No Ambiguity

Who is Jesus Christ of Nazareth to you? "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a good moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great moral teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." (C.S. Lewis)

Jesus Christ left everybody no doubt who He is. He fulfilled every prophecy of His namesake - Jesus, Yeshua, Savior. He justified with His perfect life, ministry of healing miracles and His own resurrection that the words He declared about Himself are true. Here are some of those names Jesus called Himself - 

• Son of Man - Matt. 9:6
• The Chief Cornerstone - Matt. 21:42
• True Bread from Heaven - John 6:32
• I Am - John 8:58
• The Door of the Sheep - John 10:7
• The Good Shepherd - John 10:11
• Light of the World - John 8:12
• The Resurrection and the Life - John 11:25
• The way, the truth and the life - John 14:6
• The True Vine - John 15:1

Just in this listing one can observe that when Jesus was questioned about His messiahship, Christ often went to a common day analogy to answer "yes". He used a cornerstone, bread, door, shepherd, light and vine. In these verses there was some mental and sometimes historical exercise to arrive at the conclusion of Jesus as Messiah, but the answer remained always - yes.

The other verses mentioned were much more direct and clear - John 8:58 (I Am), John 11:25 (The Resurrection and the Life) and John 14:6 (The Way, the Truth and the Life). Christ's proclamation of "I Am" reveals His oneness with the Everlasting God - who was, who is and is too come - Yahweh.

Christ's response to Martha at the tomb of Lazarus - "I am the resurrection and the life" - is so filled with hope, especially after death, it makes my heart swell and a huge grin appears on my face. Here is the account - 

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:21-27)

However, of these more straight forward responses, John 14:6 wins me over as Christ's main identity statement - all others flow from that. The full verse reads - "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" 

Of course Jesus knew who He was as He declared it and proved it. The angels and demons know who Christ is by the angel's involvement in the life of Jesus and the fearful proclamations of the demons to Christ when Jesus approached them (Matt. 8:28-32). However, God leaves the decision of faith in Jesus as Savior over our lives - in our hands. 

I am not the one who said these things about Jesus. The Lord said these things Himself, about Himself. There is nothing unclear about who Christ is and what He did for humanity. In the same way Jesus maintains that when you accept Him as your personal Savior, you also accept Him as Master of your life. There was clarity and purpose in His life and in His family He is also expecting No Ambiguity.

Have Jesus There

 

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." (Revelation 3:20)

There are some people who Jesus is knocking on the door of their hearts and lives for the first time and they have a decision to make. There are those who know Jesus and accept Him as a visitor when they answer their door on Christmas and Easter every year. There are the soldout, radical believers in Christ. Then there are those who have Jesus inside their house, temple, body or life and seem to display Him proudly, but we only see one dimesion of Christ. What are outsiders really observing or viewing with these Christians?

Have you ever had a room in your house or home called The Good Room? This space is usually filled with fine furniture, always kept clean and everything is in its proper place like it's almost staged. Sometimes this room is not the most comfortable room in the house, but it is usually the one in plain view on the front of the home where visitors and passers-by see the grandness, the elegance, the one room we keep Jesus. 

Some Christians confine Christ in this Good Room. They desire for visitors or passers-by to view their Christianity or Christ-likeness by looking at Jesus in this one room or one staged area of their life. This is a tip of the iceberg mentality that does nobody any good. 

The issue is not that the Christian knows who created the mess in the rest of his/her rooms or life, the problem is refusing to invite Jesus to be The Purger, The Janitor, The Redecorator, The Electrician, The Plumber, and most importantly - a member of the household. Being the perfect gentleman, many times Jesus will not move until He is invited. 

So, invite Him. Jesus desires to be found in every room, attic and cellar, in every hallway and on every staircase of our lives. In addition, those around the believer would be blessed by the Christian's transparency. Plus, those close enough and involved in the believer's life enough to help could even be an agent of aid for Christ in the clean-up process. There is not an area within the Christian's house, temple, body or life that it does not make sense to Have Jesus There.

Preparation And Equipping

This world wants to recruit you as its own and sink you deep into its systems or help you attempt to do life as you see fit. With this kind of set-up or mentality, the world has no room for Christ. Therefore, persecution is inevitable and suffering a certainty for the Christian.

John records Jesus recalling to the listeners memory, "Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." (John 15:20)

However, Jesus encouraged His disciples about the coming persecution by stating, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12) This is because He knew that after establishing His church, persecution and suffering would follow.

1 Peter 4:12-19 addresses this suffering that Christ followers will experience and what to do to lessen or overcome the suffering. Here is what the passage states - 

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

If you read the passage carefully or perhaps once more, you will notice four active words for the believer in Christ to perform toward lessening or overcoming suffering.

1. "rejoice" - "But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
2. "praise God" - "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."
3. "commit" yourselves to Christ - "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator"
4. "and continue to do good"

Peter mentions that as a believer in Christ, persecution and suffering should not shock us. In fact, we should expect it according to Jesus. So, when persecution and suffering does come - rejoice, praise God, commit or recommit yourself even moreso to Christ and continue to do good. Peter admonishes us that doing these things and simply being persecuted for the name of Christ brings with it a blessing - "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."

No one said rejoicing or praising God within the persecution or suffering would be easy, but the instruction is there the same. When the believer goes to "commit" himself/herself to God know that the original word for "commit", paratithemi, (par-at-ith-ay-mee) means for you to place yourself alongside, present yourself, deposit yourself, put forth or set before - in this case Christ Jesus, the "faithful Creator". Then when you have worshipped the Lord and presented yourself to Him, continue your good work.

There are different degrees of Christian persecution and suffering going on in the world today. Many End-time scholars state that this is going to worsen just as other signs of Christ's return are noted by their intensity and frequency. I tell you this today not to scare you but for your Preparation And Equipping.

CASTING

In fishing you must load up a hook at the end of a fishing-line that is connected to a fishing pole with bait. Then with a fluid straight back motion with the arm you have your pole-in-hand with, you now come forward with a flick of the wrist, aiming to cast the baited hook at your targeted landing spot. Why? To receive a return of a caught or hooked fish.

When we go through stressful situations in our lives, God calls us to perform the same kind of action spiritually. This time when we cast off our problems or stress, our target is God and our return could be any number of different named fish - peace, direction, hope, love, assurance and so forth. Of course if you are using a net to fish, you could catch all of these at once.

David encourages us - "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." (Psalm 55:22)

Jesus echoes these sentiments and elaborates on just what you will receive - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Later, Peter speaking to churches established in the Roman provinces of Asia minor, north of the Taurus mountains, emphasized to the elders of these churches - "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) I encourage you to notice the word "all" and captilize on this - not withholding anything but casting all worries on Christ.

Paul submits his inspiration on this matter in his final exortations to the believers in Philippi. He says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

Not stressed or worrisome about anything seems impossible, but Paul challenges us to do so. And a help in this area is to pray and present every situation to God with thanksgiving. Not that God doesn't already know what you are going to go through and not thanking Him for the situation, but presenting the circumstances to Him declares your trust in Him to manage and deal with the issue and thanksgiving should be for His presence through the whole ordeal.

The reward is that God's peace which baffles the mind will supply you with that moment of pause needed to think things through with the Lord in your situations - "will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I have witnessed in my life and the lives of others many times, in many different areas of our lives instances when we feel like we have the answer to the stress of a particular situation. And so many times the issue has dragged on and could have been remedied if I or others would have just practiced Casting.

Can We [The Church] Not Stay Awake?

I have some bad news and good news for Christians. The bad news is that the condition of the church as a whole in these present, last days, is lukewarm and falling asleep, if not completely in dreamland. The good news is that Christ will be returning, mid-air, for His bride, The Church, anyway.

Some people believe there will be a last pouring out of God's Holy Spirit on everyone (Joel 2:28-32), before the Rapture. I hope and pray the world experiences that. However, if you read that full prophecy, I believe it has not been fulfilled in its entirety. In addition, Peter thought that prophecy was being fulfilled in his day as he gave a speech. He explained to the crowd in Jerusalem that the Holy Spirit's ministry of the disciple's speaking the Gospel in all the different languages represented in the city at the festival that year was the fulfillment of the Joel prophecy (Acts 2:14-41). 

Perhaps this Last Outpouring of the Holy Spirit has many occurances and one of them is future at The Church's Awakening alluded to in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). 

Many, if not all, Biblical scholars note the virgins in this telling by Jesus represent The Church. Not just one, three, five or seven virgins, but all ten virgins compose the church - “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom." We also know from reading this that half of them are wise and half foolish because of the presence or lack of oil in their lamps, which represents The Holy Spirit's wisdom, covering and ministry in the believer - "Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps." 

I find Peter and Paul's soon expectation of Christ's return interesting in light of the huge hint Jesus grants them and us down through the ages that - "The bridegroom was a long time in coming,". The promise to return by Jesus like a theif in the night (Rev. 16:15) speaks to unexpectancy by us or Christ's eminent return. The promise by Jesus to come soon or quickly describes the method of His coming (Rev. 22:12). Here, I believe we get a sense of the time elapsed before The Rapture - "a long time" (in fact, two thousand plus years).

After Jesus declares that the bridegroom will be a long time in coming, He then says, "and they [the ten virgins] all became drowsy and fell asleep." Notice that not one, not three, not five or seven, but all of the virgins, all of the church - falls asleep. 

Where else do we find that we cannot stay awake with the Lord in Scripture? One instance is in the most crucial time of Christ's ministry, The Garden of Gethsemane, praying before The Trial and Crucifixion (Matthew 26:36-45). Another time has supposedly come and gone in the age or dispensation spoken of in Revelation 3:1-6 where the church was so asleep that God considered it "dead". And the complacent, lukewarm age of the church that Christians are supposedly in now according to Revelation 3:14-22 may well as place us back into slumber.

However, returning to the sleeping virgins - all the virgins/church awaken at the arrival of the groom. Then they trim their lamps and proceed with the amount of oil or Holy Spirit wisdom, covering and ministry they have - “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps." The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Besides the description of The Last Days in Matthew 24, the culture of the season in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and the lukewarm state of the church in the last days pictured in Revelation 3:14-22 - another sobering thought is that fifty percent of the virgins, half of the church is ready for the Bridegroom's Return. Not a good statistic. This stat is backed up by imagery provided by Christ on this very topic of The Rapture when He describes twice, "Two men will be in the field, one taken the other left. Two women will be grinding at the handmill, one will be taken and the other left." (Matt. 24:4o-41) Fifty percent imagery, very interesting.

With these numbers there is no wonder why Jesus commanded then and commands believers now to "watch and pray" - “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Matt. 25:13). This is not a suggestion or recomendation. However, it is an order that can be either followed or not. The command is a state of alertness. It is a condition of active waiting. Will we be found serving the Lord when He returns with a loud command/shout, the voice of the arch angel and trumpet of God? (1 Thess. 4:16) Jesus says that Christians should be faithful and wise with what God has blessed them with for the extension of the Kingdom - "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns." (Matt. 24:45-46) Can We [The Church] Not Stay Awake?

The Tree - In Scripture (Part 2)

When Jesus spoke about Himself saying, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) - He did not use the article a for a way of life among many or a truth among many or a life among many. Jesus used the article "the" which is definitve in meaning only - only way, only truth and only life.

However, God still gives the choice to accept and believe this exclusivity to us. Should we believe in Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, then we can receive His example, His emphasis not to be wishy-washy or indecisive with our faith. He shot straight from the hip about who He was and what He was about. When we are aligned with Christ by faith, we should be the same. David and Jeremiah encourage all believers when choosing The Way, The Truth, and The Life to send down and out our roots and be grounded as a tree to The Stream of Living Water - Christ Jesus. 

In Psalm 1:1-3, David says, "Blessed is the one...whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers."

This is an "If...Then" statement without saying "If" or "Then". Instead, the words "Blessed is the one..." is substituted for that condition of If...then to be met. In other words, if you take delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on his law day and night - then you will not only be blessed, but you will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. 

Jeremiah 17:7-8 adds a little bit extra to this image. He says, 

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah has some changes, uses other words and contains additional details. Instead of "delight" and "meditate" that David used, Jeremiah uses "trusts" and "confidence". Jeremiah keeps the tree being planted by water, but adds that the tree "sends out its roots by the stream."  He says the tree "does not fear when heat comes;" - a possible add on statement, because the next thought, "its leaves are always green" can be equated to David's - "whose leaf does not wither". Jeremiah's words of - "It has not worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." - balance nicely with David's - "whatever they do prospers" and "which yields its fruit in due season".

Anytime a message is spoken twice in Scripture you better perk up and pay particular attention. Here we have God using two different people, two different descriptions, from two different backgrounds to communicate a message - the result of Abiding in Him - The River or "stream".

Notice a tree does not have legs for mobility, it only has it's seed for multiplying and fruit for sharing/influencing. A tree is usually a stable, dependable structure that provides a home for some, in its branches, and shade for others underneath its span/reach. 

I am not saying that we as Christians should not be a Traveling Tree. On the contrary, we serve a supernatural God, with a supernatural river that we as supernatural trees can draw whatever we need - wherever we need. The River of God is supernaturally accessible to believers throughout their life wherever they go. Proximity is the key. Staying in God's Word and Spirit, The River, and keeping up our relationship with Him through consistent, if not constant prayer, will maintain our "root system". Wherever believers are the benefits for them and those around them are enormous as they stay near and connected with Christ, The River of Life.

The Tree - In Scripture (Part 1)

"Do you think trees are beautiful? You’re in good company. God loves trees, too. By highlighting every sentence containing a tree in the first three chapters of Genesis, you can get a pretty good sense of what God thinks about trees. Nearly a third of the sentences contain a tree.

Genesis 2:9 declares that trees are “pleasing to the eye.” This aesthetic standard does not waver throughout the Bible. Whether God is instructing his people on how to make candlesticks (Exodus 25:31–40), decorate the corbels of the temple (1 Kings 6), or hem the high priest’s robe (Exodus 28:34), the standard of beauty is a tree (and its fruits). If we were to examine the most comfortable seat in a home today, odds are that it faces a television. In heaven, God’s throne faces a tree (Revelation 22:2–3).

In Genesis 2, God makes two things with his own hands. First, he forms Adam and blows the breath of life into his nostrils (verse 7). Then, before Adam can exhale, God pivots and plants a garden (verse 8). It is here, under the trees, that God lovingly places Adam, giving him the job of “dress[ing] and keep[ing]” them (verse 15, KJV). The trees have their only divinely established tasks to accomplish. God charges them with keeping humans alive (Gen. 1:29), giving them a place to live (Gen. 2:8), and providing food to sustain them (verse 16).

Strangely enough, Scripture continuously portrays trees as things that communicate. They clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12), shout for joy (1 Chronicles 16:33), and even argue (Judges 9:7–15). What makes this pattern especially odd is that creatures that obviously do communicate — such as fish or birds – are virtually mute in the Bible. 

One (the Tree of Life) represented humanity’s connection to the divine and the eternal. The other (the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil) represented human agency – and possible rebellion. When Adam and Eve ate from the wrong tree, they tried to cover up their crime by undressing the very trees they were charged with “dressing” (Genesis 2:15; 3:7). Their next move was to run and hide behind them (Gen. 3:8). Chapter three of Genesis concludes with Adam and Eve being banished from the Garden. What is the Bible, then, if not a story of God meeting humanity’s need for a Savior to reunite us to the Tree of Life?

Without trees in the Bible, the waters of Marah would have forever remained bitter (Exodus 15:25), the Giant of Gath would not have been thrown off his game (1 Samuel 17:43), and David would have missed his call to battle (1 Chronicles 14:15). Deborah would have been without a place to judge Israel (Judges 4:5), and God wouldn’t have called his people to be oaks of righteousness (Isaiah 61:3). There would have been no almond grove (Luz, renamed Bethel, means almond tree) for Jacob to fall asleep in and dream of a wooden ladder that spans the gulf between heaven and earth (Genesis 28:10–19), and Job wouldn’t have uttered his famous line about trees and resurrection (Job 14:7). Most importantly, without trees it is impossible to understand the Fall or Jesus’ atoning death.

Nathaniel had forgotten the words of the prophet Isaiah: “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (53:2). As Isaiah predicted, something great would indeed come out of a town named after a little tree: Nazareth!

Jesus is one tough carpenter – the kind that can heft two three-quarter-inch sheets of plywood on his own. He is hard to kill. From the moment he was born, his enemies set about trying to kill him. They tried to kill him as a baby (Matthew 2:16–18), stone him (John 10:31–39), and throw him off a cliff (Luke 4:29), but it didn’t work. Jesus could go 40 days without food, climb into the ring with the toughest opponent on the planet, and walk away a winner after three rounds (Matthe. 4:1–11). There was no point in trying to drown him – he’d walk away from that too (Matthew 14:22–33).

No, the only thing that could harm the carpenter from Nazareth was a tree. Why? Because he who is hanged on a tree is cursed (Deuteronomy 21:23, Gal. 3:13), not he who is stabbed, stoned, or burned. (Note that in Hebrew, the word for gallows and tree is one and the same.) Without trees, there is no resurrection, no Good News on Easter morning. The cross is really a tree of life chainsawed down by man’s sin. Yet Jesus’ blood caused a dead tree used as a Roman torture instrument to grow into the symbol of life everlasting – the Tree of Life. Jesus is the Tree of Life, and one day his followers will eat from the leaves of this tree and be healed (Revelation 22:2, 14)."

Source: https://www.ncfgiving.com/stories/what-trees-teach-us-about-life-death-and-resurrection-part-1/#:~:text=Other%20than%20people%20and%20God,(Proverbs%203%3A18).

_______________________

Song: He Made The Tree (Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VFu4bkC5Cc

Lyrics

You made the life from the darkness
and the stars to out number the sands
you were born into the world a baby
and still held the whole world in your hands

you made a hill called Calvary
where you made a way for me
you made the man that drove nails in your hands
you even made the tree

you sent the rain and the sunshine
and the tree grew sturdy with time
and like you it didn't bend or waiver
as you bore the weight of this worlds sins and mine

Alone - Is A Lie

Alone? Who is truly alone? Nobody. A person might experience loneliness - the cause of isolation by another through something like rejection, but nobody is ever alone. First, God is omnipresent - everywhere. Second, God blessed us with a relationship with Him and each other. Thirdly, concerning any kind of circumstance, too much history has transpired to think that any one person is going through a situation that nobody else has experienced in some form or fashion. Paul states it like this in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 - 

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

This is not to belittle the challenge or experience you are going through, but to inform you and encourage you that while old problems surface in new ways, God will be there. The Lord's resolution might not be what you had in mind and when you thought He would act, but He said he would "provide a way out so that you can endure it".

God is the one who has been with humanity from the beginning. God made Adam, walked with him and charged him with certain responsibilities. Then, "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'" (Gen. 2:18)

The word "alone" in the original Hebrew, bad, means properly separated; by implication a part of the body, branch of a tree. Adam was a third of the equation (he, God and Eve), a point on the perfect relationship triangle that mirrored The Holy Trinity. God took a rib from Adam, formed woman and brought Eve to Adam who now completed the other side of him; who was now not alone in kind. 

When God manifested Himself throughout history it seemed to be in three ways - (1) before His people, (2) alongside His people and (3) within His people. Before His people usually as The Angel of the Lord, an audible voice or speaking directly to the then leader of the Hebrew people. Alongside His people He came as The Christ, God's representation of Himself in flesh. Within His people God dwells by the power of the Holy Spirit after Christ's resurrection and ascenscion to Father God's right hand.

Today, the believer needs to hear, trust and testify to God's Presence and Provision displayed all around the Christian. This assurance will do wonders to comfort the anxious and falsify the notion of being alone.

God describes His word and presence in front of us as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). He supplies us with direction for our lives in the short-term - lamp unto our feet - and the long-haul - light unto our path.

He depicts Himself as one who protects on either side - "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." (Psalm 91:7) 

God also portrays Himself in at least two places as your "rear guard" - Isaiah 52:12 and Isaiah 58:8. 

Then in Deuteronomy 32:11-12, Moses poetically illustrates God as an eagle that hovers over its children. "...like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft. The Lord alone led him; no foreign god was with him." Even from above us the Holy Spirit is present and covers.

When relying on each other to keep loneliness at bay there is always room for improvement. The Holiday Season seems to hit people particularly hard. However, if we can at least buddy-up with someone or multiple people, then we will have made a great start at keeping loneliness and all its friends like depression - away.

There are always two and sometimes more individuals we can observe in society and certainly in Scripture that pair-up to help and compliment each other.

Batman and Robin, Obi-wan and Luke, Han and Chewbacca, Abbot and Costello, Sunny and Share, Bo and Luke Duke, Simon and Simon, Donny and Marie Osmond, The Wonder Twins, or you and your best friend.....make a great pair or dynamic duo. These are just a taste of life teaching us that when it comes to living, relationship(s) not "solo-ism" is the better choice.

Scripture supports this decision to have a close friend or friends in which you share life and maybe even your work. People like God and Adam, Adam and Eve, Moses and Aaron, Moses and Joshua, Mordecai and Esther, David and Johnathan, Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Silas, and Priscilla and Aquila - were Biblical examples of dynamic pairs. There are pieces from each relationship/partnership that I hope I have and will attain in close relationships of my own.

Sometimes there were more than two! Daniel had his friends...Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The Disciples had each other. When the local churches started, they too had each other and shared a lot with each other, including their finances. There is strength in numbers. A small or large group of friends can be a great support group and takes some degree of pressure off the best friend relationship or mentor relationship one might have in addition to the group friendship.

Alone is hard, if not impossible in these instances. We were never meant to be alone, that is a fabrication of The Father of Lies. Paul strongly admonishes Timothy and any believer with blood family - "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1Timothy 5:8) Then in Galatians 6:10, Paul speaks about the believer's spiritual family when he says, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." There is great difficulty in being alone and experiencing isolation or loneliness when at the same time one is tending/caring for the needs of his/her blood or spiritual families.

Not that solitary moments are not healthy for us now and then. Our own personal time balanced with our precious relationships are a must for a healthy us. Jesus exercised this personal time and even then He was never alone and neither are we.

All of creation can be sure of one thing, there is No Privacy. God is everywhere, sees everything and knows all. His numerous Holy angels are present also, executing God's will in every area of creation. I cannot speak to those who have passed on - whether they "look over the Banister of Heaven" and can view our lives here on earth. However, just the fact that God and His interested spectators are watching should be enough to warrant a lifestyle change or at least a pause to consider one.

When observing Christ's unattended moments we can see that His private life not only prepared Him for His public life, it matched it. His individual moments were spent in prayer and He prayed publicly for people also.

With no privacy granted to us from Heaven - do my alone moments truly match behavior in public that would bring glory to God? If I praise Him in private to His face, why not in public? If I proclaim to Him who He is to me in private, why not in public? If I pray in private, why not in public? As long as we still have the freedoms we have and as long as there are lost and struggling people needing to see a good life-example of a true Christian, then we must match up our private and public moments to show forth a level of integrity struggling to be seen. This journey, this lifestyle all starts with you and it all begins in your alone moments but it also means you are really, never alone.

Therefore, not only is God with us from the beginning, globally surrounding us with His presence, but He creates us for relationship and fills our life with relationships, with the opportunity of more relationships to come. There is no escaping God's presence, we were meant to harmoniously commune with Him and each other and know that Alone - Is A Lie.

The Rewards of a Pure Life

I have always believed in integrity. I have certainly not been the best example of it at different points in my life, but only One has lived the perfect life - Christ Jesus. However, this does not mean I do not keep integrity as an integral part of my life - on the contrary, integrity or being "pure of heart" as Scripture refers to it is a major daily goal of mine that I pray is shown.

One of the definitions of integrity is soundness, like the soundness of an object or dependability of a person. This aspect of integrity is a result of an excellent foundation - Jesus Christ. The Lord's life was and is the perfect example of integrity-living. When using myself or anybody else as a foundation or measure for integrity, my purity of heart and benefits thereof will not be there.

There are rewards or major benefits for seeking the pure lifestyle. Matthew speaks about being able to see God as a reward for having a pure heart (Matt. 5:8). David says the right to ascend the mountain of the Lord, stand in His holy place, receive blessing and vindication from Christ - all begins with purity of heart (Ps. 24:3-5).

David says in Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

When I researched the word "pure" in Psalm 51:10, the definition supplied was clean and fair in a chemical, physical, ceremonial and moral sense. That word was Tahor (tawhor) in the original Hebrew. The root of this word, Taher (tawhare), is a great word that sums up the challenge of purity for the believer - uncontaminated.

Take notice of some things in this very humble and important prayer of David's. First, David requested of the Lord two things, "a pure heart" and "steadfast spirit". In the first request, David did not have any of what he asked God concerning, therefore his appeal to "create" in him a pure heart. The second request of a "steadfast spirit" David had at one time because he asked God to "renew" it "within" him. The point is David was willing to humble himself and request of God that which he was in deficit on both accounts.

I pray that I am a man of integrity now and always. A man whose daily goal is to seek, gain and maintain a pure heart and steadfast spirit - not only for myself and as an example for others but for The Rewards of a Pure Life.

ETERNAL INFLUENCES

One way or another, in some form or fasion - all of us influence the people in our lives. The impact could be a second or it could be forever or anywhere in between. But our development and the development of those around us is no accident. Chance has no place in purpose. In a plan, an experience can be odd or different but not random.

Also, claiming nature or nuture as the winner of character creation is difficult. Both nature and nuture have a direct intent on shaping our soul. Our surroundings work hand-in-hand with relationships to mold us. While balance of respect between one's environment and one's relationships is the ultimate human condition, relationships with others seems to favor our attention and care.

Author, Brian A. "Drew" Chalker stated in his poem Reason, Season and a Lifetime - "People always come into your life for a reason, season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do."

Life is all about relationships and the impact thereof. No matter whether you consider yourself a drop-in-the-sea impact person or a Billy Graham or Paul of the New Testament type influence - you are still effecting them in some manner. I guess it boils down to - do you care to send the very best?

Continuing on in his poem, Mr. Chalker explains how the first person that comes into your life, the one with a "reason", usually performs his/her task and then leaves your life - a short-lived encounter.

The second person mentioned is the seasonal individual. The time frame could be The Summer or a season of difficutly or celebration that he/she moves into your life and then they are gone.

The third relationship is a Lifetime. Family and best friends are just a couple of examples here. The quantity of years has been explicit in Brian's poem of purpose in relationships. However, as I asked earlier - what about the quality of our impact or influence? 

We will always have an Audience of One - God. Beyond the Lord's watchful eyes, whether there is only one in your life or many, our influence should be the positive one that stirs hope, encourages change and lends a helping hand in the process.

Considerate people are considerate because they stopped and considered the ramifications of being in a bad situation that is being presented before them and then choosing to do unto others as they would have done unto themselves.

It is good to reflect, regroup and realign the purpose and intent of one's plan of life to that of God's. In doing so the rewards to us and for those we influence are eternal. Now, my prayer is I and my fellow Christians will impact the world for Christ, not only for a short span, nor a defined season but a lifetime.

Persistence In Prayer

Luke 18:1-8 is a parable or story with a lesson from Christ that speaks about being persistent before an earthly judge and the heavenly judge to acquire justice. The vehicle or medium to petition God about the injustice is prayer and Luke leads off in the first verse with the encouragement of persistence in prayer - "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

Jesus says that a persistent prayer requesting justice will receive a quick reply - "Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly." (v. 7-8) There have been other supplications I have made to God that the answer has not been "quickly". Healing of my body or the body of a loved one is a prime example. However, persistence in prayer is the lesson and God does not reveal how much persistence is needed.

Even though other persistent prayer requests may not be answered "quickly", I am learning through Luke and Paul to be steadfast in my prayers. While Luke says for us to "always pray and not give up", Paul encourages the believers in Thessolinica and down through the ages - "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

The original Greek word for "rejoice" is chairo (khah ee ro) meaning cheerful or happy. The original Greek word for "continually" is adialeiptos (ad-ee-al-ipe-toce) meaning uniterruped as the occasion allows. The original Greek word for "In" is en (en) meaning through or during; speaking to location of in the midst of something.

When one takes all the original intent behind these words, the verse could read -

Always have a cheerful, happy demanor, pray uninterruptedly as the occasion(s) allow and give thanks at the beginning, during and through all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

The Lord and Paul never said doing this was going to be easy. These words were Paul's final instructions to the believers of Thessolonica in Paul's first letter to them. This instruction is a development of an eternal focus with our mind, body and spirit on Christ so that "our light and momentary troubles will achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Cor. 4:17)

For the best example at how the Christian's life should be an everlasting conversation with The Lord - observe Christ's prayer life. I broke down the prayer-life of Jesus in a recent study that you can read about here - https://www.ncarolinian.com/2012/04/jesus-experience-with-prayer.html

The Past

Does the past exist? Those claiming time travel would say, "yes". I have yet to see proof of that capability. Meanwhile, memories are the record of the past that are usually captivated by an instance of that memory via a picture, sound, smell, song or touch.

Some past memories are worth recalling. Others need to be forgotten for the improvement of one's mental, physical and spiritual well being. The past is finished, we should not live there but learn and progress. What matters in the now is what we do with the information and experiences of the past
combined with the outlook and forcast for the future.

In the movie The Lord of the Rings, the character Gandalf states, "All you have to decide is what to do with the time given to you."

Observing how others have handled and been victorious through the situation you are currently experiencing is a great way to appreciate and make use of The Past. Believers before the New Testament was written had and will always have the Old Testament scriptures and its lessons. Paul, in his  letter to the believers in Rome, stated this idea like this - "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." (Romans 15:4) Christians today have both the Old and New Testaments to draw from for inspiration.

Once you have found your Scripture-lesson of endurance, encouragement and/or hope - hang onto it and push through your situation 'till you see progress. 

To my Christian brothers and sisters, if you have not done this already I would encourage you to start a Faithfulness Journal. Instead of building actual rock formations and naming them like the Hebrews did in the early years with God, write down in a journal the major milestones or benchmarks of faithfulness that God has shown to you. This journal can then be a source of appreciation and praise to God for His care and provision in your past and a declaration of His faithfulness for your future. Just remember to move on, make progress, be an influence and not dwell in The Past.

Garland And Chain

 Proverbs 1:8-9 says,

"Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."

Some people do not have a father or mother at all. Then there are those individuals who have or had parents that never had proper instruction to give or wise teaching to deliver. 

However, to those people, like me, who were blessed to have a father and mother who knew how to administer instruction and teaching - we should honor them and what they bestowed upon us every day according to this Proverbs passage.

In this Proverb "garland" is pictured as being not only worn on the head, but the son mentioned is graced or favored to have it there to begin with - "They are a garland to grace your head".

As the garland is on the head it is visible to all who look directly at the son or individual wearing it. The garland refers back to both your father's instruction and mother's teaching. With the garland or instruction and teaching being so closely aligned with the head, the analogy is simple to make - our thinking, attitude and actions should clearly be evident from our brain and what we recall as our parental instruction and teaching.

In the same manner that the garland is associated with the head, brain and thought-life, the "chain" is linked with the heart. Just as nobody can miss a garland or wreath on one's head, so nobody can escape a necklace hanging around the neck close to one's heart - a chain to adorn your neck.". Here, again the "chain" is symbolic to both the father's instruction and the mother's teaching. And we should be proud to "adorn" or show them off on a daily basis as a foundation in our lives.

God makes the ultimate set of parents in and of Himself. I believe that if we listen and obey even moreso the instructions and teachings of our Heavenly Father, then His grace or favor will be manifested in smart decisions and our heart will know perfect peace.

I believe God is telling us through Solomon that our thoughts and behavior should honor not only our earthly father and mother and their investment in our lives, but ultimately Father God's personal investment. In this picture of a head of garland and chain around the heart, both our mental and emotional make-up is addressed by The Lord.

In a world so full of mental health conscienceness, God takes care of both mental and emotional health in this verse. I hope and pray those of you that read this have wonderful parents who you can recall great instruction and teaching from. If you do not have this blessing, I hope and pray Christ Jesus is your personal Lord and Savior and that you are leaning on and into Him as your Garland And Chain.

My Wonderful Counselor

One of my all-time favorite descriptive names of God is not just counselor, but Wonderful Counselor cited in Isaiah 9:6.

There are at least three other verses that depict God in this way - John 14:15-17; John 14:25-26; and Psalm 119:24.

The verses in John are the words of Jesus. John 14:15-17 says, "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth."

And John 14:25-26 states, "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

He is describing the nature and role of the third part of the Holy Trinity - The Holy Spirit - who will come and live within believers after His final departure. In these verses, Jesus specifies the Holy Spirit as "Advocate". In the original language that word is parakletos (par-ak-lay-tos) meaning one who comes alongside; intercessor; counselor; comforter; advocate. 

This role of the Holy Spirit is loaded. Not only does the Holy Spirit tend to the needs of believers directly by coming alongside them to counsel and comfort them through the spirit and The Word, but The Holy Spirit also interceeds and advocates on our behalf to Father God for whatever we need but did not ask for.

Psalm 119:24 portrays God's laws, rules and really all His Words as a "delight" and "counselors". "Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors." The phrase "my counselors" that refers back to God's Word, in the original language - iysh (eesh) - means an individual, usually male, whose advice is extremely valued. 

Solomon spoke truth when he said, "A person finds joy when giving an apt reply -- and how good is a timely word!" (Proverbs 15:23) You can always count on God's Word in this fashion. There is not a situation that the Word of God and His Holy Spirit cannot touch in our lives. Hebrews 4:12 states - "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Paul, when he writes his second letter to Timothy, encourages him and instructs young Timothy that - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

Finally, we arrive at the original name and title of God I am so fond of - Wonderful Counselor. Isaiah 9:6 states, "And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." 

In the original language, the word "Wonderful" is pele (peh-leh) meaning miracle; marvelous; wonder. Then "Counselor" in the original language is ya ats (yaw-ats) meaning counselor; advisor; resolver. 

Place them together while considering the supportive Scripture and you get a Miracle-Working, Wonder Producing, Resolver of issues that lives within each believer and is actively interceeding for them. That is My Wonderful Counselor.

The Rub

Have you ever been driving and gotten distracted enough, drowsy enough or forced by another vehicle coming over from another lane to the beginning of the shoulder of the road? Now-a-days there is usually a rough strip there that catches your attention and makes a loud noise as you run over it to alert you, you are going off the road. This is what I call - The Rub.

The Rub is an attempt to warn you in that moment that your set boundaries are being violated. The rule for staying in your lane at the cost of safety to you and others is in jeapordy when one hears and feels this Rub on the road.

Currently I am in a Rub of Life. The Rub that God has placed in my life that I continually keep bumping into or rolling over is Understanding God's Healing Process. As I or friends or family members get sick and need prayer - I pray. Many times the cases are serious, like at this writing my Dad is in the hospital and been there for days and I have prayed earnestly quoting Scripture and the promises of God.

I am not meaning to treat God like a genie in order for instant gratification, I am looking at how people in The Bible were healed instantly at His touch when they approached Him by Christ's compassion. They were especially noticed by Jesus and their situation taken care of when people displayed faith in Christ's authority as Messiah and healer.

The Rub has come in the past when I have prayed for people's condition and not only did they not get well, they died. The Rub is coming now as I have a host of prayer warriors praying for my Dad and not only is there no answer, the specialist doctors can't agree on the plan of attack. Frustrating in both the natural and spiritual realms.

I base a large part of my view on praying and getting answers to prayer on Christ's very words in Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." However, when my faith as a Christian does not see the immidiate action that I expect, The Rub begins and a crash is emienent unless I can gain the proper perspective. 

There is no other avenue I have but trust. I have to back away or navigate away from my boundry of Understanding God's Healing Process and surrender all my attempts to grasp His ways and plans. My Dad and I and many others are perfect examples of experiencing God as same in nature but different in His processes (sometimes immediate, many times lengthy). This is why trust is is relearned so many times, at least in my walk with The Lord, as I continue to keep hitting The Rub.

My Place

John 14:1-4

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

View a video of the most lavish and expensive house on this planet with all the amenities you could fathom and that structure would probably equate to the outhouse of what Christ is preparing for His kids in Heaven.

In this passage, the word "place" is used three times by Christ. The word that is used does not convey a floating, harp-in-hand, on a cloud, wings on your back, in an ethereal setting for eternity perspective of Heaven or a place in it.

Verse 2 begins by speaking about an oikia (oy kee ah), the original Greek word for a proper residence, an abode, a home - the "Father's house". The second verse also has the word "rooms" or in some translations "mansions" that Jesus describes as fitting inside His Father's House. The original Greek word for "rooms" or "mansions" is mone (mon ay) meaning dwellings or abodes. And from Christ's inference these dwellings are already in existence because He says - My Father’s house has many rooms.

Still in verse two is where we find the first of three times Jesus uses the word "place" to describe a personal location He is preparing for each of His own. The original word used for place in all three instances is topos (top os) meaning a limited spot or space that has a definite location with the nature of a room or home. I would add, since we derive the word topography from topos, I would not be surprised if Jesus crafted each of our residence in His House to accommodate a large tract of land with all His favorite landscaping ideas and our favorites combined.

Your very personal, Holy Contractor for this job that so far has taken two thousand plus years in the making of this place is none other than Christ Jesus - "And if I go and prepare a place for you...". The fact that Jesus says He will make ready "a place for you" means this place will be tailor-made to each believer because the Creator knows you best.

At this time in history, the Holy Spirit dwells within each believer to aid them with their Christ-like journey. Jesus is at Father God's right hand interceding for His children and pursuing everyone else. Talk about your ultimate multitasker, while Jesus is interceding and pursuing, He is also building, preparing, and/or making ready "a place" for a day or moment when He will return to escort believers back to His abode and their new dwelling place - "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

Notice there is mention of only One House and not a city, the New Jerusalem we hear of later in Revelation 21:1. Many envision the rooms or mansions residing within the new Holy City, but the Lord's words declare they will tabernacle or occupy within the Father's House. The Father's House could and probably will be located within New Jerusalem but this particular Scripture does not speak to that. No matter the location of Father God's house, believers and their dwelling place will be within and we will be with Christ having a personalized habitation created by Christ Himself - our place, My Place.

His Sufficient Grace And Power

When living a Christ-like life and trying to serve the Lord, brokenness is the posture that triggers your elevated usefulness by God (Psalm 51:17). The ultimate example of humility, brokenness and vulnerability is Christ. Philippians 2:6-11 speaks of the awesome incarnation of the Word of God that I believe humanity will never grasp the full sacrifice of - The Creator becoming His creation for its redemption. 

Remaining humble before the Lord displays one's ultimate respect for His sovereignty and pays the believer with "riches and honor and life" (Proverbs 22:4). In addition, wearing humility as a daily garment or mindset and attitude before others will acquire "favor" from God (1 Peter 5:5). And we all need riches, honor, life and favor from God who is a generous giver.

Another wonderful benefit of practicing humility in Christ is something Jesus said to Paul and all Christians through the ages - "'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Paul then takes pride in his many weaknesses because they become opportunities for Christ to be glorified - "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Notice Paul considers weaknesses a prerequisite for Christ's power to rest on him. Our weaknesses are a magnet and opportunity for Christ's presence to dwell in us and shine through us. Christ's words "for my power is made perfect in weakness." could be translated from the original Greek/Arabic - "my power is perfectly accomplished in/through your weaknesses." This does not mean we should seek situations of weakness in order to prove God's "grace" and "power". But should circumstances arise that expose our weaknesses, Christians can "boast" and "delight" in and through the difficulty because His grace is sufficient and His power is perfected within the ordeal.

I know and recognize there are some issues and problems I pray that the Lord would just solve in an instant. In the past, He has chosen to operate in that very fashion. However, the mode of operation for many Christians, if not most, is to mature through the experiences of trial and tribulation.

Paul encourages the believers in Corinth and down through the ages - "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Cor. 10:13)

So, we should not be taken off-guard by our problems. Plus, being a part of the family of God grants you the Lord controlling the degree of difficulty within the problem and supplying a way out. However, believers still have to go through the process. What process you ask? A holy process by God of producing more Christ-like traits within the Christian. Paul says it like this to the believers in Rome - "we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4)

And many times during this process of Holy development, God uses our weakness, our brokenness to help the hurting to be honest with themselves and God. My pastor recently taught that just as clay pots are cracked so are humans. And just as humans let in the light, God's Light, through those cracks we have to remember to shine that light, The Lord's Provision and Promises, back out through the cracks.

To help with the shinning of our light the older brother in the famous parable of The Prodigal Son had some issues that Christians need to avoid. The older brother held onto his anger and did not process it, frequently complained and did not let go of his offenses. These three items are a starting point for what not to do and where not to be when on the road to vulnerability or brokenness with Christ and others.

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ (Luke 15:28-30)

Another person in Scripture that believers can track the journey of humility is Paul. Paul's faith journey, his path of brokenness, humility and vulnerability begin from being a legalistic teacher of The Law of Scripture. When the risen Christ meets Paul on the road and blinds him, and eventually has Paul converted - this is but one of many notches on the totem pole that Paul experiences the lesson of humility.

Paul seems to be personally attached for the remainder of his years to something referred to as "a thorn in my flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7). What this is has been debated till today, but what is clear is Paul's transformation from pride to humility is detected throughout his letters to the churches. 

In a recent teaching, my pastor, Pastor Claypool, noted this shift in the following timeline of what has been called by scholars as Paul's Descent to Greatness.

• A.D. 49 = Galatians 2:6 (14 years after becoming a believer)
• A.D. 55 = 1 Corinthians 15:9
• A.D. 60 = Ephesians 3:8 (25 years a Christian)
• 2 yrs before death = 2 Corinthians 12:10
• 1 Timothy 1:15

What a journey and walk with The Lord. And the lessons will never stop. Paul and all believers will always be works in progress. Our ship will never come in and be fully developed, only God is perfect, which leads to a hope-filled and wonderous future with Christ in Heaven and beyond.

I love the fact that God calls the whosoevers of this world to belief in Him through Christ. I love that this cracked pot of a vessel can still be used by Him as long as I remain humble before Him and others. I love that He is faithful. My misunderstanding about His plan or His timing will never make Him angry or diminish His faithfulness and I can approach Him about anything. My weaknesses will be a testimony to His Sufficient Grace And Power.