I am a child, stepping away from my Father briefly testing my legs, a bit wobbly but able to stand.  He gives me that confidence to overcome fear, looking back I see that He is there with arms extended waiting to catch me when I’ve fallen.  Just let me lose sight of Him for a moment and that panic ensues, where I either run to find Him or learn to depend upon my own abilities to walk through this life.  Where is that sweet spot of dependence upon God while maintaining a fair level of confidence in self?  Wow that is a difficult question.

We know that God wants us to mature, grow in faith and learn adult methods for dealing with problems, conflict, relationships and finances.  I do not believe that He ever wanted us to stop depending upon Him.  His Word is clear on relying upon Him instead of our own understanding, seeking shelter, peace and sustenance under His mighty outstretched wings.  How do you find that balance where each step may be taken upon your own volition but maintaining a clear line of sight upon Jesus to guide, correct and discipline each of your actions?  I think this is each Man’s struggle in this world, and that God purposely constructed it for that reasoning.  For each day I am tempted to follow my own or some other voice’s direction, thinking haphazardly that I have mastered this life, but with self-reliance comes accountability for misstep.  Can I blame God one iota if in fact I have walked foolishly onto the mezzanine of Hades?

The enemy has been terribly effective in convincing humans that they only need the things of this world to fulfill their yearnings.  Our understanding of Biblical Doctrine is minimal, no wonder take such egregious reactive footfalls when confronted with conflict, we possess not the wisdom and authority to reason appropriately.  The closer that I get to God the closer I want to be to God.  It is falsehood that a man who depends on God is weak, this is travesty.  For mankind has been sold a bundle of lies vended by the father of lies.  Every man that I know who has surrendered to Jesus and is fully dependent on the Holy Spirit’s direction to bring Glory to God possesses a strength incomprehensible to misguided man.  They are children looking into nuclear physics not understanding the complexity of its architecture.  Things are not always what they appear or as the vendor of worldly fulfillment depicts them.  There are greater things than what may be achieved in this life, but the belief and actions of this life dictate the access to that greater universe.

Father let me be fully dependent upon You for and in all things.  Although I find confidence in my ability to stand against the wiles of the enemy let me never forget what would happen if You took Your hand of blessing from my head for even one moment.  Let me draw ever closer to You, Your Word, Wisdom and Truth.  Let folly fall away and foolish pride lose its claim upon my heart.  I am Yours.  Teach me, lead me and discipline me to Your Glory.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

The man on his knees in quiet conversation with God looking for guidance to victory.  A woman, caring for a child while doing everything that she can to keep her family above water.  A student, searching books, seeking wisdom, asking the right questions to determine the right path to follow toward adulthood.  A teenager and a widow discussing the things that matter teaching each other about love and sharing a bit of kindness and friendship.  Kids buzzing around the tables, arrayed across a greenish-brown patch of lawn, while people laugh at each others quirks, just being.  A video about someone who was real, funny, complicated yet simple in their sacrifice to goodness and ideals we all agree are righteous.  These are the things worth pursuing, the treasures to be stored up in heaven where rust and burglars have no effect.  This is the foundation from which this nation sprung, like a luminous green stalk from a deep patch of earth while the sun looked on from the eastern morning sky.  So was our health observed and maintained.  But to maintain a healthy crop, the ground must be tended, the weeds arrested and the planting nurtured by clean water, sky and minerals basked in the revealing light of a grooming sun.

We were born of the light, where nothing was hidden, all deeds evident for each to observe.  For some reason we forgot the power of darkness to shroud, conceal, decay.  Ours is a nation born for pursuit of glory, faith, hope and righteousness.  We unfortunately were sold a satchel full of falsehood, the seeds to nightmare and broken dreams.  But we can still turn away from injustice by remembering whence we came.  And those moments where we see those few noble things spark that reflection on our history of righteousness.  There will be voices who must by their nature reflect on our humanity, faults and moments where we sinned greatly against God, people and purpose.  I say to them, sin is inevitable for a time until the Lord of Righteousness comes to claim His victory over sin, death and the devil.  Until that moment we are the banners of freedom, light and truth.  We must mimic glory in our likeness to God’s Holiness and Truth.  Hold to those moments, ideals and memories of a time when we loved and followed God.  Plant the seed then tend the crops, herds and harvest.  For love and light do win and these things are meant for admiration.

The distinction between believers and mockers becomes increasingly clear.  Standing on one side of the room as the other side mimics and makes fun while making selections reminds us of those kids who would invariably be chosen last for any sports team.  Or perhaps that were ridiculed until they quit and went off alone to join the ranks of the disenfranchised.  This moment in time is inevitable.  I found myself in one of those epiphany moments about God’s plan instantaneously knowing that every person who will ever come to God will come at exactly the right timing.  Without fail the sides are being separated not for unkind purpose, but because they are just plain different.  They serve different God’s, think different thoughts, seek different answers and are fulfilled by two totally different reward philosophies.  The people of this world will inevitably turn against us because not to do so would be illogical and denial of honest emotions the two guardrails for earthly behavior.

I love them so, not admiring their wickedness or their wealth and status, but because they were so loved by God that He extended them Grace.  What thoughts can I ever have that would invalidate God’s thinking?  He saw them worthy of sacrifice and an attempt lasting millennia, then they must have been worth the trouble.  No assuming just accepting.  Things are the way that they are because God created them and gave us the free will to mess them up, then He came and provided the Divine Methodology to return them to His original intention.  Only somehow we were improved in the process through His sacrifice and our struggle to wrestle our wretched little selves free from self, sin and satan.  In the process finding that it was hopeless from the outset if in fact our only course of action was dependence on our own abilities.  No God did it all, even providing each of us the knowledge, strength and courage necessary to choose Him when the time aroused us.  Yes all that will ever have a heart to come to Him will do so at the precise necessary timing.  And when the last of them has surrendered, then He will come.  Until then we wait, learn and love as He would have us do.  Praise Almighty God, in the name of Jesus the Messiah.  Amen.

Jerusalem, the symbol of God’s Faithfulness.  Why does the enemy want it, because God promised it to the Jews?  He promised that Jesus will sit upon the throne of David and rule for ever and ever.  He promised that Jerusalem is of the Jews.  Yes the enemy will come against her but in every instance will be repelled, stalled or expelled by the Plan of God so that all prophecy may come to pass.  Right now the enemy is using its proxy, the Muslim nation to assault Israel and take Jerusalem.  Millennium long hatred, carefully nurtured by the powers and principalities is nearing a climax where the enemies of God will attempt yet another foray against Jerusalem.  This effort will be disastrous to Israel’s neighbors in the short term, but praise be to God they will have a moment of conversion to belief following this loss.  And Israel will worship God with their Egyptian and Syrian Brothers and Sisters as prophesied in the Book of Isaiah 17-19.  Hallelujah that the Lord is Faithful and True, never faltering to fulfill each promise He made to the Jews and humanity.

Now is the time to determine where each of us stand with regard to faith in prophecy.  What you believe about God’s promises will dictate your position and reaction to the upcoming events which when they begin will quickly come to pass.  How many of us know the Bible Books of Prophecy yet unfulfilled.  Daniel, Isaiah, Revelation, Ezekiel and many others define and clarify future events.  Don’t you want to know or have you somehow capitulated to the enemy’s efforts to keep this knowledge from you?  Be prepared, do your duty as a Christian and have oil in your lamp at the Lord’s return for the Church.  If you do not know where to begin please ask the Holy Spirit for guidance then go to your Church Leaders for direction.  If you still cannot discern, determine or find your way to a solid understanding of Bible Prophecy, send me a note and I will make every effort to get you on that narrow path.

Father thank You for Your Gospel.  It nurtures us, comforts us and prepares us for all segments of Your plan for this world and the next.  You have been so Gracious in first promising to us what must occur, then by standing by us with comfort, peace and strength as we face each unfolding episode.  Glory be to God in the Highest as we approach that moment where we will once again be reunited for eternity.  Pray for peace in Jerusalem and thank the Lord for His intervention in the travesty soon to come.  Remember this is “all” His Plan and the enemy must play the part allocated him by God Himself.  Rejoice for Salvation Is Come.  Christ Jesus the King of Glory.  Amen.

There are really only three possibilities with regard to accepting the Lord’s Word; Rebellion, Excuse or Surrender.  Increasingly, people are leaning toward the rebellious end of this triumvirate with a ballooning segment coming from those who are desperately trying to excuse themselves from participation via ignorant misinterpretation of the scripture.  Many, like children, believe that “not knowing” produces the comfortable excuse of “naivete”.  Others claim that, “it doesn’t say that”, when confronted with the unavoidable truth of Scriptural direction, not willing to verify their suppositions of incorrectness.  For the battle between Good and evil is simple, either you openly serve the enemy, serve the enemy by serving your own views or you openly serve God.  There are only two sides, fence sitting, ignorance, excuse, misinterpretation, rebellion and misunderstanding are not unlike a golf green with a false face leaning toward a bunker.  The reality is that if you do not surrender to God’s Will for our lives and believe in the grace He has offered through Christ, then you will find that you have rolled back, fallen from the fence or been blown by the winds of fate in the depths of eternity away from God.

What I say matters little, except where I extol the name of Jesus Christ, deliver the Gospel message of repentance, surrender and longevity in faith or encourage those seeking God.  Because through all three of those steps I will lead those who hear my voice or read my words to seek, then see the truth of God where they will never again be led astray by the voices of enemy, illusion, misunderstanding or self.  To the believer, scripture is simple and clear, leading us toward a greater likeness and understanding of God, shaping us to faces of righteousness and lives of truth.  The believer fully understands the danger of sitting in the undecided zone of self-service, indifference or indecisiveness especially where it concerns individual interpretation.  The Bible is clear about what we are to do even in the instances where disagreement is found in the Body of Christ.  There is no gray area, though this world will preach desperately at you to find one.  I say preach because make no mistake, the enemy has an array of false prophets, teachers and preachers occupying the pulpits and street corners for satan.  That is why it is crucial at this, arguably the most important time in Humanity’s history, to be on the watchtower, stage, pulpit or town square proclaiming the Gospel of Truth.  The enemy has enjoyed the unchallenged position of authority in our absence.

We are the priest and kings of the Lord.  He has given us the mantel of responsibility for disbursing the Word of God.  How much will it cost us?  In the short turn, maybe everything.  In the long run, any efforts made for this purpose, on His behalf will be rewarded exponentially.  We cannot even conceive the benefits of service.  So, the question again is simple will we serve the thought processes of success and reward governed by the world’s short term philosophy requiring misinterpretation and luke-warm faith or will we serve the eternal expectations of a jealous God, who wants everything from us now and will give us more than everything later.  Truly only two positions.

I pray each of us do the self-analysis and investigation that leads to an original surrender to Christ or a re-dedication to service.  The truth is precise and the Word of God divides all nonsense, nullifies all opinion and dismisses all illusion.  His sword is sharp enough to remove any doubt by separating “soul from spirit”.  Have we even stopped to consider what that means?  What is soul and what is spirit and why would the Lord wish to divide them?  Perhaps you will do some analysis of this principle and you will see how the Lord uses His word in your life to protect you from the powers and principalities.  If you have some thoughts or need some direction please ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and if I may be of any service to Him and you, please let me know.  Honor Christ the King.  Amen.

So many lost, so many disillusioned, so many within the church loosely dedicated to a story that they don’t fully understand.  A story that astounds the angels in its unimaginable mercy, patience and grace.  A story of God, who has all the authority, might and justification to make humanity serve Him, but who demonstrates His indescribable Love and Glory by serving us in an effort to bring us in to His presence.  A story of God giving up His immortality for a time to rescue His children, and offer all who would respond to His invitation a place in eternity as bride.  A story of the King of Glory walking among us and leaving behind a “instruction” manual, to guide us lead us and provide us a place to find reason in a chaotic world.  A story of the Spirit of God Living within each believer, sealing them for eternity, changing them forever and continuously purifying them to His Likeness.  A story that no other can rival, one that brings the enemies of God to furor at its mention, a Book that creates controversy by its simple existence in the hands of believers.  Unlike other stories, told at bedtime to eager children this one is history, present and future, beyond the limits of human vision and imagination.  It is the Story of a plan conceived by God in which each of us find ourselves character.

I do not presume to know the mind of God, but I know Him.  He is my Father, Friend and Savior.  The Book He has given us is a reminder of His Love and builds me up, removes my wickedness, weakness and ignorance.  It gathers me to those who also serve the Savior as He served us in His moment of astonishing sacrifice, demonstrating for posterity how much we are loved.  What a book, even reminding me to be cautious of those carnival salesmen perpetrating magic and wonder so that I may not be mesmerized by illusionary wisdom.  A Book, truly a treasure map to Glory, leading us Home to Be with the King of this and every Universe, Space, Time and Territory.  A Love Letter to Humanity from God who did not need to pay us even a moments attention but instead orchestrated the forces of nature, science and reason to work toward the objective of our eternal salvation.  If angels be amazed then we should be utterly astounded being the subjects of so Great a King possessing the Humility to Serve an undeserving nation of sinners who believed.  Bless Your Name Father in all that You do, have done and is still to come.  Jesus deserves the Glory.  Amen.

Does doing His work involve losing the ground you’ve plowed personally?  Is there something for which you’ve invested time, treasure, emotional capital and sweat equity that will disappear the moment you accept the Lord’s direction?  Wow, I feel for you.   Those are the decisions we avoid and also the moments for which we live.  To know in an instant what really matters based upon what we are willing to give up in order to serve God is a tremendous blessing.  Boy, but in the heat of that moment it doesn’t seem so pleasant.  The long time love, the job, position, membership or fellowship that must be dismissed in order to receive God’s best, consistent with His will is never easily released, even when we know that it is the right thing to do.

Do you feel blessed that the Lord has confronted you with such a choice?  That the thing He has for you to do is righteous, important or that He is asking you for sacrifice and in so doing your path will be forever re-directed.  Why has He chosen each of us for the work set before us?  We have to know that it is because He loves us, but the truth is that it is His prerogative.  His Will Be Done.  Remember saying that over and over throughout your life, proclaiming it without really considering what it truly meant?  Well now the time has come, that moment where you get to prove yourself true or false.  God help you to make the right decision.

In Jesus Name I pray.

That change in the weather, not measurable but still somehow perceivable that lets you know a new season is on its way.  Ripe for harvest the fruit weighs heavy on the vine, sagging toward the ground, where bushels will lay to rot.  Call all hands to the fields, just as that moment when storm approaches a vessel, all prepare for coming winds and the length of winter’s test.  Is it something in the temperature, something on the wind, a smell or a color to the tree and grain which tells us of this change?  Or is it something programmed into our senses like a characteristic given us by our fathers, perhaps it is ingrained like migration directions to a goose.  I do not know the origin but I suspect it was put there by the Father, akin to the urge He gave us to seek Him out.  We all know it is coming, this world is ripe for harvest and the time rapidly approaches.

Isaiah, prophesied what must happen in Egypt, Syria and Israel as preparation for the scenes to follow.  Now that stage has been set, all the props and players have taken position anticipating curtain rise.  I do not know the catalyst, but soon there will be lit a spark, that fosters flame which will put his Earth to blaze.  A riotous time of emotional expression, rather than reason, where law has been twisted to breaking point incapable of protecting the innocent.  This will be the time where the strong will consume the weak in a prolonged moment of frenzy, driven by internal monsters, and there shall be no voice of governance, until the pale rider comes.

This is the moment for which history has waited.  The turning, tipping, crossroads moment when all can say that the change began.  The day where the world was forever transformed.  The moment, just like that second of His last breath upon the Cross, when things would never again be the same.  The Second Coming is near, and unfortunately for the Earth this means that tragedy will roost in advance of His arrival.  He must set things right and all the forces, spirits and powers of evil know their end of freedom approaches.  This knowledge will drive them to do their worst until His Glorious Appearing.  Prepare worker and bystander alike for the harvest approaches.  God help the innocent and deliver the brave to speak Your name at their last.  Amen.

Do you see the changes?  Is it palpable, observable, real?  Do you see Christ reflected, however minutely in your behavior, spirit and character?  Humility causes us to take honest stake of our lives for Christ.  As the Lord demonstrates dominion in each believers life, the changes will become prevalent and hopefully “apparent” to us and those who see us regularly.

Have you become a new creature?  Are you the same old person, who exclaimed, “That’s just me, I have been that way my whole life”?  If you haven’t changed, what do you believe that the Lord is waiting for until He fulfills this process?  Why is He waiting at all?  Do you feel that He has an “appropriate” timing at which He plans to re-create you?  Or perhaps, is the Lord waiting for you to do something before He shapes and molds you to His likeness?  Words, like surrender, willingness, commitment, sacrifice are typically not well received, especially those who “like” their lives or are enjoying their present circumstances.  Ever notice how the most zealous Christians are those who come from life disasters?  People who are in tragedy, pain, illness or poverty are excited about the Lord’s changes, wanting desperately to “sacrifice” themselves to God’s Creative Hand.

What separates each of us from that zealous commitment to the Lord’s Will?  Is there something in your life you are unwilling to place on the altar of sacrifice to the Lord, Almighty?  Do you maybe fear what He will ask of you?  Is there anything you are unwilling to give up?  He asked Abraham for his son, but then never took Him?  If He put Abraham to the test, what makes you believe that He would not measure your faith?  What is He asking you to offer up?  If you truly wish to become the man or woman that the Lord intends, then please be honest with yourself and volunteer to Him that thing which He is waiting for you to give.  Just like Abraham, the sacrifice, commitment and trust will bring the blessings of transformation.

Father, give me the courage to trust You in all things.  Show me those things that cause You to pause when considering my transformation.  Teach me to surrender my life to Your Shaping.  Clarify Your intention for my life so that I may be where, when and in right mind as You need me.  Teach me to love without measure.  Praise You in Your Infinite Glory.  Amen.

What does it mean to be ready?  Do you feel ready?  If you don’t that is a component of defining your belief and understanding surrounding readiness.  Readiness includes being completely prepared, equipped, adjusted, arranged, educated or fit for an immediate action or event.  There is also a component of willingness involved, for example being “ready to forgive”.  That unease or lack of confidence when asked about your preparedness is the conscience based alert telling us that something is missing, lacking or in an unprepared state.  Christianity requires honesty and a steadfast adherence to truth.  The truth is we as a “body” of Christians are far from ready.  Considering, the Lord Jesus, the prophets and the Apostles all continually commanded, recommended and preached readiness, then essentially, we have not “believed” the Word of God.

Where did we fall down?  I think we stumbled in complacency, exhaustion, fear and laziness.  We have become complacent in our comfort, forgoing the commitment to hear and obey the Word of God thinking ourselves sufficient when we are actually, “poor, naked, tired and alone”.  We have become exhausted, depending upon our own faculties and strength, forgetting that our peace, energy, direction and comfort are found only in Christ Jesus.  We have become afraid of enemy threats, decay, intimidation, widespread wickedness or the probability of persecution that is increasingly facing those dedicated to the Faith.  We have abandoned our call the readiness and action forgetting the choice which once set us free and the Words of the one “we serve”.  We are no longer slaves to sin, but we have forgotten that we are now slaves to righteousness.  And as good slaves we should be compelled to obey the Lord’s call to readiness.

Can we be prepared?  Yes.  The Lord clearly stated that there would be, two in the field or at the mill and one of them would be taken.  So it is clear that some will be prepared, but the horrible reality is that others will not.  How do we put the “oil” in our lamps so that when the Master comes we will have the light necessary to see our steps to safety?  There are those who will wish to argue with me but the oil is obviously the “Holy Spirit” residing within each born again Christian.  This is supported by the Word as the Holy Spirit is what seals each Christian for eternity.  The Lord Jesus would not let the Apostles leave Jerusalem until they received the indwelling of the Spirit and once they had they were “ready” to do the work for which He had prepared them.

So how do we get the Spirit?  We ask through prayer, accept the Blessing when it comes and then honor the Lords reconfiguration of our hearts and minds.  If there are no fruits of the Spirit in any believer’s life then it is pretty safe and sane to say that the Spirit has not yet come.  We must be honest with ourselves and each other when it comes to the topic of readiness.  This is not something for which we can afford to be wrong.  Ask the Lord for His Holy Spirit and then seek the evidence of His presence in your life and the lives of your families.  We cannot guess the motivation of a man’s heart, but everyone knows genuine faith when they see it.  The Spirit’s leading is obvious, but even if we falsely believe ourselves, righteous, that does not forgive us for not surrendering to the Lord’s continuing attempts to mold and shape us.

We must consistently make ourselves “ready” by being “willing” to receive the Spirit’s guidance, rebuke and prompting.  Not being able to clearly discern the Will of God for your life is pretty solid evidence that He may not be present.  Just as the Jewish People did not hear from Him for four hundred years, you should be a bit alarmed if you cannot determine what the Lord is saying to you.  Unlike the Jews the Lord told us that He will never leave us or forsake us, so if he isn’t speaking either we have forced Him out of our lives, or even more frightening is that He was never present.  The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.  That fear should be, that because we have not accepted the Lord into our lives, and been sealed for eternity by Spirit that we are still subject to His Wrath to Come.  That should frighten every fiber of our souls.

Becoming ready for the things to come requires understanding Prophecy.  Get in your Bibles, join a mature study group that is committed to learning what will soon happen as part of God’s unfolding plan.  Then once you know, the desire for readiness will become apparent and necessary.  Keep oil in your lamps so that when the Lord comes at an day and hour that no man knows, He will find you ready and accept you into His bosom that very moment.  Do not fear man in His attempts to label you foolish for being ready, for the eyes of men have been veiled to the truth that is God.  Men have been turned over to the lie of their own imaginations and wickedness.  Be strong and stand against the wiles of the enemies of God in their attempt to cull you from the ranks of Christianity.  Stay close to your Christian Brothers and Sisters, collectively armored in Faith and Righteousness, Truth, Salvation, Peace and Word of Almighty God, safe from the Wrath to Come.