The Lords Prayer

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Matthew 6:6-15 

Prayer is the foundation of our life with Christ. Through Jesus, we have an open line of communication to the Father. We can talk to Him anytime, anywhere, about anything. We can ask for things, and we can receive things through prayer. We can bring healing, hope, safety, and strength to others through prayer. When all is lost, we always resort to prayer.

Have you ever thought that someone else can pray better that you? Have you ever thought that God will answer the prayers of a pastor better than He will answer yours? If so, you’re not alone. I’ve found that a lot of people think this way, including myself. But that would mean that God favors one over another. But that my friends is not true. (Read Matthew 18:12-14, or Matthew 20:1-16).

There are all kinds of books out there that teach people how to have an effective prayer life. I’m not saying that they’re bad or anything, but Jesus has already taught us how to pray. One thing that I’ve learned in my walk is that there is no substitute for fellowship with God. You can read every book, watch every video, listen to every lecture, and still be just as spiritually void as you were when you started. I’ve said it before, you can’t learn your way into heaven. If you don’t get the understanding from God, you won’t understand. (Read Matthew 13:10-13).

So what are the keys to having a successful prayer life? When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, they had the same question in mind. Now keep in mind, the disciples were Jewish, so they grew up praying. If their prayer life was satisfying, they probably wouldn’t have asked.

Here’s what Jesus teaches us about prayer:

The first thing He said was don’t pray like a hypocrite. These are the people who “pray” for other people to hear them “pray”. They’re pretending to pray to God, but they’re really praying to themselves. They want people to hear how good they can pray in order to get the respect of men. (Matthew 6:5). So it pretty obvious that the first thing that Jesus teaches us about prayer is to pray to God, not to a crowd of people.

The next thing that He said was to pray in secret. Some may ask “why in secret?” Again, you’re praying to God, not to people. When we pray, it’s one on one with God. It’s not a show, its personal time between you and God.

Now that you’re alone with God, don’t waste your time reciting prayers that you learned when you were a kid over and over again. Praying the rosary is a lot of work, but it’s in vain. Repeating “Hail Mary’s” and “Our Fathers” will not make God listen to you. Jesus calls praying in vain repetitions something that the heathen do. Think about it, if you had a child, and they needed help with their homework, would you respond better if they came to you saying “Oh parent full of wisdom, I trust that you will be right. Blessed is your work on this paper, and help me finish this homework tonight. Holy parent mother of mine, help me with this math so that I can get to bed on time.” What if that was the only thing that your kid said to you, over and over and over again? Would you feel like your kid loves you? No! You would feel like your kid want’s help with his homework! There is no quality parent / child time there, just repetitious requests! Jesus said that God already knows what you need, even before you ask Him. Just like you would already know that your kid needs help with his homework when his teacher calls you saying that juniors grades are making her look bad as a teacher.

Now that Jesus has told us how not to pray, He tells us how we should pray. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name”. When you pray, remember who you are praying to. He is God, He is Holy. He’s your Father, not your buddy. Humble yourself before Him. Understand that it took the Cross for you to have this conversation. Yes He wants you to talk to Him, He loves you. But don’t forget the awesome power that is God. You wouldn’t run around in a lightning storm holding a ten foot metal pole would you? So don’t blow off the fact that you are in the presence of the One who made the lightning just by thinking about it! In the modern church, God has been presented as a big teddy bear. A celestial santa claus if you will. Listen, God is very, very good. But He’s not some old guy walking around up in the clouds seeing who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. God is intimately involved with everything that goes on with the world. His love for us is not to be taken lightly.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” When you pray, understand that it’s what God wants that matters. His will is perfect, and you cannot pray against His will. We like to think that we know what’s best, but as humans, we’re wrong more than we’re right. So when you pray, understand that God is in control. He calls the shots.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” This is a prayer that gets answered daily for billions of people around the world. If you have a computer and electricity to read this, you probably have food in your kitchen. God has already provided you with that need before you needed it. But food isn’t the only bread that Jesus talks about. He talks about his body as bread, and He talks about the Word of God being bread too. So when you pray, ask for God to be a part of your daily life. You need that more than you need food. 

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Jesus talks about forgiveness right after food. So it would appear that forgiveness is vital to a successful prayer life. Through Jesus, God has forgiven me for so many sins. So I can’t hold things against other people. It’s so easy to say, but it’s so hard to do. That’s why Jesus said to pray for this daily. I went through a bad spiritual dry spell recently. And it was because I harbored bitterness and hatred towards other people. Yes people can be rude, arrogant, and just plain mean. But I’ve been all of those things too. We must live in forgiveness, or else we will live in judgment. 

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” We live in a world full of temptations. Obviously God doesn’t want us to sin, so we must trust God to keep us away from the traps. God would never lead us into temptation, but temptations are always around. The only way to stay away from temptation is to stay focused on God. And if you stay focused on God, you are in His kingdom. I believe that Jesus is saying to not only pray that we won’t be led into temptation, but to be delivered from the evil parts of us that want to sin. And only the power and the glory of God can do that. There’s even the promise that Gods power and glory will never run out! 

This is the way that Jesus teaches us to pray. As you can see, it’s not just a prayer, it’s a lifestyle. Prayer is not asking God to give you stuff. It’s about being a part of His kingdom. remember, God already knows what you need before you even ask for it. What we think we need doesn’t always translate into what God knows we need. It’s far more important to have fellowship with God than to have a prayer life full of asking for things.        

 

The Latter Rain

“Be Patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain.” 

        Have you ever been through a drought? If so, you know that dry ground gets very hard. It’s not suitable for planting, and what seeds may have already been planted will not sprout. Sometimes the wind will blow so strong that the dry ground will turn into dust and blow away, taking the seeds that were in it.

       But sometimes those seeds will sprout in another place. In more fertile soil blessed by the rain. Maybe God had a better place for His seeds to grow. In a better place, in better soil. Maybe the seeds that we planted ourselves were planted in the wrong place at the wrong time. The funny thing is that we see the wind as being a curse, but it is actually a blessing. You see, the seeds that were planted in the place that we saw fit to plant them may not have grown at all in that soil. Or they might have sprouted, but dried up immediately in the hot sun. Either way, the seed was planted in the wrong place at the wrong time.

     Seeds can’t be planted without water. But a seed that is planted with too much water will rot. Sometimes the water can wash seeds away. So too much water can be just as harmful as not enough water. This is evident in out own bodies as well. You can die if you drink too much water, and you will certainly die if you breathe it in. But on the other hand, if you don’t have enough water, you will die.

    So as you can see, we have to have a balance of moisture to grow. When you get too much moisture, you have to dry out. Lets say that you got caught in a rainstorm. What is the first thing that you do when you get out of the rain? You dry off! Why? Because being wet for too long makes us very uncomfortable in our own body.

    So why do we go through spiritual dry spells? I don’t know all of the answers, but I do know that if you’re going to preserve a seed for planting in the next season, it has to be properly dried first.     

Paying the piper

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”  1 Corinthians 14:33

All of us are on a journey. We are all trying to understand who God really is, and what He’s like. The problem is that not all of us are right. Just watch TBN for a few hours and you’ll see that.

I was flipping through the channels the other day, (as usual there was nothing on worth watching), when I ran across a preacher. I’ve seen this guy before, and I don’t agree with his message or his way of delivering it. In fact, I think that he is a “spiritual salesman”. But aside from all of that, what I saw needs to be addressed.

This “preacher” was selling a thing called a “prayer cloth”. It’s supposed to have some kind of supernatural power because it sat in a room full of “anointed people” while they had some kind of church service. These “anointed people” then prayed over this cloth, and now it’s supposed to be saturated with anointing. So now when a person gets a hold of this magical cloth, he or she is supposed to be able to get their prayers answered. Of course this cloth is available for a small fee. And the more you give, the more fabric they’ll send! Yes, they have a larger piece of cloth called a “prayer shawl”! You put this thing on, and your prayers will be supercharged!

But this “preacher” had a Scripture to back up these claims. Here it is:

“And behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” Matthew 9:20-21

Unfortunately the “preacher” didn’t tell the whole story.

“But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith  has made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”  Matthew 9:22

Obviously, it wasn’t the fact that the woman touched the clothes that Jesus was wearing that healed her. Is was her faith in Jesus that healed her! 

After seeing this guy selling cloth to desperate and foolish people, I changed the channel to another “Christian” station. And guess what I saw? Another “pastor” selling “prayer shawls”! And that’s the point that I’m trying to make…they’re ALL selling something.

Since when did Jesus only answer the prayers of people who could afford to buy a magic cloth? Since when did Jesus say anything about buying God’s favor? I can think of one time:

“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.“  Matthew 21:12-13

Most of the stuff that you see on “Christian” television is misleading. Yes there are a couple of good preachers here and there, but most of them are salesmen. They want to sell you Jesus through their own “anointing”. Don’t forget, these people make their living from what they sell. They have invented a God who can be bought with money. They have cheapened the gift of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by selling some kind of “hidden knowledge”. They confuse the church by their many, and contradictory doctrines.

So who is this “God” that “Christian” television has invented? The simple answer: Man. (Sound familiar?) According to them, it’s up to you to buy the right material, to read the right books, to watch the right DVDs, and listen to the right CDs. And if you do all of these things, you will reach God. But pick a good pastor to follow, because they all say different things about God. Who knows which one is right? Is it Joel Olsteen with his “it’s all about making you happy” message, or is it John Hagee with his self righteous ”you’re all going to hell” message? Maybe you need to go and see Benny Hinn, maybe he can lay his hands on you so you can be healed? Maybe you need to send Rod Parsley $100 so he can send you a prayer cloth and God will answer your prayers. Or you could just send a donation to TBN and cover the whole thing! They’ll even send you a nice little trinket to put on your shelf to remind you of your good works!

Friends, these things are not from our Father. You can’t buy God’s love, and you can’t buy God’s favor. You can’t buy God’s blessings, and you can’t buy His wisdom. God is not for sale! You cannot make a custom fit God out of money.

“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”  Matthew 24:5

This verse is found in 3 of the Gospels, Matthew 24:5, Mark 13:6, Luke 21:8.  Matthew 7:15 says, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

In Christ we are one, (John 17). We call God our Father, and there is only one way to Him. There is not one person in this world, living or dead, who can lead you to the Father. Only Jesus can do that. “Christian” television claims to lead millions of people to God, but by whom?

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” 1 Corinthians 3:3-4

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11

When the true Church works together as one in Jesus, there is no confusion. We may not know all of what is going on, but we won’t be confused. If you have been confused by the many different doctrines presented on “Christian” television, you are not alone. There is a reason for that. If Satan is the god of this world, don’t you think that he would control the airwaves too? He has been called ”the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). What better way to divide and conquer the Church than through confusion?

Yes God can work though television to get your attention, but His work is not finished at the starting point. When you start a walk, your foot does not stay where it was when you started. If it does, you will either go in circles, or wear yourself out by running in place.

It seems to me that TBN doesn’t really “get it”. If they did, they probably wouldn’t be on the air raking in money hand over fist to pay for their lavish lifestyles. These people make their living by selling you some kind of god that fits you. Either by flattery, or by condemnation. I don’t believe that the people who actually own TBN really care about your soul. And I believe that they might be misleading Christians on purpose. As we have seen in the Scriptures listed above, not everyone who comes in the name of Christ is good.

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”   John 10:11-13

Backslidden

“And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.”  Luke 18:40-43

This may be a controversial post, because there are a lot of passions that play into this topic. Religious doctrine varies from person to person, and a great amount of thought and study has been put into all of them. I am writing this post because backsliding is something that I struggle with constantly. And I feel that there are many others out there who struggle with it too. But it is a topic that brings a lot of shame when it is talked about. Not from the one talking about it, but those who know that they are not living up to the life that God has given them. My friends, I’ve been in the backside boat for many years, and I do some paddling everyday. The point is that we all know where we stand with God. If you’re not as close to Him as you want to be, you already know that. If all is well, you will know that too. Personally, I am not as close to God as I would like to be. Although I think that most of us feel that way on some level.

So with that being said, let’s look at the word ”backslide”:

backslide -slid or -slidden -sliding: to lapse morally or in religious practice.

backslider n : one that backslides   

From Merriam Webster’s Dictionary.

Now that we have the definition of the word, let’s look at what it means. “To lapse morally or in religious practice”. Most of us call that stumbling in our walk. But let’s look at the word “lapse” ;

lapse n 1: a slight error 2: a fall from a higher to a lower state 3: the termination of a right or privilege through failure to meet requirements 4: a gap in the continuity of something : interruption 5: apostasy 6: a passage of time; also : interval.

lapse vb lapsed; lapsing 1: to commit apostasy 2: to sink or slip gradually 3: to go out of existence.

And just for good measure:

apostacy : a renunciation or abandonment of a former loyalty.

Let me make the following observation; Did you want to backslide? Of course not! I don’t think that anybody wants to backslide, but we do. The reason for it is that we make decisions based upon what we want to do at the moment. And before we know it, we’re looking back asking ourselves “how did I end up here?” One bad decision leads to another, and each decision has its own set of consequences.

For example, let’s say that someone is an alcoholic. One day this alcoholic realized that his or her life is a mess, and they cried out to God to deliver them. Through a series of events, God set them free from alcohol. And for a while, that person never even thought about drinking. But one day, all kinds of things happened that made life hard to deal with. It could be any number of things, but never the less, the result is the same. That person looks to alcohol as a refuge. They want to escape into “happiness” just for a little while. Just enough to numb things out a little bit so they can relax and think things through. So after some conflict in their head and heart, they cave in to the pressure, and they pick up a six-pack.

There was that one last bit of hesitation right before the bottle touched their lips, but that was quickly overcome by the thought of “it’s too late now, you’ve already bought the beer and opened it up.” So down goes the first bottle. They think “this time I will only drink in moderation”, but that didn’t work last time, and it won’t work this time either. Before they know it, they are stopping by the store every night on the way home from work. They will meet other people who drink, and late nights at the bar are a normal way of life…again. Then comes the DWI, then comes the totaled car, then comes the broken marriage. Why did this happen?

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”  Matthew 12:43-45

So we can see that the problem wasn’t that the person drank. The problem started way before that decision was ever made. The reason that the alcoholic went back to drinking was because he or she was empty. Or to put it another way, that person was hungry. When a person is hungry, they will eat. When a person is starving, they will eat anything.

So what, are we supposed to work to keep ourselves full of God? Well, we didn’t work for our salvation, and we can’t earn our right standing with God. So what is all of this “living right” stuff all about? Why do we backslide? Why do we stop doing the things that we know we need to do in order to stay clean?

For starters, God wants us to stay clean for our own good. It has nothing to do with earning our place in His mercy. He already knows you. And He knows that if you drink dirty water, you’re going to get sick! So God gives us a filter to use. But the filter has to be cleaned out from time to time. The problem is that we tend to hang on to dirty filters, and dirty filters will clog up, and no water will pour through it anymore.

Your mind is the filter, and your body is the faucet. What goes through your mind will come out through your body, (your works). We have to constantly clean out our minds with the Living Water that Jesus already gave us when we were saved. It doesn’t go away when you sin, but you wouldn’t want to take a bath in water that is meant for drinking. That’s what the Blood of Christ is for. The Blood washes away our sins, and the Living Water brings life into our spirit.

“But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.”  John 19:34

So living a clean life isn’t going to save us, but it will give us life. We we’re saved the very first time that we believed in Jesus and asked Him to save us. God didn’t say “well, I’ll save you, but first you have to go and get cleaned up”. No, He paid for our sins while we were still sinners. He forgave us before we even asked for forgiveness! So to think that we have to do something in order for God to keep forgiving us is illogical. The sin problem has been solved through the Blood of Christ 2000 years ago. There is nothing that we can do to ”fix it” more. The reason that backsliding brings us shame and conviction is because God doesn’t want us to stay there! If you were comfortable in sin, you wouldn’t want to leave! 

Just because you may be backslidden doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your salvation, because you’ve never done anything to earn it in the first place. Salvation is a free gift to us because Jesus has already paid the price. Your salvation is not performance based, because it is impossible to achieve it by works. If it were, Christ would never have had to suffer and die on a cross. God could have just given us the gift of more willpower and discipline. But He knows how we are. So He took it upon Himself to pay for every sin that has ever been committed, and every sin that will ever be committed. Including backsliding. 

How many Christians have committed suicide because they “couldn’t get it right”? Was that God’s will? Of course not! He gave us life so that we can have it more abundantly. He told us to renew our minds by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, (Romans 12). He didn’t tell us to do it for our salvation, He told us to do it so that we can live a better life. It’s like when your parents told you to eat your vegetables and take your vitamins when you were a kid (ideally). Your parents knew that you would need those things to live a stong and healthy life. By living a clean life of obeying God’s commandments, you are saving yourself the pains of living under conviction. Living under conviction will stunt your growth as a Christian, and you will never walk in victory as long as you are eating spoiled food and drinking polluted water. God want’s you to eat at a 5 star restaurant, not out of a dumpster. It’s not for His good, it’s for your own. But out of your own good, you will glorify the goodness of God.

One more thing about backsliding. We usually associate backsliding with mountains. But Jesus said that with faith, mountains can disappear into the sea, (Matthew 17:20). And if you do find yourself losing your footing, just remember that God would never tell you to climb a mountain without the proper safety gear, like a rope that has been anchored into the mountain to keep you from falling all the way down. Yes, you may have to climb up a ways to get back where you were, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not on the mountain anymore.      

 

 

Judged, or condemned?

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.”   Romans 3:19-27

When I stay at a friend’s house, I like to earn my keep. I clean up after myself, I help out with the chores, and I like to cook for them too. I’m one of those people who feels uncomfortable when other people are serving me. But when friends stay with me, I want to serve them. I don’t want them to do the dishes or cook my supper.

As you may be able to see, I struggle with the balance between faith and works. One day I’ll rest in the grace of God, and another day I’ll be trying to earn my keep in His kingdom. But as we can clearly see from the above Scripture, keeping the law can’t save anyone, because nobody can keep the law good enough to earn God’s favor.

But I do find myself trying very hard, and failing miserably. It’s like when somebody does something nice for me, I need to return the favor, even though that person never asked for anything in return. Or to put it another way, when somebody gives you a birthday present, it’s expected that you will give them a present on their birthday. Even though that person never said, “I can’t wait to see what you’re going to get me for my birthday!”

But how can we repay God for giving us eternal life through the sacrifice of His only Son? It can’t be done! And God knows that! The only thing that He asks for in return is to believe in Him and what He’s done for us through Christ.

Now let’s imagine that God did want us to repay Him for His love. What would it take? Would we have to sacrifice our own children to Him? God forbid! But that would be a logical thought since He sacrificed His own Son for us. But God forbids such action. Not to mention, the very thought of doing such a thing would make any loving parent sick. It goes against everything being a parent stands for. We love our children, and we will do anything to keep them from getting hurt. And that brings me to the point of this post.

When I would stumble in my walk, I used to feel intense failure and judgment. I would beat myself up over it, and avoid God out of shame. He gave me this life that I don’t deserve, and I messed it all up…again. If I was God, I would’ve been done with me a long time ago! But thank God that I’m not. He has shown me nothing but mercy and grace. Yes, He has put me in my place on several occasions, but that’s because I was being a brat. But has He judged me? Am I under His judgment? well, in short, we all are:

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  John 3:18

Jesus put’s judgment in two categories, condemned and not condemned. Those who believe on Him are not condemned, but those who believe not are condemned already. So what part of us believes in Jesus? It’s not our eyes because they’ve never seen Him. It’s not our hands because they’ve never touched Him. It’s not our ears because they’ve never heard Him. Yes, we have seen, heard, and felt Jesus, but it wasn’t with our flesh. It was by the Holy Spirit. It is this same Holy Spirit that lives within us.

“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”  John 3:13

Our flesh can’t live in the presence of God. But God is with us. How can this be? Because God came to us! In the scripture above, Jesus said that people can’t reach God. Plain and simple. But God can reach us. That’s why He came down from heaven. You see, it’s not our works that gets us closer to God, it’s Gods works that gets Him closer to us!

So did you see God coming? I mean, when you got saved, did you see God coming, or was He already there? Most of us tend to think that we reached out for Him and He showed up. But given the revelation that God reached for us first kind of shakes things up a little doesn’t it? Let’s use another example:

“Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto hom, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank therof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  John 4:6-14

We can learn a lot from this Scripture, but I am going to continue on the subject of God reaching us, not us reaching God. First off, we notice that Jesus was on a journey. Where was He going? He was going to Galilee, but I think that He had an appointment with the woman at the well. Notice that Jesus was already at the well, sitting down. He knew that the woman was going to be there, but the woman had no idea that God was sitting on the well that she was going to on her routine “sixth hour water run”. She was shocked when Jesus asked her for a drink of water, and she didn’t even know who He was! She couldn’t even get over the fact that a Jew was talking to her, because “the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans”.

So we can see that Jesus went to the woman first, even though she had no idea that He was waiting for her. Then He talked to her first, asking her for a drink of water. She questioned His authority by asking if He was greater than Jacob. But Jesus told her about the living water. She didn’t know what He was talking about, but it sounded good, and she wanted some. If you continue reading in your own Bible, you will notice that Jesus pointed out her sin, but then Jesus told her about His plan for salvation, and how it would be possible for all people to know God. And then the woman said in so many words that she knows that God will show up someday, but Jesus told her: “I that speak unto thee am he.” (John 4:26).

Did the Samaritan woman see God coming? No. Was she judged? Yes. Was she condemned? No, because she believed in Jesus and what He said. I believe that the same thing happens to us. When the topic of judgment comes up, we all groan a bit. It’s not an uplifting topic. But the truth of the matter is that we know when we’re wrong. But if you noticed from the story of the woman at the well, it wasn’t until Jesus pointed out her sins that she started to believe.

The Bible doesn’t say that she got punished for her sins. It says that she spread the word about Jesus and many in her area became believers. However, I do believe that after her encounter with Jesus, she probably made a few lifestyle changes.

This is a topic that will probably be brought up again. But for now, understand that there is a judgment that we all face. But that doesn’t mean that we’re all condemned. The flesh will perish, that we know. But the spirit lives forever. If your mind is in the flesh, you will suffer loss when it dies. But if your mind is in the spirit, you will enjoy everlasting life when the confines of the flesh fall away. Just keep in mind that we can never face God in this flesh, it must come off before we can hug Jesus!

The Net

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of  men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him.

And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. And immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him.”  Matthew 4:18-22

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “net”? Is it something that will ensnare you, or is it something that will catch you if you fall? These days when someone says “the net”, most people would assume that person is talking about the Internet.

Here are some definitions of the word “net” from Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary:

net n 1. : a meshed fabric twisted, knotted, or woven together at regular intervals 2. : a device made all or partly of net and used esp. to catch birds, fish, or insects 3. : something made of net used esp. for protecting, confining, carrying, or dividing 4. : an entrapping device or situation : SNARE, TRAP 5. Internet.

There is also another definition:

net adj : free from all charges or deductions.

We’ve all heard someone say “I hit rock bottom”, meaning that things couldn’t get worse. But usually when you hear someone say that, they’re doing better. Maybe the “rock” that they hit was God’s net. To put it another way, God’s not going to let you fall further than you can come back from. He catches us before we get to the point of no return. Yes it hurts to “hit bottom”, but you have to ask yourself how fast were you falling? Water is so soft that you will sink in it, but if you hit it fast, it will shatter you.

I can’t count how many times I’ve ended up in Gods net. But I’m sure glad that it’s there! I’ve met a lot of people who were also in the net when I was there. Unfortunately, many of those people didn’t know that they were in Gods net. They just called it “rock bottom”. But think about it, if you’re at the bottom, the only way to look is up.

When you hit bottom, you’re broken. But that’s how you need to be when you come to God. You can’t be in the presence of God without being humbled. So when the pride is broken off from your life, it will fall through the holes in the net. You see, the holes are too small for you to fall through, but anything extra will be broken off and sifted like sand through a screen. If you’ve landed in God’s net, it’s because you’ve reached the end of your rope. When you have nothing else to hold on to, God’s net is always there to catch you.

Now there is a bottom after falling through God’s net. It’s called hell. If you don’t have the Cross covering your life, you will fall through the holes. Back in my partying days, I overdosed and I almost died. In fact, I think that I did die for a little while. But I didn’t see a tunnel of light, or angels on clouds, or anything for that matter. I saw eternal darkness. I “watched” myself being erased into oblivion. I was being absorbed into a chaotic sort of black static. It was horrible. I was trying to cry out to God to save me, but I had absolutely nothing to say that would keep me from being consumed by this black fire. I’ve read the Bible, I’ve listened to pastors, I’ve read books, but none of it made a difference. I couldn’t even recall what I knew! But there was one word I knew that could save me, so I cried out “Jesus”! From that moment I started to come back to life. When I woke up, I was a different person.

If I didn’t call upon the name of Jesus, I would have died and gone to hell. I would have left my best friends house in a body bag. My friends and family would comfort each other by saying that I was in Heaven, when in fact I would’ve been in hell. What I knew in life couldn’t save me, what I did in life couldn’t save me either. I could have fed every starving child in the world and it wouldn’t have done me one bit of good where I was at. It was only the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ that saved me. And that my friends, is God’s net.

Devolution

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.”  Colossians 1:12-13

One day, everything that we know is going to be challenged. People are going to believe that the “missing link” has been found on a spaceship. And this “missing link” is going to “reveal” all of the answers that mankind has been searching for, and it will cause us to evolve. People are going to say that we were made by aliens, and the whole “God mystery” will be solved. They’re going to say that we used to be apes until the aliens came and played with our DNA making us human. They’re going to say that the Bible is just a metaphor, and now that we know the “truth”, we won’t be needing it anymore. And everyone who continues to read it and believe in God will be seen as inferior people who refuse to evolve. Therefore we will have to be purged so that the human race can move on.

If you understand what I just wrote, than thank God! Because it means that you are a partaker of the inheritance of the saints of light, and you have been delivered from the power of darkness. That makes you one of the elect who will not be deceived. When this delusion comes, remember this Scripture:

“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him. And he is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”  Colossians 1:16-17

Now pair that with Ephesians 6:10-12:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

God made all of the things that we fight against. But it also says that He is before all things, meaning that they too must answer to Him. If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering why God made these evil things for us to fight against in the first place? Well, for starters the Scripture says that “all things were created by Him, and for Him”. It didn’t say that they were created for us. My personal opinion is that we wouldn’t have to worry about them at all if we didn’t know both good and evil. (Genesis 3:5). I believe that after Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they were transformed from a spirit with a body, into a body with a spirit. In other words, they became flesh minded and therefore became under the rule of the god of the flesh world, Satan. Only God can control the powers of darkness, because He made them. He knows exactly how to deal with them. But the powers of darkness are way over our heads, we don’t know how to deal with them. That’s why God tells us to rely on Him to deal with them. Mans puny little brain is no match for such powers. Yes we can rebuke them, yes we can bind them, but it’s only through the power of Jesus Christ. If He didn’t give us the authority to do that, we wouldn’t be able to stand against anything. That also proves that Jesus is the Son of God. If Jesus gave us the authority to cast out demons, it’s because He too has the authority. And He wouldn’t have the authority if He wasn’t God. Since God created them, He is the only one who has authority over them.

This upcoming “age of enlightenment” was orchestrated thousands of years ago. The indoctrination of the theory of evolution is just part of this satan’s plan to be God, but he can only rule over dead things. So in order to rule over a human, the life-giving knowledge of God must be removed. Since it is by faith that we are saved, satan has to discredit the existence of God all together, even though he knows good and well that God exists. That’s why satan is the father of lies. Satan is going to replace mankind’s God-given spirit with intelligence. Let me explain that; We know God through the spirit right? Since God is a spirit, He must be worshiped in spirit (John 4:24). But the mind is carnal, it is a part of the flesh, and it wars against the spirit (Galatians 5:17). If somebody is considered to be very smart, he or she is called brilliant, (don’t forget that Lucifer means “light bringer”). So if somebody is super smart, they won’t even think about spiritual things because it would be illogical.

“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not Got, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” 1 Corinthians 21

Or:

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” 1 Corinthians 27

If somebody thinks that he or she knows it all, they won’t be humble enough to ever find God. It’s human nature to think that we can learn it all, and ego is the enemy of God. Let’s say that you knew everything there was to know, how would you act? Would it make you a humble person knowing that you were smarter than everyone else? What if you watched people make countless errors because they wouldn’t listen to you, how would you react? If you knew that everyone in the world was stupid, would you still try to save them even if it meant destroying the planet? Would you bring yourself down to their level so that they could understand you, knowing that they would kill you for it? Would you love everyone just the same even if they hated you? Would you save somebody who curses your name on a daily basis? You see, that’s why we’re not God. We are incapable of it. Can you see why God is holy? How great is He to do all of these things for us? How great is He to humble Himself down to our level, even to the point of serving us?

Satan says become great so that people will serve you, but God says that to be great, you must serve others.

Here For Such A Time As This

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fouls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”  Matthew 6:25-34

We are about to enter into some very scary times, the world as we know it is about to pass away. It’s easy to be afraid, its human nature. But we have been put here by God for such a time as this. God could have put us anywhere, at any time.

 As you look up at the night sky, you will see the stars. Each star has been put in its place by God. He knew exactly where He would hang each star when He made them. And since there are countless stars, why would we doubt His precision for our own lives? When He made us, He knew exactly where He wanted to put us in both time and space. He made 1800′s people for the 1800′s. He gave them what it took to live in the 1800′s. Likewise, He made end time people for the end times. He gave us what it takes to live in the end times. In other words, you don’t plant corn in December. 

I believe that the tribulation period is a time of purging. Whatever comes between you and God will be taken away. If money comes before God, it will be taken away. If food comes before God, it will be taken away. If your own comfort comes before God, you guessed it, you will be uncomfortable. To those who don’t know Jesus and have a relationship with Him, it will be judgment. To those who do know Jesus, it will be a time of amazing spiritual growth. We will see the power of God like we never have before. 

We tend to see the future as a bleak and terrible time, but we forget that God has good things for us, even in the face of tribulation. Gods power doesn’t go away when times get tough, in fact it gets stronger. Think about it, when do most people seek God? When times are tough right? When we’re uncertain about the future, when we’re scared, when we’re alone. When we realize that everything is not o.k., that’s when we run to God. So if that’s what it takes for people to turn to God, guess what? things are not going to be o.k.

But what about those of us who already turn to God whether times are good or bad? Well, that’s when our work here really begins. Don’t forget, God put us here for this time. Our lives have been all about getting ready for this time. If your life has been full of hatred and despair, and God has set you free from those things, you will teach others how to love and hope. If your life has consisted of staying drunk and high, then you will teach others how to be sober. If you were promiscuous, you will teach people to be faithful. If you were paralyzed with fear, you will teach people to be strong. If you were depressed, you will teach people how to find joy. 

When we go through bad times, God will be there. We can prepare all we want, but it won’t save us. Only God can do that. The best way to prepare for what is coming is to learn how to trust God with everything. God gave the Israelites food and water in the desert for 40 years! They couldn’t have brought that much food from Egypt. And what about their clothes? Well lets just say that there wasn’t millions of Jews walking around naked in the wilderness. How long do you think it took Noah and his family to plant crops after a worldwide flood? If I remember correctly, they stayed on that boat for a lot longer than 40 days. 

One more point that I would like to make is this; good always overcomes evil. Yes the evil of mankind will overwhelm the world, but the glory of God will blow it away with a shout and a trumpet blast! For every bad thing that we experience, God will give us something 3 times better after it. Even to the point to where we forget about those bad things! One day our Heavenly Father will say, “Old things have passed away. Behold! I have made everything new!” Can you imagine? From all of this dirt and grime, pain and suffering, a new and perfect world! Think about the good things that are coming after the bad. And yes, our Father has very good things in store for us! 

“Teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”.  Matthew 28:20   

You’re here for a reason. God put you here to help with the harvest. It may not seem like it now, but when things look like they’re at their worst, you’ll feel the presence of God in a major way! You will be full of the Holy Spirit, and through Him you will do things that you never knew were possible! If the tribulation is for calling people to God, who will be His voice? 

       

The Writing On The Wall

“Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem ; and the king, and his princes, his wives and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished”  Daniel 4:3-9

There is a lot going on in the world today. Things are rapidly changing for the worse, but people don’t seem to realize it. Here in America, we have many blessings. As of right now we can still buy the things that we need, and we live a pretty comfortable life. But just like the king in the Scripture above, Americans worship the gods of money and material things. We have taken the holy things of God (blessings) and used them for riotous living. We have changed the Word of God to suit our own desires, taking for granted the grace that He has given us. There is no fear of God in this nation, but we are subject to His wrath just the same. While we live a lifestyle of self servitude, we are unaware that the hand of God is already at work.

Notice that the king was having a good time right up until he saw the hand writing something on the wall. What the hand was writing was already there, and even though he stopped partying (out of fear), it was too late. The judgment of God was already there in writing. We’re on a course heading for that same fate. In fact, the writing is already on the wall. Let’s take a look at what the writing on the wall said to the king of Babylon. If you’re not familiar with the story, the wise men told the king that Daniel was a man of God, (in so many words). So the king summoned Daniel to read the writing on the wall. Here’s what Daniel said:

“O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like an oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and the writing was written. And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”  Daniel 4:18-28

By the way, king Belshazzar was killed that same night.

Personally, I see this as being a warning for our own country. This nation was founded upon God, but it has since become a prideful nation that has based its foundation on its wealth (silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone). We’re embracing evil things as good, and rejecting the good things as evil.

As I’m sure that you know, it’s hard to walk in Babylon. Yes we can go to church and have some kind of a “Christian experience”, but what about the drive home? If you turn on the TV when you get home, what do you see? When you’re at work, (if you’re fortunate enough to have a job), are you the same person you were when you went to church? Let’s say that you’re not a church person, but you try to live a holy life according to God’s will, do you fall daily? (I do).

What if you’re just partying your way through life right now? If God were to tap you on the shoulder and say “Wake Up!”, would you be able to hear Him? I saw a man a couple of weeks ago who was very intoxicated. He was sitting in his car (while it was running), totally passed out. He parked in front of the door where I work after hitting something the night before. When we opened for business, I tried to wake him up by tapping on the window. He didn’t respond so I opened the door and said “Hey! Wake up”. But still, he didn’t respond. So I tapped him on the shoulder while still saying ”Hey! Wake up!”. But still, no response. I shook him, but nothing seemed to work. I could smell the alcohol on him, so I turned off the car and took the keys. This guy had no business driving. By this time my manager had called the police. When they got there, they did the same things that I did trying to wake him up. But still, the man wouldn’t wake up. So they called an ambulance. The man had to be pulled out of his car, put on a stretcher, and taken to the hospital.

The man came back for his car 3 hours later, still very intoxicated.

That was a true story. And it shows the condition of our country. You see, that man is a soldier in the U.S. Army. I read his dog tags when I was trying to wake him up. I’m guessing that he was on leave.

So here’s what the writing on the wall says; This nation is about to suffer the loss of her riches. The land will be divided, and the people will suffer. The whole time God will be trying to wake us up. But people will just keep hitting the snooze button until it’s too late. Notice that the Scripture says that the wise men were confounded. They had no idea what the writing on the wall said. Only a man of God was able to read it. People will flock to the “experts” looking for answers. But they will not find any.

While this country sleeps in the comforts of ignorance, the hand is writing on the wall. I fear that by the time we wake up, we will already be on the stretcher.

This thing is a lot bigger than any of us can imagine, but God is bigger than anything that comes against us. God told Lot to flee Sodom before it was destroyed, I believe that He is telling us to stop depending on this country and start depending on Him. When this nation gets shaken to its core, where will you want your feet to be? On the sand, or on the rock? The same hand that is writing on the wall is pointing you in the right direction.

Something From Nothing

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”  Genesis 1:2

What could you offer to God? What would it take to make God happy with you? If God were to ask you “Why should I accept you?” what would you say?

It’s a hard and humbling thing to admit that you don’t have anything to offer. I know that it was for me. The sad part is that I actually tried to think of something! Of course I ended up standing naked before God…with empty hands, and no words to say. What could I possibly offer to the God who created all that is? After all, everything already belongs to Him. And to make matters worse, in the presence of God, there is nothing good in me.

“And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”  Matthew 19:17  

So to sum it all up, I’m a dark and empty vessel. But that’s exactly what God is looking for. If you read Genesis 1:2, you’ll notice that God created the world from something that was void and without form, covered in darkness! Yes, God made something out of nothing! That’s how He works, because only God can do that! 

When we act on faith, we are believing in something that isn’t yet there as if it were. For example:

“And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”  Luke 8:47-48

The woman in the story wanted healing, but she didn’t have it. She spent all of her money on physicians, but none of them could help her. The only way that she was able to get healed was by her faith in Jesus. She didn’t have anything to offer Him, and yet she was healed just because she believed. Faith is a gift from God. But people who don’t have a need rarely use it. 

Whenever you hear about a prideful person, they are said to be “full of themselves”. So how is God going to fill a vessel that is already full? If we’re full of greed, lust, envy, etc… there is no room for the good stuff that God wants to give us! That’s why God wants us to be humble when we come to him. He makes something out of nothing! When we go to Him with nothing to offer but a broken life and an empty heart, He will bring life from that.   

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:”  1 Corinthians 1:27-28

You see, we have to go to Him with empty hands…so that we can receive what God wants to give us. That’s how God is. He doesn’t want gifts from us, He wants to give us stuff! He wants us to have the life that only He can make…from nothing.