Dark Places

Why am I interested in this? Well, last night I was reading and came across this in the book of Psalms and it particularly struck me.


Psa 74:1 Maschil of Asaph.

Maschil - the definition of Maschil is...

Easton's Bible Dictionary
Instructing, occurs in the title of thirteen Psalms (32, 42, 44, etc.). It denotes a song enforcing some lesson of wisdom or piety, a didactic song. In Psalm 47:7 it is rendered, Authorized Version, "with understanding;" Revised Version, marg., "in a skilful psalm."

Pasted from

… a song enforcing a lesson of wisdom or piety.


Didactic- means-
DIDACTIC, DIDACTICAL, a. [Gr., to teach.] Adapted to teach; preceptive; containing doctrines, precepts, principles or rules; intended to instruct; as a didactic poem or essay.

In Psa. 74:1 we have a teaching psalm of Asaph… who is Asaph--

Who was Asaph?
We can read about Asaph in two books of the *Old Testament, Chronicles and Nehemiah. From them we learn 4 things about Asaph:
  ·   his father was Berechiah (1 Chronicles 6:39)
  ·   he was a music leader (1 Chronicles 15:17 ... this verse also calls Heman and Ethan music leaders)
  ·   he was a *seer (2 Chronicles 29:30) ... a *seer can "see what will happen", it is another word for "*prophet"
  ·   he lived at the same time as King David (Nehemiah 12:46)


The Psalm in its entirety at the end.

*


Psa 74:9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.


We see not our signs.
There is no more any prophet.
Neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.


Psa 74:10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?


How long shall the adversary reproach?
Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever?


(1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: )


Psa 74:12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.


Salvation!


Psa 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.


Have respect unto the covenant.
For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.


This verse had me in tears.
This is the truth of this earth… the DARK PLACES are FULL of the HABITATIONS OF CRUELTY.
There is such cruelty in our world! For all that we are supposed to be civilized, living in an enlightened age, it only seems our cruelties have become even more cruel with our technological advancements.


There are SO many dark places on this earth. They could be right next door in a neighbor's house. They could be in the doctor's office you go to. They could fill many seats in our congress, our senate, even our churches have become habitations of cruelty in so many ways. There is heartache and pain enough to fill the earth with endless sorrow. The torturing that goes on unabated in places we consider less civilized, and we don't lift a finger to stop. The legalized torture that goes on in societies governed by dictating men living in dark places. Cruelty! It breaks my heart! You can pick up most newspapers and find inside them samplings of how cruel this world is. Turn on the news and you'll hear such cruel things, horrible things. We can't shut our minds off to all this. It's so easy to turn a blind eye to the suffering because it pains us and we don't want to feel pain, we don't want our heart to ache, we don't want our tears to fall. God knows our pain, He knows the cruelty in this world.


O God HOW LONG shall we suffer under the adversary?!


We see not signs.
There is no more any prophet.
Neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.


NO more prophets… so many that claim to be prophets of God and yet they have no light in them, they prophesize towards their own glory, they spread the poison that Satan feeds to them and disguise it as being God's. They are angels of darkness pretending to be angels of light.


Please dear GOD it is my deep prayer, my earnest cry, my entreaty… Have respect unto the covenant, the covenant that is between you and man and made possible by the sacrifice of Your Son, the better covenant.


Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.


Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.


Your Son, a High Priest ordained by You is the mediator of the new covenant. It is the blood He spilled that He offers for us sinners, to save us. Please Lord God, have respect unto this new, better covenant between mankind and You. We don't deserve Your love, we are the worst of sinners filled with corruption, the earth where we dwell, the earth you created and placed us upon is filled with dark places, so much so that they threaten to overwhelm any places of light. We don't know how long Lord, that is in Your all wise discretion but please Lord, please save us. The pain of cruelty in this world knows no bounds, it's run rampant, the adversary- Your adversary, our adversary roars loudly seeking to devour all of us. Please Lord, please have mercy upon us and come soon!


By Your Grace, Lord! By YOUR GRACE and MERCY!

Save us!


Psalm in its entirety--

Psa 74:1 Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
Psa 74:2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
Psa 74:3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
Psa 74:4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
Psa 74:5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
Psa 74:6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
Psa 74:7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
Psa 74:8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
Psa 74:9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
Psa 74:10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
Psa 74:11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
Psa 74:12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Psa 74:13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
Psa 74:14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
Psa 74:15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
Psa 74:16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
Psa 74:17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
Psa 74:18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
Psa 74:19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
Psa 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Psa 74:21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
Psa 74:22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
Psa 74:23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

God's or Not God's

God's or not God's.


There are two choices, that's it.


It is true to say- if you are not for God you are against Him because there is NO neutral ground.


People imagine there is a neutral ground called 'Independence' where they can stand without having to choose between God and Satan. All who choose independence are really choosing Satan.


Choosing God means worshipping God, it means serving God, it means God guiding our lives. Choosing God means He is just that OUR GOD.


If people say they have NO God, that they worship no God at all, they are mistaken because the god they are choosing to worship is themselves. Believing they are in need of NO God, that there is No God, the choice is made -- they believe they are-- self-ruling, self-governing, self-sustaining, self-existing. And if a person believes all that they are their own god worshipping at the altar of self.


God or not God's.


Can a person say they are God's and not be God's?


Yes. Many will think they are God's and not be God's.


What makes us truly God's? Jesus says...


Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.


Those aren't MY words! I didn't say that! I didn't make it up!


We are God's IF we love God, aren't we?


Can we hate God and be His?


Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me


Pro 8:36 '... all they that hate me love death. '


Joh 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.


Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.



Can we hate God and be God's?


How? How is it possible?


We are told if we love our Savior we will keep His commandments.


What commandments are Jesus' commandments?


Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Mat 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.


Where are these commandments from?


Thou shalt not murder- thou shalt do no murder.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Honor they father and mother.


Are these NEW and strange commandments introduced by the promised Messiah? No. Look what the man answered Jesus…


Mat 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.


All these things have I KEPT from my YOUTH up.


Jesus' ministry only lasted 3 years before His death. This MAN wants eternal life and is telling Jesus that he's kept the commandments which Jesus says if he keeps he will have eternal life. These commandments are the TEN COMMANDMENTS- written by God Himself on two tables of stone and put in the ark of the covenant between God and His people.


Jesus told this man if he would be perfect he would LAY HIS TREASURES UP IN HEAVEN, and He would be following Jesus. He would be loving God, worshipping God truly, not in a false way that so many even today worship God. Following God, loving God, learning and loving at the feet of Jesus, treasuring the words He speaks and laying those treasures up in heaven, not TREASURING ANYTHING here on earth.


So here we have Jesus Himself telling us what we need to do to have eternal life and even saying-
If ye love me, keep my commandments. Joh 14:15


The ten commandments ARE Jesus' commandments. We can't separate them and say the ten commandments were God's, and the new commandments Jesus gives are Jesus' and we have to follow Jesus not God. It's ludicrous to ever think that way, to ever think that that God's ten commandments were NOT Jesus' commandments as well. Jesus is GOD with us. Jesus lived His whole life as a human on earth before His death and resurrection following His Father, doing His Father's will, keeping His Father's commandments, doing NOTHING without the Father.


Joh 8:18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.
Joh 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.


Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.


Jesus and His Father agreed on all points! Jesus didn't come to destroy the ten commandments of God.


Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.


We need to realize this following-


The ten commandments given by the finger of God- were the ONLY commandments written with His own finger!


Exo 32:16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.


Exo 24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.


Exo 25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.


Exo 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.


Exo 32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
Exo 32:16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.


Exo 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.


Exo 34:28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.


The Ten Commandments-

Exo 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
(1) Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(2) Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
(3) Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
(4) Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
(5) Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
(6) Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
(7) Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
(8) Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
(9) Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
(10) Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.


Which of these commandments is irrelevant?
Which of these commandments is out dated?
Which of these commandments is too restrictive?
Which of these commandments is too grievous for us to bear?
Which of these commandments did Jesus do away with, pointedly telling us it was NO longer to be kept that the law from everlasting to everlasting was a mistake?


Jesus summed up the ten commandments for us-


Loving God
Loving our fellow man


The first four commandments of the ten are the result of loving God.
The last six commandments of the ten are the result of loving our fellow man.


Tell me which of these commandments, any of them or all of them, that are no longer binding? WHY would God give us commandments- words of the covenant between God and man- and then turn around and tell us that they are no good? Why would He change His mind and tell us to no longer worship Him, no longer honor Him above all, no longer worry about taking His name in vain, no longer keep His sanctified, His holy day of rest, no longer worry about killing anyone or committing adultery, and who cares about stealing any longer, or lying…go ahead and lie now and go ahead and covet… go ahead and want other's things to the point of hating them because they have them and you don't. Yes, all those things are now okay because that old law, those old commandments are outdated and have been replaced. People will look at you like you're crazy if you say those things. Surely God doesn't want us to steal and kill or worship other gods. But those same people will quickly say- sure God doesn't care if you worship Him on the Sabbath anymore, worshipping Him all the time is better anyway, right? God doesn’t really mind if we take His name in vain, He understands it's just the slang we've grown up listening to and it doesn't mean a thing against Him.


Craziness is what it is. All or nothing. NOT ONE JOT or ONE TITTLE- not ONE dot above an ' i ' or a cross of a 't' is to be done away with!


Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.


TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS! These are Jesus' words! The law is good and will not pass, none of it! The ten commandments- the covenant written in stone by God Himself- the law placed into the ark of the covenant and now written upon our hearts will be in affect until God and man are permanently reunited when the earth is made new and sin is no longer, death is done away with forever. This is when the covenant between God and man will be completely fulfilled, permanently kept never more to ever in any way, shape, or form to be broken.


So, are we God's or not God's?
Do we really want to be God's or just pretend?


By the grace and mercy of our Savior may we be forgiven of our sinning, of our failing to keep the covenant in Him, through Him. Please Lord, have mercy on us! Save us! Look down upon us and have mercy! We cry mercy Lord! Only You can forgive us, only You can save us, there is no good thing in us the only good is in You and You alone. By the righteousness of our Savior may we be Yours now and forever! May we lay our treasures truly in Heaven with You Lord. Teach us! Help us! Love us! Know us Lord!


By Your will, by Your grace, by Your love now and forever!


Amen.

Good things to come

Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building


Christ being come an high priest of good things to come.


A high priest of what???


Of good things to come.


Future tense- to come. It doesn't read- 'Christ being come an high priest of good things right now'. Yes, some choose to interpret it to mean things right now but the way I read it, it means what it says. 'Christ being come an high priest of good things to come.'


This strikes me as being very relevant at the moment in a personal way. The Holy Spirit has been guiding me in a striking way to consider the 'things to come' , of not being caught up in the things of right now. We get so bogged down in our lives the future seems like a dream- reality in having the dream but the substance of the dream- of our inevitable future is all nonsensical.


Getting bogged down in the here and now it becomes hard to believe there is a future beyond tomorrow, next week, next year, ten years, thirty years, fifty years from now. Some can't even imagine a future for next year let alone fifty years, and most people don't want to truly consider their future beyond their life span.


Are we promised good things on earth now? Are we?


Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.


Does that sound like a promise of riches?
Does that sound like a promise of good health?
Does that sound like a promise of any worldly treasure?


In the world ye shall have tribulation.


YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION.


Tribulation-
G2347
thlipsis
thlip'-sis
From G2346; pressure (literally or figuratively): - afflicted, (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.


Ye shall have pressure, affliction, anguish, burdens, persecutions, tribulations, trouble.


So if we are told that in the world we will have all this tribulation why do we scratch our heads and ponder the reason why the tribulation exists in our lives? Why do we wonder- why me? Why this? Why now?


The ONLY peace we will ever have in a form of endless peace, peace everlasting, peace not affected by anything at all whatsoever is if we have Christ's peace.


Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


Christ's peace.


Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.



What peace does the world give to us?


The peace of having no financial hardships.
The peace of having good health.
The peace of having trusting companionship.
The peace of job security.
The peace of a loving family.


These are all things we want to have right now to keep us feeling peaceful. Worldly peace- peace the world gives.. We aren't left with this peace from Christ, we are left with HIS peace which is NOT like peace we'll find in the world. We aren't to be troubled, or to be afraid- two things we almost inevitably are when we lack worldly peace. We instantly get caught up in worrying when we lack the peace we want to have in the world- worldly peace. Our health starts to fail- we worry. Our financial security is taken away- we worry. The love of our life decides they want to be the love of someone else's life- we are very troubled, very worried. Our lives are filled with tribulations. Is it any wonder our Savior said- 'my peace I give unto you NOT as the world giveth? Is there any wonder He made the distinction between the two?


He did. It wasn't me who did it, I'm not saying this stuff, I'm not making it up, Christ Himself said these words….


Peace I leave with you
my peace I give unto you
not as the world giveth,
give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled
neither let it be afraid.


Our hearts are troubled when we count on having peace in our worldly existence. When we count on our lives going the way we imagine they should we will be sorely disappointed.


Jesus wants us to have HIS peace. The peace that He offers to us. The peace that as High Priest in heaven He has become for us. Christ being come a high priest of good things to come. Does this have other applications, yes, but me, for right now this has this particular meaning.


The good is to COME, we aren't promised a good worldly life, how can we be, this isn't our world and it wasn't Christ's world. The kingdom of God we pray to come is the world we live for now in this world.


2Co 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
2Co 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
2Co 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
2Co 6:8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
2Co 6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
2Co 6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.


Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.


Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.



Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done.

Pain of this world

Ecc 3:10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.


There is NO denying that this world offers us pain after pain after pain, heartache, agony, anguish, despair. I won't deny it. I won't tell anyone to follow Jesus and there will be no pain. I won't try and spread the word of the gospel, the plan of salvation, the love of our Lord and tell people life will be happiness and sunshine, that nothing bad will happen to them ever again. To tell people that is to lie to them. I will never preach loving God, following God, choosing to live with God in your life will make things better in a worldly way.


I wrote about it yesterday and it bears repeating, writing about it over and over again… we can't live for this world! We can't live for this world's pleasure, this world's good things, this world's happiness. We can't live for a life of ease, or even for a life of barely surviving. We just can't live for this world, bad or good. If our life is horrific… and believe me I barely know what that's like outside of hearing about the horrors of third world countries, or if our life is one of average ease- of which I know something about, or even if our lives are filled with riches untold we CAN'T live for this world.


We want to live for this world. We see the good things it has to offer and we want to live for them. We want to live even when our lives are filled with horror… just look at those who go through life in severe poverty, degraded by those around them and most of them do not choose to take their lives, they want to live. People who are starving and live in families of starving people- want to live. People who are in pain, severe pain still mostly choose to live. I'm not saying EVERYONE chooses life, but the majority of people no matter their circumstances want to live and those in bad situations want to live and hope things will get better.


We've been raised by the world around us to want to live for things of this world. We can't live for this world, if we do we will forever be disappointed. Sure we'll be happy on occasion but life's pain will be overwhelming.


I know I'm harping on this stuff, I'm just going through something right now that keeps this forefront in my mind.


We are NOT OF THIS WORLD!


Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.


What treasures have you laid up in heaven?
What treasures have you banked in heaven?
When's the last time you stored up anything in heaven?
What treasures can we put in heaven?
What treasures can't rust?
What treasures can't become moth eaten?
What treasures can't be stolen?
All earthly treasures can be taken from us, every single treasure can be stolen.


We need to take this seriously, we need to believe these words and take them to heart.


We NEED to STOP living for this world.


Jesus wants us to put our hearts with Him, in heaven, in hope and there we will find life everlasting- a life eventually of no more pain, no more heartache, no more hunger, no more agonies, no more disappointments.


May God bless us all and help us to put our treasures in heaven, knowing that only in heaven can our treasures be safe.


By the grace of our Savior, through the love and righteousness of our Lord may we live now and forever in Him.


Amen.

Satan

Satan.


What do you think of when you hear that name? Does it conjure up visions of some evil mythical figure? Do you have the image of an every day guy in a business suit sporting a creepy smile? Maybe the name of Satan brings up the picture of a horned and hoofed creature carrying a pitchfork. Do you ever picture an angel when you hear the name Satan? Seriously. Do you? Maybe you do, who am I to know.


What I do know is this... Satan as a REAL, live entity in our lives- is missing.


Time and time again I've come face to face with the realization that Satan is just not considered a real driving force in our lives.


Maybe if we took a picture of Him, however we view Him, and enlarged it to at least human life-size and stuck it on a wall in our house so that we saw this image every day, maybe then he'd become more real. We could see him and know that he is alive! We could see that picture and know it belongs to something REAL.


No. I don't want a picture of Satan in my house, I don't want a life-size image of Satan on any wall I have, but I do want to live with the realization that Satan is alive as much as I am alive. Satan is alive as much as Jesus is alive. Satan is alive as much as God is alive.


I don't want to tout Satan for anyone, I don't want to champion Satan this isn't at all what it's about, not one bit. But another trick of the great deceiver is getting people to NOT believe he exists, that he really does influences them.


GOD or SATAN!


ONE or the OTHER!


You don't live one minute, not one second without one or the other being your choice.


We are CREATURES.


We are CREATED beings.


We either choose to have faith in our Creator and the hope He gives us through the righteousness of His Son, through His son's sacrifice, or we turn from our Creator and the Creator's enemy takes control over us. We can't live without our Creator… there is only death without Him and our lives are only living death without Him.


We need the living water.
We need the bread of life.


Satan can never give us living water.
Satan can never give us the bread of life.


Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Joh 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Joh 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.


them bread from heaven to eat.
Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.


We need life and life is only found in Christ- real life, endless life, life everlasting, life eternal, life.


May God help us to realize we have an enemy, may God help EVERYONE realize they have an enemy that would do anything He can to keep them from life eternal, life everlasting.


In His grace!

Amen.

Tragedies, loss of hope, neither let the deep swallow 'us' up

Psa 69:15 Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Psa 69:16 Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
Psa 69:17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.


Tragedies, big and small bring pain beyond imagination.


The waters of strife, the floods of emotional agony grip us. The deep, dark depths of pure despair threaten to overwhelm us. The pit would close us inside, the pit of anguish would devour us never to be seen again, to never lay hold of our eternal life in Christ.


Satan would have us drown in our pain, our very real pain.


Satan would have our losses rip any faith we have in God away.


Satan would have us lay all the blame on Christ's shoulders.


Satan laughs at our heartaches.


Jesus weeps with us.


There is no escaping that the pain in this world is endless. Whether you're a Christian or not, you will have pain, you will have heartaches. If you're not a Christian this life- filled with pain- will be all you'll ever know. This world is not our true home, we are NOT of this world. If we place all our hopes and dreams here on earth, in this world, our hopes will be crushed time and time again.


Today my niece miscarried her third child and as we were leaving the hospital in tears I hugged her and she said these heart breaking words to me… 'I just can't hope any more.' Those words broke my heart.


My sister had called me earlier in the morning to pray for her daughter, and with my sister's broken relationship with Christ, to have her reaching out for prayers is wonderful- just knowing she's turning to God for help is a miracle. I told her I was praying but I don't have my own personal direct line to God like she thinks I do (she even says I do). When I saw her at the hospital before the news, I told her I was praying for God's will to be done and she wagged her finger at me while furrowing her brow as if she didn’t want me to pray that way but some other way.


I did pray for my niece and her unborn baby, I did ask for a miracle, but ultimately in all things I want God who knows the end from the beginning to have HIS will done, not mine. Does this mean I believe it was God's will for my niece to lose her 3rd baby? That makes God seem like some cruel tyrant and Satan wants us to believe that He is just that- He wants us to believe God is hateful and hurtful, uncaring, vengeful, and spiteful. Satan glories in those thoughts, if Satan could get us to blame God for everything tragic that happens to us He will. God's will is for us to love Him, for us to have eternal life in Him through the sacrifice of His only Son. God's will is for us to have faith in Him. God's will for us is to place our treasures, our hopes IN HEAVEN. Does this mean we aren't to have hopes here on earth? That we aren't to hope for babies, or finding a marriage partner, that we shouldn't hope for a good job, and good health? No. We can hope for all those things, I know I have, and I do. We can hope but understand that first and foremost our hope needs to be in Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer.


1Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope


2Co 1:2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2Co 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2Co 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2Co 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.


The sufferings in Christ are many. Sufferings are many for all. In Christ we have consolation. In Christ alone we have hope.


1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.


We have hope in Christ for eternal life, not just for life here and now.


To constantly harp on laying our treasures up in heaven seems as if I'm a broken record. But when my niece's heart is broken before my very eyes, when I look into her face and see the deep anguish there and I have nothing to give her to ease her pain I am only reminded of how horrible this world is. I will not blame God, I refuse to blame God! Satan has RUINED this world! SATAN BE DAMNED! And Satan is damned! We can't choose to be damned with Him! We can choose to be saved in Christ! We can choose to live now for life everlasting. We can choose to realize that the agonies of this world will NEVER end. We can choose to understand that the pain, though raw and horrific, threatening to consume us, is too only temporary- even if it lasts our entire life here in this world- it is only temporary.


We have to live for Christ.
We have to have our hope in Him always.


It breaks my heart believing that my sister's tentative faith might be crushed and she's piled yet another brick upon God, placing the blame upon Him and not on Satan.


I can only hope and pray that it is God's will that my sister, my niece, her husband, my brother in law, and all those who are affected by this tragedy can find strength to endure through Christ, that somehow it draws them closer to Him and not further away. It's my prayer my niece places her hope in Christ and finds solace in Him knowing that He weeps with her in her pain, that He is touched by her heartaches and He longs for her to be with Him in life eternal where there will be no pain, no heartache.


Please… pray for my family.


In the love of Christ, by His grace, by His mercy now and forever!!!


Amen.

Worldly Foolish, Salvation Wise

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.


Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.


Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.


Job 36:3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.


Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.


Psa 24:5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.


Psa 31:1 ...In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.


Psa 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.


Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.


2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.


Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.


Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.


*

Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.


When so much unrighteousness surrounds us, when Satan would have us buried deep in the thick mire of our own vileness we have to remember that God alone is righteous above all and we have to believe in God and His Righteousness. We aren't to believe in ourselves. We can't SAVE ourselves by believing in own ability, our own righteousness. The only way we can save ourselves is to believe in the Lord and Salvation in our Savior, God's Son.


Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.


We save ourselves when we REPENT and are baptized in the name of our Savior for the forgiveness of our sins.



Satan's assaults grow more and more intense all around us. The closer we move towards our God the closer Satan moves towards us to take us away from Him.


Praise God we are saved by grace, that the righteousness we possess is our belief in God's righteousness, in His plan of salvation.


We have to CLING to this belief and NEVER give it up. Satan wants us to turn our minds inwards to ourselves and not outward to God. The cares of this world do truly threaten to overwhelm. We must remember that this world is already counted as lost, but the world to come is our Savior's and it's that world we need to look to when this world would tear us apart, when Satan would tear us spiritually limb from spiritual limb. When we are so caught up in the cares of this world that it seems as if Satan is dangling us above a bottomless pit, our legs kicking, our hands scrambling to cling to anything that would keep us from failing, we have to remember Christ is our Savior and we have to let go of Satan's pinching fingers trusting that we will be caught up unto our Lord.


Satan will tell us that we HAVE to worry over this life, to just NOT worry isn't how it's done. He wants us worrying and worrying and worrying as long as he can keep us worrying we keep ourselves from trusting, from believing. Satan wants us to believe it's stupid to even think of NOT worrying when there is SOOOOO much to worry about. We don't want to be stupid, we don't want to be considered clueless and foolish, stupid, dumb, blind to the REAL world, going about with our heads in the clouds, crazily happy in the knowledge of Salvation… we should want to be worldly stupid, worldly clueless, worldly foolish, worldly stupid, dumb and blind as long as we are CRAZY happy in the knowledge of our Salvation!!!


May God bless us and keep us, guide our paths, protect us from the wiles of the Devil so that we may serve Him and only Him, by His righteousness, in HIS everlasting LOVE, through the grace of our Savior!


Amen.