DON'T DO THAT! (BUT IF YOU DO)

The Apostle Paul and I have some questions for a particular somebody.  Paul had the questions for the Believers in Galatia and now I submit them to the Believers who will read this blog seriously.

"I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:2-3)

After doing something for so long or behaving in a certain way for possibly a lifetime, it is extremely challenging to completely lay that habit or behavior or lifestyle down even if it is for something better.  I know, I have been there and done that and have the t-shirt.  I eventually saw the errors of my ways because I got hurt or I hurt others.  It is too bad it had to come to damage control to get me to STOP operating in the wrong mode.  I imagine it is that way for many of us.  Again, Paul writes, but this time to the Believers in Rome -

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. (Romans 7:15-19)

So, Paul fully understood this dilemma.  However, I believe there is something on a more serious level that Paul is trying to communicate to the Galatian believers.  Yes, in the letter to Rome Paul confesses he does not understand his actions sometimes and to me this speaks of daily struggles and temptations to overcome.  But the grave concern Paul has toward Galatia seems to be a matter of salvation.

If you will observe, Paul asks, "Did you receive the Spirit by...." and "After beginning with Spirit, are you now....".  These first parts to the questions allude to the fact that the Galatian believers at one time accepted by faith the message of salvation through Christ Jesus.  Now, evidently, the Galatian believers had received some bad teaching that placed them back in the shackles of The Law (or was threatening to) - "are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"  

It is commonly accepted that individuals called "Judaizers" visited these believers after Paul's ministry and corrupted their new found faith.  The "Judaizers" that were undermining what God had done through Paul in Galatia were placing the Galatian believers back under condemnation because of their own pride (Romans 8:1).  By losing their congregation to God's Grace, the Pharisees and Sadducees did not have their Law and their supposed perfectionism to lord over the populace (like Matthew 20:25).  So, they go behind Paul at Galatia and say something like, "Is that what Paul said to believe now?  Well, if you want to be a true and complete Christian then you need to be sure to follow The Law."  Can't you just hear the voice of the serpent (from the Garden Scene) in these words?  Whatever the persuasion, it was crafty and successful enough for Paul to pen Galatians 3:2-3.

There are no self works, no deeds required to have a right relationship with God and gain access to heaven.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--  not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
God has provided the access, the way as a gift to us.  The only Holy Instructions are to verbally accept your gift and from your heart activate your faith - "believe".

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)

The Encouragement:  No matter where you are in you Faith Journey with God, it is always good to pause and take inventory and/or reflect.  Mentally, physically, and especially spiritually we acquire a lot of junk we do not need.  Sometimes all the acquisitions can lead to a back-slidden lifestyle.  If you have returned to old ways (before knowing Christ) like these Galatian believers did, I encourage you with the words of Jesus through John -

"You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first." (Revelation 2:4)

Remember your first love, your true first love - God - and His meeting with you on your day of salvation, then you and God take it from that memory forward.

First Love by Petra

OH, HOW THE TUMBLERS FELL!

Forgive me if you have heard the following analogy before, but I am now in Galatians (in my read through of the Bible) and as I was pausing to soak in what I had just read, the Holy Spirit dropped this into my heart, mind, and spirit -

Imagine a door.  On the other side of this door there is Father God.  No one can go over, under, or around the door.  The door has a lock and the door is in fact...locked.  This door has only one key that will open it.  You and I have tried many other keys, made by us, to unlock the door, but with no success.  However, there is one key that has been known to unlock the door if we would just set our set of keys down, recognize the one true key, and use it by activating our faith in Father God's Son, Jesus Christ.

You see The Door that separates Father God from man represents our fallen/sinful relationship with God. 

The Lock on The Door has many tumblers inside it and will only match the grooves of one key.  The Lock and it's many Tumblers represent all the requirements of The Law which had to be met for the redemption of humanity's relationship to God.

The One Key is Jesus.  He prophetically fulfilled every letter of The Law with His life, death, and resurrection - therefore, turning the key and swinging wide the Door-Way of Heaven, covered in the Lamb's sacrificial blood - providing the open way back to a redeemed relationship with Father God!

Can you hear the click, click, click of the key as it was inserted in the lock and law after law was fulfilled by Christ?  Praise you Lord for being The Key to my Redemption and saving me from the curse of The Law!   

PHRASEOLOGY

There is a phrase I have encountered in the Scriptures lately that grabs my attention every time I read it.  In the search engine on Crosswalk.com the phrase appears 500 times in the Bible.  I guess I would run across it sooner or later, eh? (haha).  This phrase is comprised of only two words but what usually follows them is the take-away of the verse.  The phrase is "so that...".

This phrase is a descriptive phrase.  For instance, consider Matthew 8:24...
"Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat."
We know from reading the verse that the storm that came upon the lake was a "furious" one, but the qualifier for the situation being described was - it was so "furious" that "waves swept over the boat".  Again, the key to this verse comes after the "so that".  In fact, it is the next sentence - "But Jesus was sleeping."  And from there you can start a sermon/teaching.

This phrase leads you to the right perspective and call to action.  My reading through the Bible has landed me in 2 Corinthians lately.  Here are some verses that provide perspective then call us to move on that perspective!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8)

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion," (2 Corinthians 9:11)

In the first verse God pours into us comfort so we can pour out comfort to others in their time of need.  In the second verse, God is our Great Provider, graciously enabling us to "abound in every good work".  Finally, in the third verse, Paul prophetically speaks over the believers of the church in Corinth and sets up a standard that should be still followed today - from your overabundance, in EVERY AREA (not just monetary) bless others less fortunate.  

Verses like these and a phrase like "so that" alludes to a Holy Cycle and requires that we begin by listening to God.  It is hard to listen to God when all you hear is the noise around you.  Put another way, it is hard to pour into an already full vessel.  In order to be a comfort to others, a good worker, and generous at every opportunity - we first must empty ourselves.  After we are empty God can then fill us with His comfort, His standards of good work, and His timing for the next opportunity.  However, in order for us to empty ourselves so He can pour into us and then us to others - believers must have Personal Time, alone, one-on-one, with Father God.  It is not only good to have this time for equipping your mind and soul, but the Personal Time is great for your own relationship with God So That you may continue to mature in Christ.

THE VEIL

Have you ever put up a "wall" or "disguise" so as to "run" avoidance from someone or something. I am guilty and have seen this in other people. With some people I have found it is a self-defense mechanism. Something threatens them or makes them uncomfortable and they retreat behind......."The Veil".

Father God established a Veil with His people.  However, He was not threatened or acting in self-defense. Humanity's distrust and disobedience toward God created the need for this Veil. Father God will not tolerate sin in His immediate presence, so He banished Lucifer and kept humanity from The Tree of Life by placing Cherubim in the path with a flaming sword guarding the way back after The Fall (Genesis 3) - a type of Veil.

Further on in history, the relationship between God and His people required that God place a Veil in the design of The Tabernacle of Moses and later Solomon's Temple. The Veil was the major divider between two sections, the most inner and most respected area called The Holy of Holies and the Holy Place located right outside the curtain. This was to remind the people of the broken relationship with God and His Holiness.

I have awesome news!  The Veil has been torn in two!  Split right down the middle.  How?  Only through and at the moment of the Sacrifice of Father God's Word made flesh - Jesus Christ.

• "And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." (Matthew 27:50-51)  

Therefore, the Good News is God's Holy, immediate presence can now be Directly Accessed!  Through Jesus as our Intercessor, our Atoning Sacrifice, believers can reverently speak to Father God or pray directly.  No bishop, no cardinal, no priest, no pope needed to pray for you. Just you, Jesus, The Father and His Holy Spirit. The Veil was torn for - "whosoever believes" - and the benefit is that believers - "shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16)!

Now, with that great news I speak to the Believers in Christ.  Do you have a "Veil" covering up who you are in God?  I encourage you, if you have a Veil - with God's help, remove it.  The dependencies a person has in his/her life apart from God are a heavy determining factor in the make-up of one's Veil. Things like insecurities, bad habits, misconceptions can "thicken" up a Veil in a hurry. It is a healthy thing to have a balanced dose of skepticism and guardedness, but to hide behind these things all the time is not healthy, especially as a Christian.

I believe that God has a plan for every one of us - individually and corporately. As His Body or Ambassadors, everyone's plan is to influence the lives of those around them for the Glory of God. Some are "planters".  Others are "caretakers".  But God is the molder, shaper, sustainer, and nutrients of all that is done. (My paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 3:6)  This influence can manifest itself in the form of a simple kindness like taking someone out to lunch or helping them move. Or our influence can reveal itself by being there for someone as they go through a divorce or when someone finally makes the decision to give their heart to The Lord. It requires genuine, authentic involvement in someone's life with your own Veil discarded so that your extension of friendship, brothership, or sistership is taken sincerely.

We all are called to share the Light, Jesus, with the world!  As far as I can tell, nowhere does it say in Scripture that a certain person like a Pastor, Elder, Usher, or church staff has the exclusive responsibility for sharing the Good News with everybody. No. In fact, 1 Peter 3:15 admonishes all believers -

• "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"  

And because Believers in Christ have the answer, we should not want to hide it in any way, shape, or form.

• "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

So, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I strongly encourage you - view yourself through God's eyes, through God's Word. Our Veil is the hindering force in this equation. The Holy Spirit said it so eloquently through Paul to the church in Corinth many years ago and it still applies today. Here is that Scriptural gem from The Lord -

• "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."  (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)

Therefore, if you have a Veil, counsel with The Lord for it to be lifted. David in Psalm 3:3 says that God is -  "My glory and the lifter up of my head."  And you know that if God is your glory and your lifter of your head, He can sure take care of that Veil and allow His Light to shine through you!

ONE REASON FOR AMERICA'S DOWNFALL

I recently read an article entitled - "Systems, Not Sith: How Inter-service Rivalries Doomed the Galactic Empire".  As you can tell by the title, the content concerns a deeper look at the story lines in the movie/saga - Star Wars.

The article compares The Empire and its many different military divisions to the United States and its branches of military.  The author, Ben Adams, likens the weaknesses we see in the fictitious movie scenario to the real life events of the U.S. military.  Here are some of the contributions to the downfall of the Empire.  These may reflect on the U.S., so pay attention.

"Inter-service and intra-service rivalries are just an expression of the office politics that plague every large organization. The way that those systems are designed determine the effect of those rivalries on the organization’s effectiveness. The high-stakes of Imperial rivalries and lack of checks and balances in the Empire’s political system ensures that petty personal and inter-service politics would have dramatic negative effects on the overall effectiveness of the Imperial military. This resulted in myopic strategic thinking, shoddy acquisitions and ineffective tactical operations that combined to doom the Empire."

Mr. Adams proceeds to break down these thoughts of his - "strategic thinking", "shoddy acquisitions" and "ineffective tactical operations" - throughout the rest of the article.  However, I will supply the link at the bottom of this blog for your access to read the entire product.  Meanwhile, I will tell you that a major thought even though he may not have come right out and said it was - America will always have people growing in disgust at their government.  The rub comes with those that choose to go down a violent path for their so-called solution.  These people may get in touch with undesirables in other countries and as soldiers in our own military who have been treated badly, they offer to undermine some part of the equation by allowing an undesirable access (in many different fashions) to our military resources.  This is just one area that will degrade "The Shield" over the United States "Death Star".  Fighting among ourselves in the military from Private to the President is eating away at our unity.  Plus, not supplying the current troops appropriately (money, healthcare, and psychological services) and the vets respectfully, pulls us down even more.  There are many other cracks in the dam.

"The Emperor and Darth Vader enforce a system where only personal power and influence matter. Individual Admirals and Generals are shown early and often that to put any interest ahead of their own is a one-way ticket to force-choke town. When you demand nothing less than perfection, and enforce that demand with the threat of death, you are only inviting subordinates to lie to you. It’s why Storm Troopers can’t shoot straight OR find the droids they’re looking for; it’s why Super Star Destroyer can be taken down by a single fighter and why the most important defense shield in the Empire can be captured by a squad of soldiers and a bunch of Ewoks. Ultimately, it’s why the Empire fails."

Wow!  Who knew Star Wars could say so much?  But think about it.  Meanwhile, the link to the entire article is here - http://www.overthinkingit.com/2012/09/17/star-wars-empire-inter-service-rivalries/?page=all

Oh, and by the way....May The Forc.....Spirit Of The Living God Be With You!

A MENTAL IMAGE FOR YOU

Imagine this.......

"Just as there were many who were appalled at him-- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness"--Isaiah 52:14  

Let us dissect what this means because most artistic renderings of the Crucifixion of Jesus do not come close to the Scriptural description of Jesus' appearance right before He was crucified on the cross.

His back was beaten, beard pulled out, face spat upon.  

• "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting." - Isaiah 50:6

Jesus was punched in the face and other places multiple times, mocked, insulted, stripped, flogged, and crowned with thorns.  

• "When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded." - John 18:22

• "Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him" - Matthew 26:67

• "Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him." - Mark 14:65

• "Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified." - Matthew 27:26  

• "They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him." - Matthew 27:28-32

• "All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." (Psa 22:7,8)

• "The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate."(Luke 23:10,11)

• "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him." (Mat 27:39-44)

• "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!" In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him." (Mark 15:29-32)

• "The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face." (John 19:2,3) 

At times it was not just hands that were used to strike Jesus, it was a "staff", according to Mark 15:16-20.  

• "The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him."

The flogging was not only a whipping but a brutalizing of the flesh with the Cat of Nine Tails.

From the movie "The Passion of the Christ"

The version of the Cat of Nine Tails the Romans used had metal shards, balls, or sharp blades of some sort stuck within the woven rope or leather.  This arrangement was so that when it struck the back or front of the victim it pulled the skin off and damaged the nerves when it was retrieved.  Jesus received forty lashes.

Now with the lack of sleep from the night before plus loss of blood and all the beatings and floggings and disfigurements, Jesus had to carry His own cross-beam.  For a while He managed but then His torture caught up to Him and the soldiers required a man named Simon to carry Jesus' cross-beam.

Crucified to a cross, Jesus was covered in lacerations, bruises, swellings, dirt, sweat, spit, splinters and blood all over.

• "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." (Psa 22:14-18)

Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was now upon him, and by his wounds we were healed. (Isaiah 53:5)  This, incredibly, was the will of God the Father who sent Him.  

• "Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand." (Isa 53:10)  

It is here, naked with a crown of thorns on His head, disfigured beyond belief, and people still hurling insults and mockeries that the real pain comes.  The sin of the world, past, present, and future hangs as a cloak on Jesus.  Father God turns His head away from every sin represented on His Son's body, mind, and soul - Jesus, the Word of God, who was with Father God in eternal past, is now - Alone.

• "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mat 27:46) 

O How He Loves You And Me!

MY FAITH PITCH (a.k.a. Testimony)

        In the movie Shawshank Redemption, the character Andy says to his friend Red, 

"...the funny thing is - on the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook."

 

        In my life the funny thing is - before accepting Christ, as my God, I was a regular kid, not too many problems. It seems I had to become a Christian to really experience difficulties.

        These difficulties were mainly in the form of physical issues stretched out over the years since my decision to follow Christ in 1979. I have endured challenges like epilepsy, respiratory malfunction, mono, flu, third-degree ankle sprain, both arms broke at the same time, appendix removed, wisdom teeth removed, Covid-19, type 2 diabetes, rhabdomyolysis and sleep apnea. So, I have come to know this body as "fallen", weak and/or imperfect.

        

        However, God has seen me through these struggles and is still assisting me through a couple of ongoing complications. The Lord has never left me nor forsaken me, even in the midst of not understanding His healing process. I have enjoyed the tremendous blessing of being brought up in The Way I should go (Proverbs 22:6) by Christian parents. I try my best to honor and remember my Christian heritage every day!   

        Christ Jesus has given me life, sustained my life, and promised me an eternal life in a New Body with Him one day (1 Corinthians 15:51-55). You have to go through test(s) to have a testimony. Obviously I have many stories of different physical challenges in my life that display this testing. However, my Christian foundation and continued faith in Christ has kept me through everything.  

        If you have not accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, Savior and God - I urge you to consider capitalizing on His sacrificial love gift. While the understanding of why for a crisis may have to wait a while, the benefit of His presence through everything is assured and indispensable. 

        Thank you Lord Jesus for my family, my foundation and my faith. Thank you for all your provision during my hardships and victories along my journey.  Amen.