The relationship between a man and his Father can never be fully understood by onlooker’s.  Sure there are those with worldly knowledge that may make educated speculation upon the inner mechanisms or chemical interactions.  Only a man and his Dad can completely comprehend that special bond of creation that they share.  There are even those men who have never taken time to investigate, fathom and expand their own relationship with their Father.  This provides a quandary, being the sole individual with the capacity to fully understand and cultivate such relationship then not employing that unique ability seems foolhardy.  Why wouldn’t a man engage his own gifts and entitlements as a son when that process is the only path to maturity, security and deeper understanding in this lifetime?  Do we wish to know or don’t we?  Which side is the real face of the coin?  How else but through investigation, practice and retention do we gather the Father’s wisdom?

How does a man get to know his Father?  Isn’t time spent with your Dad the only way to really know Him?  Sure we are related but that is entirely different then having a deep understanding of what that relationship means.  Raw materials possess the potential for riches but it is the refinement which defines and emancipates their true value.  Sure you are loved by your Father when you come into this world, but when and how do you actually love Him?  It is through the process of passing through this life that we become close to our Father.  Seeing that he never leaves, never avoids, always forgives while continuing to guide us to maturity through a firm disciplinary hand and counsel.  Isn’t that something that we should want and pursue?  Don’t you want the best that this life can produce?  Can you imagine something better than having an entirely honest fellowship with your Father?  I can’t.

Holy Father that I would have served Your Glory with the sinew of my soul.  Your grace is such a mystery.  Paul who gave all still mused over his inability to do right.  Shouldn’t I be able to give all to You out of gratitude for this incredible forgiveness shown to me?  Should I even care an inkling what men might think of me?  Why can’t that spirit part of my self arise to truth and turn away from the lures, false foundations and relationships offered by this world?  Perhaps this is meant to produce the state of desire for humility that I am currently feeling.

I do not know Lord, but I am willing to learn from Your Spirit.  Teach me to do good for the sake of Your Glory and nothing else.  It is not wrong to have or use the tools provided by Your bounty, but show me how to be the proper steward of all that I have been given.  Let me not bring shadow to anyone seeking Your light.  Give me the patience, character and kindness to represent You fully as a righteous ambassador for Christ.  Let me not be caught unaware by the deceptions and self serving promptings of Your enemies.  Allow me to dream of nothing but my eternal life in Glory and to use all my hope, credentials and assets toward bringing all of Your children to right relationship with You.  For that is my purpose here, all else will be less than fulfillment.  It is in Your Mercy, Grace and Joy that I find sustenance, growth and life.  Praise You in the Mighty Name Of Jesus Christ the King.  Amen

What do I expect in my Christian walk of faith?  To take each step lightly, watching closely my footfalls and taking care with each word uttered?  Do my thoughts match my belief?  Do my actions reflect honest commitment to honoring the Lord and bringing Him glory with every work?  Can I consistently put my back to the plow, tilling the earth before me in preparation for the Good Seed of God’s Word?  Or must I rest, seeking shelter under the Almighty Wings of the Father, finding peace in the shade of His Majesty, Grace and Glory.  I think we all know the answer to these questions, but do we allow ourselves to listen to those answers and take solace in a time of reflection, rest and restoration?

I have not measured up.  But the concentration on self in that statement makes it evident that I am not listening to God’s perspective of me as a man and rather listening to the shepherd of goats.  I am not going to say that everything that I have done or will do is bringing Glory to the Lord.  I will say that in all worldly gold or gems there are imperfections and dross.  I am being sanctified and this fact reminds me of the Truth of the Promises God made to me.  He loves me enough to persistently apply pressure, heat, healing and quenching to temper me for eternity.  I am his work, in this new life He’s given me.  Born again to Glory.  Reworked for honor and good works and in the end I will become that which he has ordained from the beginning of the ages. To that I end I must be understanding, patient and long-suffering to allow Him his works in me.

I have seen perfection and His name is the Lord Jesus the Christ of God, the Lord of All Creation, the Spirit which hovers over, in and beyond all things.  I pledge my life, my soul, love and spirit to the Lord.  Even in rest He never leaves me.  No one else loves me in this way.  Praise You the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.  Thank you for being honorable when I cannot.  Thank you for being trustworthy when I can only abandon and betray.  Thank you for being True when I can only find deception and illusion in my heart.  You are truly God.  In Jesus’ Mighty Name I praise you, Father of Glory.  Amen.

Among the righteous.  Dilemma at best, pondering the question of self-righteousness should be our greatest lifelong self inquiry, without faith, remaining unanswerable.  Tremendous quandary that the Lord would give us salvation yet leave us to ponder the question of exception or exclusion for the balance of our worldly existence.  The Bible clearly states that we “can know” that our salvation is solidified yet even those with faith have moments of self-loathing sponsoring doubtful interrogatory.  What then is the mental state to which God would have us epoxied?

Did Noah know that he was saved?  Did Moses, David, Daniel or Peter?  All these believers made tremendous mistakes in their pursuit of righteousness.  Do you perhaps believe that any of them questioned their worthiness before the Lord?  The answer is “all of them” doubted, all of them pondered, all of them came to the Lord in amazement and humility questioning why they had been chosen for glory.  It is not my place to be righteous but to volunteer my life to the One who can make me righteous.  It is not my place to judge my own worth but to hold tight to the promises of God that declare my value in His Eyes.  It is not my place to continuously seek one more good work to perhaps tip the scales of judgment in my eternal favor, but to accept my position as a sinner in need of delivery from the Righteous Judgment to come.  It is my job to demonstrate my love for the Lord through adherence to His commands and joyful pursuit of the evangelical tasking He has set before me.

I am a sinner and continue to be amazed at the wickedness of not just the world around me but that which emanates from my own soul.  I need Christ, every day, every moment in performance and in prayer.  I am not declared righteous by poll, piety or position but by He who indwells me.  It is Jesus that is righteousness and thus I have been made righteous by proxy.  It is too glorious to comprehend but I love it.  It is too amazing to convey but I still declare it.  It is not by works that I will ever be saved but through faith I pursue good works to honor the gifts of grace and mercy.  Jesus be praised.  We shall see that Glory soon.  I wait, tremble and reside in peace in anticipation.  A position which cannot be explained by anything but faith in His eternal Glory Amen.

Casual Christianity is becoming expensive in America.  Those who have not truly allowed themselves to be transformed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, hesitate when the conversation requires them to make a declaration of faith.  That is the price of dallying with Christ.  Everywhere are shades of gray in the USA.  Political correctness, tolerance, ethical relativism and wavering morality, all which require abandonment of the absolute truth of God,  have turned loosely professing believers over to their decadent mindset.

The attack on Christian faith, because of its adherence to the absolute truth of God’s word, is now mainstream.  Social Christianity will rapidly ebb away as the price for being a follower of Jesus continues to escalate.  For the true believer this is a glorious moment in the walk with Jesus Christ, that moment when we get to be tested, suffer with Jesus and find out our mettle.  This is the testing place God designed for us, the crucible, the forge, where the Smith removes the dross from our souls.  This is sanctification.

There is now a price to being a follower of Jesus Christ, sure you can sign on with some perverted version of the faith taught by mockers, false teachers and blasphemers, but you cannot escape the mushrooming segregation occurring in the churches, barrooms and banks.  This is the Lord’s Work and it is not for the weak of heart, social butterflies or groupies.  I know that there is a huge push to divert people from over-concentration upon prophecy in scripture but the Spirit of Prophecy is Jesus Christ.  He set this segment in history up for the purpose of bringing all back to Him.  We must be tested so that we are given every opportunity to reject the world and return to Him.  Are we willing to pay the price that cannot be covered, loaned, begged or borrowed from any other human being?  Are we willing to personally declare the Lord Jesus our Savior and King when it costs us possession, pride, position or portion?  Praise God the decision time has come to us all.  In the absence of persecution there are always luke-warm believers, enemy infiltrators and those with immature faith.  Our faith will soon be tested, Praise the Lord Jesus in all His Power, Righteousness and Glory.  My King soon to return to set the story straight.  Amen.

Back to my knees.  Too long in love with the cool breeze blowing off the mount, relaxing in the morning sun, delighting in the grace afforded us by God.  Unmerited, one of those melodic words, spoken from educated pulpits putting something simple in lofty terms.  It means none of us should feel entitled, because we don’t deserve it, cannot earn it, cannot achieve it, buy it, be born into it or hope to have it rub off on us by hanging out with the right sort of people.  Grace is a gift, given to those who didn’t do anything to deserve except accept it in honesty, humility and truth.  It is never really a gift until it is accepted, until that point it is just an offer.  Look at the trouble that befell all those who tried to buy redemption, conjure the Holy Spirit or force their way into Heaven.

Fellow sinner.  Caught in the ups and downs of this undulating tide called humanity.  Swimming when I can, but most of the time simply floating, buoyed by the Mighty Hands of my unseen Redeemer.  Basking in unearned bounty, serving my Master to whom I owe everything, including my first and second births.  I don’t really even own the air that I consume to keep my lungs inflated and my heart pumping.  My only possession is hope and that is priceless.  I might pretend that I own love, relationships, freedom, knowledge or dreams, but those could all be taken away as well.  The only thing I have is hope.  Hope, in the Promises of a God who loved us so much that He put away, for a time, His Power and Glory to become a man.  A man, born to humblest of circumstances, the Maker of the Universe, provided the one and only possible path for the regathering of mankind to His bosom.

He loves the murderer, the molester, the tyrant and the priest with equal fervor and wants that none should perish but all eventually accept His FREE GIFT of release from bondage.  Many are called but few are chosen.  What does that really mean?  I think I know but I will give way to explanation between you and the Holy Spirit.  Ask Him, the only teacher to explain the mysteries confounding and confronting your curiosity or doubt.  He will answer.  My greatest fear is that you will never ask because you already know that He will answer and that answer will change your life FOREVER.  Do not be mastered by your own pride, serve the One who truly deserves everything we can muster.  Praise Mighty Jesus, The KING.  Amen

Standing on a hill while throngs of people jockeyed for a better seat, a clearer view of the Lord Jesus as He explained the mysteries of the universe.  Not some visiting dignitary or scientist giving a lecture on “how to make a million dollars” or “self help spirituality”  but delivering the guide book for abundant life and eternity.  Did you ever wonder how these people were able to document history with no pen and paper?  How they were able to remember and recant the parables, predictions and directives of which The Lord spoke.  They lived in different times when people were interdependent, a time when they listened closely so as not to forget any of the presented oral arguments.  A time when God walked the earth and those who knew realized the Glory of the moments they spent with Him.  Many of them, incorrectly believed that He would amass a powerful army to free Israel from repeated bondage to Pagan Empires, but they hungered to hear and see what He would deliver.  Do we?

Do you have an internal thirst, a hunger that cannot be filled except by the Word?  Is there a passion which may only be quenched by the voice of a Biblical pastor or by reading and meditating over Psalms and Proverbs?  Do you go to work each day with a song of God in your heart that threatens to break out from your lips among the lost?  Come on, take a look at it, not to beat yourself up and do the work of the enemy through accusation, but that which remains to be surrendered to the Lord in prayers of repentance.  As the time of the Lord’s return rapidly approaches, at which time we will have to give an accounting of our lives, is it not appropriate to begin to take stock of our history?  I recommend repentance now versus regret later.  Thirst for the Word, live for the Lord now in victory and joy.

Jesus is Coming at the sound of a mighty trumpet and then again upon a white horse for Judgment.  We are to be mindful of His coming in preparation and prayer.  We either are or we aren’t.  Seek and speak the truth, always, for it is Christ we represent.  God be praised in all the we do.  I pray this day for your deliverance from anything which holds you captive to the works, philosophies or promises of this world to be set free to your real life in Christ.  In Jesus’ name we walk this day carrying the news of the Light.  Amen.

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/Archive/News/Stakelbeck_Terror_061212_WS  The importance of Jerusalem unfolding

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/Sensere_071312_WS  Praise the Lord

How will you measure the time you’ve got remaining here on earth?  That is if we are not called home before the completion of our allotted time.  If we are to live to roughly seventy to eighty years, according the Bible, then how many days does that mean that each of us has left?  Three Hundred Sixty Five days per year, lets go from the mean which is forty.  That means a person who is currently forty and lives to be eighty would have 365 X 40 days remaining on this planet, which is 14,600 days or 480 months.  For every 10 years closer to that date subtract 3650 days or 120 months.

These numbers may bring relief to some, confusion to others and anxiety to the remainder, but the compounding component is that none of this is guaranteed.  How valuable do these numbers become when held up against the light of the revealing words such as imminent, or vapor or twinkling?  So if you’re fourteen or fifty don’t count on the math so much as you count on the value.  For although we all would wish for long life wouldn’t we rather a life well lived with joy and peace in Christ.  Since the length has no guarantee live it as if you mean it.  In Christ we pray, God of All.  Amen.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of the Lord.

There is nothing larger stronger, richer than a heart full of faith in Almighty God.  The world runs from it but wishes that they could discover how to have that kind of peace and authority.  Devils fear it, mountain move out of their moorings and obstacles disappear in advance of a godly man’s faith.  The Lord does not need belief in order to be God, He just is.  He gives us faith to get us through the troubles, trials and temptations which we must face.  It is our safety net.  Faith is not some misguided hope in supernatural cures or rabbit’s foot happenstance.  Faith is relying on promises made by a God who NEVER forgets that He made one and always does that to which He pledged.

He takes my cares and gives me shelter, comfort and peace.  There is no other relationship which compares.  No one loves me that way in all my woe and worry.  I will take an ounce of faith over a mountain of gold, for it shall never fall pray to envy or greed.  It gives me what I need when I need it and even makes up for what I don’t have.  Faith in Jehovah God, Redeemer of Mankind’s iniquity, Father of All, Just and Merciful, Wrathful and True.  Take it all and I will still have the most precious things in this life or the next; my Faith, my love and My God.  I worship and love you my precious Lord, Jesus Name be praised.

Is it like a thief in the night or seated upon a white horse seen by the entire world arriving in Glorious Appearing?  What do you really believe, not just think about, but know in the depths of your heart?  How is it possible that the Lord is to come like a thief in the night and in Glory for the world to see?  No one can look at these prophecies with an honest review and say that the rapture is a myth.  The Lord will come like a thief in the night “For Believers”, that is why we are to be ready.  So many of the parables caution believers about being ready for this unexpected coming of the Lord for His church.  I don’t mean unexpected in the sense that we shouldn’t prepare for and look forward to the event but rather that it will come upon us unexpectedly, at a time of His choosing.  Conversely, coming on a white horse, for the world to see, with a multitude of believers behind Him to do battle with the enemies of God has nothing to do with stealth.  The conclusions are evident.

Those who would have us believe that these two entrances are one in the same have several misunderstandings; first, they fail to grasp the nature of the Almighty and second they forget that the entire Christian story is one of hope.  The Lord does not punish those whom He has forgiven nor does He make promises that He has no intention of keeping.

The Lord rewards obedience, this concept of grace is seen throughout the entire Bible, where believers were blessed by His grace for their faith.  I do not presume to know the nature of God, except as He is described in His Word, but it seems to me that the entire concept of salvation/redemption was designed to save us from His judgment, which is to come upon mankind.  Why then would He leave us to suffer through that judgment when He appears to execute it.  Don’t the references to the sifting and separation of wheat from chaff make any sense to anyone?

And to His promises, in Revelation 3 the Lord promises the church of Philadelphia that they will be saved from the tribulation to come.  Who is Philadelphia, and if they are going to be saved from tribulation, how is this to occur?  So, you now want to say that there will be a mini-rapture where that one church will somehow avoid the wrath.  The obedient church avoids the tribulation, sounds like rapture to me.  Look it is either true or it isn’t.  Although, I believe that the references and evidence given to this mystery are brilliantly clear, there may be those who remain skeptical, thinking themselves unworthy of escaping God’s wrath.  Christianity is about a God who loved us so much that He died for us to save us from our certain demise.  Why would He go to all that trouble and then dump out His wrath upon us anyway?  The converse argument makes no logical sense and denies the hope which God granted every Born Again Christian.

He will come like a thief in the night, snatching back that which belongs to Him, His bride, His Church, to sanctify us, feed us, marry us so that we may return with Him on the day of His Glorious Appearing.  It can be no other way.  Know this truth in your heart, be ready.  God be praised in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.