A Hard Lesson

A Hard Lesson

 

“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2 (NKJV)

 

      Have you ever gotten prideful? I would be willing to bet that you have. When I have fallen into pride, one characteristic is sure to come about. It is the disgrace, the shame of having said something I regret—I was being prideful and what I said damaged my reputation with somebody. That is where I do not want to stay, and regret my actions.

        But I have found something else as well. When I operate in humility, then comes wisdom. I’m open to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice through others, able to discern the spirits and see which is of God. But this only occurs when I’m in humility, when I’ve gotten cocky or began to be secretly puffed with pride: having self-confidence and self-exaltation, then comes my disgrace. I cannot walk in fellowship with God and my own pride. I must be humble. I must Fear God and understand my proper place—for that is where wisdom lies; not in focusing on myself, but on Him.

  Dear God, give me a humble spirit. Teach me Your ways, Your wonders, and Your majesty. And, Lord, please show me just a glimpse of how small I really am compared to Your plan. Let that revelation help me to remain in a humble state of spirit. In Jesus name, amen.

 

Do you love discipline?

Do you love discipline?

 

“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.”  

 Proverbs 12:1 (KJV)

 

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”

Proverbs 12:1 (ESV)

   This is a hard verse to stomach, but it is truth and Scripture promises elsewhere that the truth will set us free.

   Do you love discipline? Do you love what it produces in your life? I do. I love having a disciplined day and learning how to be productive. But that doesn’t mean that I am perfectly disciplined. However, I have learned through the correction of the Lord that it is truly stupid to hate correction in regards to discipline. Laying around all day and just “letting life happen” or “fate decide” produces horrible fruit: failure, discouragement, depression, loss of purpose and direction, and more. But when I heed the corrections of the Lord and listen to the rebukes of the Lord; when I follow the gentle, yet firm nudging of the Holy Spirit in my spirit, then comes growth. O how I love learning more about God and the Kingdom! His corrections are firm, but if I hate them, I miss out on so many blessings and the abundance that is produced from the faithfulness to continue loving discipline.

   Lord, may we all come to love Your discipline, for Your ways are perfect and all things You turn into good for we are those called according to Your purpose.

 

Choose this Day!

 

Choose this Day!

“choose you this day whom ye will serve….”

Joshua 24:15 (KJV)

     You must choose. Whom will you serve? You have two options, embrace the Lord or reject Him. Take an honest look at your life, the Holy Spirit will show you the true condition of your heart; He will tell you whom you are living for.

       Choose this day! Choose Eternal Life! Choose the Good News: the salvation of your soul which comes through confessing with your mouth that Christ is Lord and believing in your heart that Jesus Christ died and rose again! This isn’t an issue to put off for later decision. You may never have another chance to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. Choose this day . . . .

O Lord, may many be added to Your Kingdom.

 

Help Lord!

 

Help Lord!

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.”

Psalms 12:1-2 (NKJV)

       Are you that one person that remains godly and faithful while everyone else seems to slack off? You may ascertain your situation correctly, or you may not, but I can say this: there will be a time, for many of us, where like David we cry “Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly….!” If that is where you find yourself today, pray this with me:

  Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You as one feeling broken and abused: everyone seems to be living out wickedness around me! Lord, please give me strength. May I have the resolution to stand firm and remain (abide) in Your vine. Open my eyes to see Your hand in this situation. And, Lord, I thank You for Your peace which passes all understanding which the Scripture promises me I’ll have when I abide in You. Amen.

 

Slack in Your Work

 

 

Slack in Your Work

“He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”

Prov 18:9 (KJV)

 

       When we are slack in our work, when we work slowly and half-heartedly we are “brother to him who destroys (NIV1984).” It is sobering to realize that not doing your best as unto God in everything you do means that you are choosing to serve who you want to serve (selfishness). God has set a high standard, yea a perfect standard: one which demands our all, our focus, our attention, and our effort.

      When a machinist starts a new job and works feverishly to benefit his new boss and company, he is doing his best. But after time when the job’s newness seems to wear off and the blessings of having a job there seems to vanish from memory, it is easy to “ease up” in your work. When we do this we are brother—we are closely related—to him who destroys!

        I’ve dealt with this issue as a young man trying to get my own company going. At first, I worked hard and gave everything, but as the hard work kept coming and my body felt like just going a bit slower, I had to battle with slowing up/not working my hardest. In manual labor, I probably won’t consistently have the same speed, but am I pushing myself to my best? Am I working as if I was working for God (I’d definitely do my best then)? Am I treating my employer the way I want to be treated by those I hire?

     This proverb comes back to one of the central principles of the New Testament—doing to others what you want them to do for or to you (author’s paraphrase). When I have somebody working for me who is lazy or I can tell doesn’t have “his heart in his work,” I don’t like having him work for me because I know that I’m not getting the best value for my buck, and they don’t appreciate me hiring them because they aren’t acting like it. As an employer, I feel like they are destroying my potential earnings and causing a drag on our productivity. If I have too many of this type of people working for me, my business will be destroyed!

       We could go on looking at examples and applications of this proverb and maybe some of you need to, but my hope is that the seriousness of this Scripture will be “latched onto.” I pray that we get this into our hearts and spirits and that we work hard.

       Lord, give us the strength to work for others as we would want them to work for us. Help us to do our best as unto You, Father. In Jesus Name, amen.

 

The Source of My Strength

The Source of My Strength

“In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”

Psalm 31:1-5 (NKJV)

 

Pause and contemplate this verse—may The Holy Spirit speak to you.

 

“….For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

 

“….For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

  Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines forsake as:

1.      To quit or leave entirely; to desert; to abandon; to depart from.

    Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. He is always there, waiting for us to come to Him and find rest and peace. Whenever a person backslides or completely falls away from the faith it is not the Lord’s fault, God does not forsake us: it is the person who forsakes the Lord. We have a free will, we have to surrender to the Lord to be used by Him; therefore, we can choose to take our will and walk away from Him in our own strength.

    The choice is yours, dear friend, Christ will never leave you or forsake you, but you can. Will you surrender to Him today? Will you consecrate yourself unto Him?

  Lord, O how often I have walked in my own strength; forsaking You and asking why You left me. Lord, You never left me….but I walked in my own strength. Lord, help me today to walk and live following You. I don’t want me, but You. Empower me by Your Spirit to live a life wholly consecrated to You. In Jesus Name, amen.

 

Declaring the Sins of a People: the Prophet’s Plight

Declaring the Sins of a People: the Prophet’s Plight

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”

Isaiah 58:1 (KJV)

     God used to raise up prophets to speak to His people, has spoken through Christ (Heb. 1:1-2), and speaks to those who truly know and follow Him by His Spirit. However, the gift of prophecy is still used today, but I have found that it often comes through preachers (not “ministers” necessarily, but men who are in tune with God and declare and stand for the truth in the midst of a day and age that lives contrary to the Bible and hostile toward Truth).

       Many pastors are called for at least a season to this prophet role. As they seek God, He brings some hard (stern) messages and lays them on their spirit to preach/declare.  Personally, I’ve been there. I’ve sat down with hopes for a year of encouraging people and hopefully having them be encouraged and happy with me, to like and respect me as I share the Word, but then I get into the presence of God and He gives me the “tough” messages that get me labeled as the spoilsport or downer. The guy that people just want to shut up. Ever been there? A part of you wants to shut up, but you know that God has called you to speak. People don’t like you, but God is not only using you but teaching you that you have to fear and respect Him, not man?

Let’s pray:

Lord, help us to speak and shout when you tell us too, but to be silent when you want us to be. And above all, may we Fear You and not people: may we serve You and not our fear of fitting in. In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

Quote to Think About

 

"I think a lot of well-intended preachers adopt a Snuggie Theology when they find themselves in churches of a few hundred people and discover an incredible pressure to grow. The attendance isn't what was hoped for, and the offerings are down. Before they know it has happened they gauge success not by their faithfulness to God's Word but by the weekend stats. And so the sermons get sanitized. Scripture gets edited. The cross gets covered up. The sermons are often about salvation, but never about surrender. Often about forgiveness, but never about repentance. Often about living, but never about dying." p. 165 Not a Fan, by Kyle Idleman--highly recommend this book

Stay the Course Jeremiah 13:15-17

“Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.”       

  Jeremiah 13:15-17 KJV

    This verse depicts our salvation accurately, although this was not the original intent. As we refuse to seek the Lord and to listen to Him we invariably embrace ourselves, our pride. We must give glory to God or we will find darkness and we will stumble; yea, we may even fall. In this struggle, we may look frantically for the Lord’s light, but in correction, He only shows us the shadows of death. If you won’t listen to God, Believers will grieve for you. They grieve because they know that you have ceased listening to and pursuing and the Lord, you are in darkness and because of this have been taken captive either for a season, to learn and be disciplined; or for eternity. . . .

 

God puts the Nations in fear of Him Psalms 9:20

“Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.”

Psalms 9:20 KJV

 

      The Lord strikes men with terror. Wicked nations have always been afraid of the Lord’s righteous ones. When Israel was following the Lord and living righteously, fear was in the hearts of her enemies. God will show His greatness through His power, and when He does, the nations will tremble in righteous fear that they are but men, clay in the hands of an Awesome Potter. May we trust in the Lord; our Master, strikes terror in the wicked men and demons which march around this earth; our God is yet stronger than they!       

 

The Life of a Follower of the Way Psalms 9:13-14

 

 

“Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: 14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.”

Psalms 9:13-14 KJV

 

       These verses depict our lives as followers of the Way. We are persecuted, yet can petition the throne of grace and receive empowerment to praise in the midst of our trouble, to rejoice in our salvation! David shows the same life analogy: he is persecuted, yet petitions the Lord for mercy: that he will be lifted up; and declare the praises of God and rejoice in His salvation. Let’s boldly approach the throne of grace, let’s praise the Lord, let’s rejoice in our salvation amidst the struggle and hardship. Let’s stay our minds on Jesus, listen for the Holy Spirit, and stand in awe of the Father’s gracious plan for the salvation of our souls. Amen!

 

Trust in the Lord: Psalms 9:10

“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”

Psalms 9:10 KJV

 

       When we trust in the Lord, it shows our faith; we know Him. The evidence of things hoped for, the substance of things unseen—though we do not see the Lord with our physical eyes—we take faith in Him. Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that the Lord will never forsake those who seek Him. Keep seeking! Keep drawing near to the Lord because He will not dismay!

 

Psalm 9:4-5

 

“For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. 5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.”

Psalms 9:4-5 KJV

 

         Let us be confident that when the Lord upholds our case that it is because it is righteous. The Lord is our defender, our Father, our Master, our Love; may we not forget that. He judges righteously. He rebukes and destroys the wicked nations. He blots out perversion and exalts righteousness.  Forever God will reign and justly judge, so let us not fear the wicked but take confidence in the Lord and His preserving Hand which providentially orders everything to His ultimate purpose. We have a free will, but God is still in control of the universe.

 

 

We Can't Know It All

 

 

“Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.”

Ecclesiastes 8:17 KJV

        Despite all our efforts to understand the universe, we cannot understand it. We cannot comprehend or discover everything we desire to know. I know that I have spent much time trying to figure out how the world works; but in the end, if I am honest, I must admit the mystery surrounding our world’s order: I have to just say that God is in control and that we must trust in Him and apply His ways and His Word to our lives. Many philosophers and other “intelligent” persons have dedicated their lives to searching out wisdom and the meaning of things, but all their efforts have ended in futility—no one can figure out the world! Yes, there are some patterns, none of that is really new; but none of us, not even Solomon, can comprehend fully. This is why we cannot lean to our own understanding; but must rely on the Lord and His ways. Only the Lord is Omniscient!

         As you live your life, remember that you can’t figure it all out. Do not let this realization cause you to despair, but instead to cling even more fastly to the Lord. The great mystery of the ages, what goes on in the world, cannot be explained completely; therefore, let us joyfully cling the throne of grace, not afraid to enter in and inquire of the Lord and listen to His voice, because He alone knows, He alone understands, He alone comprehends, and He alone controls it all. Give Him Glory! Thank Him!

 

For the poor always ye have with you...

"For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.”

John 12:8 KJV

 

     Jesus taught us something very important in John 12:8. He said that the poor will always be among us. This revelation is huge! Do you know how many political debates in this country and around the world; how many organizations seek to find a solution to world poverty? There’s a lot! But Jesus declares in this passage that we always have the poor among us; that means that all these “solutions” to poverty will never work. No amount of redistributing the wealth or standardizing the pay of workers can ever destroy poverty. Poverty is simply part of humanity, a result of the Fall. However, we are not to ignore poverty, instead we are to lend a helping hand. We are to reach out in the love of Jesus and share the hope He offers. We are to be sowers of that hope. As we disciple people and teach them the whole counsel of the Word of God, many will rise from poverty as they apply God’s principles. However, please remember that poverty is not a sin and it is not necessarily a virtue. If your heart is after God (Matt. 6:33) it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor. God bless you all and remember to stay grounded in the Word; it answers so many of the questions that the politics of the worldly realm fight over.

 

The Four Steps to National Restoration

        If I shut up heaven that there be no rain,   

  

     or if I command the locusts to devour the land,   

 

or if I send pestilence among my people;

If my people, which are called by my name,

shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their

sin, and will heal their land.

—2 Chronicles 7:13-14 KJV

   

  For God to heal our land we must do four things:

1. Humble ourselves

2. Pray

3. Seek the Lord’s face

4. Turn from our wicked ways.

 In return, God in His righteous order of things will do three things:

1. He will hear us

2. He will forgive our sin

3. He will heal our land.

Our duty is to first of all to humble ourselves. After humiliation, we are to pray. Next, we are to seek the face of God (FMM’s Focus: Matthew 6:33). Finally, and perhaps the hardest of all, we must turn from our wicked ways—we must put into practice our faith, not just wish for it.

    In return for following for turning to God instead of to our own intellect, political leaders, false ideas, or the Enemy’s doctrines, God declares that He will hear our prayers. And when He hears, He will forgive our sin and will heal our land!

 

Engage Christ

Engage Christ

 

      Love God. Love God and Fear Him. Honor Him, praise Him, serve Him only. Give Him your all to Him and truly mean it. Simply put, make time to get to know Jesus Christ. Nothing else really matters as much; nothing even comes close to the significance of knowing Christ—not even your closest and most intimate friendships. Those are important, but they are not what you were created for—you were created for the glory and pleasure of God—that you may freely choose to serve Him and love Him and not be forced to.

“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”   Isaiah 43:7 KJV

 

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28 KJV

 

The Benefit of Pictures

The Benefit of Pictures

      Pictures are great inventions that allow us to remember special events in our past. Wedding pictures help you to remember the day that you said I do . . . and realize just how young you both were. Pictures document your child’s changes from before birth and the rest of their life. In short, pictures are awesome and are definitely an invention to be thankful that God allowed man to make. I mean, pictures preserve memories, moments, a landscape, a person. Yes, we should be careful that we don’t worship pictures like graven images (it is possible to do so). We can record our history in another form than print—one that many words just cannot fully describe.

      The smile of your bride when she held your first child, the birthday where you were so blessed to have great family and friends with you, the excitement of your daughter when she gets engaged—all these moments can be “frozen” and preserved in a picture. Let’s pause and thank the Lord for the gift of pictures and for the inexpensive technology to do so.

 

Daily Devotion: Proverbs 12:24

“The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.”

Proverbs 12:24 KJV

 

       If you are diligent, God will give you some measure of rule. But if you are lazy, you will be a slave to those that are diligent. In our culture today, many wicked men and women are diligently devoting time and attention—many even their entire lives!—to furthering the doctrines of demons, the teachings of Satan through colleges (and other “education” facets), politics, and businesses. Many of these men and women care nothing about honesty in their dealings because they do not know God. They will propagate the erroneous worldview and life themes of chance, through evolution; fate, through “romantic” love; self-indulgence, through psychology; and “intellect” and “wisdom” through philosophy, research, and logic. In short, these wicked people propagate meaninglessness, hate, and other such sins and dangerous mindsets that the Bible warns us about.

       Remember that the diligent are the ones that rule! But the principle applies to the wicked men and women who diligently propagate the devil’s doctrines as well. We must stand against them and diligently do our duty to share the truth of God’s Word. Where are you men of Courage? Where are you men of Valor? Where are you men of Righteousness? Where are you men that Fear God? Stand! Stand up and fulfill your duty to share God’s Word in the public sector, the private sector, the corporations, the campuses, etc... GO!

    Stand strong and be diligent, dear Believers! Draw close to the Lord and let Him be your strength and shield against their bombardment of false teachings and idealogies! Speak out when God gives you a window, make the most of every opportunity with the outsiders of the Faith. Go to the Lord and have your fears and burdens lifted; however, as you leave His rejuvenating presence in the quiet of your morning devotions, prepare to pick up your cross and struggle forward amid blows, insults and hateful looks for the cause of Christ!

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”  John 15:18-20 KJV

 

Addictions

Addictions are not just a result of chemical imbalance or physiological factors. Addictions are a choice and psychology is a pseudo-science that attempts to understand the humanity apart from sin and the Word of God. Moderation in all things, as the Word teaches (Phil 4:5, 1 Cor 9:25, Prov 25:28), is the solution to addictions and a guard against developing them. Sin is sin, not a psychological problem. We all have a choice; we can cry out for help: either to God or an idol, but we all have made choices with our will whether or not to develop addictions.

 

Good Article to Read

The Emergent Church by kenzimmermanjr.com

A life founded on LUST is unstable; the foundation of your life will become a muddy mess with no guidelines or limits. But a life grounded on Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:10-15), that life will produce eternal treasures.

If a man like salty food, is he a salty guy?

If a man likes salty food, is he a salty guy?

     There are people that are “salty.” For example, a salty sailor is probably just a tough guy with bad language. But what is real saltiness? It is being the flavor of life, a carrier of the hope that lies with you—of the Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness of God? Are you a Light, are you a fresh breath of the Spirit in other’s lives or are you a salty sailor?

Hey, you might like salty food, but are you really a Spiritually salty person?

 

Scripture

Scripture

      The Word of God, the Bible, is a necessary element of a Christian’s life. One must stay in the Word of God  to grow in the knowledge of God and to obtain the wisdom of God. O what agony our spirit’s will be in without the Word of God continually flowing in us. We must feed our spirit’s as much as possible, we must remain hungry for the Lord and He will fill us. Stay in the Word, for that is where power, nourishment and strength lie. I cannot fully describe the necessity of it, but you must live on the bread of the WORD, the bread of Christ—you cannot really live on natural bread once you have tasted the spiritual, the supernatural, the perfect Words of the Bread of the Bible.

 

Work your way into a Feeling

Work your way into a Feeling

       We like to feel good, empowered, confident, and successful, but how do we go about doing so? Is our “good” feelings grounded in Christ or in selfishness?

       We often work our way into feelings. For example, when we pursue the Lord and seek His presence, He may seem to hide His face for a while, but just as He did for David, He eventually pulls back the veil and allows us to feel the warmth of His love. But we do not often just have a “good” feeling “by chance.” The feelings which come at us without any effort usually are discouragement, doubt, fear, hate, pride, and the like (tools and attacks of the Enemy)—these feelings are the type that destroy us and keep us from doing anything if we embrace them; however, the Peace of God which comes through Jesus Christ is received as we seek the Lord Jesus. We should study the Lord’s Word and repeat His words of peace to ourselves until our work has become the feeling; and the sense or the perception of His peace surrounding us.

“Good” Feelings aren’t bad, but they are not the determiner of our success as a Christian.

     In times of persecution, we must work our way into feelings. After hard days at work and spiritual battle, we must set aside time for the Lord, time to simply tell Him about our frustrations, meditate on His Word, listen (to recorded or live) sermons, pray with a Christian brother, or just cry out in brokenness.

     I have found myself, more and more, over the last few years just letting out my problems to the Lord, pursuing Him when life gets tough—in short, casting all my cares upon Him. Now, I’m not perfect and often struggle for a while trying to brave things out in my own strength before I turn to Christ for my strength. But when I do turn to Him, when I simply pause and work on spending time with the Lord; peace, rest, and contentment eventually follow even if the situation has not become easier.

    Remember that you do work yourself into many feelings, and you can “work your way” into the presence of God to experience joy, peace, and contentment as you seek Him as David did. Study David’s Psalms today and notice how He pressed into the Presence of the Lord in the Hard times and often came out feeling completely different.

 

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 KJV

 

      We must be careful how we live. If we live foolishly, spurning the laws of God, then we will reap destruction, hypocrisy, and eventually the rejection of the Lord and our salvation as we walk away from the faith. The Christian has a hard life some would say, but it actually is a very good life. Though we are persecuted, we can have the peace of God and the Holy Spirit comforting us. Though a week was hard to get through, we can come into the Lord’s presence on the Sabbath and be encouraged by the brethren. We must live wisely, not in the wisdom of the world, but in the wisdom of God that we acquire by fearing the Lord.

      Make the most of your opportunities, nothing happens by chance. The temptations you have are tests to see how you are progressing in your faith and how Jesus is becoming more integrated into your life. The days that we live in are evil. Hollow and deceptive philosophies and the teachings of demons are being proclaimed from some pulpits, most public schools, and the mainstream media. Everywhere we look we see evil, but we must stand against it: we must stand for the Lord. Amidst the overwhelming flood of voices screaming that we are stupid, baist crazies, racist or even insane radicals we must stand. In all the hardships, we are to endure because of Christ who set us the example by enduring the Cross for us, for the sake of His Gospel and the Gracious Gift of Salvation.

Jesus had and intimate communion with God despite all the hard times He went through and He died on the Cross, an extremely hard thing to do because of His love for us.

     As you go through this week, this life, this chapter of your eternal walk with the Lord: seek the Lord, make the most of the opportunities that you have, and allow Him to radiate His truth from your being. And above all else, seek Christ, standing firm against our evil flesh, the demonic powers in high places and the domain of Satan, the world.

 

Remembrances of my Childhood

Remembrances of my Childhood

By Ryan Marks

       As a child I played some of the things that I actually now do in “adult” life. I would pretend to lead armies, organize assaults against imaginary castles, fight evil creatures; and be the “Daniel Boone” of a group of frontiersmen or a Indian warring against the evil tribe(s). All of these play activities were preparation for my future leadership calling from the Lord. As a man, I would need the leadership skills I played about. And now, as a young man of seventeen, I am learning all the more how important leadership is in the things God has called me to do: I must discipline myself to follow Christ; I must make the choices to accomplish the goals that I have set and the Lord has called me to do; I must teach and disciple others, faithfully leading the best life example that I can.

        As a child, I enjoyed drawing a picture and now I do similar activities with my computer: graphic design, snipping pictures, and newsletter design. I enjoyed writing songs of praise to God; now I enjoy getting written material out to others which will help them to grow closer to the Lord. I started pretend companies and some small entrepreneurial endeavors back then, but now I am forming companies, as well as business ideas on a larger scale. I would sit and build with legos for hours on end, and in the process give names to many of them in addition to homes, families, careers, churches, pastors, and kings. I would form armies and experiment with different economic systems. By doing these things, I set the basis of my interest in basic economics and politics. As I refused to have heathen systems in my play cities (unless they were my idol-worshipping enemies), I learned how God’s Word really apply to life.

    I could say much more of my childhood and how I loved to read; battled with laziness and responsibility until something just clicked in my twelfth year; how I chased girls because of ungodly desire; how I did not have many video games, but played war, city, and economy building for hours on end; how I loved listening to my mother read me great books and how my imagination would soar as she did so; how I would spend much of my time running around the yard engaging in strenuous sword fights, archery attacks, Indian raids, and musket fights with my imaginary foes which would number in the hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions: yet my faithful band of a few thousand, or more often 10 to 400, would manage to kill them all and win the day; and how the Lord was important and murdering forbidden in those imaginary raids. . . .  I could farther talk about my experiences as a young man coming out of childhood and my new convictions and relationship with the Holy Spirit. I also remember the sends: how I lusted, addicted myself to video games and television, how I gossiped frequently and struggled in friendships, how I pursued young women and how God prevented my quest, how I yelled at my siblings, and how I struggled with changing into who God wanted me to be; but again, how faithful and loving God was. And how God gave me purpose when something just clicked inside of me one day as He spoke to my heart and instilled a motivation to accomplish something: a GMA; and then to write a book, and then . . . there is too much to say.

   My childhood was a time of fun and preparation as I look back. No, I’m not married or leading my own family at this time or engaging in political battles, but I believe that those are to come. The Biblical signs of the Last Days are evident and our modern world continues to require great changes in how things are done. Will the changes to come be Biblical? Will godly men change the course of the impending doom as God stirs up revival? Or will society yield to Satan’s destruction and collapse, hopeless and confused? I don’t know, but this I do: God prepares us when we least expect it. . . .maybe even in your childhood.

 

Killing the Flesh to make Room for More of Christ

“Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, as do stripes the inner depths of the heart.” ~ Proverbs 20:30 NKJV

By Ryan Marks

      The blows and stripes referred to in this verse are accurate metaphors of the discipline that we must go through to be cleansed from strongholds and bad habits. In Christ Jesus we are forgiven from all sin, but we often have ungodly habits and strongholds of sin which must be beaten and wounded until they die.

      Our strongholds and bad habits are like cancers that tap into our soul’s “blood supply.” They drain the resources that are meant for our nourishment, peace, and joy. We can never break free from these strongholds without the Lord. Yes, we may break away from some bad habits, but we cannot eradicate the cancerous evil at its very root—only the strength of Christ can do that.

      Likewise as you pursue the wisdom of God, your natural, fleshly man must be beaten and wounded. Your natural inclinations of selfishness must be purged. The process will be painful for you are being separated from the aspects of your old nature which made up you. This process will span the entire length of your life: there will always be another stronghold or something to deal with while you are on this earth, BUT IN CHRIST YOU CAN CONQUER and OBTAIN THE PRIZE!

        As you walk through your life this week remember, dear friends of the Lord, that the blows and wounds—yea the purging of your spirit—is necessary for your new life in Christ to continue to grow. Just as a plant must die some day; it will be replaced by another or perhaps many more plants; and the dead plant becomes fertilizer for the new plant. As you abide in Christ, the Lord must discipline you to make room for more of His Spirit and love: to plant new plants, new groves of vegetation that produce fruits of gentleness, love, joy, peace, kindness, self-control and more Christlike character traits where old ones of greed, hate, and condemnation once stood.

     Stand firm and embrace the Lord’s discipline (chastisement) for He is purging your inmost being!  Take Courage brothers and sisters, the Lord is your strength!

 

April's Devo Blast issue: The Lost Fear of the Lord

 

Access the issue here:

 

Devo Blast: The Lost Fear of the Lord