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The 2014 Election Reprieve
Well, the 2014 election is finally over.
Democrats are singing the blues, which is about all the blue they have left to sing about.
Republicans are shouting as if they have finally connected with the people. As if they actually articulated what the citizenry had been waiting years to hear.
Too bad it’s not true.
Here’s my take on the election results:
I call it a reprieve.
America has been given a short window of time to turn back to God.
The Democrats, even Obama, weren’t responsible for the vote; neither were the Republicans. You see, both parties have been guilty of attempting to define morality by the popular vote. And both have yielded to the will of the masses; who have systematically eliminated God from public view.
However, God has heard the many prayers of intercessors who have stood in the gap between a holy and just God and a nation hell-bent on living as far away from God as they can. They have asked for a stay in judgment; an opportunity to turn things around.
Yes, the intercessors have bridged the gap-momentarily.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV)
The United States of America will never again become a great nation unless it returns to “One nation under God.” Until it once again lives up to the motto, “In God We Trust”.
Unless America returns to that which made it great, this reprieve will be short lived.
Don’t expect much jubilation in the years to come. For unless the masses turn to God, 2016 will not be much to shout about.
No matter what your color preference is.
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The Sex Addict
The addict. The dictionary defines an addict as someone who has a strong and habitual liking for something.
Something like, for instance, sex.
Now I’m nobody’s fool; I realize most people who have experienced some degree of the sexual experience would agree it’s likable. Some might even go so far as to say sex is downright enjoyable.
But enjoying it and being addicted to it are two separate issues.
God created the sex act. He made it enjoyable. He also gave it his blessing; as it takes place between a married couple, a man and woman who are married to each other.
But God did not create perversion; nor does he condone sex at the expense of either of the partner’s spiritual, emotional, or physical health. However, those with a sexual addiction eventually will not be able to contain the sex drive within the safe boundaries of God’s word. The addiction grows until it becomes a fire that cannot be quenched. It ultimately ruins every part of its slave’s life.
Sexual addiction is not only a physical and emotional addiction, I believe it is a spiritual addiction, as well.
“Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:16-18 ESV)
The sexually addicted person becomes an unstable, unpredictable person. Though they may have been born again through faith in Christ, their spirit is divided. One part is connected to Jesus and the other part to the cravings the sexual experience brings.
Selfishness is a major spiritual force in the life of the addict. Pleasing self, satisfying the urge, is the dominating drive. It’s not, “How may I please my spouse”? No, it’s about pleasing self.
Tenderness and self control are spiritual forces that, when developed according to God’s principles and spiritual power, can overcome the cravings, habits, and even the perversions of the sex addict.
No one is born a sex addict. It happens gradually, choice after choice, experience after experience. It grows until it can no longer be contained in the dark, but must manifest itself wherever and whenever the urge; regardless of who may be affected.
It’s like a flame which continually reaches for more fuel. To some, more fuel means greater perversion; others, more stimulants and more often. Still others may act out their addiction targeting children and even animals.
But no one is born craving the fulfillment of sexual fantasies.
Sexual addictions can be broken by the power of God, BUT THE FREEDOM WILL BE MAINTAINED ONE DECISION AT A TIME.
How are you doing?
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV)
You have a choice. Decide what and who you’ll serve. Ask someone you trust to help you act on your decision.
And know God is also as close as the mention of his name.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)
For more information, and a steady diet of encouragement, please go to my facebook page “Freedom From Pornography” @ http://www.facebook.com/dumpporn
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The Procession
It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted anything. And it’s REALLY been a good while since I’ve ranted about something.
But I’m not going to wait any longer. Here’s my pet peeve of the month…
I have found some people are so rude, selfish, uncouth, and imbecilic when they get behind the wheel of an automobile that it would be best for them to be locked up for their own safety.
What happened?
Today my wife and I attended the funeral of a very close friend. It was very well attended. In fact, it was the largest funeral we’ve been to. There were probably at least 500 people in attendance.
After the Celebration of Life service was over, many of us got into our vehicles to proceed about three miles to the cemetery. All of the cars had their four-way flashers on and began heading west on University Avenue.
That’s when the knuckleheads began coming out of the woodwork, and onto the streets.
Can you believe there are people so self centered they cut in line? Yes! One guy was so impatient and disrespectful, he couldn’t wait for 50 cars to pass by. No, he pushed his way into our traffic and got stopped at a traffic signal. And because he wasn’t part of the procession, 20-30 vehicles which WERE headed to the cemetery had to stop and wait for the signal. How rude!
Whatever happened to courtesy?
For those of you who may not know proper funeral procession protocol, check out this link:
http://www.funeralwise.com/learn/procession/
In spite of people driving as if they were the only ones on the road, we did finally arrive at the cemetery. As everyone gathered at the tent, the preachers shared their final words and the family said their final goodbyes. It felt like such a holy moment; such an intimate time to share with our friend’s family and loved ones.
No one likes funerals. No one wants to say goodbye to someone they love. And even knowing the one passing has gone to Heaven, still, it’s hard not to feel dazed and confused, and maybe not quite as alert while driving to the place of interment.
The next time you see a funeral procession will you please do what’s safe and necessary to ensure the grieving ones have all the right of way they need-and deserve?
Thank you.
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Let The Change Begin
“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” (1 John 3:2 NLT)
A future hope? You bet!
But so much more.
It’s the promise of change; from an unregenerate, selfish human being into a brand new, born again Christ follower. A partaker of God’s nature, an imitator of Jesus’ ways, and one who is growing to look exactly like Christ.
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” (2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT)
But what did John mean, “We shall see him as he really is”?
How do we REALLY get to know another person? It doesn’t take much effort to know someone casually. But knowing them intimately, even to the point of imitating their speech and manners; well, that calls for a lot of personal study and communion.
We may not be able to explain to anyone, including ourselves, just what God is doing in our life. And we may not comprehend the length, breadth, height, or depth of what Jesus is transforming us into. But we can know at least one thing for sure; he is transforming us into the very image of the Father. For “if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.”
Yes, we’re going to really be dressed up one of these days, when we take off this old earth suit, and put on our new, heavenly suit.
But let’s allow the change to begin now! Let’s spend our lives looking at Jesus. Following him through the gospels, watching him work, hearing him teach, and experiencing the power of his Spirit as he draws us into each and every story.
This is how we begin to “see him as he is.” It’s how to “share his divine nature”, and be formed into his image.
It’s not a promise for an elite chosen few; no, it’s a promise for all who will look “unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”
We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
It is Heaven for sure!
So let the change begin.
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When All Is Said And Done
When all is said and done, and you’ve breathed your very last breath, what will you leave for others to pick through?
Have you ever stopped to consider that you are not invincible?
Your body will not last forever!
You, yes you with the six pack abs and deep, golden tan. Your muscles will some day lose their tone. Your oversized chest just may drop 18 inches and make it seem as though you’re wearing an inner tube around your waist.
What will you do?
And ma’am, your skin will not always be smooth and sexy. Sorry, but you won’t alway look like you’re twenty five. There will probably come a time when men won’t turn their heads or offer you a second look when you walk into a room.
What will you do?
It would be wise to stop and consider what it is you’re giving all your attention to right now. Because that’s what you’ll leave for others.
The stuff people leave behind tell the story of their life.
Stuff. Things. Junk. Miscellaneous items at best. Even millions and billions of dollars left behind; stuff. Temporal, expendable, stuff.
If it can’t be transferred to the next life, it’s only stuff.
So, when your life is through, what will you leave behind?
When all is said and done.
Me? Oh, I’ve got stuff. Stuff I can’t take with me when I leave. Some things people may want, but most of it is just plain, old stuff.
But, like I said, my plain old stuff will tell on me.
As will every other thing I leave behind.
You know, whether you or I believe what the bible says or not; the things we’ve done in this life and the things we leave behind, WILL tell on us. We’ll be judged by our story.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)
People will discuss at our funeral all the wonderful things we did in our life; they’ll tell our story. Afterwards they’ll remember how we REALLY were.
So what will you be leaving, when all is said and done?
If someone picked up the baton you were carrying, what kind of race would they run? What kind of life would they live? One you’d care to watch?
Now’s the time to think about it. Agree?
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A Steady Stream
Reading the Bible, God’s word, every day is a wonderful discipline. A person needs to regularly read and study the word if they are going to grow in the knowledge of God.
But there’s something more important than the discipline; yes, even more important than bible knowledge.
We must know what God has to say to us, TODAY.
Notice what the Lord said through Moses:
“Keep and live out the entire commandment that I’m commanding you today so that you’ll live and prosper and enter and own the land that God promised to your ancestors. Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don’t live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from God’s mouth. Your clothes didn’t wear out and your feet didn’t blister those forty years. You learned deep in your heart that God disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child.
“So it’s paramount that you keep the commandments of God, your God, walk down the roads he shows you and reverently respect him. God is about to bring you into a good land, a land with brooks and rivers, springs and lakes, streams out of the hills and through the valleys. It’s a land of wheat and barley, of vines and figs and pomegranates, of olives, oil, and honey. It’s land where you’ll never go hungry – always food on the table and a roof over your head. It’s a land where you’ll get iron out of rocks and mine copper from the hills. After a meal, satisfied, bless God, your God, for the good land he has given you.
“Make sure you don’t forget God, your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today. Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up – make sure you don’t become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God, your God, the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery; the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions; the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock; the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you. If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!” – well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors – as it is today.” (Deuteronomy 8:1-18 MSG)
God reminded the people of all the times he had taken care of their needs. He used the examples to explain that the most important thing they would ever do was learn how to live by what he was SAYING; or, “that which proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Jesus said the same thing, when facing the tempter.
“Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.” “(Matthew 4:4 MSG)
God is desiring to speak to you and I. And what he has to say is worth hearing; in fact, it is spirit and life (John 6:63). It is “life to those who find it, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22).
There can be a difference between reading the bible as a duty, or reading it to fellowship with God and hear what he has to say. If you and I can hear what he has to say, then we will hear what we need to do so we can live the life he has for us. If we don’t hear, or act upon what he said, we will find ourselves stumbling and losing ground. Dying, spiritually, results from either not hearing his voice, or hearing it but failing to obey.
If you want to live, really live, then talk to the Lord daily, asking him to reveal his daily word to you.
His Steady Stream.
A new devotional, A Steady Stream – a word for each day of the year, is available both in paperback or ebook. You can find it at amazon.com or createspace.com
The book, while it has many scriptures, is not intended to REPLACE God’s word. Rather it is simply a tool you can use to help you draw close to God and his word.
Remember, you and I will live, not by reading so many chapters and verses each day, and not by memorizing all the books in the bible. We will live according to the Steady Stream of words which proceed from the mouth (and heart) of God.
Happy living!
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The Gambler
He calmly walked into the room; just a slight hint of swagger recognizable. Dressed in casual fit jeans, scuffed Tony Lama’s, and a denim shirt one size larger than needed, he was dressed for the role right down to his dark shades and Chicago Bears ball cap.
Gambler.
The game didn’t matter; not as long as he could feel the adrenaline surging through his pronounced veins. Cards, dice, horses, sports; it was all the same to him. He was a gambler.
Sure, people had tried to reform him. Plenty of times. But they just couldn’t understand; he didn’t gamble because he enjoyed it any more than he enjoyed breathing. No, he gambled because that’s what gamblers do. And that’s what he was.
A gambler.
In the past he had tried to tally his winnings and losses. Maybe that could shake something loose, causing him to possibly change. But he never could remember all those figures. I mean, how does a person begin to remember how many breaths they’ve taken in a lifetime? It’s just something they do.
It’s what he does.
Because of who he is.
Gambler.
As he stood inside the large, shadowless room, something struck him as odd. Every other game room, poker parlor, and smoke-filled casino he’d frequented in the past had contributed to his gambling urge; stoking his inner fire, feeding his untamed desire to risk it all. There was nothing he wouldn’t sacrifice for the opportunity to win big. And he didn’t really need to win each time; not if he could keep running the risk, playing the odds, feeling the rush.
The gambler’s rush.
Yes, this room was different. It didn’t stir the urge or settle him down. Actually, it unnerved him; maybe even scared him a bit. He’d met a man earlier that day, a man who seemed to appear out of nowhere, who invited him to a high stakes game. The man gave him the address, and after reminding the gambler to bring everything he had, turned and walked away. Intrigued by the sudden appearance and the strange invitation, he decided to check it out.
Peering through his dark glasses, he scanned the room for any familiar faces. What? Where is everyone? Where are all the other gamblers? Am I early? No, right on time, he thought as he glanced at his wristwatch.
Just then, appearing as suddenly as he had earlier, he saw the man who had issued the invitation.
“I see you found the place.”
“Yes, but where is the game? Where are all the other gamblers?”
“You’ll find this game is different. Tonight’s game is for you only. Did you bring everything?”
“Oh sure. Do you take checks?”
“Sorry. Money isn’t what’s being gambled tonight. You’re not risking your finances, your car, or your home. Not this evening.”
The gambler tried to keep his composure, but even wearing his dark shades, one could see his poker face morph into a pale, nervous, twitch. He was definitely spooked.
“Who are you?”, he asked the man.
“Never mind that, right now anyway. Are you ready to gamble?”
“I, uh, I guess so.”
“Alright. I’m going to ask you a question. Answer correctly and you win. What are you willing to wager?”
“You already told me I can’t use money. What can I use?” The gambler couldn’t believe how nervous he was feeling.
“Only one thing. Your life. All or nothing.”
“But…”
“Silence! Don’t you realize what’s happened to you? You actually died earlier today, without warning, without any fanfare. The game you thought you were playing is over. No second chance. No borrowing from the bank. You’re flat busted, dead broke.”
The gambler’s glasses were off, lying on the floor. He just stared at the man, wanting to speak, but no words came out.
The man continued, “You have gambled away the most precious thing you own; your life. I sent people to you at various times in your life, trying to get your focus away from winning things, people, or money. I’ve spoken to you as you were sleeping, while you were driving, and yes, during some of your high stakes games. I’ve tried to get you to understand my love for you. I love you so much, but you treated my message as a game.
“I asked you the question over and over, ‘What will you do with the One called Jesus? What will you do with the gospel?’ You gambled, played the odds as you saw them. And you lost.”
As the man finished speaking, the gambler was turned by an invisible hand. No longer was the room flooded with light. It had become dark and dank, yet heat and flames were beginning to rise through the door he had walked through not long before.
He gambled because that was who he was. Only now, he was no longer a gambler.
He was a loser.
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How To Appear Before A Judge
If you are preparing to stand before a judge, you may want to review this list:
“Ten things to do when appearing before a judge.”
1. Shower and shave beforehand
2. Dress appropriately
3. Obtain good counsel and arrive together
4. Follow the advice of counsel
5. Be early; but definitely not late
6. Be honest, truthful
7. Humble yourself before the judge
8. Agree with the judge
9. Embrace the court’s recommendations
10. Be thankful whether the court grants leniency or not.Maybe you’ve never had to appear in court. But all of us will, eventually, stand before the Judge of our souls. So we might as well know how to prepare ourselves.
You may have the idea that Heaven’s Courtroom is something akin to Judge Judy’s hangout. No. Not at all.
Heaven’s Courtroom is the highest court in the entire universe! The Judge is always faithful and just in his assessment and verdict. He never passes sentence without understanding the complete situation.
He is able to look deep into your soul, with eyes of fire and a heart of love.
He can’t be bribed or coerced. However, with the proper Counsellor, you and I can experience a brand new lease on life after appearing before the Judge.
Prepare to meet the Judge.
Prepare by retaining Jesus, the Advocate, as your counsel.
Prepare by acknowledging your sin and wrongdoing; confessing your need for mercy and forgiveness BEFORE your time comes.
Appearing before the Judge of all of Heaven and Earth is not like appearing in traffic court. It’s a matter of life and death.
So make sure you’re prepared.
“…prepare to meet your God…!” (Amos 4:12 ESV)
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27 ESV)
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV)
Jesus is all the preparation you need.
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Is It Really God?
“And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:11-14 ESV)
There’s some talk these days about whether certain supernatural manifestations are of God, or not. I wonder if anyone present when the Temple was dedicated wondered the same thing?
They witnessed something no one in their generation had ever seen. The priests had probably studied the manifestations of old in their Pneumatology 101 class. They may have heard stories from some of the old timers; those passed down from generation to generation.
But to witness, first hand, up close and personal, supernatural manifestations is something entirely different.
One thing for sure; questions don’t bother God. The fact that we either understand or don’t isn’t a real issue with God. At least every now and then.
When he’s pleased, he lets it be known. When he’s torqued, well, he’s not afraid to show it. Of course we should all be thankful he tempers his manifestations, just giving us a glimpse, or a little dab, of his glory. We can’t take too much. We just can’t handle it.
The spirit world, where supernatural occurrences are natural, is a world that’s beyond comprehension. Sure, we can understand some things, as the Holy Spirit instructs us through the Word of God; but there will be some manifestations that are beyond explanation and, thus, comprehension.
Every so often the spirit realm cannot contain the move of God. I mean, when God is worshipped and exalted simply because he is good and his mercy endures forever, he really gets excited! And when that occurs, guess what? We just may have questions.
But let’s not doubt God. Let’s not wait until we understand something before we believe and give God glory.
In John 5, the man waited by the pool; waiting for the water to be stirred. Could he understand it? No. But he waited all the same.
Until the one who made the water stopped by. And when Jesus stopped by, I can almost hear him tell the man, “You want to be well? Then look to me, and not the manifestations. You’ll never have to wonder about me; for I’m the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
But no matter what takes place, let’s “…not quench the Spirit…(and) not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 ESV)
Test everything? “When he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” So let him. If it’s God, he’ll let you know. If not, well, he’s not bashful or afraid to speak the truth. Let’s just not be so rigid that we can’t hear what he has to say.
After all, he’s said in his Word, over and over, “Behold, I do a new thing.”
And what if he does, again?
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The Pattern
This line of thought all began as I wondered about animals in heaven. And don’t try to get me to believe you’ve never thought about it. I know better.
I am convinced that earth was a copy of heaven. Originally. Heaven was the blueprint God used to create all we see (and can’t see).
Do you remember this part of the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”? Sure you do.
So I figure there are dogs and cats, birds and bees, in the beautiful land called heaven.
I still refuse to believe there are spiders, snakes, or bats, though.
Anyway, the word “pattern” stuck in my mind.
Pattern.
It’s more than the instructions God gave to Moses. For one thing, the tent of meeting wasn’t just a place where the Israelites, the “called out ones”, could have a place to do church. It was a picture of God’s redemptive story and a powerful portrait of the Redeemer, Jesus the son of God. It was the pre-Calvary place where God and man could meet for fellowship.
“And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” (Exodus 25:8-9 ESV)
“And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.” (Exodus 25:40 ESV)
“And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.” (Numbers 8:4 ESV)
The pattern signifies the right way, God’s way, of doing something. Whether in ministry, family life, or on the job. It reveals the way we should treat others, entertain ourselves, and even leave this life for the next.
“Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 1:13 ESV)
We’re admonished, as Moses was, to do everything according to the pattern. Notice another word from Paul:
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17 ESV)
You see, when Jesus instructed us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven…”, it wasn’t an exercise in futility. God doesn’t give busywork.
It was a pattern.
It IS THE pattern. Whatever’s in heaven, let it be on earth.
It’s how things on earth are changed. It’s the way healing prevails over sickness. It’s how life conquers death. Man becomes a new creation in Christ, through faith in the pattern.
And it’s how the new, recreated child of God, is to live. Just like the pattern.
Jesus.
How can the pattern change your world? Care to discuss it?
Jan Grace
adding God's Word into my world…
