Category: Devotional

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Psalms 103:1-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

Do you think that through the day in and day out of everyday life, we forget how blessed we are? I think so, and from time to time, we need a check on our attitude. To be reminded of how good we have it is important. It has nothing to do with our finances, our station in life, or whether we had a good day, week, or month, though obviously, those things help. God’s approach to us, His love for us, and His willingness to be a part of every day are not dependent upon our circumstances. His Grace to us is outside of everyday circumstances. 

We need to learn how to live from Heaven to earth, how He views people and us in general, and then become His representatives; everything changes. It may sound like pie in the sky type stuff, but it’s not. A grateful attitude based on God’s goodness and His promises carries one through life regardless of our position and or circumstances. Granted, this takes some maturing, but it definitely is not “pie in the sky theology,.” It’s a real everyday truth that we can grow into.

Circumstances can be incredibly challenging, but they need not steal our joy or the blessing that is unique to believers. Remember this saying, a Big God equals small problems, but a small God equals big problems. So based on that, how big is your God? How we live life and respond to our challenges and problems answers this question. The problems and challenges are the same; whether God is big or small is what changes. 

Take Paul, for instance; he had it super tough, some would say impossible. How could God let him go through so much hardship, yet he doesn’t complain. Paul represents some serious boots on the ground (as in military) tougher than anybody I know; has anyone been shipwrecked (3x’s), whipped (five sessions of forty lashes less one) (forty times was considered a death sentence), stoned once, and beaten with rods three times (2 Corinthians 11:16-33). I don’t think so, yet he still found reason to rejoice.

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

How important it is to learn this lesson. It is so against our nature. We don’t want to suffer need, or pain, or lack. Yet without these trials, how would we learn that in “every circumstance to be content?” To learn the secret of being content in plenty or lack and be able to do all things does not come without hardship. Imagine the freedom we would have and the strength of character if we could mature to this point. That we truly lived from Heaven to Earth. Paul’s life was one trial after another, but the presence of the Spirit made it more than worth it. Many of us are willing to travel on the road of victory, yet the road of trial and testing prepares us. Without that, our pride and ego would destroy us. Ultimately, the question is how close do we want to be with Jesus, “to know Him as we are known,” is that our goal? It’s a fair question, and it measures how much of our comfort we value versus how close we want to be to Jesus.

If anyone had a “right” to be discouraged or complain, it would have been Paul. Sometimes life has to get really scary or threatening for us to really dive deep into our faith. In so doing, God creates a whole new platform of depth and strength in us. As our relationship goes deeper, we find Him and the strength we need. The severity of the circumstances causes us to see how really needy we are of Him and how inexhaustible is His strength and peace. During intense periods as these, what happens? If we are meditating on the Word and in prayer, we find the peace that passes understanding. I noticed that though my stomach is tense, my heart is calm. It’s like two people living instead of me. The flesh is the flesh; it won’t change; I’ve learned to ignore it. In these times of severe testing, it was like He was digging a deeper well in me. It was the struggle that He used to take me deeper. After I gave each crew their assignments and dismissed them, I would spend about forty-five minutes to an hour in prayer until I felt His peace.

The reality of His presence and peace grew in me, and as that grew, my confidence grew, and the crushing trial became bearable and then defeat-able. I matured; after several long and hard years, instead of being the victim, I became the victor as I saw my prayers answered. The Lord daily prayed through me and interceded on my behalf. None of this would I have known if it were not for the pain. He met me with His peace, comfort, and strength. And if it were not for the severity of the trial, I would have never pressed into Him so hard. He is every bit who He says He is and more, and hence one becomes “baptized” into the Lord’s presence. Much like the lamb that wanders into unknown danger, the Shepherd has to break its legs and then carries the lamb around his neck till the legs heals. Once healed, the lamb never again wanders, now becoming accustomed to the presence of the Shepherd. In His presence, we gain understanding, peace, joy, and confidence. Then when life gets hard, it’s not a question do I go to the Lord for help or not; it is instinctual having our faculties attuned to Him. Nothing but good comes from the humbling process. Even in the midst of chaos, there is a steady calm. There’s a cool verse in Psalm 103

Psalms 103:7

He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.

The word “ways” means to walk or a path. Through the trials that Moses experienced, he found God walking with Him; as a friend. Therefore Moses did not fear. Israel only saw God’s acts, but they never knew His ways, so they doubted, feared, and complained. Oftentimes we are like that. If we do not run from the hardship but rather to Him in the hardship, we will know His ways. Experiencing the Lord’s goodness makes a person confident, able to face trial and or hardship. His goodness also changes you, making you enjoyable and pleasant to be around. People think I’m a nice guy etc., that it’s to my credit, but it’s not. It’s Him in me and me learning that with Him, I am more than a conqueror.

Romans 8:37-39

No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us, for I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Throughout history, every conqueror eventually gets conquered, not so with the believer. If we make Christ our prize, there is no might in Hell that can separate us from Him. Also, His definition of a conqueror is different than ours. For us, it could be many different things we seek to conquer, but ultimately they are things that benefit us here. In Christ’s world, the value system is different. He did not pay a supreme price to benefit our life here, though walking with Him is a huge benefit. His focus was and is to destroy the bondage of sin so we could conquer it and forever be His Bride. I repeat this truth many times through different examples and stories to help us change our mindset. To live life from Heaven’s perspective to earth, not from earth’s perspective to Heaven. So much of our frustration with our faith is because we have the latter mindset. Nothing is more important to Him than to redeem us (buy us back) from this life. So if it’s painful, so be it; it’s worth the pain. It reorients our thinking back to Christ’s thinking. Easy doesn’t grow faith, just like sitting on the couch doesn’t grow muscles. We need weights, resistance, repetition to grow muscles, and frustration, difficulty, and setbacks to grow faith.

Matthew 6:25-27

Do Not Be Anxious

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (a Great King is worthy of no less)

I think there are times we take God for granted. We need to repent of that attitude and give Him the respect He deserves. He’s only saved our soul for Eternity).

What is the composition of a positive attitude then? Is it just personality or things going my way? Is it based on temporal things, or is it deeper? The man who built his house on the sand was feeling pretty good when he finished, especially looking over at his neighbor, who was working so hard to get his posts anchored into the rock. He probably thought it was a lot of needless work for nothing, and since he had beachfront property, he probably took the rest of the summer off to enjoy life. Or just like the farmer who got a bumper crop and told his soul to “eat, drink and be merry.” However, when the storms in life come, and they do, these people are the first to fall apart. 

What provides the greatest foundation for an enduring positive attitude? Is it not understanding our value before God? “Are you not of more value than they?” Jesus said to the disciples when he talked about how the Father provided for the common bird, and if He took so much care to provide for a commonest of His creatures, will He not provide for those who are made in His image? So why does faith fail? It fails because we do not understand our value before Him; and why do we not understand our value before Him, because we do not spend enough time in His presence. 

There is no substitute for time in His presence. Let your day be structured around your time with God. As I’ve mentioned, my Bible study time during the workweek is my lunch, even if lunch is at 5 pm. During the weekend, it’s exercise, breakfast, and then my time with the Lord. Exercising is my prayer time and ensures that I give the Lord my best “alertness.” Again, a Great King deserves our very best.

He has given us many promises about our worth and value to Him. If you do not know them, that is why you struggle as a believer. You need to know them. Rehearse and memorize them until they settle deep inside of you. Write them on sticky notes and put them on your mirror as you are shaving or putting makeup on, or on the dashboard of your car or on your desk at work, and make a point of reading them multiple times throughout the day. And if you’re in a pinch and can’t remember them, then just picture Jesus hanging on the Cross hearing His words, “Father forgive them for they no not know what they do.” If that’s not value, I do not know what is. Do we really think that after giving His life for us that He will abandon us or do us wrong?

Our faith, that which anchors our soul, like the post in the rock, is where our strength comes from. Our smile and hope come from truly understanding His sacrifice. His obedience to the Father to go to the Cross and take our penalty and suffer our shame. Now pray that God makes it real and personal for you, and let’s go out and live in that confidence knowing that no force formed against us can defeat us.

Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

We understand God’s promises from our perspective, from a worldly understanding. However, God made these promises from His perspective. The biggest problem God has had was when man sinned, and He became separated from His prize creation. I’ve experienced that sense of separation. My oldest daughter left home at 18 under very unfavorable circumstances, and I knew she was not ready. I knew the world’s values would overtake her, and within less than a year, she was a mess. I cried for three years during this time, praying daily for her. Victory eventually came, but it was hard-fought.

When Christ atoned for man’s sin, God put an end to this separation forever for them that would so choose, “though the mountains may depart and the hills be removed (which would be horrendous), yet my steadfast love shall not depart,” not now, not never…” in that single, but most powerful act lies our hope and confidence.

I’m sad for the believer who is so busy being lukewarm that he or she doesn’t know how rich of an inheritance they have. Trading their Godly inheritance and birthright for a “bowl of soup,” like Esau did ( Genesis 29). It’s like going through life blind. You will run into a lot of things that you don’t need to. In this same relational context, God has made this promise.

Isaiah 54:17

no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from me, declares the LORD ( memorize these two most powerful verses).”

God is the Eternal Judge, His judgment echos through all of Eternity past, present, and future, and there is no judgment, weapon, or tongue that overrides His Eternal power or decrees (Amen).

King David, Israel’s most Godly King, had many serious struggles, but he was able to overcome them by strengthening himself in the Lord. Let’s read what happened (pretty serious) and see what action he took, knowing that we could and should do the same (at the time, he was only 22-23).

1 Samuel 30:3-6

And when David and his men came to the city (Ziklag), they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters were taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

It is so important that daily we make our relationship with the Lord our top priority. We never know when we will be facing a crisis. We want to have that depth and confidence in The Lord so we too “can strengthen ourselves.”

1 Samuel 30:7-8

And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”

What David did was reserved for the priest, taking the ephod. It was the priest’s duty to inquire of the Lord and wear the ephod, a breastplate vest with 12 stones, each stone representing a tribe of Israel. David took this upon himself. He wanted to hear from God, and because of the closeness he had developed over the years as a shepherd boy, he had the confidence to come before the Lord. And the Lord honored him by answering him, proving that relationship was more important than rules, even if the rules were God’s.

When times are tough, we need to go back to the very character of God. His faithfulness and love and encourage us from there. As David continued as King, he wrote many Psalms. Psalm 103, the one listed above, is about the Lord’s goodness, something that does us well to be reminded of.

Psalms 103:1-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

How important it is to take inventory of the benefits we receive because of God’s faithfulness. We forget, especially when going through difficulties. Recently my mom passed (9/22/2021), and we had her memorial on 9/14. Everything is still pretty fresh, and it doesn’t take long before a lump develops in my throat, but I call to mind that she is with the Lord, and the lump goes away. As I think about her, it’s as if I can hear her talk to me about Heaven.

“Oh stop that nonsense of being sad for me, I’m home and free from that crippled body. Wait mijo (son) till you see the Throne and how God’s Glory fills and warms all of Heaven and beyond. He is beyond human words to describe and His presence radiates a love that units us all in perfect harmony. Heaven’s life is the life He intended for humanity until humanity sinned and life deformed into something He never intended it to be. The Sin was great, therefore the cure had to be greater. The Cross, A Strong Remedy for the defilement of disobedience. In Heaven, one sees what life was intended to be. I am so anxious to have you and all that love Jesus come and see what I now see but could have only imagined in my earthly temple. Love you mijo, stay strong.”

Boy, I’m choking back the tears. To hear my mom’s voice in my head is pretty special. I will leave her words as I heard them, and you can make your own opinion. So a very strong reminder of David’s Word,

We were never designed to allow fear, anxiety, insecurity to rule in us. That in itself can bring on sickness. It does not mean we are not saved; it only means we do not comprehend how great a salvation we have. We were designed to have Christ govern us, and the closer we get to that, the healthier we will be, physically, emotionally, and mentally. So when Jesus said to us, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added to you,” this is much more than just a religious statement. That statement brings health and wholeness to all aspects of our humanity, Spirit, soul, and body. And let’s not make “all these things being added” the motive for seeking Him. That would be wrong, making the gift more important than the Giver of that gift. It is in relationship with Him that we best enjoy, thrive and steward His gifts.

However, things do happen, and we can get discouraged and sidetracked. We can allow the disappointments of life to sidetrack us from Him, and then worry, fear, anxiety replaces the peace and joy that is ours by inheritance. As such, life then becomes more difficult. We feel we have to fight for every victory, whereas if we were walking with Christ, we would understand we already have the victory; we just need to stand in it. We fight from a position of victory, not for the victory. That is such a huge shift in our paradigm/thinking; how could that not affect everything we do? It would bring us such strength and confidence at every level.

“Who heals all your diseases.” Healing is a gift of the Spirit, and it is best received in corporate prayer (James 5:14). And there are pastors that have this gift. Sometimes healing doesn’t occur, but it is never because He doesn’t love or care for us. That question was completely and thoroughly answered at the Cross. The greatest healing was done at the Cross; every healing thereafter is to be received with thanksgiving and joy. If healing does not occur, we are to remain joyful, for the relationship we’ve been privileged to receive far outlast any other thing that we would seek from Him. The enemy always wants to slander God, making us think that He does not love or care. If that’s you, you are allowing a temporal thing to interfere with your eternal reward. If God never answered another prayer but granted you forgiveness and Eternal Life and His Holy Spirit, would that be enough, or would you need more? Maybe the healing we really need is our attitude, and the pain is bringing to the surface the shallowness of our faith. Our “me focus” attitude is hurting us. Check yourself and repent if that is you, and be more appreciative of the blessings we have. Also, be mindful of worrying and fretting; those are the concerns of orphans. You are far from that if you are truly in Christ. That in itself could bring healing.

** Also, since God is a relational God, maybe He refrains from healing because He knows that we would stop seeking Him? We would lose our earnestness in seeking Him and get busy with life, especially if now in our painful state, we struggle with reading the Bible. Pain, as much as we don’t like it, makes us more conscious of our need for Him. We need pain, lack, fear to some extent, challenges, etc., to keep us humble and to build faith muscle. Pride destroys our walk with God, and we all have it; humility, the antithesis to pride, is helped through the challenges of life. Like what Paul said,

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

If when pain arises, we would pray in earnestness until we sense His peace over the matter and not fill any less loved or cared for. That is how I have received most of my healings. TO BE UNSTOPPABLE. I don’t expect anything, He’s already done everything. If He chooses to answer and heal, that’s wonderful. (Bethel Church in Redding, Ca. is one such church that operates in the gift of physical healing. Bill Johnson is the senior pastor and gives great messages on all topics, but very strong in healing).

Two supreme lessons are represented in the next sets of verses. To learn these two is to be more than a conqueror.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited (he learned that as he sought the Lord about his pain). Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Psalms 103:1-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Jesus said that Satan has nothing in me, that there was nothing in Christ that had or made any agreement with satan, or the ways of the flesh. I want us to be able to say the same (John 14:30). God’s Word is God’s Word, I may not always understand it, but that does not make it any less true. It is always true, and as I grow in its fullness, I come to understand.

I don’t define it, it defines me. Amen

Father God, 

May this study be our Thanksgiving unto You, for as your truth frees us, we are more freer individuals, and to know the Truth it truly does set us free from the shackles and fears of this life.

Thank you so much,

Your sons and daughters

Welcome to part II of “Why We Pray.” In review of Part I, there was two major points. One, the Lord commands us “to pray without ceasing (as discussed in part 1)” and two, it’s through this process plus scripture reading that the Holy Spirit is able to make us more like Jesus.

Sanctification, the process of being set apart unto Holiness, is the word we use to describe the workings of the Holy Spirit in us. It is interesting, as sanctification is forward motion, creation is likewise. Nothing in creation holds still. There are processes that are continually happening, like photosynthesis in trees or plants. If nothing is happening in God’s world of Creation, then it usually means it is ill, dying, or dead. Life has to happen because God is LIFE. Sanctification is that process of life where His Holy Spirit seeks to deepen Himself in us, convicting us of our need for Him. Without His promptings and wrestling, we would have no hope of Eternal Life. 

Therefore the word sanctification is a cool word. It sounds holy, “I am being sanctified,” a holier than thou feel to it, but it is just the opposite. Its intended outcome is to make me holy, but getting to that is not easy. It is a never-ending process in which God continually wrestles with my sinful nature. Sanctification exposes the secrets in our heart, things that we feel we have a “right too.” There are things that people repeatedly do that annoy us or make our job more difficult, but do their actions annoy Jesus? I don’t think so. His even temper with the disciples proves He has much patience and Grace with us. However, these situations are as unpleasant as they are part of our classroom in sanctification. 

James 1:2-4

Testing of Your Faith

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The Master uses these situations to see if we can stay focused on being His light. Can “we count it all joy,” or do we lose our cool forgetting that we are His ambassador to that person or in that situation. Pushing our buttons, then stepping on our buttons until we either give up, giving it over to the Lord, or we just walk away from our testimony and insist on our right(s). What the Holy Spirit wants to teach us in these situations is perspective. You or I have not been called to represent our wants, but His. Can we do that even when things don’t seem fair? I don’t think it was fair that the Lord bore my sins or yours, but he did and didn’t complain. He did what the Father asked him to do. Can we do the same? 

“Father forgive me for losing my cool. I can not allow this offense to come between You and I, and getting angry breaks my fellowship with You; help me to walk through it with your Grace and perspective. Let your light shine in me, especially in these situations so that my ambassadorship fully and clearly represents the place from which I was sent, and the person who has sent me (we are to live from Heaven to earth, as an ambassador represents his or her country to the people to which they were sent. For we are Christ’s ambassadors 2 Cor 5:20).” 

We have a great example of this button pushing process with Mary and Martha. 

Luke 10:38-40

Martha and Mary

Now, as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but (only)one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (despite the hardship we may find in this life, nothing can take His presence from us. In fact the greater the trial, the greater is His presence).

Jesus came, and Mary stopped what she was doing. Everything could wait. Her heart hungered to hear the words of the Lord. Martha, on the other hand, derived her sense of self-worth through the action of serving until this action became too overwhelming, at which point she cried out, upset at her sister and feeling that Jesus didn’t care about her. Just the opposite was true. Jesus allowed this button-pushing process to bring Martha to this point to teach her that something more important than serving was here. It could all wait. She needed to develop within her that Jesus was first, period. If Jesus needed to, He could miraculously create a great meal for everyone. Words of Eternal Life always far exceed whatever we are doing. So let’s ask the question, how’s your Bible study? Are your prioritizing it, or are you too busy serving in one fashion or another, from self to others? 

Another way to understand this is to use our relationships. When you love someone, you want to spend time with them. It’s something you want to do, and hence the relationship deepens. Unfortunately, on God’s end, He is way more in love with us than we are with Him. Note in scripture how God is always inviting us to know Him. We have verses that say, seek ye first, come now, let us reason together, pray, seek, knock, ask, etc. He is ever inviting us into a relational journey as His sons and daughters. It’s crazy that He seeks us so. We say “he’s got it bad,” when a guy has a hard crush on a girl. God has it bad for us, hence the Cross. We have a cute saying, “to know me is to love me,” and that cannot be any more true than it is for Christ Himself. That’s why He asks us to pray and to seek Him. He loves us and wants us to get to know Him. As we get to know Him more, we too grow more in love with Him as His love for us grows in us. 

So in review, this is the foundation of part 1, though much more was said. Here is one of many verses that captures this passionate, relationship-oriented God of ours. Why is this important to know? When you understand His heart, then the willingness to sacrifice, surrender, obey and follow is much more readily done.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In Part 2, we want to go back to the garden, then to Peter’s denial of the Lord; did Peter have to sin? In other words, was he predestined to deny the Lord, was the task ahead of him too great for him? And then do we, as Peter, faced with equal taunting challenges, have to succumb as well? Or said differently, are we predisposed to sinning, is God’s Grace not sufficient? Jesus gave Peter a command which indicates that Peter had another choice. First, though, let’s define sin. The Bible uses two words for sin, transgression, and iniquity. In Psalm 51, David is confessing his sin with Bathsheba, and he uses both these words.

Psalms 51:3-5

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Iniquity and transgression are words used to describe sin. As we study both these words, we learn that they describe “missing the mark,” which is the generic definition for sin found in the word harmatia. Its root definition comes from archery, where the archer pulls the bow but misses the mark, the bull’s eye. However, these two words are vastly different in describing the mode or the reason for the sin. David uses “iniquity” as the plight of our fallen nature; we are sinners from birth. We, by nature, will fail. Fail in patience, fail in kindness, fail in forgiving, we will not have the right emotions and often have to “settle down.” All aspects of our fallen nature. However, “transgression” speaks of a will, a choice to sin, and David uses that word to describe his sexual relationship with Bathsheba, a married woman.

Psalms 51:1-5

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight

so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Iniquity practiced leads to transgression, though people will use terminology such as, “I just fell into it,” as if they had no choice. By so saying, they are indicating they were more a victim than a person exercising free will. However, this is not true. Like the saying, “if you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything.” So was Peter “predisposed” to give in to his carnal nature, or did he simply not take the escape route provided for him? And if it’s true for Peter, could it also be true for us? Again the question is not whether God can use our failure for good because we know He can and does, but did he or do we have to sin? What does God’s Word say?

1 Corinthians 10:12-14

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Where was Peter’s way of escape? This next statement should utterly and completely testify to the importance of prayer. Let’s go to the garden where Jesus had His final words with His disciples. 

Matthew 26:37-41

And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch( pray) with me.” And going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may NOT ENTER into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Luke’s account is found in 22:39-46

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in (great) agony, he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may NOT ENTER into temptation ( there are two words for agony, both are filled with much emotion and fear. One trembles and runs, the other trembles in the face of the issue yet continues on to the end, hence the great drops of blood. His wrestling with taking the sins of the world upon him was beyond his humanness, thus needing strengthening from the angel. My words can not even do justice to what our Lord experienced).

So we know the rest of the story; the disciples feared and fled. Peter followed to see what would happen to Jesus but in so doing exposed himself to a sin that he had no power or Grace to overcome, for he had not prayed. Understanding that as cruel as Christ’s crucifixion was, it was ordained by God, and Peter could not stop it but needed to accept it. By not heeding or accepting Christ’s words, Peter ended up denying knowing Jesus 3 times. Only John followed Jesus to the Cross. How important is prayer? How seriously do you take your walk with Christ? Prayer to the spirit man is as important as the air we breathe, as the water we drink. Without prayer, our lives would be powerless. 

So how is your walk with Christ? Are you overcoming life’s trials or being defeated by them? The world is changing, and the last thing we want is to be a weak Believer. If it becomes illegal to be a Christian, will you stand for your faith? The agenda of the left is aggressive against our faith, but it’s not necessarily right versus left but a spiritual blinding of the eyes and heart that encompasses both groups. Personal rights and our freedom to choose seem to be eroding as legislation is being enacted, taking away more freedoms. Prayer needs to become a focus and a refuge of strength. Here’s one of David’s prayers. 

Psalms 5:1-3

Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.

Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God,

for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;

in the morning, I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

There was a Christian band in my twenties that sang Psalm 5 and a lead lyric was “In the morning you will hear my prayer Oh Lord.” There is something about setting time aside prior to work, school, etc., where you come before the Lord, acknowledge Him, and seek His Presence. If you wait till the day gets going, it’s like you are playing catch up. Leaving home with your armor on and a full tank of gas (“Holy Spirit Premium”) is how one stays victorious.  Peter failed because he failed to pray. Let that sink in. We are to put on the armor of the Spirit. Read Ephesians 6 and the commentaries on the armor so you can receive the benefit of the teaching.

Psalms 5:7-8

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.

I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies;

make your way straight before me. Amen (a great prayer).

I love these words of David, all of them. Acknowledge God’s love regardless of what the day looks like. Holy Reverence, as I approach my Loving Dad. In full confidence of His care. I love what Proverbs 3:5-12 says;

Proverbs 3:5-12

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;

then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

My son, do not despise the LORD’S discipline or be weary of his reproof,

for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

**Crisis brings us into a deeper relationship with the Lord and shows us our need for Him as we need to dig deeper to overcome the fear, challenges, bad news, and seemly the bad events that happen to us, etc. We need to see that God is still bigger and able and willing to keep His promises. And because He is, we can have hope in the crisis and find that His hope can sustain us through it, and without Him, we are in despair – no different than others.

I wonder if being a Christian today carried a death sentence, as it has in the past, how many of us would fall away? Or what if the penalty was a jail sentence or meager employment? IS THERE A POINT THAT WE WOULD DENY HIM? I sincerely hope not. We cannot trade the pain of today for tomorrow’s Eternity. Sometimes drastic actions from others or the government illicit in us a do-or-die faith, emergency type faith, and we stand our ground. However, what if it’s not drastic but gradual bleeding from white to grey, and before long, black does not look so bad. Can we maintain and EXCEL in a society that ever so persuasively sells values and ideals that are contrary to our faith? Most of the time, the hero in us is not needed as much as the athlete that daily wakes up and seeks to exceed yesterday’s goal. 

We have issues in our society that the scriptures are very clear on. Infidelity, homosexuality, fornication, drunkenness, dishonesty, etc., Galatians 5 list’s the works of the flesh. 

Galatians 5:17-21

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity( homosexuality), sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do(practice) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

“I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

People really dislike being told what to do when it comes to moral issues, “everyone does what they feel is right in their own eyes.” Yet what kind of God would the Lord be if upon going to Heaven He said, “I’m so sorry, you did not live a righteous enough life to come here.” And we said, “You never told me, and in reply, He said, I’m sorry about that too.” How would you feel? I know I would feel like I was never given a chance to decide, that my Eternal Destiny was decided without me. I would feel cheated. Thankfully that is not even close; from Jesus’ prophesied birth to His purpose, to the Cross, to the disciples who continued in Christ’s message, to the Bible that teaches and instructs us in His ways, God has done everything to give us an opportunity to know Him. There will not be one person on judgment day that can say anything against Him. Therefore it is imperative that when our lifestyle doesn’t line up with scripture that instead of getting angry as if God does not love us, or that the Bible is not relevant, that we see it from God’s view, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosesoever would believe in Him 

“and repent of their ways” would not perish but have everlasting life ( John 3:16). The “do not do” in scripture is no different than a parent telling their children to not play in the street, or swim without supervision, etc.. The commands are given to protect us, so we flourish and given from a heart of love. 

What did Joshua say to the nation of Israel as he retired from his post as Israel’s leader, ” 

Joshua 24:14-15

“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

This is the path forward regardless of what tragedies befall us. Will you choose it? 

Father God, 

How many times have you been blamed for our tragedies, yet these tragedies or failures of ours are not your doing. We ignore Your command to pray and read Your Word and hence do not have the power to stand, as Peter did not have it and denied You. You also have taught us that satan is the ruler of this planet, and he comes to “steal, kill and destroy,” so his hand is clearly seen in the tragedies that are ever-present, but so unlike satan You have come to give us life and an Eternal Hope. Thank you for your Word, that if read insulates and protects us from the enemy’s lies and deceitful ways helping us to stand as your ambassador. Amen.

Thank You for being such a Good and Faithful Father, 

We love You. :)

Arthur Navarrette

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. 

Can we quench the Spirit by not praying, by not giving thanks or rejoicing? I think so, but how? When our circumstances or problems prevent us or keep us from rejoicing, praying, or giving thanks, then our problems have become bigger than God’s, and in so doing, we quench the Spirit. Think of dumping water on a fire and quenching the fire; we do the same with the Lord when circumstances become bigger than Him. Lack of faith always quenches the Spirit. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely (open your eyes and heart to see that through the hardship sanctification, “the making of holiness” is occurring) and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at(till) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

These verses remind me of what a rock tumbler does to jagged rocks. After a certain and prolonged period of time, the once jagged rocks are now shiny, smooth, and beautiful. That’s exactly what the Father wants to do in us, make us beautiful inside, so outwardly we reflect His person. We are to be a light in the darkness, a city on a hill with the beauty of His Truth, Love, and Grace shining out from us.

What happens when we pray without ceasing? 

He or she is different from a believer who does not or prays minimally. The one who prays carries the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the more often we pray, the greater is His presence. I find two types of prayer. The first one is based on Proverbs 3:5&6. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

I stop all that I’m doing, kneel and pray. I acknowledge my way before Him and my need for Him. I do this before I start my day or before I start a new event, “in all my ways.” This is probably the most common type of prayer. The other, and more frequent for me, is an ongoing inner communion with the Lord that allows me to pray while driving, working, in a trial, etc. The best way to describe it is like having a phone conversation, and we never hang up. I hear Him, He hears me, and when I’m not talking to Him, e.g., working on an estimate, answering emails, or talking with clients or my men, I know that He’s there just listening. It has not always been like this. Earlier in my walk, it was the first example. 

Depending on the concern, it could be a lengthy prayer or a shorter one, but we hung up. I walked away strengthened and encouraged, but through the course of the week, I felt Him lessening in me and realized I needed to get connected to Him again. Scripturally this is not true, we are “always” connected, but just like a car gets low on gas and needs to be refueled, I felt the same way. I would sense my “tank” on low and would need to “fuel up” again. I didn’t like that. I needed to re-dial and touch bases with Him again. This “always connected” that I experience now is something that He has done in me. It’s such a blessing, but at the same time, it is also the years that I have been in His Word. I always have lunch, which is when I read; even if lunch is at 5 in the afternoon, I have it. When you are tired of who you are and tired of doing things your way, you tend to stay close, very close—King David’s prayer models what I just said.

Psalms 5:1-3

Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning (my absence of Him, or as I am being molded into His image via the trials, I groan)

Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God,

for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;

in the morning, I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch (to watch implies expectation or confidence in whom you spoke with). 

Psalms 5:7-8

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.

I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you ( my response to His Holiness and love)

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies, 

make your way straight before me ( this is a righteous prayer as His son or daughter). 

“In the fear of You,” and “watch” are critical parts of our walk with Him. We can never lose this. In fact, we must grow in reverence and watching for Him. He must ever be getting bigger in us, and we are getting smaller. Why, because as He gets bigger and I get smaller, what else happens? My problems and trials become smaller as they become overshadowed by His GREATNESS. I long for a time where His greatness is such that parting the “Red Sea,” would be just a normal day. “Well of course, that is just what He does” rather than, did you see that! 

Psalms 5:11-12

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy;

spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

These verses represent the journey of the believer. Trials and hardships and how we are to deal with them. Waiting, patience, trusting, and acknowledging who it is I’m praying to, “My King and my God.” The Christian life is one of total dependency upon Him from our work life to our home life—one continuous walk. There is no time that I say, “I got this God, I can handle it,” NEVER! In this walk of great Grace, I like to repeatedly acknowledge and thank Him for His love, guidance, and lastly, His joy. At times, His Joy doesn’t make sense in light of the problems we deal with, but simply put, “He’s Always Greater.” 

1 Peter 1:3-7

Born Again to a Living Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

If we are living for this world, then there is not much consolation. However, if our hope is in Christ, then 1 Peter brings much joy. None of us know the future, but suffering in one form or another is definitely part of the picture, and we can’t fear suffering. Daniel didn’t fear the lion’s den; he could have avoided it by simply not praying to the Lord. Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego could have avoided the fiery furnace if they had just bowed to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol, but they refused to. The consequences didn’t sway them or Daniel. In both cases, God delivered these men, and society was changed. We will always be delivered, either from the trial or grow through the trial. I am confident that as Jesus interceded for Peter, He intercedes for us as well. 

Luke 22:31-32

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter was going to have a rude awakening. This is a great example of the permissibility of God allowing satan to affect a necessary end, which was the crushing of Peter’s identity and ego—allowing someone who He loved to be utterly crushed so as to now rebuild him in humility and righteousness. I can attest to this crushing. It is so painful you become “damaged goods.” It can be for life unless you let the Lord begin to rebuild you. If you allow the lie of satan that says God has failed you or is punishing you, or worse yet does not love you despite the undeniable testimony of the Cross, you will struggle. And for years, you will live a defeated life and be miserable. Just like the Jews in the wilderness were.

I can tell by a Believer’s walk if they have become damaged goods or not. If they say, “I don’t have time to pray or read the Word etc.” they are either damaged goods or have not gone through the crushing of their ego yet. If they say, “Oh I wouldn’t miss a day,” they were damaged goods but are now being rebuilt. When you are being rebuilt, you don’t miss a day if you can help it. We start out as “God’s mess,” but through time and process, we become His workmanship. I am learning all the time to yield to His workings in us. The prayer I prayed in my earliest days was a very simple prayer, “if you want this mess, this mess desperately needs you,” Amen. If you have gone through this “damaged goods process,” then you understand what I mean. The destruction of the self is so complete that it never again arises to its pre- crushed status. When the carnal man attempts to take credit or find some action or deed to be prideful over or gloat about the colossal failure of the past only has to be recalled. Peter’s denial of Jesus was never too far from his thoughts. 

This whole process reminds me of “throwing,” as in spinning clay on a potter’s wheel. It was one of my favorite classes. I learned to make bowls, pots, vases, etc. However, there was one aspect of working with clay that was critical regardless of what was going to be made. It was the least enjoyable part of it but was the most important. Before one could place the clay on the wheel, the clay had to be thrown multiple times through a wire that cuts the clay in half, called “clay wedging.” Each time that was done, I would look at each half of the clay for air pockets, and I continued to throw or wedge the clay until I saw no air pockets. It took time, especially if you got a bad batch of clay. However, imagine spending all afternoon creating a beautiful bowl for a friend or family member; you painstakingly shape it and then add your underglaze and begin the firing( putting it in the oven for hardening), and then in the process of firing, the bowl blows up! Why, because the clay wedging was rushed, and an air pocket remained. If the clay could talk, the most painful part would be the wedging. We are God’s clay, and the clay wedging He does to rid us of our “air pockets of pride and ego.” It is a most painful process but a very necessary one. Imagine what would have happened to Peter if this humbling experience had never happened? If in the process of God using him to heal people, raise the dead and preach the gospel, he would have blown up with pride. Ultimately he and the gospel would have failed. “Life Wedging” is painful, no doubt, but it keeps us from serious failure. 

Let me ask an intimate and maybe painful question. Are you sidelined because of a failure? Do you carry your failures, and do they cause you to either consciously or subconsciously doubt God and hence to not seek Him? If this is you, then you also struggle with believing that He loves you. As soon as a pastor told me that, I immediately disagreed with him. I thanked him for his time, and we left. I figured the following day that after this failed marriage counseling session that Lisa was going to file for a divorce ( we were 3 yrs. married, now 42 yrs. Amen). On the drive home from Napa to Vacaville, about 45 minutes, the silence was deafening until the Lord broke the silence by simply saying, “you know he’s right.” His voice crumbled me. It was quiet, loving, but firm. There was no debating. Do you remember the story of Saul getting knocked off his horse and hearing the Lord say, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” For three days, he neither ate nor drank. Do you ever wonder what he was thinking? I know because that was me. Thinking that I was absolutely right, serving the Lord with fervor, and then realizing that the most basic truth I didn’t even know, that He loved me. It was shattering, and I was broken inside. Hearing His voice and never knowing this about myself, along with all the struggles I put my wife through, was crushing. As painful as that was, that was my beginning of understanding His love for me. God was in this and was going to use this to change me. 

From living and studying the scriptures so as to GAIN His approval to living and studying the scriptures BECAUSE OF HIS APPROVAL WAS A COMPLETELY different approach to LIFE. He has paved the way via the Cross, and in that way, I am already approved, forgiven, and loved. Such a huge change. I would liken it to a heart transplant, and now I understood and was set free from the constant need of having to prove my worth before Him. I finally had His peace, Amen. 

It was a long ride home, and I’m not talking about arriving at our home, but reckoning with all the wrong I did and asking for forgiveness from a wife who could no longer feel, forgive, or believe was the hardest part. Her hope of ever having a marriage or a husband that loved her was gone. Her eyes were dead along with her soul, and I did that. Had God not met me that afternoon, filling me with His love (which gave me hope), I would not have had the ability to move forward. Peter needed that same hope, and Jesus was about to do that. 

. 

John 21:9-11

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.

John 21:15-19

Jesus and Peter

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you (the tense of love Peter used means “fond of you” not Agape, God’s love, the word that Jesus used) Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. And after saying this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

End of story, no more self-pity or rehearsing his failure over and over in his mind. Peter had a job to do. His failure and my failure became the launching pad of our walk with Christ. The questioning of Jesus to Peter was necessary so that Peter would be honest with himself. If he truly loved Jesus, as he said, he would not have denied Him. Peter needed to see that he loved himself more. However, Peter will grow to truly love Jesus and one day will be more than willing to die for his Lord. The story has it that Peter was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy of being crucified like his Lord. 

There are many things to note in this dialogue between Jesus and Peter, but the most striking is despite Peter’s glaring failure and an overwhelming sense of unworthiness, his call did not change. We always want to minister or act from a position of worth, strength, and self-confidence. However, that is not how the King or His Kingdom works. God’s men and women do His work from a position of need or depletion that there is absolutely nothing in me or us that we bring to the table. We can only bring a yielded heart. He must fill it with His Holy Spirit if any good is to come from us.

All that comes from you or me comes because He chooses to use the foolish things of the world to confound the wise (foolish because we believe in a Crucified and Resurrected Savior, to the world that’s foolishness). 

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Yet His truth is proven as we pray and seek Him. To not pray is akin to not breathing. As breathing or breathe is to our physical life, so is a prayer to our spirit man. It’s that critical. Our salvation was and is costly. Let’s not make it cheap. Let’s put forth the effort knowing that we are not saved by our works. It’s strictly by faith in the Cross of Christ However, by our choices and effort to deny the flesh, redemption and His work on the Cross is honored in us. Let us be men and women who honor what has been gifted to us. Amen

Father, 

Thank you for the “life wedging of our soul.” It is most destructive to our carnal man, but it becomes the catalyst or the metamorphosis of our soul as it breaks out from the cocoon of the flesh into a NEW LIFE. If we have become damaged goods but have not come to You for healing, let’s now do so repenting of ever thinking you meant us harm or failed us in any way. If we are still trying to prove our self-worth to You, let us understand that that will only end in failure. You have called us to absolute Holiness, which is unattainable in our own strength. Let us humble ourselves before a MIGHTY, OMNIPOTENT BUT LOVING AND KIND GOD who wants nothing more in all the universe ( literally) than to dwell in us and go through life together as Your Word says. Amen.

Chuck Colson kept a plaque on his desk that read: “Faithfulness, not success.” Having climbed the heights of worldly success, he knew that nothing in this life could ultimately satisfy. Forced to reckon with how empty it all was, he encountered Jesus. As he wrote in his book Loving God;

“God doesn’t want our success; He wants us. He doesn’t demand our achievements; He demands our obedience. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of paradox, where through the ugly defeat of a cross, a holy God is utterly glorified. Victory comes through defeat; healing through brokenness; finding self through losing self.”

We will let Your Word have the last word.

James 4:4-10

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Amen

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Mystery and Victory

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Romans 8:28

And we know that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD BECAUSE WE LOVE GOD, OR IS IT JUST THE EVENTS THAT MAKE SENSE TO US?

When my brother drowned, and I was in charge, my mom blamed me for his death, did that work out for good? When I got fired from my job, and I had a very young family to support, did that work out for good? When I did an extensive landscape job, and the client chose to only pay half of it, meaning he still owed me $40K and it was Christmas time, and I wondered if I would be able to give my employees their Christmas bonus, let alone their paychecks (this has happened twice to me, and both at Christmas) did that work out for good? Or the struggles we all face in our family, at times very painful, do they work out for good? 

My mom, 90, recently fell and broke her pelvis, so I have been flying to Orange County on the weekends to care for her. Is that working out for good? And when my daughter’s to-be-fiance Matt, a police officer, while helping in a traffic situation on the freeway, was struck and killed by a drunk driver, did that work out for good? He does say “all things,” and to me, all means all, like in everything. Is it true? Let me give you only one answer on how God has interceded. Parker, my son-in-law, and a great one at that, and my daughter Jessica’s firstborn is a son, Austin. He’s all boy, and we love him so much. He was born on the same day and almost to the minute that Matt was killed. Who could coordinate a birth to coincide with death? From death bring life, from tears of grief bring tears of joy; only God can, only Him! He did it with Jesus, and He does it every time we are willing to put our limitations aside and put Him in charge so that He can bring His life into us (I can hardly type right now, I can’t see through my tears). His faithfulness is undisputed in my heart. 

So the expression “ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD” is something that is an absolute truth. I’ve seen it and lived it. For some things, I’m still waiting to see His promise fulfilled, but I have no doubt that He’ll complete what He’s started. Most of the time, God has to completely remodel the “landscape” within our soul for us to be able to see His hand. 

What He does reminds me of what we do in landscaping. We come in and basically remove everything and then start over, literally from the ground up. We enrich the existing soil with topsoil blend and till it in. God seeks to do the same via His truths. He deals with our sinful nature by giving us His truth and then brings trial and hardship so that His truth gets tilled into our souls. This process happens for the whole of our life, and if we do it in tandem (agreement) with Him, progress is seen more readily, and the trials that seek to bring righteousness to our soul have a greater purpose. The real question is, when life gets really painful, do we still believe God’s promise, or is it something that we just quote to others? 

Without faith, we are no different than Israel. They wandered for forty years because they did not believe God. Yet God was clear with them. Through Moses, He told them they were GOING TO THE PROMISE LAND, therefore all the obstacles, lack of water, lack of food and facing hostile nations, etc., these were ALL obstacles to test their faith. They were going to conquer it all. However, they made the journey painful by their lack of faith and ultimately disqualified themselves because of it. They would have conquered had they believed. God said they were going to the promised land, period. We have obstacles today where we need to believe God, and there are believers today that remain immature in Christ; they are continually doubting God. Therefore they never enter into a life of peace and joy walking in harmony with God’s Spirit. By now, they should be teachers.

Hebrews 5:12-14

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, — neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as “mere” men?

Only the Lord can look at us and say, you are here spiritually, but you should be here. Only He knows us, our strengths, our weaknesses, and will always have the proper expectation. It is so easy to compare ourselves to others and either feel superior to them or be intimidated, but it is not for us to say. Our only role “Is to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33),” and within each command is given the ability to fulfill it when our faith is added to His promise. And adding faith to His promise is not automatic. We need to go after it, “seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be open.” In Greek, it is written in the present imperative, keep seeking and keep knocking. We must take these scriptures and pray them into our lives and claim them; do battle, but its there for us to “pull them down,” from Heaven from a Father whose is wanting well-trained sons and daughters who know how to conquer and inherit the promised land, the land that exists in each of us. From the wilderness of sin and self to a land that is filled with promise because it comes under the rule of the King. 

Matthew 7:11

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Therefore if we are like a “yo-yo” in seeking God, we can and should pray that the Lord makes us more hungry for Him, so we become more consistent. He will allow difficulty to arise to humble us and cause us to see our need for Him, which is a good thing. We all have our own time, and each issue (struggle) takes its own time to resolve. Our Heavenly Father mirrors the father in the parable of the prodigal He is patient. We do not know how long the prodigal was in the world, but when he came back, he was loved as if he never left. Please note there is not one word of condemnation or “finally you see your error,” nothing. The story is of a Father hugging his returned son and loving him. It is beautiful, especially for what was NOT SAID, and how the Father interceded for his son, explaining to his oldest son the reasons for his actions.  

Luke 15:30-32

But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”

So if you have wandered and are embarrassed or ashamed to return to Him know, that that is of the Devil who wishes nothing more than to keep you in a place of guilt and shame, but this is not of your Heavenly Father as you can read. 

Now back to Romans, “According to His purpose?” There must be a conscious effort of less of me and more of Him in my life. By knowing His purpose to use all things ( blessings and struggles) for our sanctification (less of me and more of Him), we can join Him in the process. By yielding, seeking, and trusting Him, we can move ahead instead of fighting Him. For often, without knowing it, we live in opposition to His purpose. Some of us have issues with obedience, “my way first then maybe I’ll consider God’s way.” That’s a great way to kill or limit any blessing God would have for you. We become like the lamb that wanders from the fold and strays into dangerous territory, so much so that the Shepherd has to leave the 99 to save the one. It’s dangerous and foolish to insist on my own way when the Lord has designed us with the capacity to know Him, to know His peace, love, and joy; why would we fight that? No other creation has been given this great privilege. Let’s not be stubborn and foolish and insist on our own way. Pride needs to die. 

Proverbs 18:2

A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself (focus on my wants). 

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 4:5-7

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Hence the greatest security is found in the wisdom that God gives. 

Matthew 7:24-27

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house (your life); and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock (Christ). And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

By this simple story, we understand the folly of building our house (our life) on anything other than Christ. The ultimate end of a life that fails to follow Christ is an utter ruin, a destruction of a life that is so beyond our imagination. Conversely, the life that follows and obeys, suffering and enduring the consequences that come with a life of faith, will be blessed beyond what can be imagined- a life rich in the abundance that the Lord has stored up for his kids. To steal a phrase, “a land (life) filled with milk and honey.”

The promised land is equivalent to a life filled with the Holy Spirit. As Peter said, “silver and gold I have not but such as I have I give onto you . In the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk ( Acts 3:6)”. 

It takes time to manifest the Spirit as such, and we must pass through many hard and difficult trials to free us from our flesh and our pride, so we can “steward” well ( Matt. 25:14-30) life in harmony with the Holy Spirit where His manifest presence and gifts are seen in and through our life.

For the promised land to become a blessing to the people of Israel and not a curse, much of the fulfillment rested on Joshua’s shoulders, a man of great courage, conviction, and faithfulness. His legacy of obedience to the Lord is hard to beat, and the same is true now. For the Spirit-filled life to be all that Christ intends it to be for us much is reliant upon our obedience, “Seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be open, ask and it shall be given unto you,( Matt.6:33).” What is it that we are seeking, what is it that we are knocking to have open, and what are we asking for? What do the scriptures say? Before I quote the scripture, think of this. If you gave a nice thing to your child and that good thing got in the way of your relationship would you regret giving it? If you knew beforehand that they were not mature enough to handle the blessing, putting it before your relationship, would you give it? Of course not. So do we experience unanswered prayers because we seek to spend it on ourselves, placing it before our Heavenly Father? 

James 4:3

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Contrast that with Christ words, “Matthew 6:32-33

For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and Your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and ALL these things will be added to you.   

We seek “things” because, in them, we believe we will find fulfillment and happiness. Yet without a life that seeks God’s Godliness, which is God’s way of protecting us from ourselves, helping us find true life and joy, “seeking all these things” trap us. How does a life of Godliness begin? What would you say to a new believer? The answer is as old and as tried and proven as the stories in the Old Testament. I am continually using these scriptures to bring to our awareness our need to read and meditating upon the scriptures. Without them being not just read, but ingested we will struggle needlessly. So through the frequent study of God’s Word, we line our lives up with the Lord. That way, He is able to bless us, and we can experience victory in this life. Monetary provision is only one of many of God’s blessings. To have Christ, I have more than enough. And this journey begins…

Joshua 1:8-9

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make — thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I COMMANDED thee? Be strong and of good courage. Be not fearful or dismayed, for the Lord your God goes before you.

IN ALL OF LIFE HE GOES BEFORE US, DO WE LIVE AS SUCH?

What God commands for one, He commands for all. What was true for Joshua to lead successfully is also true for me and you to live successfully. As believers, we are to conquer our sinful nature as well as be a light and an example to others. Said in another way, people who see us and get to know us, our life should be their personal invitation to know Christ. 

2 Corinthians 2:14-15

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

If we would but commit to obedience, we would understand and experience the joy and the assurance of a life of the Spirit. A life of abundance. A life of peace, joy, provision, faith, etc. Staying connected to the Source of Life has more true abundance than the wealthiest of people. Just imagine God as your bank; you need joy, seek Him; his touch brings all the joy we need. You need strength; He’s the master of strengthening the inner man, follow His commands given to Joshua, or read Psalm 1. If we need wisdom, read Proverbs and pray for wisdom and then live according to His principles, etc. If we need finances, pray and be a good steward of what He has given you and tithe, “for He knows your needs,” and test God read Malachi 3: 6-11.

 I liken therefore seeking the “Kingdom First” to an arrow directed to the bull’s eye of growing in Christ. Though there be wind and turbulence, however because of the arrow’s design (our faith), it will pass through the resistance. Therefore if you are the stronger believer in your family, continue to seek the Lord, for you are the tip of the arrow. Your family will follow though they may not be following right now, but by your example and prayers, they are being set apart and will, in time, follow. Be confident that your example and the expression of Christ through you will woo them over to Him.

1 Corinthians 7:14

For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

1 John 1:3-4

that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ ( this is were our strength comes from). And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This ultimately is what the Lord wants for all of us, a communing spirit with His Holy Spirit where at a whisper, we hear, we obey, and are blessed. Blessed because we are giving access to the Spirit to mold us, change us, forgive us, and mature us into a life of faith, courage, and confidence. If perilous times come, we will be ready. Otherwise, the surprise and lack of preparedness will be on us, and what kind of foolish decisions will we make because of our lack?

 The circumstances of this life, regardless of what they are, will be unable to thwart us if we see that Jesus is the Rock we run to. Just like David didn’t see Goliath’s size, instead, he saw the size of his God. We need to have the same vision and see that no matter the giant we face that our Father is always bigger. Now let’s get back to our story from our last Vida and see how Hezekiah handled this Goliath type problem. 

2 Chronicles 20:20 -23

And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets ( which represent His Word, which we now have in print) so shall ye prosper.

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of ( HIS) holiness, as they went out BEFORE the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever ( take note: this praise was a step of faith, before anything had occurred. However, it was based on the prophecy that was given, God’s Word spoken. There is power in the declared Word of God when joined with the faith of His people).

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.

By faith, I praise Him, acknowledging that regardless of how the situation looks right now, He is still in charge, and victory will be had. Regardless of how bad the diagnosis is, or how many bills I can’t afford to pay, none of these things moves God. He is not at all worried about it. He’s not thinking; boy Arthur got himself into a real mess this time; I’m not sure I can help him. No, faith-based praise says just the opposite, my God is Greater Still. Faith acknowledges the problem but doesn’t see the problem with carnal eyes. How many examples do we have of potential tragedy in the scriptures? 

Trapped at the Red Sea, Pharaoh’s army closing in, who would have thought that God would part the waters? Quail out of nowhere to feed millions of people who were complaining. Water from a rock, no less in the middle of a desert again for people who were complaining. And then Peter who says “silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give I unto you, in the name of Jesus Christ get up and walk” and the lame man jumped up and praised the Lord! To walk in harmony with the Holy Spirit invites the best life one can have on this side of Heaven; there is no richer life! 

This also is how the Jerichos in our life crumble. Do we not know that God humbles us to test our hearts? To reveal to us our need for change. Never to shame or condemn but to show us what He already knows about us and to give us the opportunity to repent and seek change. Will we complain or trust in Him? My faith is being refined as I cry out to a God who seeks my passionate attention. 

Also, there is another great example from Hezekiah when facing the threat of Assyria. 

2 Kings 19:14-19 Hezekiah’s Prayer

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.”

2 Kings 19:35

And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

Hezekiah doesn’t ignore the truth that Assyria has been victorious, but he acknowledges why. The gods of the other nations were not gods but the works of man’s hands. Therefore if we get a bad diagnosis, or lose our job, or experience what seems like a tragedy, don’t ignore it, acknowledge it, but ALSO acknowledge that Our God is Still Bigger, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and able to save. 

As the Refiner’s work is having its way in me surrender bleeds out my old ways. I start learning to drink from the well that never runs dry….the water of the Word and of the Spirit, and my confidence grows. My inner strength grows as more of me is beginning to rest and trust in all of Him. If you note in scripture that God shows up in crisis. Think of every great miracle in the Old Testament or New; it’s in the context of a crisis. God has to show up, or we are done. Do not let suffering or hardship intimate you, but also do not let it get wasted on you. Let it drive you into the Word Of Grace and find the comfort and assurance that only Christ in a crisis can provide. It forces us to get real with Him.

Jesus once asked the disciples who do people say that I am, and then He made it personal, who do you say that I am? If I was to ask you, what would you say? Would it match what the Lord says about Himself?

Exodus 34:5-7

“And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him ( Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;”

Or what David said… 

Psalms 86:2-6

Preserve my soul; for Thou Art Holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant: 

for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive;

and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

So how did you do? Did you describe the Lord as He did? Do we know the Lord like David knew the Lord? If not, do we want to? Are we willing to pay the price? So let’s be super clear here and not get into legalism. WE CANNOT CHANGE OUR HEART, NO MORE THAN WE CAN DO HEART SURGERY ON OURSELVES, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO is show up for class, listen, and be taught. Every day that we miss time in the scriptures, we miss a day that the Teacher could have brought us closer to Him. Our job is to POSITION ourselves for His workings in our life. Just like a heart surgeon cannot help us if we do not show up, so by avoiding time with the Lord, little to nothing is changed in us. 

In conclusion, if you struggle with knowing how to pray, praying the Psalms to the Lord is a great way to kick start your prayer life. This Psalm is one of many that can be read back to the Lord as a prayer.

Psalms 86: 7-11

Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee ( in the future), O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name (this should be our daily praise and prayer).

Father, 

Thank you for your greatness and loving-kindness. Help us to press into You more, give us eyes that truly see. Thank you for this teaching.

Amen and Amen

Go in the Hope that His Grace provides, 

Arthur