Category Archives: 2020

2020, Gospel of John, Gospel of Matthew, Political awareness, Questions

The Bloody Truth

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Our world, our Nation, some families even, are divided. Why?

Truth. 

Like it or not truth divides. 
Truth divides those who believe Truth from those who will not believe Truth. 

I’ve not personally experienced a time when Truth is more hated than today. I am reminded though that Truth has a long history of not only being hated but denied and rejected. 

Pilate.
John 18:38 (AMP) 38 Pilate said to Him [scornfully], “What is truth?” .  .  .   source

And TRUTH was standing before him bloodied by men who had refused to believe THE TRUTH.
Rejection of TRUTH still brings bloodshed; if not with guns, knives, bombs, with words. 

Why?
Why assume we naturally know?
Why assume we naturally know the motives of others? 
Why not ask?
Why not ask with an open hand, a willing mind, and a loving heart to hear? 

Observation says there are some questions begging to be asked with an open hand, a willing mind, and a loving heart to hear.
Questions like:
Why did you vote for Donald Trump? 
Why are you unwilling to accept the Associated Press’s choice?

Politically-related questions are not the only ones standing to be asked.
There are what we might term religious (spiritual) questions too.
How ironic.
These days as in the days of John 18:38 politics and religion are intertwined.
Politics are the acts of people endeavoring to govern (or control) other people.
And people either believe THE TRUTH or they don’t whether they are in the government, the market, at home, or the Sanctuary.
The acceptable separation of same is this: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;  . . .  Amendment 1 
Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. (You can find a copy in just about any bookstore – for now. I suggest you obtain a copy right away.)

And the logical understanding of this Amendment 1, borne out by historical fact, is We shall have no Church of America as we did across the Pond in The Church of England.
We shall make no laws demanding that We the People attend, pay tithes, or homage to an Established Church of the United States of America.
We the People shall be free to worship GOD as HE directs us.
We the Congress, the Lawmakers, WILL NOT infringe upon or prohibit this worship of GOD. 

Truth does not always lend to being nice. Truth is often brutal. Not for brutality’s sake but for LOVE’s sake.

Let me close with a revelation of YESHUA – JESUS. A revelation that many do not like, nor understand. There’s a reason for that.

Christ Brings Division

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;
36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  Matthew 10 – source  

YESHUA did NOT come the first time to bring peace to the earth. See it right there in verse 34.
Luke 2:14 tells us HE came to bring peace to Men – that includes women and children too. 
And the SWORD HE brought is HIS VERY OWN WORD – THE BIBLE. Those who believe HIM and HIS WORD know the TRUTH; those who do not, do not.
It’s as simple as that. Take it or leave it. It’s your choice.
I know that’s offensive to some. I can’t help that. Truth is what it is – Truth. 

Hence, The Great Divide.

And that divide pits son against father, daughter against mother, daugher-in-law against mother-in-law. It hurts, it stings and the soul bleeds but when it comes to TRUTH, THE TRUTH, we align with JESUS even if that means we must oppose those we love the most.
YESHUA made it abundantly clear in this passage to love HIM means we love HIM (THE TRUTH) more than even our own flesh and blood. To do otherwise is an indicator (not to be ignored) that we may yet be in our sins and have not come to know THE TRUTH ourselves. 

Do I like division? 
Absolutely not!
Do I like conflict?
Absolutely not!
But it is absolutely my prayer that I will stand with JESUS to the death. 

John 8:32  (NKJV) 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” source

2020, Ephesians

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Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV) 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. source

And then he said:

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,   Ephesians 4:1 source

There’s that Therefore again.

So, because HE is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can think or ask; because of this, I beseech you, he said WALK WORTHY.
Could there be a more appropriate, more important, more needed time for US to walk worthy?!

2020, Christmas, Ephesians, Questions, You Tubes

People of Ephesus

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Ephesians 3. Verse 13

13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.  source 

He actually asked them to NOT lose heart? Like that was an option for them?

And it was. And it is. And why was it? And why is it? 
Do you see that word, THEREFORE? Long ago I was counseled when I read the word THEREFORE in Scripture that I should immediately ask why is that word THEREFORE, there for? 
So, I do.
To get the reason for the therefore in verse 13 we need to back up to verse 8 and read again through verse 13. Here’s a link for you to do that. Ephesians 3:8-13

A sentence that spans 5 verses. He has written longer sentences.

And then he prays for them. And what a prayer! 

Ephesians 3:14-19  (AMP) 14 For this reason [grasping the greatness of this plan by which Jews and Gentiles are joined together in Christ] I bow my knees [in reverence] before the Father [of our Lord Jesus Christ], 
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name [God—the first and ultimate Father]. 
16 May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], 
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, 
18 be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; 
19 and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].  source 

So Christ may DWELL in your hearts.
Don’t miss that.
Don’t just breeze over it.
DWELL. It means what it says. 

HOLY SPIRIT, please help us believe this DWELL.
Believe it so much that we MAKE ROOM for HIM to dwell and live and DO in us. 

And I see in this that if we receive, accept, and believe that GOD LOVES US, I mean REALLY loves us, then tribulation does not cower us in fear or steal our faith or our joy.
If we are going to BELIEVE GOD, the first and most crucial fact we must believe is THAT HE LOVES US ALWAYS AND FOREVER. 

I’m just gonna put my name on that and accept that HOLY SPIRIT is going to answer this prayer on my behalf just as much for me as He did the Ephesians. 
You too?