [Mat 13:58].

The good news is we can play a hand in increasing our faith. First, everyone is given at least a measure of faith, according to Romans 12:3. Then we see that 2 Thessalonians 1:3 shows us it's possible to increase or enlarge our faith. This is wonderful news, but how can we do such a thing? Well, if we go back to our passage in Matthew 17, we see that Jesus said "this kind" only goes out by prayer and fasting. Some people try to say this is a certain level or type of demonic influence, but that's not what the passage says. Remember, He told them the reason they couldn't expel the demon was because of unbelief, not because of a lack of prayer and fasting. So, "this kind" is referring to their unbelief. So, if unbelief is the hindrance or obstacle of faith, and we can overcome unbelief through prayer and fasting, then we can pray and fast our way into greater levels of faith!!!

Let's dedicate ourselves to growing in faith and reducing unbelief through a continual prayer life, mixed with a regular schedule of fasting and the Word. This will help us remain balanced, and pray prayers within the will of God. That's when we'll see mountains move in our lives!!!

Fresh Manna for a New Day

Does anyone else find it unbelievable that the children of Israel could see and experience all the incredible things on their sojourn out of Egypt, yet constantly question, complain, and disobey God? One prime example is when He miraculously provided them manna in the wilderness. They were told that fresh manna
must be gathered every morning (except on the sabbath). Still, people tried to take the easy way out and get more than necessary so they wouldn't have to go through the trouble of collecting more the next day. Well, they found out the hard way that if you're going to disobey God, you might as well, as one person put it, "go eat some worms." [See Exodus 16:15-20]

Really, though, that's the way many Christians treat their walk with God. Jesus said He is the bread of heaven in John 6:33. He also showed us that we are supposed to gather our "daily bread" in His model of prayer [Matthew 6:11]. We understand through scripture that bread is the symbol of the Word of God, so we see that we should daily seek the face of Jesus Christ in order to receive fresh Word (bread) from Him. What He provided yesterday may not work for us today.

Just look at the various kingdoms that Israel conquered on their journey west of Jordan, thirty-three kings to be exact, two on the East of Jordan and thirty-one on the west. If someone mentions Jericho, most people who've been to Sunday school can tell you exactly how that city was conquered. They shouted the walls of Jericho down!!! [Joshua 6:20]. But how were the other thirty-two victories won? Well, from studying scripture we see they were not all won by shouting and praising the walls down, rather, God gave the victory however He chose to do so.

What if Israel tried defeating Ai (the next city after Jericho) the same way, through praise and shouting? I'll tell you, they would have been defeated. Why? Didn't that work just one city ago? The answer is, yes, it worked, but only because that's how God commanded them to gain the victory. When it came to the next battle, God gave them different instructions. If Joshua wasn't plugged in to God, he may have missed God's fresh word (daily bread) and tried to apply an old word to a new situation. Sometimes, that can get us into a lot of trouble. Other times, we simply delay our answer and frustrate ourselves while Jesus sits back and says, "I've got a fresh word for this new situation, but I guess I'll wait until you're ready to come get it." We simply have too many Christians who are too lazy to hear from God, and they'd rather apply a cookie-cutter solution to every situation, a one-size-fits-all method of obtaining victory. But that doesn't work. Victory is only obtained through obedience to God. The only reason shouting and praise worked at Jericho is because God decided that's how He wanted the victory to be obtained.

It's all about relationship with Jesus. When we seek Him daily, that's right, every single day, we can receive those fresh words of life for the new day. We don't have to scratch our heads and wonder why something worked before but not in this situation. Rather, we can get our "marching orders" fresh every day and walk from victory to victory, just as Israel did when they crossed the Jordan. Jesus, help us to get a fresh word from you!!!

The Church of the Living God (Part 3)

1 Timothy 3:15 tells us, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

In part 1, we learned about our living God, who established His church. In part 2, we discussed what the church really is. In this final installment, let's discuss what it means to be part of God's church, part of the Christ's body here in the earth...

1 Cor 12:12-14 - For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

Typically, when we think about 1 Corinthians 12 we think about the discussion of the nine gifts of the Spirit. However, as the chapter progresses, we see in verses 12 through 31 a wonderful discussion of how each of the members of the body of Christ (the church) fit together in a harmonious relationship that maximizes the potential for ministry.

Paul says all the members of the body are significantly important: In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. (Verse 22)

So, we see that just because you're not a teacher, pastor, or someone mightily used in the gifts of the Spirit, you still have talents and gifts from God; you are not only expected to use these to minister in His kingdom, but you are vitally important to the body!!!

1 Cor 12:25-26 - This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

We are in this together, and we need each other for ministry. I've heard people say they were reluctant to pray for others, say a powerful visiting evangelist, because they felt they were lower down in the chain of spiritual power. That's nonsense!!! I really believe it's also a trick of the enemy to keep us from ministering to one another. In fact, at the end of several epistles, after the apostles just finished expounding the word to the saints, they ask for prayer from the saints!!! Here's one example:

1 Thess 5:25 -  Brethren, pray for us. (See also, Rom 15:30, Eph 6:19-20, 2 Thess 3:1, Heb 13:18)

Ministry is simply service, and the Bible is very clear that there is a virtually limitless number of ministries. A couple of unheralded ones are spoken of in our passage from 1 Corinthians: the gifts of helps (helping others) and governments (leadership). We don't typically think of these as gifts from God, but Paul lists them right alongside apostles, miracles, and diversities of tongues in 1 Cor 12:28. If you desire gifts that you don't already have, Romans 2:11 tells us there's no respect of persons with God, so seek God for what you want, and if it's His will, He'll give you what you need to work effectively in His kingdom.

So, never minimize the gifts God has given you. Use them to the fullest, unlocking their full potential through prayer and fasting, and take your rightful place in the body of Christ. You have power when you pray, fast, and study the Word. The church needs you!!!

The Church of the Living God (Part 2)

1 Timothy 3:15 tells us, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

In our previous installment, we discussed how we serve a living God, who established his church in the earth. But what is "the church?" Let's be honest, when most of us think of church we think of a place of worship where people gather on Sundays. Perhaps there are other days of gathering such as a mid-week Bible study or prayer meeting, but the basic concept is the same: the church is a place of worship. For instance, in the picture below, if I asked where is the church, most people would say it's the outline of the building around the people. In modern thinking they'd be correct, but after examining scripture, we see they're actually wrong.

First, let's look at the word "church." WARNING: this portion of the study includes references to Greek and/or Hebrew and may cause drowsiness; please do not attempt to read while driving or operating any kind of heavy machinery. The word church is derived from the Greek word "ekklesia" (pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah). The core meaning is simply "a calling out." Another very typical way to translate the word would be "assembly." Now, when we think of "assembly", rather than "church," it makes much more sense. An assembly requires that something or someone be assembled together, otherwise it's not an assembly.

Now, those that are called out should be obvious, it's the ones called out by God into His kingdom (see John 3:3-5 and 1 Peter 2:9). This shows us that the church isn't a physical location, but rather, wherever God's people are assembled together. This is why if a group of saints rents out a night club on Sundays, the building is a night club every other day, but becomes a church on Sundays. Why? Because the people of God are gathered there. We can also see why the Bible refers to the homes of believers as churches (Acts 8:3, Rom 16:5, 1 Co 16:19, Col 4:15, Philem 2). Anywhere believers gather together to worship God and refresh one another in fellowship and ministry is a gathering of the church.

Before we go further, let's look at Hebrews 10:25, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Here we are warned not to forsake (which means to stop) assembling together. Now, it may be technically true that you are the church while sitting at home on your couch in your moo moo with a Bible in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other, but we have scripture (and not just Hebrews 10:25) that clearly indicates that we are supposed to assemble together with other believers in order to exhort, admonish, and edify each other.


The last evidence I want to examine is Colossians 1:18, And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Here we see that the church is the body of Christ. Again, Christ's body is not made up of brick and mortar, but rather of people. When we are born again, we become part of the body of Christ in the earth (Rom 12:4, 1 Cor 12:12-13, Eph 4:4, Col 3:15). It's hard for a member of the body to survive without being connected to other members, and so it's vitally important that we connect (assemble together) in order to minister to one another and worship our great Savior in spirit and truth...

So, to recapitulate, we'll return to our initial example. Remember the picture of the people inside the church? Actually, it's a drawing, not of people inside a church, but rather of the church inside a building...

In the next portion of this study, we'll examine what it means to be part of the body and how every member of the church is an important, integral part, necessary for ministry and reaching our world...

The Church of the Living God (Part 1)

1 Timothy 3:15 tells us, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

It's amazing that so many religions are built upon extraordinary individuals who lived and impacted the world around them, then died; their followers continue in their footsteps, establishing whole "religions" devoted to carrying on the teachings of the founder. Men like Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammad, all had a tremendous affect on those around them, and still we see the aftereffects of there lives. Yet, each of them lived and died, and in reality, that was that.

Not so with another important historical figure, a man whose teachings have filled the whole world as prophesied in Daniel chapter two, a man born of a virgin in a little town called Bethlehem, a man who lived, died, and was buried. He, and only He, rose again the third day by the power of the Father and lives today to oversee His glorious work. The cross is EMPTY, the tomb is EMPTY, and Jesus Christ reigns on the throne as the true and living God, the head of the church, which is His body in the earth!!!

What a price God paid to robe himself in flesh, taking on the form of man, Creator becoming as one of His creations, to redeem us from the stain and sting of sin and death. He lived out the gospel for us to follow after and established his kingdom here in this world. That's what Jesus meant when He said "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (Mt 6:10).


Truly, we serve a living God, and now, as His body in the earth, it's our job to live His kingdom. We need to be kingdom-minded (Mt 6:33), focused on impacting the world around us through good works, love, light, and truth...


So what is this thing that He established? What is this church of the living God spoken about in our opening scripture? Let's explore this in greater detail during this series, "The Church of the Living God"....

Use What You've Got

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” ² Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. (Ex 4:2)

Don't you just love this exchange? Here God is telling Moses he's been chosen to go and deliver the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and Moses asks, "what if they don't believe me?" What did he expect? Did he think God was going to scratch His head and say, "Shucks, I guess I didn't think of that?" This is God asking you to do it Moses, He's obviously going to make sure you're able...

Or is He? It's kind of easy for us to have faith in this situation because we know the outcome, but the magnitude of what God was asking was completely astounding. Imagine God asking you to barge into the White House, point your finger at the president, and tell him it's time to put God first in this country again, or else. Actually, that's a bad analogy because the worse that would happen would probably be some jail time and being labeled a crackpot. Moses would risk being killed by Pharaoh, so the stakes were a little higher.

"What's in your hand," was God's response to Moses's concerns, and that's really where I want to focus. God calls us to work for the kingdom, but sometimes we wait around for some miraculous sign or until we feel we're as good as someone else, but God wants us to just go out and use what we have. Remember the feeding of the five thousand? The disciples found a boy with five loaves and two fish and Jesus not only fed all the people but they took up twelve baskets of fragments (see John 6:9-13).

Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, and Luke 12 shows us that the servants who are watching and doing are the ones who will be blessed. There are definitely times when God will give us new jobs to do, but we should never sit around waiting for some special call or commission before we get active in the kingdom. Do what you know to do now...There was as staff in Moses's hand, something very familiar, and that's what God told him to use.

In the parable of the talents (Mat 25), each servant is given a different sum, but each was expected to go out and use what they were given to grow what the master already had. So, it's incumbent upon us to do the same. Do you like to sing? Perhaps you should use that for the kingdom. Do you enjoy fellowship? Use it for the kingdom. Are you knowledgeable in the Word of God? Use that to reach people and bring them into the kingdom of God. The list could go on forever, because each of us has different talents, abilities, likes, and dislikes. Nevertheless, we should all do our part to impact the world around us.

Don't worry about the things you don't have or can't do, that's why we have brothers and sisters in the kingdom. Just like God provided Aaron to be Moses's mouthpiece (Ex 4:14), we can leverage off of each other's talents to work together. The thing God wants you to do is step out and begin using what He's already given you for the benefit of His kingdom...

Sowing & Reaping Part 2: A Timeless Principle

The Bible teaches us that whatever we sow we will also reap (Galatians 6:7). This series of posts will focus on that concept in general, and focus in on several areas in our lives where we can sow the right seed, and reap a harvest of rewards and benefits from God...

The concept of sowing and reaping is as old as, well, literally as old as dirt. What we put into the ground is what we get out. We can't plant apple seeds and expect a banana tree to grow in its place. That thinking is completely absurd in the natural world, but somehow people tend to lose site of it when it comes to spiritual matters. Let's examine the principle as laid out in Galatians:

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:7-9, NIV)

This seems pretty simple doesn't it? So why do so many people seem oblivious to the principle? The end result of sowing is reaping, and no matter what we sow, we will reap in the end. When we sow things in our secular lives, we shouldn't be surprised to reap accordingly. Likewise, if we spend time sowing into our spirit, we will receive the benefits of our labour. To often we see lop-sided men and women of God who think that sowing seed bountifully in one area will cause them to reap a diverse harvest full of variety and plenty. Again, if I plant ten thousand apple trees, I should expect to get several hundred orange trees out of the effort.

Let's get a little more specific. A man who's devoted to providing for his family spends time working to earn money so their needs are met. This is completely Biblical. However, if I spend 120 hours a week working to make money, but rarely spend time with my family, what will my harvest be? Think, a family with plenty of stuff who has very little relationship with their father/husband, and possibly kids who barely know my name...

A woman who's dedicated to making sure her children are intelligent and educated, thoroughly equipped to succeed in the world is a good thing. But if that drive turns into neglecting their emotional and spiritual needs, she may end up with successful kids who don't love God and don't care one iota about their fellow man.

We could go on and on with this but I think you see the point: the Bible teaches balance in life, and that means if we want to reap good things in all areas of our life, we must sow seed in those areas. In our next few installments of this series, we'll talk about sowing seed in several different areas (spirit, family, and finances) of life in order to reap a harvest of our maximum potential...

Sowing & Reaping Part 1: Heavenly Reward Zone

The Bible teaches us that whatever we sow we will also reap (Galatians 6:7). This series of posts will focus on that concept in general, and focus in on several areas in our lives where we can sow the right seed, and reap a harvest of rewards and benefits from God...

I find it interesting sometimes to sit and listen to people talk about the benefits of living in God's kingdom. At times, you'd think coming to Christ and living for Him was tantamount to winning the megabucks lotto. Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer that walking in God's ways is the best life to live, and as David said in Psalm 16:11, in God's presence there is fullness of joy and at His right hand pleasures forevermore. David also said not to forget all the benefits of God in Psalm 103:2. But this same David also spoke of putting himself in the position of blessing in 2 Samuel 22:20-28. Let's examine a few portions of this passage:

The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. (v 21)

I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. (vv 24 & 25)

To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. (vv 26 & 27)

What was David doing? He was sowing seeds of righteousness, obedience, and faithfulness. That's why he reaped a harvest of blessing from God. Out of curiosity, where would people get the understanding that we come to Christ and it's smooth sailing after that, regardless of how we conduct our lives? Some people think we can commit ourselves to God in prayer one time and then live any old way we please, but these verses sharply contrast that idea. David is clear that God rewards according to behavior. Good parents will love their children no matter what, but shouldn't (and good parents don't) reward bad behavior with candy, toys, and privileges. Instead, they train their children by establishing a system of rewards and punishments based on a meritorious system of behavior...

It's the same with God, and this is consistent throughout scripture. Hebrews 11:6 tells us God is a rewarder of those that "diligently seek Him," while James 4:8 says to draw close to God and He will draw close to us. Again and again the scripture tells us that in order to live in the zone of blessings and rewards, we need to make a conscious effort to be there. It doesn't happen simply because we got saved way back when.

It's entirely possible to be saved and make it all the way to Heaven, but live a life that's far below our potential because we fail to live in that blessing zone. For instance, the Bible teaches us to work hard and provide for ourselves and our family (2 Thess 3:10-12, 1 Tim 5:8). Well, if we choose rather to be lazy and rely on charity of others or the government dole, we might well be saved, but not be able to make our mortgage payment. If we want God to bless us, we need to give him something to work with.

If we want blessings and rewards in our family, we should follow the Bible's prescription for raising a family, if we desire spiritual blessings and gifts, we should see what God requires to step into that zone. The list goes on and on, but I think you get the point. We need to do our part, and God will do His. Again, I end with a scripture already mentioned, James 4:8:

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (NLT)

As we progress further in this serious, we'll explore various areas where we can sow into our lives, and reap a harvest of rewards and benefits in God. It's all about getting into that heavenly reward zone!!!

Eyes On The Prize

To often, we Christians become so focused on things around us, noise and distractions, that we can't focus on what's truly important. The Bible gives us the prescription for where our attention should be:

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV)

Our problem, most of the time, is that we're so easily distracted by the cares of this life. Don't get me wrong, no one is immune to this tendency, and even as I write this blog, I know I'm as guilty as anyone. However, the parable of the sower tells us that the fruit of God's word (the seed) can be choked out by the cares of this life and deceitfulness of riches (the thorns) <See Mark 4: 1-23>

Take heart, even Peter struggled with this issue. Remember Matthew 14 where Jesus walks on the water and Peter asks to join him? Everything was going fine until Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and on his circumstances and surroundings (see Matt 14:30). The same holds true for the rich young ruler who looked Jesus in the eyes and then turned away because Jesus asked him to give up his riches (Luke 18:22).

We need to focus on Jesus Christ. He warns us that trials and tribulations will come. He never promised a bed of roses for those who follow him. His word also teaches us that we are obligated to provide for our family (I Tim 5:8), seek to please our loved ones (I Cor 7:33), and live productive lives in this world (Ecc 10:18). But those things should not distract us from the primary focus, our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Luke 10:39-42 we see that Martha was busy serving (which we're commanded to do by the way) but Jesus told her that Mary had chosen that "good part." Mary had been sitting at Jesus' feet. Martha was right to serve and be focused on those things, but not to the point of neglecting her relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let's regroup, refocus, and redouble our efforts to be in true relationship with Jesus Christ. When we're walking with Him like we should, so many other things in life truly fall into place...

The Church: A Dividing Line of Protection

Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David. (2 Chronicles 3:1, NIV)

I noticed something interesting in reading this passage, something I'd never seen before. The location of the temple construction was a very specific place, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite...

Now, anyone who studies the building of the temple knows nothing was done haphazardly or willy-nilly. Rather, specific instruction was given to every detail, right down to the most miniscule component of the temple. So, it's very interesting to see that this location was chosen. Let's get a little background here:

In the later years of his life, David angered the Lord by taking an unauthorized census of the people. As a result, he was given 3 choices for punishment. David asked that he fall into God's hands rather than the hands of man, so God sent a plague up on the people. The angel of the Lord struck down 70,000 people. David repented and the angel stayed his hand. Then David purchased the land and built an altar at the place the angel stopped, that place was the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (see 2 Sam 24).

Now we return to the building of the temple and see that it was constructed at this place of separation, with the plague on one hand and the mercy of God on the other...

This is a beautiful picture of the church. We, the church, are the temple of God in the world today (1 Cor 3:16). On the outside is the judgment of God and the unchecked battering that comes from this world of sin. On the inside is the grace, mercy, and peace of God, and the fellowship of the beloved. Jesus Christ is the dividing line that creates a wall of protection for the church...

Just look at the children of Israel in Egypt. The night before the exodus they put blood on the door posts and the angel passed over them when it saw the blood and could not enter to kill the firstborn. However, where there was no blood, the angel was able to take vengeance. The blood of Christ covers his saints; it's applied in baptism for all the weary souls hear the beckoning call of the Savior, those who come out of the world and cross the threshold of the church.

It's so wonderful to see how Jesus provides protection and safety for his own. There's no greater place to be than in the church, the kingdom of the living God!!!

Never Forget

One very interesting thing about David's response to Saul when questioned about his ability to defeat Goliath was that he went straight back to the past victories. He recalled the lion and bear that had threatened his flock and how he defeated them, then he extrapolated or projected those victories to the current situation by telling Saul the Philistine would be just like the lion and bear (see I Samuel 17:34-36).

All too often we forget what God's done for us, or at least we fail to transfer the help, comfort, and miracles of the past into the present situation. Why? I think it's because we human beings tend to focus on our present situation. I know when I am going through some trial or tribulation, be it financial, social, etc..., it could be big or small, it doesn't matter, at that moment even the most trivial thing can be the end of the world. Often we'll even sacrifice things of the past and future by damaging long-lasting relationships, making foolish financial decisions, destroying our health, or possibly even ruining future generations' hopes for a better life, simply because we fail to take into consideration things outside the present...

But David was able to focus and say within himself, "God's helped me before, and He'll do it again." Sure, the giant was bigger and meaner than the other trials, but he knew God was unchanged, and would see him through just like before. God healed a headache, He can take care of this cancer. He mended a friendship, He can put a marriage back together. He provided $20 to fill the tank up with gas, and now He'll help when payments are 3 months behind on the mortgage...

Never forget the prelude to one of our most important and wonderful scriptures,  

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." 

(Lamentations 3:22-23)

This is a powerful scripture, full of promise and comfort, but take some time to read what the author wrote just prior. He was in torment and anguish; pain, doubt, and fear were taking a hold on him, but he was able to lift his eyes and speak from what he knew, that God had always been faithful and true...

Remember these scriptures the next time you're going through something terrible. If you're in a trial now, just remember that we can cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us (I Pet 5:7). That has always been true, and always will!!!!

God is Good

Just remember no matter what you're going through that God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is always there, always triumphant, always loving, always watching, always guiding, and always available...

Often we go through trying times, a death or sickness in the family, financial hardship, and the list goes on and on because, after all, this is life isn't it? Many times we bring trouble and tribulation on ourselves (in times of honest, candid, lucidity we'll admit this to ourselves), and in those times we need God's help as well as a change in our own thinking or actions...However, sometimes trials and tribulation come from an outside source, maybe a co-worker who's just got it out for us, or perhaps a friend who's betrayed us, maybe even a spiritual leader or mentor who's genuinely done us wrong....

No matter the circumstance, no matter the situation, the resounding scripture that rings true throughout ages is this, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (I Peter 5:7). Coupled with Jesus' promise to never leave nor forsake us (see Mt 28:30 and Heb 13:5) we understand that our hope and comfort has always and WILL ALWAYS be in Him alone...

So when life has you down, when you're weary with your fellow man (and remember you're one too), when you are tired, afraid, alone, and in need......Remember, Jesus Christ, the lover of our souls, the beautiful one, the righteous one, our King and Saviour is only a prayer away...Lean on Him and He will bring you through!!!

God bless you in Jesus Name....

Serpents of Brass

So, the story goes something like this: children of Israel really tick God off (what else is new right?), He sends fiery serpents into the camp, Moses hears from God and makes a brass serpent, the serpent is risen in the camp, all who look on the serpent are healed, and everyone lives happily ever after. Right?

Actually WRONG!!! Would you believe they ended up taking that brazen serpent and making a god out of it? Yeah, they offered incense to it and worshiped the thing (2 Kings 18:4). Now what exactly went through those people's minds? It's crazy, but then you really have to step back and think about it...

We do the same thing all the time...Just look at the history of the progressive revelation of truth throughout the ages. First, Martin Luther came out of Catholicism and was able to return to more Biblical truth. But he didn't continue on. Instead, he took the truth that was right and good and made a god out of it instead of letting it lead him into further and deeper understanding and revelation...

It goes on throughout history. Men were led of God to a point, but then the buried their stakes in the ground and established a "structure" around the revelation given them instead of continuing to allow God to lead them further and further into fullness of truth.

We MUST NOT allow ourselves to get bogged down in the traditions of men, but rather be thankful for everything we've been given and we've received of God, but at the same time we must always be ready for God to lead us into more and more understanding, knowledge and revelation of HIM....

Lead me on Jesus, lead me on...

Hide And Seek

Remember the good old days, running around the playground or house, not a care in the world, playing games and having a great time? There was always that kid who cheated when you played. He'd always be moving during Freeze Tag or peeking while folks hid when you played Hide and Seek...

Well, the whole thing really gets me thinking...Jesus really gave us a way to "peek" when it comes to our lives and the salvation that He's so graciously provided. Just look what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:3:

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

If the truth of God's Word and the saving power of the death, burial, and resurrection is hidden from anyone, it's from those that are lost...But through Jesus Christ, we can see the truth, after all, Jesus said it was His job "to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) Now we're able to understand we can't be saved without obeying the gospel through repentance, baptism in Jesus name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost...

But let's look a little further...

John 9:5 - Jesus said as long as He's in the world, He's the light of the world

Matthew 5:14/Philippians 2:15 - Jesus and Paul both show the saints are the light of the world

The man, Christ Jesus, in bodily form is no longer in the world, but He remains in the world through the church, filled with His Spirit (the Holy Ghost), so now it's our job to be the light that finds people, shines the light of truth, and calls people out of darkness into His marvelous light!!!

Riding With Strangers

Hebrews 13:9 warns, "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines." It's crazy how even while the apostles were still alive so many false doctrines, false Christs, and false teachings were running rampant. Paul warned of people teaching "another Jesus" in 2 Corinthians 11:4, as well as "another gospel" in the same verse and in Galatians 1.

With so many religions and denominations to choose from out there, it almost feels like we're in the buffet line at Morrison's. So how do we know who's right? After all, they vary in so many ways, it's IMPOSSIBLE that everyone's right...

The important thing to remember is to stay in the Word of God. The Bible is our benchmark and according to Ephesians 2:20, we're built on the foundation of the apostles, so their teachings are what should guide us.

But even that can be difficult, right? Even old Satan quoted scripture when tempting Jesus (see Matthew 4:6). And since the truth is not in him, we understand fully that even the Bible can be a lie when taken out of context or used in the wrong manner...So what's the answer?

2 Timothy 2:15 says to study while Ephesians 5:10 says to find out what pleases the Lord (NIV). Finally, Romans 10:14 asks how they can hear without a preacher...

God has given us the Word of God and His Spirit to lead and guide us; He's also provided godly men and women to help show us the way. The important thing is to never feel you've "arrived" and are unwilling to accept more of God. If the Bible says it, study it, look into it, and DO IT!!!

This is the only way we can truly decipher the truth among the tantalizing schmorgesborg of strange doctrines...

Multiplication

Be fruitful and multiply; it's the first thing God told man to do. It's the first thing He gave living creatures the ability to do (bring forth after their kind). It's the thing He expects every newborn babe in that enters the Kingdom of God to do...

No, I'm not talking about fulfilling some quota for population growth, at least not naturally, but rather I'm talking about Jesus' charge in Matthew 28:19 (NIV), "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations." Truly, God is all about multiplication...

The job of EVERY saint of God is to reach out to this lost and dying world and give them what we have. In fact Jesus said two things that underscore this point emphatically:

Hey said, "freely ye have received, freely give" in Matthew 10:8...

He instructed that "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" in Luke 12:48.

All throughout the scripture we see the apostles going into the world and making disciples, just look at the book of Acts, they were on fire!!! Look at the language Peter used in Acts 3:6 when the lame man was healed:

...such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

First, we see it's important to have something to give, but we'll cover that at another time, but look what he did, he gave it away just as Jesus said in Matthew 10:8...

So take some time today, tomorrow, next week, and at every opportunity (Galatians 6:10) to reach out to this world and give Jesus away in prayers, blessings, and encouragement. You never know who that next DISCIPLE may be...

Heavy Sleepers

Okay, we all love sleep in some way, shape or form, but have you ever seen (or are you) the type of person who is a REAL sleeper, I'm talking the type that you need an air horn and ice water to wake up in the morning? I know one person who, while sleeping, had someone trip and fall on top of them and they still didn't wake up...Crazy...

But on the same token, there are so many people, good people who, in their own way love God, but they've slipped into a deep slumber...It's not really all that difficult; it can happen to anyone. The cares of life, just the day-to-day activities of work, family, school, etc..., can creep in and lull us into spiritual sleep sometimes. Mix that with the spirit of error that's enticed many people into very appealing, yet false doctrine, and viola!!! You have a bunch of sleepwalkers.

But Ephesians 5:13-15 warns us:

But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

The apostle warns us here to awake out of our sleep (which is really leading to spiritual death)...And then he says to walk not as fools but in wisdom...

That's really what it takes to live for God, walking in wisdom, soberly as I Peter 5:8 tells us...So stop hitting that spiritual snooze button, awake, arise, and let your soul LIVE!!!

Little Foxes

We've all heard the phrase, "big things come in small packages," and most of us are aware that sometimes it's the little things that can really stack up, for better or worse, and end up having an enormous impact...

Song of Solomon 2:15 states, Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

Now most of us have heard this scripture preached on and taught on, and we understand that for the most part, it's those little things that go unnoticed that can bring us down.

It's kind of like the frog: throw him into boiling hot water and he'll immediately jump out, but slowly turn it up while he's already sitting in some lukewarm water and he'll sit there until he's cooked...

Or maybe it's like the great Sequoia's of northern California; they can weather the fiercest of storms, but fall prey to the tiniest of foes--the termite...

Still, the scripture in Solomon goes deeper. First, it says our vines have tender grapes. Truly, our lives and our souls are tender when you really think about it. There are so many things out there that can affect us, so we have to guard ourselves with fervor. Second, there's no indication that the foxes would intentionally harm the vines. They're just after some food, the grapes, but in there effort to just do what's natural for them, they'd destroy the vine altogether...

So we can see that we need to watch out for not only those things that would come against us to destroy us, but also against those things that might creep in unawares, with no intent to do damage, but that may end up causing our tender vines to become spoiled.

Apply it in YOUR OWN situation. That relationship that's keeping you from being where you need to be in God, that job that's dragging you down, the entertainment that you thought you had under control, that attitude you know's there but haven't had time to tackle, that temptation, that weight, etc...

God has given us power in the Holy Ghost to be overcomers!!! Let's not slay the giant only to succumb to the flesh during our time of war. Let's lay aside the sin and the weights and run this race all the way to the finish!!!