Where Our Eyes Gaze

We have an awesome God! I hope not to be too redundant here, but I do know that as I was reading Psalm 69, the Lord truly gave me a passion to write on what I've been reading.

It's my hope that before reading this, if you dare commit to any substantial time in considering this, you read all of Psalm 69 as I will only quote those bits I use specifically.

As I've been reading through the Psalms, I am amazed at them! Truly, it's one thing to know about them. It's quite another to actually read through them and take notes on them. They are exemplary of true and genuine honesty before God. In fact, sometimes David (and others) are so honest that I think they're being irreverent. For instance, in our example here, David says, "Erase their names from the Book of Life." (Psalm 69:28). Aren't we supposed to pray for the salvation of those who persecute us?

In any case, it's important to learn from the transparency before God revealed in the Psalms. So we look first at Psalm 69. David begins by expressing, in very passionate terms, his desperate situation and the innocence he has in regard to his enemies' accusations. Then suddenly he throws in a quote-worthy bit:

"O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you."
Psalm 69:5

Moving right along. He continues to lament his situation, but here we get to the heart of what I'm saying. He cries out to God to rescue him, using phrases like, "Your unfailing love is wonderful", "Your mercy is so plentiful", "Your sure salvation", and "Your saving power".

He is praising God amidst his lamentation! If you notice in the Psalms, God is never cursed or rejected by those who feel that His presence is gone.

This is where we get problems. We focus on our situation(s) more than we focus on the Lord. I've said it before and I'll repeat it without end just to drive it into my heard-to-learn heart: we need to tell God, "You are good," regardless of our situation! That is how we retain our correct focus.

We read all over the New Testament (and Old, mind you, but not as blatantly) that we need to give up our lives for Christ, take up our cross, die to ourselves, follow Christ, focus on heaven, et cetera. But what's all that about? How do we do that? I know there are many dimensions to this (as must be the case when all aspects of life are required to be "laid down"), but there is a key I will say again and again and again:

We must keep our eyes on Christ.

What does that mean? I'm referring here to the eyes of our hearts--our "spiritual" eyes, so to speak. I am talking about what our whole life is about, what our perspective is, and what we are striving for. The eyes of our heart is how we know and understand God and what He is doing. That's the best I think I can do to explain it; I hope and pray that the amazing Holy Spirit can make my meaning clear to you.

God wants true, genuine and passionate worship from His people all the time, even when either things are hard, or He seems absent!

"The Father is looking for those who will worship Him in that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."
John 4:23-24

Worship in Spirit--true worship comes from our spirit (or heart, if you will). This is worship from the very core of our being, and as we know, the core of our being is now inhabited by the Holy Spirit, where He abides!

Worship in Truth--Jesus is the essence of Truth (if I can put it that way), if you recall (John 14:6). Therefore, we can only worship Him if we worship in Him. We have the mind of Christ because the Holy Spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). Therefore, it is through Him that we worship in spirit and in truth. That means that our eyes must be on Him! That means that we must be focused on Him.

And what does that mean? It means that He must be the at very heart of our motive, hopes, aspirations, worship, service, and so forth. It means that, like David, regardless of our situation, we must worship Him! We must proclaim "I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor Him with thanksgiving!" (Psalm 69:30)

How good is our God! Let nothing obscure our eyes on Christ. As we follow Him, if we look away from Him, we fall into the ditches along the path of life. Extremely challenging? No kidding! Extremely rewarding (like, eternity with Him)? Need I answer?

So now we look at another portion of Scripture:

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice!...[I don't skip because I don't like it, but because I'm not going to discuss it]...Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4, 6-7

It is so important to keep our eyes on the Lord! We get so caught up in circumstances and our focus changes to looking at them, not Him. Then we get worried about them (and to the world's perspective, they may be very worrisome!) and then we're in a mess. When we come to the Lord with our struggles and joys and choose to worship Him, as David does, then His peace protects our hearts and minds. This means that without His peace, our hearts and minds are vulnerable!

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life."
Proverbs 4:23 (NASB)

I'm going to look at the second bit of that verse first: the wellsprings of life. From the heart do we worship in spirit and in truth. From the heart are we motivated. From the heart do we act. Surely this is decently clear to you.

So we must watch over it with all diligence. Well, as we've just seen, our heart is guarded by the peace of God, peace which surpasses understanding! Peace comes from telling God what we need and thanking Him for what He has done. It comes from complete and whole dependence on, and true and genuine worship of Him! When we worship in spirit and in truth, regardless of circumstances, then our eyes are on Him (is this becoming more clear?), then He gives us His peace, which guards our hearts and minds. I don't want to repeat that; I think it's coming together.

"The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; He does not despise the imprisoned people."
Psalm 69:32-33

Though I do not need to say it, I think it is perfect that David says this. "The humble will see their God at work and be glad." What is humility? It is complete surrender to God. It is, in other words, having our eyes on Christ. What's the practical (and yet complete) definition of humility? Humility is being teachable. It takes humility to understand how God is working. If we are not humble, than we cannot see how circumstances are in God's control, and then we loose focus on Christ, and then plop, we're back in our blind mucking about in a ditch. (Also about humility and giving our cares to God: 1 Peter 5:5-7 and James 4:10.)

The key in that is this: we can trust God because He is working in all situations. Some say God allows all things to happen, others say God causes all things to happen. I say God causes what He chooses to cause, and He allows what He chooses to allow. He's sovereign, and we cannot understand His ways (Isaiah 55:9). But we CAN and SHOULD find complete peace in Him because He's in control. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying we can achieve any sort of peace on our own. If you think that, you've missed the point of this note. I'm saying that we need to be focused on Him all the time, when we feel He is near or not. We need to always--always--worship Him in spirit and in truth. It's not an emotion we necessarily feel. It's a choice we make. It often goes against our feelings.

I do apologize for my lack of practical application. It is my purpose to increase your passion and understanding, that you seek the Lord for even greater understanding. I claim no understanding of this on my own! The Lord alone deserves the glory for what He teaches His children. I just want to share the passion of what I've found in Scripture and understand by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit!

Let's gaze always upon the Lord, not on circumstances, nor people, nor pleasures, nor any sort of worldly desire. Let's worship Him in spirit and in truth! Then we will receive His peace, which will guard our hearts and keep us on the path of life!

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory."
Colossians 3:1-4

The Everyday Bread

"I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live fever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may life, is My flesh."

Then the people began arguing about what He meant. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked.

So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in Him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on Me will live because of Me."
John 6:47-57

This, we know, is the foundation of our salvation: that Jesus Christ died as a ransom for many that we may, through His death and resurrection, have eternal life with Him. Praise God!

Jesus confirms this and makes it very clear here in this powerful passage of Scripture. He calls Himself the Bread of Life. Then He talks about this rather odd eating and drinking of His blood. Yuck! we think. Of course, we know He's not being literal. But He's being pretty close!

We know that Jesus is the Word of God from John 1. Now we know Him as the Bread of Life. And we know we should feed on Him.

We need to feed on Him everyday. Yes, we are saved once and for all time, but Jesus makes it clear that to remain in Him we need to constantly be feeding on Him, for He says, "Anyone who eats Me flesh and drinks My blood remains in me, and I in Him."

Now, this very clearly shows us the importance of staying in the Word! We need to be reading the Bible every single day, and this is important. It is also very important not just to read tiny tidbits and never delve deeply into studying Scripture. Never think you're too young or inadequate to actually study the Bible. Search it. Meditate on it. Ask God to reveal it to you!

And yet, the Bible is not the only way that we are to "eat His flesh." There is a reason we understand Christianity as a relationship. We don't only know the Shepherds voice as being the Words of the Bible, but also in our spirits--the Holy Spirit.

"When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me."
John 16:13-14

The Holy Spirit is now the spokesman, so to speak, for Jesus Christ. He is the one who feeds us everyday, if you will allow me to say it in this way! Just like we need bread (food) and drink every day to stay alive, so we need Jesus Christ every day to remain in Him! Yes, reading the Bible consistently is important. But this cannot lead us to neglect seeking truth through the Holy Spirit--He does speak to us if we seek His voice! We need to know His voice so that we know how to receive this Bread of Life every day. The Holy Spirit is now our source of the Bread of Life. But how can we eat if we never take time to eat?

I have heard that the average Christian in the U.S. spends 10 minutes a day in Bible reading, while the average American spends 4 hours a day watching TV.

What is your priority? Do you get a good daily feeding of "The Office" (weekly, as it is) or TV or Facebook, et cetera? How about nourishment of the Holy Spirit of truth? Do you get adequate feeding of the Lord Jesus? Yes, Bible study is critical. But we need more! We need what can only come from time spent in prayer and listening! And not just ten minutes a day--this is not adequate! (But we must be very careful that it never becomes routine and not relationship. I have been in that situation for most of my life--having my "quite time" to check it off the list. How this must grieve our Lord and deprive our spirits of Him!)

If you are asking how we can expect to truly spend much time with the Lord with our busy schedules, let me ask you what you are living for. What are you living for? What is your perspective?

I'm not suggesting neglecting school and family and friend (et cetera) responsibilities! Listen, I tried to protest when the Lord asked me to spend an hour a day with Him on the excuse of my busy college life--which is terribly busy right now! But I've also learned that the more and more I am faithful to that request, the more and more fulfilling my life is and in general the more productive I am in serving the Lord in everything, including my school!

Our spiritual lives are the most important aspect of our lives, and that which flows into every other part of our lives. What kind of nourishment are you giving your spirit? What kind of nourishment are you giving the Holy Spirit time to give you? Do you give time to let Him answer your request, "give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11)?

Let us learn to know the Shepherd's voice! Let us know what He is teaching us every day so that we might walk so much more and more by His guidance every day!

Conquering Strongholds (Part III)

The King-The Groom

Yes...Jesus. Of course.
You see, if we fail to make mention of Him, we come precariously close to letting the devil step right in and turn our philosophy into his stronghold. If we fail to recognize Christ as the King and as the Warrior and as the Victor in this battle, we have fallen into that trap. I don't think any of us would dare do that, but my purpose in this the last part of Conquering Strongholds is simply to be a reminder of this fact.

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and He is supreme over all creation,
For through Him God created everything in the heavenly places and on the earth.
He made things we can see and the things we can't see--
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through Him and for Him.
He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the Church, which is His body."
Colossians 1:15-18a

Christ is the head over the Body. This is foundational--we all know this. But I'm going to explore a few implications of it that relate to our topic of conquering strongholds.

This you may consider the central point of Conquering Strongholds: There is a spiritual war fought by the Church through the power of Christ.
We've broken it up thus:

1. There is a spiritual war (Part I)


2. fought by the Church (Part II)


3. through the power of Christ (Part III)

I may, here, touch slightly again on the second point a little once more.

"Now He [Christ] is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else--not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself."
Ephesians 1:21-23

"God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
Ephesians 3:10

Unity is only found in Christ--in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:3-6).
Power is only found in Christ (as we see in the Scriptures above).
Acknowledging the dire importance of Faith, Hope and Love, we also need to realize that to defend against the devil and conquer his strongholds we need Unity and Power. As we just said, both are found only in Christ.

I am not aware of how many people read my notes, but my guess is that if any do, they are my generation. We're certainly not much in a position to do much about this on a Church-wide scale, you say. Well, no, not particularly (though all things are possible through Christ). But we are the next generation of Church leaders and members. We are beginning or developing the spiritual gifts God has given us. We are the youth being raised in the power of Christ to do His purposes now and in the days to come. We need to have a good understanding of what's going on while we're still young! We will soon be thrown into the midst of it, and we need to be prepared.

I'm not going to go into a long list of the enemy's strongholds. We have listed several, namely materialism, self-sufficiency, et cetera. Others would be, in the U.S. scenario, abortion, gay marriage. Those are blatant. Some are more subtle, such as blindness to people's spiritual condition, or blindness to people's needs, et cetera. Or these: a spirit of oppression, a spirit of depression, a spirit of gluttony, a spirit of apathy. Again, you I'm sure can think of a great many. It's the Church's job, under the leadership of Christ, in the unity found in Christ, and the power given in Christ, to fight against these enemy strongholds that we may bring Light to the dark places, and that we may set the captives free! For we are bonded together in the Spirit of God, and we must go where He leads, for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!

Conquering Strongholds (Part II)

Unity in the Body

"Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart."
Matthew 12:25

Yes, I am aware that this is told when Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan (dreadful blasphemy, if I may remind you). However, the principle holds true. It even holds true, as we will see here, within the Christian church. That is, the principle of a divided house falling apart.

The devil's greatest strength comes with divisions. His greatest advances come this way, and he uses them to the fullest. He splits up marriages. He splits up governments. He splits up parents and children. He splits up friends. He splits up churches. How? How do we let this happen?

Any small crack in a union or body or family is a terribly point of vulnerability. Consider a dam which develops a small crack. If water can seep into it, it will slowly, if left untreated, be worn away and the whole dam will come crashing down. Or the same can be applied to a building with cracks in its foundation. When an earthquake hits, it too comes crashing down. Now look at it on a larger scale. Two armies are facing each other. If two divisions are too far apart, and enemy can flank both right down their center; victory is likely. Generals always look for weak points in enemy lines. Elite Roman Centurions, units of 100 men, walked shield against shield--a most formidable enemy. There was no hope of breaking through unless you could break a point in the wall. Often in medieval times, generals would focus all siege on the weakest portion of the wall until it gave way.

Do you see what I am getting at? The way the enemy attacks the church is the exact same way. He looks for the weakest points, and throws all his forces in those places. He can never get through a unified body--if it is unified in the Spirit. Why do you think Paul is so concerned that the devil not get a foothold with anger (Ephesians 4:26-27)? He divides and conquers.

But not only is the Church having trouble keeping there from being cracks in the defenses, it divides itself! I need most importantly to clarify that I am not condemning denominations, and I will make that very clear later on. What I am saying is that denominations make completely open points for the enemy to attack if the denominations themselves are not unified with one purpose. We see this when one denomination condemns another. Most denominations have been formed as a sort of rebellion against another. This is terrible! I am not saying that reform is not needed--surely it is, and in some bodies more than others. But when denominations get pitted against each other, the devil can dance around doing his wicked work.

That's a major problem. People with slightly different beliefs waste their energy either proving them or disproving another's. There has to be unity. There has to be a solid wall of defense, not just to show the world the love of God, which is critical (John 17:23), but to fight against the strongholds of the enemy and not allow him to divide and conquer. Even denominations who have more correct beliefs are easy targets when they loose their grasp of what is really going on and get too caught up with just themselves. Even denominations that aren't bickering, which many aren't--in fact, many respect and appreciate other denominations, a step in the right direction--don't work with other denominations.

The key here is first recognizing that Jesus Christ is the head of all the Body. I have not set out to write a discourse on how to overcome denominational differences, but to bring attention to a few things I think are important. First of all, we need to recognize that we share a common goal and a common enemy. Secondly, we need to recognize the role different denominations play, for I fully believe that while many need reform and greater understanding (and by many I mean most), God has used them in different ways to do just what we are discussing: defend against the enemy.

If we can understand and apply these concepts, we can create a wall of defense against the enemy that absolutely cannot be breached.

That means there has to be communication. Churches need to work together. With the easy flow of communication in our age, we should take every advantage of it as a blessing to help aid our unity. There needs to be a common recognition of the enemy's strongholds in society, and a common desire and will to fight him. Then, in unity, NOT conformity mind you (meaning unity in diversity), the Church can face the enemy's strongholds.

Conquering Strongholds (Part I)

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NASB)

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against might powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

The Reality of the War

Individually, we are fighting a battle that will always rage--a battle that is dividing our purposes and desires. You can read about that many places, and perhaps most extensively in Romans 7:14-8:14.

As the Body of Christ, we too are waging a war. While the Western Worldview has contributed many great philosophies and modes of thinking, it has built up many barriers to a thorough understanding of God's Word and the world we live in. The Western Worldview definitely emphasizes four things: 1) secularism, 2) self-reliance, 3) materialism and 4) rationalism. I will not go into all of these here, but I want to comment on the idea connected with all of those: individualism. This idea has infiltrated the Church (I use a capital "C" when referring to the Church at large). It has even caused many to think that the war discussed in Ephesians 6:12 is a personal war. While it is, we need to get beyond that!

The war is worldwide, I gurantee you. I have lately been doing research for a project looking at the Charismatic Movement, and I have found an overwhelming amount of information about the reasons it spread so quickly oversees. You see, so much of the world actively participates with the spirit world, for we know there are demons and we know they are real. Therefore, they already lived under constant oppression by these demons who they were trying to appease. Therefore, just an evangelical message of salvation by faith was not enough; people needed to see the power of God manifest to overcome the strongholds of the enemy.

My focus here is this. How do we recognize the reality of this war in the Western World? The devil has indeed created strongholds--very strong ones--in the West. I'm not talking about demon appeasement or worship (though this is strong in many sects of the New Age movement), but about other ways the devil works in our society, such as Christianity being squeezed off the margins in society, et cetera. You fill in the 'et cetera' gap; I fully trust your ideas here are likely better than mind (the four worldview bits given above, I would argue, are enemy strongholds, for example). In any case, we are fighting a war, and not just as individuals. We are fighting as a Church.

"We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense."
2 Corinthians 6:7

We are both attacking and defending with righteousness. Remember that righteousness and justice are the foundation of God's throne (Psalm 89:14). We preach the Word, we share the Gospel, we do good works, we help the poor, et cetera, but we also must defend against the attacks of the devil, for we know his purpose is to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). But we are God's ambassador's to bring His freedom by the power of the Holy Spirit, for where the Spirit is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).

The King and His Bride

I was reading Psalm 45 the other day, and it occurred to me as I read it that has the most incredible parallels with Christ and the Bride--the Church. Now, I cannot prove this, obviously, but my guess is that it is prophetic of just that. Whatever way you take it, look at how incredibly awesome Jesus Christ is portrayed as the King--our King, our returning King.

"You are the most handsome of all.
Gracious words stream from your lips.
God himself has blessed you forever.
Put on your sword, O mighty warrior!
You are so glorious, so majestic!
In your majesty, ride out to victory,
defending truth, humility, and justice.
Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!

Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies hearts.
The nations fall beneath your feet.

Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else."
Psalm 45:2-7

Does that speak Christ or what?!
Now look here:

"Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for He judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on His head were many crowns. A name was written on Him that no one understood except Himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and His title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed Him on white horses. From His mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On His robe at His thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords."
Revelation 19:11-16

We know that the first time Christ came, He did not come to condemn the world. For He said, God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him."(John 3:17). However, when He returns, it willbe to judge the nations!

"The nations were filled with wrath,
but now the time of Your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
and reward You servants the prophets,
as well as Your holy people,
and all who fear Your name,
From the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
all who have caused destruction on the earth."
Revelation 11:18
(See also Matthew 25:31-46)

However, the judgment day will not only destroy those who do evil (see also 2 Peter 3:7), it will be a day to reward His people! We see that in the verse above, and here in 2 Peter 3:13:

"But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness."

So now we come back to Psalm 45. (No apologies for such extensive quotation of Scripture.)

Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say...
For your royal husband delights in your beauty;
honor Him, for He is your Lord...
The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown.
In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king,
accompanied by her bridesmaids.
What a joyful and enthusiastic procession
as they enter the king's palace!"
Psalm 45:10a...11...13-15

Okay, now:

"Let us be glad and rejoice,
and let us give honor to Him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,
and His bride has prepared herself.
She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.
For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God's holy people."
Revelation 19:7-8

I get excited--rather, stoked--when I think about the incredible return of Christ and the wedding feast of the Lamb! This truly places into perspective this life on earth, for we know this earth is not our home (one of many references: Hebrews 13:14). Jesus truly is "King of all kings, and Lord of all lords," and He is returning to judge the world, rid it of evil and sin, and reward His people.

The trumpet call is coming. If it's not during our lifetime, let's look forward to the day when we can join the host of witnesses watching from heaven for that day. Regardless of when, let's be ready! Let's respond to Christ's invitation: "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat with My father on His throne." (Revelation 3:20-21). Remember Jesus' parable in Matthew 25.

The wedding feast of the Lamb is coming, and I'm so ready to be there!

"'He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.' And the one sitting on the throne said, 'Look, I am making everything new!'"
Revelation 21:4-5

You call me a passionate visionary. I am. You may say I neglect important matters like the drudgery that we must work toward aiding on this earth. Absolutely not. God does not present the book of Revelation as an excuse to stay on our knees and be irresponsible, but rather as a motivator to see that we fight a victorious war, and we fight for a King who is preparing His bride. How can I shrug of responsibility when it says, "For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God's holy people"? If we quit or neglect doing good deeds, we loose our garments, and look a lot like the Church of Laodicea. But we are impassioned by the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. And it is all for His glory!

So, let's together say, "maranatha!" Come, Lord Jesus!

Divine Friendship

I would like all my readers to know, as they already should, that I am far from understanding, applying and perfectly living everything I write! I do not doubt that most of what I write is good--not for it's style or my skill, but for it's content, which is not mine-- but I struggle a lot.

Currently, I am struggling a lot with the weight of feeling I'm not living enough for the Lord. Now, when we get in similar circumstances, we have to be very careful. You see, we have to distinguish between the devil's oppression and lies and the discipline of the Lord. The work of the devil results in guilt. The work of the Lord results in freedom, unless we resist it. Then I imagine that there is conviction--but conviction and Satan's guilt are very different indeed.

So a lot of what I feel is guilt and I know that the devil is trying to get me down. A lot of times I feel like I'm not good enough for Christ. You probably understand what I'm saying; it's not that we believe what we feel, but we feel that way regardless!

But God gave me an insight tonight that I think is very important, especially in light of my recent notes, which tend to provoke conviction (which is indeed important, but the devil's distorting it in my life and making it oppressive instead of freeing--a sure sign that it's him and not the Lord).

This is my insight: God calls us friends. (Now the song is going through your head.)

"I have told you all these things [read before this passage] so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!...
...You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name."
John 15:11...14-16.

"Now you are My friends", Jesus says! How awesome!

I have long realized that friends are friends in large part because I am their friend. What I mean is this: I invest in my friends because they have a mutual investment in my life. If they didn't, they wouldn't be friends. We are friends because the relationship is reciprocal. I hope that's not too difficult a concept. Therefore, my best friends are best friends because they treat me as one of their best friends. Try being a best friend with someone who does not consider you a best friend, and you may understand better what I'm trying to say (and I've been in that situation several times...).

Where I am going with this is that we are friends with Jesus Christ not because we chose Him but because He chose us. He invests time into our lives because not only does He love us (a fact we have heard so much that we often become deaf to it's incredible-ness), He likes us! He chose us to be His friends! He hasn't just created heaven as a reward, but also because He wants to be with us for all eternity.

Remembering that renews my spirit. It renews the joy in serving Him. It renews the joy in letting Him convict and change me because He wants me to be like Him. It renews my hope that I am not on my own in trying to serve Him, but can only do it because of Him. Most of all, it renews my joy that He considers me His friend, and wants to spend time with me (this is not prideful, but rather humbling).
How incredible. How incredible.

Thank You, Jesus!

A Note on the First Chapter of I Peter

The following is intended to go along with "The Preparation of the Bride:"

The books by Peter are incredible to build in to give us a thorough picture of what should be our focus (but then, every book in the Bible is!). In any case, I'm going to use 1 Peter 1 mostly in this note.

This is mostly just an expansion of everything else I have written. Most of what I write is.

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance--an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see."
1 Peter 1:3-5

Read the rest of the chapter and Psalms 4:3-8.

Then we move on to later in the chapter:

"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be hold in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'
And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as "foreigners in the land.'"
1 Peter 1:13-17

"You were cleanses from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living Word of God."
1 Peter 1:22-23

Summed up in that chapter, once again, is the result of the Lion and Lamb of God's nature. He is the Lion: His righteousness demands that we strive for holiness (verse 16), for God cannot abide unrighteousness (Psalms 5:4-6). His is also the Lamb: sacrificed for us to forgive us of the unrighteousness that He cannot abide (verses 18-21), and His promise to help us become holy (for we cannot do it without Him).

So what it comes down to once again, as I mentioned in the New Life (don't you enjoy my redundancy?), is that
1. We are saved by grace alone!
2. We still need to get our lives entire right with the Lord!

We can't do either of these on our own, but we cannot do #2 without considerable effort. God doesn't tell us that following Him is going to be a piece of cake or that we can sit back. But I can tell you that it gets both easier and harder the more of our lives we give to Christ. It gets easier in that we have greater joy and experience of God's purposes in our lives giving us greater motivation, and it gets harder in that our deeper and more secret sins must be exposed and we may be called to greater and greater responsibility. I expanded on this in The Victorious Life, so I won't here.

I gave examples of how God's been convicting me. That's what I'm talking about! We need to change our lives! But we do it out of the joy we find in throughout 1 Peter 1!

The Church needs to grasp the importance of throwing off worldly desires completely! We cannot share allegiance with the world and with God (James 4:4-5)! But so much of the Church is trying to do just that.

That's all I'm going to say. It's all what I've said before. I just wanted to share new Scripture on it. I try to use as much Scripture as possible, and when I come across good Scripture regarding a topic, I want to go back and add it. In this case, I've simply created another note for it.

Preperation of the Bride

Hopefully the title catches some people's attention because they want to read about my views on marriage. And hopefully that deceiving little trick will let them read the rest of this which indeed has nothing to do with marriage between a man and a woman but between Jesus and the Church.

"But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for you sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment."
2 Peter 3:8-10

"And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things have happened, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!"
Luke 21:25-28

"Keep alert at all times!"
Luke 21:36

"Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire."
Revelation 20:14-15

"Then the angel said to me, 'Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires His prophets, has sent His angel to tell His servants what will happen soon."
Revelation 22:6

Okay, so why on earth write all that?

Because those things are happening and will happen VERY SOON. Unfortunately, I probably just lost a good selection of my readers trust in what I'm going to say. But I believe that I am lead by the Spirit of God to write this and I will not be disobedient.

Jesus is coming again soon. He's revealed through prophecies to numerous different people that He is ready for His Bride, but the Church is not yet ready for Him. It's time to get ready!
He says,

"'Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.'
Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life."
Revelation 22:12-14

You say, "that was written almost 2000 years ago." I say, "Yes, it was. Have you washed your robes? Are you ready?"

I don't say any of this to scare people. I write this because it is our joy and privilege to look forward to the return of Christ! But our problem is that we have become so lax in thinking God is coming back soon that we live as though our whole lives are going to go as we plan them to. In other words, we live as though we won't have to stand before Christ before our physical deaths.

But God commands us to live as though we were going to meet Him every day! We want to put everything off till tomorrow. "Oh, I'll deal with that later because I've dealt with this today and that's good enough." Or, "Well, look how I've gotten this whole tithing thing down!" Meanwhile, we get caught up in self-congratulations for that accomplishment that we forget the other areas God's working on us.

He is ready, the Bride is not.
Let that sink in for a moment.
You say, "that's not Scriptural." I say, "Yes it is." Don't believe me? Just think about it--His command is that we are pure and ready for Him. Can you say that most of the Church is? Think about it. Pray about it. Are you?

Peter goes on to say, "And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight." (2 Peter 3:14).

Make EVERY effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight.

Are you pure and blameless in His sight? I'm not--I have many issues I have to deal with. I know that. For example, this summer the Lord told me, "You don't love me enough." That hurt! But it was truth and the truth will set us free. Because His judgment is part of His love, I recognize the fact in my life and want to love Him even more. Another example is that God has made it clear that I do not spend enough time with Him. As a result, this morning I had a strong sense that He's asking me to spend at least 1 hour a day reading and studying His word, praying, and singing to Him. That's a lot of time compared to my normal comfort. At first I was not very open to the idea and tried to shrug it off as my own mind. But conviction has convinced me it's His, and I will obey Him.

So what are you dealing with? If Jesus isn't coming in our lifetime, does that give us an excuse for living as though He's not? He's commanded us to live as though He is. Through prophecy He has declared that anyone not ready when He returns will have to face the tribulation. Take that as you will, and read Luke 12:35-48.

I take it as this: if it's wrong, I still want to live by the principle it demands. If it's right, than I want to live by the principle it demands.

"The Spirit and the Bride say, 'come.' Let anyone who hears this say, 'Come.' Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life...
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon!'
Revelation 22:17,20

Jesus is coming soon and He wants His bride to be ready for Him! That begins with us as individuals and progresses to us as a community--His Bride, His Body, His Church. Let's not dink around flirting with the world's pleasures. I do far too often. Even in my mind I flirt with small desires. NO MORE! Again, this is not to scare people to change--though if it does I am not sure it's worse than no change at all--but rather to encourage people to find joy in Christ's return and a desire to be ready for Him because we love Him!

The Spoken Word

“One day Jesus called together His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. Then He sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick…So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.”
Luke 9:1-2,6

“If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’”
Luke 10:8-11

“He replied,‘The Father alone has the authority to set those days and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”
Acts 1:7-8

Okay, so you have read all that Scripture, I hope. And since I don’t want to be accused of taking anything out of context, let me explain:
Luke 9:1-2,6 and Luke 10:8-11: Same idea. In both Jesus sends out His disciples to preach in villages and proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Acts 1:7-8: Jesus’s promise as He ascends to heaven. It is generally accepted that this applies to all Christians until His return, a viewpoint I share wholeheartedly.

So…now what?
This summer the Lord has been teaching me a lot! One such lesson is that of power in the spoken word. This is a lesson I feel I’m a little late in learning, but since it is my commitment to not compromise, I strive to learn and apply this lesson. Meanwhile, you say, “what lesson?”

The lesson that Jesus wants us to speak His Word! Because it is His WORD.
I have heard so many people say, “well, you just need to live a life like Jesus, and people will notice the difference.” Yes—many people willl notice the difference! But many people won’t. Their hearts are just so hard that they will not respond like many: “wow, I want what they have.”

Jesus wants us to speak! As I began my summer job, my viewpoint was very much that of, oh, I just need to act Christ-like and that will be my witness and testimony. That’s not enough!

Jesus commands us to SPEAK His Word! He wants to use us to share the Gospel, and He wants to anoint our words! Be He cannot anoint unspoken words. Just living Christ-like and not verbalizing sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ is not enough!

Time is short! Jesus is coming soon! (I know many people who would love to have a long argument with me about this, saying that Jesus said that, and we have no idea when He’s coming back. They say that if we think He’s coming, then we’re probably wrong. I say, “where did you get that philosophy?” Jesus told us about the signs of the coming of the end so that we’d be prepared. So we’d better be prepared—He’s coming soon!)

Anyway, with time short, we can no longer try the nonverbal action approach! Jesus is serious about this I believe, as He’s revealed it in many prophecies. As the people’s hearts grow harder and harder, they will not notice the difference.

But—this is so far from our comfort zones! It is for me! There is no denying that and I’m not trying to say it’s easy for me. I don’t like initiating conversations about my faith, simple as that. Many people do, and praise God for that! That is not my strength, and certainly not part of my nature. But it should be! How many opportunities are missed and lives left unchanged because I thought just being polite would make a difference? Being polite doesn’t change lives. Speaking the Word of God in His power does.

Sometimes I don’t like to do this because I fear judgment. That, I am sure, grieves the Holy Spirit. I cannot think of the times that He’s probably been grieved because He could have used me to change a life when I was instead fearful of being judged. For instance, on an airplane. Turning the person sitting next to you off to you on a flight is not a fun thing. So we’d rather just not mention anything about faith. Heaven knows that’d be preaching! Avoid that! (Sarcasm)

Okay, disclaimer: we cannot preach outside of the power of God. If we’re preaching from ANY other motive but love, we need to examine our hearts. But when we truly love people, then we truly would understand the need to be verbal about the Good News, sharing Paul’s opinion (Romans 1:16) and Jesus’s opinion (2 Peter 3:9). If we are sharing the Gospel outside of love, we tend most often to be rude and forceful—attitudes not listed in the fruit of the Spirit!

So I’m not saying living like Christ is bad. We need to (Ephesians 5:1-2). But we also need to verbally share the Good News of Jesus Christ!

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”
2 Corinthians 5:20

But…we can’t speak for God if we’re not speaking at all!

I’m committing myself to speaking the Good News! This is critical and I believe to remain verbally silent is disobedience. We are called to speak for God. He wants to anoint and use our words, but He cannot anoint or use unspoken words. Words are not spread by action. There is power in the spoken Word!

God is Good

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?. . .No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
Romans 8:35, 37

I went outside tonight, after watching the nightly TV series (on DVD), The Waltons, with my grandpa, and just prayed. The nearest house is probably 700 feet away, if not farther, so there was no one around. So I prayed out loud, as I like to do because doing so keeps me focused.

And as I prayed I prayed that I would truly begin to understand and apply what God has really been teaching me: God is good. Okay, you say, yes very true. You applaud and agree. But what do I mean by apply?

Tell Him that.

Dealing with Sin
I hate sinning--an attitude that the Holy Spirit has instilled into me. But my flesh still loves it, as you probably understand. So I still sin, and far too frequently! Typically, I feel remorseful, sick to my stomach, miserable, et cetera.

But guilt is not of Christ. I have to be careful to distinguish between remorse that leads to repentance and guilt. You see,my normal response to sinning is to feel so guilty that I run from God in a sense; I feel guilty in His presence so I run from it. Don't talk to Him. But I can't live that way! When we sin, we need to run to Him!

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."
Hebrews 4:16

What God has taught me about this verse is that it is true all the time! You see, forgiveness is grace. But also: discipline is grace! We have to understand that God has promised to forgive us, but we need to come to Him and repent, not run from fear. God is good! He is so good that He longs for us to come running back to Him when we fall down! At the thrown of God we find grace, and grace is discipline, because God is the Righteous Judge. He doesn't say He'll pat us on the back and say "it's okay," but He will say, "I forgive you, but I will discipline you so that you do not do it again." See? Discipline is grace.

But then we can't linger on our shame, because that is a self-centered attitude. I've had issues with this--just constantly saying, "I'm sorry. I'm sooo stupid," and so forth. NO! We have to accept God's forgiveness and then go on to say, "God is good!" That is how we apply. Tell Him, "You are so good!" That is what God wants from us all the time, even after we fall to temptation, not to keep confessing and feeling guilty. In other words, He wants us to get our eyes off ourselves and back onto Him!

Dealing with Circumstances
The same goes with any circumstances we are in. Even in the most difficult circumstances, it is still self-contentedness to focus on the problems. We need to learn to just say, "God, you are good!" Constantly! It doesn't matter if you feel His goodness at the moment. If we only told Him "You are holy" when we felt like worshiping Him, we'd never say it enough. We say, "God, please let me experience your goodness! Ease my suffering (test, too hard of homework, trouble with friends, et cetera)!" Now, I'm not saying that's wrong, because the promise of John 16:23-24 holds true (be sure to read all around that verse, though). But we have to learn that God is good even when we can't tell! Because, as my pastor in Siloam Springs has said, God wants us to say, "You are good," and He will reply, "Yes, I am, and let me show you how."

You see, again? It's about getting our eyes off of ourselves and onto Christ.

Dealing with Silence
So often when I talk to God, I feel like He's not listening. Now, I know that is probably because I have not learned to hear His voice like I should. But even so, it is not my place to not worship Him even when I feel silence. True faith worships God even when He seems silent. He still wants us to say, "God, you are good!"



All I am saying is, we need to learn to worship God all the time! Even when we sin and feel horrible. Even when our circumstances are terrible. Even when we feel neglected or even abandoned by God! This is such a standard Truth, and yet I don't apply it far too often! I've been learning that something I naturally do when I am alone and talking to God is go over all my problems. It's not that they aren't valid, or that the Lord doesn't want to hear them. It's just that in the process of focusing on me, I forget to focus on Him! I don't want to do that. I'm trying more and more just to over and over and over tell Him, "You are good!" It's a practice in humility. It's a practice in strong faith. It's a practice in loving God. Only when our eyes are on Him can we move forward, especially as the days grow more and more evil, as Christ said they would (Luke 21:5-36).

Come to the throne of Grace boldly, even if it is to repent of sin, because He loves us, and He is good!

No Compromise

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory."
Colossians 3:1-4

No Compromise. None.
That's what Christ calls us to. Let me explain.
And for those of you who are consistent reading my notes, you will realize that this comes up in almost every single one of them. This is because it is so important.

Let me first explain what I mean by compromise.
Jesus has called us into New Life, not altered life. If you have "The New Life," you will remember me saying that. I took that phrase from C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. Remember, Jesus says, "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

Look at what C.S. Lewis says:

I find a good many people have been bothered by what I said in the last chapter about Our Lord's words, "Be ye perfect." Some people seem to think this means "Unless you are perfect, I will not help you"; and as we cannot be perfect, then, if He meant that, our position is hopeless. But I do not think He did mean that. I think He meant "The only help I will give is help to become perfect. You may want something less: but I will give you nothing less..."

That is why He warned people to "count the cost" before becoming Christians. "Make no mistake," He says, "if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life...whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect--until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He sad He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less."

(pages 171-172, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis)

I won't belabor what C.S. Lewis has put very nicely. I want to say that my desire above all else is to be like Christ and live the life He has given me to live. For many years I fought against the discipline of the Lord: I wasn't ready to give up my pride. And let me tell you something about pride. I didn't want to give it up not because I liked it (for I was very much disgusted with it), but by pride's very nature, it is perhaps the greatest sin to surrender to Christ, for it is the sin that keeps you from it.

Even after recognizing pride in my life, it took a whole lot of conviction and thought before I could literally tell the Lord, "break my pride." Even now, when I am shown pride in my life, I often struggle with the evil of pride before I can bring myself to that. But when I do, and when He is faithful (as He always is), it is the most freeing experience!

That is what I mean by no compromise. I will not settle with half-measures in my Christian life (which should be my whole life). If I know that perverse joking is wrong (Ephesians 5:4)), and I am hanging out with people who are disregarding that verse and others, then it is my responsibility to refrain from it, regardless of the judgment I may receive! What an elementary lesson; how, therefore, is it justified as I see it is everywhere? And I am certainly no less guilty. I am expressing my desire, not my accomplishment.

This note is not actually about me trying to teach anyone a lesson. It is about me being transparent, that others may learn from what Christ has taught me (for that is one of the the purposes of fellowship). Therefore let me show you some areas Christ has brought to mind with me.

Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray for all believers everywhere. Christ has called us to lives of intercession. But I am, to be bluntly honest, not a faithful prayer warrior. This is an area Christ is disciplining me in (for it is by His discipline--not punishment--that we overcome our compromises). But because I know this is what I am supposed to do, I have no right be compromise on this issue: I am called to be an intercessor. I will admit to my struggle, give praise for my growth, and hope for improvement in this area, because I do not want to compromise!

Also, God has shown me that keeping Him as my constant focus in everything is part of the life I have been called to. This does not mean that if someone talks about watching a movie on Friday night I can't participate in the conversation without talking about, Sunday-school answer, Jesus. No, but it does mean that I am sensitive to the Holy Spirit inside of me at all times, who convicts where I say things I shouldn't say, or, in my grand case, convicts me of pride and being judgmental.

But this doesn't all come about by just wanting it. It's through a relationship with Christ--an active pursuit of a relationship with Christ. That means conversation, reading the Bible. I struggle greatly with reading the Bible consistently, but I am getting better. Only by a relationship with Christ, which is what Christianity is, are we able to be molded, disciplined, transformed into His image!

And that is what I want! I do not even think I understand the depths of how much our lives are to be like Christ's. I do not think I understand how much God wants to rid us of all darkness in us! Steven Shedd wrote, "The Bible talks a lot about God bringing things in the dark to light, things that are hidden to be discovered, and I believe that is one of the things He wants to do in everyone's life. I believe He wants to make us transparent. After all, how are we supposed to be lights if we have darkness in us?"

This is true! But I don't want to keep rambling. So I'll leave you with Scripture, and I'll leave you with knowing that I will not compromise. Not for fear of judgment (judgment of being "oh-so-spiritual"). Not for fear of the harsh enemy attacks that I will receive. Not for fear of the strong convictions that come with surrendering more and more of my life to Christ. (Of course, I will compromise constantly, but my desire and passion is as I have said).

Colossians 3:1-17, Philippians 2:12, Ephesians 4:17-32, Ephesians 5:1-20, I John 1:5-10, I John 3:4-6, Jude 17-23, Revelations 3:15-22, Revelations 16:15
There are many, many, many more...
I want the fullness of the New Life without compromise. Period.

My Comission

Paul writes to Timothy:

Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. . . . Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you."
1 Timothy 5:8-13;15-16

I certainly am not Timothy, but I know that this is what the Lord wants me to do. He has called me into leadership; this I know. He has grown in me a passion for the Church, His Bride, and for its preparation for His return. Therefore these words speak right to me: "Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress."

I know that this takes humility, which I am begging God to reveal more and more to me. And He has! He has taught me (and is teaching me, for it will never be completed) to recognize pride in my own life, and that is awesome! I want to be an example in my life, love, faith and purity, regardless of how I look to my peers! If by my life as lived in the truth of this Scripture, and Titus 2:7-8, Colossians 3:1-4, Ephesians 4:23; 5:1-2, Romans 12:1-2, and Galatians 2:20, I bring conviction to peers and observers, than I desire that!

First of all, I am not there. Second of all, I DO NOT want to get there bound by pride! But I want to live the truth of Galatians 2:20--because in that there is no pride!

But I want to get there. I want to walk so closely with the Spirit of God that He fills all my words, and that none of my life would give any hint to my old life's control.

Fortunately, God uses me as I am, because I will never be to the point where I want to be. He has given me the commission He gave Timothy, and I want to embrace it! That is what truly matters far more than anything else. Walking in the life God has given you to live is the first step to fulfillment, and when you're avoiding that complete, entire commitment, something will always be void. God has to get us to perfection one way or another, either by our willingness or by discipline (rather than "or," think "and").

So with that in mind, I truly do with to pour myself into the things of the Lord and that which He has given me to do!

The New Life

I have written a full-length study on the essentials of the new life we have in Jesus Christ. However, because it is so long, I find it sufficient to include the Forward here and request that you email me for a copy of the full document.
My email address is < lckeagy.galatians220@gmail.com >

Forward:

By God’s amazing grace are we saved, and by no other means. And by God’s amazing grace because of the death of His Son, the Sacrificed Lamb, Jesus Christ, we have new life.

But what does this new life entail? What are the basic and most powerful truths of the doctrine of salvation and living on this earth? What does it mean to give your life to Christ?

I use a lot of Scripture, and some quotes from well-known theological authors who were filled with the Spirit of God and understand these truths a far deal greater than I do.

Please follow me through Scripture to help understand what is the most important thing in life – this new life. We owe Christ our lives because He has given His for us. In this should we have joy!

Translation note: The Scripture translation I most frequently use is the New Living Translation, second edition. I understand that many people do not like this version, so feel free to read the Scripture in another.

Most important is that I am not an expert on any of the following matters, but Christ is. He’s the authority on absolutely everything, because He is Truth (John 14:6). Also, my ultimate purpose is to express love to God by making it very clear that the matters I talk about are what God has taught me, and not by any means anything I can understand on my own. I desire to abide in the truth of 1 Corinthians 8:2. Like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:3-4, “it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority…my conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord Himself who will examine me and decide.” And with that understanding, I write here what I have been taught. Study what I say—make sure it is sound and grounded in the Word of God.

Purpose of this Blog

My intention for this blog is to try and extend the audience that reads what I have written and been taught by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is also a way to have a central point on the web where people can access them.

I take no credit for posts, though I do claim copyright. It is God who has given me the ability to write, taught me what He has, and instructed me to tell others.

Therefore, all glory belongs to Him, and Him alone!

Sincerely,
Lukas Cameron Keagy

Maranatha!

"'Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.'
Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life."
Revelation 22:12-14

"The Spirit and the Bride say, 'come.' Let anyone who hears this say, 'Come.' Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life...
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon!'
Revelation 22:17,20