What Have We Learned?

As we hear Texas lawmakers ensuring religious freedoms, and those opposing them by fear tactics, I thought what have we learned?

We have learned the certainty of Amendments mean very little.  They have become like many good things in this world… uncertain.  The Constitution, a great document created by the founding fathers- is and was to ensure freedoms to those in living in America. 

John Adams, our second president, said “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

Has it become inadequate?  And if so why is it inadequate? What does it say about the condition of America?

 

We have learned the Amendments have to be continually re-enforced as “this” group and “that” group act like termites attacking and gnawing away at the pillars that upholds an American civil society.   What are these pillars?   Glad you asked….

George Washington, General of the Revolutionary Army, First President of the United States of America, Father of our nation, wrote "Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society."

Proverbs says “A nation without God's guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God's law!” 29:18

Just as there is peace and order in our life when we seek and trust in God so it true when a nation seeks and trusts God.  

Peace and order come from God who gives wisdom but if you are against God, how are you going to receive sustaining peace and order that come from true wisdom? You are not.

 

When one excludes the divine truths of the bible, in their own life and the in governing policies of the people- you have no law and no law to protect it’s people and the rights of its people.

James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Constitution wrote: "Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed, these two sciences run into each other."

We have learned we have to make laws in our states to assure certain religious freedoms and protection.  And we have learned we have to make more laws to bolster and reinforce those laws.

We are society of two peoples, while one people puts up a stone to build a wall to protect another is there to take down that same stone.

This country is divided.   

Jesus says, “A kingdom at war with itself will collapse.  A home divided against itself is doomed.”  Mark 3:24-25

“Wisdom shouts in the streets.  She cries out in the public square.  She calls out to the crowds along the main street, and to those in front of city hall.  “You simpletons!”  She cries. “How long will you go on being simpleminded? How will you mockers relish your mocking?  How long will you fools fight the facts?  Come here and listen to me!  I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise.”  Proverbs 1:20-23

They will never have wisdom if they never turn to God.  For God is the one who gives it.

“For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly.  He is a shield, protecting those who walk with integrity.  He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him.”  Proverbs 2:6-8

We have learned to be passionate over words, that were once just taken for granted, but this passion is misplaced if not in God.

As I thought of these things in some quiet time with the Lord, I heard a thought of a whisper…

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

And in this word came like a flood that nourished my soul.

And we have learned nothing sustaining… until we have a relationship with our LORD Jesus Christ!

Why Do We Lack?

I was going to write about patron client privilege but then God whispered this to me as I was driving.

“God is my provider.”

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” Psalm 54:4

We lack.   We hunger.  We thirst.  We fret.  We tire.  We doubt.  We fear.  We are unsettled. We are unsatisfied.  Because we don’t know or remember God is our provider, God is our help, God is the sustainer of our soul.

I know that is easy to say but to know... to know is all another matter entirely.    We all have these unsettling moments in our life but what stops the emotional earthquake?  What stops the walls from closing in?  What stops the landslide from overcoming?   What calms the storm on the rocky seas of life?  When do we suddenly stop walking in the deserts of this life and start walking in God's pastures of goodness?

Is God over our circumstances?  Another brother in Christ and I were talking about this… the conflicts, difficult circumstances, the let downs, betrayals, sideswipes, misunderstandings, the heaviness of life, the temptations, disappointments, loss, are all mended and ramified when we do what?

How does the dark shadows flee and the waters become clear?

The answer is when we turn to God.   He is the light that overcomes the darkness.   It’s in those trying times we become closer to God and dependent upon God.  Is this not true?

Right... we could simply give up but when we turn to God, He enriches us in those circumstances.

Without God we are a just like a bird with a broken wing, hopping around -trying to deal with the situation by our own means.

Do we really believe God’s goodness and unfailing love pursues us all the days of our life? Psalm 23:6

Jesus says “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Matthew 5:3

Do we show and tell God our need or do we just suck it up, deal with it, suffer in it?

Is God, Jehovah Jireh of our life?

Spiritual famines in our life come when we assume some kind of control or everything is out of control but in reality God is in control and nothing is out of control if we allow him to have control. 

The walls may crumble and fall, the clouds may give no rain, but all things that are inconsistent are not God.   It's easy to say we walk by faith not by sight but often we rely on sight, sight that blinds us to the enrichment God wants to bless our soul with.  Things that often can not be described in words.

We must be careful.  Our perceptions and imaginations fail us.  We see two hundred things to be done, an ailment, a loss of a job, a child needing money for college tuition where we are so overwhelmed and frazzled- we forget to bring God onto the balancing scales of our life. 

We say how come the Israelites couldn't remember God leading them through the vast and dreadful wilderness, the thirsty and waterless land with its venomous snakes and scorpions and bringing a gushing stream of water from the hard rock?  Maybe they too got carry away in the cares of this life. 

Are we as forgetful?  It could be the very root of why we lack.   

Doesn't God say?

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

 
Remember our words have power.  Just as we can speak goodness and life into our life and other people’s lives we can speak things into our life that God doesn’t wish, desire or want for us or others. 

God is our provider and sustainer.   He always has.   The reason we speak foolish things into our and other peoples lives is because we are either uneducated about what God wants for our life or have forgotten who GOD is to be in our life.   Are we to walk this life alone?  Of course not! What kind of encouragement would that be in Christ Jesus. 
 

God will supply what?

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

What about evil?

"If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your dwelling.  For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go.  They will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.  You will trample down lions and poisonous snakes; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue them and honor them.  I will satisfy them with long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91:9-16

By His stripes we are what?

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

He gives you what?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Think about Peter and the coin in the fish (Matthew 17:27).  The flowers in the field.  The birds of the air (Matthew 6:25-34). 

As you can see we are not just talking about material and physical needs here but what our soul needs.  Just this morning I woke to the words,

 "Your kingdom come your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". Matthew 6:10

Then as I pondered this God's Spirit gave me another verse.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

I wondered if the word "will" was the same type of "will" in both verses.  I found it was.

God's will is to be our sustainer.  He provides because He cares and loves us.

You know what I find interesting...  Him being our sustainer is us looking to Him.   It makes sense doesn't it?  I mean how can we seek God's hand of provision if we aren't looking to his hand. We lack because we do not look to Him.  We lack because we do not ask Him.

People often mess this up... people look to people, money and things to fulfill what they lack.  In other words we love people, money and things expecting to get a return on our investment and we stumble and hurt when this doesn't happen.   We even occasionally blame God for the failures and letdowns.  God says to love Him with all our heart, all our mind, all our strength and all soul and there we are assured our needs will be met.  We are assured His will be done for us and in us which we find is truly good, acceptable and perfect.  The world thinks this is crazy.  How can one have peace and sanity in hard times but what they don't realize... it's not the circumstances that sustain us but God.  And what is most awesome of all is His will carries on into eternity as we trust Him.
    

Is that not something to smile about?  If not, genuinely ask God to make this a reality in your heart today.

In God's Country Pt.2

                

In the last post, I shared with you how individuals and churches around the world are on the doorstep of a spiritual famine...  and unfortunately there are individuals and churches that have already stepped through that door.  

We spoke briefly of the causes of spiritual famine but let's look at them in a list.

1.     Sin. “Sin separates us from God.  Our sin alienates God in our life.” Isaiah 59:2

2.     Unbelief.   “Is a harden heart that doesn’t sincerely seek God”. One might say unbelief is being “estranged” from God, like a husband and wife don’t “intimately know” each other anymore.  They are estranged.  Hebrews 11:6

3.     Worldliness.  “Trusting in, consuming and participating in things that don’t give you spiritual substance for endurance and strength.  You reflect the world’s ideals and values more then God’.” Isaiah 55:2  

4.     False beliefs.  “They trust in anything but God.  They trust in their abilities, possessions, money, other so-called gods, and so forth ” Isaiah 8:19-22

5.     Self-satisfaction. “You seek only your own self gratification.  Its like being that cloud passing over dry land and giving no rain.   You are no longer salty or a light to the world.” Matthew 5:13-16

6.     Testing God. “Not obeying and/or reverencing the Lord God.” Deuteronomy 6:15-17.   You become indifferent to the things of God.  You compromise to things you know are wrong.  Example: Some churches have said homosexuality isn't wrong when the word of God is clear it is wrong.  Personally: You have sex out of marriage.

Exempt from the causes of spiritual famine/hunger is God trying his servants to make them reflect His goodness such as Job 23:8-10 and when the Father could not look at Jesus because he became our sin offering on the cross.  His presence was no longer felt.  Jesus felt the spiritual famine of not having the presence of the Father with Him.

“About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?’ that is ‘MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?’” Matthew 27:46

What one experiences in spiritual hunger and famine.  

Do you know the LORD's words in Amos 8?

"The time is surely coming," says the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine on the land- not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD.  People will stagger everywhere from sea to sea, searching for the word of the LORD, running here and going there, but they will not find it.  Beautiful girls and fine young men will grow faint and weary, thirsting for the LORD'S word.  And those who worship and swear by the idols of Samaria, Dan, and Beersheba will fall down, never to rise again." Amos 8:11-14

The soul of person and a soul of nation prospers only in the WORDS OF THE LORD.   The words of GOD don't have to disappear for people not to hear them- an individual maybe able to read the print but who gives them their meaning?  GOD.  So when one does not seek GOD- they can't understand and discern their meaning in their soul.  Our Creator created us to live on the WORD of GOD.

Jesus said,

 "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

 We thirst without "meaning" of God's word.   We indeed grow faint and weary not able to "hear."

As Romans 10:17 says,  

 ^"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

    

The absence of "hearing" (from God) leads to spiritual famine and hunger.  Again nothings prospers without God's "living" word in our life.

NOTE 1:
One feels the monotony/pressures of life. 
Faith becomes religion not a relationship with God. 
Looking for the next best exciting thing. 
Looking for the next thing that might give rest to soul.   
Their soul compass hinges on their own understanding not on God and the promises of God.
They thirst for God. (Pslam 84:2)

NOTE 2:    
One has a total loss of sustaining hope and joy because of the absence of God. (Psalm 51:12) 

God’s word being withheld.  
No spiritual food to feed one’s soul.   
No deep fulfilling insight is given. 
Having to continually be reminded of the basics. 1 Corinthians 3:2   

NOTE 3:   
 God’s Spirit is withheld.  
 Many fall asleep spiritually.  
 Dreamers die.  
 There is no renewing of the mind.  
 Don’t know God’s will which is good, pleasing and perfect. 1 Corinthians 11:30

Is it TOO LATE to step off that doormat and step back through that door? 

The answer is in the word of God but the invitation isn’t a lasting one – for the Lord will return and by then it will be too late.  (We see this in story of the five wise and five foolish virgins. Matthew 25)

Jesus tells the Laodicea church, “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.  I will invite everyone who is victorious to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.  Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:20-22

RELIEF from SPIRITUAL famine and crisis is FOUND…. 

1.     ONLY in GOD.  People must turn to GOD/ Jesus Christ. (John 10:9-10)

2.     When we turn away/admit and repent of our sinful behavior.  (Romans 3:27-28 & Micah 6:8)

3.     When we seek God’s mercy, who forgives us and gives us sufficient grace to endure and overcome.  Through drawing close to God, He breaks our oppression, depression, bondages and temptations.  (Micah 6:8)

4.     When we walk humbly with God in Spirit and truth (the word).  Seeing your value and purpose is in God not the things of this world and the circumstances in your life.  (Micah 6:8)

5.     Know this life is temporary.  Don’t give up.  Know an everlasting relief from spiritual famine is COMING when God takes us to heaven. (John 11:25)

In God's Country Pt.1

Ever have a song or a verse of a song just repeat over and over again in your head?  That is what happened a couple weeks ago.  I awoke in the middle of the night to the lyrics “crooked crosses in God’s country”.   Since then... it has been a running theme in my thoughts and what I have been reading in the bible and hearing from pastors on the radio.   

Here are the lyrics to the song, “In God’s Country”.

Yeah. Desert sky
Dream beneath a desert sky
The rivers run but soon run dry
We need new dreams tonight

Desert rose
Dreamed I saw a desert rose
Dress torn in ribbons and in bows
Like a siren she calls to me

Sleep comes like a drug
In God's country
Sad eyes, crooked crosses
In God's country

Set me alight
We'll punch a hole right through the night
Everyday the dreamers die
See what's on the other side

She is liberty
And she comes to rescue me
Hope, faith, her vanity
The greatest gift is gold

Sleep comes like a drug
In God's country
Sad eyes, crooked crosses
In God's country

Naked flame
She stands with a naked flame
I stand with the sons of Cain
Burned by the fire of love
Burned by the fire of love

Lyrics by U2

Paul (Bono), Dave (Edge), Larry and Adam

In God’s Country is a song that speaks to me of a spiritual famine.  People come to the country… the nation… the kingdom… the church, to find a new life, a new way of being that liberates their soul but after a while of being in this place these seekers find it to be another type of social club to be entertained and people’s vanity to be stroked.  “Church” is in its name but there is no liberating power there. 

I see this picture of billboard.  I mess of old and new words and images glued to it.  It is in bad shape.  It’s been neglected.  The posters glued to it are torn and tattered and about to fall off.  There is so much junk and mess- that the message is unclear.   What is being shared here?

Then I am reminded of Jesus going into the temple and knocking over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves.   Why did he do that?  

God wants that billboard for himself.  He wants us to give it to Him.  Where He can strip it down to it’s original content.  Content that was never to be dressed up, forgotten and/or covered up… but HIS EVERLASTING WORD. 

But will these people give it to HIM or will they just continue to presume in an attitude of indifference? 

 “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock.  If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.” Revelation 3:20  

Churches in America and around the world are standing on the doormat of  the “Laodicea” age.  Sadly some have already stepped inside.  These have become the crooked crosses in God’s Country.

Just to summarize quickly, the Laodicea church is the church Jesus said, he was going to spit out of his mouth because it was lukewarm (Revelation 3:16).  The Lord then said, “You say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

A naked flame, like an electric fireplace that looks at first to have real flame but under closer examination has no flame or heat at all.

 

It was spiritually bankrupt of God’s renewing oil that kept their inner lanterns burning bright in the night we call the world.    

  

The Laodicea church compromised the truths of God and did not take the doctrinal truths seriously.  It avoided controversial issues to appease and keep the peace with those who had worldly views.  And since the truth wasn’t living and active, there was no Holy Spirit power to drive and encourage people to share the life changing and saving message of Jesus Christ.   It’s conscious had died.   It assumed that since it was outwardly self-sufficient and wealthy it was ruler of itself.  It no longer looked to God for guidance, power, encouragement and discernment or correction but it’s own broken immoral self-satisfying compass.  It fell into a deep asleep.  It became a religious/ social club of the people not a church of faith “in” God that belonged to God.  It became a church of the world.

And since it was a compromising church it let itself become stripped of the righteous, goodness and true things of God.  Whatever flame it had spiraled down to be blown around and finally out by the world that it befriended.  It became a church that did not reverence or fear God. 

And since in did not reverence or fear God, it became what I read yesterday morning. 

“He turned rivers into desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there.” Psalm 107:33-34

And as I was also reminded, 

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?  Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4

Their actions showed, like Cain, that they despised God.   They were like Balaam who sought profit not righteousness.  They presumed because they attended "a" church that they were righteous before God.  (And we know this is not always the case. Example, Just because you might work in a hospital doesn’t necessarily mean you are a doctor right? And just because you attend a church doesn’t mean you have given your life to Christ.)

Read with me,

“But these people mock and curse the things they do not understand.  Like animals they do whatever their instincts tell them and they bring about their own destruction.  How terrible it will be for them! For they follow the evil example of Cain, who killed his brother.  Like Balaam, they will do anything for money.  And like Korah, they will perish because of their rebellion. When these people join you in fellowship meals celebrating the love of the Lord, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you.  They are shameless in the way care only about themselves.  They are like clouds flowing over dry land without giving rain, promising much but producing nothing.  They are like trees without fruit at harvest time.  They are no only dead but doubly dead, for they have been pulled out by the roots. They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds.  They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to the blackest darkness.” Jude 10-12 

Do you know what doubly dead means? It means they lost their divine nature just as Adam and Eve did when they deliberately disobeyed to God in the Garden of Eden.

Another river of thought came from the Spirit.  A church that compromises God's truth to keep the status quo acts just like the Sadducee's and Pharisees when Jesus was here in the flesh on earth.  They didn't want to upset the Roman government so they did things to appease the Roman government.   They didn't want the Romans to come after and persecute them.  When Jesus came He caused trouble for them.  He didn't keep the status quo.  His followers did not keep the status quo.  They were not politically correct.  And they were persecuted just as Jesus was.  They were obedient to God not society.  This caused a cultural backlash/war but in doing so many accepted Jesus seeing Christians "civil" disobedience. 

Jesus came not too keep the world's foolish and destructive status quo/political correctness but break it and set the captives free and bring about a spiritual everlasting revolution and revelation to His beloved creation. 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because of which He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth in deliverance the oppressed," Luke 4:18

Jesus also said,

"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." Matthew 10:34

The lukewarm Laodicea church that chose friendship with the world is gone.  It is warning to all the Christian churches of the world.

Remember Jesus who is God loved this church SO MUCH, he rebuked it and warned it because He wanted to save it from it's own foolishness.   God disciplines those He loves.  It was their choice to continue down that destructive path or accept HIS life saving meal.  God is doing the same today.   Can you hear Him knocking?