tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77050485769974177172024-03-13T13:23:17.738-07:00Don't Settle For Anything But Truth1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-38130303078324734042016-01-13T13:45:00.000-08:002016-01-13T13:45:04.481-08:00Conversations In Heaven - MosesGod wants us to know and understand Him. Sometimes that can be troublesome when we come upon sections of scripture that seem to contradict who we know Him to be. But we can't look at it as a stumbling block or dead end. Difficult sections of scripture must be viewed as an invitation to conversation. There's hidden information and usually deep revelation found in the most confounding parts of the bible. The key, I believe, is to ask our Teacher to help us understand.<br />
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In Exodus 32:7-14 Moses seems to save all of Israel from the anger of The Lord. But I wonder if that's exactly what happened. Here's what we know from scripture:<br />
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<li>Israel was really really having trouble believing. They tried God's patience a whole lot.</li>
<li>They got scared when Moses didn't come down from the mountain and asked Aaron to make them a new God.</li>
<li>The Lord tells Moses how miserably Israel has failed by making a golden calf.</li>
<li>The Lord asks Moses to leave Him alone so that He can let His anger destroy them.</li>
<li>Moses intercedes for Israel.</li>
<li>The Lord changes His mind and allows Israel to live.</li>
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Since learning of God's unchanging nature, His amazing patience and mercy, and the revelation of Jesus in the entire Old Testament, Exodus 32 has raised more questions for me than answers.</div>
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Here they are, in no particular order:</div>
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<li>Why was Israel so incredibly hard-headed when it came to trusting God?</li>
<li>Why would such a loving God plan to destroy His own people?</li>
<li>Where did Moses get the courage to stand between God's anger and Israel?</li>
<li>Why does God seem to be taken by surprise about the golden calf, Israel's stubbornness, and Moses' reaction?</li>
<li>Why does God seem to be reacting like a man, as if He's hurt by Israel and wants to squash them in response to their hurting Him?</li>
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I believe these questions are best answered by listening in on God's planning sessions before the beginning of the world. I'm not saying this actually happened. I'm saying I believe this is how God revealed to me the answers to my questions. Often times He explains things to me in the form of movies in my mind. Like an episode of a favorite television show or a clip from a favorite movie, He dramatizes the revelation He's giving me. This is one such instance:</div>
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<b>Jesus:</b> "OK, we need to come up with a way to pull intercession out of Moses. It would be nice if We could get him to reveal that We are able to cultivate boldness in our friends at the same time. Any ideas?"</div>
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<b>Holy Spirit:</b> "Simple, I'll say We are going to destroy Israel."</div>
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<b>J:</b> "Yes, but deserve has nothing to do with it. I can't stand the idea of not saving them."</div>
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<b>HS:</b> "Oh, Me either. But Moses needs something to confront. I mean, by this time he won't be afraid of any man or kingdom of men. He trusts Us too much."</div>
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<b>J:</b> "But We have to be careful what We say. Our words will cause Israel to be destroyed the second they leave Our mouth."</div>
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<b>The Father:</b> "Then We will make the destruction conditional. If Moses allows it, it will happen. If he is bold and challenges Us, they will be saved. We will simply tell him to get out of the way, leave Us alone, so that we may destroy Israel."</div>
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<b>J: </b> "BRILLIANT"</div>
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<b>HS:</b> "BRILLIANT"</div>
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<b>J:</b> "Wait, do We want this in The Book?"</div>
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<b>F:</b> "Yes. All Our beloved must see the trust We have in Moses because of the trust he has in Us. It may take them a while, but they will see it. You will show them, Son."</div>
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If you read the passages in Exo 32 carefully, you'll see that God did not declare outright that He was either angry or about to destroy Israel. He chose His words carefully when speaking to Moses. He told Moses to leave Him alone "so that He could" let His anger destroy them. It's obvious that God has implicitly set Moses as the gate to Israel's destruction. The entire interaction between God and Moses in this instance seems designed by God to inspire Moses to be bold before The Almighty and speak on behalf of both The Lord (Moses mentions God's reputation as being at stake) and Israel. This is a type and shadow of Jesus who intercedes on God's behalf to us and on our behalf to God. God found a way to get Moses to rise to the occasion and become what He always designed Moses to become. This exchange had nothing to do with Israel and everything to do with the relationship between God and Moses. This was not about the anger or wrath of God. It was about God harvesting the attributes of Christ in Moses and putting them on display for all to see. In one genius conversation, God revealed the intercessor and bold friend of God He had created in Moses.</div>
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The Lord provoked Moses into a transformational conversation. The key word there is "provoked". Is He saying or doing something provocative with you right now? If you are like Moses and you know His character and nature, you will go boldly before Him and say what's on your mind. Go to Him and tell Him Who He Is. It may be the key to your next transformation.</div>
A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-14765142469506607702015-05-08T11:48:00.001-07:002015-05-08T11:48:20.019-07:00Vulnerability and ConnectionFirst let me deal with some religious devils. Penis. Did that offend you? Good. The source of the offense needs to be exposed. The idea that somehow the medical term for a body part is inherently filthy is a demonic doctrine straight from the pit of hell. It is the carnal thought patterns stuck in your head that cause you to either fear or hate the penis. It may have been trauma or tragedy that taught you to disdain that body part or it may have simply been religious ignorance. Either way, God created it. Satan did not. Take a minute to get over it if you need to. I'll wait.<br />
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So what's the big deal about the penis? Well, like everything else about our body, it represents an aspect of God and relationship. He told me to look at it from a mechanical perspective first. The penis serves the purpose of connection or joining of one person to another. We are all familiar with this concept. A power plug has prongs on it that jut out so it can be connected or joined to the power-giving wall socket. God said in Genesis that a man will leave his parents and be JOINED to his wife. The two shall become ONE FLESH. The penis is one part of the connector that allows for the joining. The man gives, the woman receives. A connection is made and life is the result!<br />
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But there's more to it than that. God told Abraham that the sign of His covenant would be circumcision. What is circumcision? Well, every male is born with a sort of sheath of skin, like a hood, that covers the tip of a penis. Many don't realize it but while the foreskin is in tact, the tip of the penis is protected and remains extremely sensitive. When exposed by the pulling back of the foreskin, the penis, and therefore the man, is extremely vulnerable. The act of cutting away that layer of protection causes the tip of the penis to be FOREVER EXPOSED.<br />
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Now, circumcision no longer serves any purpose in the Kingdom. God said it would be a "sign" of the covenant. Since Abraham's time we've learned that all the signs pointed to the life we now live in communion with God. Circumcision was a prophetic picture, a living parable, of the way in which we are to come into the Kingdom and the way in which the Kingdom comes into us. Just as God commanded Abraham that any convert or newly purchased slave would have to be circumcised as a sign of their new identity, anyone entering the Kingdom of God because of Jesus would also have to be circumcised in the place with which they are joined to their love: the heart.<br />
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In Deuteronomy 30:6, God prophesies "The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, <b>so that you may love him</b> <b>with all your heart and with all your soul</b>, and live."<br />
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Paul says in Romans 2:29 "But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; <b>and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit</b>, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."<br />
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Nothing is more important than our connection to Him. And without a completely vulnerable heart, we are unable to love Him as He desires. Sexual perversion is exceptionally heinous, not because it's twisted, but because of what it has twisted. Modesty and purity in our bodies was always meant to mirror modesty and purity with our connection to God. Though we can live without shame, we cover the parts of our body that we use to connect to our spouse because they are intended and <b>set aside </b>specifically for that person and that person alone. In the same way, we have a secret place, or marriage bed, with God. We have intercourse with the Lord in the spirit. He enters us and we enter Him and bliss and life are the result! The New Testament calls it fellowship and communion. We are told that in His presence if fullness of joy. What parallel in the natural does that sound like? We keep it secret and covered so that we remember it's only meant for Him. It is a sacrifice we make, just as in keeping our privates covered until married, that honors the one with whom we connect.<br />
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So, before you discuss the penis, understand that heaven does not see it as a weapon or a toy. Heaven sees it as a sign that points to inevitable and permanent joining.<br />
<br />A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-22371998118980817422015-04-26T15:24:00.002-07:002015-04-27T18:33:13.387-07:00Replacement Therapy and PrayerSometimes the best way to learn something new is to deprive yourself of something old. Take handwriting, for example. People who lose their dominant hand in an accident eventually learn to write with their other hand. They have no choice. But did you know that you can do the same thing by discipline? If you are right-handed and want to learn to be ambidextrous, you can train yourself to write using your left hand by refusing to use your right! When we deny ourselves something for a period of time we can learn to do something completely new.<br />
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I wonder if the same principle holds true in the spirit? Jesus said we ought not do things for the praise of men. If we do, that praise is all we will ever get for our efforts. If we want true and lasting joy, we need to learn to have all things seen by our Father in heaven alone. But in a world where each of us were taught to have not only our sense of approval but also our sense of what's true subject to the judgement of people, how can we ever hope to learn to live our life in front of an audience of One? It's simple: Replacement Therapy.<br />
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If you read Isaiah 61:3, you'll notice that God keeps saying "I'll give you THIS instead of THAT." It seems to be His way. He replaced sin with righteousness, death with life, evil with good. He isn't a God that takes but a God that replaces! You trade in your substandard way for His excellent way and you become more like Him in the process. But how? Well, that's the part that requires trust and patience. You see, He won't give until there's an empty slot in your heart. Jesus said, "Let him first deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow Me." The word "first" is important. I can't receive His gift of fellowship until I give up any chance of fellowship with men. Admittedly, that's a long process. And He never wants to replace fellowship with men by excluding all men from our life. He just wants first place in the hierarchy. But that's another topic for another time.<br />
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What does this mean for relationship with God and what do I do about it? Good questions. What it means is that if we are to go deeper in the knowledge of Him, we need to make room. God is big. He takes up a LOT of space. How do we make space? Easy, deny yourself what you get from men and continue to seek Him. I used to think it was wise to tell people to pray different, but I was wrong. God showed me that people pray based upon their audience. He said, "If you pray knowing that you will discuss that prayer with someone at some point, it affects the way you pray." He told me, "Share none of what you say to Me with others until I say otherwise." When I asked Him why, He said, "Is prayer about your relationship with Me or your relationship with them?" He got me there.<br />
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Eventually I got to a place where I no longer admitted to or agreed to pray for anything openly to people. I would still minister to people in prayer in public but my time speaking to God became so private that nobody could tell what I prayed for or even how I prayed for it. I shared neither the purpose nor the outcome of my prayers. It was like I was a secret agent for the Kingdom. My secret place was so secret that not even my family knew when or if I was in prayer. An amazing thing happened in this time. I stopped having discussions about what I'm believing or praying for with other people and started having them directly with God. If I prayed and nothing seemed to be happening, I didn't ask anyone for help or advice or encouragement, I took it directly to The Management. No matter how frustrated I became, I made it His situation to deal with, face-to-face. <br />
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It was nerve-wracking at times. I would wonder if maybe I was doing something wrong. But I took Him at His word. He said He'd never leave me or abandon me. He said that Holy Spirit is my Teacher and that He would lead me into all truth. All of His promises inspired and encouraged me to lean directly upon Him to direct, mold, and shape my prayers. If He could not or would not lead me through this thing, well, then I was wrong about Him to begin with. Would He prove Himself strong on my behalf? Would He get messages through to me? Would He teach me Himself if I purposed to rely only upon Him? I didn't know for sure but I was tired of half-measures and double-mindedness. It was time to sink or swim, in Jesus' name.<br />
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He did not disappoint. In fact, one of the first things He said to me was, "Finally! Now we can get down to business." Understanding and revelation flowed. When I positioned myself to receive ONLY from God, He began building my trust in Him like never before. That's right, He earned my trust. I made Him my plan A and I burned the bridge behind me. There was no plan B. I was His or I was finished. I set out on this new journey to learn about prayer and I ended up learning about the person and character of Holy Spirit.<br />
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The biggest revelation I got was how intentional and cooperative God wants to be with us in prayer. I have heard many popular and respected speakers say that Holy Spirit wants to pray with us. The idea here is that we should not be firing off petitions we came up with ourselves but that we should ask Holy Spirit what He wants to pray about and then simply join Him. I also learned that not everything requires prayer. I've gotten into the habit of asking God, "Should I pray about this?" If He responds in the affirmative, my next question is, "What should I say? Should I declare or proclaim or petition or should I just rejoice? What's on Your heart for this situation, Lord?" There have been plenty of times when He's said to me, "This situation is already handled but I need someone to deliver a word of encouragement." There have been other times He's said, "I need you to go in person and love the people in that situation. I'll give you more detail when you get there."<br />
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So, ask Him if you should maybe try this out? Resolve to tell nobody when or if you are praying for them or anyone else. Don't discuss what you pray about or when. Don't ask for help from people in how to pray or when to pray. Deny yourself the benefit of your brothers and sisters in prayer for a time. Like Peter when he stepped out of the boat, it may seem insane but it may also afford you the chance to partner with Jesus in doing something you've never done before. If this idea delights you, give it a shot! If not, don't worry about it. Take what you can use and leave the rest. He is a better teacher than I am and I can assure you that He's doing a great job with you.A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-42399810178003874612015-01-23T12:49:00.000-08:002015-01-23T12:49:05.142-08:00Jesus The LiberalDoes that title make you cringe? There was a time when it would have made me vomit. I've since learned some things about God. The most important of which is that He existed before man began creating political labels. Read this definition of the word "<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal" target="_blank">liberal</a>" and see how many of those fit the Jesus written about in the gospels.<br />
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So, recently God has been talking to me about how those who love Him have completely missed His point and allowed themselves to become entangled in the affairs of this world. They've been baited into a debate that is crafted to distract us from the real issue by playing up the horror and tragedy of consequences in the natural. The only people who have the capacity to create real and lasting change have been taken captive by politics. It's a sinister strategy that attempts to keep us so carnally minded that we are spiritually ineffective. Constant exposure to horror, loss, tragedy, and carnage, elicits a fear or hate response from us and we make war against human beings in the name of God. The message coming from the world is so shocking that it traps us into a cycle of reacting. But you did not so learn Christ. The Kingdom is responsive, never reactive. So how do we break the cycle? Perhaps we need to look at the root of the ills of our society instead of just the symptoms. Maybe then the solution will be clear. <br />
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Abortion</h2>
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This is a huge huge huge wedge issue for many Christians. Of course God hates the death of the innocent. But that's another topic for another day. Suffice it to say that God is completely against the taking of life--period. And He tells me that everyone knows in their heart that life begins at conception. It's only open for debate in the court of public opinion. People have the ability to get together and agree to a lie that allows them to justify almost anything. Get a person alone and the truth of what they believe is more likely to come out.</div>
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I was shocked to find out that God didn't want to correct the people who were OK with "a woman's right to choose". He made it very clear to me that knowing right from wrong is not the issue. You can know all the right there is to know and still be unable to live it (see Romans 7 for more). No, He wanted to correct those who are supposed to be able to hear His voice. On them is the responsibility for knowledge of mercy and grace. To know the mercy of God and not give it to those who do not know it grieves Him. Does this sound odd? Who did Jesus rebuke, the ignorant or the learned? Who did He call the "den of vipers"? Remember that to know what is right and not do it is sin.</div>
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He said some really provocative things to me. He said that He is pro-choice. I was like, "Uh... God, that can't be You talking.". He said, "If I wasn't pro-choice, would women have even the ability to choose? Son, your choice is the one thing I have always denied Myself." Does that mean abortion should be legal? <b>Of course not. </b> It means abortion has exactly zero to do with a woman's right to choose. Even before it was legal a woman could choose to abort her child. So, what's the point, then? The point is that He is willing to suffer and die to protect our ability to choose Him. He is willing to endure the loss of the innocent to honor His own word. He will not restrict our will.</div>
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Does this mean He wants abortion to continue? <b>Of course not.</b> Don't be a tool. He told me that the christian strategy for abolishing abortion was way off the mark. It's not kingdom-minded. The kingdom is never reactionary and is always responsive. Even more, the kingdom is previous. The kingdom sees what lies ahead and responds before it happens. How many times in the bible did God tell someone what was going to happen before it happened? That's how He operates. God is proactive about everything. He says things like, "Do this SO THAT this will happen". He's planning ahead. So how does this relate to abortion? I'm glad you asked. The way to stop abortion is not to make it illegal but to make it unnecessary. </div>
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Does that mean God is pro-contraception? Nope. Unwanted pregnancy is the leading cause of abortion. But it goes deeper than that. What is the leading cause of pregnancy? Sex. What's the leading cause of sex? Here's where we get into a tricky situation. Sex between consensual adults isn't the only cause of unwanted pregnancies. There's also rape, incest, and disease to contend with. All of them, including promiscuity, can be summed up by one word: unhealthy. Whether it be the unhealthy mind of a man who commits rape, the unhealthy self-esteem of a couple who create an unwanted child, an unhealthy genetic code that creates a malformed fetus, it's all just a lack of health. Unhealthy hearts and minds come together and create "unwanted" children. God have mercy on us. Unwanted people.</div>
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Let me ask you this: what if we found some way to legally and physically mandate that no woman ever aborts her unwanted child ever again? What then? Have we really solved the problem or just fed our religious pride by making the world bend to our will? Is there any method by which we can eliminate unwanted people except to murder them? What if we found a way to raise the value of the average person in the eyes of everyone so that nobody ends up being unwanted? What if we lived our lives in such a way that the formula HUMAN = WANTED is the universal norm?<br />
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You'd think that God in all His wisdom would have told us how to do such a thing... Like, what if He gave us a command that was a one-size-fits-all solution to all problems BEFORE they start?</div>
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<b>John 15:12</b></div>
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<span style="color: red;">"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you."</span><br />
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But how does loving someone keep them from getting an abortion? Please remember that we're talking about stopping abortion before it becomes a possible choice. We are talking about creating a culture in which things like abortion are as abhorrent to the public as cannibalism. We are talking about helping our species become so incredibly healthy that we would never engage in or suffer from things that create unwanted people.<br />
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So how does love eliminate rape, disease, incest, and sexual promiscuity?<br />
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What causes a man to rape a woman (or vice versa)? Behavioral scientists say that rape is caused by a desire to control, conquer, or have power over another. For whatever reason, the perpetrator feels an overwhelming desire to exert dominance over another in a sexual way. It's more about power than it is about sex. Behavioral science also tells us that perpetrators are not created in a vacuum (with the exception of neurological abnormalities). Perpetrators are a harvest that was sown as victims. A male who was raped or molested has a much higher chance of doing the same to others. Why? To regain some sense of wholeness, purpose, identity. A victim will either become a perpetual victim, a perpetrator, or free. So what determines where a person ends up on that spectrum? All things reproduce after their own kind. You sow trauma and trauma will grow and then it will sow again. But there is one seed that will outgrow, outperform, outyield, and outlast all others: Love. Someone who has been freed from the cycle of rape will always relate some story about how love set them free. Tenderness, mercy, forgiveness, transparency, trust, patience, kindness are all the things that short-circuit the vicious cycle. Consider Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. Does this mean we should just pat rapists on the back and tell them Jesus loves them and then let them go off and rape again? No. It means there is a limited window of time when these men are in jail that we can teach them about their true identity. We can help them face what they've done with patience and kindness, man-to-man, so that they believe and are set free. Are you going to prisons to stop abortion?<br />
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Incest is more difficult to see in the natural, but the prescription is the same: love them into truth. Yes, any perpetrator must pay the cost of what they've done, but that shouldn't stop us from loving them into truth. Tender care should be given to the victims so they understand that the selfish act of their perpetrator does not define them. A long-term relationship based on trust and acceptance has to be established with such a person so that they can see their own value through your actions towards them. Be sure it's not about putting "another victim saved" notch on your belt. I'm talking about creating life-long relationships here. I'm talking about adoption.<br />
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What does love have to do with disease? Everything. If you are like me, you believe in the authority God gave each of His children, through Jesus, to heal the sick. Disease must always go. It's not the will of God and each of us has to contend for the faith to eradicate it. But how many of us are willing to make it our personal mission to heal a diseased child in the womb? How many of us are willing to do it knowing that nobody will ever know? Are you willing to search your heart to even see if you have the capacity to make the diseases of the unborn more important to you than your own children? Can you believe Him to change your heart if you weigh it and find it lacking? What would it look like if we all had the same reputation as John G. Lake? But that's not the hard part for us. The hard part of us as a church is to admit that we do not yet see the frequency of miracles it would take to replace the doctors who treat children in the womb. Can we confess that we need to grow in faith for the sake of the unborn and be responsible and accountable for that? Can we simply say, "I believe, please help my unbelief" and then get our hands on some broken babies?<br />
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Finally, how does love stop sexual promiscuity? This one has gotten so so so far away from us. As Christians we've shouted the letter of the law from the rooftops and indulged in judgement of anyone who would dare ignore our self-righteous warnings. Parents kicking children out of the house instead of teaching them the honor and beauty of fighting to retain virginity so it can be given as a gift to their spouse one day. We speak death over those who have and promote sex and then we reap a harvest of death in our entire culture. Those with the most spiritual power are causing the most spiritual damage and then have the gall to chalk it all up to "the last days". <br />
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No, the cause of sex outside of God's design is simple: lack of love. There are many natural answers for having sex. We all feel like it or have been through a time in our lives when we did. But why do so many give in? Why, with all the potential consequences, do so many risk even their own lives for a momentary feeling? Well, scientists would say "self-esteem" but God says, "who do you think you are?" It comes down to identity. We make all of our choices based on who we think we are--our perception of our personal value. Tell me, how will the people out there with a wrong identity ever find out who they are if we don't show them? How can we tell them if they disdain our reputation? Why in the world would they ever believe anything we say about who they are in God's great plan if we don't love them first? <br />
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If we are going to carry His name, we should probably imitate Him like dear children. He had every right to be indignant with us but sacrificed Himself instead. He went even to the point of death to show how much He values us. And He understood that love breeds love. He Himself fell to the ground and died, then He sprung up and bore much fruit. He came to us gently and lowly of heart. He was goodness personified. It was His <b>peculiar goodness</b> in the face of abhorrent evil that gave Him so much credibility with the lost. The goodness of God drew all men to Him. We have to do the same. We have to set aside this horrible habit of treating His lost children as the enemy and love them as if they were our very own. We must adopt them into our family, whether they change their ways or not, so that they can feel the trust and security that so far has been denied them. Maybe then they will see our love and believe that God truly sent Jesus to save us all.<br />
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Any good military strategist would tell you that it's a bad idea to fight an enemy on his home turf. If you have the choice, always fight the enemy on YOUR terms and not HIS. So let's stay out of the political arena. The political is rooted in the world and the whole world lies in the sway of.....who? So don't enter his arena. Don't argue with men. Stop the battle before it starts by loving it to death. We've done this with suicide, drugs, alcohol, abuse, poverty and many others. Christians have shown a clear ability to break the cycle of death with a preemptive strike of loving self-sacrifice. Why not do it again here, with abortion? Why not dedicate yourself to revealing the love of God to such a degree that people will value their identity over their need to feel good?<br />
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A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-79960391795190923702014-12-04T11:08:00.001-08:002014-12-04T11:08:12.481-08:00Value and MeaningScripture tells us that we were made in the image and likeness of God. Because we know this, we can determine certain attributes of God's character. Two of those attributes are the importance of value and meaning.<br />
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Consider this: why do you do what you do? Do you eat because you can't help it or is there something else driving you? Because you understand the link between eating and living, you eat. But why do something to continue living? That seems like an odd question, but take it seriously. We continue living because for some reason or another we value life. Why do you choose certain clothes over others, certain people over others, certain activities over others? Value. We do what we do because we value the process, the outcome, or both.<br />
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But how do we assign a value to things? What determines our values? I value my children because of what they mean to me. I could go deeper into that but suffice it to say that what they mean to me determines the value they have to me. We value highest what means the most to us.<br />
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So much of our existence is based in the reward that comes from the people, places, and things that mean so much to us. There is an almost constant struggle to either gain that which means something or defend it. Look at your life. Is there any place in your life where you are not either going after something of value or fighting to keep something of value? In that struggle is so much of the awesome stuff of life! Like an amazing football game, the struggle for the win is the whole thing! We eventually learn to value the struggle itself over the object we are trying to gain. I value my relationship with my children and my wife, not because I own them and will never lose them, but because the struggle of the relationship is so full of danger and bliss. <br />
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Anything we truly value above all things involves risk. Remember wanting to go to Prom with that certain someone? Or how about asking someone to marry you? What about the risks of child bearing? How about starting that amazing company you've always dreamed of? Risk, risk, risk. We will struggle for what means the most to us. We will risk for it; even die for it.<br />
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Now, imagine for a minute that you are God before time began. You have all the power. All of it. Total and complete control. If you can create whatever you want and do whatever you want with it, how are you supposed to value it? I mean, if you give your children everything they want whenever they want it, they end up spoiled. Why? Because they did not have to struggle to earn any of it. We do not value things that are granted, that cost us nothing. So, if for God everything at the beginning of time was already granted, how does He value anything? I mean, what gift can you give to the Man who has everything?<br />
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Ok, here comes the scripture....<br />
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<i>Gen 1:28</i><br />
<i>28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; <b>fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.</b>"</i><br />
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Here we see where God tells man that man is now in control of this earthly realm. The implications of it are not readily apparent. Luckily it is spelled out elsewhere:<br />
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<i>Psa 8:4-6</i><br />
<i>4 What is man that You are mindful of him,</i><br />
<i>And the son of man that You visit him?</i><br />
<i>5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,</i><br />
<i>And You have crowned him with glory and honor.</i><br />
<i>6 <b>You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands</b>;</i><br />
<i>You have put all things under his feet</i><br />
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So, God created value by His own integrity and self-restriction! He is sovereign, He is all powerful, but He set up this earthly existence in such a way that He could experience wins and losses by the choices of His own children!<br />
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So what has value for Him? What means something to God? What could a mortal possibly do for The Creator that would have any eternal meaning what-so-ever? That we give Him the one thing He denied Himself: our choice. It's that simple. For Him it is no different than it is for us. We want our children, our loved ones, to choose us. <br />
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Have you ever thought about how much it tickles His fancy that you think about Him? I mean, that you are even willing to consider an invisible God who loves you must just make Him sing. We cannot please Him apart from faith because choosing to believe Him is literally the only thing we have to offer. He wanted it that way.A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-78052832731595934462014-11-13T11:10:00.000-08:002014-11-13T11:10:11.222-08:00Hearing God - Triangles and DolphinsRecently, God showed me a vision of me doing a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_military_parachuting" target="_blank">HALO jump</a>. When you jump out of an airplane at night from 35,000 feet, you really can't see where you are going. Under normal circumstances, that's not good. While hurtling toward the earth at 120 mph, it's really really not good. Yet U.S. Special Forces do it all the time. If they panic, they die. So, how do they maintain composure under such circumstances? Well, just because they can't see where they are going doesn't mean they are lost.<br />
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Nobody performing a HALO does so without provision. They have oxygen, a special suit, an altimeter (tells you how high in the air you are), and best of all they have training. You see, it's completely unnatural for a human to know exactly where they are headed and maintain composure without the use of their senses. Without training, nobody could keep from panicking in a HALO jump. The oxygen may keep you awake and the altimeter may let you know when the ground is going to greet you but none of your equipment will give you the one thing you need to remain calm: trust. Training gives you understanding of the purpose of the provision so that you perceive no lack and are able to trust that you are safe. I cannot see, but the altimeter gives me all the information my eyes would normally provide. I cannot breath, but the oxygen and mask feed my airway. I cannot land safely on the earth at 120 mph, but my parachute was specifically designed to slow my descent. I am safe.<br />
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This whole vision came about because I was talking to God about not being able to see. He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "Uh, what do You mean 'What do I mean?'" He said, "You can see just fine." Then the vision hit me. I knew that God putting me into a HALO jump was good and not bad. It came from Him. I've settled the fact that He's good. So I simply enjoyed the HALO like some kind of maniac. But then He said, "Why doesn't this scare you?" I replied, "Because I know You're with me." Then He immediately showed me the altimeter, the oxygen and mask, the parachute, the helmet, and the training. I understood and said, "Yes, I trust You." He said, "So, you can see?" I said, "Yes, I suppose I can."<br />
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Just to drive the point home, He started to show me things in scripture that have to do with perception. And He began to talk to me about imagery and sound, echos and shadows. He said, "You only truly see with your heart. And your heart sees in a way that humans are not used to seeing. Yet you can be trained..." Then He said, "Echolocation and Triangulation". "Huh?", I replied.<br />
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He showed me how Jesus constantly used natural concepts and ideas, imagery of things found in nature, to convey truths about The Kingdom. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed..." He showed me that even as far back as the prophecy given to the serpent that God used natural imagery to convey His ideas and purpose. It's for this reason that Jesus forever carries the title "Abraham's Seed" and "The Lamb". Then He said, "The natural is an echo of the supernatural." "That's one heckofa echo, Father." He said, "Well, I AM." I said, "Word." <br />
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Consider it, the account of creation reveals that He spoke creation into existence. His Word being spoken resulted in our physical universe being created. His sound created our reality. That's the very textbook definition of an echo. The Bible says that His word shall not return to Him void. What's it called when a word returns to you? That's an echo. So I said to Him, "We've discussed the whole echo dynamic before, Father. Why is it important for sight?" He said, "Echolocation. Consider the dolphin. Though their eyes work just fine under water, they can see farther and with much greater clarity using SOUND." "Whoa!", I replied. "But not just any sound. They interpret the ECHO so they can perceive the landscape."<br />
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Then He pointed me to Psalm 19. And then Romans 1:20:<br />
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<i>20 For since the creation of the world <b>His invisible attributes are clearly seen</b>, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,</i><br />
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The echolocation revelation also applies to my own utterance. I was made in His image so, like a dolphin, I can release my sound into the landscape and it will return with information. Likewise, I can also speak what He spoke and allow the echo of both our voices give me clarity. I see by both speaking and listening.<br />
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So I suddenly understood that the things that are seen should always point to the things that are not. They are an echo of a more clear sound; a shadow of a much larger figure. I recognize His voice in the echo. So then I asked Him, "What does this have to do with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation" target="_blank">triangulation</a>?" He said, "What is triangulation in the natural?" I explained, "It's when you determine the exact location of something based upon where it is in relation to 3 fixed points in space." We've all seen it on CSI or cop drama shows or action/adventure movies. In order to find a given cell phone, you can "triangulate" it's position by pinging it from 3 cell phone towers. Give me 3 points for comparison and I can always tell you exactly where I am.<br />
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He said, "You said before that you couldn't see where you were going. What if it's more important to see where you are?" "OK", I replied. Then He explained that I was capable of determining where I am in any context by using the following three points of reference: logos, rhema, echo. My position or location is always going to be relative to His. So I am only able to determine my position based on His position. In all cases I must ask myself the following questions in order to see where I am: What does the Word say about this (logos)? What is Holy Spirit saying about this(rhema)? What is going on in the natural right now(echo)? Based on the answer to those questions, I am fully aware of my own location AND His. In every instance I find that I'm always in one of two places: in Him, not in Him. If I'm in Him, who cares where I'm going? If I'm not, I know where I need to go for cover (hint: back to Him).<br />
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This is why the HALO vision was so important. In the natural you can't get a meaningful picture while you are in a free-fall. But if you add that piece of information to the Word and a conversation with Him, you have all the provision you need to perceive truth. Jesus, the prophets, the apostles, they all mixed information from the natural, scripture, and conversations with God in order to carry out their mission. They were all trained to see beyond sight. They used their heart as a sort of echo chamber to more accurately "see". All the places where scripture talks about your eye or your sight, it's referring to this kind of heart-sight. Keep your echo chamber filled with the sounds from above. Keep your echo chamber tuned to the frequency of light.<br />
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Now, as a small aside, God did not pick a highly-specialized military manoeuvre as a vision because it fit the "how do I see when I can't see" scenario so well. He picked it because The Body is being trained right now for Special Forces missions. Don't wait until you leave the plane at 35,000 feet to learn echo-location and triangulation. You may panic if you do.A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-70629995382471615192014-10-01T11:31:00.000-07:002014-10-01T11:31:09.732-07:00Containment - Old Testament MercyIt was Jesus who defeated the enemy. So what was God up to prior to Jesus?<br />
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There are many purposes served by Israel, God's chosen people, but for the purpose of this post I want to look at localization. What I mean by that is that the Old Testament is centered around a single people or nation. God chose them above all other people. But why just one people? Why just a single Promised Land? Why did He give them The Law and Prophets and not, say, China?<br />
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We can't know fully what went on in the mind of God when He reached out to Abram. Were there perhaps others God considered who were slightly less faithful than Abram? Maybe. But God wanted to choose a single person out of whom to create a single nation to be His. Again, there are many reasons for this. I don't want to get into all the types and shadows and various purposes for Israel right now. What I want to focus on is the singularity of Israel and the localization of God's attention on the tiny plot of land called the land of Canaan (later to become Israel). Yes, I realize that scripture also tells us that God loved Egypt and Syria along with Israel but again they are adjacent to Israel both topographically and ethnically.<br />
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So, why choose a single nation? Consider the policy that the first Bush administration had on Sadaam Husein in the early '90's. They called it "containment". They realized that Sadaam represented a unique threat that was too costly to deal with head on and too costly to ignore. The idea behind containment was to allow Sadaam's regime to be however vicious and vile as they wanted provided it was within the borders of Iraq. As we've seen since we toppled Sadaam's regime, a direct confrontation results in the cancer of his corrupt regime spreading and finding footholds in other locations. While Sadaam was alive and in control, the cancer was....contained.<br />
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Now, consider Israel between the time they are given The Law at Mt. Sinai and the time that Jesus came. They seemed to be in near constant turmoil. They were locked in a constant ware/peace/genocide cycle in a single region of earth. It was Israel versus the world over and over. And time and again God commanded them, "Kill everything you find. Every man, woman, child, and animal." How seemingly cruel!! But what was really going on here?<br />
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To answer that question, we need to go back in time a bit further. Sin entered the world through Adam. Every man since, except Jesus, was born into Adam's blood line. We have a sin nature as soon as we enter this world. Cain was no exception. Cain was the world's first murderer yet how did God deal with him? He put a mark on him and sent him away. The reason for this is another topic for another time but suffice it to say that God has mercy on Cain.<br />
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Well, not long after Cain, Lamech comes along:<br />
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Gen 4:23-24<br />
23 Then Lamech said to his wives:<br />
" Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;<br />
Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech!<br />
<b>For I have killed a man for wounding me</b>,<br />
Even a young man for hurting me.<br />
24 <b>If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,</b><br />
<b>Then Lamech seventy- sevenfold</b>."<br />
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Notice that in verse 24 Lamech is speaking, not God. Lamech compared himself to Cain: "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold..." Not only did he judge himself worthy of protection for having killed someone, as God did with Cain, he upped the ante and judged that since it was a murder motivated by self-defense it was far more worthy of protection than Can's--seventy-sevenfold to be exact. This is the first example of morality as determined by man and not God. This is how that dynamic is most clearly stated in the New Testament:</div>
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2Co 10:12<br />
12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, <b>measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves,</b> are not wise.</div>
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<a href="http://deeptruths.com/bible-topics/comparing_yourself_to_others.html" target="_blank">Comparing ourselves to each other</a> as a method of determining our worth, righteousness, or anything else instead of to God's holy standard leads to a moral decline. This is the very definition of the proverbial "slippery slope". It starts small with a single person like Cain who has the audacity to do something completely contrary to good sense (wisdom) and over time it becomes a societal norm.<br />
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Let me ask you a question: when did foul language on television become acceptable? Can you remember a time when it wasn't? That may seem like a lame example but it fits nicely. It also trended upward in time with television violence, sex, cynical story-lines, etc... How did it happen? Well, like murder, it started small and grew until it was a societal norm. The same trend can be seen with literally every societal ill or sin.<br />
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It was no different in the time of Noah (not to say we are in the time of Noah, though some would disagree). What started with Lamech, Cain, and ultimately Adam had spread like a cancer throughout all of humanity. God was only able to find a single family worth saving! It was so horrible, in fact, that God was hurt. The human race, save one family, was beyond redemption. So God obliterated them. There was no Jesus at that time to save them. They could not be born again and redeemed. In order to save the legacy of love God had started with Adam, He had to save Noah and destroy everyone else. Sin gave demonic forces a stronghold in sinful people <b>so God wiped out the stronghold</b>.<br />
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So things started over with Noah and his family. But there was still no Jesus yet and Noah was a child of Adam. Sin still reigned. Demons were not gone, just pushed back. It was only a matter of time before things got out of control and God would once again be forced to wipe out humanity in order to give a single worthy family a chance to continue the legacy of love. Due to the power sin had over us and our propensity to compare ourselves amongst ourselves, this cycle would seemingly have to continue forever. Demons working with the selfish hearts of men would threaten our species time and again. But God is smarter than that.<br />
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Let's skip ahead to God's next plan to stem the tide of corruption: The Law. The Law is amazing. God came to Israel in power and love to convince them that HE IS and that they can depend on Him. He established His authority over them and then gave them what The Apostle Paul called "a tutor" or "a guide": The Law of Moses. God's intention with the law was to cancel man's habit of comparing himself against his neighbor. The law clearly states right and wrong and punishes wrong unilaterally. If you break one statute, you are guilty. The Law made Israel afraid of God. It made them listen to Him and regard His councel above their own. He dealt with them severely to keep them mindful of right and wrong, good and bad, health and sickness. It's purpose was literally to keep the human race from going off the rails and devolving into another global Soddom.<br />
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After many rough starts with the law, Israel found themselves in the region of Canaan. Suddenly God is telling them to just massacre whole ethnic groups in the region! Ghastly! But wait, didn't these people all descend from Noah? And who were these people groups? Did any of them end up with demonic blood mixed with Noah's blood? Yikes. That sounds scary. What about their culture? Did they sacrifice newborn babies to demon gods? That doesn't sound healthy at all. Ok, I can see why you'd want to stem the tide of baby-killing culture. That seems like it will eventually result in the species self-destructing. But isn't genocide a little harsh? Couldn't Israel have saved them? Ultimately Israel did save the pagan cultures through Jesus. But as I've said before, He wasn't on earth yet. Why not? That's another topic for another time. Let's just say that God could not violate His own word in order to save mankind or the very universe would unravel.<br />
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So, like a scalpel God used Israel to excise infected tissue from the region. This set up a future dynamic of attraction and containment. Yes, finally containment! The mixture of the region of Canaan, The Law, and Israelites created what could be considered a demon honey-pot. Remember that demons are fallen angels who are very angry with God and very jealous of humanity. They are naturally attracted to whatever God is doing on the earth so that they can try to corrupt it. God decided what better way to keep the world safe from another age of Noah than to attract the vast majority of demonic activity to a single place on earth and against a single enemy on earth: Israel.<br />
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Demons got into the Somethingites and forged a culture. Israel slaughtered them. Time and again a nation would rise up and Israel would slap them down. Yes, there were plenty of instances where Israel was enslaved, worshipped idols, etc... The overall effect of God's Law, Judgement, and Wrath was to keep the human race viable for Jesus. In the fulness of time we see that God kept the enemy busy with Israel long enough for Jesus to pop into the mix and defeat him once and for all.<br />
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<br />A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-36064642753489785662014-08-28T11:47:00.001-07:002014-08-28T11:47:04.842-07:00Value and WorthThe church has made a mistake in the days since the apostles. Take this portion of the definition of covenant as seen at <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/covenant/" target="_blank">BibleStudyTools dot Com</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;">The covenants referred to above were between two equal parties; this means that the covenant relationship was bilateral. The bond was sealed by both parties vowing, often by oath, that each, having equal privileges and responsibilities, would carry out their assigned roles. Because a covenant confirmed between two human parties was bilateral, some scholars have concluded that the covenant Yahweh established with human beings is also bilateral. This is not the case. God initiated, determined the elements, and confirmed his covenant with humanity. It is unilateral. Persons are recipients, not contributors; they are not expected to offer elements to the bond; they are called to accept it as offered, to keep it as demanded, and to receive the results that God, by oath, assures will not be withheld.</span></blockquote>
I would never presume to believe myself equal with God. The fact that I was created by Him resolves that question for all time. I am the clay. However, we are dealing with a God who is humble, full of mercy, kindness, and can only be described as Love.<br />
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He is a God of covenant. But why even introduce the idea of a bond if love is not to be served by it? And what love can there be without freedom of choice? Would you want someone to be forced to love you? What fun would that be? <br />
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I would have to disagree with the quoted paragraph above. A covenant only has worth if it is based on an agreement. Agreement requires choice. Choice implies equality between the parties. Am I saying that I am equal with God? No. I'm saying God came down to my level in order to grace me with the choice to love Him. <br />
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Phi 2:5-8<br />
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, <b>did not consider it robbery to be equal with God</b>, 7 but <b>made Himself of no reputation</b>, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, <b>He humbled Himself </b>and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.<br />
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It is one thing for me to claim I am equal with God because I am great. It's quite another to say I have been granted equality with God because He is so incredibly full of mercy and grace. Still don't agree? Look at this then:<br />
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Rom 8:15-17<br />
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the <b>Spirit of adoption</b> by whom we cry out, " Abba, Father." 16 <b>The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God</b>, 17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and <b>joint heirs with Christ</b>, if indeed we suffer with Him, <b>that we may also be glorified together</b>.<br />
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Again, I'm not saying I'm God. I'm not saying He and I are the same entity. I'm saying we are sufficiently equal for Him to deal with me as a person and not as a slave. Reread that last scripture. I am God's child. Holy Spirit tells me this all the time. I am an heir to the Kingdom of The Creator. Not only that, I'm a JOINT heir with Jesus, who is God! Jesus and I are equal partners in the inheritance! All that Jesus has is mine!!!! Dude...<br />
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Gen 25:5<br />
5 And Abraham <b>gave all that he had</b> to Isaac.<br />
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The pattern established in the Bible is that a father gives EVERYTHING to his son. All that He has is ours. It boggles the mind. <br />
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But why? Why did He do this? Why lower Himself? Why, God, why?<br />
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Isa 53:10<br />
10 Yet <b>it pleased the Lord</b> to bruise Him;...<br />
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Luk 12:32<br />
32 " Do not fear, little flock, for <b>it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom</b>.<br />
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This seems to suggest that it pleased God to beat Jesus until He was unrecognizable. It pleases Him, our Father, to give us the kingdom. What an extreme way to deal with something. Why go through all that? Well, He had to give His all.<br />
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When Jesus was on the earth, He gave us His all. He went all in on establishing the covenant with us. He left no stone unturned. Every i was dotted and every t was crossed (no pun intended). He gave and He gave and He gave, like that book The Giving Tree, until there was literally nothing left of Him. He gave His wisdom to the disciples and the crowds. He gave them His healing, His companionship, His love. When He had given all of that, He gave still more. He gave His body over to be beaten, His flesh to be ripped apart. He gave His dignity and His privacy. He gave His peace and received our torment. Finally, He gave His life. He was all in. He quite literally poured Himself out.<br />
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The Bible speaks of His doing all this because of the joy set before Him. Wow. It would have to be something really really extraordinary to warrant Him giving, literally, His all in order to obtain it. What could possibly be worth that? I mean, it's like that old saying, "What do you buy for the person who has everything?"<br />
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Your heart. Remember, it can't be bought or sold. Your heart must be given freely or not at all. There is something about you and I that He values so incredibly much that He'd hand Himself over as a ransom for us. We are not His equals yet He regards us as such and therefore we are. <br />
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I wonder if the entire Bible is about winning our affection. I wonder if maybe we are being romanced into holiness even now. Could it possibly be that simple?<br />
<br />A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-65104095089084370352014-08-19T12:53:00.000-07:002014-08-20T08:40:31.350-07:00HomosexualsSome of this will sound harsh but please stick with it until the end. I want to try to reveal something that I believe God has shown me. Prayerfully consider what I've written here.<br>
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There has been much talk lately about <a href="http://www.charismanews.com/culture/45026-christian-rock-star-i-m-gay-god-loves-me-just-the-way-i-am" target="_blank">Vicky Beeching</a> coming out as gay. Homosexuality one of the most polarizing topics in all the western world. Sadly, it's also one of if not THE MOST polarizing topic in the church. <br>
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Let me get this over with right off the bat: sex outside of marriage is a sin. God defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman for all time. Are homosexuals living in sin? Let me answer that question with another question. Is it a sin to worry that you won't be able to pay your bills? Now, if that happens every pay period, are you living in sin?<br>
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Many would answer, "Oh but brother, that's different." Well, since we are using the written word of God as our measuring stick, let's see what it says about sin:<br>
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James 2:10 <i>For whoever shall keep the whole law, <b>and yet stumble in one point</b>, he is guilty of all.</i><br>
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Do you understand that according to God's standard of righteousness you are as a homosexual to Him when you worry? When you lust. When you lie. When you do not believe. In His eyes, you are equal. Let's go one verse back and see what James was writing about in the first place:<br>
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James 2:8 <i>If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; 9 <b>but if you show partiality, you commit sin</b>, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.</i> <br>
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Do you allow those who self-identify as gay into your church? Do you approach them as "gay" people when you encounter them in public or online? That's partiality. Here's how I define being non-partial:<br>
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2 Cor 5:14 <i>For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus:that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.</i><br>
<i>16 Therefore, <b>from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh</b>. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and <b>has given us the ministry of reconciliation</b>, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, <b>not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation</b>.</i><br>
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When I approach someone as any identity they've given themselves or any identity the world has given them (drunk, athiest, porn addict, drug addict, lawyer), I have unwittingly regarded them according to the flesh. To speak to a person as a homosexual is to disregard that person as God's dear child. You are saying that their highest identity is defined by their sexual habits instead of the reason and purpose for which God created them. Look at what Paul wrote! We are "compelled by love" to "regard no one according to the flesh" because Christ is "reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses against them". Jesus died once for all. All means all. We are defined by the value God placed on our lives: the life of Jesus.<br>
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He gave us the ministry of reconciliation. It's up to us. If we turn people away because they call themselves drunks or budhists or porn stars or gay, they will remain turned away. That's the deal. This whole thing isn't about protecting ourselves from their icky sin, it's about being compelled by love to reconcile the lost back to their Father.<br>
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I can hear some still saying, "But brother, it's a sin and there's just no way around that." Those who are NOT lost do not need to be reconciled. And as long as you are on a hunt for sin, you'll never get to the harvest. This is how Jesus put it:<br>
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Matt 23:13 <i>" But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; <b>for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in</b>."</i><br>
<br>
Jesus did not ask for a group of Separated Ones whose job it is to keep the church clean of all sin. How dare you. The gospel is not about sin. It's about grace. When you see a person for their sin, you tread under foot what Jesus did for you and the other person. When you speak against a person, you murder them. What if this isn't about homosexuality at all? What if this is about seeing clearly?<br>
<br>
What if you can't see past the flesh of others because you've never seen yourself apart from your physical nature? What if you can't give grace to some people because you never received it for yourself? "For you neither go in yourselves..." <br>
<br>
Consider what Paul said after talking about those who practice all kinds of imorality:<br>
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Romans 2:3 <i>And do you think this, O man, <b>you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?</b> 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that <b>the goodness of God leads you to repentance</b>? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self- seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness — indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 <b>but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good</b>, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.</i><br>
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Guys, we are free from fighting sin both in ourselves and in others. Do you not know that it's the goodness of God that leads you to repentance? If you have it on your heart to save those who revel in their sin, then magnify HIS goodness to them. If you don't have it on your heart to do that, then magnify His goodness to yourself!<br>
<br>
We did not earn salvation and The Kingdom is never in danger. Remember that there is a very real enemy out there and it's not flesh and blood. It operates in deception so that it can steal, kill, and destroy. I refuse to empower the deception by even acknowledging it. I'd rather speak things that are not as though they are. I'd rather show tenderness, mercy, kindness, and patience to those who do not yet see how valuable they are. We are better than we have been in the past and we are getting even better. Please, love one another as He has loved us.<br>
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<br>A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-36071209598004702952014-07-23T08:24:00.000-07:002014-07-23T08:24:44.724-07:00On FaithFrom a chat transcript:<br />
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<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128377506=21931366612-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:12am">
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128414468=2409428605-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Faith is being fully convinced, fully persuaded that the bible is true when you have 100% proof that it is not</span></div>
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<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128431304=2915674982-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:13am">
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<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128456301=23809391576-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:14am">
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<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128456301=23809391576-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128456301=23809391576-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">When you come up against the perception that things are 100% wrong, that's when faith comes into play</span></div>
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128499373=23200062400-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">in fact, it's the perception that His Word is false that defines the parameters of faith</span></div>
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<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128508825=2555626573-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128508825=2555626573-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Why?</span></div>
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<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128517250=23807812713-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:15am">
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128517250=23807812713-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Faith is hard</span></div>
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128530537=22382562377-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Remember that God said He cannot be pleased except by faith</span></div>
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<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128536607=22710608749-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:15am">
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<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128536607=22710608749-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128536607=22710608749-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128536607=22710608749-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">but why?</span></div>
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<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128542606=24246980807-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:15am">
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<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128542606=24246980807-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 160px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128542606=24246980807-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Why does faith matter to Him so much?</span></div>
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<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128557768=2493262215-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128557768=2493262215-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128557768=2493262215-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128557768=2493262215-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128557768=2493262215-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">I mean, He could easily make it so that something else pleases Him, right?</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128557768=2493262215-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128560173=22160779402-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:16am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128560173=22160779402-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128560173=22160779402-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128560173=22160779402-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128560173=22160779402-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128560173=22160779402-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Nope</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128560173=22160779402-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128571545=22963855264-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:16am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128571545=22963855264-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128571545=22963855264-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128571545=22963855264-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 165px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128571545=22963855264-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128571545=22963855264-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">It's because of His nature that faith is all that pleases Him</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128571545=22963855264-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128577965=21250466218-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:16am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128577965=21250466218-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128577965=21250466218-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128577965=21250466218-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 161px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128577965=21250466218-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128577965=21250466218-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Remember that He is perfect integrity</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128577965=21250466218-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128593568=23733051792-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:16am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128593568=23733051792-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128593568=23733051792-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128593568=23733051792-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 164px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128593568=23733051792-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128593568=23733051792-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">He will not violate His own words even to the point of His own suffering</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128593568=23733051792-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128606529=21585407524-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:16am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128606529=21585407524-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128606529=21585407524-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128606529=21585407524-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 145px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128606529=21585407524-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128606529=21585407524-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">It's not possible for Him to break His word</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128606529=21585407524-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128610990=24009302843-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:16am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128610990=24009302843-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128610990=24009302843-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128610990=24009302843-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128610990=24009302843-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128610990=24009302843-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">It's just who He is</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128610990=24009302843-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128619463=21987785318-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:17am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128619463=21987785318-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128619463=21987785318-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128619463=21987785318-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128619463=21987785318-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128619463=21987785318-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">His throne is built upon justice</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128619463=21987785318-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128625552=21026147588-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:17am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128625552=21026147588-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128625552=21026147588-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128625552=21026147588-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128625552=21026147588-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128625552=21026147588-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Perfect faithfulness</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128625552=21026147588-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128642257=23418136399-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:17am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128642257=23418136399-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128642257=23418136399-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128642257=23418136399-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 169px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128642257=23418136399-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128642257=23418136399-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Therefore, we cannot relate to Him except through the lens of WHAT He is</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128642257=23418136399-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128666188=23222828435-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:17am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128666188=23222828435-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128666188=23222828435-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128666188=23222828435-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128666188=23222828435-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128666188=23222828435-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">If He is always faithful and perfect integrity, then we cannot allow the idea of Him being less than that</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128666188=23222828435-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128676157=23584154152-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:17am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128676157=23584154152-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128676157=23584154152-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128676157=23584154152-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 170px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128676157=23584154152-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128676157=23584154152-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Situations will suggest He has broken His word</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128676157=23584154152-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128679992=23982003456-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:18am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128679992=23982003456-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128679992=23982003456-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128679992=23982003456-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128679992=23982003456-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128679992=23982003456-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">So will feelings</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128679992=23982003456-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128689727=23606999633-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:18am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128689727=23606999633-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128689727=23606999633-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128689727=23606999633-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 158px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128689727=23606999633-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128689727=23606999633-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Our world is twisted, wicked, corrupted</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128689727=23606999633-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128692500=23474391358-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:18am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128692500=23474391358-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128692500=23474391358-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128692500=23474391358-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128692500=23474391358-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128692500=23474391358-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">But He is not</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128692500=23474391358-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128717913=24139378198-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:18am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128717913=24139378198-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128717913=24139378198-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128717913=24139378198-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 162px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128717913=24139378198-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128717913=24139378198-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">In order for us to relate to the incorruptible from the point of view of corruption, we must see what is not seen</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128717913=24139378198-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128733883=21704599419-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:18am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128733883=21704599419-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128733883=21704599419-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128733883=21704599419-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128733883=21704599419-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128733883=21704599419-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">We must have faith</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128733883=21704599419-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128749263=21908410188-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:19am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128749263=21908410188-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128749263=21908410188-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128749263=21908410188-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 164px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128749263=21908410188-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128749263=21908410188-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Faith reconciles our eyes and our hearts to holiness</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128749263=21908410188-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128755474=21616748577-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:19am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128755474=21616748577-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128755474=21616748577-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128755474=21616748577-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 171px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128755474=21616748577-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128755474=21616748577-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">He is Holy</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128755474=21616748577-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="_5wd4 _1nc6 direction_ltr _5yt9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128763222=2336078161-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.28; margin: 0px 4px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px; position: relative;" title="11:19am">
<div class="_5wd9" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128763222=2336078161-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0" style="float: right;">
<div class="_5wde" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128763222=2336078161-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0">
<div class="_5wdf _5w1r" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128763222=2336078161-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(220, 224, 230) 0px 1px 0px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; background-color: #dbedfe; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgb(199, 222, 254), rgb(231, 241, 254)); border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.180392) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.290196); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-width: 1px; color: #3e454c; margin-right: 6px; max-width: 139px; min-height: 14px; opacity: 1; padding: 4px 5px 3px 6px; position: relative; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; transition: opacity 0.1s ease-in; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128763222=2336078161-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128763222=2336078161-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Perfect love, faithfulness, integrity</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_3ry4" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128763222=2336078161-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:1" style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128776455=21323346844-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">We can't conceive of what that is or even what it fully means</span></div>
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128785903=21359779512-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">Faith allows us to bridge that gap</span></div>
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<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".1n.$<1406128792656=24248120086-3656667934@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0">See?</span></div>
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A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-17285079036888645142014-05-09T11:57:00.001-07:002014-05-09T11:57:39.695-07:00Hear or Obey?Something significant happened in the time period represented between Exodus 19:5 and Exodus 19:9. Here's the New King James Version of that portion of scripture:<br />
<br />
<b>Exodus 19:5</b> Now therefore,<b> if you will indeed obey My voice</b> and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. ' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."<br />
7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, "<b>All that the Lord has spoken we will do</b>." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. 9 And the Lord said to Moses, " Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, <b>that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever</b>."<br />
<br />
Notice in verse 5 that God tells Moses to relay a message to Israel. We are all familiar with the promise He lays out: "you shall be a special treasure to Me". We are even more familiar with the promise He makes in verse 6. We totally grasp the whole "kingdom of priests and holy nation" concept. But do we understand what God was actually saying in verse 5? It's a conditional covenant. God lays it out like this: "If you do this, I will do this." It's been translated as "if you will indeed obey My voice". That's His condition, as translated by King Jimmy. But the two words "indeed" and "obey" are actually the same exact Hebrew word: <a href="http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Torah/The_Shema/the_shema.html" target="_blank">shema</a>.<br />
<br />
I have highlighted the parts of the scripture that stand out to me. Notice how God presents this covenant as pertaining to how Israel responds to His voice in verse 5 but then in verse 9 He seems to change it to how Israel responds to the voice of Moses. Why the switch? Why did it go from Israel "shema" the voice of God to Israel believing what God tells Moses? Why did God suddenly make Moses the intermediary "forever"?<br />
<br />
The key is in the meaning of the word shema. One of it's meanings is indeed "to obey". But check out the significance of the word in Hebrew tradition as explained <a href="http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Torah/The_Shema/the_shema.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The Shema is a specific and highly important hebrew prayer that goes like this:<br />
<br />
"One Lord Our God The Lord O Israel <b>Hear</b>!"<br />
<br />
Shema also means "to hear" or "to listen intently". It also means "to understand" or "to hear for understanding". If we approach Exodus 19 from the perspective that God wants us to follow His rules, then the word "shema" would certainly mean "obey". But if we approach Exodus 19 from the perspective that He wants "a special treasure", as He said was His intent, perhaps "shema" means "to hear". Since both "indeed" and "obey" were both the word "shema", perhaps what God was really saying was "hear me and understand".<br />
<br />
Consider the passage re translated with "hear" and "understand":<br />
<br />
Now therefore,<b> if you will hear and understand My voice</b> and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. ' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."<br />
<br />
That changes things quite a bit, doesn't it? So, why did God then tell Moses, "that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever"? Look at verse 8 in light of my re translation: <br />
<br />
"...All that the Lord has spoken, we will do..."<br />
<br />
He didn't ask them to DO anything. He wanted their ear. He told them in the previous verses how He lead them out of Egypt "on eagles wings", i.e. with NO EFFORT of their own. And yet instead of listening the very voice of the One who had saved them, they said they will simply do what He says to do. He presents Himself as a lover and they responded to Him like a taskmaster. He called them a special treasure and they responded to Him like a tool (literally and figuratively).<br />
<br />
From that very moment, Exodus seems to just go down hill. God showed them that He will do it all for them. He didn't want to give them a set of rules and regulations but it was the only thing they were willing to accept. They wanted to relate to God, not as a treasure, but as peers. They wanted to be righteous of their own accord. God just wanted a people of His own. He just wanted a partner, a lover, a bride.<br />
<br />
The Law came as a result of the delusion that Israel could justify itself. This is true of all men. God wants us to sit and listen, captivated by every word. We tend to gravitate toward methods and formulas. We will not take His word for the safety and prosperity He promises us. We tend to want the ability to measure and govern. He wants us to just trust Him.<br />
<br />
A war began in the time between Exodus 19:5 and Exodus 19:9. The war between man and God. That war ended when Jesus was born. The angels proclaimed it: "Peace on earth. Good will toward men." We are no longer under law but grace. What if we are still mistranslating the "shema" in our life? What if our eyes are on "obeying God" when we should have had our eyes on "listening" to God. What if when we hear Him and desire to understand Him we can't help but also "obey" Him?<br />
<br />
<br />A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-1862743393870297382014-05-08T09:02:00.003-07:002014-05-08T09:03:12.165-07:00Whom Shall I Fear?In pursuit of understanding "the fear of the Lord", I ran across this scripture:<br />
<br />
<b>Matt 10:24</b> " A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 <b>Therefore do not fear them</b>. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.<br />
27 " <b>Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul</b>. But rather <b>fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell</b>. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father 's will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 <b>Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows</b>.<br />
<br />
I put in bold the most striking parts. Reading this straight through, Jesus seems to contradict Himself. This always puzzled me. I know enough to know that He'd never do that. The only answer was that I had to be reading it wrong. Let's take a look at His commands here regarding fear:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>v26 "Do not fear them"</li>
<li>v27-28 "Preach Me and don't fear them"</li>
<li>v28 "Fear God"</li>
<li>v31 "Don't fear"</li>
</ol>
<div>
Huh? Ok, so the "them" here are those who would persecute a Christian for being a Christian. I believe this also extends to men in general. But I also believe He's making a general statement about fear. At the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, there wasn't anything more frightening than being found to be a blasphemer in the eyes of the community. It was an offense punishable by death.<br />
<br />
In verses 24 through 26 He's telling them that since men regarded Him to be a liar, they will also regard His disciples (you and me) as liars. But He says,<b> "Therefore do not fear them"</b>. Why? I don't get it. Don't fear them because they wanted to kill Jesus before they wanted to kill me? He goes on in the rest of verse 26 to explain that it was always the religious who were under a lie, not Jesus and not us. <b>"There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."</b> or in other words: the gospel will be proven true. Those who persecute us for claiming Jesus as the truth will find out one way or another that they were wrong. But there is another meaning here as well. <br />
<br />
I believe Jesus is directing our vision to eternity. He wants us to see that while we are persecuted for truth now, it's just a blip on the radar of time. We have to learn to see the big picture. We ought to regard The Father and the truth about His Son with greater weight than anything a mortal man can do to us. Our nature as born-again eternal beings will be "revealed" and "known". It's from this perspective that He wants us to evaluate whether we should fear something or not.<br />
<br />
He goes on to make this plain in verses 27 and 28. He commands us to preach what He tells us. But not just preach. No, He wants us to ensure everyone hears us by preaching it from the tops of houses, in plain view of everyone! No doubt this command stung the disciples a bit. I mean, if you're already afraid of the religious stoning you to death for blasphemy, you'd find it a bit troublesome to preach Jesus from the most visible point in the entire town. Then it appears as if Jesus addresses this fear of men by saying, "Don't fear men. They can't destroy your soul. Fear God. He can destroy your soul in HELL!!!!!" <br />
<br />
For years that one bothered me. Why would the physical embodiment of love suddenly switch to fear tactics to get us to follow His commands? I mean, that's clearly what He's saying, isn't it? Do what I say so you don't go to hell? A fear-based method of teaching does not mesh well with the character of Jesus revealed in the rest of scripture. <br />
<br />
Recently God has been speaking to me about context in scripture. I've heard it said that if a particular verse confuses or bothers you, read the seven verses before it and the seven after it. This will give you a clear picture of the verse that confused you. Funny how true that is. Look at verses 29 through 31. Right after Jesus makes a statement about how we should fear God because he has the power to destroy our very soul he continues to tell us how much attention God gives a sparrow. Not a single bird dies without God noticing it. Then he points out that we are infinitely more precious to God than a sparrow. If God pays that much attention to a bird, imagine how much attention He pays to us. He caps off the entire conversation by saying, <b>"Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."</b><br />
<br />
I believe Jesus was making a point, here, by purposely being dramatic. Jesus understands our propensity to fear things, especially things that have the power "to destroy the body". We have trouble seeing past the physical. He combats that carnal perspective by saying, <b>"Look, guys, don't fear men. They can't touch the real you. If you are dead-set on living with fear, you may as well fear the One who has the power to blott out your existence!! But that would be just plain silly since God loves you so much that He would never do that to you. So don't fear anything, ever, you knuckleheads." </b> Keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to those who are His. Having accepted Jesus and resolved to preach Him from the rooftops, they are far from the fires of hell. Please hear Him.<br />
<br />
A man can injure you, kill you even, but no man can destroy you. Only God has that kind of power. Notice that Satan isn't even mentioned in this passage. That's because he doesn't have the power to destroy you either. The only entity in either the spiritual or natural realm that has enough power to warrant a fear response from you is Your Father who loves you so much that He would rather die a horrific death than harm a hair on your head. Therefore, do not fear.</div>
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<br />A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-17055552989992868482014-05-06T10:43:00.001-07:002014-05-06T10:43:12.356-07:00It Is FinishedAny who have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ know at least in some sense what He accomplished.<br />
He died at the hands of our fathers in order to free us. It was a gruesome death. Prior to dying on the cross, He suffered torture, humiliation, and shame. Worst of all, He became sin for us. <br />
<br />
Here's what the gospel of John tells us about what He did when He realized His mission had been accomplished:<br />
<br />
<b>John 19:28</b> After this, Jesus, <b>knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled,</b> said, " I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, " <b>It is finished!</b>" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.<br />
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He took a drink and passed into death. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but this passage of John always had a sense of a feeling of relief in it. Not just relief from the physical and emotional pain of the crucifixion, but relief in having accomplished a monumental task. But He was God, in the flesh, so why would He be relieved that it was over for any reason other than being released from the pain?<br />
<br />
Sometimes I think we get so caught up in the God-likeness of Jesus that we forget that He was, and is, a man. His favorite title for Himself was Son of Man, after all. That's no coincident. In order for Him to be fully God and fully man, He'd have to have a soul. Perfect in every way, yes, but a soul none-the-less. Jesus was fully lead by the Holy Spirit and obedient in every way, but because of His soul, He suffered like we do. <br />
<br />
Don't believe me? Consider the following scriptures:<br />
<br />
<b>Matt 26:36</b> Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, " Sit here while I go and pray over there." 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and <b>He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed</b>. 38 Then He said to them, " <b>My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death</b>. Stay here and watch with Me."<br />
<br />
He was in so much intense turmoil, in fact, that He asked The Father if there were any way "this cup" could be taken away from Him:<br />
<br />
<b>Luke 22:41</b> And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, " Father, if it is Your will, <b>take this cup away from Me</b>; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."<br />
<br />
Scripture goes on to mention that Jesus was so completely distressed that He started to sweat blood:<br />
<br />
<b>Luke 22:43</b> Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. <b>Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground</b>.<br />
<br />
This is actually a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematidrosis" target="_blank">real physical condition</a>. It is brought on by extreme levels of stress. Jesus was so stressed by what was about to happen that even an angel that was sent to strengthen Him couldn't relieve the stress.<br />
<br />
Have you ever had to face something so stressful that you sweat blood? How about something so stressful that you couldn't sleep or eat? Maybe something that made you sick to your stomach? We all know stress to varying degrees. There are even some who have sweat blood like Jesus did. The closest I've come to that kind of stress is running a 3.1 mile race. <br />
<br />
I ran cross country races as a freshman and sophomore in high school. I found that, while I had the physical frame for it (lanky), I wasn't very well conditioned to running. Maybe I was too skinny. I ended up at the end of my sophomore year with stress fractures in both shins yet still able to run a mile on a track in 5 minutes flat. What I lacked in physical ability, I made up for with heart. You see, I never really had any sense of worth until I discovered running. It was the one place, the one sport, where tenacity alone could see you through. I resolved to prove myself worthy, no matter the cost.<br />
<br />
I trained hard. I gained in strength and endurance. But it didn't matter how much I had grown physically, cross country running is a mental sport. You can only go as fast as you are willing to endure. The last races of the cross country season are in November. In the north eastern U.S., that's not a good season to be running in short shorts and a tank top. By the first quarter-mile mark, your skin is screaming in pain. Your eyes, nose, throat, legs, lungs, and heart will quite literally burn for upwards of 17 minutes. That's a long time to remain focused on a goal in the face of overwhelming pain.<br />
<br />
Passion will push you through pain. When your entire being is saying, "STOP NOW, WE'RE DYING!!!", your heart will respond, "I. WILL. WIN." During a county title race when I was 15, I learned a great lesson about passion and desire. I had about 200 meters left to run, was neck and neck with a runner from our high school's rivals and I was one hundred percent spent. I was beyond spent. I was so wrecked by what I had physically pushed myself to that I literally started to descend into self-pity. I could see the finish line and I could feel the guy beside me start to pull ahead. "Who cares, let him go.", I thought. Then I saw a team mate of mine on the side line of the course, running along side us. As I looked at him, he screamed "DIG DEEP, SIMMONS". I was suddenly reminded that the race wasn't about me or my pain. If I stopped now, it was all for nothing. This got me angry enough to summon strength I didn't know I had. I found myself suddenly in a full-on sprint. I passed the guy who was pulling ahead of me and 2 more before crossing the finish line. Thank God someone was there to catch me. I remember thinking, "It's over. Oh God, it's over." I was relieved, and proud.<br />
<br />
For some reason, God related my running experiences with what Jesus did on that last day of His ministry. Being God, Jesus knew what was coming. The anticipation of the race was quite literally more than He could physically bear. Stress hormones were so high in his blood stream that it broke the capillaries in His skin and caused Him to bleed from His pores. The closest I can come to that feeling is standing at the starting line before a big race, knowing the pain that lie ahead. I imagined myself on the side-line cheering Him on: "DIG DEEP, JESUS!!" God showed me that this was Jesus' big race. He pushed beyond His physical tolerance and He finished well. For the first time in my life, I was proud of Jesus, not as the Son of God, but as the Son of Man.A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-34817355257481173482014-04-26T08:26:00.000-07:002014-04-26T08:26:35.921-07:00Holy Encryption<i>Luke 24:45 And <b>[Jesus] opened their understanding</b>, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.</i><br />
<br />
I realize that I altered the verse above by replacing "He" with His name. I did that to make a point. While it's true that Jesus spoke directly to the two on the road and indeed explained how the scriptures foretold of all the things that had happened in the past week, the very person of Jesus is what unlocks all the meaning of scripture.<br />
<br />
We tell many new Christians to read the New Testament first for a reason. Delving into the Old Testament without first knowing the gospel is a bad idea. The picture of Almighty God revealed in the Old Testament is incomplete. He hinted to it Himself many times:<br />
<br />
<i>Isaiah 46:10 <b>Declaring the end from the beginning</b>,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure, '</i><br />
<br />
Isaiah 46 is only one place where He hints at the fact that the Bible is not written in what men would consider linear order. Throughout scripture, God makes the statement that He is not limited by time. Jesus is referred to as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" and yet that statement doesn't appear until the very last book of the Bible (Revelation 13:8). That's a key piece of information. <br />
<br />
God declares time and again that the wisdom of the world is not enough for us to understand Him. Here's a very interesting way He put it:<br />
<br />
<i>Isaiah 29:11 The whole vision has become to you<b> like the words of a book that is sealed</b>, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, " Read this, please."
And he says, <b>"I cannot, for it is sealed."</b></i><br />
<br />
He speaks at the end of the Bible about another sealed bit of information. This time it's a scroll in God's hand with 7 seals. All the elders at the throne make a big fuss about the fact that there is no one worthy of opening the seals....until the Lamb that was slain shows up:<br />
<br />
<i>Revelation 5:8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty- four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
"<b>You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals</b>;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation</i><br />
<br />
Now go back to Isaiah 29:11 where it shows how men cannot read what God has written because it is "sealed". Jump forward to Revelation 5:8 and you see that "The Lamb that was slain" is able to unseal what God has sealed. Only Jesus can open the seal. Only Jesus can open our understanding of what God wrote.<br />
<br />
Here's another way of looking at it. To seal something is to hide it. In modern times we hide information using cryptography. We encrypt things like documents and messages and passwords. Every single method of encryption requires a key. So, suppose I have a letter that I want to encrypt so nobody can read it. I could use simple method like transposing letters. I just write my letter but instead of using the alphabet the way a normal person would, I substitute each character for the one 5 spaces down the alphabet. Then whenever I want someone to read it I tell them to replace each character with the one 5 spaces before it. That 5 spaces is the "key" to unlock my letter. The document appears to be nonsense unless you read it with my 5-space-transposition cypher in mind. All of scripture is exactly the same except Jesus is the key that unlocks it!<br />
<br />
God encrypted the scriptures and then put the key at the end! Quite literally, He put the beginning or prologue of the Bible (Jesus being our redeemer and the ultimate revelation of The Father) at the end! But why?<br />
<br />
Isaiah 29:13 Therefore the Lord said:
" Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But <b>have removed their hearts far from Me</b>,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,<br />
<br />
He did not want men to pay lip service to Him. He did not want to empower men with heavenly knowledge and then be forgotten. Israel was teaching God's words to each other but without any meaning or true purpose. Jesus talked about how they obeyed the letter of the law but not the spirit. The Bible is encrypted by God, sealed, to hide it's true wisdom from the understanding of men who would seek power but not relationship.<br />
<br />
Always faithful, Jesus makes it very clear:<br />
<br />
Matthew 6:33 But <b>seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness</b>, and all these things shall be added to you.<br />
<br />
While I realize that Jesus was speaking about why we have no need to seek for basic needs like food and clothing and shelter, I believe the principle holds with regard to wisdom. We cannot seek anything for its own sake. That's what Jesus is saying. If we seek The Kingdom, we will seek The King.<br />
<br />
Bill Johnson likes to say, "Jesus is perfect theology." That boils this whole thing down so simply. He answers every question, provides every need. He reveals The Father so completely in the New Testament that we are able to see Jesus operating and interacting with Israel in the Old. It was Jesus who created Adam. It was Jesus who forged a close relationship with Abraham. It was Jesus who David sang love songs to. It was Jesus who Israel left standing alone on Mt. Sinai. It was always Him and He always wanted to gather us all, Jew and Gentile, under Him like a mother hen does her chicks.A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-78054528534398466602014-04-22T11:27:00.001-07:002014-04-22T11:34:20.751-07:00The PromiseCrushed under the weight of my circumstances, I cried out, "I NEVER ASKED TO BE BORN!!!"<br />
<br />
Is there a time in your life when you could relate to that? Either you couldn't measure up to life or life couldn't measure up to you. All that was left to do was find blame somewhere, anywhere, other than your own hands. <br />
<br />
I sometimes find it odd that my first real connection, my first honest words with God, were angry questions that He never seemed to want to answer. I didn't remember a time before birth where I tossed up my hand during some great assembly in heaven and asked, "Here I am, God! Send me!!" So why was I put on the earth? In times of great turmoil I would almost instinctively turn to God even if I wasn't sure He existed. Maybe I believed He did. Maybe we all do. But I certainly didn't believe He cared. Believers or not, we all have this inner understanding that our existence was not initiated by our own will. At the very least, our parents agreed in deed to bring us into this world. But again, a deeper truth of His existence is revealed in all of us when we have been pushed beyond our breaking point.<br />
<br />
My understanding of Him shaped my fox-hole prayer. When circumstances force us to lay down all pretense, social conventions, and manners, we cry out to the God we know. If we see Him as a cosmic overseer, we relate to Him like a run-away slave. If we see Him as an irresponsible parent, we relate to Him like an angry child. If we see Him as a predator, we relate to Him like a victim. Too often we see God like a super-powered human being: selfish, fickle, irresponsible. Like some omnipotent two-year-old in the sky who focuses sunlight on us through some giant magnifying glass in order to satisfy some perverse pleasure. If that's the God you know, you have every right to be angry with Him. Without some kind of external knowledge or experience of God, who could say you're wrong?<br />
<br />
So I called God out on the carpet one day and demanded that He justify my placement on this earth, with this mind, in this body, and these parents, in this time. I got the vague sense I wasn't being very smart. I mean, He's God, He can squash me like a bug. But I was too exhausted to care. In fact, I wanted to die. It would be better if my death, just like my life, were caused by Him. I wanted nothing to do with it anymore. I wanted Him to show up or squash me. And nothing happened... Or so I thought.<br />
<br />
What if the statement, "I never asked to be born", is a valid and acceptable statement to God? What if He would say, "You're right." What if He did and does take responsibility for all of His children? What if there is a force underwriting every human being? What if He sent us into this world with not only a purpose but also a promise:<br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="background-color: white; color: #5c1101; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
Deuteronomy 31:6</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html " style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span class="text Deut-31-6" id="en-ESV-5735" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">6 </span><span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5735A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5735B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span><b>for it is the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> your God who goes with you. <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5735C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span>He will not leave you or forsake you.</b>”</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span class="text Deut-31-6"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="color: #5c1101; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
Hebrews 13:5</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html ">
<span class="text Heb-13-5" id="en-ESV-30230" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">5 </span>Keep your life <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30230A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>free from love of money, and <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30230B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>be content with what you have, for he has said, <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30230C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span>“<b>I will never leave you nor forsake you.</b>”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Heb-13-5"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="color: #5c1101; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
Joshua 1:9</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html ">
<span class="text Josh-1-9" id="en-ESV-5861" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">9 </span>Have I not commanded you? <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5861A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>Be strong and courageous. <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5861B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, <b>for the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> your God is with you wherever you go.</b>”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Josh-1-9"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="color: #5c1101; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
Matthew 28:20</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html ">
<span class="text Matt-28-20" id="en-ESV-24212" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">20 </span>teaching them <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24212A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>to observe all that <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24212B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>I have commanded you. <b>And behold, <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24212C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span>I am with you always, to <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24212D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span>the end of the age.</b>”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Matt-28-20"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="color: #5c1101; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
Joshua 1:5</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html ">
<span class="text Josh-1-5" id="en-ESV-5857" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">5 </span><span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5857A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5857B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>as I was with Moses, so <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5857C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span><b>I will be with you. <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-5857D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span>I will not leave you or forsake you</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Josh-1-5"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="color: #5c1101; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
1 Chronicles 28:20</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html ">
<span class="text 1Chr-28-20" id="en-ESV-11164" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">20 </span>Then David said to Solomon his son, <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-11164A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>“Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>God, even <b>my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you</b>, until all the work for the service of the house of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> is finished.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text 1Chr-28-20"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="color: #5c1101; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
Isaiah 41:10</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html ">
<div class="poetry" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
<div class="line">
<span class="text Isa-41-10" id="en-ESV-18462" style="font-size: x-small; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">10 </span>fear not, for <b>I am with you</b>;</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-41-10" style="position: relative;">be not dismayed, for <b>I am your God</b>;</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-41-10" style="font-size: x-small; position: relative;">I will strengthen you, <b>I will help you</b>,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-41-10" style="position: relative;"><b>I will uphold you</b> with <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-18462A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>my righteous right hand.</span></span></div>
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<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="background-color: white; color: #5c1101; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Haggai 1:13</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
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<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html " style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span class="text Hag-1-13" id="en-ESV-22854"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">13 </span>Then Haggai, the messenger of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, spoke to the people with the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>'s message, <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-22854A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>“<b>I am with you</b>, declares the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>.”</span></span><br />
<span class="text Hag-1-13"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="color: #5c1101; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Genesis 28:15</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Hag-1-13"></span></span><br />
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html ">
<span class="text Gen-28-15" id="en-ESV-789"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">15 </span>Behold, <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-789A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span><b>I am with you and will keep you wherever you go</b>, and <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-789B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>will bring you back to this land. For <b>I will <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-789C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span>not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.</b>”</span></span><br />
<span class="text Gen-28-15"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="color: #5c1101; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<h3 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Genesis 31:3</span></h3>
<div class="txt-sm">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Gen-28-15"></span></span><br />
<div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html ">
<span class="text Gen-31-3" id="en-ESV-877"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">3 </span>Then the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> said to Jacob, <span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-877A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>“Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and <b>I will be with you.</b>”</span></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span class="text Gen-31-3"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">He says it over and over and over in scripture: "I am with you." "I will never leave you." This sounds like what a good father would say to a child who is scared about entering a dark room. "It's OK. Don't be afraid. Daddy is coming with you. I won't leave you. I'll be right here." And when I look back on the times when my life was falling apart, I can see Him so clearly by my side. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">So, no, none of us asked to be born into this world. But our Father made us a promise that still stands today: "You are not alone. I care for you and I will be with you wherever you go." How do I respond to a God like that? How does a loving, perfect father shape my response in times of crisis? How sweet and tender of Him to reassure us so many times. Even when it was previously written for all to read, He said it again: "I will not leave you. I will not abandon you. I am with you even now."</span></div>
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A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-61183077515948521462014-04-17T11:07:00.001-07:002014-04-17T11:07:31.915-07:00I will surpass The Apostle PaulSo will you. Oh, I know, it seems like heresy. But what did Paul teach us about the nature of The Kingdom? What did Jesus say about it?<br />
<br />
<b>John 14:12</b> " <span style="color: red;">Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; <b>and greater works than these he will do</b>, because I go to My Father</span>.<br />
<br />
Paul actually reveals the intended outcome of doing greater things than Jesus:<br />
<br />
<b>Ephesians 4:11</b> And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13<b> till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ</b>;<br />
<br />
The Kingdom is progressive. It is always moving forward; always gaining momentum. What Jesus began, He made sure to tell us that we would continue:<br />
<br />
<b>Mark 16:15</b> And He said to them, " <span style="color: red;"><b>Go into all the world</b> and preach the gospel to every creature</span>."<br />
<br />
In Acts we see thousands converted during Peter's very first sermon. Then later we see thousands more. Each time, the numbers grew by orders of magnitude. The Kingdom grew. Each spiritual child lead to Christ by a spiritual father would build upon all their spiritual father had to teach them. What the 12 learned during their 3.5 years with Jesus, the first converts after Pentecost benefited from. The Kingdom builds, life upon life, person upon person until we all come together in the unity of the faith.<br />
<br />
Didn't Paul exhort Timothy about the heritage of faith he came from?<br />
<br />
<b>2 Timothy 1:5</b> when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.<br />
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In the very next verse Paul tells Timothy to "stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands." He's saying, "Look, kid, you have been loaded up with all the gifts your family and I could impart to you. There is no reason for you to fight the battles we have already won." <br />
<br />
If a man could live forever in this physical realm, there would be no need for him to entrust his highest goals to another generation. Yet even Jesus passed from this earthly realm and entrusted His highest goal, reconciliation with The Father, to 12 knuckleheads. He told them they would surpass what He did on this earth and they did just that. Then they handed over to those who came after them all they had learned in the hope that the next generation would surpass them. Always looking forward to the next glory, one generation surpassed the previous. <br />
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So when I say that I will surpass Paul, I agree not only with Paul himself, but Jesus. Christ is within me and He is the hope of glory. When I stir up within me all that those who came before me fought for, I am well equipped to manifest His glory.A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-76495533479158374312014-04-16T18:00:00.001-07:002014-04-16T18:00:57.378-07:00HolinessThe church has missed the mark in days past regarding holiness. Hear me out. Many will read what I'm about to say and reply, "My church isn't like that." Tell that to unbelievers out there. Many hear the gospel and say, "I can't live up to that."<br />
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Live up to what?<br />
<br />
How is it that the good news that angels heralded as "good tidings of great joy" could be viewed as something to live up to? Maybe it's due to passages like:<br />
<br />
<b>1 Peter 1:16</b> because it is written, " Be holy, for I am holy."<br />
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God told us to be holy. And Peter himself recognized in a prior part of his first epistle that holiness is tied to good behavior:<br />
<br />
<b>1 Peter 1:13</b> Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children,<b> not conforming yourselves to the former lusts</b>, as in your ignorance; 15 <b>but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct</b>,<br />
<br />
Paul does a masterful job of explaining in greater detail what holiness looks like, or what it doesn't:<br />
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<b>Ephesians 4:17</b> This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that <b>you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk</b>, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, <b>have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness</b>.
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:22 <b>that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts</b>, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you <b>put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness</b>. 25 Therefore, <b>putting away lying</b>, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": <b>do not let the sun go down on your wrath</b>, 27 <b>nor give place to the devil</b>. 28 Let him who stole <b>steal no longer</b>, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 <b>Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth</b>, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 <b>And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God</b>, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 <b>Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice</b>. 32 And <b>be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you</b>.<br />
<br />
Let me put that in a bulleted list so it's easier to grasp the DON'Ts of holiness:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Don't live your life (walk) like unbelievers.</li>
<li>Don't be lewd, unclean, or greedy.</li>
<li>Do not identify with the corrupt, lying, lustful person you used to be.</li>
<li>Do identify with the new person God created who is righteous and holy.</li>
<li>Don't lie.</li>
<li>Don't stay angry.</li>
<li>Don't allow the devil to influence you in any way.</li>
<li>Don't steal.</li>
<li>Don't speak ill of anyone.</li>
<li>Don't hurt Holy Spirit.</li>
<li>Stay away from bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and all intent to harm.</li>
<li>Be kind, tender, and forgiving of each other just like God did to you with Jesus.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Granted, there are other places in the New Testament, let a lone the entire Bible, where do's and don'ts are expounded upon. But as they relate to holiness, you can't beat Ephesians 4's list of don'ts. And I believe that if you were to view the message of the church as a whole over the past 2,000 years, you'd find that this list pretty accurately shows part 2 of our conversion process. Part 1, of course, has always been "Jesus died for your sins. Say this prayer so you can be saved from hell." Essentially, the church boiled down the discipleship Jesus offered us and ended up with just another religion.</div>
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We ended up knowing that we needed to be holy because our God is holy but then found that we forgot how we were supposed to become holy. We missed the point. This is where probably the absolute most often criticism of the church by unbelievers comes in: hypocrisy. There was a point in time where the church preached holiness, fell short, and kept on preaching it anyway. The more we fell, the more we clutched the DO's and DON'Ts we found we had the power to actually achieve on our own while keeping completely silent about the ones we could not. What did we miss? Where did we go wrong?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Grace. Grace is the answer. Let me ask you this question: would a God who of necessity sacrificed His only Son to redeem us then turn around and expect us to be holy under the very strength that had failed us since the foundation of the world? That's ridiculous, right? Let me ask the same question another way: does grace end at the cross? Did God pour out all of His grace when Jesus died and then commanded us to be holy to pay Him back? Again, that sounds like nonsense. But isn't living by a set of DO's and DON'Ts exactly that kind of life?</div>
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Now, let me reiterate, we surly are called to be holy. There is no dispute there. While believing in the name of Jesus gets our names written in the Book of Life, holiness gets us closer to God. All the rich inheritance available to us in this realm, during this lifetime, can only be released by living a holy life. But again, every believer will come up against the exhortation of Ephesians 4:17 "that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk". They will read the rest of that chapter and perhaps end up afraid. Were they strong in the first place, they'd likely never have received Jesus. The Bible itself says that no man walked out the law perfectly, not one. Only Jesus did that. So...holiness.... how?</div>
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<div>
Paul sums it up nicely juuuuuust after the long list of DO's and DON'Ts:</div>
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<b>Ephesians 5:1</b> <b><u>Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.</u></b> 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet- smelling aroma.<br />
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That "Therefore" is there for a very good reason. It means, "In summary". Imitate God, just as a dear child would. That's the aim. That's the goal. That's the focus. At some point God will ask you, "Do you believe love is powerful enough to inspire obedience?" Let me help you with the answer.<br />
<br />
Consider a child who is loved dearly by his parents. They raised him with unconditional love, attention, instruction. The child was never harshly dealt with and always praised for doing good. Would you expect this child to obey his parents? Why? A child who is loved lavishly naturally wants to please his father. My son Dean was born just prior to my being born again. He has 2 much older brothers. I did not love them with Christ in my heart, as a result I sometimes struggle to get them to trust my judgement. With Dean it's not that way. I have loved him with Jesus inside me from the time he was 3 months old. This child, while spirited and courageous, lives to please his father. At almost 2 years old, he will respond to my "No" or my "Come here" sooner than he will anyone else in the house. It was not so with his older brothers. A revelation of a loving father inspired obedience in Dean.<br />
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The same is true of those who truly see God, The Father, and how He loves us. This is what Peter meant when he prefaced his exhortation to clean living in 1 Peter 1:13 "rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children". We are to hope we can be holy because of the grace we get when we see what Jesus revealed to us about The Father. Holiness does not come by being aware of what is right and what is wrong (although that's necessary) but from being sure of the fact that we are dear children of a holy and loving God. This is what Paul speaks of in Romans 7. No matter what a man does or how hard he tries he cannot be fully moral all the time. But with Christ he is able to attain holiness because Jesus reveals the love of a Father that inspires obedience in His dear children.<br />
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So we live in a world, and sometimes in a local church, where there appears to be a lack of holiness. We are indeed commanded to expose sin. We are indeed commanded to be holy and to hold each other accountable. And holiness is just as much a part of The Kingdom as grace. But the method by which we expose sin and the way in which we press the agenda of holiness will be the difference between winning and losing. <br />
<br />
Paul hints at how we can address a lack of holiness in others and ourselves in Ephesians 4:18 where he says that the Gentiles act unholy because "having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart". People live poorly when they are ignorant and their heart is blind. But ignorant of what? Truth. Blind to what? Jesus. He's basically saying that they act that way because they have never encountered a Father who would inspire them to live as He lives. So perhaps the problem we have isn't a lack of holiness. Maybe the problem we have is a lack of understanding.<br />
<br />
I submit to you that if you truly seek The Father, realizing that He already sees you as righteous and holy, you will be so overcome and so touched by His love for you and all the world that you would give up all rights to act as you please. You would be like my toddler son is with me: ready to do anything to make Daddy smile.</div>
A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-26464052966931360392014-04-16T12:21:00.000-07:002014-04-16T12:21:35.819-07:00Kingdom Causality: Where does joy come from?Jesus says, as recorded in Matthew 6:22-23:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">" The lamp of the body is <b>the eye</b>. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"</span><br />
<br />
I believe this is where He opens up a grand topic about focus and attention that does not end until Matthew 8. It's one of the most important and foundational principles of The Kingdom. Your eye is considered your primary sense. All information gathered by you comes through your eye. This is true both in the physical and the spiritual. The eye is the gateway to the soul. Our body, or our very being, is flooded by what comes through our eye gate. The vast majority of The Sermon on the Mount is about how and what we choose to see.<br />
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If you don't understand that <b>where you point your eye determines your experience of things</b>, you will miss The Kingdom. He makes this plain in Matthew 7:13-14 where He says:<br />
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<span style="color: red;">13 " Enter by <b>the narrow gate</b>; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because <b>narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life</b>, and there are few who find it.
</span><br />
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I believe He's pointing out here that we have the freedom to choose where we put our focus. Our focus determines our existence, as He already pointed out in Mat 6:22-23. But our focus must be singular. We live in 2 realms. There's a LOT to look at in both realms. Jesus would have us keep our focus on Him and The Father <b>as revealed in the life of Jesus</b>. As Jesus said, focusing on an invisible God when you are used to focusing on things that are visible is "difficult". Our focus must be narrowed specifically on Him and Him alone. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.<br />
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So, what does this have to do with joy? And what is causality? Let me first explain causality. It is defined as "The relationship between cause and effect". It's my belief that joy is an expression of Him through us as we keep our focus narrowly upon Him. Our joy comes from Him. He never changes, therefore our joy shouldn't either. Jesus put it like this:<br />
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<b>John 15:9</b> <span style="color: red;">" As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
11 " These things I have spoken to you, <b>that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full</b>. 12 <b>This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you</b>.</span><br />
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This is perhaps the most specific statement Jesus makes during His earthly ministry about His goal for our lives: "<span style="color: red;">that your joy may be full</span>". He came to save us, to heal us, to reveal The Father to us, but rarely do we comment on what He wanted for us. He even goes so far as to explain in the simplest terms how we can remain within His joy and have our joy be full: to abide in His love. How do we do that? He answers that one too: love each other like He loved us.<br />
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So, He wants us to be full of joy because we love one another. That seems hard. I'm not sure I can do that. In fact, my life experience pretty much makes it clear that I can't. Good thing He foresaw that issue and spoke about how we can do it: keep your eye single.<br />
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This is why Jesus came to reveal The Father. God knew that unless we had Him revealed in an obvious way, we could never see fit to trust Him. Without trusting Him, we certainly couldn't keep our eye upon Him. So Jesus walks us through the biggest problems humans have with their focus:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Don't focus on acquiring.</b> You cannot serve God and money. Matt 6:24</li>
<li><b>Don't focus on lack.</b> Your Father in Heaven loves you above all creation and yet look how well He cares for creation! He must really really love you guys. So don't worry about anything. Matt 6:25-34</li>
<li><b>Don't focus on other people's behavior.</b> You are not equipped to judge anyone. Matt 7:1-6</li>
<li><b>Don't focus on wants. </b> Just ask Him and leave it at that. He's your Father, you should be able to ask. Matt 7:7-12</li>
<li><b>Don't focus on more than one thing.</b> The only way is a narrow and singular way. Matt 7:13-14</li>
<li><b>Don't focus on finding bad guys.</b> Jesus reveals the way in which you will know who is good and who is not. There is no guess work and therefore no reason to be always on the look out. Don't focus on finding wolves in sheep's clothing. They will be obviously betrayed by their fruit. Matt 7:15-20</li>
<li><b>Do focus on Jesus.</b> You can do a billion things in Jesus' name but He will only receive those who kept their focus on Him in order to know Him. Matt 7:21-27</li>
</ul>
<br />
He systematically refutes the biggest motivations for being double minded. Every reason to take your eyes off of Him is therein. He not only lists each motivation but also provides the Kingdom antidote for each: the love of The Father. That's the wisdom of it. We are able to keep our focus on Him because of how He loves us. The narrow gate, when seen for what it truly is, is not only the one way to life but it is also the most appealing of ways. God provides so lovingly and with such abundance that we cannot help but WANT Him.<br />
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That's the cause, at least at first. When we encounter Him and His love, we are caused to be drawn toward Him and away from everything else. Our eye becomes single as a response to amazing romance and tender care. Every single thing we can come up with that seems to excuse our wandering eye Jesus easily swats down by saying, "Look at how much Our Father loves you."<br />
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John explains this cause and effect quite simply in 1 John 4:19 when he says, "We love Him because He first loved us."<br />
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God goes first. He always goes first. He has been described in times past as one demanding of sacrifice and perfection. But it's He who sacrifices of Himself and is alone perfect. What He wants from us is to see this about Him. He is the cause and love is our response. It could be no other way. He is love and we were made in His image. When we focus on perfect love, sacrificial love, unconditional love, Jesus Himself, we find ourselves like an echo of His voice. We find ourselves suddenly able to fulfill Jesus' great command to love each other as He loves us. As we keep our focus on the myriad ways in which He loves us, we echo that love all around. John explains it like this:<br />
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<b>1 John 5:12</b> <i>No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
</i><br />
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The question is, where is your eye? If you believe it's on Him and yet you cannot love as you believe you should, maybe do not see God clearly. I believe that's what John was talking about here:<br />
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<b>1 John 4:20 </b><i>If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him:that he who loves God must love his brother also.</i><br />
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Please also be aware that "his brother" also refers to ones self. If you hate yourself, you are experiencing a lack of love.<br />
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And it's not that God doesn't love you. It's that maybe you don't see it. Maybe it's harder to find that narrow gate than you first realized. Maybe God has more mercy for you than you expect. Maybe you have paid attention to things other than Jesus. Maybe you were afraid to hear His voice and settled for rules when He offered you a relationship. Maybe religion is easier than relationship.<br />
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Don't worry. You can taste, then see. His terms are not difficult. He just loves you. Just be honest with Him about everything, out loud. He sees your heart and it does not shock Him. Trust that He will nurture you into what you thought He wanted you to be in the first place. Stop measuring and making lists and just look at Him. Do the one thing Jesus asked of you: focus.<br />
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What amazing freedom there is in The Kingdom. If all I have to do is believe Him and then just respond to His love, I find that life is amazing. Rejoice isn't the word for it. I can't even come up with a word for this kind of awe. I need worry for nothing and can ask for anything. I'm not defined by the judgements of others, have no need to acquire, and only need strive to be present with God! I get to know the creator of the universe in an intimate way! I'm completely free from fear! He has excluded all possibilities but joy. He has caused, through love, this joyous effect upon my life! All I have to do is continue to seek this amazing Kingdom that I can't help but seek anyway.<br />
<br />A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-90127287021899533372014-04-13T20:34:00.001-07:002014-04-13T20:34:15.257-07:00The OutpouringLast week God started talking to me in my car about something He said He was about to do. Here's what He said:<br />
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"Gifts of the Spirit are not the point, son. I AM the point. You have known this but many do not. It's for this reason that I'm about to unlock the gifts of My Spirit that people were born with. Not only for those who know and love Me but especially for those who do not know Me or do not love Me. <br />
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There will be new gifts. I want everyone to know that this is an entirely new move of Mine. The new gifts will be a sign of that. Some will move at the speed of thought and some will fly. All will know I'm here. <br />
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An earthly father may remove something being used improperly by his children, but I'm not that way. The gifts were meant to be used in love and NOT meant to be put above Me. They were always signs that point to Me yet My children have sought them instead of Me. And so I am unlocking them in both the righteous and the wicked. The lost and the found will have them. All will have them in great abundance. When everyone is moving in powerful signs and wonders, nobody will see a need to chase them. <br />
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For believers, gifts will grow in power and scope. Walking in power and authority will be like breathing for The Body of Christ. For unbelievers, they will be shocked by sudden encounters caused by their gifts. They will have questions for you and your siblings. Welcome them with open arms.<br />
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The gifts of My Spirit will be as silver in the days of Solomon; so plentiful that it will no longer be sought. You will all be freed to seek the gold that is My love, My presence, a relationship with your Father."<br />
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The closest thing I can find to match it in scripture is this:<br />
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Joel 2:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on <b>all flesh</b>;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
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I think the key in that passage is "all flesh". I say this because He goes further in Joel 2:29:<br />
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And also on My <b>menservants </b>and on My <b>maidservants
</b>I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
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Those are the church. Verse 28 is in reference to humanity as a whole but specifically non believers. Verse 29 is about believers or those who serve God.<br />
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God doesn't usually "speak" to me. Now, I didn't hear and audible voice but I surely got a bunch of obvious text. I heard Him quite clearly in my spirit and was overcome with His presence. I don't say that to convince you. I say that to show why I was convinced it was Him and why I felt the need to share it. He normally talks to me through images or vivid daydreams, impressions, ideas, etc... I've learned to know when He's entered into a conversation with me. But this was different somehow.<br />
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After He gave me this word, I said to Him, "Father, I'm not sure it's a good idea I tell people that they're going to fly. I mean, I like the idea and I can believe it but c'mon."<br />
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He replied, "Test Me on this. I've told you that gifting will be easy for you. Go to Rutters and prove Me to the people working there."<br />
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I was like, "Oh, now you're talking! So, I'm going to go prophesy over them and you're saying it will be like I'm totally in the zone and I'll totally blow their minds?"<br />
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He replied, "Yes."<br />
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Off I went to Rutters in Stewartstown, PA, at 3:00 am.<br />
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So I walk into Rutters. There's a cashier and one other employee. I was already overcome with His presence, so I was kind of walking funny with a dazed look on my face. I was totally drunk on Him. The cashier says, "Um, are you OK?"<br />
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I said, "Yes, I was just talking with God."<br />
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She leaned away from me, her eyes widening. She smirked and said, "Ooook." <br />
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"You don't believe me?" I said.<br />
She puts her hands on her hips and says, "Well, I'll believe in God when I see some proof."<br />
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HAHA! Game on.<br />
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I proceeded to tell her all about herself. Her past, her current struggles, her dreams, her long-term desires. I must have been talking to her for about 30 minutes, totally locked in on her with prophetic tunnel vision. I'm not sure exactly when but at some point her eyes got real wide and were just locked on me. She served several customers during our talk but almost never looked away from me. Finally she says, "What's going on? I feel dizzy. Like, my whole body is tingling." <br />
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I replied, "That's the Spirit of God. I told you He loves you. He's just confirming that."<br />
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She yells out, "That's awesome!" Then she calls over to her coworker and says, "You gotta come listen to this guy, he's amazing!"<br />
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I had nearly the same experience with the other employee. Only hearing God for him was even easier. I knew things about him that he has never told anyone, including what he wants to do with his life. I told him about his grandiose dreams that people have always told him were too big. I told him that God put those dreams in him and would back him all the way. I told him don't ever give up, God loves him amazingly and wants him to be happy and successful. He yells over to his coworker afterward, "This guy just nailed me. He got me to a T."<br />
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We have been given permission to love people radically with supernatural abilities. Now it's going to be even easier. Get out there and love in ways you always hoped were possible but have never seen. <br />
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<br />A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-72913766558868296282014-04-11T13:01:00.001-07:002014-04-11T13:01:33.937-07:00Signs, Seasons, and PartiesThere has been much talk lately about the upcoming blood moon tetrad (4 blood moons in a row). Let me start by saying that the tetrad is significant, in my opinion. Here's why:<br />
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Gen 1:14 (Amplified) And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, <b>and let them be signs and tokens [of God's provident care], and [to mark] seasons</b>, days, and years,<br />
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Read that part in bold again. It's important. The creation account given by Moses from God is very very lean on detail. That means that whatever God saw fit to tell Moses about the beginning is very important. God chose His words well.<br />
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That said, there are currently 2 widely held views on the upcoming tetrad:<br />
<ol>
<li>Dispensationalist: the 4 blood moons are a sign of the end times or apocalypse. The rapture is upon us or soon will be.</li>
<li>Preterist: the 4 blood moons are a sign of absolutely nothing.</li>
</ol>
<div>
I have come to rest mostly on the preterist side of eschatology but I think that sometimes the preterists react to the views of dispensationalists instead of actually looking at what God may be doing. In short, I believe both camps are wrong. Genesis clearly states that God put the lights in the sky to serve both as "signs" and to "mark seasons". Essentially, they are part of creation that testifies to what God is doing. That doesn't mean that the sign itself will tell you what He is doing; you have to seek Him to find that out. But the signs are important. It would be foolish to simply ignore them outright. The blood moons alone tell us nothing. But when viewed in the light of prayer, experience, prophesy, and scripture, I believe the tetrad is simply a confirmation in the natural of what God is already doing in the supernatural.</div>
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So, here's what I believe about the blood moon tetrad:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>They are a sign. Like a mile marker or a speed limit sign, they serve the purpose of causing awareness. I believe the intended effect of this type of sign is to get people curious. Simple. Effective. God is saying, "Hey, head's up, guys!" He wants us looking, watching, anticipating Him.</li>
<li>This is a rather elaborate sign. God only does that kind of thing for big moves. Consider the star the magi followed to find baby Jesus. The bigger the sign, the bigger the whammy.</li>
<li>They do not foretell the end of the world. Jesus was quite clear that none of us can possibly know when that will happen. I agree with the preterists on this one. It's not biblical for us to look up in the sky and say, "He's coming back for us this week." </li>
<li>They do not foretell of destruction. God is not angry. We do not live under the Old Covenant. Please stop making God out to be some angry orphanage director. He loves us all. Yes, even the Taliban and gays. Remember what spirit you are of before you start talking about smiting things.</li>
<li>They do not tie into the fate of modern-day Israel. Under the New Covenant, we are all His children. The scope of signs and wonders are no longer limited to Israel.</li>
<li>They DO mark the end of one thing and the beginning of another. As has been prophesied recently, this year will begin a new chapter for all of creation. God is moving.</li>
<li>There is poetic symbolism in this sign. I've been asking God for clarity on the significance of blood moons for some time. He answered me today.</li>
</ol>
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Whether you agree or disagree with me, please just read on. </div>
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<div>
Here is what I believe God showed me about the meaning or message within the sign: threshold. Our God is a God of the threshold covenant. You can see it in Genesis when Lot took responsibility for the angels who came to rescue him from the destruction of Sodom. He offered his own daughters to the angry mob in order to protect the two "men" who had crossed his threshold. It was understood from the beginning of civilization that when you cross a threshold, you are then under the responsibility of the person whose house you just entered. This is further seen in Exodus when God told the Israelites to coat the lintel and door posts of their homes with the blood of the lamb. They were essentially told to mark their threshold with the blood of a spotless lamb. Anyone who crossed over that threshold would be spared the plague of the death of first born's. A threshold is a significant demarcation in the spirit. Finally in the New Testament we see Jesus hanging on a vertical wooden structure, stricken, bleeding on it. He said it Himself:</div>
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John 10:9<b> I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved</b>, and will go in and out and find pasture.<br />
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Jesus on the cross was a threshold. What Passover prophesied, Calvary fulfilled. This brings me to the symbolism in the blood moon tetrad. The first of the blood moons actually falls on the first day of passover (in fact, every blood moon of this tetrad falls on a Jewish high holiday). I believe God is saying here that we are entering a new season that cannot compare to any other season. It's important, special. The blood moons fall on holidays because He wants us to make a connection between the original Jewish holidays and why they were instituted. Each holiday was instituted to honor some move of God. It was either His sovereign command to hold a holiday or Israel instituted it to honor Him moving on their behalf. I believe He's saying, "I'm about to move on your behalf in a sovereign way." Now, the fact that they begin on passover is also significant because of the two-fold meaning of passover:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Threshold</li>
</ul>
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All 4 blood moons represent the door posts, the lentil, and the threshold (the bottom beam below your feet) all covered in blood. We are entering into a season that He has ordained and planned. Once inside, we can rest easy because He will keep the threshold covenant. This is His way of saying, "It's all on me for this season, guys. Drink up!" <br />
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<ul>
<li> Communion</li>
</ul>
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During the most significant passover to-date, Jesus instituted The Lord's Supper, also known as Holy Communion. This is huge. He is inviting us to a dinner this year, at His expense once again. It's been prophesied that we will "see His face" during this move. I believe it. I believe the signs point to it. I believe the tetrad is a love note in the sky inviting us into a type of communion that not even Moses was allowed to take part in.<br />
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It is a love party. He's going to pour out His fiery, passionate love on all flesh. We will come alive in ways that we could only previously dream about. This is the bachelor party of The Lamb and we have all been born to take part in it.<br />
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A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-30498672975002435422014-04-01T14:09:00.002-07:002014-04-01T14:09:21.328-07:00Commandments and MotiveLove one another. Jesus commanded a bunch of stuff, but this one was to have top priority. Don't believe me? Listen to what He said:<br />
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Matt 22:36 " Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it:'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ' 40 <b>On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets</b>."<br />
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Wow. Jesus just summed up the entire basis of Judaism. You may want to disagree but I think what Jesus said is pretty clear. Let's take a look at the word translated here as "hang": kremannymi. It translates as "to suspend from" or "to sum up". So Jesus was saying that loving God with all of you and loving your neighbor as yourself sums up the entire Mosaic tradition? The 10 Commandments were not about do's and don'ts but were about love?<br />
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OK, but how do we get from being fallen and wicked to being able to love God and our neighbor? It still seems like I have to strive for something or work hard at something in order to "love" God. I mean, how do you love something you can't see? This is where John comes in pretty handy. The apostle John clears it all up quite nicely, I believe:<br />
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1 John 5:19 We love Him because He first loved us.<br />
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God is not some harsh taskmaster who is deeply disgruntled at how naughty His wayward children are. He is merciful and kind. The irony of Jesus' commandment to love one another was that He was the very model of that love. He made it abundantly clear that He was the express image of The Father. He even said,<br />
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John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; <b>as I have loved you, that you also love one another</b>.<br />
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He provided the model of love. His entire life and ministry had a single purpose: to reveal the love of The Father. His death and resurrection had a purpose of rescue and reconciliation but His life and ministry served only to show us that God loves us and just how we ought to love.<br />
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Now, back to the 10 Commandments. While I realize that The Law and Prophets goes far beyond the 10 Commandments, they are a good place to see the Love Is Everything commandment in action. If God never changes (He said so) then LOVE must have been His motive in everything He commanded before Christ. Let's take a look at that.<br />
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1. <b>Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.</b><br />
This one is obvious. If we see how He loves us, loving Him will be a natural response.<br />
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2. <b>Thou shalt not worship idols.</b><br />
This one is less obvious. He knows that only He can fill the need we all have deep within us. Only His love can sustain us.<br />
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3. <b>Thou shalt not take the LORD's Name in vain.</b><br />
When you love someone, you never use their name or speak of them in any manner other than love.<br />
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4. <b>Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.</b><br />
Spend time with Him. When you love someone, you set aside time just to spend with them.<br />
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5. <b>Honor thy father and thy mother.</b><br />
If you love your parents, honor will be a natural part of how you interact with them.<br />
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6. <b>Thou shalt not kill.</b><br />
God made each of us in His image. If you love God, you can't help but love His children. Murder isn't even on your radar if you love God.<br />
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7. <b> Thou shalt not commit adultery.</b><br />
The love and intimacy you can get from another human being pales in comparison to what you get from love and intimacy with God. Adultery is an expression of the lack of God in your heart. When we love God, we no longer seek fulfillment from people.<br />
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8. <b>Thou shalt not steal.</b><br />
The love of God fills us. When we know that love, we lack nothing. There is no desire to steal when you lack nothing.<br />
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9. <b>Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.</b><br />
Lies are one of the purest expressions of selfishness. Selfishness is driven by lack. When we love God, we lack nothing because having His love is everything. There is no reason to lie when you have love.<br />
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10. <b>Thou shalt not covet.</b><br />
The love of God leaves no empty spaces in us. Our eyes can go across our neighbor and all his stuff and see only joy for what our neighbor has. When love from a filled heart is our primary perspective, we have need of nothing and therefore covet nothing. <br />
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The Israelites had a chance for direct relationship with God when He invited them up on the mountain to commune with Him. They were too afraid and said (this is a bit of a cheeky paraphrase), "Uh, no thanks, LORD. Can we just have you talk to Moses and then Moses can give us laws or something?" After Moses talked God out of some serious smiting, God said (another bad paraphrase incoming): "You want laws? You asked for it!" Yet the Israelites, even after 2,000 years with the laws didn't get their true meaning and purpose: love.<br />
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Jesus makes this point plain when correcting those who mocked Him for choosing Matthew as a disciple:<br />
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Matt 9:13 But go and learn what this means:'<b>I desire mercy and not sacrifice.</b> ' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."<br />
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The quote in bold is from Hosea 6:6 where God is telling Israel that He would rather they know Him than sacrifice animals to Him.<br />
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Over and over again in scripture, both new and old testament, we see God, a Father, who longs to "gather His people to Him likes a mother hen would her chicks". His motive was love from the very first millisecond of creation and has never changed. What if we were to be bold enough to set aside everything but love? What would that look like? What if we saw so keenly the way He loves us that we were suddenly so driven by love that we found ourselves without sinning? What if lack of sin was never the goal? What if love was always the goal? What if...A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-43308085853832026692014-04-01T12:19:00.000-07:002014-04-01T12:19:01.954-07:00On Leaving A ChurchI've heard of people leaving a particular church because of something about the church itself. Either the worship isn't right or the people are stiff-necked or some other such complaint.<br />
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I realize I'll be tested in this, but I believe it's truth. What if during Jesus' ministry He just got sick of us and decided to leave?A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-35990379746104875752014-03-31T12:00:00.000-07:002014-03-31T12:00:49.164-07:00The Importance of SightEvery good lie contains just enough truth to tempt you. My friend Shane put it this way, "If truth were a hot dog, Satan would offer you a corn dog."<br />
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Let's consider Satan's first corn dog offering:<br />
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Gen 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it <b>your eyes will be opened</b>, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."<br />
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I highlighted in bold the kernel of truth in the lie. Adam and Eve surely had their eyes opened. Take a look:<br />
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Gen 3:7 <b>Then the eyes of both of them were opened</b>...<br />
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Now, the Bible says that the immediate effect of eating of the tree was that their eyes were opened. Yet the rest of the Bible talks about how we need our eyes to be opened.<br />
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Psalm 119:18 <b>Open my eyes</b>, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. <br />
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Isaiah 29:18
In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness<b> the eyes of the blind will see</b>.
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Ephesians 1:18 <b>I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened</b>, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints...<br />
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So, what gives? What does having their eyes opened to one thing have to do with being blind? If humanity inherited the fall of man through Adam, then we also inherited the vision of Adam. What he had his eyes opened to, we do to. So how can we see one thing and be blind at the same time?<br />
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It has to do with citizenship, dominion, and the realms thereof. Take a look back at what God said when He declared over Adam what the consequences were of his following the leading of his wife:<br />
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Gen 3:19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
<b>Till you return to the ground</b>,
For out of it you were taken;
<b>For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return</b>
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Dust? Adam is dust? Wait a minute. I remember back when Adam was formed...<br />
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Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; <b>and man became a living being</b>.<br />
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Come on God, you can't have it both ways. Adam is either dust or he's a living being. Wait, but didn't God say that there was one way in which Adam could die?<br />
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Gen 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 <b>but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die</b><br />
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Yikes! Was God saying that the tree itself was deadly to Adam and Eve? I don't think so. Look at this statement:<br />
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Gen 3:22 Then the Lord God said, " Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, <b>lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever</b>"— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.<br />
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If Adam and Eve had continued to eat of the tree, they'd have lived forever. So the "death" God warned Adam about in Gen 2:16 was not physical death. Eating of this tree would grant perpetual physical life. So, what death was God talking about when He warned Adam about the tree? What was it about that tree that caused spiritual death? Maybe it wasn't the tree. Read the specific warning God gave Adam again, "...for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die". That sounds oddly prophetic. <br />
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Maybe what God was saying that it wasn't the tree that was deadly but the cause for eating it. Why did Adam eat of the tree? He followed Eve. Why did she? She followed the serpent. Somehow following someone other than God gets you dead. <br />
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Look again at how God described Adam when He created him: "and man became a living being". What components made up this new being? God made man out of "the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life". So Adam was part dust, part God. When Adam followed someone other than God, he lost the God part. It wasn't because Adam's eyes were opened that he died, nor because he ate of the tree, but because he followed someone other than God. In that day, he lost the God-part in him and was left with just the dust-part.<br />
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So, how does this relate to vision? Remember that sin was following someone other than God. The tree surely opened their eyes to the fact that they are flesh, but that's not what condemned them. It wasn't that they ate the tree so much as why they ate the tree. Paul reveals this dynamic quite skillfully here:<br />
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Romans 6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, <b>you are slaves of the one whom you obey</b>, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? <br />
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Satan knew that obeying him would cause 2 things to happen to Adam and Eve:<br />
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<ol>
<li>They would be awakened to their flesh -- the fact that they live in a physical reality.</li>
<li>They would die to God.</li>
</ol>
<div>
The third thing that happened was his ultimate goal. When they obeyed him, Adam and Eve gave Satan all their authority. Points 1 and 2 above were just icing on his evil little cake. But for us, the ancestors of those two knuckleheads, points 1 and 2 became a life and death affair. What was the first thing that happened when Adam and Eve ate the tree? They suddenly knew they were naked. They had a physical awareness that had previously eluded them. This, coupled with their having lost their God-parts created shame. In fact, it's entirely possible that simply losing their God-parts created shame. However, after all was said and done they were little more than talking dust. You could call it a fall from grace, a spiritual death, anything you like. The result was the same. </div>
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In a very real sense, Adam and Eve lost their vision of the spiritual realm. Just as they had no awareness of their nakedness before the fall, after the fall they had no awareness of the spiritual. They were, in a very real sense, blind. They unknowingly traded one set of eyes for another. I say eyes but it relates to all the senses. A vision is the same as an awareness. This awareness is something that Jesus won back for us. He also preached on it regularly.</div>
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How many times have you read in the gospels, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."? What Jesus is doing here is calling us to a spiritual awareness of what He is teaching. He wants us to open our spiritual eyes and see:</div>
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Matt 6:22 "<b>The eye is the lamp of the body</b>; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23"But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!<br />
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Our experience is driven by what we see. But more importantly, Jesus got us our real citizenship back! But that citizenship is pointless unless we see always from that perspective. We are no longer dust but dust+spirit hybrids! Paul put it like this:<br />
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Eph 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,<br />
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We are "seated in heavenly places" or another way to say it would be, "We exist both in the spirit realm and the physical realm but more so in the spirit." Right now I'm seated at my office desk in my office chair, in the physical. But my being, my consciousness, my awareness, the place I come from, is the spirit. In a sense, I possess this body but I am not this body. I have certain rights and abilities as a spiritual being or "living being" as God put it. I can choose to be more aware of the spirit than the physical. And I can choose to be more aware of darkness in the spirit. Is there darkness in the spirit? That's for another blog post. Let's just say that I chose to flood my eye with light. I look at God: Jesus, The Father, The Holy Spirit, and His manifestations in the spirit. This is a privilege and honor that Adam lost but Jesus regained for me.<br />
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Do not allow the cunning voice to persuade you that you have only one set of eyes or that there is nothing to see in the spirit. God never tells us what is not. God always tells us what is. He never speaks lack and always speaks abundance. Open your eyes.</div>
A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-35430427830625656312014-03-29T14:07:00.001-07:002014-03-29T14:07:28.864-07:00King of KingsWhy is Jesus called the King of Kings? I used to think that it was because He is the ultimate King. And that's true, He is that. But now I see it's more than that. Consider these scriptures:<br />
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2 Timothy 2:11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure,<b> we will also reign with Him</b>; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.<br />
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Hebrews 2:7 "<b>YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; 8YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.</b>" For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
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Now, we know and understand that Jesus has given us all authority. But did we understand that this makes us kings? When we enter into Christ, we become kings. We were remade in order to subdue the earth; to bring all things into subjection.<br />
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So, we're kings. What does that have to do with Jesus? Well, we are kings and He is our King. Consider how we refer to royal people today in a worldly sense. We call them, "The King of Brittain" or "The King of Sweden". That's their title. The people they rule over are a part of their heritage and their domain. What is Jesus' inheritance and domain? Us. A bunch of kings. His domain consists of Kings. The title King of Kings is as accurate as it is appropriate.<br />
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Yes, The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in The Holy Spirit. But where does the Holy Spirit dwell? By what vehicle does Holy Spirit express righteousness, peace, and joy? The Kings. Holy Spirit in me makes me a king. I reign in life because of His indwelling presence. And Jesus is my King.A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705048576997417717.post-35437164877838047602014-03-28T23:19:00.001-07:002014-03-28T23:19:27.768-07:00Who Told You You Were Naked?In Genesis 3, just after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and clothed themselves with fig leaves, we find this exchange between The Father and Adam:<br />
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Genesis 3:10 So he said, " I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."<br />
11 And He said, "<b> Who told you that you were naked?</b>..."<br />
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We still fall into this trap today. It's important to chew through the events that transpired here one step at a time in order to see the dynamic.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Adam and Eve were naked.</li>
<li>God had fellowship with them while they were naked.</li>
<li>Adam and Eve's eyes are opened and they see they are naked.</li>
<li>They attempt to hide their nakedness.</li>
<li>Adam vocalizes to God that he and Eve are naked.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Nowhere in that set of events does God declare the nakedness of Adam and Eve. He knew they were naked and had no problem with it. In fact, God created them naked and called them "very good". It was Adam who had a problem with being naked. Adam made it an issue when God had not. </div>
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How often are we passive accomplices to finding something objectionable that God does not? What did God find objectionable about what Adam and Eve had done? Was it that they were naked or that they had given away their innocence and suddenly felt shame at being naked? When God covered them with animal skins did He do it for His sake or for theirs? Remember that nakedness wasn't a problem for God, but it was for Adam. Adam could not see himself as God did, so when he saw his naked body, he felt shame. God knew that He was bound by His Word and could not undo what Adam had done, so He clothed them.</div>
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Who has told you that you are naked? Who has called filthy what God has called "very good" in you? If there is any part of you that you consider less-than, ask yourself who labeled it. Men and women alike struggle with self-esteem issues because they have taken as gospel what another human has said about them either in word or deed. Many people take as dogma and doctrine in Christianity many things that are not found in the Bible. Search it out. Find out what God has said and what He continues to say. You may find that the person who passed down judgement never had the authority to do so...</div>
A Grizzlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342356670791389569noreply@blogger.com0