Riding the Waves in life… and enjoying the adventure!

Colossians 3:17,23

¹⁷ Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men.

We have a choice in life in everything we do. What is our motivation and our purpose?

Are we just pursuing personal ambitions and goals in order to gain material things that we want, or maybe even things we need?

There’s nothing wrong with making plans and having goals, because certainly you will get to your destination easier with a map and a plan, than you will without; but for most people unless you are pursuing your life’s goals with a joyful and teachable heart, and also with enthusiasm, then you will many times get frustrated along the way,and quit prematurely, before ever finishing your project or achieving your goal.

That word “enthusiasm” is very interesting as we study its etymological roots:

Enthusiasm — from its source in Greek.

Enthusiasm first appeared in English in 1603 with the meaning “possession by a god.” The source of the word is the Greek enthousiasmos, which ultimately comes from the adjective entheos, “having the god within,” formed from en, “in, within,” and theos, “god.”

Over time the meaning of enthusiasm became extended to “rapturous inspiration like that caused by a god.”

Translated the word means “in or along side with God,” in other words whatever you do in word or deed, or in life, do it enthusiastically with God; and then God’s JOY will see you through. For the Joy of the Lord is our strength!

Many people will try as they will to focus on being disciplined and achieving their goals and sticking to their plans, and if you can do that consistently then that’s great; but most will fail because they make the process a drudgery, and will labor, sweat, and struggle every step of the way, and then quit with that goal or project unfinished.

What’s the point? You’ll fail about a third to half the time, and then feel like a failure for not being disciplined or sticking to your goal or plan.

In contrast, if you do the exact same thing with enthusiasm, as unto God and with God, and at the same time let go of the expectation you’ve set for yourself and just have fun doing it, enjoying the process, then you may find a different result. Let the JOY of the Lord be your strength.

Let’s take a few examples:

• If you set out on a really tough 3-day hike through some mountains, and make it through the first day and night but get too tired in the middle of the second day, is that a failure?
  

It is a failure if you are mad at yourself for not getting to the end, for not being disciplined. It’s a success, though, if you decided at the beginning to do it just for fun, as unto the Lord, and had a great time while you were doing it.

• If you start writing a book but only get about halfway through, is that a success or failure?
  

It’s a failure if you expected to get finished and are disappointed in yourself for not sticking it through to the goal. It’s a success if you decided to do it for fun, as unto the Lord, and had wonderful time writing.

• If you start an online venture and it doesn’t take off and you have to call it quits after a year — is that a failure?
  

Well, by now you know the answer. Have fun doing it, do it as unto the Lord, and it’s always a success.

The key is we are to seek God for wisdom and guidance in everything we do, first and foremost; and this is especially true if this is an important life goal that we are pursuing.

Next it is our persistence over time that will cause us to succeed.

Don’t think that you are a failure just because you fail a few times; the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is that those who have succeeded have learned not to quit!

The fact that you fail along the way is normal for most people. You learn from your mistakes and you keep moving forward, that’s the key; but you do so with enthusiasm, meaning you do it with God, and that makes all the difference in the world. It then becomes an adventure, and a learning experience.

If you go for a walk, a run, a hike, do it for fun, with joy, as unto the Lord, not just for the benefits that you might get. The benefits are an important part of it and are a motivation, but we must learn patience and long-suffering in the process. It is the process that is most important to God and our attitude while under pressure that He looks to.

Most people are merely thermometers and only reflect their environment; God is rather looking for us to be thermostats, which change it, by our very presence.

Do experiments in your life; try different things, and whatever you do, do it for fun, do it with joy, as unto the Lord; and not just because of the desired results.

If you persist, and don’t quit, the results will come in time; just probably not on the first time you try.

Life is a process that includes successes and failures, they are a part of the trip, so get use to it; and if you persevere to the end, you will succeed.

That’s the message of the Bible, as Paul describes it, when he tell us that we are in a race. We discipline ourselves and we train our bodies in order to win the prize, but the key thing in God’s Kingdom is that Jesus has already won the race for us; and the way we win is that we don’t quit!.

Wake up each day with expectation and excitement for what God has in store for you today; and then move forward throughout your day remaining connected to Him; acknowledging Him in all your ways, and being sensitive to His leading and direction moment by moment.

Merely enjoy the process instead of struggling always for the goal. Recognize too that any interruptions and/or delays that you may experience along the way may just be a part of that process, and should be accepted. Rejoice in the Lord, in EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the well of God, in Christ Jesus for you!

This one is hard for me; but I have to always remind myself that, as promised in His Word, God is directing my steps.

Every waking moment should be lived this way..

It shifts everything. It doesn’t only determine whether something’s a success or failure — it changes your attitude while you do anything, while you’re talking with someone or reading or watching something. Your mood lifts, you are kinder to others, you have a smile on your face.

Do handstands. Dance. Bound up a hill. Sing with your child. Write something with a light and lifted heart. Be love, and compassion, and joy.

Enthusiastically live your life always connected to your Source (who is Jesus) and whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord! Selah

Shalom,

Skip

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life…

And all of life is about our learning to follow Him!

Now either you believe that or not, that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; that He is Lord (God incarnate — God with us, who has come in the flesh); and that He alone is the author and Creator of your life.

If you are one of those who call yourself a Christian, then you know that our whole faith rests on this one point, that Jesus is Messiah and He is God with us, and yet there are many people (and I know because I was once like this myself) who claim to be Christian, but their lives don’t show evidence of that fact, because Jesus has not yet been made Lord of their lives.

There are many today who only have a casual relationship with Jesus, kind of like dating with no commitment.

Jesus makes it clear in the Bible that not everyone who says he is a Christian is. What makes the difference is who is sitting on the throne of your heart?

Matthew 7:22-23

²² When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ ²³ Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’

Obviously these were the ones who were active in ministry, whom Jesus says He never new;  let alone those who were just nominal Christians.

 Many people say that they are spiritual, something we hear a lot today (which really just means they live by their own rules, and the god they serve is either one they create in their mind, or that of a group or cult whose beliefs do not line up with the Bible); they may be religious, and maybe even go to church every now and again, or maybe not; but this one thing they all have in common, until such time as they are Born-again, is that they have not yet learned that to be a Christian means that you die to yourself, you pick up your cross daily, and you live your life for Jesus 24/7, one day at a time.

God very patiently and long-sufferingly waits for us to notice Him, that He really does love us; and that He has provided for each of us a way to come home and to be reconciled back into His family, but only through faith in Jesus Christ!

The fact is God speaks to every individual, if we would only learn to pay attention with an open heart to what happens to us moment by moment.

For us to discern God’s voice in our daily activities, there remains but one single duty for each believer, and that is to keep his or her gaze fixed upon the Master, and to live one’s life in the moment.

Do you find that all too often your world in a whirlwind; are the gathering clouds that are forming over your life giving you anxious thoughts, as this world seemingly is spinning out of control; are your problems, your trials, and your difficulties occupying most of your attention?

If this sounds familiar, then might I recommend that you read the following verses of scripture, from the Psalms:

Psalm 46

God Protects His People

¹ God is our protection and our strength.
He always helps in times of trouble.
² So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes,
or the mountains fall into the sea,
³ even if the oceans roar and foam,
or the mountains shake at the raging sea.
Selah

⁴ There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
the holy place where God Most High lives.
⁵ God is in that city, and so it will not be shaken.
God will help her at dawn.
⁶ Nations tremble and kingdoms shake.
God shouts and the earth crumbles.

⁷ The Lord All-Powerful is with us;
the God of Jacob is our defender.
Selah

⁸ Come and see what the Lord has done,
the amazing things he has done on the earth.
⁹ He stops wars everywhere on the earth.
He breaks all bows and spears
and burns up the chariots with fire.
¹⁰ God says, “Be still and know that I am God.
I will be praised in all the nations;
I will be praised throughout the earth.”

¹¹ The Lord All-Powerful is with us;
the God of Jacob is our defender.
Selah

This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible, in verse 10, where God says for us to “Be still and know that I AM (is) God!” 

If you will remember “I AM that I AM” was the name that God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai, when Moses asked “Who shall I say sent me?”  

What I believe is the significance of this name “I AM that I AM” to us is that the Lord, though He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He is only available to each of us, to commune with us, in the space of the present moment… one moment at a time.

All too often we are of a divided mind; if we aren’t fretting over some anticipated problem tomorrow (95+ percent of which never happens and so all that is wasted energy), or we are regretting some mistake or wrong that happened in our past.

Either way we are missing out on communion with God, because God, who is eternal and therefore exists outside of both time and space, is only available to each of us in the space of the present moment, one moment at a time.

So instead of our just reacting to life’s problems with anxious thoughts, as we do most times, we need to still our soul; take time to back up, open our hearts (our spiritual sight and ears) and ask God to illuminate the situation. Nothing is ever out of control in the life of a believer, and as believers we certainly are NOT exempt from having trials and tribulations, as does the world. In fact, the truth be known, once you gave your heart and life to Jesus, you were put on Satan’s hit list!

Listen to what the Lord is saying in the following scripture:

Isaiah 50:10-11

 ¹⁰ Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys his servant?
That person may walk in the dark
and have no light (understanding).
Then let him trust in the Lord
and yet depend on his God.
¹¹ But instead, some of you want to light your own fires
and make your own light (in your understanding).
So, go, walk in the light of your fires,
and trust your own light to guide you.
But this is what you will receive from me:
You will lie down in a place of pain.

As Christians we are God’s occupational force in the earth, and we have signed up to be His representatives, His Ambassadors, in the earth. As such we are not here to represent our interests, but we are here to surrender our will to His.

We are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, lean not on our own understanding; in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him, and then His promise is that He shall direct our paths. (Prov 3:5-6)

We each have to choose to be constantly listening, and responding to his many nudges throughout our day. Kind of like when you get up in the morning and you want to know what the weather is going to be for that day, you turn on the radio and then continue your morning routine, with one ear tuned to when the weather report comes on.

In other words, what God is saying to us is, we are to live our lives normally, and live each day going through our normal routines and activities; but at the same time we are to keep that connection with Him throughout our day, so that when we hear His still small voice or we feel His nudge, we will respond… as He may say: go speak to that person, or go do this or that.

God doesn’t always send us an angel to give us a message, and He doesn’t always speak through what we would call supernatural means either. He doesn’t have to because if you are a true Christian than God is closer to you than your next breath.

He may at times speak in those supernatural ways, through angels or in a thunderous voice, but those times are few and far between; and I believe they only happen when it is warranted because of the urgency of the situation; but most times God comes to us in very natural and ordinary ways.

Like he did with little Samuel in the Bible, who hears his name called three times, thinking each time that it was his master Eli who was calling; until on the third time Eli told him that it was God who was calling him.

If God had come to that little boy with some earth shattering sign or manifestation in the middle of the night, he would have scared him; but no God comes to us in ways that are very normal, and he speaks to us in ways that if we aren’t careful we can miss Him completely because we weren’t paying attention.

The reason He can do this is because His Spirit lives inside of each of us, that is if we are Born-again; and so His voice most often will come up from the innermost part of our spirit-man, and will most often come to us as a thought or in a vision, which we can completely miss, unless we are paying attention. 

It’s kind of like the way a woman learns to dance, when she is a good dance partner, she is very sensitive in anticipating the next move of her partner, so that they may move as one. Likewise, we have to learn to dance with God, through the Holy Spirit’s leading and nudging in our life.

The only condition necessary for this state of self-surrender is for us to learn how to live in the present moment, where the soul, light as a feather, fluid as water, innocent as a child, responds to the ever present wind of the Spirit, in every movement, just like a floating balloon.

John 3:5-8

⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

It is that very connection to God, in faith, and our moment by moment submission and obedience to God in the present moment, moment by moment, that is the secret to our learning to receive from God and to hear His voice.

There is no difference between the Sacred and secular, for God’s influence and power permeates all things, even the most trivial.

From God Calling:

Join the adventure of a lifetime, give your heart and your life to Jesus; make Him Lord of your life, and then enter into the University of the Holy Spirit, that you may learn to discern His voice and His leading in your life, moment by moment. Selah

Have a blessed day.

Shalom,

Skip

FORGIVEN

This picture reveals the heart of God toward you. As you look at the painting you see not only Jesus wrapping His arms around a fallen man, you see Him wrapping His arms of mercy around you. Your eyes say, “Jesus is holding a broken sinner.” Your heart says, “Jesus is holding me.” When you look at the cross you will never need to question if He loves you. He came for you — He died for you — He lives for you. What a tremendous price has been paid — more than all the riches in the entire world. This price was paid so that you could know the joy of being forgiven.
ROY LESSIN

Jesus Loves You

^“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

The Best way to live life is to start by entering into relationship with the author of your life, by having fellowship and communion with the One who gave you your life.

Truly that’s what we ALL are looking for anyway, and without that connection in our life we all are as fish out of water, flopping around trying to find our way home.

The question is often asked, “What is the meaning of life and why am I here?”

Well for that answer I have learned to look to the Operations Manual for life… which is the Bible.

How can we know that the Bible is truly God’s Word?

Well to start with, the Bible is a collection of 66 books written by about 40 authors, in three different languages, on three different continents, over approximately 1600 years.  The Bible itself claims to be inspired and the inerrant Word of God.  This means that the Bible claims to be from God and that it is without error in everything it addresses.

How can we know this is so?

Well to start you have to read it; and when you do, you will find that God has provided in the Bible every evidence that truly this Book is of extra terrestrial origin.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for  doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

II Timothy 3:16

“No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 

2 Peter 1:20-21

Here’s further evidence that the Bible is God’s Word:

1. Because it claims to be (as read in our Scriptures above).
2. Because It hits the nail right on the head concerning the sinfulness of mankind.  2nd Timothy 3:1-7 reads, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  Mankind is evil through and through.  The humanists say man can improve.  The New Age gang says that we can become gods.  Evolutionists claim we all came from apes (with NO proof whatsoever).  The Mormons say we can become gods.  Do you think the American Psychiatric Association is going to tell you that you’re a sinner on your way to Hell if you die in your sins?  No!  This is not just religion friend, this is YOUR LIFE!!!  What Book is there on this earth that gives you the plain truth about mankind and life?  THE WORD OF GOD is the only answer!  The Bible plainly teaches that man is prone to destruction because man has a sin-nature (Romans 3:10,23;5:12;7:21).
3. Archaeology is in agreement with the Word of God.  Not one spadefull of dirt has ever been uncovered to disprove the Word of God.  In fact, many Archaeological expeditions have provided substantial evidence in support of Biblical claims.  We don’t need Archeology to prove the Bible, the Bible is evidence enough by itself.  Yet, here are more proofs if you need them.  The Bible Itself is all the evidence I need.
4. The Bible is scientifically accurate.  Isaiah 40:22 declares that the earth is round.  Leviticus 17:11 declares that the life is in the blood.  For centuries doctors foolishly drained the blood out of their patients resulting in certain death.  The Bible also mentions astronomy, Job 9:9 mentions Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades.  Proverb 17:22 teaches that good health is directly linked to being happy.  Psychiatrists offices are overflowing today with the stressed out people.   Happiness can only come from being saved and living for the Truth of God’s Word.
5. The Bible was miraculously written.  The Bible was written over a 1,500 year period by 40 different men as God’s Holy Spirit moved through them.  There is NO earthly way possible that so many men (most of whom never met each other), could have written so many different books in different styles that all perfectly merge into one meaningful Book, but with God all things are possible!!!
6. The world’s hatred for the Word of God.  John 3:20 reads, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”  This is why the unsaved world hates Jesus Christ and His Word so intensely, because They expose sin!  NO book on this planet is hated anywhere near as much as the Bible.  Most people hate the Truth.  Speaking the Truth is a fast way to make enemies, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?.”  The world hated Jesus without a cause because He spoke the Truth (John 15:25).
7. The world’s hatred for Christians.  Jesus said, “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” -John 17:14.  I’ve been despised and hated my whole life because of my Christian testimony.  I know what it’s like to be ostracized by others, to be lied about, to be called a hypocrite, to be laughed at and ridiculed, to be the black sheep of the family.  But I know God will make everything right in Heaven.  Jesus told us that we’d be hated.  It’s really Jesus and the Bible that they hate, not us.  I’m not going to feel bad about something that God said would happen.  I don’t like to be hated, but I love the Truth and want to please God by proclaiming It far and wide.
8. The attack from false religions.  The book of Koran is a jumbled mess containing no prophecy at all.  The Koran attacks Christians, Jews, and the doctrines of the Bible.  The Jehovah Witnesses (JW’s) claim that Michael the archangel became Jesus.  They deny Christ’s deity.  The Mormons deny Christ’s deity.  The Catholics pervert the Bible by teaching the necessity of the sacraments for salvation, etc.  Wiccan witches reject the Word of God as fables.  New Agers teach that there are millions of ways to God, just follow the light; but the Word of God proclaims that there is ONLY one way to Heaven and that’s through Jesus Christ!  Every false religion in one way or another twists and corrupts the Word of God.  The attack is against the Word of God!!!
9. The woeful condition of the world.  The Bible clearly teaches that Satan is the god of this world (2nd Corinthians 4:4).  John 10:10 plainly declares that the Devil only comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  It’s obvious that there are evil forces at work beyond human suffering and war.  Most people believe in God and Satan, so why is it so hard to accept the idea that God would want to communicate with His creation (humanity)?  It doesn’t surprise me that spoiled Americans would deny the existence of God and Satan, but ask anyone in a third world nation if they believe.  Pride blinds men’s eyes.  1st John 5:19 declares that the whole world lieth in wickedness.
10. The existence of Satanists and occult groups.  The fact that all these Satanic groups, like the Church of Satan are proof of Satan.  Wicca witches deny the existence of Satan, but Biblically they are of Satan.  Just because they deny the Devil doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist.  Hitler was known to levitate above the floor.  He was infatuated with the occult.  America is plagued with occult groups such as Bohemian Grove, Skull and Bones, Freemasonry, and many more.  Freemasonry commonly displays an upside down pentagram representing the Devil.  They worship the great architect, Baphomet (Satan).  Just look online at some of the witchcraft websites speaking about spells, charms, astral projection, astrology, etc.  The Bible clearly forbids such activities (Deuteronomy 18:10; 1st Samuel 15:23; Isaiah 47:13, Ephesians 5:11).
11. The Holy Spirit in my heart.  Romans 8:9 reads, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”  And Romans 8:16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”  What a wonderful Truth, God’s Holy Spirit lives within the body of every believer.  I know that the Bible is God’s Word because the Holy Spirit within my body tells me so.  It’s not something I can describe.  All I can say is that when I read the Word of God, it all makes perfect sense to me.  I thank God for His Precious Word!
12. All of the modern corrupt Bibles.  The fact that Satan is trying to eradicate the Truth by corrupting It’s contents speaks volumes.  The fact that every modern Bible diminishes the deity of Christ, the blood atonement, the Godhead, and many other doctrines as compared to the King James Bible is evidence that the Bible is indeed God’s Word.  Sadly, even many believers have bought into the Devil’s lie of swapping their trustworthy King James Bible for a perversion like the New International Version which completely removes the words “Godhead,” “sodomites,” and even “begotten” in John 3:16.  It is so obvious that Satan is relentlessly attacking God’s Word.
13. Man wouldn’t have written the bible.  Man couldn’t have written the Bible if he wanted to, and wouldn’t if he could have.  Why would men write a book condemning themselves?  Not one book throughout history even comes near to the Bible’s description of mankind. Jeremiah 17:9 reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  What man could write such a thing?
14. The lie of evolution.  The fact that evolution is taught as if it were a fact all across the world is evidence of man’s unwillingness to learn the Truth.  Evolution has no scientific basis, it cannot be tested or studied.  Evolution is NOT science, but a mere theory of atheist conjectures.  If the Bible is not true, then why is mankind desperately trying to hide his ignorance concerning creation.  There is NO answer which makes sense except God.  Please read Is There a God?.  Evolution is proof of one thing, that man is afraid of the Truth.
15. Fulfilled Bible Prophecy.  The Word of God is filled with much prophecy.  Here is a page of many Fulfilled Bible Prophecies.  It would be astronomically impossible for any one man to have fulfilled all of the prophecies which Christ fulfilled.
    

    http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Bible/gods_word.htm
    

And finally the GREATEST evidence you will find that the BIBLE is truly the inerrant Word of God; the Book of Information Before Leaving Earth; that it’s God’s compass for you in this life to give you direction; and that it’s God’s love letter to you … ALL of these things will become evident to you when you sit down and begin to read it.

But before you start, consider this one thing, the same inspiration that moved upon the holy men of God in ages past, when they pinned the Bible through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is also available to you when you read it, in order to apply God’s truth to your life personally.

Jesus promised us before He left that He would send a Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, to indwell us and to guide and teach us in all truth: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
John 14:26

To explain this, let me just give you an analogy that was once given to me.

Are you familiar with what a holographic image is? It is a three dimensional picture that is created when an image is exposed on film in the light of a laser.

However if you attempt to view that exposed image in normal light you will only see a blur and it will make no sense, the image will only become clear as you view it under the very same light that created it.

The same is true of the Bible. If you attempt to read the Bible on your own, without the Holy Spirit’s illumination, it will just be words on a page, like any other book.

Before you begin to read the Bible, you must pray in faith (as Jesus promised) that the Holy Spirit will begin to illuminate the Scriptures for you, and apply God’s truths to your personal set of circumstances that you are experiencing in your life at this moment, where you are today… and He will.

JESUS… don’t leave home without Him. Start your adventure today!

Be blessed and have a wonderful day.

Shalom,

Skip

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

Matthew 5:3

What does it mean to be “Poor in spirit?”

You could translate it somewhat literally as spiritually needy or maybe spiritually famished. A modern equivalent might be depressed.

Poor in spirit means you’re all washed up, out of options, at the end of your rope.

If that sounds like you, Jesus says you’re blessed!

God’s kingdom, with its wonders, its hope, its promise of healing, is right within your reach.

We ALL have had periods of depression where we feel as though all is lost, sometimes even hopeless as though God has abandoned us.

But faith tells us differently. Faith tells us that our God has not abandoned us and the reason we can know this is true is because He has given us His Word that He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us… no not NEVER!

When we are depressed, we don’t have the strength of will to reach out for anything, not even the kingdom of heaven.

And yet, paradoxically, even when we’re feeling so low that there seems to be no way out, those are the very times that God is inviting us to draw in closer and to stretch the roots of our faith deeper into Him.

Depression is something like being caught in quicksand. It comes upon us so slowly, so subtly many times, until we find ourselves overwhelmed; and the more we try to struggle in our own strength, the deeper we sink.

God has a different plan for us. God’s all about making oak trees, not mushrooms!

With and Oak tree there is a deep root systems that can withstand any storm; but it’s our choice whether we want to be a mighty oak, or a mushroom?

The oak tree takes time to grow. Likewise if we are to grow we have to learn to persevere and how to navigate through our problems and difficulties, trials and tribulations, using God’s Instruction Manual, called the Holy Bible.

One of the main pitfalls that we all face from time to time is depression.

Depression sometimes can come upon us like a whirlwind, that seems to be spinning our life out of control; but FAITH tells us that if we are in Christ, nothing is ever out of control, as we know from God’s Word that God Himself has choreographed each and every detail of our life, and that He did so even before He laid the foundation for the earth, before time began… and you don’t have to understand it, just accept it!

The problem is we are own worst enemy!

Maybe it’s our pride, or maybe our stubbornness, or maybe it’s just the life-sapping nature of this disease, called depression that causes to be so self destructive.

Whatever it is, all too often the tendency for many of us is to withdraw from fellowship when we are feeling depressed, to draw deep within our cave; for others they turn to some sort of self medication, be it alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, or worse sometimes street drugs, all in an effort to deaden the pain, or escape for a time from our problems, or maybe even from ourselves.

However, we still find ourselves waking up the next morning with the same problems and even sometimes we may find that we have even worsen our situation through the collateral damage we might have caused the night before with our harsh words and belligerent attitude towards our neighbors, our friends, or our family.

This is especially true when people drink too much alcohol, because it tends to take away all of our inhibitions to where will do and say things we wouldn’t normally. The nasty thing about words is once you let them loose, you can’t call them back!

What a terrible web of bondage we spin for ourselves by not turning to God in these times, and truly by our actions in seeking relief in our flesh, and not our spirit, we only end up gives further place to the enemy in our lives, which gives way to more strongholds that only worsens every problem and situation that we face. May God help us to not do this!

Whatever your situation or circumstances may be today, however impossible things may seem right now, please just know it’s NEVER impossible and it’s never too late to turn back; God loves you and in His longsuffering He just waits for you to notice!!!

This is what Jesus was talking about in His Sermon on the Mount, when He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!”

The poor in spirit are those who realize that they need help outside of themselves; and the truth is God created us to have fellowship and intimacy with Him, and without that connection in our lives, and without that Living Water flowing through our lives, and this is true for all of us… we are as fish out of water, flopping along on dry land looking for our way home.

The problem is, nothing satisfies… not the money, nor the power, and certainly not the alcohol or drugs!

You see God has a destiny and a mission for each of His kids, and if He didn’t, you wouldn’t be here!

Nothing and no one was created in this world without a purpose and a destiny, but it is up to each of us to decide whether we will follow Jesus, or whether we will go along with the world and be consumed with our selfish desires, ambitions, and pursuits that only take us further away from God.

But even then, for those who have walked away and have abandoned their faith, God doesn’t give up on them… not easily anyway! He gives us every chance to repent and come home.

Thank God for the Bible because in it we can find our reason to hope.

Remember the Prodigal son who told his father that he didn’t want to wait until his father died to get his inheritance; and so his father granted his wish… and he didn’t try to stop him or talk him out of it!

You see God loves us enough that He doesn’t push His will upon us, but rather He gives us each room to make our own mistakes!

 The Prodigal son is another example of one who became poor in spirit and in that condition he recognized his need for His Father.

Here he had been wiped out financially, his clothes were in rags, he was starving, he was alone, he was wracked by guilt, he had no place even to get out of the rain, and was literally eating with the pigs.

Only then, when everything was at its bleakest did he decide to go home. And there he found his father waiting, ready with healing, hope, and love.

Are you poor in spirit? This is your lucky day! Jesus is standing beside you, ready to give you a hand up and out of miry pit.

Have a blessed day in Jesus!

Shalom,

Skip

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me,

to render to every man according to what he has done”

Rev 22:12

Jesus has said that “No man knows the day or hour of His return, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the father!” Mat 24:36

But He said also: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. ² There are many rooms in my Father’s house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you.³ After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

The Jewish wedding tradition is very relevant for us today, not only as it relates to the marriage covenant today, that is taken between a man and his wife (for better or for worst, richer or power, in sickness and in health, until death do us part), but also as it relates to our covenant with Jesus, and His coming back for His bride, the church.

The marriage union and covenant is something which God has both ordained and created; and it is intended also to be the model of the relationship that exists between Christ and His church.

Your marriage vows that are taken before the Lord, as a Christian, are sacred.

Here is an outline of how the Jewish wedding happened in the Jewish culture, in the time of Christ, and it is also relevant to us in our day, not only because it shows the sanctity of the marriage covenant, but it also speaks of our current condition in the Church, as the bride of Christ, as we are awaiting His return:

• Kiddushin is derived from the word Kadosh, meaning holy! Once a bride and bridegroom enter into this initial phase of marriage they are considered married.  In other words, they would have to get a divorce, called a “get” to break of the engagement.  This period lasts from one to two years.
  

  The betrothal is a parallel to the engagement in most ways except that in the ancient Jewish custom, it was binding! It was so binding that it could not be broken without an orthodox divorce. You were considered bound together from the period you entered the betrothal contract until the wedding day.

  When Joseph discovered that his betrothed wife Mary was with child he had real grounds to obtain an orthodox divorce and would have if the angel had not appeared unto him and explained what was going on.  

  Even though the couple is engaged they do not have a physical relationship and they do not live together either.
  

• The Arrangement: The groom’s father made and approved the choice of the bride. In traditional Jewish customs, marriages were arranged by their fathers.  It is quite often that the Bride and Groom have never seen one another before they are engaged.
  

• In Judaism the Sabbath is seen as the bride.  In Biblical Christianity, the Church, the Body of Believers is the bride and the Messiah is the bridegroom. 
  The Father makes and approves the choice of a bride.

  	John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
  	2 Corinthians 11:2 – For I, Paul have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to the Messiah.

• The Groom’s Promise: Tenaim – Conditions

  	The Groom makes a covenant or contract promise. The Ketubah is a document that is used for the purpose of assuring a bride will be provided for.  Once this document was signed and witnessed by two people then it was binding and the couple was considered married.
  	Drink the cup of wine to seal the covenant. Kiddush
  	Groom pays a price to show he is serious; today the wedding ring is used for this purpose.
  	Groom’s speech of promise to his bride is that he would come to claim her soon, this is the Engagement Promise.

• The Covenant Relationship –
  

  God made a New Covenant with Israel and Judah to replace the one He made with Moses.
  

• Yeshua drank cup of redemption at Passover. Yeshua paid the bride price of redemption for us on the cross.
  Jeremiah 31:31, Matthew 26:27-29, 1 Corinthians 6:20 John 14:2-3
• The Groom goes to his father’s house and Prepares a Place for His Bride: Chuppah
  

• Groom prepares a bridal chamber where they stay for seven days. He works on it until it pleases his father. Then he may go after his bride.  The Chuppah canopy is derived from this type of a bridal chamber.
  

• Yeshua tells us that He does not know when He will come; only His Father knows. We must be alert and ready! For, He is preparing our place now. Be alert: Be ready: Do all He asks while you’re here. Develop an active prayer life. Offer yourself in ministry opportunity. Keep ourselves from doubt and failure.
  

  John 14:1-4 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
  

    (from http://www.yeshuatyisrael.com/messiah_wedding%201.htm)
  

God also has a calling on every Believer’s life; a plan and a purpose that will fulfill your God ordained destiny in life.

Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

In the world however, before we committed our lives to Christ, before we believed the Gospel’s message and accepted Jesus’ propitious sacrifice for our sins; and then made Him Lord over our lives; before that day when we were born-again, we each followed our own desires, our own inclinations, and ambitions without any thought as to what God’s will, God’s purpose, and what God’s plan was for our life.

This very attitude. which is common to every man, in a nut shell is what SIN is all about, our presumed independence from the will and purpose of God for our individual lives.

Sin is anything at all that goes crosswise against the original will and purpose of God; and Jesus let it be known that it begins in our attitude and in our thought life, even before any outward action is taken. The reason being that our thoughts are what give birth to our actions.

This condition is terminal to every human being, and that very SIN nature which we ALL have, that we have inherited from our father Adam is the very thing that disqualifies all of us from entering into heaven, and it is what has also estranged us from our Creator and God!

The ONLY cure for this disease, called SIN, which keeps us out of heaven is Jesus Christ!

Jesus said that He came that we might experience real life, and experience it more abundantly.

What better person to know what will really satisfy our lives, other than our Creator, the one who gave us our life to begin with!

The truth is we ALL, as members of this human race, in all the sons and daughters of Adam, are as fish out of water, without our connection and relationship with our Creator.

It is for that reason, for God’s pleasure, that we are created, to have communion and relationship with God throughout eternity.

The point of the Gospel and of Salvation through faith in Jesus is that our only opportunity to be reconciled back into God’s family, as per our Operations Manual’s (Book of Instructions Before Leaving Earth, called the BIBLE) is sometime between the time of our birth, and the time of our departure from this life, in death. This is the only time which we have to make our peace with God.

The Bible tells us that our spirits are eternal; and though our physical bodies all wear out and die eventually, our spirit man (which is made in the image and likeness of God, who is Himself a Spirit) lives on forever.

Where we will spend eternity after we depart this life will depend on whether or not we have accepted God’s remedy and cure for sin, and have received by faith God’s forgiveness and offer of reconciliation, which is offered ONLY through Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Bible says that it’s His will that every man and woman would come home and be reunited with Him, but He will not force His will on any man.

The decision is ours completely!

For those who have rejected the Gospel message throughout their lives here on the earth, or have ignored it because they considered it of little importance, for those people God will not force upon them in eternity what they have rejected all of their lives.

This decision is the MOST important decision any of us can make in our lifetime, and it should NEVER be put off; tomorrow is guaranteed to no man, and every beat of our heart and every breath that we take is only by God’s grace.

God is the one who has given us our life, but He leaves it to us to decide how we will choose to spend it; whether to spend it on Him and serve Him, or whether to just go along with the world , and eat, drink and be merry?

Life is a party… right?  Is it really?

That is the attitude of so many people today, and I’ve oven even heard the joke that they only want to spend eternity where most of their friends are going to be… well that will not be with God and that is your choice!

The choice is whether to serve God or to serve yourself, and the Bible says that most will choose the latter, and will reject God’s offer, how sad!

That means that most of the people you know and see everyday, among your neighbors, your family, and your friends,  the people you work with, most of these people are living their lives for themselves, and they could care less what God’s desire and plan is.

This is so very true for ALL off us, and that is we don’t know what we don’t know, until we are taught, until someone tells us. But how can that happen unless someone is sent?

Would you be that person?

Unless the unsaved change their minds and repent (meaning to change the way they think) sometimes between now and the day they pass from this life, then that decision to live separate from God will be set in stone for all eternity!

The only remedy for all of this, as I said before, is Jesus Christ!

Yes it is Jesus who has made all of this possible for you, because He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit love you.  

Jesus purchased our salvation by taking away the retribution owed to us, because of the sin in our lives, which is best described as the tendency which we all have to shine God on, taking our own rabbit trails in life, and doing whatever we damn well please in life!

Folks it is that very attitude that best describes what the sin nature is, and the reason it cannot be accepted in heaven is because it would bring the same disharmony and discord to heaven, that we see in the world today… and God will NOT allow that!

Our calling and mission as God’s children and His disciples (followers of Jesus) is that we are to be His occupational force and His foot soldiers in the earth; and the Bible says that we are also to be His ambassadors, and as such it is our mission to represent God’s interest in the earth, as it is in heaven.

We are also called Kings and Priest before God.

Kings and Priests
By Billy Joe Daugherty
 
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.(Rev. 1:5-6 ) 

You are loved by Jesus. He washed you from your sins in His own blood. No man will be cleaner than one who has been washed in the blood of Jesus. Soap and water only clean the body. The blood of Jesus cleans your soul. Your old life with its past sins is cleansed.

Jesus has made us kings and priests in His kingdom. And the kingdom of God is in us. We have been given authority to use Jesus’ name to accomplish God’s will in the earth.

You are an heir and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8:15,16.) Royal blood flows in your veins. As a result, you are a partaker of God’s divine nature.

Furthermore, God has made you a priest. You are part of the kingdom of priests. As a priest, you are to go before God on behalf of men and go before men on behalf of God.

In the Old Testament, only certain men and women who were anointed as prophets, or prophetesses, and priests could contact God and hear from Him directly. However, in the New Covenant, every believer has received an anointing to serve as a priest. You do not need another person to go before God on your behalf. You can go directly to the Father through Jesus.

You are freed from all sin to live for God as His king and priest. Accept your office. Use your authority in prayer to bring God’s will to pass in the earth. As you minister unto God, He will equip you to share with others. Our DECLARATION OF FAITH: I am a king and a priest unto God. I have been washed in the blood of Jesus. I walk in the authority and in the anointing of God.

Shalom and Amen… have a blessed day,

Skip

Christian Falcon is an ordained minister and preacher of the Gospel of Christ. He travels across country and globe to preach the Truth about God and His kingdom to the broken, the afflicted, and the lost. Now Head Pastor of Iglesia Cristiana Del Norte.

Weekly Servies at El Saddai

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