“For the poor always ye have with you; but me
ye have not always.”
John 12:8 KJV
The Most Important Question You'll ever be Asked:
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Eliminating Poverty
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Four Steps to National Restoration
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 and 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!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Laboring with the Character of Christ
Laboring
with the Character of Christ
“Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trail which is to try you, as though
some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers
of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad
also with exceeding joy.”
1 Peter 4:12-13 KJV
As we are persecuted, we are told we
are to rejoice! We are to be praising God and thanking Him for the hardship
that we have been given to endure. This sounds all fine and dandy, but it is an
entirely different matter when I actually have to do it. In the midst of my
hardship, I want to complain like the children of Israel did in the desert when
things got hard. But this is not what God tells me to do: He does not tell me
to give into my fleshly nature. Instead, God tells me to rejoice like Paul and
Silas. I dare say that we are also to work like those who built the wall of
Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s watchful eye. Hey, persecution came to them, and
they adjusted for it to defend themselves; and then kept right on working: the
people had a mind to work! Friends, I think that we need that kind of focus: a focus that is so intent upon Christ and
what He has called us to do that we will endure through the hardships,
rejoicing that God will be even more glorified as His work is accomplished under
so called insurmountable odds! The world can’t deny the power and greatness
of God when we rejoice in our trails, so intently focused on Christ that we
can’t be stopped. Think on such verses as these.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Engage Christ
Engage
Christ
Love God. Love God and Fear Him. Honor Him,
praise Him, serve Him only. Give 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
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
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). Yet 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.
Monday, February 23, 2015
The Diligent will Rule but the Slothful pay Tribute
“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 ideologies! 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
Sunday, February 22, 2015
A Life founded on Lust vs A Life founded on Jesus
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.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Addictions and How to Deal with Them
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 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.
Friday, February 20, 2015
If a man likes 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, Peace 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?
Thursday, February 19, 2015
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 spirits will
be in without the Word of God continually flowing in us! We must feed our
spirits 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.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
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.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Walk Circumspectly and Redeem the Time because the Days are Evil
“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 our own 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 (1 Tim. 4) 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, bias 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 (enduring the severing of communion with God), 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 your evil
flesh, the demonic powers in high places and the domain of Satan, the world.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Remembrances of my Childhood
Remembrances of my Childhood
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 an 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 sins: 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.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
The Cleansing of the Inner Depths of the Heart
“Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
as do stripes the inner depths of the heart.” ~ Proverbs 20:30 NKJV
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 in the
Lord, that the blows and wounds—yea the purging of your soul—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!
Saturday, February 14, 2015
The Wicked Covet but the Root of the Righteous Yields Fruit
“The wicked covet the catch of evil
men, but the root of the righteous yields fruit.” ~ Proverbs 12:12 NKJV
Wicked men will desire the wealth that others
have and they are even willing to steal to get it. Their stealing may take the
form of hidden fees, heavy taxation, class-discriminated taxation, murder,
fraud, pick pocketing, lawsuits, and more because history has recorded that
they do. Evil men have a record of ranting and raving for wealth inside of themselves—indeed
it consumes many of them completely. Because the love of money is the root of
all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10), no wonder the thieves, the murders, and the
false witnesses that are among us often started out greedy for plunder not to
murder, steal or lie.
On the other hand, there are
the righteous. God keeps these people from having to beg by providing for them
from His own immeasurable riches, but this is not so for the wicked. The
righteous are righteous to their very roots (in Jesus Christ’s righteousness).
The roots of their lives bring forth the fruit of their faithfulness over time:
a loving, caring marriage; kindness and compassion for the poor and hurting; wisdom;
purity; fruitfulness from the Lord; and a close, intimate relationship with the
Lord. The righteous even affect others to their very roots! It is here, at the
roots, that the righteous man plants his seed and fertilizes it by the divine
grace contained in the spiritual gift(s) that have been given to him by the
Holy Spirit, into the heart of another. The righteous man waters the roots of
the lost whom he has sown in with the life-giving water of Jesus’ Spirit, the
Holy Spirit. It is here that the righteous man rebukes, exhorts and teaches the
wicked, he fertilizes the wicked root with transforming nutrients from God’s
Word. And it is here that the righteous brings the Messiah, who indwelling him
since the moment of salvation, and shines the SONLIGHT needed for the growth:
the process of spiritual photosynthesis. It is here at the roots that the
righteous’ overflows his own reservoirs of sap, the sap of the Holy Spirit that
is in his veins; the water of the living Word of God; and the light which is
the Son of God living in Him!
And
what to say of the Salt that he is to the wicked? Perhaps it will taste bitter
to the wicked man at first, but with instruction and faithful administration it
can become the flavoring of his life! That is, if the wicked will accept it.
The righteous man stands firm when storms
arise because of his deep roots, but the wicked topples over: plundering
whatever he can from others and being destroyed, left hopeless and stranded in
the process of trying to obtain his greed’s fulfillment.
Remember
Proverbs 12:12 and be righteous by abiding in the vine of Christ (Jn. 15:5)!
Read Psalm 1.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Machiavelli vs. God
Machiavelli's principles to success are the exact opposite of God's:
Machiavelli—book: The Prince
How to gain power:
1.
Tell people what they want to hear
2.
Give only the reasons people want to hear
3.
Cut corners here and there
4.
Assume all have a vicious side & it will come out when they are
given a chance
God--book: The Bible
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Matthew 23:11-12 (KJV)
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Ephesians 4:25 (KJV)
thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have
Deuteronomy 25:15 (KJV)
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:34-35 (KJV)
Who's advice will stand? God's!
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Isaiah 40:8 (KJV)
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Focusing on the Mark: Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is what it’s all about—knowing His Spirit and living for Him.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Focusing on the Mark: Remembrance
Remembrance.
We need to remember. It is essential to living a Christian life. Now, Paul declares that he forgets what is behind and strains toward what is ahead. This teaches us not to let the past drag us down; however, remembering what the Lord has done is very important. It builds our trust and confidence in Him and His omnipotence. History is the study of remembering the past.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Focusing on the Mark: Waiting
Waiting.
Waiting—we must wait for many things. Scripture declares to ask, seek, and knock, and yet wait on the Lord.
As we wait Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) declares that we will be empowered, we will have our strength renewed.
As we live the Christian life, there are many times that we simply must wait. We must wait on the Lord’s direction for many things, such as, a spouse, daily direction, and major decisions.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Focusing on the Mark: Focus
Focus.
“Where your focus goes, the power flows.”—Vincent Newfield, a quote from his father
Focus is very important. Matthew 6:33 declares that if we seek the Lord first, He will take care of the rest. We must focus on the Lord to continue to grow and mature.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Focusing on the Mark: Grace
Grace.
Grace is the empowering factor of Christianity. Because we can repent and be forgiven we can live a life thankful for the Lord’s grace. In fact, it is His grace which offers us forgiveness. However, we must be careful not to take the Lord’s grace in vain by irreverently abusing the Lord’s grace as a “go-ahead-and-sin-card” instead of a gift of forgiveness.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Focusing on the Mark Ministries: Discipleship
Discipleship.
The Lord did not tell us to go get everyone saved, but to disciple the nations (Matt. 28:18-20). We believe that it is commanded for us to disciple and not merely get people saved and abandon them. Therefore, we place great importance upon mentorship, teaching, and Scriptural study.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Focusing on the Mark's Core Values: Foundation
Foundation.
We all must have a foundation on which our life is
built. It must be on the Rock—Jesus Christ. On this foundation, we cannot be
destroyed. It is of upmost importance that the Body of Christ is truly founded
on this because everything our lives are built with will be tested with fire. 1
Cor. 3:10-15
Thursday, February 5, 2015
The “MEDIA”! Good or BAD?
The “MEDIA”! Good or BAD?
The people of the world want truth delivered to them through the “media”
that they watch, listen to, and read. This can be majorly grouped as GOOD or
BAD. Indeed, the “media”, in many cases, has used fear tactics to control
people and cause them to live in constant alertness. Indeed, the “media” has
strayed from its original purpose which consisted of presenting the “news” on a
truthful and Christian manner.
The positives of the “media” include the following: important “news” can
be made known to the vast majority of people and can influence the world’s opinion
rather easily if one does not filter what he sees, hears, and reads.
However, a few negative attributes have been ascribed to the “media” in
the last century or so. Not to group all the “media” in the same ship, but many
“reporters” use fear tactics such as “exaggeration of the truth” and
“double-sided speech” (lying) to scare their realm of influence in too
believing their opinion rather than the truth which they choose not to search
out. Many a person has become a brainwashed creature that blindly follows the monstrous
leader of the common “media.” The “media” is appalling by the type of fear and
control that it possesses and instills in its listeners, readers, and viewers.
People can retaliate against the affects the “media” have on them. One
can pray that God heals the brainwashed and deceived areas of our mind that the
“media” has instilled in us. Another way is to replace some if the time that
one spends on the “media” and replacing it with Bible reading and prayer. Also
pray that God will change the hearts of the “media” drones and
broadcasters. Surely God can intervene for His people, if it is His will, and
cause the truth to be known.
In conclusion, the “media,” for the most part, has fallen from its
original purpose and we must combat it for it is mostly corrupt and BAD. Make
the truth known to those you converse with and most importantly spread Christ.
Since He is the TRUTH He should be the focus of Christian “media” workers.
Therefore if the people of God ban together and spread the Gospel we are doing
the best that we can to change the “media” by planting God.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
The Root of the Righteous Yields Fruit
“The
wicked covet the catch of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields
fruit.”
~ Proverbs 12:12 NKJV
Wicked men will desire the wealth that others have and they are even
willing to steal to get it. Their stealing may take the form of hidden fees, heavy
taxation, class-discriminated taxation, murder, fraud, pick pocketing, lawsuits,
and more because history has recorded that they do. Evil men have a record of
ranting and raving for wealth inside of themselves—indeed it consumes many of
them completely. Because the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1
Tim. 6:10), no wonder the thieves, the murders, and the false witnesses that
are among us often started out greedy for plunder not to murder, steal or lie.
On the other hand, there are
the righteous. God keeps these people from having to beg by providing for them
from His own immeasurable riches, but this is not so for the wicked. The
righteous are righteous to their very roots (in Jesus Christ’s righteousness).
The roots of their lives bring forth the fruit of their faithfulness over time:
a loving, caring marriage; kindness and compassion for the poor and hurting; wisdom;
purity; fruitfulness from the Lord; and a close, intimate relationship with the
Lord. The righteous even affect others to their very roots! It is here, at the
roots, that the righteous man plants his seed and fertilizes it by the divine
grace contained in the spiritual gift(s) that have been given to him by the
Holy Spirit, into the heart of another. The righteous man waters the roots of
the lost whom he has sown in with the life-giving water of Jesus’ Spirit, the
Holy Spirit. It is here that the righteous man rebukes, exhorts and teaches the
wicked, he fertilizes the wicked root with transforming nutrients from God’s
Word. And it is here that the righteous brings the Messiah, who is contained in
himself, and shines the SONLIGHT needed for the growth: the process of spiritual
photosynthesis. It is here at the roots that the righteous’ overflows his own
reservoirs of sap, the sap of the Holy Spirit that is in his veins; the water
of the living Word of God; and the light which is the Son of God living in Him!
And
what to say of the Salt that he is to the wicked? Perhaps it will taste bitter
to the wicked man at first, but with instruction and faithful administration it
can become the flavoring of his life! That is, if the wicked will accept it.
The righteous man stands firm when storms
arise because of his deep roots, but the wicked topples over: plundering
whatever he can from others and being destroyed, left hopeless and stranded in
the process of trying to obtain his greed’s fulfillment.
Remember
Proverbs 12:12 and be righteous by abiding in the vine of Christ (Jn. 15:5)!
Read Psalm 1.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
The Thought of Foolishness
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
Proverbs 24:9 (KJV)
Monday, February 2, 2015
Punch First Talk Later
Punch First Talk Later
(Works for
defense of women and in battle against the devil)
{A
Contemplative Poem}
When I
battle against my enemies—
This World,
My Flesh (PRIDE), and The Devil—
I must not
cower, but fight with the strength my God supplies.
For my
strength is small, but Christ’s is very great!
Step up O
boy!
Become a
man!!
You
strength is not within, but in
HIM!
Take a
stand!
Punch that
old snake first and talk later!
Punch your
old flesh first and talk later!
Punch this
sinning world first and talk later!
The peace
must be maintained, it is not sporadically gained.
So which
side will you be on?
The
victorious side that is punching, wrestling, sparing, and winning the ultimate battle or
The unrighteous ranks that stand for
everything evil.
There is nothing
great or good about evil!
Only God is
good and great!
Therefore
align thy banners with Him.
Well, when
all is said and done in the spiritual, the physical must be
Fixed upon
and the actions necessary applied.
When a
woman, young or old, girl or grandmother;
When Eve’s
mysterious race are harmed by fellow or by country
Who will
stand?
. . . .
You?!
You, man of
God are to stand!!
Who will
give their lives for the protection of others?
Not a
woman, not that tis not right in God’s sight
For a woman
is not to defend in the place of a man.
You! You,
young man, are the one to die for the enslaved! To fight for the oppressed!
The only
question is will you do it?
And will
you follow HIS leading?
You are
created to be a leader; every man is to some degree.
Some rule a
city others a country, but all rule their homes in either justice,
righteousness and peace or in slander, malice, hate, and pride.
Choose
young man . . . . . You must! . . . .
WILL YOU?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
The Podcast
Find it on Itunes by searching Ryan Marks