True Test Of Recovery

Matthew 6:12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Some people look for signs that recovery is at work in another's life.
Of course the obvious is the lack of using...
No more drugs...
No more alcohol...
No more of whatever has control of life.
While that is an important measure, the real proof is found in the heart and spirit of the one who has surrendered will and life over to the care of God.

I saw the work and change of the Holy Spirit in a surrendered persons life last night as I was teaching at Elmo's transitional house. A man shared about his weekend. He had gotten a pass and returned home to be with his family. Friday evening, he received a call and an invitation to attend a Celebrate Recovery meeting. He accepted the invitation.

Arriving at the location for the meeting, while standing around talking with friends, he was told that a certain man would also be in attendance for the meeting. The man who was going to be there was the very person who had rolled on the one who was sharing his story with me. This man was going to show up in a few moments was responsible for the one sharing the story going to prison.

As the story continued, the one telling it said, "For years all I could think about was getting to him and killing him. I was filled with bitterness and unforgiveness, and I did not know that I was the one that was dying because of it." He went on to say that the thoughts of getting even with this "snitch" was all he could think about. 

God intervened in this man's life and he was saved.
He began to process of following this Jesus who had freed him from the prison of his soul and spirit. He had been set free.
Now, here at this Celebrate Recovery meeting, this man had to make a decision to follow on in Christ's footsteps.....or allow this unforgiveness to drag him back into the darkness. He chose to forgive.

The two men found each other. The conversation was difficult and each wanted to not say anything about what had transpired in the past. Eventually, the one who was sharing the story said..."Hey man, I forgive you. If I had not gone to prison I don't know that I would have changed at all, but now I'm free."

That is the evidence of a heart that has changed.
Change the heart...change the mind.
Change the mind...change the behavior.
Only Jesus can do this.
Don't let this bitterness keep you in darkness.
Forgiveness is a choice...
But even more....
Forgiveness is a lifestyle.

God on you..
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I know that this video is a bit long, but well worth the listening. David Wilkerson shares on forgiveness.
Enjoy

Change Is In The Air

Ephesians 4:25 (The Message Bible)
Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything----and I do mean everything------connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life---a God fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in you.

O.k......lets go over this one more time.
You have an addiction problem.
How do you know you have an addiction problem? You cannot manage your life anymore.
What is the evidence of this? Jail...courts...C.R.O....probation....judges....police...and on and on.
You come to the reality that you are powerless to manage your life.
Hey, look out now....we're on the right track. Don't stop here. Keep going.
You look for a POWER greater than yourself who could restore you to sanity.

Isn't this the weird part about implementing a lifestyle of discipline? Here we are talking about our mental health and the ability to make sound decisions, when, in fact, we think we should be talking about not using anymore. Well, that is the kicker isn't it.
My thinking has been coming from a dark heart that stands outside of the will of God.
"C'mon! Now you're bringing in religion?"
To that I would reply..."Nope. No religion. Just Jesus".
Our main problem is that because of the sin/nature we possess, we follow the wants and desires of our own heart rather than the internal voice of God. We base our decisions not on what is right or wrong, but solely on our wants.

Once we realize that this way of facing life (feeding our dark appetite) only leads us down the slippery slope to destruction, we realize that we need help from someone greater than ourselves. At this point, we should turn will and life over to the care of God. Replacing my wants...with His wants for my life.

Colossians 1:21-23
At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of Him, giving Him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving Himself completely at the cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in His presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly turned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message....just this one. 

It's all about the change that comes from leaving the darkness to embrace the life God has for you. This new life in reality is simply God empowering me to face those things I use to run from. The things that I used as excuse to get high. Now, I daily fight a fight that I didn't know how to in the past.
This new life is so much more than the absence of alcohol or drugs.
It is about the ongoing change that is taking place inside me as God takes away all the crup and crap that use to fill me up.....all the defects of character, to replace them with His character and nature.
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

God on you...
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He Is Our Portion

Back in 1998, shortly before I began full time ministry, Vicki and I had to make a decision.
During one of our prayer times, God spoke to both of us. Oh, it wasn't an audible voice, just the Holy Spirit whispering deep in our spirits. Vicki knew and I knew that we had been offered a choice by God to make before we began this next part of our journey with Him.

He told us to decide.
We could either have a portion of His blessings to carry out the work he was laying in front of us......
or.....
We could have Him as our portion.
To me, it kind of sounded like a trick question. You know what I mean? Like in Exodus Chapter Four where God asks Moses.."What is that in your hand?" Now Moses knows it is a staff. He knows that God knows it is a staff. Moses just isn't quiet sure that "staff" is the word that God wants to hear. Get it? We tend to over analyze things.
Bottom line was that we chose God as our portion.


I would like to say that after making that choice, things were wonderful and every decision we made was bathed in the glory of knowing we had chosen right. Truth of the matter, every time we had to make decisions about a need we had there was always the thought that seem to linger in the back of our minds......"What if we didn't hear God right?" 


God has been faithful since the day we made that choice and for that I am grateful. He truly does want us to look to him for our needs. That isn't an excuse to be lazy or to plant yourself in the Lazy Boy with the remote and order up some "God stuff". What it does mean is that we look to God in every situation to be God. Simple as that! Psalm 119:57 reads...You are my portion,O Lord!
The rest of this particular portion from Psalm 119 reads as follows:
I sought your favor with my whole heart. Be merciful unto me according to your word.
I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
I made haste and did not delay to keep your commandments.
At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto you because of your righteous judgments...
The earth is full of your mercy. Teach me your ways.
Here in is the way of life that is found in Jesus.
It is more than Sunday mornings and Sunday  nights at church.
It is a yearning, a longing....almost a pulling toward.....to be with Jesus at every moment. He fills you up completely and your heart longs to hear him, see him..just be near him.
As I heard it put once......Having a relationship with Jesus is 366 days a year....25 hours a day....8 days a week. Not because you have too...............because you want to.
It is simply following the Spirit of God daily.
Immersing yourself in God's word.....
Praying as you walk through your day....
And letting God be your portion in this life, in this day.
Have I arrived and gotten it all right?
No!
But I am pressing on with Jesus.

God on you........
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Credentials

Zechariah 12:1
This declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.

We talk about Him....
We have labeled Him as our "Higher Power"....
We all seem to have a belief of some sort that He exists....
But I'm not really sure that we understand exactly who it is we are calling on to deliver us out of the addictive darkness we have placed ourselves in.

God!
"Yes, I know...I know..it's God".
But there has to be a connection made in our hearts to the reality of who it is we are turning to.
Maybe the only way to truly connect with this understanding is to have an encounter with Him.
To spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically be touched by His presence.
Does this sound like something out of a sci-fi movie? Sure it does, especially to a mind that has never had such an encounter.

So what is the result of running into this God who, by the way, created everything we can touch, taste, smell, hear, and see, well that would be a change that takes place within us. Change that is a byproduct of having an encounter with God. Everyone who sits under the presence of God, whether in a meeting or simply while driving your car, is changed. Everyone? Everyone is changed. They are either changed for the better.........or they are changed for the worse. But change is truly the name of the game. How can I say this? Well, lets look at John 16:8--And He (the Holy Spirit) when He comes will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
Stir our hearts concerning the sin we have piled up against Him....and reveal the level of righteousness that we have been credited with By God. Over these two things, He shows us the judgment that is to take place, and where we stand and can expect.

So the verses from Zechariah are meant to open our eyes to the truth of who we are dealing with. The real-deal...promise-a-real-promise....red-alert....blue-light-special...God.
Creator...
Savior...
Father....
And I could list a few thousand more names of God.
Suffice it to say that He is the answer to every problem we encounter today, tomorrow, and beyond.
As Larry Norman told us..."Why don't you check into Jesus..He's go the answer!!"

God on you..
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Those Incredible Sounds Of Change

Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Ephesians 5:19
.....making melody with your heart to the Lord.

The one thing I enjoy the most about Saturday night's VRC is the laughter and the joy that is in the room.
To hear someone laughing....
To see their face all scrunched up as the laughter just rolls out of them...that is music to my ears.

There isn't much to laugh about when a person is trapped in addiction.
There isn't much joy when a person is in sin-prison.
But to be free from all that....
To be released from the sentence of darkness and depression is beyond comprehension. Yet there is the laughter and joy that comes with the freedom that only God can give.

This freedom we experience, and this joy and laughter that we have found, can only come through the salvation experience that God has offered to us. There isn't much religiosity when it comes to this kind of freedom. No sanctimonious smiles. No adjusting of the Pharisaical robes and trappings that come from acting and trying to appear to be religious.

It is these moments of joy and laughter that make me realize the change that has taken place in me. For a brief moment in time, God has given me this gift of knowing that change is truly taking place within my heart.
If what I have written about this morning sounds foreign to you, then take a moment and look inside yourself. Past your doubts and fears....Past your mistakes and bad choices....look to your heart and find the joy that only God can bring.

And while your at it...
Don't forget to laugh.

God on you...
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Keys....Steps....And Secrets

Sometimes I think Christianity is its own worse enemy.
Let me rephrase that.

Sometimes I think what passes for Christianity is its own worse enemy.

If you go to any Christian bookstore you'll see rows upon rows of books with titles like "12 keys to unlocking your hidden potential." Or "7 keys to finding your destiny."

The subtle message behind these books and others that carry similar titles is that there is a hidden truth that is hidden from you (average Joe Schmoe Believer)in the Bible. Oh it may be there in Scripture but you are not skilled enough to see it, recognize it, or decipher it.

Since that is the case, you should buy the latest, greatest book because you are in need of a particular book to help you rise above the "common" believers so you can occupy a special place in the kingdom.

To me this kind of thinking flies in the face of the greatest book ever written THE HOLY BIBLE.

John 16:13 reads: However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 

God has given to us the greatest tool ever to transform our earthly minds into understanding the will, mind and plans of God. He has placed within every believer His Holy Spirit to be our compass, our communicator to God, to show us how to live.

The mindset of a believer searching for so called "hidden" things in an effort to better their life or lifestyle is something that is not from God. To me this idea of finding hidden wisdom goes back to the subtle suggestion the devil spoke to the woman in the garden of Eden. "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good an evil."

The inference is that God had with held information from the woman and that by eating the fruit, intellectually they would be on the same level as God. Wow! We can be like God!

"When God comes down here to the garden, as he does each day when temperature goes down in the afternoons, then we can have some real conversation with Him. We wont have to simply listen and ask questions anymore, we can converse with Him as equals."

Very heady thought.

I am not in any way inferring that today we seek to be on equal footing with God by searching out for hidden info. What I am suggesting is that we have bought into the lie that God has kept info from us and that by buying someones book we can gain access to that information. My Bible reads in Psalm 119:130 that "the unfolding of Your word (or the entrance of Your Word into my life) gives light. It gives understanding to the simple."

Here in is the communication we should be desiring from God. That His word, His book, His Bible, be unfolded to us thereby, through the work of the Holy Spirit, bring light to the dark places of my understanding.

I have, in the past, had numerous people come to me desiring that I pray for them that they might understand the deeper things of God. I tell them that I think they will be surprised to find that the deeper things of God aren't really that deep. Because like it says in the Ps. 119 passage, "It (the Bible) gives understanding to the simple."
And just for the record......
I am the chief simpleton of all who are simple.

Seek out the Word of God and become a student, a follower, a disciple of Jesus.
Read His book...
Put it into practice in your life....

You might be surprised.

God on you.........

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Power Encounter

John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never overcome it (extinguish it /  Comprehend it).

John 3:19-21
And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.

He came forward for prayer and ministry.
The years had taken a  toll on his body.
The darkness had taken a toll on his mind.
He knew scripture, although it was buried beneath a language of religion. The darkness had made sure of that.
His eyes revealed that he was desperate for change.
But there was a hopelessness about him that continually shot messages through his mind that such was for others not him.

Still, he came forward. God was at work.
He received prayer and encouragement. He accepted them like tasty morsels to a dying man. Each time he took the encouragement, you could see the darkness inside devour each one, with a taunt that seemed to say..."Do your best, he belongs to us."

I drove over Monday morning to meet with him and get a fill for his history.
He was asleep and would not come to the door. I left.
He stayed on my mind and heart all that day, and I was determined to return on Tuesday.
Tuesday was God's timing for this appointment...........this encounter.
As I drove up, he was getting out of a car, thanking the driver for taking him into town. I approached the man, he was nervous, and apologetic for not being awake when I'd come by on Monday. "No problem," I replied. We made our way into the house and settled into place to talk.

He had trouble completing sentences, and his speech came in spits and stops. Half sentences and incomplete words. "Peace Lord," I prayed. "Let your Holy Spirit cover us as we talk."

His history was one I'd heard before from countless others. Hooking up with a girl who was into the dark arts. Wicca....tarot cards.....Satanic incantations....and on and on. As he shared, he gave the standard line I'd heard before..."I only dabbled in it. I didn't believe it was real." I shared how he might not have taken it serious, but demonic spirits do. They are simply watching for an entry point in a persons life so that they can come in and be the driving influence that stirs the flesh and demands to be fed. From this simple, "I was only dabbling" came a long, long slide into the darkness. One thing led to another and he found himself on a journey that he could not stop.

I began to pray over him, asking God to come in power. Reminding those spirits where the real power lay, and the One who possessed it. For the next hour, one by one, the man was freed from their presence, their power, and their purpose.
Finally he burst into tears....
Tears of joy...
Tears of freedom...
Tear of release....

He did not look like nor sound like the same man that I'd met on Sunday night.
He was free.
I will never stop being amazed when God pushed the darkness away from person's life.
#1 - I fully realize I had nothing to do with the whole thing. I was simply a conduit that God flowed through.

#2 - Such encounters as this are the reason I don't quit...the reason I don't give up...the reason that I do what I do. 

# 3 - It reminds me of the awesomeness of God. That He is truly more than words on a page and notes in a song. He is God Almighty, and He still possesses the POWER to free men and women from the bondage and stronghold of the devil.

Pray for this man, if you will.
Pray that He will continue to push forward in this new relationship he has with God.

God on you...
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God Is At Work

II Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
It is amazing to watch the enthusiasm someone who has been freed from addiction, brings to their new found life with Christ.
They devour the word, reading hours upon hours. 
They ask a gazillion questions, most of which I have no answer for.
Really....I do not know where the Ark of the Covenant is located.
But I will take those questions any day of the week, considering where this person has come from.

What I see in the long term, is that those who continue to have a hunger for God and his word, seem to be able to remain sober.
Those who have a hunger to connect with a community of believers seem to be able to remain sober.
Those who take part in "Giving away" what they have freely received in this new way of living seem to be able to remain sober.

Sobriety is a byproduct of turning will and life over to the care of God.
Did you catch that? I said that sobriety is a byproduct. A very important byproduct, but none the less one part of a larger picture. 
For with this new life comes all manner of possibilities.
Things that seemed impossible and out of reach are now brought close because of this salvation we have embraced and given ourselves to.

Following Jesus is not a hobby or a part time job.
Funny part in all of this is that when you are saved, you want to chase Him. You want to study His word. You want to hang out with others who are like minded. You do these things because you want to. You have a hunger to be a part.

This is why part of my call to pastor involves what I call the II Timothy 2:2 principal.
"and the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
I am called to pour out myself on "faithful" men. Men who are serious about their relationship with Christ. 
Men like Barry Hooks...Seth Barber.....Shane Elmore......Wayne McCurry.....Charlie Copeland....Jonathan Bright.....Mark Cotney.....Red Tucker....Brandon Morgan....Sam Colegrove....Bobby Carson....and many others, that if I took the time to list all the names....we'd be here for a while. 
I do not care if anyone remembers my name or what God has done through me. But I pray that no one ever forgets when they first met God and how it changed their life for the better.

That is why this next season in my life at Vineyard Recovery, has me excited.
God is slowly and deliberately building this meeting. Week after week, we are learning more about ourselves and about Him. We are seeing who we are, as His people, slowly being defined by His hand. We are seeing our purpose as a community of believers and how it fits into our city and our communities. More than anything, we are connected to other meetings that have the same focus and aim as we do. For this I am grateful. God is building a true "Recovery" church in our town.
Pray for us that we remain faithful and true to what God has called us to.

God on you.....
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Looking Back @ The Weekend

God Given Gifts Found In Recovery:
FREEDOM: 
Galatians 5:1 - So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Last night was the ending to a really good weekend.
Saturday night @ Vineyard ReCovery, we took a look at encounters with Jesus. If you read Scripture, people who encountered Jesus were changed afterwards. Some were healed of physical maladies.......some were set free from being demonized.....some had family members brought back to life..........and some were simply changed forever (on the inside) because of the presence and power of Jesus. To me this is one of the most incredible gifts given to us by God. Because of His love....Because of His mercy, He provides a way for us to be changed by the placement of His Holy Spirit inside of us.

Sunday Morning @ Northside Baptist found us plodding along in our study of the book of Genesis. This was our 12th message from Genesis as we finished Chapter 6 yesterday. The one thing that God is showing us in our study is His nature, His character, His faithfulness, against the character of mankind....the nature of mankind...and the unfaithfulness of mankind. We are seeing ourselves in this study. The simple fact that humanity's base nature has not changed since Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden of Eden. We are still a stinky mess in need of being saved from ourselves.

Last night found me speaking @ Catalyst Recovery.
The one thing I love about this meeting is that Seth Barber (pastor) has a topic each month. This month the topic is "LIFE AFTER ____". My message was "life after chaos".
Life is more than my heart beating, I'm walking around, I'm a living being. Life is the state in which we are elevated into when we are saved. Because of God's Holy Spirit living in me, I see my surrounding and the people I associate with in a different manner. I like to say, "We are now doing business according to heaven and not the dictates of this world".

It was good to see Kevin Thompson last night. He shared updates on his son Cody who was literally at death's door recently. Cody is on the mend, thanks to the prayers of God's people. Still not out of the woods, but doing much better. 

Ministry time was awesome. Several came down to the front, falling to their knees to do some business with God. Lot of brokenness...Lot of burdens unloaded....lot of healing. That is why I love these meetings. To see people changed as only God can do it.

So heading home after the meeting, I ran back over the weekend in my mind, and a smile broke over my old craggy face. The same thought that I have each weekend invaded my mind..."Boy God! How are you going to top this?" Funny part is I know He will next weekend.

God on you..
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Today

Matthew 6:35 (The Message Bible)
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 7:13-14
Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market it flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life----to God!----is vigorous and requires total attention.

I need to be with people who are intent on chasing after....following this God.
I need to live in the moment...........the here and now.
I need to be aware of right now.
I don't need to let my thoughts run to tomorrow and the day after...and the day after that...and next month...and next year. I have got to stay in the moment.
I don't need to let my mind set up shop in my past.
Drive down my tent pegs surrounded by the dusty, destruction that my choices  brought about.
I need to live in the here and now.

I need to celebrate today, while it is still today.
I need to drink up life today no matter what my situation is.
I need to find gratitude.
I need to turn my eyes, heart, soul, mind to Christ.
Such are the things that will empower me as I simply cooperate with The Holy Spirit at work in me.

This past week has been a week of talking to people who (for whatever reason) have gone back out into the old life. Situations grew too hard to face. Problems multiplied until they seemed insurmountable. Mountains that could not be climbed. The weird part in all of this, because these folks turned to their old ways...old habits....the problems only grew worse. "I think I'll get high!"...."I think I'll get drunk and forget about all of this!"...such actions only added to the problem. It did not make it go away, and it sure didn't help in dealing with whatever they were facing.

I did not have anyone I talked to say, "You know Mike, I think I'll get up and go to a meeting." Not one. If the old way was never the solution, why would you think it would be different now? Such is the deception and blindness that we are sucked into when we turn to "SELF" instead of Jesus. Some who read this may be thinking..."Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..you seem to think this Jesus is the answer to my using." Well.......duh-huh! He is. If you noticed, I didn't say that "church" was the answer. I never said that religion was the answer. The only answer to my life problems is Jesus and the incredible gift of life afforded to me through His death on a cross, and His resurrection from a tomb. This allows me to live in the moment, no matter what my lot or state may be. I want to close with some words of wisdom that were written by a pretty incredible man. His name? Paul.

"I've learned by now to be content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy (content) whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the ONE who makes me who I am."

Find HIM, Jesus, today...
Turn will and live over to His care today....
Live in the moment today....

God on you..
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What If It Were True?

Today could be the day....
What IF today were the day.....
How would you react?
With great fear?
Or joy, expectation, overwhelming excitement.

Today could be the day of Jesus' return to take His church unto Himself.
Some call it the "rapture"....
Some refer to it as "meeting Jesus in the air"...
Doesn't matter what you call it.
I believe in the event.

Now I'm not here to debate the "When" of this event.
Some people get all wrangled, tangled up thinking that they have it all figured out.
I've looked at all the possibilities, and there seems to be enough evidence to support all of them.
I think maybe this is one of God's little 'jokes' he has orchestrated. After all, if you believe the Scripture then even Jesus doesn't know the exact time. Another little mystery. If God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three in one...then how can two of the three not know?  Not for me to say. Not for me to focus on such.

I remember back in the 1980's there was a lot of attention paid to the return of Christ. Of course some of that attention wasn't always good...such as the book that was written "88 Reasons Christ Will Return in 1988". I'm sure that there a few copies lying around in some thrift store somewhere. Such dating for the event always becomes fodder for ridicule. I digress.

Jesus stats plainly in John chapter 14, verses 1 through 4.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe God, believe also in Me. My Father's house has many rooms, if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Then there are the verses from II Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 17 and 18.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage (comfort) one another with these words.

Are you living in anticipation of this reunion? Or are you so wrapped in the day to day that you don't even think about it? I think there is a lot of skepticism in the world today. Not just about the Rapture but about the very person of Christ Himself. There is much spiritual darkness as the devil and his kingdom of darkness seems to have control and eminent victory over God. Well as radio host Jan Markell likes to say...."Things are falling apart in this old world. They are falling into place. 

Maybe it's because I've got some years and mileage on this old body, but the idea of Jesus coming back to take His followers home to be with him grows sweeter and sweeter with each passing day. At the same time, I know that there are those out there who haven't heard the message of the cross, and continue to live outside the will of God. Living in such a manner puts them under the judgement that we all carried about before we were saved. I want everyone to know and meet my Jesus. No one left behind.

So just in case today is the day....
Just in case someone finds this blog and reads this posting....
I hope and pray that you consider your ways and your belief's.
Began a search for the truth.
You'll find it in an event that took place on a hill outside of the city of Jerusalem.

God on you...
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Looking Crossways

Jesus, keep me near the cross

There a precious fountain

Free to all, a healing stream

Flows from Calvary's mountain

In the cross, in the cross

Be my glory ever

Till my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river

Near the cross, a trembling soul,

Love and mercy found me

There the bright and morning star

sheds it's beams around me

Near the cross! O Lamb of God

Bring its scenes before me

Help me walk from day to day,

with its shadows o'er me.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait

Hoping, trusting ever,

Till I reach the golden strand,

Just beyond the river.

In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever

Till my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

Not the wood or nail. Not the crown or hammer,  but the life that was given on that cross. The shadow of it covers humanity and either brings life or judgement. Free to all who would surrender and answer His invitation.

It is not pretty to look at. I often wonder who thought the cross should be taken to be shaped and made of gold and worn around as a piece of jewelry. Especially by those who do not understand what it means? Even in my own heart, I do not know if I fully understand the totality of the cross.

The cross has a message that stills rings as clear today as it did 2000+ years ago.
"IT IS FINISHED!"

The debt is paid in full.

I have been set free from the power of sin to walk in newness of life with Christ Jesus.

Free from the penalty of sin....

Free from the power of sin....
And free from the presence of sin...

Amen and amen....

God on you....

mb

One Standard....One Truth....One Compass

Nahum 1:3
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.

I realize that everyone has an opinion. If you find this hard to believe, all you have to do is cruise social media and you will quickly see that there is this need to put our opinions out there for all to see.
Of course those who publish their opinions do so with the idea that their opinion is right and deserves to be heard. To be posted and published in every venue even when the exact opposite may in fact be the truth. 

With such understanding, I realize that as I write this, I could be construed as one of those "opinion publishing" goobers that rail against the machine. I do not want to come across as operating in this fashion, but I do feel the need to at least state some things that I believe. In the end, God will sort through the mess and show us what is really true and what really wasn't true.

My Bible reading took me to Nahum chapter one this morning. Not a very popular book, Nahum, and I wonder if you could tell me the last time you heard a teaching from this book. But I do think it contains relevant material that is applicable to our day and age. If Scripture isn't applicable to us, then why read it? If we can't garner some wisdom from it, then why even pick it up and open it? I believe, if for  nothing else, Scripture gives us insight into God's heart and His desire to save people. 

So, with that in mind, we see in the book of Nahum, God sending a prophet to warn the people to turn back from their sin. You see, sin had become so rampant in society that there was a total rejection of God on every level. The government had turned away from God and did as they thought best. The religious rulers had long abandoned God, and their call to serve had become merely a job and a position that had certain perks and benefits to it. Take these two offices into account as being leaders of the people and you can see how their own grievous sin had affected the society of the day. As the leaders lived, so did the people. 

But God's desire was for them not to perish, but to turn from their dark, evil ways and return to Him. They did not. The end result was that God took His hand of protection and provision from these countries and allowed them to suffer the consequences of their choices. Some might claim that God is not fair. Really? If I see you headed in a direction that I know is going to cause you pain and possibly death, and I warn you but you ignore the warning, telling me to mind my own business......who's to blame for any suffering or pain (maybe even death) that you encounter? Me...who tried to save you....or you, who did what you thought was right? 

In my Bible study this morning, I ran across this in the guide I was using.
"Over and over, God speaks to each generation about the facts of sin. The result of sin is death! We cannot continue to live in and develop sin as our goal. It may be legalized by the government, but the result of sin remains death. In today's world, we tend to look at what is right or wrong based on whether it is legal. What if something is wrong, and the government declares it legal? Does such make it right in the eyes of God?"

As our nation has chosen to go down that slippery slope of tolerance, we can see evidence that what is legal isn't always what is right. Our government has made choices to appease people and their belief's, in some instances, to hang on to the power they now possess. If we can appease enough people, no matter whether what we do is right or wrong, they will vote for us and keep us in power. The very fabric of our nation is being changed into a nation of moral relativism which cries out that there isn't an absolute truth by which all men and women are judged. Everyone can choose which truth they want to embrace. If we cry loud and long enough, we can get our view into law. 

Now before you go off on me, I'd like you to know that I do not hold to the view of legislating morality. That has proven to be a failure time and time again. What I am a proponent of is changing the heart. I know it isn't as quick as whipping out a law that affects millions, but I do believe it is the mandate of the Kingdom After all, in Matthew 28, we have been called to make disciples. That is a one-at-a-time process. God is into craftsmanship, not mass production. 

One last point.
I don't look on these days with fear. I look at them as opportunity.
A chance for the real church to rise up and be what it was created to be.
To serve...
To battle for those to weak to fight for themselves....
To push against the darkness and extend the kingdom rule of God.
To feed the poor...
To proclaim freedom to the prisoners...
To release the captives...
To bind up the brokenhearted...
And the list goes on and on and on....

The moral compass of this nation isn't broken....
IT has simply been discarded.

God on you...
michael b