SOUL NEED PART 1

THE SOUL NEED/KEEPING YOUR FEET

It is a dark thing to take hold of one’s life, to try to measure it and compare it, comprehend it’s worth and purpose, to weigh it, and how empty and confusing we see it.  But how often do we do such things? As if we hold the ballpoint pen of life in our human hands and we are the author and finisher of our life.  For no one knows for certain what will come of the day or when the physical death will come.

 

Our mind, making the “human” eye the master, makes the heart heavy, burdensome and it slips into slippery slopes of torturous thoughts and imaginations making us symptomatic to things that may not even be true or come into being.
   

And after repeatedly consorting with the word of God and the Spirit, we always find these are things were never meant for us to carry but how often do we allow them to latch on and squeeze binding us like slave.
   

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1

I do understand how the soul is deep… it is like throwing a torch into a chasm and never finding its bottom.  It is like asking those deep questions of the heart and seemly only hearing the echoes of the questions taunt back.  Clearly the soul “continually” needs something greater then itself to guide and fill it.

It doesn’t need the philosophy of men and every opinion under the sun.  It needs truth and a spirit that reveals the truth in all the different and deepening aspects of the truth, for even what is perceived is not always the truth.

Jesus Christ, LORD and Savior said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-15

When God declares something through the Spirit, he wants us trust in it, to take to heart, to rely upon it and even speak it over our lives. 

“The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul:  He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:  thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Sure goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

When we only look to ourselves, we might as well muzzle the wings of the butterfly, bondage the eyes with a blindfold, spin and spin until we lose all sense of equilibrium and fill the muscles of the heart with lead.  We might as well believe everything; every human opinion has spoken about us- good or bad.  We might as well put an emphasis on all the circumstances and situations that have ever happened in our life even though the sun set long ago over those hills and seas. 
  

And if the struggles we now face are embraced with those same old eyes – what hope is there?  What ignorance…sorrow… and drudgery follows?

Where does the unmindful eye end up? 

The LORD himself said, “The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23

We seem to forget,

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’”  Lamentations 3:22-24

Not only do we forget to apprehend these Godly principles in our life continually by relying on the Spirit of God but apply them to other people’s life as well. NOTE: James 3, Matthew 7:1-5.  

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 

We lose heart and fail to enter His rest because we don’t submit and humble ourselves to God.    

“So we see that they were not allowed to enter his rest because of their unbelief.” Hebrews 3:19

Unbelief stems fro the natural eye, the understandings of self a heart that is ruled by the flesh.  It comes from putting confidence in the flesh.  It comes from lack of focus/trust in God.

I am reminded of a smoker who resorts to the nicotine of a cigarette or a drinker who consumes alcohol to relieve stress.  What are the results of turning to those destructive things again and again?  What results when we don’t look to God?  Aren’t those results just a foolish? Aren’t those just as poisoning and damaging?  Some of you know what I am talking about when I say, “Who needs an enemy when you have yourself?”
 

Noteworthy: Besides Satan uses as his persuasions, the lack of or the abundance of worldly possessions or ideals to suck us in.  He wants us to be stuck in the wisdom of world.  He doesn’t want us to be set free and built up in the wisdom of God and His love. Scriptures: 1 John 2:15-17, James 3:13-18, Proverbs 4:27  

I find the issues and naggings of life easily ambush the soul but those who turn to and are immersed in the presence of God have a life of goodness.

“Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

God/Jesus who created us made it certain that His Spirit would fit us PERFECTLY.  He made certain that when we would “heed” His Spirit, He would fill the soul’s need. 

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Romans 13:14

“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have not confidence in the flesh,” Philippians 3:4

The flesh’s first instinct is to take things into it’s own hands INSTEAD of submitting to God and turning the situation over to God.  Which causes us to worry, fret, have anxiety, become frustrated, depressed, etc…. In other words the flesh antagonizes the soul.  But when we submit to God, it causes the Spirit of God to override the flesh’s knee-jerk reactions and keeps our soul from being swept away with whatever comes.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:5
 

From the Beginning Even to the End

 The Journey, the Road, the Path, We Were Not Created to Go It Alone.

“He has made everything appropriate in it’s time.  He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

 J.R.R. Tolkien wrote for one of his characters these words…

“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say”

This life is a mystery… but ever think why it’s such a mystery?

Wouldn’t it be great to know someone who knew all the mysteries of life? Who knew which path we were to take and what we were suppose to do?

Oh but WAIT… GOD DOES!

I don’t know about you but if I saw all what God wanted to do in my life from beginning to end, I would probably become overwhelmed and want to give up.
 
For those who like to be controlling over their life…  (Does anyone have any real control over his or her life?)  We find the more we try to control the more messy life gets.

Others only considering the mortal sense of life become a killjoy or a cynic, thinking they know all there is to life.
  

“’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher.
‘Utterly meaningless!
    Everything is meaningless.’
 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?” Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 

Solomon was only looking at things horizontally- in his human understanding.

  
The truth is LIFE is MEANINGLESS without God in it.  Life is pretty stale without God in it.

Every once in a while I get a good dose of what that feels like.   They are usually days, that in my haste to get things done, I don’t seek God’s guidance.  Not only do the tasks take LONGER but also there is no pleasure in the tasks of life.  It is just lonely work.  The challenges that arise only make the work more burdensome and the energy level within me weakens.

That is same for all the aspects and facets of life when we don’t walk with Jesus.  For us as Christians, we must not just have a horizontal perspective on life but a vertical perspective as well. 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

God wants us to seek him.  He is the only one who knows what we are going to face each day and how to handle each situation.  Being receptive to God’s direction improves our life even with challenges.   Life is not always rosy but with a bit perspective and insight from above, we can appreciate this temporary life a bit more.

We can find the joy of what it means to walk with God and grow in that life changing perspective and be light to others - without that perspective we are just as hopeless as everyone else in this world.

The Good work of God…
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

I am reminded of a mountain river with stones and how the stones have all been rounded by the life of the river.  In a symbolic way we are stones in a river of life.   We all experience stormy days, difficult days and days of bliss but don’t think God doesn’t know where each of those stones are in the river of life.

 “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4-5

 As I thought about the verse from Ecclesiastes…
”…  yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end,”

 I was reminded of another verse.  “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!”  David wasn't looking horizontally but vertically.  

Let’s look at this verse in Psalm 139:1-6. David says, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.   You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.   You know everything I do.  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.  You go before me and follow me.  You place your hand of blessing on my head.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” Psalm 139:1-6

The mystery of life and how God uses that mystery to transform our life - is too great for us to understand.

How God knows exactly where we are and what we are thinking, does that sound like a God that doesn’t want anything to do with his creation? Does that sound like a God that doesn’t want to work in our lives?

David says God places a hand of blessing on his head, is the same true for us?

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21

Ephesians 1:3-5 says,  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—“
 
I know I need to consider more that its God’s will to take pleasure in us and our lives - just as we find hope, peace and encouragement in Him.   

David continues with, “You watch me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Everyday of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me O God.  They cannot be numbered!  I can’t count them: They outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me.”  Psalm 139:15-18

God’s precious thoughts for us outnumber the grains of sand.  Ever go to the beach and pick up a hand full of sand? Just in my hand there are more grains of sand than I can count.   Ever pick up a bag of sand from the hardware store?  If you were to transfer God’s love into sand bags, the weight and size would be more then enormous.

The Spirit said, “Longsuffering”.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 KJV

We will never love God more then he loves us but God wants us to have a relationship with Him.  A relationship, that grows into a deep love, trust and unyielding acceptance of his guidance for our life.   A relationship, with Him knowing he has planned the best pathway for our life. 

We can’t have this unless we ask God to forgive us for all our wrongs (sins) and ask Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our life and fill us with His Spirit. 

This goes for professing Christians as well… we can’t have the best path or have a maturing relationship with Christ unless we humble ourselves and let God guide us each and everyday.  We must look upward instead of just horizontally.
 
 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
    I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8

David ends the Psalm with: “Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:23-24

Are you asking him to search you? Are you looking for his daily fellowship?

Only God knows the path from beginning to end and he made it so both you could walk this life together into eternity.   Again, there is no way to make it into eternity in heaven without Him- Jesus Christ.

The question is do we see that?  Do we realize our daily need to take hold of his hand as his children and have him lead us to what is a mystery- from the beginning to the end?

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2
 
May God help us to look vertically to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.  

An Effective Witness Part 1

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“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

In other words it’s always “the heart of the matter.”

Where is the heart living?  What scales is it using to weigh the matters of life…  the temporary or the eternal…the human or the spiritual… the sacrificial or the self-seeking?

Is the heart living in the past…? Is the past bleeding to the canvases of the present…?

Fleeting are the moments in life yet some of us haul some moments as stones of burden.   These experiences have seeded the fields of a person’s life and now produce wild inedible yields.  Instead of being burned and tilled into the ground to be used as nutrients for more productive satisfying harvests, they pile up like briar patches growing and mounding over the previous growth.  It soon becomes so high it becomes impassible for anyone to come out or in. 

On the other hand some treasure moments that will soon be forgotten.   They take up space like old trophies in a display case- never making room for what is to come.  Those who hold such things don’t seem to see the luster of those times and achievements are gone.  The polishing days are over.  

It is true… “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.” Proverbs 14:10

And though there is a time for everything under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1), I find we can’t live in yesterday.  Yesterday can be a nice shaded step for today…. but of course how we look and examine yesterday will determine how we walk in today and tomorrow.  We can only pack so much in our suitcase in this trip of life. 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  Proverbs 3:5

In all your ways submit to him… in whatever you may be going through (no matter positive or negative) we are to submit to God. I find that is the only way I keep my heart with all diligence.  We aren’t full of the pride of life nor are we full of the self-pity.

We are vessels… not overfilled with our plans and thoughts (which might never take place) and no room for God’s input but vessels filled and stirred up by God in all he created us to be in Him.  

When a sculpture looks at piece of marble to carve his masterpiece in – he doesn’t just pick any piece out of the stone yard.  He takes in account all the different characteristics of the stone.  

Our creator, who formed us in our mother’s womb – knew exactly what your talents, abilities, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses were going to be.   He waited for us to turn our life over to Him so he could skillfully work on what he intended us to be in this life....  Note for that to actually happen we actually had to submit to the sculpture’s skillful and caring hands.   Yeah watch out for those novices, they may take a swing and you may end up as shattered pieces on the floor.   
 

The sculpture speaks of the artist…

Think about Michelangelo’s sculptures…  What do they speak of?
 

When we look at Michelangelo’s creations, we don’t see the material it is made of but what he wanted the material to turn into.  

Do we just look at the raw outer facades of people and ourselves?   What does God, the Creator, the artist, see in us?  What is he crafting us into?   Do we allow God to glorify himself in us?
   

Romans 8:30 says... “to those whom he justified, he also glorified.”

We were created in the image of … who?

Yet we cannot glorify God in our life unless we give our lives to him- DAILY!

Giving our life to God, we experience the reality of God, but also we become more conscience of how God wants us to live.  We hopefully see life in a new way.  We see what truly matters and is lasting and take that path he planned for us to glorify him.  

“God’s ways and thoughts are higher then our ways and thoughts.” Note Isaiah 55:8-9

God wants us to become spiritually prosperous in himself -who is eternal, unchanging and ALWAYS… unlike the rest of this world which is temporary and leaves us chasing the wind.   Rat race… rat race… rat race can’t you see that big cat of this world chasing you?

I look at the people of God in the bible.   They were called to live sacrificial lives and in their obedience God made their way and path clear.  They weren’t chasing the wind.  It was abundantly clear God was with them.  Do you think this would have happened without their submission and obedience to God?

They submitted themselves to God and in this submission had confidence in God.

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.” Psalm 18:25-26

How do you see God?

Jesus said  "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.  But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”  Matthew 6:22-23

Is your eye pure? Do you trust in the word of God, knowing it is pure…? 

Do these words fall flat in your ears? Do you melt at certain words? Are you humbled by certain words? Are you comforted by certain words?

What is God to you? He is faithful even though you fail in your faithfulness? Is he out to get you? He is for you or against you?  Is he your Rock, Fortress, Shield, Comfort, peace when there is no explanation for such wonderful things?

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 

Do we ask... "God... what do you want me to get out this experience called life”?

You save the humble
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
    with my God I can scale a wall.

As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
 He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains me;
    your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.  Psalm 18:27-36

This task of life is a delicate balance…. we as Christians seem to have to keep our thoughts away from pride and ignorance on one side and doubt and pity on the other… Yet as we walk on this balance beam of life, we seldom realize God is right there holding our waist. He wants us to stretch out our arms with confidence and abandonment in him and take flight.   He whispers, “I have you, trust me.  Do a cartwheel or two.  Jump… leap… I will show you what you are capable of doing with me…. “

Some of us stand off stage…. waiting for our time on the stage of life not realizing we are already standing in full view of the audience of the world.  The conductor of life (God) motions to us. We realize the attention we now suddenly have... The conductor says,  “Watch me- not them.  For I have wrote a beautiful score for your life.”  He lifts his finger... and we start to sing.

Give God all you are and see what HE DOES….

Hope this blesses and encourages you this day.

     

  

Servants of Light

To understand what a servant of light is, we must begin with Jesus – for when we understand who we are in Jesus Christ the mental weight of servant hood is lifted.

Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

We have heard the saying "Attitude is everything." Our mindset can either limit us or make us achieve what we never thought possible.

The level of realization of who we are in Christ will greatly affect how we look and undertake what a true servant is.  We fail to develop a servant's mindset with our lack of realization of who we are in Christ Jesus.   Peter says,  "But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin." 2 Peter 1:9.

In our old life we were filled with pride and self ambition or self-pity.   Pride only led to inflated self perception which became a wedge of division if anyone put down, negated, defeated, contradicted our thoughts and opinions.  Self ambition and self-pity made us only see ourselves, our needs, our strengths and our weaknesses and our wants according to what we envied in others people's lives.  We were blind to everything but what was in our mental closet.  We played, and danced, and lived in the masquerade ball but when we finally got a real good look at our reflection we saw nothing on earth could help us.  We had no fairy god mother to keep the truth from revealing itself.

We followed the desires of our sinful nature just as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  And when the truth was revealed to them they tried to cover their nakedness just a people try to cover up themselves today in many varieties of things such pride, arrogance, addictions, in the friends they keep, the way they dress, the jobs they have, the way they change their appearance such botox injections and hair dye and lots of make up.  What are they trying to cover up?

I watched a woman once come onto an airplane.  She sat down, powdered her face, blended, added blush and crimped her eye lashes, put on eye liner, eye shadow, and darkened her eyelashes - and by the time she was done putting on these things on her natural pleasant face, she looked like an entirely different person.  She looked like a completely different person from when she first got on the plane.

Everyone's facades will be exposed no matter if they are.   Why do people try to hide who they really are?  The only one they are trying to fool is themselves.

It's them, themselves, who will have to stand before God - not those they have tried to fool to cover up who they really are.  Is it a sin to put on make-up -of course not!  That is not my point.  My point  is... people use all kind of things to cover up who they are.  Why are they trying to cover up to be something they are not.  Before I was saved, I used anger to cover up my insecurity.

God is all truth and when truth comes looking at them in their reflection and they see nothing on earth can help them... hopefully,  for their valuable soul's sake, they come to God instead of continue down the path to another masquerade.

It's in the mind not reality.

Ask any military veteran what is worst, the physical wounds and mental wounds and I can guarantee most of them will say the mental wounds cut deeper and last longer then the physical ones.

The enemy of our soul continually goes after our mind just as he did with Adam and Eve.  Nothing has changed.  If Satan can tie up the mind of a person in psychological garbage of this world, confusion, and warfare then he has nothing to worry about from that person.  The people in this world are lost in the mindset of the world but Christians, you don't have to be!  And you can be a helping vessel to help those lost in the tossing and roaring ocean of life.

People are tried of just existing and living day to day, they want to live a meaningful life!  The only way to a meaningful life is through Christ Jesus.  We too can be endangered of falling into the same thinking if we lose sight of Christ.   We too can end up chasing after things that are meaningless and never satisfying and find ourselves in the tossing oceans of doubt and uncertainty and hopelessness.   Our hope in Jesus Christ is our only anchor and allows us to experience things we didn't think possible which enriches and encourages the Christian soul to endure.    


^"This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary." Hebrews 6:19

You cannot be a light if your life is based on meaningless worldly things but to be a servant of light amongst darkness is like being one of those lights on the airport runway or a lit up pointing the way to Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. 

Ephesians 6:17 says, "Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Paul is saying, put on Christ and all he IS! Who is Christ?  What does the Spirit of God say to you as you read his word? Who are you and I to be?!
    

“To accept Christ as all he is, is to find who we are and who we are truly meant to be in God.”
 – J.D. JOHNS

The Four Facades of Jesus Christ

In the book Ezekiel, Chapter 1, it talks about these “beings” with four faces.  They had a face of human, a face of lion, a face of an ox, and a face an eagle.  These four faces represent the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.   All four of these gospels are a picture of and represent a dimension or aspect (qualities and characteristics) of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

The book of Matthew is the symbol of the lion.  It is written to the Jewish people.  Jesus is the Lion of Judah.  The King of Kings! Lord of Lords!  "THE KING" who was prophesied about to Jewish people in scriptures "THE KING" had to be a descendant of King David.  Jesus was a descendant of King David on both his earthly father's side and mother's side.  Joseph and Mary were both descendants of King David.

"Behold, [the] days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth." Jeremiah 23:5

"During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever." Daniel 2:44

"For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong.  He is the one who will build a house- a temple-for me.  And I will secure his throne forever.  I will be his father, and he will be my son.   I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you.  I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever."  1 Chronicles 17:11-14 
Jesus was also a descendant of Abraham.

"This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!"I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you." Genesis 17:4-7

 Jesus is the perfect King.  His kingdom is the everlasting kingdom of heaven which the everlasting covenant with Abraham.  All other kingdoms will pass away but his kingdom will last forever. 

Revelation 5:5 "But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, "Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has conquered.  He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals."

The book of Luke is the symbol of a man.   It is written to the Greeks, and one Greek in particular "Theophilus" which means "lover of God or friend of God".  Theophilus also received what we know as the book of Acts from Luke as well.   Luke's aspect of Jesus was Jesus is the "perfect" man.  He was a man without sin.   The first man, Adam brought sin and death to humanity because he and his wife Eve believed Satan and ate from the tree which God told Adam not to eat from.  Adam and Eve's betrayal gave power to sin and curses upon the earth but Jesus, brought power and freedom from sin to those who believe in him.

The book of John is the symbol of an eagle.  It is written to us- the church and the world.   The eagle represents sovereignty, majesty, and the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

The book of Mark is the symbol of an ox or calf.  It is to the Romans.  Roman society had a mindset of being servant.  They were to serve the authority over them.  Those the Romans took over became servants and slaves of the Roman society, work force and even to the Roman cause- such as Roman axillary armies in the Northern Europe.  The ox represents the perfect servant.  Jesus Christ is the perfect servant.

Jesus Christ is King of kings, Lord of lords; He is the perfect man (without any sin). He has sovereignty and supremacy over everything, and he is the perfect servant.

So what does that have to do with us being a servant of light?

We are to serve others but that is hard to do if we are putting a "requirement" on it.  If we are putting some "have to" burden on it or some "emphasis" that puts us in the wrong mindset.  Our mindset must be on who we are in Jesus Christ- not what the world may think of or desire for us or even a religious perspective.

A.W. Tozer is quoted as, "Until the will is sanctified the man is still a rebel just as an outlaw is still an outlaw at heart even though he may be yielding grudging obedience to the sheriff who is taking him to prison."

What is the will stimulated and encouraged by?  The world, the church, yourself or Christ?

We need to be stimulated and encouraged by God and who we are in God/Christ Jesus.

The Lion:  You and I serve a mighty God in Jesus Christ.  Our heritage and lineage is in GOD - thanks to Jesus Christ - His throne and kingdom will last forever.    You and I maybe nothing important in the sight of this world but in the sight of God you are HIS child. You and I are a king, a prince, and a royal priesthood.  Jesus is King and Savior of your life.   If Jesus is our brother and he is King then what does that make us? If he is High Priest what does that make us?  If he is the Prince of Peace then what does that make us.   If he is the Lion of Judah, what does that make us? 

Jesus said,  “Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven in my brother and sister and mother!”  Matthew 12:50. (NLT) 

1 Peter 2:9 says, " But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (AMP)

Matthew 5:9 Jesus said, "God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God."

Proverbs 28:1 says  “The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous are bold as a lion." (AMP)

We are not to live contingent on how the world sees us or treats us or even how we perceive ourselves but live in the assurance of a child of God.  You don't work and serve others because you "have to" but because you "want to".   Jesus said  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. " Mathew 6:31-33

You are a child of God!

The Perfect Man: We serve Jesus Christ the perfect man that never sinned.  He withstood every test in this life so he will help us withstand the tests that come into our life as well as we trust him.   The perfect man presents himself to God and seeks the appointments and will of God in their life.   We are to read and meditate on the words of the bible as directed by the Spirit of God and allow God's Spirit to teach us and provide us with daily tasks that put those powerful teachings to work. 

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18-19.

"If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:47-48

"That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone into heaven, Jesus the Son of God.  Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him.  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive his mercy and will find grace to help us when we need it." Hebrews 4:14-16
     

The Eagle:  We serve Jesus Christ who is justice and truth.  He reigns on the throne of heaven and should reign in our hearts and in our lives to touch others. 

 “Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.  Judgment will come because the prince of this world has already been judged.  Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard.  He will tell you about the future.  He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me.   All that the Father has is mine; that is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me. John 16:10-15. 

“But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

"The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father.  You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father.  Yes, ask anything in my name and I will do it!" John 14:12-14

The Ox:  The perfect servant.  “You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them.  But among you it should be quite different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.  For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45. 

"'And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.  The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other command is greater then these." Mark 12:30-31

See a need- pray for and if you can provide for that need.

As Christians directed by the Spirit of God, we move in these four directions (The way of the lion, the way of the perfect man, the way of the eagle and the way of the ox) just as the beings did in Ezekiel.   Ezekiel 1:9-17 

It’s impossible to be a "content and satisfied" servant of light if we don’t allow God to continually remind us of all these things which bring a ruling peace to our heart as we attend to what the Lord directs.

Those who are secure in Jesus can be servants of others  -without feeling lesser of a person. 

May God richly bless us in who we are in Christ Jesus so we may do freely- without some grudging requirement.   May He heal our spiritual blindness that so easily hinders us from being all he wants us to be in this life.   May we live as light to this world by first seeing who we are in the light, then the light that floods our soul will be graciously and freely shine upon others.  In Jesus Name I ask Amen.

“Your eye is a lamp for your body.  A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul.  But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness.  If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be!”  Matthew 6:22

"You are the light of the world- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see.  Don't hide your light under a basket!  Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
Matthew 5:14
 
Extra:

We are our Heavenly Father's children but to really know who we are in Jesus Christ is like being arrows in his quiver.  Are ready to be sent?

 

"Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builder is useless.  Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.  It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones." Psalm 127:1-2

Thank you for reading.

Are You Yoked with Love?

SOBERING UP THE CHURCH

I would be sweeping the facts under the rug if I didn’t say God is doing some correction in his churches in America.   And maybe correction isn’t a strong enough word.  God is sobering up his church.   This jolt may seem like a revival of sorts but I believe it is something more.  I believe this is a stern warning from God so many can be saved and many won’t be lost due to the circumstances and experiences that may lie ahead.   God is saying I want you to realize what needs to be fixed in your faith in order for it to endure, to be strengthened and to be a light to others.   Jesus is saying, I walked amongst the churches of America and these are the complaints I have against you - just as he did in the book of Revelation.

Reflecting on the past, I have found that I rather be disciplined in the hands of God then suffer anywhere else for when God disciplines his children he combines it with positive reinforcement which is productive, useful and constructive.    

So what does a church do when confronted by God?

First the church has to accept what God has said - and in accepting what God has voiced, the church must repentant and then seek, change and do according to God’s will.

Those individuals who take this word from the Lord to heart can feel overwhelmed by these directives and they will either do one of two things.   They will see the directive as impossible and follow everyone else who don't take the word to heart or they will strive to seek the change that God wants.       

God directive change can seem overwhelming but we have to understand God doesn’t want us to go through this change alone.  God is right there to help and assistance in this change.  It would do us no good to try to do this change without God’s help because part of the process of the change is becoming more intimate and trusting in him.  God isn’t this taskmaster that says, “Here! Go do this!” and leaves you all alone to figure it out all by yourself.  He wants to teach and lead you.

Psalms 68:19.

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah.” NKJV

Jesus says “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:29-30

Notice he says “My yoke”.  He wants you to be yoked with him.  He wants you to be strapped to him.  He knows the way.  He has prepared the way.  He is doing all the heavy lifting and all you have to do is listen to his coaching and trust in him as you climb the most beautiful spiritual mountains in your life.

I remember being on this rock climb with my step dad and brother as a kid.   We were really high up and I got stuck.   I started to look around and look down.  My legs were in this awkward position where they started to tremble and I really felt like I couldn’t move any further.  A sense of fear came over me.  (I might as well been Peter, who took his eyes off of Jesus while walking on the water.)   The waves – in my case, the height and next place to put my foot and grab a hold with my hand was just too far out of reach.   The fear of falling (even several feet from such a high height) began to wrestle with me and I began to wonder if I would hurt myself if I fell or if I could I pull myself back up if I fell.

I yelled up (probably in a frantic voice) to my step dad, who was a few yards above me on the right, “I can’t move!”   He secured his rope and descended beside me where he calmly and constructively coached me how to loosen up my legs and then swing myself out of that difficult spot.  When I did take that leap of faith and caught hold of that spot (where my step dad told me to come to) I was pleasantly relieved and surprised and my step dad chuckled with joy to see my success.    

God is right there for us.   He is there to coach us and encourage us and finds great joy in the successes that he leads us through which no doubt makes us feel good as well. 

The burden, load, obligation, - “the difficult spot” isn’t suppose to be oppressive in nature but to build us up and enrich our soul  - so we can see what God can and wants to be in our life.  Remember Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Esther, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Jeremiah, Zachariah, Isaiah, Mary, John the Baptist, the faithful 11 apostles, Stephen, Saul who turned to the Apostle Paul and Ananias who was instructed by God to lay hands on the Saul/Paul who he had only known for killing Christians?  They found themselves in difficult spots in their life but God was there to help them all.

These people found themselves in difficult spots but God was there to instruct and help them.

According to the bible concordance the obligations Christ lays upon a believer are fit, useful, virtuous, good, manageable, mild, and pleasant.  These obligations aren't to be carried out by oneself but with God and trusting God.

Submit is to trust and we will either trust in the things of this world or trust what we see in our own understanding or trust in Jesus Christ.   The trust in Jesus must go beyond head knowledge and go to our heart and IF possible… beyond.  For God is greater then the heart.   He is greater then our thoughts.   Captive in Christ is having and knowing your need can be answered and met in Christ because you’re his possession.  AND you knowing your his possession placed yourself in his care.  

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

When we place our trust in God - we don’t lose heart do to the afflictions and circumstances that come in this temporary life.  The afflictions aren't easy in life but God is right there beside you and I and we are not alone.   God manifests himself in many ways to comfort and encourage us.

In Christ we see this life in a new light.  For the world can be an adversary or something we have already won - through or by Christ.   We are over comers in Christ and in Christ alone.

Over comers do as Micah 6:8 says, “do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before your God.”

We are not fit to do God’s work when our mind and heart are tied up else where.  I cannot function properly if I am burden and stressed out.   When this happens it shows my emphasis is in the wrong spot.  Instead of on things down here our emphasis should be on Christ who has overcome and world and is our peace.

The peace of God that comes from being yoked to Christ also allows us to go on a Holy Spirit journey and rise above the storms of life.  This journey is not in our control for that would be burdensome to the Christian traveling through this life.  

If we were in control we could take credit for such wonderful things that occur, which would give birth to pride and ignorance and satisfaction in things down here instead of in God and what God is doing through us.  Contentment and satisfaction comes from doing the will of God.  Again I say be careful that these satisfactions and successes - watch your thinking so they don't become polluted, twisted and worm their way into some arrogant way of thinking.  We simply do and go where he directs bringing God’s goodness to other people’s lives.

Remember the Spirit is spontaneous but not weird.   Think about what the Spirit does in us.   There is no weirdness.   Love is what?  (Note: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

God has prepared the way before us -so knowing this there should be peace to walk in that prepared path -knowing he is going to walk with us through it.  We are yoked to Christ.
 

Oh yes like twins that fight in a mother's womb so the Spirit and flesh fight and wrestle inside of you especially in positive Godly change.   Satan comes to kill steal and destroy and manipulate your and others flesh.  He is there to stir up trouble, cause confusion and division.   Have no part in his games.  He doesn't want people to slip away, have their chains fall off, and live out their purpose God has prepared for them.  

He doesn't want you to "live in" the truth.   He doesn't want your heart and mind to experience any uncharted territory in God where God becomes very real and tangible in your life. 

 Don't overreact but be ready in love for those who are also struggling with change -who come against you.  If you are doing the will of God and doing it as directed - they are not against you but God.   Seek God in the ways to love them.  Remember evil and people can't bend God's tracks.   Evil will fail and people who decide not to fulfill their enriching experience God has for them will be replaced.   The flesh fights for what it understands, is temporary and is sinful but the Spirit yearns for what is lasting. (Note: Galatians 5:17-22) Think of the body of Christ as a wheel.  If the wheel is flat on one side it isn’t going to ride very smoothly. 

The Holy Spirit yearns for us to live in our spiritual birth right in Jesus Christ.   He pleads for believers in Christ to live in harmony.  He pleads for us to live outside the box of routine and religious routine and in his power.
   

You choose what you are controlled by (the flesh or the Spirit) knowing what they both harvest.
  

The Holy Spirit is our inheritance.   God who is our inheritances allows us to draw from that inheritance in all our times of need.   God also bestows upon us further blessing as well.   Things we didn’t even ask or dare to hope for but are given….
     

God made it so we can to draw from the Holy Spirit to speak, to stay quiet or be self-controlled, the need for provision, the need for guidance, the need for strength, a need for healing, a need of comfort, a need of confirmation of a promise and so on...   (All those things I need everyday!) He is the gift giver that keeps on giving so we can experience all that God can be in our lives while bringing glory to Him. 
    

We don’t just see with the natural eye but in a “loftier” sense of things in the Spirit of God.  That loftier sense doesn’t come with our human effort but our submission, hope, peace, and trust in Christ.

We can live in the blessed assurance of the kingdom of God, which allows us to share the hope and joy, and peace we have in Jesus Christ despite the things around us.

The Lord in the midst of me is mighty.  Do we truly believe this or do we just say it from our mind not our heart?

ASTOUNDING LOVE
 I was listening to some jazz music on my ipod while I was doing some mowing the other day and this song called “Like Someone in Love” sung by Sophie Milman came on and it reminded me of what our love should be like for the Lord.

When you are in love with someone you constantly have them on your mind.   Love has this sense that just over powers us in special ways.

We do some astounding things for love do we not?

So when God talks about loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul, strength and Him being our first love does this love carry over in the same way in our relationship with him?  You know that love that just seems to carry us as if we were floating through the day,  the love that can't help but make us joyful and grateful even in the worst of circumstances.  The love that has a sense of wonder.  That love that we lose ourselves in?

Do we allow God's love to makes us feel like we are flying high on the wings of eagles?  Are we sharing God's love with others because we know deep in our heart and wholeheartedly how wonderful God's love is?  Are we allowing God's love to just direct our day?  Do we give up our plans and wants for someone we love? Why not for God?

Think about it.  Think about all what seems foolishness we do in love.  Yet we do some astounding things for love.

Do you love Jesus the same as when you first did when you realized the realness of his love? That love that swept your heart clean from the weight of the past and life at that present time.  When you seemed to burn every bridge with your friends and family because you became a "Jesus Freak" over night because Jesus - God become SO REAL to you.   

We must ask ourselves how far have we fallen...  are you living in the same house but you and God are estranged because you lost yourself in other things in this life.  Turn back to him before it's too late.  (Revelation 2:5)
     

God is our prosperity.  God is our inheritance.  God is love.  He is better then the morning light flooding the sky.  Remember falling in love with someone and it didn't matter what others thought - you were going to be with that person no matter what.  That is the way it should be with the Lord.

I encourage you to draw close to God and draw from your living inheritance of love,  his unlimited resources and truly trust Him.  Then you won't be able to help it - God’s light will shine through you and you will do some astounding things in the "name" of love - God.

"When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall on my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through this Holy Spirit.   And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust him.   May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, all all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.   May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Now glory be to God!  By his might power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more then we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through the endless ages. Amen."  Ephesians 3:14-21