A Cranky Old Man

If you study the basic characteristics of people, you will find there are four different temperaments.  Mine happens to be the melancholy type.  Being a melancholy means I'm a little sensitive about certain things in life.  Maybe pensive might be the right word ... giving thought to, and pondering God's care over the past 69 years of my life.

So ... today, feeling a little melancholy, I thought I would post something different, something sensitive to my heart.  Aging ... the process of growing old.  But don't worry, I'm not depressed about the process because I'm just that much closer to seeing Jesus.  And the older I get, it becomes easier for me to understand how an old man can look back on his life and reminisce about past events.

What I'm going to share today is not mine.  It's been around for over 40 years or so.  You may have already read it.  If you have, it won't hurt to read it again.  It was supposedly written by a lonely old man in a nursing home where he spent his last days alone with his memories before he died.  At least this is how I recall the story that came with it.

I found this prose-poem entitled ... "A Cranky Old Man."  I don't know if he was cranky.  Maybe he was; but in the end I think he just finally gave up knowing his life had been full and it was time.

The author relates his life from the perspective of an elderly man whose nurses just perceive him as a cranky old man who needs constant care ... rather than the man he was or the life he lived before they knew him.
 
Take notice of the last line he writes, but not until you read what he says ahead of it.

                                                             ~~~~~~~~


"What do you see nurses?  What do you see?  What are you thinking when you're looking at me?  A cranky old man, not very wise, uncertain of habit with faraway eyes; who dribbles his food and makes no reply when you say in a loud voice, I wish you would try! 

Who seems not to notice the things that you do.  And forever is losing a sock or shoe?  Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will, with bathing and feeding the long day to fill.  Is that what you're thinking?  Is that what you see?  Then open your eyes nurse, you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still, as I do at your bidding, as I eat at your will.  I'm a small child of Ten, with a father and mother, brothers and sisters who love one another.  A young boy of Sixteen with wings on his feet, dreaming that soon now a lover he'll meet.

A groom soon at Twenty, my heart gives a leap.  Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.  At Twenty-Five, now I have young of my own, who need me to guide and secure happy home.  A man of Thirty, my young now grown fast, bound to each other with ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons have grown and are gone, but my woman is beside me to see I don't mourn.  At Fifty, once more babies play 'round my knee; again, we know children, my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me, my wife is now dead.  I look at the future, I shudder with dread;  for my young are all rearing young of their own.  I think of the years and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man and nature is cruel.  It's jest to make old age look like a fool.  The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart.  There is now a stone where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass, a young man still dwells, and now and again my battered heart still swells.  I remember the joys, I remember the pain, and I'm loving and living life over again.

I think of the years, all too few, gone too fast, and accept the stark fact, that nothing can last.  So open your eyes people, open and see, not a cranky old man ... 

Look closer ... see ME."

                                                              ~~~~~~~~


After reading what this old man had to say about his life ... I'm feeling kind of mortal ...  because we are mortal.  You know, it's in the Book ... we are appointed to die and after that, the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

But I'm blessed.  Unlike this old man, I still have my loving wife beside me.  And I'm not really all that old yet ... but I'm getting there. 

Selah

I've read this word hundreds of times in the Psalms over the past 50 years or so.  It's placed 71 times there for a reason.  I really don't know if all of the psalms were put to music, but many were. 

I wasn't aware that I was pronouncing it wrong, until I looked up the pronunciation for it.  I was saying ... "See'-la" ... which isn't quite right.  I still have a problem trying to pronounce it properly.  Selah is pronounced ... "Seh'-law."  It's just plain hard for me to say correctly.

I was going to write about "Trusting God" when this word caught my attention.  Here's what I was reading ...

Psalms 46:1-3 ... "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.  Selah."

Before looking at these three verses, I needed to find out why this word Selah was placed where it was.  This particular psalm was written for music.  Evidently, the first three verses were to be sung together before taking a pause, with a suspension of the music between the third and forth verses.

The word "Selah" means just that ... "a pause" ... in both, the music and singing.  Perhaps this was to give the singers a breath, and those hearing it, a moment for reflection.

The psalmist is boldly proclaiming the fact that "God is our refuge and strength ..." amidst the storm, the shaking of our personal world, the destruction of dreams that tries to shatter our faith.  When the tempest comes ... take a breath and pause ... but we do not suspend our song because of it.  We are in no hurry because ...

If God is our refuge and strength, then we can sit down and wait while the earth dissolves, the mountains shake, and the oceans roar all around us.  It really is about ... trusting God ... what I started to write about.

God is our refuge and strength ... not our armies or vaunted impregnable fortresses.  We don't want to forget the personal possessive word ... "our" ... and make sure He is your personal refuge to run to in times of trouble.  In fact, that might be a good way to start each day ... by confessing with your mouth, "God is my refuge and my strength."

Now I want to expand on some of the words in this psalm.  The word refuge means "a shelter you can trust."  Notice it's tied to the word strength; and as used here implies "security."

God is also a very present help ... this phrase suggests "intensive present aid" or so He has been found to be.  He is close, and ready to aid; in fact ... God is more present than even the trouble itself.

Therefore ... the psalmist uses this word many times throughout this book.  When the word therefore begins a new thought, it usually means ... because of what has just been said.    

In this case it is because God is present with us; therefore we need not worry or fear about what is going on around us.  Let the worst come, whatever that may be;  God will still remain faithful ... "though the earth be removed."

When bad things happen to good people, when life's trouble shows up on your doorstep and tries to disturb your peace ... faith smiles on ... serenely, peacefully, calmly and untroubled.

Selah ... take a breath and pause ... God is our refuge and strength.

God alone, all by Himself ... without any help from anyone, made this earth and formed man ... so I believe He knows what it takes to care for each one of us.  God doesn't go on vacation and never needs a break from His work.  Therefore He can and will be there when we need Him. 

It's in the Book. 

Our Flesh ... Aaaggghhhh!!!

 
Does your flesh ever give you trouble?  Mine does.  The flesh doesn't like the word ... wait, or no, not now.  It wants instant gratification.  Why can't the flesh wait?  It's like, no ... I want it now!  But I'm learning slowly.

Have you ever seen these spoiled little brats out in public, screaming uncontrollably at their mother, throwing a temper tantrum because they can't get their way?  Makes you just want to go over and slap both the kid and the mom ... the kid for acting that way, and the mom for letting him act that way. 

Do you suppose God looks at us the same way we look at these unruly brats and want to slap us once in a while?  Couldn't blame Him if He did.

It's a good thing I'm not God.  This world would be a different place.  There would be a whole lot fewer people you would have to mess with.

Most of us can identify with the Apostle Paul in at least this one way ... desiring to live a life that is pleasing to God.  Isn't that what most believers want to do?  Yet we fail, don't we.  Not in all things though.  But it's a slow growing process. 

As the old seventeenth century French monk, Nicholas Herman once said ... "One does not become holy all at once."

Back to Paul ... he was the man who was caught up to heaven (2nd Corinthians 12:4) and was told things not lawful to speak about.  He was also the man who wrote half of the New Testament.  Even so ... this man Paul states that he is just like we are ... a human that had to battle his flesh.  Aaaggghhhh! 

That means even though his heart and will had been changed by the Holy Spirit, his flesh still wanted what his old nature wanted.  That means, yes ... he still sinned.  He speaks about this in Romans 7:15-21. 

If you will allow me ... I want to replace Paul's words with my words, my own interpretation of them as I try to grasp and get a hold on what he is saying.  This is what I understand this portion of scripture is saying.

"The bad or wrong things that I do, I don't want to do and continually try to stop them; and the good things I want to do, I don't always do; but those things I hate, that's what I end up doing. 
But it's really not me who does these things, but rather it's the sin nature that dwells in my flesh.
I know that there is nothing good in my natural flesh … but my spirit, heart and will to do good is present inside of me … but I can't find how to make my flesh perform the good that my spirit has willed me to do.
The good that I want to do, I don't do; but the evil I don't want to do, that's what I often do.
Now if I do the evil that I don't want to do; it's not really me still doing it; it's the sin nature left within me.
What I have found then is a natural law … when I want to do good, the sin nature is always present in my flesh."

When Paul said … "it is no more I that do it" … he is explaining that since he did not approve of what his flesh did, but rather hated what he did, and "willed" the contrary, it was no longer he that performed the evil deed.

He explains … it was the "sin that dwelleth in me" … the old natural man, the carnal man; it was the evil sin nature that was still present in him rising up.  It was the law of sin which not only still existed in him, but dwelt in him, was at home in his flesh, and worked evil in him at times, as it does in all of us and will as long as we are in the body of flesh.  

That's why he said … "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing."  The man of flesh never gets saved, nor can he.  It is your "will" ... your spiritual heart that the Holy Spirit changes ... not your flesh.  

I'm sure you have heard it said that the real you ... is the eternal spirit ... that lives inside of your body.  It's been called your soul, your heart, your spirit man, etc.  That's the part that gains salvation and is changed, the born again spirit within.

Well, I'm here to tell you, that ... the flesh ... is just as much the real you, as is that spirit man within.  They are connected.  When God breathed life into Adam's flesh, he became a living soul.  It took both.  Not just flesh.  Not just spirit. 

We are not "spooks" trapped inside of a body.  God already had spirit beings in heaven.  He wanted someone with a warm body of flesh.  And a heart of flesh ... and all the problems that comes with both being together ... because He can fix all the problems.  I don't understand everything I know.  I'm not here to explain how and why God did what He did.  I except it for what it is.

So, where does that leave us?  Well, with our changed heart and soul, and our fallen, carnal natural flesh ... all in the same package ... we do battle once and a while don't we.  But even so ...

God loves us ... as we are.

Knowing God's Nature and Will

Who is God?  What's He like?  What's His nature and character?  Well, I'm no theologian, but the most common answer given is ... love.  According to what I have found by studying the Word of God, everything God has ever done, was and still is based on this one principle ... God's love for us.

His nature is love.  That's who He is.  God loves His creation.  He proved that when He sent Jesus to be our Savior and take our sin upon Himself on the cross.  We know a little bit about Jesus from the writings of those who saw Him and walked with Him while He was on the earth.  But what about God Himself ... the one who sent His Son to die in our place ... what do we know about Him?

God is our maker, redeemer and keeper.  God didn't just lower Himself to our level, although He did just that with Jesus, but rather His goal was and is to raise us up to be with Him.  We can rely on the nature and integrity of His character ... being full of confidence that His love is unchanging. 

When you know that your present, your future, your health, your life, and your destiny, depends totally on God's ability ... not yours ... then you can rest in Him and can willingly place all these things into the hands of a God who loves you and is deeply committed to you.

God is consistent in His nature but He is also unpredictable.  You never know what God is going to do next; but you always know … what He is going to be like.

Did you know that God keeps secrets?  You do know that God doesn't tell you everything, right?

Deuteronomy 29:29 … "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

When we look at this text we see a distinction is made between the secret things and the revealed things; or one could speak of it as ... the hidden will and the revealed will of God for us. 

God has not revealed everything that could possibly be known about Himself or all His intentions concerning the world.  So those unrevealed hidden things ... those things that He has purposely chosen not to reveal to us, the "secret things" refer to what has been called ... "the hidden will of God."

But at the same time we are not left totally in the dark as though God has not told us anything about Himself or His "will" for our lives.

When most people speak about the will of God they are talking about the "revealed" will of God called the "Decretive" will.  This decretive will of God is that which God Sovereignly brings to pass … He decrees it so.  It has also been called the absolute will of God because it will absolutely come to pass.  When God Sovereignly decrees something … it must come to pass.

There is also what is called the "Preceptive" will of God.  The decretive will of God … cannot be resisted … it must happen.  The preceptive will of God … can be resisted … it's our choice.  It refers to what God wants you to do, the things or lifestyle that is revealed in His Word as to how you should conduct your life.  You perceive God's will, but you don't have to obey; you can resist it if you want.  You shouldn't ... but you can as a free moral agent.

And then there are the secret things of God, spoken of in Deuteronomy 29:29, which are ... "the hidden will of God."

The first thing you must understand about the hidden will of God is that … it is hidden.  Unless you can read God's mind it will stay hidden.  All you can do is read God's word; but even then the Word only gives you God's … "revealed will."

God will not tell us everything or answer every question we have.  Some things remain hidden from us.  God may have a secret plan for your life that's none of your business; but at the same time He may be directing your path step by step.  We all want to know the future, what's ahead for us; but it is best if it's left in God's hands.  Our end is only for God to know; that is His business not ours. 

"The secret things belong unto the LORD …" they are not our possessions, they are not ours; they belong only to God.  This is why the secret things, the hidden things of God, even His unrevealed plans for us, don't belong to us; they are not our property, they are God's.  And so are we.

"… but those things which are revealed belong unto us …" God has taken some of His willed plans for us and revealed them to us through the Word of God.

I've come to the conclusion that God doesn't follow any set rules.  God can and will do whatever He pleases, whenever He pleases.  He may do one thing one time, and something totally different another time.  But know this, it's always done out of His love for us. 

We are within His loving care ... and are now living in the days of grace.  There are no good days or bad days.  There are only days full of grace.  Some days the grace of God allows you to enjoy what is happening.  And some days the grace of God allows you to endure what is happening.

Many times God allows in His wisdom what His power could prevent.  Even so, enjoy the grace that is present with you each day.  The grace of God is going to come to you each day and bring with it … the nature of God … that you might know Him, rest in Him, move in Him, worship Him and represent Him.

You are perfect for God.  He is going to make you … perfect in His nature … stamping the image of Jesus on you.

 

Another Look At Faith

Part of my quest today is for an answer to a question that in the scheme of things most people would say is of little importance.  Did God use faith when He created the universe?  Does it matter whether or not He used faith to do His work?  Since nothing is impossible with God, did faith even enter into the equation?  
    
Hebrews 11:3 ... "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." 

Is this scripture saying, "Through (God's) faith the worlds were framed?"  Or is it speaking of our faith? 

The general consensus is that the writer of Hebrews is clarifying that it's ... "through (our) faith we understand" ... that God made the worlds from something other than what we now see.  From nothing.  Which is why we need faith to understand that all God had to do was speak, and it was.    

I do agree with this scripture in Hebrews, and here as well in Psalms 33:6 that states  ... "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made ..."  In Psalms the translation from Hebrew to English is correct, with the meaning of "word" being ... a spoken thing, a cause.  God spoke and His words caused creation to happen. 

But so far, faith is not mentioned as part of the cause.  God alone is the cause.  If God is God, He has need of nothing, including needing faith to operate.  Man needs faith because we are not all powerful like God is.  Man needs help ... a lot of help.

I want to look at God Himself for a moment and what men have said about Him ...

God is a spirit, invisible, without body or parts, infinite in being and perfection, having no limits or boundaries in space, time or knowledge.  He is almighty, but loving, merciful and long suffering.  God is immutable (not subject to change), immense, eternal, and absolute ... His word being final.    

God is all-sufficient in and of Himself, self-governing with all authority and power over all creatures He created.  He answers to no one.  All things are open, naked and revealed to Him.  He is infallible (incapable of failure or error), and independent (free from external control); so as nothing to Him is uncertain or contingent on circumstances.

As the Creator of all things, God upholds, directs, disposes, and governs … all … creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest event to the least.  And this is the short list of God's attributes.

Therefore ... since God has no limits and can do anything, my answer as to whether God needs faith to act on anything He chooses to do is ... no.  But faith is necessary for man to even believe in God because for most of us ... God is incomprehensible without it.     

If faith is necessary for man to believe, and it is, where do we get this faith?

In the Apostle Paul's letter to the believers in Rome, he starts off by saying that he's not ashamed to preach the gospel because the power of God is ... "revealed from faith to faith" ... from the one speaking to the one hearing.  (Romans 1:16-17)

A little later Paul makes this statement ... "Faith comes by hearing the word of God."  (Romans 10:17, edited)  Simply hearing the word of God produces faith ... a belief in God ... if you receive what you hear.

Paul continues in his letter and says in Romans 12:3 ... "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."  Literally, God gives each believer ... a degree of faith.  Whether the portion given to each man is the same, I cannot tell from this verse.

After we hear the word of God, and the faith God gives us begins to grow ... a change takes place.  Faith many times replaces sight.  Paul put it this way in 2nd Corinthians 5:7 ... "We walk by faith, not by sight."  Things may look bad, but faith says ... God will get us through it.

To walk speaks of our life, our conduct as we journey through this present seen world, believing in those things which we do not see.  To walk by faith, and not by sight ... is to live in the confident expectation of things that are to come; walking in the belief of the existence of those unseen realities, and allowing faith in them to influence us as if ... they were seen.

Why is faith important?  Because the battle is real. 

In 1st Timothy 6:12, Paul instructs his young assistant to ... "Fight the good fight of faith, (and) lay hold on eternal life."

A believer's life is in a state of constant warfare against ... the things of this life, temptations to sin, Satan, false teachers, false doctrines, and physical afflictions such as sickness and disease.  "Lay hold on eternal life" ... salvation is a gift ... not a right.  Jesus paid for it, but you must receive it by faith.  Paul is saying to seize it, hold on to it, and not let life wrestle it from you.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:12 that "the kingdom of heaven ... is taken by force."  The example used here may be of cities plundered and taken by force in war ... therefore men should pursue salvation with all they have with-in them, and lay hold of Jesus ... just as Jacob did when he wrestled with God and would not let Him go.  (Genesis 32:24-30)

You have heard ... "the just shall live by faith" ... (Hebrews 10:38.)  Do you know why it is necessary to live by faith? 

Because the life we now live at this present time, is not eternal life.  We're not there yet.  We will live that life someday, but right now, this life takes faith ... in Christ ... not in or of ourselves.  We have all been given a portion of faith.  So ...

Take another look at faith ... and then walk and live in it.

Are You For Us Or Against Us

To man there is nothing as unreasonable in the world as the walk that is set before us in the Word of God ... the walk of faith.  There is likewise nothing that exposes us to the hatred of the prince of this world as this walk of faith.  Joshua was so exposed when God instructed him to cross the Jordan River and take the Land of Promise by conquest.

That land was the land of giants and fortified cities.

The Book of Joshua begins with God reminding Joshua of the promises He gave Moses ... that every place the sole of his foot shall tread, God has given to him.  "As I was with Moses, I will be with you: I will not fail you, nor forsake you.  Be strong and courageous ... to observe to do according to all the law ... let it not depart out of thy mouth ... turn not from it to the right or the left and you shall prosper wherever you go."

So Joshua and all the people that will become the nation of Israel cross the river into Canaan believing God will give them the promised land.  But the kingdom must be taken by force. 

Joshua is preparing for battle, and is out in the plains by Jericho, the first city to be taken ... perhaps scouting the walled city, when all of a sudden, unannounced and out of nowhere this awesome looking warrior appears with sword in hand, ready for battle, standing close by in Joshua's path.  By just looking at this man, Joshua can tell that he is a formidable warrior; but Joshua can't tell whether he is one of his men or one of the adversaries.

The whole history of Joshua shows him to have been a man of undaunted courage; a man not intimidated or discouraged in the face of danger.  An ordinary man, seeing this intimidating warrior with a sword drawn might have headed back to his own camp.   

But Joshua approaches this warrior and asks ... "Are you for us or against us?"  That's an either/or proposition.  Another way to ask this question would be ... "Who are you fighting for, them or us?" 

But this warrior doesn't answer Joshua's question directly, but says ... "No." 

Wait a minute.  No?  It's got to be one or the other.  Instead this warrior declares who he is ... "I am captain of the host of the Lord, and I am now come."  This man says he is the captain of the host.  The word "host" as used here means ... a massive army organized for war.  This man was not alone ... although if He was, it wouldn't matter; for this was no ordinary man. 

This was not a mere man, and although this same man has been called "the Angel of the Lord" in scripture, he was not a created angel appearing as a man.  This was the person of the Son of God, the eternal Word, before He was born of Mary.  After Jesus is born of Mary ... the Angel of the Lord, or the Captain of the Lord's host ... is never seen again in scripture.

By saying "no" to Joshua, the question is no longer, "whether I am for you," but whether you Joshua, "are for Me."  With His sword drawn in His hand He was showing Joshua that He is ready for the defense and salvation of His people and will be the one who leads them into battle.

Joshua then fell on his face in worship, and called this warrior ... my Lord.

I've said it before, and I will say it again ... the battle is real ... yet today.  Do you know why?  Because there are still giants in the land.

In 1st Timothy 6:12, the apostle Paul says to ... "Fight the good fight of faith."

As I stated in the beginning ... nothing exposes us to the hatred of Satan, the prince of this world as the believer's walk of faith. 

Jesus said in Matthew 11:12 that "the kingdom of heaven ... is taken by force."

A believer's life is in a state of constant warfare against not only Satan ... but the things of this life; temptations to sin, false teachers, false doctrines, and physical afflictions such as sickness and disease.

This same warrior that went to war with Joshua, will also fight our battles with us today.  And some battles ... because they are too big for us ... He must fight them for us, not just with us.

So ... I'm going to believe that the same God, who cannot change, who spoke the following promise to Joshua, will make the same promise to you and me today.

Joshua 1:9 ... "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go."

The question ... "Are you for us or against us?" ... is no longer in question.  Jesus answered that question 2,000 years ago.

God is for us.

How To Trust Jesus With No Incontinence Required

Growing up amongst a charismatic church movement, I was occasionally exposed to things that made me uncomfortable.  Expressions I naturally accepted in my youth I began to question as my intellect matured and my personality uncovered its cynical side.

Hyper-emotionalism.

Awkward "prophetic" utterances.

Even a woman who claimed to wet her pants every time the "Spirit fell" on her.  (I wish I was joking.)

I never openly rebelled against things, I just quietly severed my heart from the most embarrassing of the chicanery, and subliminally embraced a much more sane and sober understanding of how humanity can connect with the Divine.  For the most part, I'm glad I did.  I mean really, who wants a relationship with God that requires an endless supply of adult diapers?

But in my noble desire to avoid crazy, I sometimes wonder if I unintentionally neutered my belief in the Supernatural altogether.

Salvation became about self-discipline.

Strength a product of my will.

And wisdom solely a reward for diligence.

And while no one would sanely malign hard work, persistent preparation, or inner courage, I think we mistakenly look only to ourselves as the source of these outflows.  And when we do, we miss out on the powerful promise of the Gospel.

"Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with His own presence, His Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does He do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust Him to do them in you?" ... (Galatians 3:5 MSG)

"The LORD gives His people strength.  The LORD blesses them with peace." ... (Psalm 29:11)

"If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."  ... (James 1:5)

His work.  His strength.  His wisdom.  For your job, your family, your community, your ministry.  Offered to us as a gift. 

Just ask.

I long to tap into this life that is so much greater than what I can conjure up on my own.  Normal.  Everyday.  Supernatural.

No incontinence required.


From the "Eric Cooper" blog.

                                                          ~~~~~~

From me to you ... No, I didn't post this just to take a break from writing something this week.  It grabbed my attention, because I was raised in the same kind of church ... and had the same questions and feelings as this young man had.

It spoke to me.

Eric Cooper can take just a thought and turn it into an article that brings introspection to your life.  I usually can't do that.  It seems as though I must find a scripture to write about that the Lord wants to add to my life.
 
I love how Eric can be so simple but yet profound.  You may want to check out what else this man of God has to say.

Here's the address to his web page ... beyondtherisk.com 

The Holy Spirit ... Part II

When I ended Part I, I referenced Paul's question in 1st Corinthians 12:30 ... "do all speak with tongues?"   My question relating to this was ... "when a believer is filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit ... does he or she always speak in tongues?"

This question has been in dispute for years.  Let me answer that question this way ... "If you are in a room full of people, say at a Bible study, and another person enters the room and sits down and just listens to what is going on ... but doesn't speak ... does that mean he isn't in the room?"

In time, when he has something to say, he will speak.  Could not the same thing be said about the infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit in believers?

So, what are tongues scripturally?  Usually, whenever the word "tongue or tongues" are used in the New Testament ... the word translated from the Greek means ... "a language not acquired naturally, an unlearned language, not of your own."

This is what happened on the day of Pentecost.  Through the anointing of the Holy Spirit they spoke in other dialects enabling the visiting unbelievers to hear in their own languages and understand what was happening.

Normally ... tongues will be a dialect, a language that is foreign to you, which can be interpreted.  It will not be just "babble" or strange sounding noises.  If it is ... it is sometimes called the tongues of angels.  Paul spoke about tongues of angels in 1st Corinthians 13:1, when he said ...

"Though I speak with the tongues of men (a naturally learned language or dialect) and of angels, (an unlearned language which no man can interpret, because it is not of this earth) and have not charity, (love) I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."

An example of "tongues of angels" would be your own private prayer life when you feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit and you begin praying in your own Heavenly language ... a tongue that only God can understand.  Usually this cannot be interpreted by others ... but sometimes God will give you the "understanding" of what your spirit has been talking to God about.

Usually a person with the gift of tongues, when given in a church service by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit ... the utterance spoken, their language or dialect, will sound exactly like the tongue they use in their own private prayer life.  In other words ... the tongues of angels.  But these can and should be interpreted by someone else with that gifting ... when spoken in a body of believers.

Why does there need to be an interpretation of tongues?

1st Corinthians 14:14-15 ...  "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also ..."

Why doesn't the Holy Spirit just speak to us in our own language?  He does many times through a word of knowledge, one of the nine gifts, or through a declaration of faith spoken like a prophecy to the church body.

God will also speak to your heart through the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  We just need to train ourselves to hear and recognize the voice of the Lord.  Jesus said this in John 10:27 ... "My sheep hear my voice ..."
  
How much of the Holy Spirit do we receive when we are born again?  Paul speaks to this subject in Ephesians 1:13-14 ...

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest (a downpayment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."

The small measure of the Holy Spirit, (which could also be called the Spirit of Christ) that you receive when you are saved, (or born again) is a down payment that God places in your heart and spirit.  (It's like the earnest money in a contract.)  Whatever the amount ... it is enough to do great things in your life and start you on your Christian walk of faith.

Concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit ... which gives you more of the Holy Spirit ... don't forget Paul said in 1st Corinthians 12:31 ... that we are to "covet earnestly the best gifts" ... which basically means, "desire" more of the Holy Spirit.

How do we do that?  You "ask" God the Father who is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit. 

Luke 11:13 ... "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

From this scripture, some teach that you must ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit or you won't ever receive it.  I'm not too sure about that.  Many people Paul laid hands on never asked ... and they were filled.  (We've already covered the twelve men in Ephesus, in Part I.) 

I don't much care what other people say anyway ... Paul said in 1st Corinthians 12:11 ... that the Holy Spirit gives these gifts, as the Spirit wills.  We should desire the best gifts, but even so ... the Spirit gives them.

For me personally ... I know the baptism of the Holy Spirit has helped me walk closer to the Lord.  Do I have any of the gifts?  Not all the time.  But there have been times in my life when I have operated in one gift at a time, and not always the same gift ... and then only when God anointed me to do such work.

In every case ... any word, any laying on of hands, any deliverance, any work of faith, any healing, anything done or work attempted ... was always the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of Christ Jesus within me that did that work.  It was nothing of mine ... for I have nothing good to give.  Anything good in any of us ... is always Jesus.

Do you need the baptism of the Holy Spirit?  Honestly ... I really don't know.  But I do know what Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 14:2 & 4 ... "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh unto God ... (and) ... He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself." 

To edify means, "to strengthen or build up spiritually."  So it certainly won't hurt. 

What I do know is this ... we all need more of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit ... Part I

I believe there is an added anointing or infilling that goes beyond the initial receiving of "the Holy Spirit" that a new convert receives when he or she accepts Jesus as Lord and is born again. 

According to John 3:34, God did not give the Spirit by measure to Jesus ... which I understand to mean, we are only given a measure (a small amount, a portion) of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was God wrapped in flesh ... He had it all.  An example of how much of the Holy Spirit we receive at conversion would be Romans 12:3 where it says ... "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."  We don't know how much that measure is.  But whatever the measure is, it is enough to give birth to our faith.

There's a story in Acts 19:1-7 about twelve men that the Apostle Paul found in Ephesus. They were disciples of John the Baptist and were believers in Jesus.  Paul asks them ... "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?"  And they answered ... "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost."  So Paul re-baptizes them, this time in the name of Jesus, and as Paul laid his hands on them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Ghost) and began to speak with tongues, meaning ... unlearned languages.   

So ... if we receive a measure of the Holy Spirit when we first believe and are born again, what is this added anointing or infilling that these twelve men received?

Jesus said this on three separate occasions about the coming of the Holy Spirit ...

In John 14:26 He said ... "But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, shall teach you all things ..."

In John 15:26 He said ... "But when the Comforter is come, (the Holy Spirit) whom I will send to you from the father ... he shall testify of me."

Finally, in John 16:7, Jesus said ... "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) will not come; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."

On the day of the resurrection of Jesus, (John 20:19-22) He appears to the disciples gathered together again, most likely in the upper room, and does what might be considered a little strange.  Jesus breathed on them and said ... "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."  The way it is written ... "He breathed on and said to them" ... it appears as though Jesus went to each one individually and ministered personally to them.     

And now here's the ... But ... the Holy Spirit hadn't been sent yet.  But this was Jesus.

If the disciples received the anointing (or baptism) of the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them ... and I believe they did ... a few days later on Pentecost, is when they received their tongues ... not at the moment they were filled.

In Acts 1: 8, just before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He tells His followers that they would receive "power" when baptized with the Holy Ghost in a few days.

This word power in the Greek is "dunamis" ... meaning: "miraculous power, ability, might and strength ... beyond your own."  This is what happened in Acts 2:1-11 ...

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place ... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven ... the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?  Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God."  (edited)

Simply put ... this added anointing, (the extra infilling of power, or "dunamis") gives you a boldness and strength to tell others about Jesus.  In this case, the first outward sign was the miraculous ability to speak in other languages or dialects ... called speaking in tongues.    

So, what are the tongues all about?  According to 1st Corinthians 14:22 ... "Tongues are for a sign ... to unbelievers ..."  Why did God choose tongues?  I have no idea.  That's His business.

Paul speaks of helps and gifts given to the church body in 1st Corinthians 12:27-31 ...

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way."

Is Paul showing the rank of importance?  Notice, of the few gifts Paul speaks of ... tongues and interpretation of tongues are listed last.  When Paul asks ... "do all speak with tongues" ... could he be saying, not all will be able to operate in "the gift of tongues."  Your personal gifting of the Holy Spirit may be one or two of the other eight gifts, not tongues.

This leads me to wonder ... when a believer is "filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit" ... does he or she always speak in tongues?  Could this be part of Paul's question ... "do all speak with tongues?"
 
To be Continued ...

Dying Embers

"Why pray?" she said with a painful groan and her eyes full of tears.  I had heard her say something like this before; but that had been a long time ago.  I could tell by the tone in her voice as she spoke those words in pain, she was really hurting; not physically but in her spirit.

These were the first two words out of her mouth.  We had gone through almost this same thing a couple of times before, so we thought this time would be different; but it wasn't.  It was not to be.  We had the same empty feeling of loss, the same heavy feeling of uselessness, like everything we believed was again a waste of time.

Once again, it was as if someone had stolen from Peg, one of her greatest strengths, her positive, optimistic, faithful and trusting confidence in the Lord.

Is healing a "promise" or is it just a "hope" we have in Jesus?  Now stay with me here ...

I'm thinking of Paul in A.D.67, facing death under Nero in a Roman prison as he writes in his 2nd letter to Timothy ... "but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick."  Paul had to leave this co-worker still sick and was concerned about him.  I would assume that Paul had already laid his hands on him and prayed for him … but he left him sick.  Paul, the one who taught the church about the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, including healing, but he … "left him sick."  (2nd Timothy 4:20)

Why did Paul tell Timothy to … "use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities."  Where is healing in this counsel from Paul?  Had Paul given up after years of prayer for Timothy's infirmities that up to then had not been healed by the Lord?  (1st Timothy 5:23)

In his first letter, Paul told Timothy ... "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery."  (1st Timothy 4:14)

Paul later reminds his young friend ... "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands."   (2nd Timothy 1:6)

I cannot help but wonder if the gift Paul is referring to ... had something to do with "faith for healing."  Was Paul saying that Timothy was neglecting both the gift and his own healing?  Did Paul feel like both these men, Trophimus and Timothy needed to believe for themselves?  Just a thought.

This gift … perhaps healing … was still in Timothy, and yet it seems as if there was some decline, a cooling off and a hesitation to exercise it.  Might he have been too negligent or forgetful of the gift, so his mentor Paul reminds him to "stir" it up. 

The phrase "stir up" is a metaphor taken from the coals of a fire, covered with ashes as if almost extinct, and the need to have the dying embers brought up into a flame again by stirring up the ashes. 

It seems to me, that the gifts of the Spirit, especially "healing" can be and has been allowed to burn down from the burning flame of the early church to just dying embers today, covered up by the ashes of past miracles, and these embers are now at the point that if we don't ... "stir up and rekindle the flame" … they will die out totally.

If you have noticed ... healing ... or the lack of it, is a subject I write about often.

I am not judging Paul or Timothy for sickness or what they said or did about it.  Prayer went up to God for any and all problems confronting them.  God heals ... we don't.  I wish we could.  I've even spoken to sickness a few times.  And when it left ... it was all God's work ... not mine.  At other times, nothing happened.

So, why have I taken you on this journey of what looks like Paul's failed efforts ... if I may call them that?  Because we all have had the same results haven't we?  So I ask myself ...

Are my embers covered in cold ashes?  Is that why it seems as though most of the time when I pray for the sick or the dying ... nothing happens?       

"Why pray" ... is what she asked with tears in her eyes.  Why?  Because we are told too.  So what should we do?  What am I going to do?  I'm going to "stir up" those embers ... of any gifts I still have ... if they are still burning, and allow the flame to burn as it should.

Let each of our flames burn bright and not be just smoldering embers hidden under dead ashes from the past.  No matter what is in your past ... failures in prayer, or successful answers from God ... the past is just that.  The past.  It is behind us. 

It's time to wash away the tears, find a stick and stir up those dying embers.


   

 

Dwelling in the Secret Place

Jewish tradition, based upon ancient teaching, intimates that Psalms 91 is a dialogue between David, his son Solomon, and Jehovah (Almighty God.)

David asserts in verse 1 ... "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." 

Solomon answers in verse 2 ... "I will say of the Lord, (He is) my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust." 

David replies in verses 3-4 ... "Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, (and) from the noisome pestilence.  He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth (shall be thy) shield and buckler."

According to Jewish opinion about this Psalm, David continues speaking to Solomon in verses 5-13, telling him of the protection he shall receive from God by dwelling with, abiding under, and making God's truth, (the Word) ... his shield.

And then after David's discourse to his son, Jehovah God is introduced in verses 14-16, and basically confirms all that David has spoken to Solomon ... that God shall deliver him from ... "the terror by night, the arrow by day, the pestilence in darkness, the destruction at noonday, and any evil or plague that comes nigh thy dwelling."

God even says why He will do this.  "Because he (whosoever) hath set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him: I will set him on high ... and show him My salvation."

And then the dialogue ends.  It usually does after God has His say.

Supposing this to be a true conversation between David and his son ... and since God does not direct His response only to them; this causes me to believe that Christians today can claim the entirety of Psalms 91 for themselves.  Notice David says ... "He that dwelleth ..." meaning, "whosoever or all."

Notice that the blessings promised here, are not for all believers ... but for those who live close enough to God, that His presence produces a shadow of protection over them.

While it is true that every child of God looks to the mercy seat and even runs to it in times of trouble, yet all do not dwell in that secret place ... (wherever that may be) ... some follow Him from afar and miss His many blessings and protection. 

Following from afar is like in David's day, those who went to the Temple and worshipped in the outer court knew little of what was available for them in the inner Temple sanctuary or they would have tried to make it their place of worship.
 
The outer court was open to the masses.  But to get into the inner chamber, the priest would have to unlock the gate into the Temple sanctuary.  Next to the locked gate there was a small hole all the way through the gate wall.  With the key in his hand, he would reach into that hole, all the way up to his armpit.  He would then unlock the lock that was on the other side, on the inside of the gate.

In the Jewish Temple, that inner gate into the Sanctuary was called "the Gate of Holiness" and opens only …  from the inside.  There's a picture here.  God reached His arm way down to man when He sent Jesus to stretch His arms on the cross and unlock the spiritual gate to the inner chamber, represented by the veil that separated the Temple's sanctuary from the Holy of Holies.

The moment Jesus died, that veil ripped from top to bottom, and unlocked and exposed the inner sanctuary to the world.  Some have said that the rending of the veil of the Temple was done as a testimony ... a token payment for Christ being stripped of His clothes and exposed naked on the cross.  From this point on, God started dwelling in hearts of flesh instead of the Holy of Holies in a Temple made of stone.

Those who enter this secret place of Psalms 91, find that He will never allow any to be harmed within His gates.  This protection is constant ... they abide under it ... for it is the shadow of the Almighty.

What is this key that allows you and I into that secret place David spoke about?  I believe it is man's heart, exposed naked and open before God.  The heart needs to be God's possession alone to fill. 

About the heart of man; may I quote Nicholas Herman, the old seventeenth century Carmelite monk from French Lorraine again?  He says ... "The heart must be empty of all other things, because God will possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone without emptying it of all other things, so neither can He act there, and do in it what He pleases, unless it be left vacant to Him."
  
It's always a heart thing with God.

So, how do we arrive at this secret place?  The pathway is praise and worship.  That's why David praised the Lord like he did.  David used words of truth in his praise knowing "the truth of who God is" would be his shield from all the attacks and tribulations that he lists in this Psalm. 

I've heard people say ... "God inhabits the praise of His people" ... so much that I thought it was a quote from Scripture.  But Psalms 22:3 only alludes to or suggests this.  But I believe this is the true meaning; when you praise God ... He is there.

You enter into His presence with praise.  You can't travel there physically; but you go to that secret place in your spirit.  You can go there in times of trouble.  You can shut yourself away from the stress, worry and fear that just happens in this thing we call life.

And when you do, you can say right along with David in Psalm 18:2 ...

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer ... and my high tower."
      
The term, high tower in Hebrew means ... "a lofty or inaccessible place."  A place of protection where any danger cannot reach you.

Make your secret place a high tower.
 

Little Things Have Consequences

Did you ever wonder if God is keeping score, keeping count of the good things you do, and possibly weighing them against the bad things you do?  If your actions and deeds were placed on a balance scale, which ones would be the heaviest?

I don't think God keeps score ... although there are books that will contain your life's record of things done in the flesh ... and if your name is not found in the "Book of Life" as one of those washed by the blood of Jesus, those books will be opened and what is written in them will be made known.  (Revelation 20:11-15)

What I want to make you aware of is, that there is more to be concerned with than just the big sins.  Yes, I know that sin is sin; but we do classify them into groups or categories, don't we.  The other guy's sin is worse than mine, right?  Any sin potentially, has the effect of keeping God at a distance.

That's why we need Jesus to stand not only with us, but between us and God the Father.

Do you know that the little things we do, things God can't be pleased about, have far reaching consequences that you may not be aware of.  The little things in our life that may not be sinful, but yet aren't as pleasing to the Lord as they could or should be ... sometimes make me wonder, just how much trouble they really cause us.

Again ... not "big" sins ... but things we have grown used to doing.  Maybe they have become part of our flawed character; flaws like impatience, carrying a grudge, gossip, no compassion for others ... and the list goes on and on.  These are little things that most likely won't keep you out of heaven, but will keep you from being like Christ. 

Have you ever had the Lord speak to you?  I was thinking about this one day and I heard or felt in my spirit something that caught my attention.  It wasn't a voice.  But yet the words came to me as if I was reading silently from my Bible.  You know, sometimes when you read the Word it just goes into your mind.  At other times, a scripture goes through your mind and lodges (finds a home) in your spirit and lives there.  It becomes real to you.

I hesitate to say that God spoke to me, but, these words were established in my heart ... "Little things have consequences in the spirit realm.  They hinder your prayers."

I've always liked this promise in 1st John 3:22 ... "Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
 
So now I'm thinking ... if we don't receive ... could it be because we don't do those things that are pleasing to Him?  The little things and their consequences?

Consequences such as … being unable to enter into spiritual warfare on behalf of your children when they ask you to stand with them in prayer.  That is a big one.  You don't want to be hindered with a need like that.

How many hours have Peg and I spent praying for our two grown girls and their children?  How are we going to pray effectively for them if our prayers are hindered? 

The consequences will fall, not on you, but upon those you are praying for ... if your prayers are hindered; which means they will be ineffective, inadequate or lacking in power.

An example of this is found in 1st Peter 3:7 ... "You married men should live considerately with your wives, with an intelligent recognition of the marriage relation, honoring the woman as physically the weaker, but realizing that you are joint heirs of the grace of life, in order … that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. Otherwise you cannot pray effectively."   (Amplified Bible)

So what does it mean … "your prayers are hindered?"  I can easily see from the Amplified version that it could mean, "we can't pray as effectively" as we should because of something displeasing to the Lord that is still in our lives.  It may not even have to be sin.

In the original Greek, this word "hinder" is "ek-kop'-to" and means to exscind.  Here's where it get a little worrisome or scary. 

Exscind ... alludes to the power to "cut off," or "frustrate" ... which circles back to the real meaning of "hinder." 

So when Peter uses the word (hinder/exscind) he is saying the little things in our life, can prevent your prayers from ... "progressing, succeeding, or being fulfilled." 

To me, that is one scary consequence.

What I really don't want one of the consequences to be is ... that God Himself, (for whatever reason) would somehow be … "hindered" … either in hearing our prayers or His willingness to give us the answers to our prayers.

Little things have consequences.

It Is Expected

Many Christians believe that because Jesus has made them righteous through His blood sacrifice on the cross, that they have also been made holy.  I have also noticed that old fashioned holiness is very seldom taught or even preached about anymore.  It didn't used to be that way years ago.

Of course it might be because many of the faithful took holiness to the extreme.  It became works.  The holier you were the better Christian you became, or so they thought.  But there was a problem with this ... it became a "holier than thou" mentality,  characterized by an attitude of moral superiority and some became quite critical of the lifestyle of others.  Guess what?  Holiness sometimes became sinful.

Righteousness and holiness ... are they the same?  No.  But they should go hand and hand.  It is sometimes hard to accept or believe that we have been given Jesus' righteousness as a free gift; and holiness is sometimes hard to keep active in our lives.

Righteousness in simple terms means ... right standing with God.  It has nothing to do with your merit or goodness.  Righteousness.  You can't earn it, or buy it, and you certainly don't deserve it.  When you accept Jesus as the Lord of your life ... He freely imparts His righteousness to you.  Jesus gives you His righteousness so that when you stand in front of God the Father ... you stand there as if you had never sinned.

The Apostle Paul states in Philippians 3:9, that he wants to "... be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness ... but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

Am I clear enough?  It's His righteousness, not yours.  You have none of your own.

Holiness.  As defined it's ... "the state of being holy."  The only one that would live up to that description 100% of the time would be God.

God said in Leviticus 11:44 ... "be ye holy, for I am holy ..."  The foundation of the command is this; that the Israelites professed to be His people, and that as His people they ought to be like their God ... holy.

1st Peter 1:15-16 ... "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (behavior); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

Since man hasn't changed, nor has God ... Peter is saying this declared will of God should also apply to the believers of Jesus.  Because the object of Christian worship is holy, (that's Jesus) the character of His worshipers should also be holy.

The English dictionary defines holy as ... "something dedicated or consecrated to God; or a person who is morally and spiritually excellent."

God has implanted principles of holiness in us, otherwise the command ... "be ye holy, for I am holy" would be unjust.

Although our personal holiness, as becoming equal to God's, will never be attained to by fallen man, it is still a desirable goal to continue the quest for such holiness as far as we are capable of attaining.

Without getting into pre-destination, the Apostle Paul makes this interesting statement when he remarks that God ... "hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him ..." (Ephesians 1:4)

That we should be holy ... It looks as though Paul states this as the reason or objective for which God has chosen us.  To be holy in Him.  It is not merely that we should enter into heaven.  It is not that we may live anyway we please.  It is the design and purpose, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to make us holy, now that we have been made righteous through Christ. 

We were not chosen because we were holy.  We were just the opposite ... but that we might be made blameless by His blood and then live holy.

Romans 12:1 ... "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

To be "righteous" is a free gift from God through Jesus. 

To be "holy" is ... a lifestyle. 

Being holy is how you live out your faith in Jesus.  It's not that you can't or won't sin anymore ... we do.  But it's the effort we make walking each day in God's mercy and grace.  We are learning daily how to walk in Him.  Some days we may fail.  Other days we will be victorious. 

Do we need to try to live holy before God?  Should holiness become a conscious thought with us each moment?  I'm not speaking of an awareness of sin ... we need that.

But I don't want to have to practice or work at trying to live holy.  I want to be able to allow the Spirit of Jesus in me to guide my actions intuitively, instinctively.  To do this, I just need more of Jesus and less of me and then I think holiness will follow.

Paul said ... "that we should be holy" ... 

It is expected.
    

Ba char - Chay

The two Hebrew words ... "ba char" and "chay" ... are two very important words.

The Hebrew word "ba char" ... pronounced (baw-khar') means, choose; while the word "chay" ... pronounced (khah'ee) means, life. 

I have chosen these two words to look at today from Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ...

"I have set before you life and death ... choose life ... that thou mayest love the Lord thy God ... and that thou mayest cleave unto Him ..."

In the fortieth year of the wandering of Israel in the wilderness, God instructed Moses to tell the people He was giving them two choices, and that it is a commandment ... they must choose one of them.  God put it this way in Deuteronomy 30:11-15 ...

"This commandment is not hidden from you; it's not in heaven, nor is it beyond the sea.  But the word is in thy mouth, and in thy heart.  See, I have set before thee this day, life and good, and death and evil ..."  (edited)

Which brings me back to verses 19-20 ... "choose life."

It sounds like the choice left up to God's people back then is still the same choice we have today.  But is it still a commandment today?  Yes, it is.  And if you decide not to choose ... you are choosing ... but you will find out it's the wrong choice.

Proverbs 18:21 ... "Death and life are in the power of the tongue ..."

Look again at what Moses told his people ... "the word (the choice you make) is in thy mouth, and in thy heart."

What's in your mouth?  Words that come from the thoughts and intents of the heart.  They just keep coming out because most of us find it hard to keep our mouth shut.

Most people, including me, say things that are negative which can breed the opposite of the truth of God's Word and His plan for your life ... like walking by faith and walking in love.  What's in your heart?  What comes out of your mouth if you accidentally hit your finger with a hammer?  

In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said ... "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

Albert Barnes, the old 19th century American Presbyterian biblical scholar and theologian made this comment ... "Thy words are the indication of the true principles of the heart.  By thy words the heart shall be known, as the tree is by it's fruit."

Here are some words out of the mouth of Jesus that just maybe we should pay attention to.  Matthew 12:35-37 ...  

"A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

Vincent's Word Studies states that the term ... "every idle word" ... is a good rendering.  An idle word is a non-working word ... an inoperative word.  It has no legitimate work, or business, but is instead, morally useless and unprofitable.

As far as giving an account for idle words spoken if you stand in judgment before God ... remember Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who were well known for making judgmental speeches full of useless and unprofitable idle words.

The Apostle Paul once said ... "Let a man examine himself" ... and it should be done occasionally.  This examination should be not only of the heart, but also of the soul, the thoughts and feelings, as well as our conduct and speech.  Are your words always uplifting and kind?  Are they profitable?  Are they useful and beneficial to those who hear them?

My 19 year old grand-daughter Morgan spent 10 weeks of her college summer vacation this year in a Christian Ministry project witnessing about Jesus on the beaches of Tampa, Florida where she learned this excellent ... life rule.

"Build up or shut up."

So, if you aren't edifying, encouraging, building up or loving people ... keep your mouth shut.  But I must confess, for me, it's easier said then done.

Words are powerful ... and once spoken ... they can't be recalled.  Let's make sure that the words we choose to speak ... come out of a heart ... filled with the love of God.

Life and death ... the two choices God has set before us.   

"Ba char - Chay" ... Choose life.

Because You Can

I knew a man who loved to worship God in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  And he still does yet today.  But some things have changed in his life that have affected his outward style of worship.

Physical symptoms indicating there was a problem with the movements of his arms appeared.  Various tests indicated an undesirable situation ... a nerve condition affecting the muscles.  He was told as the condition worsened, he would lose strength and have limited movement of his limbs.  He was slowly becoming physically handicapped.  

Ten years ago in a worship service, he would do exactly what Psalms 134:2 says ... "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord."

My brother in Christ loved to praise his Savior and Lord.  It is scriptural you know.  The Apostle Paul said in 1st Timothy 2:8, that ... "men everywhere should lift up holy hands" ... speaking of prayer.  So why not during worship as well?

The teaching and preaching of the Word involves the mind of man; but true worship comes from the heart.  Lamentations 3:41 ... "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens."     

Jeremiah alludes to the lifting up of the heart by the hands ... not merely the hands only.  By doing so, it is as if you take your heart in your hands, and raise it in praise and worship to God.  It is with the heart that we believe and worship.

No one could articulate praise like David.  Here in Psalms 143:6, he presents another picture of worship when he says ... "I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land."

When David says, I "stretch forth" my hands, the original meaning is to ... "break apart, to open up, spread out and stretch forth" ... arms wide open ready to receive and soak up spiritual water from the Lord.

King David's son, also used this same gesture when he dedicated the new Temple unto God in 1st Kings 8:22-23 ... "And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: and said ..."

The brother I am speaking about, used to do this very same thing before he lost the ability to do so.  Most of us still have that ability don't we.

Today, if he could he would gladly follow what it says in Psalms 63:4 ... "Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name."

Only he can't.  He tries.  Unless God heals him, there will be no more of the lifting of the hands on this side of Heaven.  But that can't stop him from worshiping with what he has left.  His heart.

Psalms 104:33 ... "I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."

Psalms 145:2 ... "Everyday will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name forever and ever."

Psalms 146:1-2 ... "Praise ye the Lord.  Praise the Lord, O my soul.  While I live will I praise the lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being."

Sometimes I get a little emotional.  I've wept watching him.  It broke my heart to watch my brother struggle trying to raise his hands in worship to the Lord.  It was because of sheer willpower that he was able to do so, for as long as he did.

It was about three years ago one Sunday morning during worship service that the Lord asked me this question.  "Why aren't you raising your hands like you usually do?"

"I don't know" ... was my hearts response.  "I don't feel like it I guess."

And then Jesus drove it home ... "Do you know why you should?"

"BECAUSE YOU CAN!"

Enough said.  Those three words have never left me.

It's ... arms wide open for me now.

Could It Be

It looks to me, that very slowly with each generation further away from Jesus ... there seems to be fewer and fewer observed miracles.

The disciples of Jesus, the ones who walked closest to Him during the three and a half years of His public ministry, seem to have displayed a greater power and spiritual authority than the average believer has today.  Miracles of healing were seen as almost common place to them as they proclaimed their faith in, and the authority given them through the name of Jesus. 

Could it be that walking with Jesus during this time had a special effect on them that we today can't receive since we were not in physical contact with Him as they were?  Did something rub off on them?  According to John 20:22, He even breathed on the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit the evening of His resurrection as they were gathered together in fear of the Jews behind closed doors.   

But the disciples didn't receive the Holy Spirit until 50 days later on the day of Pentecost ...  or did they?  Could it be the disciples were filled when He breathed on them, and the other 120 followers of Jesus were then filled later in the upper room.  If you read Acts 2:1-14, you will notice that the disciples are not mentioned until Peter stands to speak about what is happening.

The breath of Jesus.  I'm pausing here a moment thinking, what would it be like to have Jesus ... breath on me?  Would I be different?   

As the creator, He also breathed on Adam and he became a living soul.  We should not ever forget that our breath is from Him and it's just on loan to us.  Oh, and when God chooses to take it back, we will have to relinquish it back to Him, won't we?  We won't have a say in the matter either.   

Could it be ... that the disciples, walking with Jesus daily, hearing His words, feeling His touch, eating their meals with Him, as well as His breathing on them ... did any of these things contribute to their boldness and authority in proclaiming the name of Jesus as they started the first century church.  Something happened to these men by being with Jesus ... and miracles were the results.

In my August 12th, 2011 post, I wrote about the Disciple John ... as I saw him in my mind's eye, "Covered in Blood" as he helped take the body of Jesus down from the cross.  In it I asked this question; because of having the physical blood of Jesus smeared upon John's back and shoulder as he carried the body of Jesus, could it be that is the reason he lived to be an old man?  He was the only disciple that died a natural death around A.D. 100 and was most likely in his late nineties when he died.

It seems to me that John was different then the others, closer to Jesus, taken under His wing so to speak.  Jesus even gave the care of His mother to him.  He's the only disciple who didn't run away from the crucifixion of Jesus.  Oh well ... these are just my random thoughts.  Pay no mind to them.  I don't either some times.

We know that the disciples of Jesus had many miracles in their ministries within the 1st century; John being the last of the twelve to die.  History also records that men like Polycarp (A.D.65-155) who was a friend, student, and disciple of John, also had many miracles in his ministry as did his contemporaries like Clement and Ignatius. 

The label, "Apostolic Fathers" has been applied to them to indicate they were the generation that had personal contact with the twelve disciples.  They provide a link between the disciples ... who had personal contact with Jesus ... and the later generations of Christians who came after the 1st century.

So what am I getting at?  From what I have read about miracles in church history, it reads something like this.  Jesus had hundreds, even thousands of miracles during His ministry.  Each of the disciples, those who had personal contact with Jesus, had perhaps hundreds of miracles themselves.  No one kept count. 

The Apostolic Fathers, those who had personal contact with the disciples, (the ones who had personal contact with Jesus) also had many miracles ... but fewer than the disciples of Jesus had.  Notice the downward progression ... from thousands to hundreds to many fewer today.

Could it be ... Jesus gave a special anointing to His disciples, that over time, from generation to generation seemed to dissipate and disappear from believers?

Could it be ... the anointing faded like it did with Moses?  The Apostle Paul explains in 2nd Corinthians 3:13 the reason why Moses, after receiving the Law and then coming down from the mountain placed a vail over his face.  After being in the presence of God, the face of Moses shone with the glory of God still upon it.  (Exodus 34:29-35)  The vail prevented the children of Israel from observing the glory fading slowly from his face. 

So I ask, why couldn't the glory, the anointing, and the power of Jesus ... given to the disciples and church fathers likewise have faded slowly away. 

Many so called spiritual giants of the church over the past 800 years or so have suggested the same thing.  I certainly don't know ... but it looks as though that might explain what has happened to the church.

If one were to look at what John was instructed to write in the Book of Revelation in Chapters II and III concerning the seven churches ... which alludes to seven different periods of church history ... we read the words of Jesus as He begins telling the first church, "you have left your first love."  And then it goes downhill from there as He addresses all seven.

To the last church (or dispensation of time in church history ... perhaps ours) Jesus says, "because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth."

Could it be ... that the Church the disciples started in the first century has fallen so far away from what the church was intended to be, that the same power and anointing of the Holy Spirit has very few places or people to work with anymore?  Is that why it seems as though God doesn't work miracles as often in this present church age?

Have we, including myself ... lost our first love and become lukewarm?

Could it be?

A Firmly Established Fact

If I were to say ... "healing is no longer a promise" ... would you believe it?  I read these exact words today in a book written by a Christian pastor. 

Well, that statement is a little misleading.  I only gave you the first half of his sentence.  Here's the whole thing as he wrote it.

"Healing is no longer a promise ... it's a firmly established fact."   

Chapter 53 in the book of Isaiah is a prophetic look at the coming Jewish Messiah.    Isaiah paints a not too flattering picture of the Messiah that we now know fits Jesus exactly and what He would suffer as the lamb of God.  As Christians, we believe Jesus was the Messiah, but the Jews rejected Him because He didn't deliver them from Roman rule or set up His kingdom.

Isaiah starts this chapter off by saying ... "Who hath believed our report?"  The report Isaiah is talking about is in the preceding chapter where he says that Jerusalem is going to rise up out of the dust and the whole earth will see the salvation of the Lord.  That last part will also become an established fact someday.

The problem was that Israel as a whole did not believe the first report the angel gave the shepherds the night Jesus was born, nor did they believe His own words even with all of the miracles of healing He performed for them thirty years later.

The prophet Isaiah's description of the coming Messiah, described Jesus in perfect detail, 700 years before His birth, including all He suffered as though he had been there observing Jesus when He was ... "brought as a lamb to the slaughter."

It is as if Isaiah actually saw Jesus the man.  He says there was nothing special looking about Him ... "He hath no form (special appearance) nor comeliness (magnificence) and when we see Him, there is ... no beauty that we should desire Him."

As he writes, Isaiah places himself with the rest of his people ... "He is despised and rejected of men ... and we hid our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed (valued and regarded) Him not."

This cannot be describing the one all of Israel was waiting on ... their conquering Messiah.  That's why they rejected Him.  But it describes Jesus, the son of God who Isaiah says ... "hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Jesus ... "hath borne (lifted) and carried our griefs and sorrows" ... both of which mean, the pain of sickness and disease.

Isaiah writes that it ... "pleased the LORD to bruise Him ... and make His soul an offering for sin."

God was not pleased or happy that Jesus was made to suffer and die for sin.  Being "pleased" means that God was "inclined" to do something to fix the sin and sickness problem man had.  It means God was "willing or disposed toward an action" that would sacrifice His own Son.  There was no other way.
 
"Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him ..."

And then we come to the main point of this study ... "with His stripes we are healed."

If healing is not the will of God for us, then what does ... "with His stripes we are healed" mean?  Why did God place sickness and disease upon Jesus as He hung on the cross the same way He did with the sin of the world?  Jesus bore the sin and disease of the world, for us ... in place of us.

The Apostle Peter wrote in his first letter speaking of Jesus ... "by whose stripes ye were healed."  

"Healing is no longer a promise ... it's a firmly established fact."

All through the Gospels, we find Jesus doing the "will" of God.  So what did He do more than anything else?  Jesus healed people.  

When the Apostle John in 3rd John 2 said ... "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" ... it wasn't just John saying that; it was the Holy Spirit speaking through him.

In Young's Literal Translation of John 14:12, Jesus is saying ... "He who is believing in Me, the works that I do; that one shall also do ..."

Should we consider healing as part of the works that Jesus did?  If so ... then is not Jesus saying He expects believers to also have healing as part of their works? 

Unless I'm mistaken, isn't one of the nine ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit given to the church in 1st Corinthians 12:9 ... gifts of healing?

Just as the Lord's Prayer is an example of how we are to pray to God the Father ... so likewise the Apostle James gives the church the steps to be taken when we pray for the sick.  These are not rules to follow, but rather inspired guidelines.

James 5:14-16 ... "Is any sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

If healing wasn't purchased for us on the cross, why are we told to pray for the sick?  Why did James say ... the Lord shall raise him up.

Healing is no longer a promise ... it's a firmly established fact.