Being afraid inhibits trusting God.  Shall I allow my doubt in God’s Sovereign authority and the grace He has given that I might petition Him in prayer, be replaced by anxiety, fear and apprehension?  The Lord did not give us the spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.  If I am experiencing fear, unless it is an awe inspired reverence for God, then it is certainly not coming from God.

I either believe that God will answer my prayers or I don’t.  Fear of men, events and circumstance are all notable opportunities to either trust God or give into worldly worry.  Caveat requires acceptance that my prayers may not match God’s Plan, but that does not alleviate my responsibility to have faith in His promises, righteousness, truth, justice and mercy.  Especially, in those circumstances where God has an answer that differs from my requests in prayer.  Either I trust in God or I trust in something else.

When I am fearful, do you think God steps away from my situation?  Does He pull back His blessings of mercy and grace because I have given into instinct or impulse?  Did my Father leave me when I learned to ride a bike, went on my first date, took my first exam, spoke publicly for the first time or found the open water for my very first swim?  No, my worldly Father stood there with me, but stepped back so that I might know the effects of experience upon confidence leading to growth.

Fears are real to the man experiencing them, but they fall into the category of self-denial into which God directs us.  Certainly I will be afraid at times, but I must also recognize that these impulses do not come from God and subsequently deny their sovereignty in my walk.  As Paul said, I must capture the thought, for there was never a sin committed that was not first contemplated.  Fear may remain a thought and not cause harm, it is when we allow it to sponsor action that the danger begins.  Being aware of danger and running from them are both sponsored by the same stimuli, it is the action that differentiates their definition.

This is the greatest battle for most of us because the prize of victory is massive, a surrender to God’s Will and an equal increase in our measure of faith.  Will you experience fear, yes?  What you do with that stimuli will determine your character and change the topography of the land before you.  Facing fears does not get any easier, what increases is our trust in God’s Sovereign authority and promises to provide for us and protect us despite the fears, obstacles, demons or battles we will inevitably face.

Recognize your fears, observe and contemplate them but act only in faith upon an unchangeable God.  Rejoice in His ability to overcome all that we might fear or face.  Stand and know that God is fighting for you and will never sleep, leave or abandon your trials.  Be transformed by a renewing of your mind as the Bible directs.  Be strong, be aware and be ready.  In God We Trust, by the Mighty Name of Jesus.

Each of us effectively conceals, ignores, compartmentalizes or works through the pain of the lives into which we’ve been placed.  How would we view it differently if that pain, that specific revelation were the secret to our mortal efficacy?  Would we then embrace the challenges as direct conduits to and beyond victory?  Would we choose to remain in the lion’s den, the crucible or upon the field of battle, knowing it the path to overcoming this life?  Accepting this as truth is an epiphany for the man or woman looking for reason to trust God.  For if the pain is instrumental in our Kingdom accomplishment then all of it was designed for Divine purpose.

My instinct screams, run!  It is with every ounce of my faith that I stand against the insurmountable.  I cannot fight what I can neither see nor understand.  These enemies aligned against me are more than my equal, my only hope found in His covering confidence.  They tell me to feel sorry for myself and develop a cogent pity-gram to share at meetings, parties and convince all listeners of the unfair shuffle leading to a truly intolerable hand.  They must at all cost send me scurrying for empathy, instead of embracing my circumstances as Divine opportunity to demonstrate God’s Glory.  These things are my devices, my leverage, my challenges and opportunities uniquely developed to reveal His Face within me.  Why then would I seek pity for such grand gift?

Perspective can create or ruin heroes.  Each of us prefers victory, but can we never truly achieve it without enemy identification.  My enemies are not mortal, they are armed with despair, hate, illusion and untruth.  Without these enemies I am left with love, clarity and abundance.  These things considered I must now accept, enjoy and look forward to my person dilemma.  Its struggles, unique to my past, my talents and my specifically, peculiar, Kingdom purpose are the answer to my fulfillment.  That I was never loved or received no familial encouragement, was poor, naked, tired and alone clarifies my need for relationship with God.  My pain is a breadcrumb trail that ends at the foot of the cross.

It is all a wonderful experience, especially that pain which first led me to God.  None of us likes suffering, persecution and correction, but what if they are the best friends a man could ever possess?  Do not cry over your lives my friends.  Instead, measure your life’s difficulty as an exponential opportunity to truly do something wonderful through Christ.  Your hard childhood becomes journey full of stimuli to reach higher, changing your envy for the man with an easy life into pity for his loss.  Now the job is to humble yourself and pray, repenting of your self-pity and rejoicing in God’s Plan for your life well lived.

Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of your perfect life to set us free for eternity.

The tears of time, saving time, wasted time, enough time spent in quiet with the Lord.  Waiting for direction, answers, patient fulfillment of His will for your time in this life.  Is there a should, ought, could, shall, injecting my own volition and will into the mix, determining those things worthy of my time?  How then is time spent, for it is the only treasure of any value?  My actions, my choices, the places I go and the words I’ve said to strangers all add or subtract from my account.  If I have one day left how priceless the moments?  What makes life precious, but its breviloquence?

Who measures your failure, your success, the adequacy and impact of your legacy?  Is it in the memories of those touched by your wake?  Isn’t the length of that memory from which history is determined?  For all those forgotten in short order was life an utter loss?  Is this life in its limitation capable of defining those things eternal for which even imagination lacks?  Aren’t those impacts of a life well or ill lived dependent fully upon external perspective, having eyes to view each life in its entirety, reviewing every impact, each ripple felt in the ocean of time?

If I had written my story then I would hold the burden, the authority of measuring its worth.  It would be up to no one but me to craft my character for maximum impact upon each reader in hope of capturing more witnesses.  Isn’t that the purpose of our composer?  A song, written for specific effect, cleverly crafted for length, rhythm and harmony.  What if, my song, my voice, my heart were meant only to remind and direct your attention to the composer?  What if each precious moment was specifically constructed, planned and given to provide reflection, direction and witness to His Glory?  What if I will never know how much it meant until it is entirely exhausted and I receive His review of its efficacy?  What if?

Do you have or know joy?  Although, as Christians, we do not construct our self-image by poll, collage or perceptual feedback, it is important to know the effect of our unexplained joy.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit of God you will invariably begin to impact those around you in a positive or negative fashion.  What does your joy level say about your walk with God?

Are you exuding hope, filled with possibility and rest in the knowledge of salvation?  Do people feel drawn to you in curiosity?  Do they run from you when you’ve never even spoken one utterance of conviction?  Or do they pass bye perceiving no differentiating qualities between you and any other human?  Does the unavoidable presence of the earnest of our salvation, the eternal seal, the Holy Spirit, emanate from the simple process of just living your lives?

What does being salt and light have to do with abundant joy?  What are the characteristics of salt and light that make them perfect descriptions of how Christians should be perceived by the world?

Salt is most notably and historically used as a food preservative, delaying or inhibiting decay, preserving nutrition for prolonged usage.  It is also widely recognized for its taste enhancing qualities.  Some cultures cannot imagine eating any food without applied salt as without it, food would remain bland or unappealing.  Salt has many uses including as a solvent, restorative as well as its effects in cardio and kidney functionality.  How then may we have these type of effects upon the world?  How are those impacts similar to the repercussions of abundant joy?

Light makes things grow. Light also warms the cold and weary bones of travelers tired from longest winter.  Light illuminates the unusual, magnifies the magnificent and reflects the depth of any object.  But above all light dispels darkness, providing a hopeful guide to those caught in its dreary blackness.  Evil runs from light and life leans into it.  In our review of the general characteristics of salt and light we begin to see the remarkable similarities to joy.

Joy preserves the wearied, troubled or anxious heart.  Joy dispels darkness and attracts creatures of light.  Joy makes life taste better, circumstances easier to travail and induces curiosity into the blandest subject.  Joy also brings tears of rejoicing, excitement to replace fear and hope to conquer despair.  This is the greatest evidence of God’s presence in any believer, that they be filled with abundant joy denying the power of circumstance.   How are we to be salt and light to the world, perhaps we may begin that process through open, continuous display of abundant and inexplicable JOY.

Thank you Lord for my peace and joy that surpasses all worldly understanding.  May I use it to lead many to the cross where they will find their own joy in relationship with You.  In Jesus’ Name.

A friend who is closer than a Brother.  Have you ever stopped to think just what that means?  Could you imagine coming around a corner, being confronted with a small group of men and women gathered around a single speaker, suddenly realizing you have come face to face with Jesus?  What would you do?  Would you know what to do?  Or would you be like me not knowing whether to cry, jump for joy or kneel, wanting to do all three at the same time?

What would you have done if you lived in Nazareth growing up and had the fortune of knowing Jesus one to one?  If you were elder would you attempt to offer him advice, constructive criticism or admonishment?  How would you have dealt with him being a school teacher responsible for his education, confronted by his discernment and lack of sin?  What would you do if you had the chance to be his friend as a youth?  Do you know that you have all those opportunities right now because Jesus lives with you everyday?  Certainly there is no remaining confusion as to his deity, but we were made for relationship with God.  How then are you approaching that intimate opportunity?

Jesus is not just my God, He is my counselor, my Father, my friend, my Family.  Yes I am in awe of His deity and magnificence, but I have his grace such that I may approach him with firm, confident, relationship.  This is not a lesser god that we place upon a shelf, taking it down to rub its belly or bottle in hope of wishes granted.  He is not a thing of metal or wood to whom we chant for fertile spring, good weather and plenty.  He is a living God, who loves us, prays for our growth, health, blessings and betterment.  He is our advocate, having paid for all of our sins, pleading the power of that fact in the court of Almighty God.  He is our blood, having proved his love by laying down a life by choice, so that we might live in freedom.  I will not treat him as some distant concept, detached, fickle and unpredictable.  He told me what he will do in this world and the next.  He told me what I must do in this world and what to expect in the next.  He continues to change me, educate me, protect and defend me against enemies, even those I have never seen.  This is not a thing of romance or philosophy, but a practical, empirical, evidentiary relationship with God.

This is my God, the Living God, walking this life with me, never leaving me alone to the mercies of time, chance and circumstance.  His name is Jesus, He is my King, my God and my Brother and my Friend.  That is a righteous place upon which to stand against the storms of our day.  Go with God my friends, in Jesus’ Name.

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Matthew 18:1-6

What is this passage really telling us?  Is Jesus commanding us to mimic the behavior of little children in order to enter heaven.  This is where Christianity gets interesting, for if we place our reliance upon man then some people will accept one pastor’s interpretation over another.  What then are we do when confronted with areas of the Bible that seem ambiguous, vague or indiscernible?  After asking many pastors the answer I have been given truly highlights the state of affairs.  In fact some appear caught in the quandary of second guessing/contradicting themselves as in this popular site, http://www.gotquestions.org/childlike-faith.html  Most pastors have declared themselves to be the end all and be all in interpretation, confidently directing me to accept their specific understanding.  That is not however what we are instructed to do when confronted with confusion or question when studying to show ourselves approved, rightly dividing the Word of God.

John 14:26 shows us how to deal with internal confusion or ambiguity when Jesus says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”  We are also cautioned to not depend on our own understanding.  This reluctance or collective naivety, I believe has created most of the problems within the churches, almost as much as our apparent disobedience to directions of God.  For when we have question, although we test the counsel of pastors, teachers, friends and family we are instructed to go to the Holy Spirit as the ultimate determining voice in our quest for clarity.

That being said, shall I attempt to decipher God’s meaning in the opening passage of this post, I think not?  I shall instead direct you to ask the Holy Spirit, trusting instead in God as your guide, rather then depending upon the ego and frailty of my humanity.  I do know this that I find children refreshing in their innocence and capacity to speak truth.  I long for their type of love and un-obfuscated dependence upon their parents for survival.  If only I could remember my youthful exuberance, joy, zest and relentless curiosity, I would face this world with renewed vigor and freshened perspective.  What are we to do when confronted with indecision, misunderstanding or doubt?  Don’t ask me, ask the one who will never lead you astray, the Holy Spirit of God, living within you.

For it is in His name that I pray for your clarity, energy and direction.  God help us, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Good deeds, bad deeds, it is all attempted works.  Working to save yourself, lose yourself, forget yourself or worse yet run from the God whom you so much want to love.  It is not my works whether ill or chaste that will gain me entry through heaven’s gate or hell’s demise, but my belief.  God has been clear in His authority to be so.  I may either run from Him, ignore Him or succumb to His offer of salvation, but it is my acknowledgement alone that determines my fate.

God is not a disinterested nightshade, but a Holy God who made us for purpose.  Not a life reason spent on self service, wishes and desires, but for Divine causality and efficacy.  We have been crafted.  Songs, poems, masterpieces, caring, effectual humans designed to love each other beyond the limits of sacrifice.  This is what we desire to be loved enough that someone would give of themselves on our behalf, in demonstration or their love for us and inevitably validating our worth.  If only someone would recover from  their self infatuation long enough to show me I have value?

Well, no one showed.  At least none of my family, friends, church or acquaintances.  Jesus did.  Jesus died, taking on mortal form, giving up His Divine authority over time, space and death, to die that I might be redeemed to a Holy God.  He gave His life in exchange for my sinful forfeit, cleansing me, so that I was reborn without blemish.  He showed me my value, showed me His love, gave me a reason in a life where there was none.  That is the God I love.  Unlike any other manufactured deity, He promises and delivers, He lives and interacts, changing me, directing circumstance so that I may be protected, directed and prepared for my place in His future.  You will not find another story, another Love like the one of Christ the King.

My value is determined, unshakable and strong.  It is defined by God, for God, without susceptibility of the mortal things of logic, emotion or relativism.  It is a life born of Truth, serving Truth, surviving in Truth.  You see someone died for me and that may not be undervalued, overlooked or forgotten.  It is the type of life occurrence that permanently changes hearts and direction.  My path is resolute, it leads through Christ to God and my feet remain firmly set upon that road.  Won’t you join me?  What may I do to show you that you matter?  Not very much, maybe tell about the one who laid down His life so that you might live.  I pray that my works reflect the God I serve, but if they don’t please take account of my faith, for that is greatest thing I will ever have, in this life or the next.  In Jesus’ Holy Name.

Going to church is not about me, though I derive great benefit by being there.  Studying, weeding through and ingesting God’s Word with other believers is certainly not about me, but I am edified and strengthened in the process.  Working as a field member toward the harvest of saints is not about me, but I will receive a job well done from Christ for it as I enter His presence.  In truth, sometimes being with other believers, working through the Word and sharing each others’ burden is not easy, but it provides the greatest growth for all of us.  After all I am a bond-servant to Christ for my salvation, in slavery to His righteousness, His Purpose for my life, so that He might live this life through me.  How then may I justify staying away from church for reasons that feed my own desires?

Yes, I am struggling in relationships, because that is the nature of self, it gets in the way of peace, prosperity and agreement.  How might the Lord work out the kinks in my difficulties without providing the relational opportunities to work through those problems?  I am among them because that is where He wants me to be, not because I will always find it comfortable, pleasant and entirely self-satisfying.  In fact, it really challenges me most visits.  Either I am convicted by the expository preaching of God’s Word, or I am reminded of my limited skills or I remember how much other people’s needs should outweigh my own self-concern.  Rarely do I come home without some manner of challenge or improvement being offered by having attended church with other believers in Christ.  For God’s Word never returns void.

I will not tell you that I always agree with the practices, delivery and interpretations of the pastors or guest speakers.  Their correction or inadequacy is not my concern, for I know that the Holy Spirit resides in them too, correcting, chastening, growing them in their walk with Jesus.  I must not view them as perfect nor require them to be so.  They are humans as any of us, with sin, self-serving voices and temptation.  If any thing they require more prayer because of their position of authority, for they will also face greater expectation with Christ.  That is why we are cautioned about accepting lightly the position of teacher or pastor.  This walk within the church is about overcoming.  Overcoming our own perspectives in an effort to live in harmony as we are called.  I want them all to grow and I want them to hold my feet to the flames of my own edification and maturity.  Church is most about me using the gifts I was given by God to edify, assist, heal and encourage the saints I have been given the privilege of growing alongside.  Every time I attend, ironically and especially those times that I did not wish to attend I find that someone there truly needed my help.  That is the gift of my salvation, that I might find purpose in service to Christ and His body.

Do not give up on the attempt, please.  Yes, there will be discomfort, but I submit that if you stick with it you will find all those things that God has promised.  We were not meant to be alone, we are ambassadors of the same God who said how much we love each other will be evidence of our kinship.  Grow in your faith by hearing His Word.  Grow in your gifts by using them for the Good of His Kingdom.  Grow in love by giving love, especially when it is ill deserved, for this is the love of Christ.  None of us belonged before He welcomed us.  This is the challenge to help others feel welcomed within the body of Christ, as the world ignores, overlooks, undervalues and sacrifices them on the altars of self-service.  We are different because of whom we serve.  Embrace that difference by loving each other regardless of the challenges.  For if we could forgive every transgression we would not need Christ.  If we could love every enemy we would not need the power of the Spirit to overcome our own hatred.  Brother arm, sister foot, cousin heart, the body cannot fully function without all of its requisite parts.  We will always be hampered in disability without you.  We will never be whole without you.  I pray that you find your way home.  In the Name of Jesus Christ the King.

With the enemy the danger is always in the nuance, the twisting, morphing and contorting of what God says, improvising something divine to make it say what we wish to hear.  That is the largest danger of listening to the voice of self for in the effort to serve ourselves we twist, ignore or forget the Word of God.  This being my enemy’s intent and historical process I must remain vigilant in my effort to avoid ambiguity.  That is the true danger of the “big lie” plan currently being employed by our leadership and media.  They are not simply changing hearts and minds but they continue to chip away in their effort to “transform” or redefine our national/moral principles to allow for self-determinism.  Evidence of this ploy is found in our national repetition of the phrase, “The truth shall set you free”.  This is an idea given by God but delivered with real conditions that must be met in order for someone to be set free by truth.  John 8:32 indicates several pre-qualifications that must be met before being set free by truth, please review this material so that you might be armored against this deceptive campaign.  It also ignores that there is only one truth that will set a person free, sabotaging what God intended as Holy, supplanted by a half truth, misquote, providing false hope and opportunity for ambiguity.

How do I remain vigilant and in so doing avoid and invalidate the efficacy of God’s enemy ploys in my  life?  First and foremost is an understanding of God’s Word.  I have met thousands of Christians who have never read the Book of Revelation, yet they claim a commitment to eternity.  How can you know you want what God wants for your life if you are unwilling to learn what God says He will do prior to or when He returns?  We must know the future to be properly prepared or we risk being deceived.  Knowing God’s direction for our lives and what He says will happen will give us a logical capacity for comparison.  We will be able to review a circumstance, advice or recommendation and make decision based on its similarity to God’s intention.  Remaining in ignorance is negligence and satisfactorily frightening evidence of susceptibility to coercion.  Additionally, I cannot pick and choose the appetizing or tickling words of the Bible, ignoring the conviction or warnings for this is a violation of God’s commandments in creating a graven image of God that suits our own devices.  The greatest protection against the dangers of traps, snares, pitfalls and incarceration is awareness.

Prove to yourself that the Holy Spirit is present in your own life?  Without the power of the Holy Spirit we remain defenseless to the efforts of God’s enemies.  Without the helmet of salvation to cover my thoughts I offer myself a sacrifice to the wiles of the world and its demons.  Ask yourself, have I been transformed, renewed, molded by the hand of God into a completely new creature?  Without change their is little evidence to indicate an “Agent” of change.  Beside this notable change we should all have a insatiable desire to share the Gospel with them who have not yet been set free by Truth.  We should begin to grow in relationship and likeness to Christ.  If you don’t know Him how could you possibly hope to become like Him?  Remember God’s Word says that it is the Holy Spirit that seals us for eternity.

Finally, make yourself ready through preparation and practice.  No army goes to battle without being fully prepared for war.  In fact, the most prepared military typically wins the day upon the field.  Our armor in this battle is Christ, have we put on His salvation, righteousness, truth, faith and willingness for peace?   Have we done our best to become adept at the use of His double edge sword, the Word of God?  Are we resolute in our courage to stand upon the Rock of Ages and not be moved no matter what the enemy throws our direction?  Have we taken to heart the awesome responsibility of preparing our family for difficult times, times that Christ told us must certainly come our way?  Prepare your mind by knowing what God says is right and true.  That way when confronted by lies or attempts to twist righteousness you will be alerted to the disastrous effects of deception and be safe.

Ask God for spiritual discernment, the kind that comes with the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, such that you will see those demonic attempts to coercion and evoke the Word of God for protection.  Knowing God is our only salvation.  His Word armors us, protects us and gives us hope in the days where hope seems absent.  We may only know God through Christ, there is no other way to the Father but through the Son.  So, take the first step in your preparation for what is to come on Earth and what awaits us in eternity.  Ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, forgiving all your sin, cleansing you of wickedness.  Ask Him to prepare you, change you and protect you for/from compulsion.  Offer your heart, mind, spirit, strength and soul to God in love as evidence of your salvation.  Finally, walk as if you believe His Word, taking to heart the duty of evangelism, repentance and preparation for eternity.  Know His Word, for without it you remain a baby, defenseless, directionless, unchanged.  I do so wish to tell you that smooth times approach us, but that is not what God’s Word says.  So, I will not do the enemy’s bidding in helping to lull you to slumber, but rather serve God in calling you to AWAKE, preparation for the “Great and Awesome Day of the Lord of Hosts”.  I pray for your courage and discernment in making those preparations to which God calls the faithful.  I pray you be found with oil in your lamp, awaiting the master’s return.  In Jesus’ Holy Name I pray.

Father, You do not need my permission, my allowance, my surrender, I need it.  Please help me to make capturing me in the belly of the leviathan awaiting my mental transformation, unnecessary.  Right where you are, those are the words You said to me when I asked you to save me from this duty, this wonderful obligation, this poem you’ve written me into.  Free me from the prison of eternally pursuing some other meaning for my life than the one You’ve given me.  This is the miracle, that I may be an active delivery system and mobile platform for Your Holy Spirit.  The fact that I may be used to provide a one to one opportunity for You to speak with everyone I meet is more glory than I will ever deserve or need.  I rejoice in where You have me and submit to where You are taking me for realization of Your Perfect Will.

Let my life become active worship, empirical evidence of a living God.  I do not know where You will take me, but I do not need to know, that is the freedom I seek.  To be okay, in peace that surpasses my circumstances knowing that the current of this wonderful life leads exactly where you wish it to flow.  Enjoying the ride is the gift, knowing that You are God and that I neither have, need nor want to fill that role.  My life will not end in pity as will those of the powers who’ve challenged Your Authority.  I get to walk this skinny path, never testing the freedom of my disobedience, never wandering naked and alone in foul weather and darkness.  I get to be exactly the man You are shaping me to be, for this day is the one I’ve been given within Your Plan.  You do not need my permission to fulfill Your Will for this life that You own, but I surrender to it.  I recognize Your Authority and ask that You continue to dispel any illusion that may present itself, an unholy thought, in my susceptible mind.  I ask that You Armor me in Christ, protecting my thoughts from compulsion, whatever the origin.

I am not what I wish to become but that is irrelevant for I am exactly where You want me to be today.  Remove the ability to self-frustrate, wanting things to be different, when they are exactly as You’ve determined them to be for Your Good Purposes.  Let me rejoice in this moment, this opportunity, this position, so that I may be free to love, consciously concentrating and praying upon Your message of Salvation and Love.  Let me be transformed by Your Word and truly live as Solomon determined in Loving Fear of God rejoicing in all that I have been given.  Praise Your Name as I bask in the gracious opportunity to be of tremendous value to God.  In Jesus’ Name.