Eve was deceived by Satan and sinned, thus humanity fell from perfection. Pain entered the world. Disease and death have wrecked havoc ever since. But what if God had left the world in its perfect state? What if God had not given humanity any apparent consequences of their sinful actions?

While the curses in Genesis 3 were certainly acts of judgment, they were also acts of mercy. The curses are daily reminders that humanity is fallen. Whenever you are sick or in pain. Whenever you look around and see death and destruction. Whenever you can see nothing but the miseries of this world, it is God calling out. It is God reminding you of the horrific consequences of sin.

Without these reminders and God working in us to restrain our wickedness, we would all perish. Imagine what would have occurred if shame had not entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned. They would not have covered themselves. Rather, they would have continued delighting in their sin. The wickedness of their sin would have grown deeper and deeper. There would be no conscience to prevent them from diving into their sin. Humanity would begin to quickly multiply and no man would see any immediate result of sin. All of humanity would joyfully spend all the days of their lives living in sin and upon death would be cast straight into hell.

God has designed the present world in such a way so that pain reminds men they are fallen. True and everlasting joy can never be found in any type of sin in this world. No matter how hard men try, they will never find true satisfaction in sin. But whoever drinks of the water which Christ gives will never thirst again (John 4:14). True and everlasting satisfaction may only be found in seeking and pursuing God, who is the only eternal being, thus He is the only source of perfect and everlasting joy.

A human being is composed of the physical body, the soul and the spirit. The physical body is the part that we can see and touch, the soul comprises the emotions, innate intelligence, and will of the individual, and the spirit is the part of us that recognizes and worships God.

Just as the physical body is characterized by five physical senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste), so are the soul and the spirit. We often engage our soul and spiritual senses without our knowledge. Indeed, most of us are so caught up in the physical realm that we are almost completely oblivious to the soul and spirit realms.

In our physical bodies, we see with our physical eyes. Light is reflected from an object into our eyes. Our pupils constrict or dilate to allow in just enough light, which is concentrated at the retina in the back of the physical eye, converted into a nerve impulse and carried by the optical nerve to the brain for interpretation. Our brain then tells us that what we saw was a table, a star, a car, a circular object, etc.

Now, please indulge me by performing a little experiment for me. Just as you are seated before your computer, picture yourself walking to your house. You open the front door and walk in. Now picture yourself walking to your bedroom… what do you see? What objects are lying in the way? What color is the hallway? What can you see on your bedroom door? Now you are inside the room. Try picturing the way your room is organized, the position of the bed, the color of the quilt, the wardrobe, the mirror, the window? Can you see it?

Now, come back to where you are at this very moment. Were you able to see your house and your room in your mind’s eye? What were you doing a moment ago? You were imagining. You were using the eyes of your soul to see the places that are familiar to you. You can use your imagination to see places you’ve never been to physically, you can even use it to see places, people and objects that don’t exist physically! But in your mind, you see them as clear as day! You are engaging the eyes of your imagination, the eyes of your soul.

There is another type of vision that is less commonly used. It is often ignored and sidelined because it is not understood. Because we are so much in tune with our physical bodies and are accustomed to our physical laws, we believe that what cannot be seen must not exist. True, we cannot naturally see air, but we know that if we condensed it the air it would turn into water (which we can see) and then ice (also visible).

Some people do not believe in God because they have never seen him. They think that God is simply a fragment of somebody’s imagination. But if you are a Christian, as I am, you know that God is real and much bigger than your imagination. How? Because your faith tells you so.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen with our physical eyes. (Hebrews 11:1, addition mine). Faith is the eye of the spirit. It sees things in the spirit realm before they can be made manifest in the physical realm. Everything we see in the physical realm has it’s origin in the spirit, for God is the Creator of the universe, and in him are all things made. Just as an architect must first visualize his design in his mind before sketching it on paper for the mason to use in building the house, so does God first manifest his creation in the spirit realm, before imprinting it in our imagination (or DNA in some cases), for us to then physically create the final product; a process that takes time.

When God says “By his (Jesus’) wounds you are healed,” your physical body is ailing but your spirit, by faith, sees your body whole and complete in the spirit realm. So then, your faith tells you that you will get better and you believe it because you’ve seen it. Even though you haven’t!

God says “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11) You might be struggling financially, maybe you’re in debt, or you’ve just lost your job and are wondering how you’re going to support yourself, but when you read this verse or you hear him whisper it in your ear, suddenly you’re at peace. Why?

Because although you didn’t move physically, your spirit eyes were opened and you were able to see yourself in the spiritual realm. You saw yourself living out God’s plan for your life. Faith takes you into God’s world and into his mind. You see inside God’s mind, how he sees you; happy and thriving, your every need catered for. Remember that ‘time in the spirit realm is ahead of that of the physical realm,’ somewhat like seeing yourself in the future. You relax physically because you’ve already received the answer to your questions spiritually.

Your physical eyes have not seen it, your mind cannot understand or process it, but you know it!

You are then able to imagine yourself prospering (your 2-D sight’s kicking in now) and you begin to think of ways to make money, start sending out job applications and doing creative stuff with your physical body (your one dimensional, primary vision is now catching up). Before you know it, you have a new job, someone gives you a check, you make a simple discovery and all of a sudden you’re the next Zuckerberg or Google or Gates!

That’s 3-D vision for you! Faith.

The Tabernacle of meeting where people assemble to perform the services of God has two compartments.
1. THE OUTER COURT
This first compartment called the outer court or the holy place where the priests enter regularly to carry out their ministry. (Hebrews 9:2, 6)
What occupies this compartment verifies the activities that are being conducted therein, and they consist of:-
a. The lamp stand which is figurative to the church, and the angel of the church, as clearly revealed in scriptures stating; “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp-stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp-stands which you saw are the seven churches” (Revelation1:13, 20).
b. The Table is figurative to the heart, and fellowship for it is written; “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3); And, “You are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not of tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, the heart” (2Corinthians 3:3). With regards to fellowship, it coincides with Jesus’ statement Christ when he said; “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one upon me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:30).
c. The showbread is figurative to Christ and the church. In relation to Christ Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48).And concerning the church the scripture states, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1Corinthians 10:17).
The outer court demonstrates the faithfulness of Christ to his church. He never leaves them nor forsakes them. Even if we are faithless, he remains faithful; he cannot deny himself. He is ever present to empower, teach and guide them to perform their work of service.
The outer Court is where the church evangelizes, reaching out to others with the gospel, reaping the harvest of souls, with Christ in their midst upholding and supporting it.
2. The Inner Court
This second compartment is called the Holiest of All, and similarly to the first compartment whatever occupies this compartment verifies the activities that are being conducted therein. What is of primary importance however; is that one is not allowed to enter this compartment without blood.
This compartment is furnished with:-
a. The golden altar of incense which is figurative to approved services of worship. Jesus Christ has already given himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma, which we are to take heed to offer to God at their appointed time.(Ephesians 5:2; Numbers 28:2)
The incense is figurative to worship, prayer and praise; For it is written, “Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalms 141:2). With regards to prayer it is stated, “Now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
‘Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand” (Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4).
And with regards to praise it is written; “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the nations says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 1:11).
b. The ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold
This symbolizes God’s visible presence and power. As it is written; “Whenever the ark set out Moses said; “Rise up, O Lord! Let you enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.’ And when the ark rested he said; “Return. O Lord, to the many thousands of Israel (Numbers11:35-36).
With regards to the ark David prayed saying; “Now therefore, arise, O Lord God, to your resting place. You and the ark of your strength, let your priests O Lord God be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in goodness” (2Chronicles 6:41).
c. The golden pot that had the manna
This is figurative to Jesus Christ as the true bread from heaven. When asked by the crowd, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the dessert; as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:30-32).
d. Aaron’s rod that budded
This is figurative to the Jesus Christ the High Priest whom God has chosen, as Aaron was chosen. For it is testified; “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Numbers 17:1-10; Hebrews 7:17, 21).
e. Tablets of the covenant
This is descriptive of the Ten Commandments, the principles established by God by which man should live. Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law this way, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” The law is not of faith, “But the man who does them shall live by them” (Leviticus 18:5; Ezekiel 20:11; Nehemiah 9:29; Romans 10:5; Gal.3:12).
f. Cherubim of glory:
This is figurative to the two witnesses witnessing the testimony which is placed in the ark when brought to the presence of God. As it is written, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.” For it is by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” And it is also written in the law that the testimony of two men is true” (1Timothy 5:19; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17).
g. The Mercy Seat
This is figurative to Jesus Christ our merciful and faithful High Priest whose duty is to plead and intercede on behalf of his saints. “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” For according to the scriptures, the accuser of the brethren Satan the devil, accuses them before our God day and night (1Peter 4:17; Revelation 12:10).)
There is a huge difference between what takes place in the outer court, and what takes place in the inner court.
In the inner court only the redeemed should be allowed to appear before the presence of God to worship and glorify him, by partaking of the bread from heaven in fellowship with the Father and his Son, to answer charges leveled against them by the accuser, and to receive forgiveness and requital for charges brought against them; and to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The inner Court is, “coming to Mount Zion and to city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the first born, whose names are written in heaven.’ When in the inner Court, “you have come to God, the Judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24).
According to the laws of the temple which by the way was a shadow or copy of the true Tabernacle in heaven, because remember, when Moses was about to build the Tabernacle he was divinely instructed saying; “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (Hebrews 8:5).
There are laws which govern those who are admitted in the temple. The law with regard to those who should enter the new Temple was disclosed to the prophet Ezekiel by the Lord saying; “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations regarding the temple of the Lord. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.’
“Now say to the rebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘thus says the Lord God: “O house of Israel let us have no more of all your abominations. When you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary to defile it – My house – and when you offered My food, the fat and the blood, then they broke my covenant because of all your abominations.’
“And you have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of my sanctuary for you. Thus says the Lord God: “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter my sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel” (Ezekiel 44: 5-9).
Allowing the uncircumcised in heart, and spiritually unclean to enter the temple, not the one made with hands, but the true tabernacle in heaven, is a violation of the laws of the temple, and profanes the holy things of God. For thus says the Lord to Ezekiel concerning the leaders of Israel; “Her priests have violated my law and profaned my holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, so U am profaned among them” (Ezekiel 22:26).
Now the principal objective for observing the Sabbaths is to offer the Lord his food for his offerings. Like the shadow of the reality we are told that, “into the second part (the inner court) the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance” (Hebrews 9:7).
Today, we can daily come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, but not without the blood of the new covenant. As clearly stated by the apostle Paul in Hebrews chapter ten verses nineteen to twenty two saying’ “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us, through the veil, that is his flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
It is only when those things are in place should we “…consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Contrary to this we are told, “When you come to appear before me, who has required this from your hand to trample my courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies – I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting: Your New Moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they are a trouble to me, I am weary of bearing them.’
‘When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:12-15).
My prayer is that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory will give us the spirit of wisdom, and revelation in the knowledge of him, and that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened, so that we may know how to have access his throne of grace with confidence, in order to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, and not spending our time only in the outer court of the tabernacle, or profaning the inner court with abominable things.

Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or swerve from them.

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Whatever else you get, get understanding.

Proverbs 4:5-7 NIV

finding wisdom

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”  (James 1:5 NIV)

God is the source of all wisdom through Jesus Christ and Jesus is the central force in all of our relationships “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30)

James 3:13-18 explains that there are 2 kinds of wisdom. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

As we seek and find wisdom, however, we should remember that divine wisdom is to be sought after above all other sources of wisdom.

In Ephesians 1:17-21 we learn more about the Spirit of Wisdom: “I keep asking that the God of our Lor d Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

There is a bold difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God.  ”My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”   (1 Corinthians 2:4=5 )

Many times God reveals to us things that can only be understood through the Spirit.  In other words, we can only understand the things of God through the Spirit of God. “However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

So what if I am confused about what God is trying to tell me? I’m so glad you asked that question! If you do not understand the things of God, you shoud ask God to grant His wisdom so that you will be able to discern between the 2 wisdoms and use the correct one for the situation.

“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (1 Cor 2:12-13)

When we receive the wisdom of God and we utilize it as we go about doing God’s will, in the church as well as in the world, we are furthering the Kingdom of God! Words not taught by human wisdom

As we serve Jesus with the wisdom that comes from God, we will not be like those who are tyrants, but rather we will glady serve others with Jesus as our example.

In our church, we love to sing the hymn:

“How Great the Wisdom“

Words: Benjamin Beddome, 1817.    Music: John Chetham, 1718

How great the wisdom, power and grace,

Which in redemption shine!

The heavenly host with joy confess

The work is all divine.

The work is all divine.

The work is all divine.

Before His feet they cast their crowns,

Those crowns which Jesus gave,

And, with ten thousand tongues,

Proclaim His power to save.

Proclaim His power to save.

Proclaim His power to save.

They tell the triumphs of His cross,

The sufferings which He bore;

How low He stooped, how high He rose,

And rose to stoop no more.

And rose to stoop no more.

And rose to stoop no more.

With them let us our voices raise,

And still the song renew;

Salvation well deserves the praise

Of men, and angels, too.

Of men, and angels, too.

Of men, and angels, too.

One man, made from the dust of the Earth, bears the historical responsibility for tearing apart the very fabric of creation.

This one man and his wife – “flesh of my flesh” ADAM, made in the likeness of loving Father and Creator God, succumbed to temptation, and did what some have described as irreparable damage. Irreparable to man that is. Certainly NOT irreparable to God!

They were cast out of their Eden for their sin, forced to till the soil for food, to work for shelter and bear children in pain. Generation after generation – uncountable through the eons was loved mercifully by their creator God. Every one of them known intimately, every hair on their heads counted, and still they struggled for freedom. Freedom which separated them further from the time, created with them solely in mind.

Evil perpetuated, sanctity negated, ‘leave me alone I will choose my own fate’ their perpetual cry! A gift once given can never be rescinded – freedom to choose, to decide, to live or to die.

Loudly we hear them proclaim “We want a king”, a ruler like the other nations have…… They have an eternal King whom they deny!

And still they cry out “We choose to worship”, as the other nations worship – but not you Lord God – just idols and beasts… we know you not!

And through it all God pondered and watched. His hand always at the ready to assist if asked, his heart crying in longing for his rebellious children.

Chances and opportunities were given time after time. Prophets, wise men, holy seers sent with tidings and announcements –to be ignored and cast out. Promises fulfilled yet evil spread its ugly manifestations.

The King looked down from the heavenly throne, crying in pain at the loss of his beloved children. The chosen ones, here since time began, have no direction, no way; the veil was in place and masked the view. The way was closed.

To bring them back to the home prepared, required the divine act of redemption! Through the very gift of himself, through life and love, from the Alpha and Omega only, could this be accomplished.

The Triune Godhead has always known that mankind would waiver between flesh and spirit. So offering himself, in perfect love, to repair the fabric that Adam had destroyed “The Word made flesh” would come.

The ‘Word’ spoken at creation, never absent and always alive, had chosen to be birthed, to live and die – fully human and fully divine. He would open up the way.

Would they listen, would they follow and obey? There was always a chance they would deny him. Time and again they had refused, why would this be any different we ask.

They were his own, his chosen ones, and live amongst them for thirty plus years he did. He taught them, led them, prayed with them and cried with them. He turned water into wine for their wedding feast and danced with them, healed them, cast out their demons – and still they doubted!

They saw in him an earthy conquer, one who would defeat the occupying forces in their land, but that was not who He was, and to his death they led him, without ever knowing the real reason for his coming. The times were cruel, evil reigned; rulers feared him, and the crowds were swayed! But he had known since before time began, that this was to be his destiny, and he came willingly to the eternal sacrifice as our redeemer.

For by so doing – his sacrifice would repair the rift caused by his Adam, and the veil would be forever destroyed and the way made open to any who chose to traverse his path.

I want to be with Him, forever, and He has promised I may. For He Lives. He is the first to rise from the dead. I cannot fathom what it took for Him to assume a human form, to live and to die – crucified for my past present and future sins. Yet he took it all upon his shoulders, mine yes! And the sins of every other human being since time began and still to be born.

Willingly he accepted this most terrible death……… he stared death in the face and defeated it. He stared evil in the face and defeated it. He sat at the right hand of God the Father, stared Him in the face and said ‘I love them Father, forgive them please.’Father, I want everyone you have given me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the world was created.
John 17:24 (Contemporary English Version)

One Man (ADAM) tore apart the fabric of creation, and in its place we find the veil. There was no access to Our Heavenly Father and evil prevailed.

One Man –Jesus, through his death tore apart the veil. He took upon his shoulders our iniquities; He opened the way to brings us home.

Freedom is ours to choose, what will it be? Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life, our eternal light – or eternal darkness?

I beg you – Choose life and light!

Shining Perspective

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:26

I’m waiting on the Lord. Tomorrow I may receive an immense blessing or it might not go the way I hoped. I’ve struggled through the waiting process, but God has kept me busy throughout. This past week has been one of extremes. I found myself rocketing full speed up mountaintops to reach a state of indescribable joy, only to come barreling just as swiftly down to the valley below. Every day has been this way. It is in times such as these I find I am so grateful for the stability that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Whatever state I find myself in I know I can find comfort, rest and strength in Jesus. I’ve been weary and physically exhausted as sleeplessness is something that regularly afflicts me. This past week I had the privilege of not only watching thousands of people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but I also had the honor of meeting a few of them and learning their stories. What amazing moments of pure joy. I also have the pleasure of teaching Sunday school and I’m not sure there is anything better on this earth than seeing the light go on in a child’s eyes as they get the lesson and it becomes real to them.

At the same time, I experience trials just like everyone else and sometimes they threaten to consume me. They knock me down, they test me in ways I never thought I’d be tested and I often fail in them. If there is one thing that I have learned it’s that success comes out of failure just as new life comes out of death. I have also learned that as much as I get scared of failure, my biggest fear really lies in this question: Am I missing the fullness of what God has for me?

In the light of a new day I may have to deliver a big disappointment to my six year old, maybe the biggest of his young life. I also might be stepping into a blessing I never saw coming. Whatever answer I receive and no matter what happens every day I find myself in the same situation.

The bible makes it clear, if there is one thing we are all doing in this life it is waiting on the Lord. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…” Psalm 37:7. “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” Jude 1:21. “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes…” 1 Corinthians 4:5

God in His mercy is faithful to remind me what I receive as I wait for the Lord: “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18

Back in my post Follow me….ish I talked about how some “holy” people and “teachers” use bits and pieces of scripture to lead people astray. Right now I am in the middle of reading the new testament in 1 year and yesterdays reading was Romans 16. Honestly its kinda the dullest chapter in Romans to me because its “tell everyone I said hi” over and over again and give this person hugs and kisses etc…. but then smack in the middle Paul says “One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They’re only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren’t above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents.” Back when I was teaching the children the inportance of reading for yourself I pulled the example of the bible saying “throw yourself off this cliff”, and it does, but it is taken out of context when it stands alone. This can be done from the smallest scale (a phrase) to large scale (whole chapters or books). So if you’re a seeker or follower, I encourage you to read the Bible on your own, or with a small group. make sure what you’re being taught is actually there, and be able to put it in context, who wrote it, who was it written to, why was it written. I am walking talking proof that any “common man” can do it… you need not go to seminary or be a theologian to learn and live what it teaches.

Key #5 to Happiness – Living without fear.

One thing among many that I hated prior to knowing Jesus Christ and the love of the Father intimately was some Christian spouting off “Christianese” at me. It was like a sugar-coated secret language that I could only learn after I gave up everything I had, everything I loved and I got ready to wear sack cloth and ashes. Not a very inviting prospective.

So, in order to not be one of those “people”, let me start this article with various things I found that were not in the bible.

I decided to search on my own via the vast search engines available to us for the things I would be talking about in this article. Happiness…joy….fear. Wow! Who knew how often these questions/words/solutions were addressed!  I couldn’t list them all. Here are a few:

Happiness: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety
2 : a state of happiness or felicity : bliss 3 : a source or cause of delight

And….

“One way to understand the difference between joy and happiness is to look at the opposites of the two feelings. The opposite of joy is fear while the opposite of happiness is unhappiness and misery.” Diffen.com

I liked this. The opposite of joy was fear. OK. What else? Again, the search reference for the word “fear” was endless. One definition of “fear” that I felt said it all:
F–FALSE
E–EVIDENCE
A–APPEARING
R—REAL

Then there were the unlimited famous/infamous quotations which I shrunk down to this small list:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified, terror which

paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”  FDR – First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933

Courage is not the lack of fear but the ability to face it.” Lt. John B. Putnam Jr. (1921-1944)

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear.” H.P. Lovecraft
“The greatest obstacle to love is fear. It has been the source of all defects in human behavior throughout the ages.” Mahmoud Mohammed Taha

Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.” German Proverb

I have German ancestors. None of them bothered to share that last one with me. I don’t think anyone bothered to share it with them either. On the contrary, all my ancestral roots (not limited to the Germanic only) learned to rule and dominate others with fear. It was a successful maneuver in many ways because it got people to do, or not to do, whatever they wanted. The bad news…it kept many from achieving all they could possibly be or were designed to be by Almighty God. Call it fear of failure, fear of success, fear of confrontation, fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, etc. It was still the same four letter word causing the same havoc and destruction of joy or happiness. FEAR!

This can be taught, learned, experienced or generational. It matters not from whence it came. It is a killer of life. It is a killer of dreams. It is a killer of others…either in their spirit or in their body.

I wanted to know how to stop this paralyzing and destructive force in my life. I wanted to have a better life. I tried everything from meditation to other forms of “religious and mind-empowering practices.” None of them worked. Some cost money. Most were not freely given. When all else failed I learned about something I hadn’t tried yet.

“But these are written (recorded) in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One), the Son of God, and that through believing and cleaving to and trusting and relying upon Him you may have life through (in) His name [ through Who He is].” John 20:31

The Lord promises a free gift…His gift of love. The gift of Jesus. Someone who really thinks you’re important and really cares. It’s like having a great big daddy Who is always standing guard at all times so I can rest and not worry…and be happy:

“But [even] the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many [flocks] of sparrows.” Luke 12:7

If you’ve never experienced this love, you’re missing one of the first tools to overcoming this four letter word (FEAR) and all its deadly entanglements. He promised us that “Perfect love gets rid of fear” and the name of Jesus is the embodiment of that perfect love demonstrated on this earth. It’s a name that He encouraged us to call out  – JESUS. The name that every/all powers must bow their knee to… JESUS! This was the name…the word… I learned to use early on with my walk through my personal battles.

You see, some of it this freedom walk was not easy for me and is not easy for most. The gift to start on the journey was/is free. But, like any good workout and muscle building program, you (we) have to do some of the work. Many times I wished that the trainer would do the exercises, magically touch my body and I’d be fifty pounds lighter and able to do things I did when I was twenty!  But alas, this is not possible. I have and had to do the work.

The reward was great as I strengthened my faith muscles and started to chip away at all the fear-based ideology that had been imbedded in me. I now look at “stuff” that is taking away my peace, my happiness and ask the Lord what the cause may be. One of the main questions that I usually ask is… ”What am I afraid of?”

If you find yourself battling this four letter word…start with His free gift. If you haven’t invited Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior…give HIM a try. This Web site has tools on how to do this. It won’t cost you a thing. It’s between you and Him. He’s not like a lot of people who beat you over the head to get you to do something. No…it’s just the opposite. He stands at the door to your heart, knocks and then waits for an invitation to come in. He’s not pushy or punitive. He doesn’t want you to be afraid of Him. He’ll wait until you say “yes.” He won’t judge. He’ll wait until your “yes.”

Will happiness come immediately? I don’t know. Each and every experience is different. Like our fingerprints, no two people are alike. But I can guarantee one thing. You will never be alone again. You will always have the name of a Friend who you can on call at any time. JESUS. Once you mention His name…all hell runs away. They don’t like to be reminded of the ONE who is really in charge, who is really love and who will never leave us or forsake us.

Try studying these one day at a time for seven days. Have hope, have happiness and become fearless!

Day #1

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me. Psalm 118:6

Day #2

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] John 14:27

Day #3
For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing son-ship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! Romans 8:15

Day #4

In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear). Ephesians 3:12

Day #5

And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God. Philippians 1:28

Day #6

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

Day #7

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? Hebrews 13:6

Previous Happiness Lessons:

How to find Happiness – 15 Lesson Series – Overview

How to find Happiness – Introduction

How to find Happiness – Key #1 – A relationship with God

How to find Happiness – Key #2 – Being Thankful

How to find Happiness – Key #3 – Learning How to forgive yourself

How to find Happiness – Key #4 – Learning How to forgive others

How to find Happiness - Key #5 – Living in the present

May you find true happiness and may God answer your prayers – Amen!

Breathe today by flyleaf contains some strong lyrics it starts with
“You can only move as fast as,
Who’s in front of you,
And if you assume,
Just like them,
What good will it do,
So find out for yourself
So your ignorance,
Will stop bleeding through.”

People tend to follow without looking at the leader. Whether secular or Christian or even another religion. who’s queue are you taking? I’ll make it clear, once again that if you claim to be following no one or nothing, you are even more foolish because you just are too proud to see who or what is shaping you.

In my pre-faith days I strove so hard to follow my dad, to the point that I would look the other way when he said or did something I knew in my heart was wrong. When he was abusive (verbally or physically) to my nieces or nephews. I strove so hard to be like what I perceived to be the image of a dad. I conformed to that for so long because I rarely looked at how other families lived. And if I did I thought they were the odd ones. Love and affirmation had no place in the family.

Oddly enough when I first started checking out church one pastor said “don’t take my word for it” and I live by that. I double and triple check what is taught to me. The thing about some “biblical” teachers is they will take a line of scripture and discard the chapter it lies in. I’ve visited churches that taught “vending machine” theology, literally where they teach if you want to have a child you have to sew a certain $ amount to the church. They would pull bits and pieces of scripture on the whole sewing/reaping idea to support this. I was angry but my anger is two fold one for the teachers who were lying and surely knew it, but also for the people in the church who didn’t read the bible on their own. Each one of us is responsible for our actions in life and salvation in the end. Paul makes two seemingly contradictory statements one in
1 Cor 12 and the other in 1 Cor 11, He tells us to follow Him but not to follow him. The point being we need to be responsible for our actions in the end, No leader/ role model/ pastor/ teacher, is without flaw. Yes, even I stumble. And churches for sure, get wrapped up in doctrine instead of relationship, same as secular groups get wrapped up in ideology, both groups will lift up a leader/speaker/teacher to the point it becomes their god.

While I don’t agree with everything my church teaches/does, I do know they have the 3 major things right, Love God, Love people, reach those who are far from God.

So, who’s in front of you, and are you brave enough to say “dude, I think your compass may be broken”.?

The Spirit of God

John 14:15-17  … ”If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14  … This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit (of God) does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Ezekiel 11:19-20 … I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

1 Corinthians 2:6-12 ,,, We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age (when Jesus walked on the Earth) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:  ”No eye has seen,  no ear has heard,  no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.       Isaiah 64:4 The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him?  (you know you better than anyone)  In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.  ( I can’t give you my spirit, but God gives us his Spirit so we can understand what he has freely given us)

John 16:12-14 … ”I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes,  he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

Colossians 1:25-27 … I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Romans 8:26-27  …  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints (believers throughout all time) in accordance with God’s will.

Romans 8:9-11 … You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 … Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

John 4:23-24 …  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, (through the Holy Spirit according to the truth revealed in God’s Word) for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 … Now the Lord is the Spirit, (The Spirit is God  is the Spirit of Christ) and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Colossians 3:12-17  … Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ (God’s revealed Word found in the Bible) dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Nuggets of Wisdom is a “Collection of Biblical Truth Promoting Spiritual Growth”

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1. Serve the Lord Christ

To serve the Lord Christ one is required to do whatever he/she does heartily as to the Lord and not to men. Whatever is done in word or deed should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him.

Our sojourn here in the physical flesh is to help us become faithful and trustworthy stewards, learning how to rule and manage whatever God has placed under our care. Therefore we have been admonished saying; “Make use of worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into everlasting dwellings.

Life is typical of the parable that Jesus Christ gave concerning the noble man who went to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, so he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas and asked them to do business until he comes.

When he returned having received the kingdom he commanded the servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. The first came saying, “Lord, your mina has made ten more.” And he said to him, ‘well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

The second came saying, “Lord your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, “you take charge of five cities.’ But the one who did not invest his mina was severely reprimanded, and his mina was taken away from him and given to the one whose mina had gained ten minas, because to every one who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

The irony is, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if one has not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth: who will trust them with true riches? And if one has not been trustworthy with someone else’s property who will give them property of their own?

One therefore has to occupy themselves in doing whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, and if anything is excellent or praise worthy, meditate on these things. All things are to be done to the glory of God, and whatever one’s hands find to do, do it with all their might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

We serve the Lord Christ by exercising love, because Christ laid down his life for us, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. If any one has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? My brethren let us not love in word or in tongue but with actions and in truth.

Because when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory; all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats of his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in: or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

We put God first by loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, which is expressed by seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, being thankful to God, and delight ourselves before him, which is the first and greatest commandment, and serve the Lord Christ, by loving our neighbors as ourselves, which is the fulfillment of the second great commandment.

Why is the sky blue? It’s among the most asked questions children have – almost a generic one to show the curiosity of young people and the joy of learning that comes when youngsters are encourged.

Some may not think of light scattering through the atmosphere as the primary answer, of course. Some may first think of jokes, like Lucy’s in one Peanuts comic where she said crabbily, “Because it isn’t green.”

Others may think poetically about the sky, as it reaches up to infinity. Oh, sure, the atmosphere only goes so far, but even it goes much farther than we can imagine, or see, thinning until it is merely a few molecules per square mile.

And yet, the same sky – blue, thanks to the light scattering from the sun – reaches all the way down to the ground.

Isn’t it amazing? We don’t think about it, because we’re used to thinking of the “sky” as way up there. But, if we put on that same childlike faith that kids have, we realize that just sitting up on an adult’s shoulders feels like we’re “way up there.” And, we’re actually walking around in a sky that begins way down at our feet. Good thing, too, or the atmosphere wouldn’t allow us to breathe, if it started only a few dozen feet up.

Why is it down that far? Why are we allowed to breathe in that sky that starts not somewhere many feet up, but right down at the ground? becuase of an unseen force called gravity.

It’s important to remember why the sky is blue, of course. And, it’s also important to remember other great things as school starts back up.

1. Learning should be fun.

Not every part of learning – or anything – will be fun. Even a great athlete like LeBron James has parts of the sport he doens’t like – same with pretty much every NFL player by the end of training camp.

People dream of being like them in some way, though, because they do something that their fans think would be lots of fun.

In the same way, we should get through the boring stuff like those NFL drills, with an eye toward the big picture. We will gain so much knowledge, and hopefully the wisdom to use it.

After all, think about how cool it is to muse about the sky like I just did – and to consider that you’re in the sky right now, in some ways. Not high up, but you are in the atmosphere.

2. The sky and space are like life

That unseen force holding us down, which he need to rely on, is the same one holding that atmosphere we need so much. That force is gravity.

It doesn’t end there, though. There is an invisible force lovingly guiding each of us, too – one who wants what’s best for us, and who knows even better than we do. But, He’s not just an unseen force.

Shien a flashlight on a far wall. Where is the light? Int he flashlight? Ont he wall? Actually, it’s everywhere on a straight line between the flashlight and the wall – we just need a special instrument to see it. Just like that instrument we need to see God – faith.

Like the sky, God’s love is unfathomable, reaching out beyond what we can perceive, except that His love is many times greater than that. It is infinite, just as space is. Space, with a few atoms of hydrogen per square light year at times – but still, atoms of some element, just like the sky has. That’s right; particles and waves exist out in space, so space is not completely empty. The atoms and electrons spread to unimagined thinness and heights, and then the particles and electromagnetic waves still keep going. And, other particles and waves come at us from the deepest reaches of space.

They are drawn by an invisible force called gravity. Gravity, which we rely on by faith, unthinking, to hold us down, to keep us from flying into space. Just as we must rely on God to help us, and to save us.

Because you see, gravity does something else wonderful for us. It not only keeps that atmosphere on the ground, preventing it from fleeing away and stopping all breath. It keeps enough atmosphere down on the ground, so anyone can breathe in it.

In the same way, God, in His love, doesn’t expect us to reach out to His unfathomable heights. He reaches down to us. In fact, He came down to us, in the person of Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and rise fromt he dead, so we could get to Heaven, and also so we could enjoy life more abudnantly here.

3. God wants you to breathe freely

God doesn’t force you to come to Him. Just like He doesn’t force people to breath ehte atmosphere. A person could live their whole lives breathing something in a spacesuit. The question is, why? It would take so much effort, and there wouldn’t be the joy of living and breathing freely. Plus, the body would die anyway, so all that work would be for nothing.

God has something better for you, though. He has verses like Philippians 4:8, Galatians 5:22-23, the Commandments, and so on, that help us to make this world a better place. They’re not rules that we’re forced to follow; they’re rules He set up to lovingly guide us, and make the world better for us – and for others.

He lovingly reached down and tdid that, because we couldn’t reach up to Him. But, we have a problem. We dont’ always keep His commandments.

He made a way to reconcile Himself to us, though. He came to this world, int eh person of Jesus Christ. he lived a perfect life. He could do that becuase He was God in flesh. God the Father God the Son, and God the Spirit are all God – just as ice, water, and water vapor are all H2O. He was perfect, because He had to be to take our punishment – He didn’t have to be punished for His own sin. He died on the cross for you, me, everyone, and rose fromt he dead. He’d defeated death and sin.

Now, each person must simply receive Him by simple faith. Call on Him to forgive you, for all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) He has allowed you, by grace alone, to not only get to Heaven and have eternal life, but to have it here on Earth, also.

4. God can change things with you putting your whole trust in Him

Things can be very tough at school. You may wonder if you’ll ever rise up above al lthe gossip, mean talk, and superficial lifestyles people have. Well, on our own, we can’t, but God promises in his Word, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13)

So, trust Him to help you show His love through your actions, and your words, and you will make a difference. People will see something different in you, and will ask why – then, you can tell them how to have Jesus in their hearts (through the Holy Spirit) as well. But, you need Him as your Savior first, before you can help anyone else to do so.

He loves you, and wants you to live for Him, though. Not becuase you have to, but because He wants you to admit you’re a sinner and seek forgiveness for your sins, a change in your heart, so you can show others His great love.

Because, there’s a world of hurting people out there, many at school. People who are waiting to be told all about Christ’s love.

This came from the outstretched arm of Perfection. This is a testimony and a lesson from God that I just have to share with the brethren. Some good food here. If you’re stiff necked as I am and disobey God, check this out -

I was looking at these verses after a flood of constant messages from the Lord about the voice of the Lord, the Angel’s voice, hearing from God, etc.

James1:²¹ Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the word,and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself,goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does -

There are many times when I’m tempted by something, I will hear the Lord’s word, but I will ignore it (I hear it – seeing myself in the mirror, but I turn away, forgetting what I heard/saw). And when I forget what I heard, I commit an act of sin. Stiff necked! On the flip side, just as my previous postings have mentioned, He has also shown me that when I obey the voice of the Lord, blessings pour out. What a valuable lesson from God here.

Matthew 7:²⁶“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.And great was its fall.”

I would hear, not do… the temptation came (winds and floods of thought), and great was my fall (sin). The temple is built on nothing. I realized at this moment that I did not have a relationship with Christ, again, stiff necked!

I examine these things in me… and I ask questions. I ask, “Why would I do such a thing with this knowledge He has blessed me with?” So I prayed…and during my prayer, it popped out. It may be obvious to the reader, but for me, it was hidden until I examined. I noticed that at the moment of choice, with the information of His voice and the temptation, I choose the temptations at times because I love them more than I love obeying the Lord’s voice. What a huge lesson from God. Even though this is a hard confession to make in prayer, but I knew He already knew.. It was truth. I said “Lord, I am stiff necked Israel..  Help me.  I need to be built on the Rock and my relationship isn’t there.. I am stiff necked”. The lesson started to come from God..

Matthew 7:²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Oh, this is important. Around a year ago, I had a dream… and have not understood it until now. I was standing outside my church in the yard on a sunny day. All of a sudden, the light from the sun got extremely bright.  I looked up and saw a huge golden glowing sun, bright as ever. While looking at it, dark lines started to get drawn on the sun, blocking out the light.  As I watched these lines and things get filled in, I started to see an artery, a vein, and bam..the sun was covered with a beating human heart.

So after my prayer… about being stiff necked and the lack of a relationship with Jesus, I went about my normal reading of the word in my already planned daily devotionals. Around 2 weeks later, He started to answer… and this is where it gets really good. I read a direct answer to my prayer -

Deut 10:¹⁶ Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff necked no longer.

I then prayed, and said “How do I circumcise my heart Lord?  What do I do?” The lesson from God came a few days later in my readings of Deut:
Deut ⁶ And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Immediately, the following verse popped into my head:

John 15:¹ “I am the true vine,and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

The Lord will circumcise. The Lord is the pruner. I prayed, “Lord, circumcise the foreskin of my heart. Prune me as you say you will. What is my part?” Immediately, I start dwelling on this.. Pruning shears.. Circumcision knife.. Sharp object… SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.

Eph 6:¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Heb4:¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

…and there are quite a few other verses like this, for example… there’s a couple of times when Jesus and Peter were speaking the word of God and the listeners were ‘cut to the heart’.

The word of God is the shears..the knife.. the sword…that will cut, circumcise, prune…  Watch this -

John 1:¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Then one of the final words I get on this brought everything full circle, which was also in Deut 30 -

Deuteronomy 30:¹¹ “For this commandment which I command you today istoo mysterious for you, nor is it far off. ¹² It is not in heaven, that you not should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ ¹⁴ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

I received the answer on the dream.. “..and the life was the light of men… and the light shines in the darkness.”  See, the darkened human heart was a foreskin over the True Light.  The true heart, the light of a man, which is in the heart, never goes any where.  It is covered up, masked… by society, by worldly things.  The Word, Jesus…He’s the knife.  The Father is the vinedresser, the pruner. The darkness gets cut away by reading the Word.. and the True Light is still there and will start shining through.

He answered my stiff necked, my relationship with Christ and many other things… with this lesson. It all pointed to the Word and Christ.  Of course, prayer.. the Spirit and the Father are all doing their part.  Blessed be the Trinity!

I pray this word from God continues to work in me and others.. May His blessed seed be protected and be implanted on good ground.  Lord, the Tiller, please prepare the ground of the hearts of the readers before they begin reading this.. I pray and speak to the evil one, let His people go in the name of Jesus Christ.  It is His will that all are saved. In the authority I have as a royal priesthood, I take this authority in-Christ and I saith to you mountain… I saith to you satan, be cursed and cast into the sea.  In Jesus name, amen..amen..amen.

joseph

If you enjoyed this article by Joseph, you may also like: Keep it Simple Servant or Lesson from God – Stiff necked Pt2

 Lesson from God - Stiff necked Pt1 originally written at Serious Things

Boy, do I over complicate things. Keep It Simple Servant! Faith and obedience, it’s really that simple.

Obedience is an action – Moses, strike the Nile with your rod. Raise your rod Moses. Strike the rock with your rod Moses. March around Jericho 7 times and shout. Lepers, go show the priest you are healed. Pick up your mat and walk. Keep it simple servant – Have faith and choose God, hear His word, then take an action in obedience. Simple enough, right? It only gets complicated after my ideas start to get involved. I end up trying to figure things out myself (Proverbs 3:5-8). When I do this, I have walked right into the war zone, Spirit vs Flesh -

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William Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.Today I invite you to consider yourself as an actor in a play.

Consider yourself up on stage in front of thousands of people who have come to hear you speak. For some, this is a terrifying thought while for others, it is electrifying. No matter how you feel about it, if you are a Christian, then that is a pretty accurate analogy for the life you are living.

Jesus said,

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a [basket], but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.

MATTHEW 5:14-16 AMP

Have you ever seen a play or watched a movie and witnessed the lack of chemistry and harmony between the actors? It’s horrible! It’s a big waste of your time because without harmony, the movie is dull, lifeless, and boring. You lose interest. You almost want to laugh at the actors attempts because they seem fake, forced and phony. Unfortunately that is the way that many people view Christianity. Many of us do not get along, we argue and treat each other with contempt, we run each other down. When we try to put up a ‘united front’ it seems anything but genuine.

But as part of this elaborate play, we have each been given specific roles and part of our job is to help one another to fulfill their roles, too. We are supposed to be working together as a team in perfect harmony. The Word says,

But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

1 JOHN 1:7 AMP, EMPHASIS MINE

The roles we play are not purely for entertainment. Your ability to effectively carry out the role our Creator has given you could be the difference between someone else having eternal life or eternal death. The Lord has the right people in the right place at the right time. He handpicked you out of the crowd. He saw you as noble, courageous, strong, brave and capable…even when you were just a random member of the crowd. You didn’t realize you were special. You didn’t know you had such a significant role to play. In fact, you are still learning how critical your role is to this play. With each scene you are slowly understanding that God is relying on you in order for this play to be glorious. This is your destiny.

Believers have no right to fade into the background. You are the LIGHT of the WORLD!

Sometimes this information is a lot to take in. Sometimes it is difficult for me to believe that God really does have a very specific plan for my life. When I look back over the years, I can see all that has happened has led me to the point where I am now, and it gives me confident hope for tomorrow. It is often times difficult to believe the incredible glory that is within our hearts. That’s because we’ve all made so many agreements with lies over the years, and only the Word of God can unveil the truth (see 1 Corinthians 2:10). My earnest prayer is that God has prepared your heart to receive the truth. The truth is this: you are much more than meets the eye. You could have been born anywhere in the world at any time in history, but God specifically chose you, your parents, your siblings, your place of birth, and your moment in time. You were handpicked for such a time as this. The time is NOW. It’s not a myth and it is not a fantasy. Before you were born you were destined to be like Jesus. Let’s read Romans 8:29-30 in The Message translation:

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

(EMPHASIS MINE)

Amen! God already called you by name. He already set you on a solid basis with Himself. He already established you and He has already glorified you! Praise God!

Here’s a question for you: what if the life we are living has already happened?

There is no beginning or end aside from God. Jesus said He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (see Rev 22:13). Many people believe the book of Revelation is written in past tense because the events have already occurred. Perhaps he simply had a vision about the future…but there is no future in eternity. I often speak of God’s existence outside of the confines of time. Since both the end and the beginning starts and ends with Him, He is able to see the “timeline” of humanity in its entirety. Therefore He has already destined us to be like Jesus. He has already called us by name. He has already justified us, we are already righteous through Christ Jesus and He has already glorified us – He has already completed the glorious work He began before the foundation of the world.

Wow. What does that really mean to you? Being like Jesus?

Is life really just a sum of day-to-day responsibilities?

Is that all?

What does God really expect from us? What does it really mean to be pre-destined to be like Jesus??? I’m so excited to explore this further!